Early in the morning, Xu Shengmo stood on a mountain valley rock like a black eagle.
The large rocks appearing irregularly below his feet were covered in moss, full of morning dew, extremely slippery, yet they didn’t seem to affect him in the slightest.
While watching Lin Xi who slid down on a silverthread zipline walking over towards him, Xu Shengmo’s brows furrowed together, an expression of loathing appearing on his face.
It wasn’t just because Lin Xi was a student Tong Wei favored, it was also because… just how many things were there to be happy about in this world? Why was it that he felt so much unhappiness, while each time this kid appeared before his face, his face was always so brilliant, happy to the point of leaving him in utter disgust.
“Cultivation is full of bitterness, being human is also full of bitterness. There are countless burdens we cannot understand. Could it be that for you, cultivation and this world’s matters really have so many areas that can make you happy?” Xu Shengmo’s body turned to the side, not even wishing to directly face Lin Xi who was walking over.
However, Lin Xi was completely different from his usual self, smiling as he greeted Xu Shengmo. “Good morning, teacher.”
Xu Shengmo’s brows furrowed even more tightly, turning around to shoot Lin Xi a look, saying with a sneer, “I really want to know just what exactly is in your head, for you to be so happy and excited this early in the morning.”
Lin Xi revealed a smile, saing, “I was thinking that this world’s medicinal theory really is profound, soul force cultivation also extremely mysterious, but still all very interesting.”
Xu Shengmo turned around, not looking at Lin Xi, instead looking into the gradually rising morning sun, mocking with a cold voice, “In my opinion, you must’ve gone stupid from reading. If it really is worth you feeling happy over, then it is because you’re still young, you still have time to squander away… don’t speak any more nonsense to me, you can disappear from my sight now. From now on, you are not allowed to walk, you have to leave while running.”
“Okay… why is there so much moss in this mountain range? It’s even harder to move through. Teacher, don’t tell me you grew it on purpose?”
“Lin Xi! Do you think I waste my time like you, having the leisure to grow moss?” Xu Shengmo almost roared out, but he did indeed purposely choose this valley full of moss to increase the difficulty of Lin Xi’s cultivation. However, with his status and cultivation, he definitely wouldn’t be so senseless as to grow moss.
Even so, he immediately reacted. Today, Lin Xi’s performance might have been done purposely to trigger him, which was why if he really got upset, then that would instead make Lin Xi feel even more pleased.
“You really thought I couldn’t see through your little tricks?”
While he was inwardly sneering, about to turn around and leave, not paying Lin Xi any attention, he instead suddenly heard Lin Xi who already ran out loudly shout, “Teacher, look!”
Xu Shengmo turned around with a frown, his expression suddenly changing. In the distant messy rocks, he only saw Lin Xi harmlessly giggle in his direction, at the same time, his body that carried three types of weights easily somersaulted in the air, and then began to run across the moss covered mountain rocks, bouncing about.
“You!” Xu Shengmo released a vicious shout, but Lin Xi didn’t seem to have heard him at all. He didn’t even turn around, quickly disappearing from his line of sight.
“You actually received course point rewards again? However, you want me to change my opinion of you just like that? You are a bit too childish.” Xu Shengmo took a deep breath, saying this to himself with a mocking tone. However, he just couldn’t get rid of the unhappiness he felt. He couldn’t help but heavily stamp his feet, many cracks immediately appearing on the limestone below his feet.
“I didn’t say anything wrong, the medicinal theory and cultivation of this world really are both mysterious and interesting.”
Lin Xi jumped about quickly like a rabbit to avoid incurring some type of punishment from Xu Shengmo, meanwhile full of joy, unable to help but laugh out loud.
For him, the amount of things in this world that could bring him joy and amusement really were quite many.
After swallowing the Soul Gathering Pill he exchanged for with two course points, and then meditating for an entire night, not only did all of his fatigue vanish, his soul force cultivation also made substantial progress. When he tested out his strength again, he found that he still couldn’t quite move a two hundred jin stone sphere, but playing around with one that was around a hundred and fifty wasn’t an issue at all. In addition, when he had a morning shower, he customarily held his breath underwater for a bit, but this time, he discovered he could easily hold his breath for eight minutes of time, while normally, even if he did it more than ten times, he still couldn’t reach this level. This meant that with the increase of soul force cultivation in this world, it also carried out a fundamental change in the body’s inner quality, not just adding a bit of brute strength.
Apart from an increase in cultivation, right now, An Keyi didn’t have to feel bad any longer… When one made others happy, one would naturally also feel comparatively happier themselves.
However, the most crucial thing was that he managed to make Xu Shengmo, who never treated him well, and didn’t hide his loathing for Lin Xi at all, feel shock and anger, this also made Lin Xi extremely happy.
…
In the evening, within the rainbow Medicine Valley’s mountain forest.
Lin Xi, who had now already completed his archery practice, began to ask Tong Wei some questions that had always been bothering him. “Teacher, with your cultivation, can you cultivate flying swords?”
Tong Wei who was satisfied with Lin Xi’s performance today nodded. “I can.”
Lin Xi continued, “Then cultivating flying swords, most of the time, would one be able to react in time, use a flying sword to cut down incoming arrows?”
Tong Wei, whose face was originally moderate, immediately frowned, coldly saying, “I was originally wondering what you were trying to ask. After beating around the bush, aren’t you just feeling that archery is a bit inferior to flying swords?”
Lin Xi didn’t get flustered either, saying with a smile, “I must ask teacher to dispel my doubts.”
Tong Wei released a heavy snort, and then said with a heavy voice, “You have to understand that even though the flying sword moves with your mind, extremely nimble like your limbs, the arrows fired by a powerful archer not only use all of their cultivation’s tremendous strength, they can also borrow from the bow string’s tension, produce a penetrative force unique to firing an arrow. That is why for cultivators who are at similar levels, the power of an arrow fired at full strength is a bit greater than that of a flying sword. This is to say, an arrow cannot twist and turn through the air, but in many situations with favorable terrain and timing, it can deliver a more devastating blow. Moreover, the distance a cultivator’s arrows can travel far exceeds two hundred steps, while a flying sword’s most powerful range of offense and defense is merely a few dozen steps around one’s body. Once it is too far from the body, not only can one not use it to defend against close range attacks, as the circumference of its range gets larger, it might not be able to block an arrow from a different direction. This makes it so that most of the time, when the flying sword user faces a powerful archer, they can only only act passively, to the extent where if you can knock his flying sword aside, as long as your firing speed is fast, you can directly end his life with the second arrow. Of course, for a swordsman, they will definitely train in powerful martial skills, because only when one reaches Sacred Expert level can soul force leave the body, control a flying sword.”
After a slight pause, Tong Wei stared at Lin Xi, coldly warning, “That is why you need to remember this. Even though arrows and flying swords both have their advantages, those who could control flying swords, are all top level cultivators of this world. If you wish to purely rely on archery and distance to kill your enemy or easily withdraw, that is foolish thinking. Being a powerful cultivator who can use archery is fine, a Windstalker is fine as well, the biggest advantage, is to make the power of the arrow exceed our normal full force sword slice or blade hacking, from this challenge some enemies who have cultivation levels greater than our own… Apart from cultivation, what is most important, is cool-headed judgment and the ability to seize opportunities.”
…
When it was a bit later into the evening, after sliding down a silverthread zipline, entering a temple-like building in the training valley, Lin Xi saw that elder in the old-fashioned black robes waiting for him as expected.
“Greetings to teacher.” After sincerely giving Luo Houyuan a bow of respect, this elder gave a nod, returning the greeting, and then led him into a dark, windowless black armor changing room. Looking at Lin Xi, he said, “Raise your hands, let me take a look.”
Lin Xi didn’t speak any nonsense, raising his hands for the elder without any hesitation.
Luo Houyuan’s fingers lightly tapped several areas of Lin Xi’s arms, a peculiar trembling leaving his fingertips, disappearing as soon as it made contact. “There aren’t any issues.” In the darkness, he nodded, satisfied. “It seems like you really were quite hard working. I believe you sought me out because you felt like things were a bit strange with your cultivation, that there is some confusion.”
“Yes.” Lin Xi nodded, looking at Luo Houyuan and saying, “Sometimes… when my arms are extremely sore and powerless, I can feel that in my arms’ blood, there is a strange vibration. I am not sure what this means.”
Luo Houyuan looked at Lin Xi, shaking his head. “It isn’t only sometimes, there is always a special trembling, but it is just like how when you are full of strength, you don’t feel much when you pick up a rock, while when you don’t have strength, that rock is especially heavy. When our bodies approach their limit, our senses will become sharper, thus allowing you to sense this.”
While looking at the confused Lin Xi, he continued his explanation in a gentle manner. “Once one’s cultivation reaches initial Soul Knight level, becoming a true cultivator, the power of soul force will begin to ripple through the body, bring many positive effects to our body. Meanwhile, the movements I taught you improves these positive benefits around your arms and fingers. If you continue practicing them, your hands will become more nimble, your sense of touch sharper as well. This should bring you many benefits.”
Lin Xi, who came from the same world as Principal Zhang, had previously come into contact with a lot of modern age medical knowledge, so in his mind, he naturally simplified it to his blood vessels being more clear, improving the effects of soul force, thus not being all that shocked towards this reasoning. He only asked with a bit of confusion, “Teacher, in that case… these movements aren’t too difficult to learn, so why aren’t they taught to other students just like the Green Luan Twenty-Four Forms, instead only taught to me alone?”
Luo Houyuan said with a gentle voice, “It is because these are things I only learned in recent years, not something that has had textual research done on it over an extended amount of time like the Green Luan Twenty-Four Forms. Moreover, it might not even be beneficial to most people, perhaps even having some negative effects for some people. That is why even if you didn’t come to seek me out, I will examine your body every so often to see if there is anything wrong. The reason why I passed these things to you was merely on a whim. If the number of people who learn this increases, I definitely don’t have the time to examine them all one by one. You have to understand that there are some people who spend their entire life’s time pursuing fame and profit, but once one reaches my age, they would understand that what is most precious, is instead time and inner peace.”
“This disciple has received teacher’s guidance.” Lin Xi understood what this elder said, and as such, he gave Luo Houyuan another bow of respect.
Luo Houyuan looked at Lin Xi, a hint of admiration appearing in his eyes. “Go then. If you have the ability, during things like the Direct Spear Strikes Trial… increase the intensity a bit.”
…
“Increase the intensity a bit, what does he mean?”
At first, Lin Xi didn’t feel anything strange. However, while walking quietly through the training valley in his Silver Fox black armor, he began to think back, recalling that Luo Houyuan’s tone while saying those words seemed to be a bit different.
However, as a tourist, he normally wouldn’t think too much about questions that gave him a headache, yet he still couldn’t figure out. Since the two cultivation questions that had been bothering him for quite some time had been answered by Tong Wei and Luo Houyuan, and considering that if he could even break the record of the Direct Spear Strikes Trial, Xu Shengmo’s face would definitely become even more brilliant… if it was better to increase the intensity, then he’ll increase the intensity.
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