In winter, white is the most dazzling color. Ginkgo, wutong, and Metasequoia trees, one by one, stand together in clusters, covered in thick snow. The Qingcheng Mountains are painted as a natural snowy landscape.
Chen Yun rode the wind through rugged mountain roads, and all he could see was snow-white.
Snowy scenery grinds space to create powdered clouds, hiding the sun and revealing crimson clouds.
Aren't those the beautiful winter snowy landscapes in front of us?
After a moment, he returned to the Daoist temple.
Perhaps it had been two months since his departure, Chen Yun felt a slight surge of emotion within him as he returned to this place.
When he left, he was no more than a low-level wizard.
By the time he returned, he had not only become a medium-level wizard but also learned the great law of Xie Ziran and successfully materialized his true body.
The achievements I made in just two months are far beyond the reach of countless practitioners who spend their whole lives striving for success.
I have grown so much.
Thinking of this, Chen Yun stepped over the threshold.
He saw Zhong Lijun standing under the plum tree, appreciating the radiant plum blossoms.
Chen Yun walked quickly forward, fell to his knees in the snow, and kowtowed, saying, "Master, the disciple has returned."
"Have you returned?" Zhong Lijun smiled like a father and reached out to help the disciple get up from the ground, saying, "Based on your appearance, it seems you have learned a lot from Xie Zhenren."
Chen Yun stood up respectfully, "Xie Zhenren's tireless teachings are deeply appreciated by the disciple."
Zhong Lijun hummed in affirmation, his smile lazy and indulgent as he asked with apparent casualness, "You gained fame in one battle, and all of Shu is talking about it. Do you have any feelings about that?"
Frankly speaking, Chen Yun was very proud of this.
Of course, if someone else asked such a question, Chen Yun would certainly be modest in response.
Just that the one asking is his master, and he replied honestly, "The disciple is rather proud."
"Feeling proud and valued by the world is human nature." Zhong Lijun first affirmed the disciple's words before pointing to the corner where the plum flowers were growing: "Look, in this harsh winter, the flowers that compete for beauty in spring are nowhere to be seen. Only plum blossoms are still blooming in the cold wind. As people who practice cultivation, we possess great powers from heaven and earth. It is very easy for us to bloom like flowers in spring. However, the difficulty lies in enduring solitude during the cold winter."
Chen Yun, who was still basking in his success, suddenly became enlightened.
Master Zhong Lijun is using the plum blossoms as a caution to him, reminding him that cultivation is a lonely path and not to be clouded by temporary achievements.
Chen Yun couldn't help but think of the poem "Plum Blossoms" written by Wang Anshi, and spontaneously said, "There are several plum blossoms in the corner, blooming alone in the cold. They are not snow, but there is a subtle fragrance from them."
"Wow?" Zhong Lijun looked aside and smiled, "You, who have never thought of reciting poetry before, have become a poet."
Chen Yun was just about to say that it wasn't his own poem.
"Since you can recite such a poem, you must understand the meaning of this. Generations come and go, and people are like fish jumping across the river. Temporary fame may bring you comfort for a while, but all of this is transient. Only by enduring solitude and adhering to that childlike pursuit of the Dao can one achieve everlasting existence."
This is teaching him to cultivate his mind. Chen Yun understood the kindness of his master, deeply bowed and said, "The disciple has learned. Thank you, Master, for enlightening me."
Zhong Lijun nodded slightly, then gave him a formal compliment, "This time, you were able to overcome the strong with the weak. Although you benefited from the favorable timing, terrain, and people's support, victory is victory. You have ensured the safety of the two hundred thousand people of Liuxi City. Master's heart is very relieved."
Chen Yun said, "It is all thanks to the teachings of the Master."
"I can't teach you some things," Zhong Lijun smiled contentedly and seriously said, "From today on, for the sake of cultivation, I also have little to teach. You need to experience the truth by yourself."
At this point, he made a veiled reference: "From now on, if you want to take disciples or apprentices, or if you want to establish your own school of thought, just let me know."
"Hmm?"
Does the Master mean that I have graduated from the apprenticeship?
Chen Yun felt overjoyed in his heart, but he said with a smile, "I would like to serve Master Zhong for the rest of my life, but this time from Jinquanshan, I indeed brought back several spirits. I want to take them as my disciples, and that's why I came back to ask for your opinion."
Zhong Lijun said, "I have already investigated the background of those few spirits, and they are indeed nature kind and good spirits. I will allow you to admit them into the doorway, so that they can accompany you here in the future and also take on a series of responsibilities such as patrolling the mountains and protecting you. In this way, when you call them up the mountain, I will teach them several breathing methods to enable them to practice day and night. I will help to remove the demonic aura from their bodies so that others won't mistake them for evil spirits."
Chen Yun was overjoyed, "Thank you, Master."
He quickly went down the mountain to bring all the spirits such as Gong Ji Jie, Monkey King, and Bai Yan to the mountain.
After meeting these spirits and magical beasts, Zhong Lijun imparted the breathing methods to each of them, except for the White Ape.
At the time, Chen Yun thought that his master didn't like the White Ape, so he didn't teach it the breathing method.
Later, Zhong Lijun casually mentioned that the White Ape had learned the method of cultivating flesh body from Xie Zhenren.
Chen Yun recalled the scene of Xie Zhenren gently patting the White Ape's head and realized then that Xie Zhenren had already passed on the cultivation techniques to it.
The breathing method is not a great cultivation technique for the mainstream of the Taoist religion.
However, for spirits like Gong Ji Jie and Monkey King, it was an unparalleled wonder.
One by one, they bowed to Zhong Lijun with gratitude, taking solemn oaths that they would follow Chen Yun for the rest of their lives and would never have a second thought.
……
In the evening.
Chen Yun was called to the main room by Zhong Lijun.
Today, he was really busy. He had bound over a thousand lonely ghosts and wild spirits to him with secret methods, reshaped the ghost images and plaques for the newly arrived ghosts and soldiers, as well as the newly conquered lonely ghosts and wild spirits. He also needed to accommodate Gong Ji Jie, Monkey King, and White Ape.
Of course, he also had to comfort his mount.
Chen Yun could truly say that he had not taken a moment's rest.
In the room.
Zhong Lijun was sitting in front of the tea table, sipping tea.
He sipped a mouthful of tea water and put down the cup, saying, "Since I have little else to teach you in the future and you have already become a medium-level wizard, it's just right that while I am still here, I can teach you some basic spells."
Chen Yun didn't expect his master to pass on more spells to him, and he was overjoyed, saying, "Thank you, Master."
"In the past, when your cultivation was still shallow, I was afraid that you might become obsessed with spells, so I didn't pass them on. Now that you have achieved some progress in your cultivation, learning more spells won't be a problem."
Saying this, Zhong Lijun extended his hand, and a jade tablet suddenly appeared in the palm of his hand. "It contains hundreds of basic spells. I will go back to Zhongshan soon, and you can learn them by yourself. If there is any particular spell you want to learn that has not been recorded in it, you can ask when you return to Zhongshan. In the meantime, stay here to cultivate quietly. Hmm, cultivate quietly for three years, and three years later, refine your heart through the world."
He instructed very meticulously.
While thanking him, Chen Yun took the jade tablet and asked, "Master, is there a spell for flying without wings in the tablet?"
"Yes, all the basic spells are there, but there is no particularly powerful one."
Zhong Lijun reached out again and flipped his hand, where another jade tablet appeared. "This jade tablet contains many branches of knowledge, such as weapon refinement, talisman making, alchemy, and so on. Today, I will impart these to you as well."
Chen Yun again took it and thanked him before putting it into his storage ring.
Unexpectedly, the storage ring, which had been damaged seriously due to the previous duel, burst into pieces when it was opened again, scattering its contents all over the ground.
It was somewhat regrettable that the storage ring was broken, but Chen Yun still had the cloth patches he got from Xie Wuiming, so he wasn't too upset.
He was about to use his magic to pick up the items.
Unexpectedly, Zhong Lijun suddenly said something nonsensical, "The pot sky technique is not recorded."
Chen Yun hesitated and exclaimed, "Ah?"
"You have a ring with the pot sky technique, which has been shattered. It will be inconvenient to carry things in the future." Zhong Lijun explained in detail, "However, the pot sky technique is a major spell, and it was not recorded in the jade tablet that I gave you earlier."
Pot sky technique?
If I'm not mistaken, this technique was later included in the "Record of Immortals Throughout the Ages" and categorized among the seventy-two terrestrial arts.
This is an extraordinary technique!
Chen Yun, upon hearing Zhong Lijun's implication that he might know the "Pot Sky" technique, immediately put on a face and asked boldly, "Master Zhong, could you please impart the Pot Sky technique to your disciple?"
"Haha, even if you didn't ask, I would still teach it to you," Zhong Lijun said slowly. "The Pot Sky technique is a spell that is not easy to cultivate. Although it can bring about great power when cultivated to a high level, where the universe can be contained in the sleeve and the heavens and earth in the palm, it is very energy-consuming. Therefore, before I impart it to you, I must remind you of one thing."
Wow!
Is the Pot Sky technique really that awesome?
