After listening to Li Sisui's explanation, Chen Jing readily replied:
“Okay, let’s go. I know that road well. I go there often, and I need to go there again anyway.”
As they walked, the two headed towards the back of the mountain along the path. As they walked, Li Si asked, "Brother Chen, what brings you to the back of the mountain? Are you going hunting?"
Chen Jing glanced at Li Sisui, hesitated for a moment, and said:
“It’s alright to tell you. This isn’t a secret. You’re probably the only one in the village who doesn’t know. There’s a cave left by an elder in the back mountain. You should know that. It’s called a cave, but it was actually formed by someone hollowing out a mountain. This person is the elder that the village elders have always remembered. As for what this elder’s name was or who he was, I don’t know. I only remember that when I was very young, one day the village elders gathered all the adults in the village in front of the cave and said they had something to announce.”
"What announcement is there?"
Li Sisui asked with great interest, and Chen Jing glanced at the impatient Li Sisui and slowly replied:
"In the very center of the cave stands a stone tablet, entirely blue with many golden inscriptions carved all over it, which no one recognizes. The village elders say that if anyone can make the stone tablet in the cave react, they will be accepted as a disciple and taught the methods of cultivation. However, more than a hundred people from the village went in and all returned empty-handed. In the end, they had no choice but to let the village children try. The stone tablet was usually dull and unremarkable."
That one time, however, as I approached, the stone tablet suddenly emitted a misty blue light, and the inscriptions seemed to come alive. Even so, I still didn't recognize the inscriptions and could only stand there, unsure whether to advance or retreat. The village elders, on the other hand, were overjoyed, saying that after guarding this place for so many years, this was the first time they had witnessed such a change. They then took me as their disciple and began to teach me cultivation.
Now I have cultivated to the Pulse Realm, and just yesterday I finally broke through to the fourth level of Pulse Realm. Every time I make a breakthrough in my cultivation, I go to the cave in the back mountain to test it out.
After speaking, Chen Jing's face showed pride. And Chen Jing did indeed have reason to be proud. He had broken through to the Initial Movement Realm in just thirty years, and now, only a few months later, he had broken through to the next level. His talent was truly extraordinary. Cultivators in the Guangyuan Continent, if they wanted to break through their current realm, emphasized the word "comprehension." If they comprehended it, they comprehended it; if they didn't, they didn't. When one's strength reached a certain bottleneck, the only way to break through was through comprehension.
This is why, although the village elders knew that Li Sisui had extraordinary talent in cultivation, they directly classified him as mediocre because of his poor comprehension.
"But ever since then, no matter how much my cultivation has improved, the stone tablet has stopped responding. The village elders all believe that my cultivation is insufficient, so they have been urging me to work hard. Now that my cultivation has reached a new level, I want to go to that stone cave again to try, hoping that this time there will be a change."
Seeing Chen Jing's confident expression, Li Sisui asked, puzzled:
"What exactly is on that stone tablet? Why must the stone tablet change?"
"The core of the entire ruins is this stone tablet, which contains all the knowledge and insights of that predecessor. Anyone who can comprehend the inheritance can inherit the predecessor's mantle. Some time ago, the old toad at the village entrance coveted this stone tablet, which is why Old Liu killed him."
The elders had done a great favor to the village elders back then, so they have been guarding this place ever since, hoping to find a successor for the elder. This is also the reason why Hidden Dragon Village exists today. Originally, there were not many people in this village, but the elders have been guarding the site, and gradually Hidden Dragon Village has been formed.
And now, I am the one with the best chance of fulfilling their wishes, but I only regret my own dullness, for I have never been able to understand that stone tablet.
Chen Jing sighed softly, his eyes filled with indescribable disappointment.
Li Sisui looked at Chen Jing, who had been so confident just moments before, and saw him so dejected after only a few words. It seemed this incident had been a significant blow to him; after all, the thing he had hoped for for so many years had never happened again, and no one could accept such a reality.
"Brother Chen, you've taken another step forward now. This trip will definitely bring changes. Hard work pays off, you're a genius from Hidden Dragon Village!"
Looking at the smiling Li Sisui, Chen Jing felt a sense of relief and said:
"Thank you for your kind words, I hope so. There are plenty of the stone anvils you are looking for in that cave. They should have been left behind when our predecessors built the site. Just go in and pick out a few to take back. We'll be there soon."
As Chen Jing pointed, a towering mountain pierced the clouds at the end of the path. Li Sisui stood at a distance and looked up, but could not see the summit. The mountain was surrounded by dense forests, lush and verdant, like a fairyland. Li Sisui couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling completely refreshed.
Following Chen Jing to the foot of the mountain, next to the cave entrance, a boy was listening to an old man's instructions. The boy scratched his ears and cheeks from time to time, which looked a bit comical.
Chen Jing walked over and said:
"Uncle, are you lecturing Ah Mao again?"
The old man glanced at Chen Jing and said expressionlessly:
"This kid hasn't been cultivating properly these past few days, all he's thinking about is playing. I see your cultivation has improved again. Did you come here today to try your luck in the cave again?"
Chen Jing laughed:
“Uncle has a good eye. It’s true. I had a slight understanding yesterday and have now broken through to the fourth level of the Pulse Realm. I want to try again at the site of the senior’s ruins to see if I can cause a change in the stone tablet. The man behind me is the wild man I rescued while hunting some time ago. Old Zhang asked him to go to the back mountain to find some stone anvils because the stone anvils in the blacksmith’s shop are all broken.”
The old man glanced at Li Sisui but didn't say anything. It was A Mao beside him who excitedly exclaimed:
"Brother Chen's cultivation has improved again, that's amazing. I wish I could be like Brother Chen, then I wouldn't have to get scolded by my dad every day."
The old man snorted and said:
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