Chapter 22: Punishment (2)

  Three people each had their own thoughts, and Shui asked nervously: "Uncle Wu Mu, how do you know if someone has spiritual roots or not?"

  "Don't be so sweet with your words, remember, I'm not your Shifu! If the three of you can really join the Jade Cauldron Sect, then I won't be worthy of being your Shifu. And if you can't enter the Jade Cauldron Sect, then you're also not worthy of calling me Shifu. From now on, just call me Daozhang." Wu Mu Dao Ren said coldly.

  When he heard Wumeng Daoist not answering his own questions, but instead dodging the issue of titles, Shuixin couldn't help but think to himself: "Could it be that Wumeng Daoist isn't a disciple of Yuding Gate? Then why is there also an image of Yu Xu Zushi being worshipped in this Cloud Platform Temple?"

  Wu Mu Daoist's gaze swept over the three of them, asking: "Do you know why I've brought you three here?" Wang Long saw Wu Mu Daoist's icy demeanor and didn't know what he was going to do, so he cautiously replied: "The three disciples made a big mistake last night, so we came to accept punishment from Master." Da Niu and Shui Sheng nodded in unison.

  "Punishment? You three think you've done something big, but it's just a small mistake. Is it worth me punishing you?" Wu Mu Dao Ren's mouth curled up in a sneer. Seeing the three of them looking confused, he continued: "Let alone scaring one or two people into a coma, even if they all four ended up comatose, it would be their own fault. What do cultivators cultivate? It's their character! Those four didn't care about their companions' lives and fled with their tails between their legs, are they worthy of me sticking my neck out for them? I'm only willing to help you three because you have some guts, face problems head-on, and don't push the blame onto each other. That's why I want to give you a hand, so you can understand the magic that only cultivators can possess!"

  Listening to Wumudao's words, it seems that this "wall punishment" is actually meant for the three of them to practice their magic in Songtao Residence. The three looked at each other, and their hearts were filled with joy. For a moment, even Wumudao's ugly face seemed to become more likable.

  Wudao Daoren followed closely and asked, "All three of you want to cultivate immortality. Now I'll ask you, what do you plan to do after learning magic?" He then stretched out his hand and pointed at Wang Long, saying, "You first."

  Wang Long puffed out his small chest and said loudly: "I want to use the immortal skills I've learned to eliminate the treacherous Han Ting, then appoint loyal and virtuous officials, pacify the world, and restore peace to our great nation."

  Wu Mu Dao Ren furrowed his brow and said, "That is something a saint would do, not a cultivator. Even if you could use your immortal magic to kill all the corrupt officials in the Han court, can you guarantee that the new officials selected will always be upright and honest? The hearts of men are hidden behind their bellies, even gods cannot see through them! In the face of power and desire, few people can maintain their integrity and justice until death, and pass it on to future generations. If human hearts could remain unchanged in the face of power and desire, this world would have long been free of strife and killing, and the world would already be a peaceful and prosperous era!"

  Wang Long's passionate thoughts were suddenly doused with a large basin of cold water, and he was left speechless. From the time he could remember, under the guidance and influence of his grandfather and father, Wang Long had always considered reviving the Han Dynasty and bringing peace to the world as the greatest ideal of his life. In his young heart, he didn't know how many times he had dreamed of this.

  Wu Mu Dao Ren saw Wang Long's bright eyes suddenly dimmed, and coldly said: "Of course, there is nothing wrong with thinking this way. If you do this seriously, you will never have happiness in your life again!"

  Before Wang Long could speak again, he turned his gaze to the Big Cow. The Big Cow's face slightly reddened as he said: "I want to use the immortal techniques I've learned to kill all the man-eating wolves and tigers in Mount Fowu, so that children can play wherever they want." Wu Mu Dao Ren nodded indifferently, finally casting his gaze towards Shui Sheng.

  Shuixing and Daniu originally had the same idea, but unexpectedly Daniu spoke out first. Scratching his head, he said: "Since big brother has already killed all the man-eating insects and beasts in Funiu Mountain, I'll just have to run a bit further. As long as there are evil spirits and monsters that harm people in this world, I will seek them out one by one and kill them." The family environment and upbringing of Daniu and Shuixing were different from those of Wang Long, so their aspirations for the future were naturally vastly different.

  Wu Mu Dao's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile as he said: "It seems that the three of you still have a shred of heavenly justice and conscience in your hearts. I suppose I haven't misjudged you. Compared to those who spend their days cooped up in Yuding Mountain, only knowing how to indulge in cultivating techniques, dreaming of living forever and ascending to the immortal realm, without caring about the lives and deaths of the common people, you are much stronger than those despicable creatures."

  Three people heard Wu Mu Dao Ren actually compared the cultivators in Yu Ding Men to "dog dregs", and couldn't help but be shocked.

  As soon as he mentioned those "dog bastards", Wu Mu Dao Ren seemed to recall many unpleasant past events, his face turned gloomy again, his two short eyebrows twisted together, and then he turned around and cast his gaze towards the dark sky outside the hall, let out a long sigh, and remained silent for half a day, as if at this moment there was an important matter in his heart that was difficult to decide.

  Three children stared at the thin back of Wumu Dao, feeling uneasy and unsure if they had just said something wrong, causing Wumu Dao to remain silent for a long time. Shui Sheng secretly glanced out at the night sky outside, but all he could see was an inky blackness, without even a single star visible.

  As the three were lost in thought, Wu Mu Dao Ren suddenly turned around, his triangular eyes gleaming brighter as he swept a glance over the trio and said: "If you can be accepted into the Jade Cauldron Sect, you will also be able to practice magic. I didn't need to intervene at this point, but unfortunately, heaven doesn't always grant one's wishes. With such a great calamity, there isn't even a hint of movement from the Jade Cauldron Sect. It seems that something has gone wrong somewhere. This means that your journey to Jade Cauldron Mountain won't be as smooth as expected. I have received kindness from Tie Yi in the past, so naturally, I cannot just watch you go to your deaths. I must take precautions and prepare early."

  Although the three aquatic births did not understand what "what place has changed" meant in Wu Mu Dao's words, they also understood that there would be danger on the way to Yu Ding Gate. Their faces changed involuntarily. Shui Sheng had a mind to ask clearly, but seeing Song Wen Dao's cold and icy face, he dispelled the idea.

  Wu Mu Dao Ren continued, "Of course, it's also possible that I'm just being overly anxious and nothing has happened in the Jade Cauldron Sect. Those guys are just indulging in their cultivation, ignoring the suffering of the common people! So now, I'll give you two choices: first, punish you to face the wall for a month, then you can go back and stay with your little friends, do whatever you want, as for the techniques, when you really join the Jade Cauldron Sect, the seniors in the sect will naturally teach you, I won't bother with that."

  He paused for a moment, looking at the three children listening intently and not interrupting, then continued: "The second option is to start from today, with me teaching you how to practice magic. However, this way, when you arrive at the Jade Cauldron Sect, if someone finds out that I taught you first, it's possible that you'll get into trouble. Of course, this trouble isn't unsolvable - as long as after you're smoothly accepted into the Jade Cauldron Sect, you don't voluntarily mention to anyone that you learned magic beforehand, and you don't intentionally show off your magic in front of people to draw attention, I believe no one will notice, and those five old guys definitely won't pay attention to you for no reason. Alright, give yourselves a moment to think about it, then come back with an answer."

  Having said that, he walked over to a wooden chair, sat down, picked up a jug of cold tea on the table and started drinking it himself.

  Shui Sheng looked at Wang Long, then at Da Niu, and saw a glimmer of excitement and longing in both of their eyes. Although young, Shui Sheng knew that if he agreed to Wu Mu Dao Ren's second option, he could immediately start learning magic. As for the "trouble" Wu Mu Dao Ren mentioned, it wasn't anything serious - at most, it would mean keeping the secret of learning magic and telling a lie to the Yu Ding Men cultivators.

  At this point, he opened his mouth and said: "The disciple is willing to make the second choice." The big cow followed by saying: "I am also willing to make the second choice." Wang Long was equally eager to learn magic spells and did not want to wait any longer, so he naturally made the second choice.

  Wudao Daoren nodded after seeing the three of them respond so quickly, and said: "Since you've made your choice, remember my requirements. Don't deliberately show off in front of others, don't let people see that you're different from other little ones. Only then will you avoid bringing unexpected trouble to yourselves and me."

  The three of them nodded again, and then said: "If you want to cultivate immortality, not only do you need to have a spiritual root and heavenly gift, but also endure the hardships and loneliness that ordinary people cannot bear. Can you endure it? Not to mention far away, there is still more than a year before you leave for Yuding Mountain. In this year or so, can the three of you achieve daily meditation and practice without taking a step out of Songtao Residence?"

  Dà niú thought for a moment, then said: "Can." Wūmù dào rén looked at Shuǐshēng and Wáng Lóng. The two of them exchanged a glance, and in unison replied: "Can." Faced with the temptation of being able to cultivate immortality, the three little boys completely abandoned their playful and mischievous nature.

  Wumeng Dao Ren finally revealed a hint of a satisfied smile and said, "Whether or not someone has spiritual roots can only be discerned by cultivators who have reached a very high level of magical power. This humble monk has yet to reach that step, however, this humble monk does have another clumsy method to test whether the three of you have spiritual roots."

  He finished speaking, took out three books that looked identical from his sleeve and handed them to the three people. He said: "This scripture records the method of condensing true energy, which is divided into seven parts, corresponding to the seven stages of Qi refinement for cultivators. You should memorize the entire text first, then come back to practice the first part. If you can master the first part, you will be able to condense true energy in your body according to the methods taught in the book. Once you have true energy, it means that the three of you possess spiritual roots and can practice magic."

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