Last night, I stayed on the street all through the night until dawn. The universe and everything in it returned to my heart, and my heart found immense freedom. Entering this state greatly elevated my mindset. I even felt that my inner core had grown considerably overnight, and my external spiritual energy had taken on a golden hue.

Only when the morning arrived, and the streets began to fill with people and cars, did I realize the time. I slowly made my way toward the school. I hadn't returned home last night, so I figured my uncle and his family must have been extremely worried.

I sighed. What if one day, I suddenly entered a deep trance for ten days or more? What would I do then?

Should I move out and live on my own? I had recently earned 800 yuan from selling a Calming Talisman to the English teacher, so I could rent a small room near the school for half a year. But would my uncle agree? It seemed difficult.

They say that for a cultivator, wealth, relationships, law, and land are all indispensable.

But I was a poor cultivator—without wealth.

From the memories of the old Daoist, I learned that while there were still many cultivation sects, none of them could draw the energy of heaven and earth into their bodies. The highest cultivation level in these sects was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Over time, most of these sects had transformed into martial arts schools. If I wanted to verify my cultivation techniques with someone else, it seemed impossible. So, the “relationships” part was also absent.

As for the “law,” in recent decades, countless cultivation books had flooded the market, but I could only glean the essence from them. Given the changing energy of heaven and earth, not all these manuals were applicable for cultivation. In my heart, I had a feeling that if I could decipher the mysterious texts and images left in my mind by the Xuanhuang Flag, the “law” would soon reveal itself to me. So, I decided to put the topic of the “law” aside for now.

As for the “land,” it was even more of a distant dream. According to the old Daoist's memory, stories of Daoist paradises and caves were still circulating three hundred years ago, but they seemed to have disappeared from the world afterward. This mystery stirred my curiosity, and I promised myself that when the opportunity arose, I would definitely seek it out.

While I was deep in thought, I arrived at the school gate and was surprised to see my cousin and uncle waiting for me.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I walked over to them. The moment they saw me, both my cousin and uncle rushed over and immediately asked where I'd been the previous night. I told them that I had been dealing with something important and had forgotten to call home. When my uncle asked what it was, I could only say it was an urgent matter but couldn't explain further.

My cousin gave me a judgmental look, shaking his head in disappointment.

In the end, my uncle didn't press me further about where I'd been but scolded me for staying out all night without calling home. He also took a few extra glances at me, commenting that I seemed different from usual today.

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My uncle said, “You look like the graceful autumn leaves swaying in the wind.” Oh no!

Meanwhile, my cousin commented that I seemed to exude a kind and gentle demeanor, with an underlying aura of an elite. Really? Was that true? It might have been because my cousin knew I had done well in the recent exam. Fortunately, my uncle didn’t blame me too much, and soon enough, they let me go. My cousin and I walked into the school together.

The boarding students were running their morning laps. It reminded me of how Cheng Fan often scolded Cao Kui for his awkward martial arts practice every morning. I had an idea and bid my cousin farewell, heading toward the sports field.

From afar, I saw more than ten students preparing for a physical training exam, each practicing their own set of exercises. Among them, surprisingly, was Cao Kui, who was practicing horse stance all by himself.

I quietly approached him from behind and kicked his leg.

"Ow!"

Cao Kui collapsed to the ground, and when he looked up and saw me, he yelled, "You came so early! You’re such a jerk!”

With a lazy yawn, he got back up, and I asked, "What are you doing?"

He muttered, "Practicing martial arts. If you don’t practice the stance, all your effort is wasted. But it’s hard to explain to you."

Suddenly, his eyes brightened, and he grinned, "Ah! I almost forgot you’re a master. The way you showed off during the trip... You're like a true hero! Zhang the Hero, please teach me some martial arts. I'll be your servant in my next life to repay you!”

I laughed. This guy would do anything to learn martial arts, even promise to be my servant in his next life.

I recalled some martial arts manuals in the old Daoist’s memory, and with a slight focus, I selected a technique called "Yin-Yang Wuxing Hand."

I called Cao Kui over to a quiet corner and asked, "Are you sure you really want to learn martial arts?"

Cao Kui’s face lit up, and he grabbed my arm, talking non-stop. "Are you really going to teach me? I’m serious! This is amazing! What will you teach me? The Dragon-Subduing Palm? Or the Nine Yang Divine Skill or the Nine Yin Manual? You can teach me those, right?"

I stared at his nose and noticed how the pores seemed to expand. What a sight!

I chuckled and asked, "How about the Sunflower Manual?"

Cao Kui immediately nodded eagerly, "Yes! Wait, no... I still want to carry on the Cao family line!"

The mention of the "Sunflower Manual" reminded me of when the Ghostly Evil held it and tried to tempt me. At that moment, a question popped into my mind—why would that Ghostly Evil know about the "Sunflower Manual"?

Before I could dwell on it further, Cao Kui’s voice interrupted me. "Zhang San Tong! Come on, how will you teach me?"

I put the thought aside for now and joked, "I have an ultimate martial art, the best one in the world. Once you master it, you'll be invincible—no one will be able to beat you."

"Really? What is it?"

"Yin-Yang Five Elements Hand."

"Teach me! Teach me, brother!"

From the old Daoist's memories, I knew that this technique had a more impressive name: "Qiankun Taiyi Golden Wood Water Fire Earth Five Elements Mysterious Wood Hand." It involved using the five elements of Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth to mimic their cycles in practice. Legends said that mastering it could allow one to capture others' essence, and it was a method often used by cultivators when refining their energy and establishing their foundations.

I spent over an hour teaching Cao Kui the stance and energy flow for the Gold Element hand. I cautioned him to practice this one thoroughly before moving on to the other four elements.

Cao Kui was so excited that he practiced diligently. His enthusiasm lasted all the way until breakfast, where, holding chopsticks in one hand, he kept flipping his other hand around, causing Cheng Fan to ignore him, pretending not to know him, fearing it might make him look bad.