To avoid further discouraging his disciple, Tao Mian decided to take a more indirect approach.
"To cultivate the external, first cultivate the internal. Your internal skills aren't solid yet, so your external skills will surely falter."
On Peach Blossom Mountain, there was a white marble meditation platform, originally just a flat and open area by the cliff, later remodeled into its current form.
The view here was vast, at a high altitude, allowing one to see the ebb and flow of clouds between the mountains—a perfect place for contemplation and enlightenment.
Tao Mian placed two meditation cushions here, inviting Shen Bozhou to meditate with him.
The cushions floated, gently swaying like two clouds. Shen Bozhou followed Tao Mian, sitting cross-legged, forming hand seals, and closing his eyes.
The Immortal's clear voice came from directly ahead, like a spiritual spring striking a pillar.
"Heaven and earth are boundless, all things are one.
Forget the self and the world, clear the mind and be steadfast."
Tao Mian's chanting served as guidance, gradually calming Shen Bozhou's thoughts, as if a giant protective mat was supporting all the trivialities of the mortal world.
The spiritual root within him responded. Like rain after a long drought, the parched root was moistened by a few drops of dew, and the remaining leaves eagerly reached for the water source.
The Immortal's chanting continued.
"Move without thought, act without heart.
No heaven, no earth, no... breath..."
...?
It started well, but the voice grew softer towards the end.
Shen Bozhou opened his eyes in surprise, finding the Immortal before him with eyes gently closed, sitting upright on the cushion, but with his mouth shut.
"Immortal..."
He reached out to gently push his Shi Fu, resulting in Tao Mian's head nodding forward, almost falling off the cushion.
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He looked around in confusion.
"Is it time to eat?"
"......"
Turns out he had chanted himself to sleep.
Seeing the face of his sixth disciple, Tao Mian realized what he had been doing. A bit embarrassed, he tucked the cushion under his arm and patted his head.
There was no helping it; he had always read the mantra before bed, and reading it made him sleepy.
The hypnotic effect was excellent.
Constantly dozing off was not a solution, so Tao Mian had no choice but to have his disciple memorize the mantra and practice meditation on the platform whenever he had time.
Shen Bozhou nodded in agreement.
Whatever Shi Fu said, he would do. Shen Bozhou might not be the best learner, but he was obedient.
Tao Mian told him not to rush; understanding swordsmanship wasn't something that could be achieved in a day or two. Many great sword cultivators were late bloomers.
He advised his disciple to take it slow, but as soon as Shen Bozhou went to meditate in the mountains, he urgently wrote letters to his friends.
First, he wrote to Ah Jiu at Xuanji Tower.
—Ah Jiu, my friend, how have you been? I've taken on a new disciple, Shen Bozhou. Bozhou is diligent and eager to learn, but his swordsmanship shows no progress. I'm worried, so I'm seeking your help.
He sealed the letter, tied it to a messenger bird, and let it fly out the window.
Then he wrote another letter to Shopkeeper Xue at the Xue residence.
He wasn't as polite with Shopkeeper Xue as he was with Ah Jiu.
—Urgent! I've taken on a new disciple who can't seem to learn swordsmanship, what should I do!
He sealed the letter and released the bird.
Ah Jiu's reply was always prompt, and a day later, Tao Mian received a letter from afar.
The handwriting was elegant and graceful, a pleasure to read.
Ah Jiu advised Tao Mian not to worry.
"Swordsmanship is half technique, half sword. Ah Jiu will provide Nephew Shen with a fine sword, hoping it will help him master his swordsmanship."
At the end of the letter, Ah Jiu asked Tao Mian to inquire about Shen Bozhou's preferences for the sword, including details about his spiritual root, sword habits, and material preferences.
Ah Jiu had solved half of Tao Mian's problem; the other half was up to Shopkeeper Xue.
Xue Han's first letter arrived the next evening.
It contained only two words—no idea.
"......"
Tao Mian stuffed the letter back, pretending he hadn't seen anything.
He decided to give Shopkeeper Xue some time to calm down.
Xue Han's second letter arrived seven days later.
The messenger bird landed on the windowsill, pecking around as if eating something.
Tao Mian paid it no mind, untying the letter from the bird's back.
This time, the content was much more substantial.
Aside from some irrelevant parts, the meaningful content was roughly—
Your disciple's spiritual root being damaged is the root cause. Without a spiritual root, everything else is just a facade. The spiritual root can either be nurtured or supplemented.
Nurturing means having your disciple absorb the essence of the sun and moon daily, basking in sunlight and moonlight, allowing the spiritual root to regenerate slowly.
This process would take about five hundred years, so you might as well teach your disciple how to live long.
Supplementing means replacing the missing part. Isn't he a Water Spiritual Root? You could simply cut down a few water-attribute cultivators, extract their spiritual roots, and give them to your disciple.
At this point, the letter reached its end, leaving Tao Mian in shock.
Was Shopkeeper Xue really suggesting such a destructive solution?
He shook the letter in frustration, suddenly noticing a few lines on the back—
But I guess you wouldn't resort to such cruel methods. Actually, I have another way, but it requires a stroke of luck.
There's something called "Water of Heaven," which is neither jade nor ointment, half-alive, half-dead, both moving and still. You can think of it as a great supplement.
The Water of Heaven was originally a single piece, but it was about to become immortal years ago and failed to transcend the heavenly tribulation, splitting into three pieces. These three pieces scattered in the mortal world, and I have a golden-nosed beetle that can sniff out the Water of Heaven's scent. It's included with the letter.
I've helped you a lot this time; remember, you owe me a favor.
The letter ended there.
Xue Han had laid out everything clearly and even provided Tao Mian with the necessary tools.
Tao Mian had no time to thank him; upon seeing the mentioned beetle, he searched everywhere, finally locking eyes with the messenger bird on the windowsill.
They stared at each other, and the messenger bird lifted its neck, dropping the black-shelled golden-nosed beetle from its sharp beak.
Tao Mian: !!!
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