Chapter 21 People may return home one day, but roads may come to an end…
"The pivot rotates nine times. The second rotation opens the soul aperture, drawing the spirit into the soul. The third rotation opens the mind aperture, and the spirit follows the thought."
The first is born and the second is born. The spiritual power is generated in the spiritual sea and spreads outward. Then it stimulates the soul body, allowing it to see inward and clearly see the flow of thousands of spiritual lights in the spiritual sea, and know the limits of its own control.
The third transformation is called the "Gathering Transformation," which means to subdue, manipulate, and activate the vast, unclaimed spiritual power within the spiritual sea for one's own use, directing it to gather in one place and release it outwards.
Li Qingyun focused intently on his cultivation, occasionally recalling the key points of the incantation Chang Yubai had taught him, and constantly adjusting his body's energy and internal pulse.
After several cycles, the root essence became more and more nourished, and the spiritual power it wielded became more and more powerful.
The more Li Qingyun practiced the basic skills, the more she realized how terrifying this secret technique was.
Ordinary cultivators cultivate by drawing spiritual energy in from the outside, merging it into their own bodies through meditation and breath concentration. However, the first step of the Yuanjue technique eliminates this ordinary approach. Instead of seeking it externally, it seeks it within itself, transforming the spiritual sea into mulberry fields, allowing vast spiritual energy to grow spontaneously.
This spiritual energy does not change with the external environment. Unlike ordinary cultivators, there is no need to worry about mixed spiritual energy interfering with the use of cultivation techniques, nor is there any need to worry about the gap between friend and foe after the spiritual energy is depleted.
The phrase "life is endless" runs through the first chapter and throughout the entire book of formulas.
If one were to master the fundamentals, if one were to unleash a continuous stream of spiritual energy from the very beginning… Li Qingyun seemed to see himself in the future, a man of unparalleled power, invincible, capable of repelling all attacks with a single sword strike.
How impressive that would be!
Having figured out the key point, Li Qingyun no longer insisted on reading the entire book. Rather than focusing on progress, a solid spiritual sea was the priority.
So he began, like a diligent old farmer, tirelessly wielding his hoe, wiping away sweat, and facing the scorching sun overhead, wholeheartedly cultivating and sowing seeds for the mulberry fields...
Li Qingyun: ?
Wait, why is he starting to imagine such a grotesque scene?
It must be Chang Yubai's fault!
It's all Chang Yubai's fault for always using land reclamation and wasteland clearing as an analogy when explaining the secret formulas.
Li Qingyun: ...So this thing is contagious too.
That's why I say that Master Chang's way of interpreting cultivation techniques has always been wildly unconventional. No matter how exquisite and magnificent the incantation is, once it enters Chang Yubai's mouth, it will be transformed into an unbearably vulgar description.
Master Chang's descriptions were so insightful that I could instantly understand their meaning after listening to them. So, I no longer needed to be bound by so-called elegant forms and conventions.
But since they've all started practicing martial arts, they should at least broaden their horizons... Li Qingyun felt quite helpless.
Master Chang is too down-to-earth, which is something that Xiaoyun, who has lofty pursuits and aspirations, simply cannot empathize with.
How can people only look at their feet and not look up to chase the blazing sun?
His own cultivation was fraught with difficulties, and his foundation was once destroyed, but he still managed to overcome it and embark on the path of cultivation again. Even after hearing about the existence of such an outrageous figure as Long Aotian, he did not lose his confidence in upholding martial arts and becoming emperor. It is conceivable that if given the opportunity, he would definitely compete with this chosen one of heaven and test his strength.
But what about Chang Yubai? That lazy dog! He'd rather die than make even the slightest bit of progress, it's infuriating!
How hateful!
What a waste of talent!
I'll definitely have to find a whip to kick him while he's practicing!
Li Qingyun was filled with resentment after cultivating the Yuanjue technique.
Chang Yubai: ...Something doesn't seem right.
His intuition told him that now was the time to play the submissive role.
However, after surveying the area, he found no signs of any external enemies.
Chang Yubai: That's strange... Could it be that something's wrong with someone close to me?
"Xiaoyun, why did you stop?"
"Thinking about something."
Chang Yubai: "?"
Li Qingyun glanced at him, hiding her resentment: "I was just thinking that your understanding of the Yuanjue technique has reached a level of perfection, which must be inseparable from your solid foundation."
Chang Yubai: "Oh?"
What does "oh" mean...? Why is it still marked with a question mark?
Li Qingyun took a breath and continued to express his views: "Brother, I just realized that the key to the secret lies in the root. Only when the soil where the roots are strong and the root system grows healthily can everything else reach a higher peak."
“Indeed,” Chang Yubai praised.
Master is indeed worthy of being called Master; at the age of eight, he spoke words that a 180-year-old would say.
Li Qingyun remained silent for a moment, ignoring his strange tone, and continued, "I always feel that this cultivation method is too compatible with me. Whether it's the required temperament or insights, they are exactly the same. I wonder who created this cultivation method. If only I could find out..."
"It's Master."
"...I can also research this person's life to aid my cultivation, hmm?"
Wait, did something get stuck in the middle?
Li Qingyun looked up with a puzzled expression: "Huh?"
Chang Yubai nodded: "Yuanjue is Master's innate skill, so it is naturally superior to the secret techniques passed down in the world."
When his master was mentioned, Chang Yubai puffed out his chest.
After all, he had seen countless fantasy-themed cultivation techniques and was extremely experienced in determining whether skill books were suitable for the local environment.
This mere technique—no, it can't be called mere—is this the kind of technique he'd ever used! The moment he touched it, he knew it was a world-changing numerical cheat, its power no less than that of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow cheat on PC!
Dominating spiritual power is a piece of cake!
However, there are always other cheats out there. The cheat created by the master is still slightly inferior and can't beat the real protagonist's cheat.
Both were self-created techniques, but Yuanjue solved the most critical backup energy problem as soon as he used it, while the self-created techniques he had created had barely been used and were forbidden from being used by his master. Presumably, they were not of any interest to his master and were just ordinary.
Li Qingyun: "!!!"
Li Qingyun: Wait a minute!
Why is it another self-created one!
The grandmaster's secret technique was self-created, and the master's ultimate move in fighting the Thunder Emperor was also self-created. What's going on with his sect? Is creating one's own techniques a tradition of the sect?
Li Qingyun asked in a panic, adding, "Brother, can I really keep up with the sect's pace?"
Can he really create a secret technique that will allow him to dominate all others?
Li Qingyun felt as if she had fallen into the starry sky, and her once firm goal now seemed boundless.
Chang Yubai smiled. Although his words had nothing to do with Xiaoyun, Li Qingyun could still sense that he was being recognized.
But what he said was still confusing: "A year ago, Master improved the manual and added new content. If Master hadn't passed away, there should have been new moves coming out this year as well."
If my master were still alive, it would be less than two months before he came to town to drag me back to the cave and teach me the new chapters.
Master... Master always praised him for his intelligence and ability to create novel secrets. But in Chang Yubai's opinion, aren't the secrets also Master's own ingenious ideas?
His master was always ahead of him, guiding him in the right direction.
But why are there no guiding lights ahead?
He looked back at Li Qingyun, his lips parting for a full ten breaths before his voice came out: "Master's most proficient skills all come from the Yuanjue. Now, it is up to you to carry them forward."
In this lifetime, Master should be able to perfect his secret formula.
"Brother." Li Qingyun's throat tightened; he couldn't bear it, but he still chose to pry. "Are you... missing Grandmaster?"
"..."
“…Is it really that obvious?” Chang Yubai was stunned.
His eyes were vacant, yet he seemed on the verge of collapse.
Li Qingyun never expected that once the window paper was torn open, the wind would make people so vulnerable.
But he just couldn't resist.
Too many times. Every time Chang Yubai thinks of his master, his brows and eyes soften unconsciously, as if the world cannot enter his pupils, and only endless longing binds them.
At this moment, anyone who speaks to him will receive an unexpected response. Chang Yubai's pale face will become as gentle as a spring breeze, and his tone will become soft and gentle.
Time will stand still for him; he will see no anxiety, no sorrow, and all the turmoil will be hidden in that warmth.
"Brother, why don't you tell me what kind of person our grandmaster was?"
Li Qingyun couldn't bear to see him like this.
Chang Yubai, whom he had met, always seemed to have a calm and detached demeanor, as if nothing could disturb his mind.
But he knew that Chang Yubai was not firm at all; it was just that his master's admonitions kept him bound, preventing him from taking the first step towards freedom.
Li Qingyun didn't know what would happen if humans kept packaging themselves, but if a plant was constantly trapped in its packaging, it would suffocate.
If it is kept in a suffocating state for too long, the roots and branches will rot, and the once fresh and robust body will turn into a puddle of pus, seeping out the burden before it can finally be free.
"Brother, tell me about it! You've never told me the story of our grandmaster before!"
Hey big oaf, you haven't taught me all your skills yet, don't shut yourself up like this.
"Master...Master is a very gentle, um, but not that gentle person?"
At least when he secretly slipped out of the cave to buy candy in the town, his master always stood guard with a stern face where he returned, his sword like a ruler, but in the end he never hit Chang Yubai.
Venerable Qingyun simply sighed, said "This is the last time," and then pointed to the hole he had drilled out, instructing him to fill the hole back in completely.
Chang Yubai believed that he was quite talented. He had learned a lot from Andy in Shawshank Prison. He was always discreet and patient when digging tunnels to escape. But for some reason, he was very unlucky. Every tunnel he dug was filled in by his own hands.
Venerable Qingyun disliked his leaving the cave, yet he never harshly reprimanded him after his escape and return. Wasn't that a kind of gentleness?
Li Qingyun: "..."
In some ways, you are very persistent.
It's really not easy.
Li Qingyun said quietly, "Is Grandmaster really not angry?"
Chang Yubai: "...It's just that there was no corporal punishment."
Of course he was annoyed. Every time he got caught, a large sum of his allowance would be deducted, leaving his already meager wallet so empty that he couldn't even go out!
But less than half a month later, his allowance was returned through other channels as encouragement, so it wasn't really worth complaining about.
After all, his master always treated him differently.
Chang Yubai continued, "Master dislikes the hustle and bustle of mortals and doesn't want me to go back with a worldly air about me, but I don't want to either. The cave dwelling Master created is beautiful, but it lacks one thing: earthly delicacies. How can I bear to do that!"
Both he and his master had limited skills, and Chang Yubai was obsessed with sweets. Whenever he stayed in his cave for a month or so, that was when Chang Yubai's mouth was most craving, and he wished that all the candies in the world could fly into his mouth.
The thought of sweets made Chang Yubai pause for a moment.
He remembered that his master seemed to have been to the town outside the cave.
One day, feeling miserable, he tried to relieve his distress through cultivation. When he woke up from meditation, he saw a piece of malt candy being offered to him. Without thinking, he took it and chewed it, ignoring his master's warning that it would stick to his teeth.
But where would the sugar come from in the cave?
Chang Yubai swallowed his words and wanted to ask why, but his master only told him not to overthink things and asked him how his cultivation was going, thus changing the subject in a rather bland way.
"..."
Chang Yubai knew that his master was not good at lying to him. He had seen his master deceive others with words without changing his expression, but his master always spoke the truth to him.
If you lie, you either leave large blanks for no apparent reason, making your thought process particularly obvious, or you simply change the subject, not allowing yourself to think about it further.
But now that no one cares about him, Chang Yubai Feiyuan's thoughts can no longer be pulled back.
He thought of the month his master had confined him before the final battle. He was anxious and worried that his master would die by Li Tiansheng's sword, but he suppressed his anxiety by constantly closing his eyes and cultivating in accordance with his master's instructions to calm his mind.
After a while, he focused all his attention on controlling himself and couldn't care less about anything else.
But a cultivator's memory surpasses that of an ordinary person. He still remembers that his mouth was full of joy during those days. Every few days, his master would send him some sweets and snacks, and his words were always tinged with regret.
Pity……?
[Yu Bai, eat slowly, don't worry. You should learn to stand on your own two feet.]
[Yu Bai, are you still sulking? You're such a grown-up, why are you still acting like a child?]
[Yu Bai? Yu Bai? Sigh, I've never seen you meditate so intently before... Well, it's always good to improve your cultivation.]
[Yu Bai, can you hear me? I'll let you out tomorrow. You... can go wherever you want.]
Why?
Why use a regretful tone?
Master?
Chang Yubai didn't understand. He was afraid that his guess would come true, yet he couldn't help but examine that only possibility.
Master, could it be... that you also knew you would die?
"Brother? Are you alright?"
The child's questioning voice brought the wandering soul back to its senses.
Li Qingyun gripped the hem of his clothes with worry. He watched as Chang Yubai lost his composure and was unintentionally aroused by the surrounding pressure. He even suspected that Chang Yubai was about to cry, but when the man turned his head, apart from the faint sadness in his eyes, there was not a single tear in sight.
It actually helped him regain his composure and return to tranquility.
Or perhaps, in the instant Chang Yubai was heartbroken, his body instinctively stopped him from crying?
Li Qingyun felt very uncomfortable. He was intelligent from a young age, but his experience was limited. Most of what he had seen and heard was betrayal and discord, and he had never seen anyone so sincerely miss someone.
"Brother..." he wanted to say sorry.
Perhaps he shouldn't have mentioned his grandmaster, and shouldn't have reminded Chang Yubai of these painful memories.
Perhaps he really should apologize.
But Chang Yubai spoke first.
"Xiaoyun, we've arrived."
It turns out that the memories along the way never stopped them from moving forward.
They had already stepped out of Thunder Valley. The territory of Zhongzhou was clearly marked, and they could enter as soon as they passed the border checkpoint.
Chang Yubai has completely returned to his former tranquility.
He murmured again, "We've arrived."
Xiaoyun, Master...we're home.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
