Chapter 1: The Seven-Colored Dragon Boat, Azure Pearl...

  "Show me the 36 forms framework I taught you, practice it once for me."

  …..。

  In the early morning, in the small courtyard of Tianhao Peak where Luobei lived, a man wearing a black long gown with his hair casually tied back, looked at Luobei with an icy expression as he practiced his moves.

  This man with an icy face, who seemed to have never smiled before, was Duan Tianya, the seventh disciple of Yan Xingyi, who ruled over the Gouli Peak.

  For over a decade, Luo Bei had already memorized some of the foundational classics for entering Shu Mountain. Xiao Xiang stopped coming and was replaced by Duan Tianya who taught him the 36 foundation fist techniques of Shu Mountain's entry-level skills.

  These thirty-six forms of foundation fist method are not used to harm the enemy, but rather as a framework for guiding and physical exercise. In the mountains, the temperature changes greatly between day and night, persisting in practicing these frameworks can make new disciples who have just entered the door and haven't cultivated Taoist methods yet, relax their meridians, activate blood circulation, strengthen tendons and bones, and avoid getting sick.

  He Xiang and Xiao Xiang were easy-going and affable, but Duan Tianya was always cold and unsmiling, never speaking carelessly, and was extremely strict with Luo Bei.

  "This move, Master Shifu told me yesterday that both hands should be stretched out as much as possible and at the same level..."

  When he practiced the 36th move, "Drawing the Bow", Luo Bei thought of what Duan Tianya had said to him during practice yesterday, and his body paused slightly.

  Duan Tianya's eyes turned cold, and with this one sentence, Luo Bei immediately received his scolding: "Yesterday you practiced incorrectly here, today you're still hesitating, it's clear that you're slacking off and not practicing enough! Do five repetitions in a row for me!"

  Luobei is not lazy and has practiced too little. In fact, Luobei did more than a dozen times yesterday after leaving Duan Tianjiao, and he had already mastered the 36 moves very well, but now that Duan Tianjiao is present, he is temporarily nervous, which leads to this situation.

  But Luo Bei didn't argue back, instead he seriously did it five more times.

  "These thirty-six moves are barely passable, but the intention precedes the action. When you practice these thirty-six moves again, you must remember that the body moves after the intention does." Looking at Luo Bei who had seriously practiced five times without a single mistake, Duan Tianya's eyes still didn't show any sign of praise, and he simply said this sentence in an icy tone.

  After saying this, Duan Tianya turned around and pushed open the gate of Luobei's courtyard. "Follow me, from today on, you will cultivate with the fellow disciples of Tiān Yú Peak."

  "Can we go now?" Luo Bei's head jerked up in surprise.

  "You must be able to endure loneliness in order to cultivate the Tao. Cultivation is not a game, what is there to be joyful about?" Duan Tianya walked out of the yard without looking back, and Luo Bei followed him to the long mountain path, facing the misty and cloudy Tiān Yú Peak. Duan Tianya said coldly, "Luo Bei, you should know that most people in Shu Mountain think your talent is exceptional, but I have seen many exceptionally talented people who did not achieve as much as those with average talent. The higher one's talent, the less they achieve, and the more disappointing it is for others. Letting you live alone here is a special treatment, but I hope you don't think that way yourself. You must remember, those who achieve greatness are not necessarily because of their exceptional talent, but because they put in more effort than ordinary people. Whether you follow your fellow disciples to cultivate or live here, it's best to consider this extra mountain path as extra cultivation, rather than thinking you're born with a higher status."

  Is this a rebuke or a well-intentioned warning?

  Luó Běi was stunned for a moment, and suddenly felt that Duàn Tiān Yuè, who was saying this to himself at this moment, didn't seem as cold as his surface appearance. But when he looked up again, Duàn Tiān Yuè had already walked away on the mountain path in front of him with an icy demeanor.

  Duan Tianya was not as cold as his appearance, but he didn't know that Luo Bei had an unimaginable tenacity. He would never have thought that when following him on this rugged mountain path, which only allowed two people to walk side by side, Luo Bei's heart was thinking: "It's really hard for Master Cui Hang to run such a mountain road every day to deliver food to me. What Master Duan Tianya said makes sense, I can also tell Master Cui Hang about it."

  "Is he Luobei?"

  Following Tian Ya's back, she walked quickly for more than an hour on the mountain road. Just as she had just stepped over the threshold of a large temple gate with a sign that read "Yang Xin Dian" at the top of Tian Yu Peak, Luo Bei felt dozens of eyes staring at her body.

  "Ko's disciples are not many either. Becoming a disciple of Shu Shan is definitely not an easy thing."

  Luo Bei's eyes swept across the hall, where dozens of yellow mats were laid out. On them sat thirteen or fourteen boys and girls around his age, with two girls slightly younger. In front of each of them was a large desk. Standing at the front was a scholar in a blue robe, who looked to be in his thirties, slightly short and stout, but with a kind expression.

  "Brother Lian Hang...." Luo Bei saw Lian Hang sitting alone in the corner, his thin and small body standing out from the emptiness around him and the other people.

  Luobei also saw Zixuan Valley and Lingdong Mountain sitting among them, nodding slightly towards himself. Before he could carefully observe the others, Duantianya had already said coldly: "Don't you hurry to pay respects to Master Minghao?"

  "Master Ming Hao." Luo Bei nodded to the man in a blue robe, who was studying his own Master Ming Hao, and then bowed. Duan Tianya had already turned around and walked away coldly, "From today on, you will temporarily cultivate with Master Ming Hao."

  Ming Hao in the hall, however, seemed to have long been accustomed to Duan Tianjiao's demeanor. He watched as Duan Tianjiao walked away coldly and didn't think much of it, only smiling slightly. "Luo Bei, just pick a place to sit down."

  "How can Luo Bei be so fond of getting close to that useless person?!"

  When Ming Hao said that, Zi Xuan Valley and Ling Dong Mountain quietly moved their bodies and made room for him. However, what the two people did not expect was that Luo Bei did not sit next to them, but instead sat beside Lin Hang.

  "Lu... Lu Beishi brother..." Yan Hang also couldn't speak for a moment as his emotions surged.

  "This is the one they said, the new disciple with the best talent, Luo Bei. I don't believe it, I'm not inferior to him!" Just as Luo Bei sat down, a young man with a high bun and a face like jade, handsome and elegant, gazed coldly at Luo Bei from the left side of the hall.

  "This is Luo Bei, they say he has great potential, who would have thought that he's also quite good-looking." Among the two stunningly beautiful girls, the slightly older one with a round face and bright eyes was secretly checking out Luo Bei.

  "Hmph! Yanran Shijie is being foolish again. This Luo Bei ran to Lin Hang's side, not staying with us, is he trying to show that he doesn't deign to be with us? I think he's just a arrogant brat relying on his natural talent!" And the one who let out such a disdainful cold snort in her heart was actually the younger of the two girls, with a delicate and lovely face, like a carved jade.

  "Luobei, tomorrow morning, you will come here to practice the 36-style foundation fist method." Minghao didn't say much either. After coughing once, he stood in front of the desk, just like a private school teacher giving a lesson, and said: "I am now officially starting today's cultivation class. Everyone must watch carefully, I will only do it once. If you don't remember, don't blame me."

  Luobei had never been to school before, and in Luofang he almost listened to Lao Zhao Nan's lectures, memorizing them by rote. Now, sitting with so many people of similar age listening to Minghao's teachings was an indescribable novelty. But when Minghao said they would only do it once, Luobei immediately cast aside all other distractions and stared intently at Minghao in front of him.

  "What is this?!"

  In an instant, Ming Hao's body was motionless, his hand drew a few strokes in the air, and in front of him, a strange plant with a shape like scallions but with green flowers appeared out of thin air.

  "Ahh!" A collective gasp of surprise, Luo Bei stared at the illusion that Ming Hao had conjured up in shock, and similar voices could be heard from around him, apparently no one else had seen Ming Hao use this technique before.

  "Teacher Ming Hao" Just then, a chubby young man couldn't help but ask the question that was on Luo Bei's mind: "What is this?"

  "Wen Huan, next time remember that when I haven't said you can ask questions, don't interrupt and ask. Ming Hao was obviously much kinder than Duan Tian Ya, although his words were severe, he still patiently answered the question of this little fatty named Wen Hao, "This is Zhu Yu Cao, its effects will be explained tomorrow, today just remember what this herb looks like, because this is the first herb you need to go find today."

  "Ming Hao Shu Shu, I remember. But I'm not asking what this herb is, I'm asking you what method this is, that can make the appearance of herbs appear." The plump young man nodded repeatedly.

  "This is the hand method of condensing energy to draw talismans. From now on, when you learn the secret methods of talismanic magic and cultivate to a certain level, you can use this method to condense your energy to draw talismans against enemies. I am only using this condensed energy method to transform into the appearance of this medicinal herb."

  Ming Hao said so, but Luo Bei suddenly turned his head in surprise and looked at the young girl sitting on the other side, with several people between them.

  He was surprised to see that girl because before Ming Hao said this, Luo Bei had already heard the girl hum a low voice, "Really ignorant, isn't this just the hand method of condensing energy and drawing talismans?"

  When Luobei's gaze fell upon the girl, the lovely girl seemed to have discovered that he was looking at her and turned around, meeting Luobei's eyes. Suddenly, she blinked a few times in his direction, then secretly made several gestures with her hand towards him.

  "What?" Luo Bei didn't understand what the girl meant and was momentarily stunned, revealing a puzzled expression.

  That girl blinked several times again, and secretly compared a few times. Luo Bei was even more confused. Suddenly, a smile of satisfaction appeared on the girl's face. At this time, Luo Bei heard Ming Hao say: "This is the second herb you are looking for today, Stabbing Tongue Grass, remember it clearly, don't forget."

  "Damn it!" Luo Bei was taken aback and suddenly turned his head, but the second illusion that had appeared in front of Ming Hao had already faded away.

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