Who Let Him Cultivate Immortality

It was apparent that the Third Elder held Daoist Non-Speaker in high regard, likely envious of what he lacked himself.

After saying goodbye to the Third Elder, Lu Yang proceeded to the Gentlemen Peak.

Gentlemen Peak, the domain of the Fourth Elder, was elegant and cool, perpetually like summer. Everywhere you could see pavilions and streams, with bamboo green and tall, clearly a favored spot for scholars and poets to linger and compose poetry. Lu Yang wouldn’t have been surprised if the bamboo suddenly started reciting sage quotes.

Having seen various peculiar things in the Dao Seeking Sect, Lu Yang’s mental resilience had become extremely strong.

Lu Yang also encountered black and white iron-eating beasts rolling around the mountain, disciples drinking and making merry, splashing ink to create paintings, then diving into those paintings to frolic with the figures within, utterly carefree.

An iron-eating beast even nudged Lu Yang, nearly toppling him. It was playing with Lu Yang, who, busy with matters at hand, had to reason with the beast before it let him go, gifting him a half-chewed bamboo stalk on departure.

“Excuse me, brother, where can I find the Fourth Elder?” Lu Yang, holding the half-eaten bamboo, respectfully inquired in front of a painting. The brother in question was highly accomplished in the art of painting, almost reaching the point of creating lifelike illusions, truly terrifying.

Hearing Lu Yang call out, the painter brother half emerged from the painting: “Who are you?”

“I am Lu Yang.”

Hearing Lu Yang’s name, the painter brother had a moment of realization: “Oh, I know you, the new Lu Yang, Yun Zhi’s disciple.”

“…It’s Eldest Senior Sister who took me as a disciple on behalf of the master. I am Daoist Non-Speaker’s disciple,” Lu Yang corrected him earnestly.

“My name is Ji Hongwen, and I joined the Dao Seeking Sect in the same year as Eldest Senior Sister. I’m the Fourth Elder’s eldest disciple.” This brother wasn’t pretentious, not looking down on Lu Yang for his lower cultivation level.

“Nice to meet you, Brother Ji,” Lu Yang said, surprised to meet someone from the same cohort as Eldest Senior Sister.

He only knew Dai Bufan was from the same cohort as Eldest Senior Sister, one of the most senior disciples, with a cultivation level nearly matching the elders. Dai Bufan was highly trusted in handling affairs, commanding great respect among the disciples. It was unexpected to meet another one now.

By that reasoning, Brother Ji’s cultivation level wouldn’t be low either.

Bigwigs, unseen in an entire city or province outside, were commonplace in the Dao Seeking Sect.

“You want to see the master? Come, he should be teaching students right now.” Ji Hongwen floated out from the painting, with a flick of his hand, another person appeared in the painting.

Only then did Lu Yang notice that Ji Hongwen wasn’t alone in the painting; there was also an exquisitely beautiful woman.

The woman seemed to have walked straight out of a water town in the Jiangnan area, her cheeks flushed with a tender red, gentle and elegant, her smile blossoming like flowers, her eyes conveying deep emotions. Her beauty was peerless, and her attire boldly revealing, enough to make a pure-hearted young man like Lu Yang blush.

“Ha ha, like what you see? I can draw one for you too, she can even keep you company at night,” Ji Hongwen joked, causing Lu Yang to shake his head vigorously.

He needed to conserve his kidney energy.

The breathtakingly beautiful woman clung to Ji Hongwen’s arm, looking at him with deep affection.

Unbeknownst to Lu Yang, more people wished to learn this particular skill from Ji Hongwen than those who aspired to learn the “Shaking Heaven Six Forms” from the Third Elder.

Led by Ji Hongwen, Lu Yang reached a private school nestled deep within the bamboo forest, where the Fourth Elder, serving as a teacher, Barbarian Bone, who was said to be uncarvable, and earnest students identified as A, B, C, and D were present.

The Fourth Elder was explaining ancient text interpretations: “…looking southwest across the pool, the shapes twist and turn like a coiling snake, visible in flashes. The banks are jagged like interlocking canine teeth, its source unknown… Now, Barbarian Bone, translate this for us, ‘The banks are jagged like interlocking canine teeth, its source unknown’ means what?”

Barbarian Bone, head lowered in thought, confidently said, “There are two dogs fighting by the bank, and it’s unclear why.”

The Fourth Elder silently closed the ancient book, rolled up his sleeves, and took out a ruler.

Just as he was about to strike Barbarian Bone’s hand, he remembered the sage’s earnest teachings—to educate without discrimination, tailoring the method to the student.

He had seen Barbarian Bone’s hard work; the kid was good at heart. This translation must have been an accident. I’ll ask him an easier question. If he answers correctly, I won’t need to hit him, giving him a way out.

“Princes and generals, do they have a kind of their own?” What does this sentence mean?”

According to historical records, when the Great Yu Dynasty disintegrated ten thousand years ago, the royalty and nobility of the Great Yu Dynasty stood up, rallying under a banner to reunify the world, restoring the rule of the Great Yu Dynasty.

People deeply believed in the concept of bloodline, thinking that the blood of the Great Yu Dynasty was inherently noble. The claims of the royalty and nobility won over many hearts.

However, an ancestor of Emperor Xia, having suffered under the nobility, knew how rotten they were at the core. They were lofty, indulgent in pleasure, oblivious to the people’s suffering and the difficulties of cultivation. Each of them, nourished by rare treasures from a young age, their cultivation levels soared. Such people, even if they could establish a new Great Yu Dynasty, would soon corrupt it again.

As a man of insight, Emperor Xia’s ancestor raised his arm in a call to action, saying, “Princes and generals, do they have a kind of their own?” becoming an eternal famous saying, passed down through ages.

Even Barbarian Bone, of barbarian descent, had heard this phrase and greatly admired the courage of Emperor Xia’s ancestor.

“This means, princes and generals, do you have the guts?”

The room burst into laughter.

Without hesitation, the Fourth Elder took up the ruler and struck the hand, causing Barbarian Bone to grimace in pain.

Barbarian Bone couldn’t understand where he went wrong, challenging the nobility to their face with such great courage.

Wasn’t that the meaning of the phrase?

Lu Yang, standing at the doorway, silently attended the class, mourning for Barbarian Bone for three seconds.

Ji Hongwen, witnessing this scene, shook his head and chuckled: “I wonder what went through Barbarian Bone’s mind. Being of ancient barbarian descent and ignoring the Third Elder’s supreme techniques to follow our master, he’s been disciplined quite a bit this year.”

“But I’ve noticed he’s become sharper since returning from his mission. Do you know why?”

Lu Yang shook his head, clueless.

“Right, does the way the Fourth Elder strikes the hand seem to follow some pattern, or is it just my imagination?” Facing Ji Hongwen’s skeptical look, Lu Yang quickly changed the subject.

Ji Hongwen looked at Lu Yang with a hint of surprise: “You’re not wrong. It’s actually a method to stimulate the bloodline, but it’s too painful, and few can endure it. The master is using this method to activate Brother Barbarian Bone’s ancient barbarian bloodline. Remember, don’t tell Brother Barbarian Bone about this.”

Lu Yang nodded.

“After the class, you can find him.”

With that, Ji Hongwen left, holding the hand of the exquisite beauty.

Class time always feels exceptionally long. As the Fourth Elder lectured for a quarter of an hour, Lu Yang felt as if several hours had passed.

Finally, the Fourth Elder ended the class, encountering the inquisitive Lu Yang.

“You’re asking about Old Nine, who is devious, mischievous, and full of schemes?”

Lu Yang: “……”

Thank you, I think I already know what kind of person my master is.

(End of the chapter)