Chapter 725: Hanging the head from the beam and piercing the thigh with a needle!
Many monks chose a cushion and sat down cross-legged.
The old scholar Song Taosheng first taught everyone the methods of hanging the head on the beam and piercing the thigh with a needle.
Both spells require corresponding tools, the former using a hemp rope and the latter using a wooden spike.
Kong Ran's face grew paler and paler. He looked around, feeling a little restless.
He sincerely hoped that someone would leave on their own initiative, but he was disappointed to see that the other monks either had solemn expressions or expressionless faces, and had no intention of leaving at all.
Song Taosheng said slowly, "You will choose your own classics and use two methods to aid your studies. This Confucian Temple has already made arrangements. Anyone who cheats will be severely punished!"
This warning made everyone feel awe-inspiring.
Next, Song Taosheng was quite straightforward and directly announced the start of this Xingyun trial.
Ning Zhuo did not act in a hurry, but fell into rapid thinking.
He felt a little embarrassed: "Of course I have classics, but... what should I choose to study?"
"Have you already learned it and know it by heart?"
"I'm still only halfway through the classics. Have you learned everything?"
"Or choose a complete stranger?"
Ning Zhuo's dilemma was not only for himself, but also for other Confucian practitioners.
The main problem is that the selection criteria for the Xingyun pilot program have not been made public. No one knows, so it's hard to be sure.
So the next moment, Bai Jiyun stood up on his own initiative, bowed to Song Taosheng and asked.
Song Taosheng's face was expressionless as he shook his head, saying, "This is also part of the test for this small test. Most of you are Confucianists. If you were to take the national exam for Huawen Country, would you also hold your test paper in the exam room and ask the invigilator?"
Bai Jiyun had no choice but to sit down.
All the cultivators had gloomy faces, and most of them were thinking with their heads down, thinking about what the judging criteria of this Xingyun test would be.
Only Ning Zhuo understood clearly in his heart: this rule was very favorable to him!
Liu Fushu gritted his teeth secretly and made a decision: "Looks like I can only give my all."
Kong Ran harbored a fantasy: "Do we really have to do this? It would be great if this little test tests our ability to make the wise choice of decisively giving up."
Kong Ran also knew that this was just his wishful thinking.
But he really doesn't want to work hard.
When he was a child and attending elementary school, he was personally overshadowed by his father, Kong Zhaoming.
Kong Ran looked around the room expectantly from time to time: "If any of you leave, I'll follow you. I'll leave here too!"
"Alas, if I had known this was the competition, I would definitely not have come."
"Even sleeping in is better than this."
Kong Ran is no longer in control of his own destiny at such a young age.
He was known as a child prodigy and was one of the Kong family's most prominent figures. His father was one of the prime ministers of Feiyun State, so his performance was closely linked to Kong Zhaoming.
The burden of fame!
Ning Zhuo realized that Xingyun was also quietly taking care of him, so he put aside his previous concerns.
He sent his spiritual sense into his storage belt and began to actively select the next classic to learn.
There are a large number of classics in the storage belt.
For example, the Secret Book of Ice Sculptures given by Ning Jufan, the Collection of Curved Snake Arrays from Chen Lao, and the Blood Demon Disintegration Technique, Death Moon Offering Song, and Sky Burial Ceremony purchased by Ning Zhuo himself.
The Jiao family's jade slips contain several of the Jiao family's martial arts techniques, as well as a treasure map.
The two chapters of Qi Refining and Foundation Building in the "Wanxiang Jing".
The chef's inheritance jade slips record the dark cooking school's techniques, recipes, cultivation experiences, and more. It serves as both proof of identity and an entry ticket to the Hundred Nations Culinary Competition.
Oh, and there's also the Lingshuang and Aoxue Enlightenment Diagram, one of the Ning family's most valuable treasures. Even though it's just a picture, it's still worth studying and studying.
The precious military book "Gao Sheng's Last Letter".
The special "Criminal Book of the Underworld".
There are a large number of classics on soul cultivation, such as "Yin Gu Jue", "Youming Heart Sutra", "Detailed Explanation of Soul Guiding Technique", etc. Most of these are thanks to the contribution of Tian Shuang, one of the two ghosts of heaven and earth.
There is also the recently acquired "Vowel Reed Book", which Ning Zhuo has already mastered.
After thinking about it, Ning Zhuo felt that using those soul cultivation techniques would have a negative impact. So, he chose the Secret Book of Ice Sculpture.
Ning Zhuo had read the book several times before and clearly recognized his shortcomings—his carving skills, particularly the "inner carving" technique, which required working through the ice like a brush. This was his biggest weakness. Traveling extensively and with limited time to spare, he had always considered this technique a minor detail, setting it aside for the time being and using it only as a reference to broaden his horizons.
Most recently, Ning Zhuo used a pictographic brush to copy this book and learned more information that can only be understood but not expressed in words.
This time, he used Confucianism to study the book with his head hanging from the beam and his thighs pierced by a needle.
Ning Zhuo sat cross-legged, his back straight as a pine tree. He infused his magic power, mobilized his spiritual consciousness, and urged the ropes of his magical instruments.
Then, the cinnabar hemp rope moved flexibly, automatically tying Ning Zhuo's hair. Then, the other end of the rope passed around a protruding beam on the top of the stone chamber behind him, hanging down, and began to tighten with just the right amount of force.
The roots of his hair, tied by the hemp rope, gave Ning Zhuo a constant, subtle and distinct pulling sensation and a slight pain in his scalp.
At the same time, Ning Zhuo held the wooden spike in his hand, applied gentle force, and stabbed the outside of his left thigh.
The boxwood cone pierced the skin and flesh firmly, about an inch deep.
A sharp and direct pain continued to stimulate Ning Zhuo.
Hang your head on the beam and prick your thigh with a needle!
Ning Zhuo was almost the first cultivator to take action, which inevitably attracted the attention of many cultivators.
His young face was calm and composed, not even his brows were furrowed in the slightest.
Some monks were secretly surprised. Kong Ran opened his mouth slightly, and thought with some panic and resistance: "You're starting now?"
Song Taosheng had naturally been paying attention to Ning Zhuo for a long time.
Seeing Ning Zhuo's performance, he nodded in his heart, but still remained on the sidelines: "The techniques I taught, such as hanging the head on the beam and piercing the thigh with an awl, are both ancient versions, so even if you are not a Confucian cultivator, you can still use them."
"The key lies in whether the cultivators using this method can overcome the pain and concentrate on their studies."
"If you suffer from pain, your learning ability will not improve at all, and you will achieve nothing. Instead, the gains will outweigh the losses, and you will suffer in vain."
Ning Zhuo fell into deep thought.
His mind was focused on a section in the Secret Book of Ice Sculpture, which roughly described how to use micro-carving techniques to construct an array formation on the inner wall of the ice with interlaced ice spikes.
In the past, this passage seemed to him to be covered by a thin layer of ice, seemingly transparent but actually blurry.
How could the internal array patterns intertwine and connect without damaging the ice wall's structure? How could spiritual energy maintain a balanced and smooth flow within the winding patterns? He had pondered these questions repeatedly, but they remained shrouded in mystery, unable to grasp the core essence.
But now, with the blessing of working hard, everything has become different.
The pain of his scalp being pulled was like an invisible hand, constantly clearing away the distracting thoughts and confusion that arose during his thinking process.
The sharp pain in his leg was like a cold spring, repeatedly washing over his mind, keeping it in an almost excited and highly alert state.
"So that's it!" Ning Zhuo's eyes flashed. "The key lies in 'overlapping without breaking, guiding without stagnating'! It's not a simple interlacing, but based on the texture of the ice wall itself, allowing the array pattern to 'grow' naturally like a natural ice ridge. The depth and turning angle of each notch must be in line with the internal structure of the ice ridge! It's not forced insertion!"
Just like thin ice melting in the sun, he finally figured out the difficult question that had troubled him for a long time!
"efficient!"
"These two Confucian cultivation spells have quite good effects."
Ning Zhuo cleared his mind, suppressed his excitement, and continued studying.
He could clearly feel that his learning ability had greatly increased.
The condensation and shaping control of ice spirits, the micro-manipulation of spiritual power in the inner carving knife path, how to stably engrave talismans in an extremely cold environment, and even how to use the refractive properties of the ice body itself to enhance the effect of the array pattern... The difficult contents that he had swallowed whole in the past were now disassembled, analyzed, and understood one by one!
Layers of thin ice shattered one after another.
"Hmm? Interesting." Seeing Ning Zhuo immersed in his studies, not being disturbed or dragged down by the pain, and still having a sense of immersion, Song Taosheng couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration in his heart.
pain?
Ning Zhuo's character had been tempered in Huoshi Fairy City.
The constant tugging pain in his scalp? To him, it was like a wake-up call to dispel fatigue and remind him to stay focused.
The sharp pain on the outside of his thigh, like a red-hot needle piercing his skin? It was like a gentle breeze on his face, unable to even stir a ripple. It existed objectively, yet his immense willpower easily isolated and ignored it.
This degree of "suffering" is no longer an obstacle, but has been tamed by his strong willpower and turned into a weapon to sharpen his thinking and see through the confusion.
"My memory has become much stronger. This is the power of the spell of hanging my head from a beam. My mind is like an awl, becoming more penetrating, able to penetrate many previous learning obstacles. This is the power of an awl piercing my thighs!"
After finishing the entire "Secret Book of Ice Sculpture", Ning Zhuo still felt a little unsatisfied.
His eyes lit up as he quickly scanned the surroundings and found that almost all the monks were working hard.
The sound of people gasping for air could be heard from time to time.
Ning Zhuo only then heard it - before, he was completely immersed in hard study, and his mind was too focused and concentrated.
"Next, what should I choose to learn?"
A flash of light flashed across Ning Zhuo's mind.
"Why don't I just study the two methods of hanging the head from a beam and piercing the thigh with an awl?"
Ning Zhuo learned them by hanging his head on the beam and piercing his thigh with a needle.
Ning Zhuo's learning ability increased greatly, allowing him to make rapid progress.
"Beware of laziness and examine yourself three times a day!"
"This constant, unavoidable pain is like a ruler, constantly striking my mind, not allowing it the slightest chance to relax, forcing my attention to be focused on the present moment. This is precisely in line with the Confucian principle of 'self-discipline'."
"Even without supervision, one must constantly reflect on oneself and remain vigilant. This forces the mind to be highly focused, so distracting thoughts are unlikely to arise. With unwavering focus, memory naturally deepens and understanding becomes clear."
Next is the cone-shaped thigh.
"Learn from your pain and then you will be able to succeed!"
"Time and again, sharp, excruciating pains were like thunderclaps exploding in the tranquil heart, instantly shattering all inherent inertia. My spirit instantly became highly concentrated, bringing with it a penetrating power of thought!"
Ning Zhuo stabbed himself with a wooden spike while focusing on his Dantian in the Sea of Divine Beings.
Every time he stabbed, a large amount of thoughts would be ejected from his sea of consciousness under the influence of the awl-piercing spell.
These thoughts are like the tip of a tempered cone, discarding all glitz and hesitation, becoming extremely sharp, direct, and focused. Using them to think about problems can achieve a penetrating effect.
The rope hanging from the beam was pulled harder and harder, and the wooden spike pierced his thigh again and again.
Ning Zhuo gradually fell into a state of selflessness.
The old scholar Song Taosheng's gaze was increasingly fixed on Ning Zhuo.
In the field, there are few people like him who torture themselves for such a long time.
Many people had to stop midway to heal themselves while observing the competitors around them. As a result, many people's attention was focused on a few monks.
Among them is Ning Zhuo.
Kong Ran's face was pale, and he was holding a wooden awl in his hand. He stared at Ning Zhuo with a look of surprise.
In his impression, Ning Zhuo was a child of a wealthy family. He never expected that the latter could be so patient and endure so much hardship.
As he studied more deeply, Ning Zhuo's understanding accumulated enough and began to see the light.
"Confucianism emphasizes 'self-control', and these two techniques are the embodiment of 'self-control'."
Hanging one's head from a beam is to control laziness and inattention in the face of constant suffering, while piercing one's thigh with an awl is to control ignorance, fear of difficulties, and fuzzy thinking in the face of intense pain.
“The sea of learning is endless and the journey is one of hard work!”
“Pain is not a goal, but a raft to cross the river, a bell to sound the alarm, and a whetstone to sharpen our thoughts.”
“So, pain is just a tool, through which we can sharpen our will, clarify our mind, focus our thoughts, and break through obstacles!”
"So, what they're doing isn't improving my own intelligence. Instead, they're using the catalyst of 'pain' to stimulate, refine, and elevate a cultivator's potential (willpower, concentration, comprehension, and penetrating power) to a state far beyond its usual limits!"
On the surface, the two are just methods to assist learning, but in essence they are the principles of "the mind is the master, hardship sharpens the heart, and pain leads to enlightenment."
Ning Zhuo took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.
Finished learning.
He has a deeper understanding and grasp of hanging the head on the beam and piercing the thigh with a needle.
Ning Zhuo took the rare opportunity to glance around.
He found that most of the monks had interrupted their studies and could no longer hold on.
Only less than 30% of people are still persisting.
"It's time to use them to learn more!" With a hint of excitement, Ning Zhuo began to study other classics.
This time he chose "Collection of Curved Snake Formation Techniques".
To be honest, after obtaining this classic book, Ning Zhuo has never had the time to study it in depth, so it has been left at the bottom of the box gathering dust.
The author of this book is Bai Lin Jushi, a male snake demon who was injured and had to use a mechanical device to replace him.
What is recorded in the jade slips are the various formations arranged on the mechanical snake body and the flesh and blood snake body.
Hang your head on the beam! Prick your thigh with an awl!
Ning Zhuo studied hard and made gratifying progress.
The rope around her hair tightened, and gradually a slight creaking sound was heard. More and more blood holes appeared on her thighs, and blood continued to flow down.
More and more monks stopped.
Liu Fushu was in so much pain that he was covered in cold sweats and had to stop.
As for Bai Jiyun, he was very open-minded and was one of the first to give up. If Song Taosheng hadn't opened the temple door, he would have left long ago.
"Are the ropes and wooden spikes he used really the same as mine?" Kong Ran opened his mouth slightly, puzzled and shocked.
Song Taosheng's gaze was no longer restrained. He stared directly at Ning Zhuo, his eyes showing no disguising his admiration: "I didn't expect this kid to be able to endure the hardships of studying! Wen Runyu was right in recommending him."
"A young man like this will definitely be able to make a name for himself even without our support!"
Ning Zhuo has forgotten himself and is completely immersed in the pleasure of learning.
"That's refreshing! This progress really makes me unable to stop!"
"When I return to the Bluestone Cave Mansion and combine the Huiyi Brush and the Luoshu Pages, what kind of magnificent scene will it be?"
Thinking of this, Ning Zhuo couldn't help but smile, full of expectations for the future.
"Isn't this guy a pervert?!" It was Ning Zhuo's smile that defeated the last stubborn competitor.
At the end of the fight, only Ning Zhuo was left.
Song Taosheng nodded and said in a low voice: "Okay."
There is no need to use any means to control such a situation.
He immediately announced, "Big-headed young man, you are the winner of this Xingyun Trial!"
No one objected.
Ning Zhuo was so immersed in the drama that he didn't hear what Song Taosheng said.
Puff, puff. His arms kept stabbing his thighs, which made Song Taosheng's eyes twitch.
(End of this chapter)
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