After Shen Bozhou's injuries had mostly healed, it was time to focus on learning and cultivation.
Following the agreement, Tao Mian brought him to meet his senior brothers and sisters.
The autumn rain had washed the mountains clean, and the forest glowed with a gentle green.
Last night, it rained for half the night, and today the mountain air was filled with the subtle fragrance of vegetation. Autumn flowers were not as lush as those in spring, but when the mountain wind blew, they scattered and danced in the air. They hid among the tall grass, embellishing the scene like jewels on a phoenix crown.
Tao Mian led the way, while Shen Bozhou carried a basket of snacks and fruits in his left hand and a large bouquet of flowers in his right, climbing the steps.
There were several paths leading up the mountain, but only this one was swept clean.
He had been on the mountain for a few months and hadn't seen any other disciples, which was quite strange. Now, as Tao Mian led him into the mountain with these offerings, Shen Bozhou had a vague premonition.
Despite his expectations, he was still surprised when he saw the graves hidden among the peach trees.
Tao Mian stood in front of Gu Yuan's grave and waved to the sixth disciple.
"Come, meet your senior brothers and sisters."
Shen Bozhou said nothing, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and came to his master's side.
"This is your senior brother, Gu Yuan."
Tao Mian never tired of talking about his disciples. Every time he recounted their stories to others, his feelings would change.
Only the longing remained constant.
People say death is stepping out of time. Drawings on the sand are washed away by the sea, clouds come and go, leaving the sky to the sky, and those who leave are eventually erased by time.
But Tao Mian thought, having accepted the gift of immortality, he could always be the one standing before the tombstone, telling their life stories.
Returning to dust, returning to earth, returning to Peach Blossom Mountain.
His disciples had merely gone home.
Shen Bozhou patiently listened to Tao Mian's stories; he was a good listener. Senior Brother Gu Yuan, Second Senior Sister Lu Yuandi, Third Senior Sister Chu Liuxue, Fourth Senior Brother Chu Suiyan...
He listened most intently to the story of Liuxue and Suiyan.
"The siblings who relied on each other ended up on a path of mutual destruction. Alas, why such urgency to harm each other..."
He sighed.
Tao Mian's palm brushed over Chu Suiyan's tombstone.
"I often hear people say, let go of hatred, and the world opens up. But it's always easier said than done. Is love more enduring, or is hatred more lasting? I don't know. Perhaps in some quiet morning or midnight, they would bow their heads and ponder, why it had to be that person, why it had to be them."
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The immortal's sigh was like a wisp of smoke.
"Little Six, how long do flowers bloom on the branch? Gatherings and partings are unpredictable."
Shen Bozhou fell silent too.
They placed the flowers and fruits separately; the immortal chose what each disciple liked in life, and everyone had different preferences.
Tao Mian was always meticulous and particular about this, leaving no room for error.
His emotions came and went quickly, probably not wanting to appear too mournful in front of the new disciple. After Shen Bozhou had met the first four senior brothers and sisters, they finally came to a grave without a tombstone.
There were signs of digging here, but it had been filled in again for some unknown reason.
Shen Bozhou knew the fifth disciple was a woman, and after paying respects to the first four disciples, he could deduce.
"Is this Fifth Senior Sister?"
"......"
The immortal's hand trembled as he stacked apples on the offering plate, and the topmost red apple rolled to the ground.
"Your Fifth Senior Sister Rong Zheng is still in the mortal world, not dead yet, no need to be so hasty."
"......"
Realizing his slip, Shen Bozhou apologized repeatedly.
A thousand miles away, Rong Zheng sneezed and wrinkled her nose.
Who was praising her?
After paying respects to his senior brothers and sisters, Shen Bozhou was officially part of the Peach Blossom Mountain sect.
It was time to teach him the cultivation techniques.
The Golden Finger handed Tao Mian two secret manuals, one was the "Ice Yi Sword Technique," as the name suggests, it was a sword technique.
Ice Yi was the legendary god of all rivers, matching Shen Bozhou's Water Spiritual Root.
As for the other, the "Wangchuan Art," it was a spell.
This spell could draw upon the water of heaven and earth, moving with the caster's will. Those proficient in this art were said to be able to summon massive waves from flat ground, engulfing enemies in an instant.
In short, it was very powerful.
Tao Mian rarely explained the secret manuals and techniques in detail to his disciples. Laziness was one reason, but more importantly, his disciples were all too smart.
Liuxue was also included among the smart ones. Her talent just wasn't focused on cultivation, but she was undeniably intelligent.
But Shen Bozhou was more challenging than Tao Mian had imagined.
His talent was there, but he didn't know how to use it. His incomplete spiritual root made cultivation even more difficult.
Tao Mian once again had doubts.
When they first met at the Thousand Lantern Tower, he and Shen Bozhou had a brief exchange. Although the latter was a bit of a brute, it was clear he had some foundation.
How did he regress to zero after falling into the lake?
Did water get into his brain?
......
Tao Mian wasn't joking; he was seriously questioning in his heart.
He also wondered if there was something wrong with his teaching method.
Originally, Tao Mian just wanted Shen Bozhou to try it out, so he opened the first page of the "Ice Yi Sword Technique" and practiced the first move, "Wave Rising."
He didn't even use a real sword, just a peach branch to casually demonstrate.
"Wave Rising" was a basic move, holding the sword with the tip pointing down, flicking it upward in a diagonal direction along the body. Influenced by spiritual power and sword energy, a ripple would appear in the air, like a wave of water.
Based on this move, the subsequent sword techniques could develop and evolve.
To make the sword's momentum more visible, Tao Mian placed a stool in the center of the courtyard, with a clay pot on top.
Holding the peach branch in his left hand, he flicked his wrist, and the sword tip lifted. A crack appeared in the clay pot, evenly splitting it in half.
This move seemed simple, but to split the pot so evenly, without shattering it, showed the immortal's profound skill.
"Little Six, come, give it a try."
Tao Mian stepped aside, giving Shen Bozhou a chance.
Shen Bozhou imitated his master's movements, pressing his wrist and lifting his hand.
The clay pot remained unmoved.
Tao Mian was more surprised than his disciple.
Why didn't it crack?
Even if it wasn't split in half like his, there should have been at least a cut.
Tao Mian didn't understand, so he demonstrated again, patiently explaining how to channel spiritual power, how to let it attach to the sword, and then flow out through the tip.
Shen Bozhou nodded, understood.
He tried again, but the clay pot still didn't have even a scratch.
Tao Mian: ?
This was the first time he encountered such a situation. His previous disciples had such high talent and abundant spiritual power that he had to worry about them dismantling his Taoist temple, let alone a clay pot.
Compared to that demolition team, Shen Bozhou was exceptionally polite.
This shouldn't be.
The immortal was puzzled.
He thought of several reasons: the spiritual root was damaged, the spiritual power was insufficient, or maybe his teaching was flawed.
Starting with himself, to verify if his teaching method was effective, he called over the yellow chicken.
"Yellow chicken, come, give it a try. Do you know what I'm talking about? Do you need me to demonstrate again?"
The yellow chicken gave Tao Mian a disdainful look, walked over to Shen Bozhou, and nudged him to step aside.
Shen Bozhou obediently made room for his senior brother, allowing the yellow chicken to stand directly in front of the clay pot.
The yellow chicken lifted one leg, its claw scratching the air, preparing.
A sudden gust of wind. Suddenly, the yellow chicken's beady eyes turned sharp, its claw swung forward, and an invisible wind blade flew straight at the clay pot!
Crack—
The pot shattered into pieces under the force. Although not as precise and refined as the immortal's control, it was still broken.
In the immortal's silence, the yellow chicken strutted away proudly.
Tao Mian: I just wanted you to give it a try, didn't expect you to actually succeed.
Witnessing the entire process, Shen Bozhou looked at Tao Mian, completely serious.
"Immortal Master, this is somewhat insulting."
"...... It's my fault, I didn't expect it to be better than you."
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