Asking About Longevity: Chapter 521 Surabaya

Chapter 521 Surabaya

 South of Nanyue City, on the border of the Second Grade Sishui Prefecture.

 Sishui connects the land from beginning to end.

 Meandering water flows along the river into the distance.

I was tired from the ink painting formation. I opened the curtains and looked out at the scenery of green mountains, clear water, and gentle waves. I felt relaxed and happy.

 After looking at it for a while, he looked away and sat back in the car safely.

Outside the car, the old man was knocking pine nuts, listening to the sound, and driving the car.

 In the car, Bai Zisheng was meditating and practicing, while Bai Zixi was reading quietly.

Mr. Zhuang leaned on the blanket and took a nap with his eyes closed, his posture was elegant and leisurely.

 But his breath was even weaker.

Mo Hua frowned, worried.

Since leaving Nanyue City, Mr. Zhuang's health seems to be getting worse day by day. Although his eyes are still as gentle and free as ever, his complexion is obviously worse, and he takes longer to rest every day.

Mo Hua asked Mr. Zhuang if he felt any discomfort.

Mr. Zhuang just touched Mo Hua's head, smiled and said he was fine, so he didn't need to worry.

 But his breath didn't sound like he was fine.

 Ink painting can only sigh in my heart.

 It is the last hour of the day, noon has passed, and the sun is shining brightly, making people feel tired.

Mo Hua made a pot of tea.

The tea was given by Elder Su. The tea soup is fresh and tender, with a mellow taste. Ink painting also adds some spiritual herbs, wild ginseng, and jade dates, which can regulate the monk's blood and nourish the meridians.

Although it may not have much effect on Mr. Zhuang, it is still a thoughtful thought.

 After the tea leaves are cooked, the tea is full of gas and the fragrance of the tea is overflowing.

Mo Hua first poured a glass for Mr. Zhuang, and then poured a glass for each of the younger senior brother and younger senior sister.

 Finally, I poured myself a glass and sipped it slowly.

Bai Zisheng felt sleepy in the afternoon and felt a little thirsty, so he drank it all in one gulp like a cow chewing peonies.

Bai Zixi is just like the ink painting, her posture is elegant, her red lips are lightly opened, and she is savoring the painting carefully.

Mr. Zhuang smelled the aroma of tea and slowly opened his eyes. He smiled slightly, picked up the tea and drank it. His eyes lit up and he seemed to be more energetic.

Mo Hua poured another glass for Mr. Zhuang, turned to look at the scenery outside, and suddenly asked:

“Master, where are we going?”

Hearing this, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also stopped their cups and turned to look at Mr. Zhuang.

Mr. Zhuang saw three pairs of bright eyes, felt at ease, thought for a moment, and then said:

 “Go south, to the border of Dali Mountain.”

 “Dali Mountain?”

Mo Hua muttered silently, and then asked:

 “If I go there, can I build a foundation?”

Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly and said, "Once you have reached the ninth level of Qi refining and the fourteenth level of spiritual consciousness, you can build the foundation."

"Cultivation is a matter of course. Follow the steps step by step. Don't rush it."

“But it’s not easy to reach the fourteenth level of spiritual consciousness…”

Mr. Zhuang sighed slightly in his heart.

 It’s not just easy…

 For a Qi Refining monk, this is extremely rare and outrageous.

Even in the monastic classics of the past dynasties and the records about genius monks, there is almost no precedent of refining the fourteen lines of spiritual consciousness...

Mr. Zhuang looked at the ink paintings with ups and downs in his mind.

Mo Hua was still thinking about building the foundation and asked again:

“Master, if you go to the border of Dali Mountain, will your spiritual consciousness be able to break through the fourteen lines?

“I can only say that there is this opportunity.”

Mr. Zhuang didn’t say anything too specific.

Mo Hua's eyes brightened slightly, "So, there is a 13th-level formation at the border of Dali Mountain State?"

 According to what Mr. Zhuang said before, spiritual awareness can be enhanced by understanding and practicing Jue Zhen.

The more difficult the battle is, the stronger the spiritual consciousness is required. The deeper the sea of ​​consciousness is tempered, the faster the spiritual consciousness will grow.

 Now the spiritual consciousness of ink painting has reached the peak of the Thirteen Patterns.

Although I practice the thick earth formation and the spiritual pivot formation every day, as I become more and more proficient in these formations, my spiritual consciousness grows slower and slower...

 It’s time to learn the formation of the Thirteen Lines.

Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, "Not bad."

 It seems that Master has already made a plan.

Mo Hua had bright eyes and said curiously:

“Master, what kind of desperate formation is there at Dali Mountain?”

Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "It's not..."

 The ink painting was slightly startled.

Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and said with a faint smile, "It's the fifth pair."

Mo Hua's heart trembled and he said in shock:

 “Fifth mate!”

Mo Hua opened his mouth, then looked at Mr. Zhuang, and said with some confusion:

 “Fifth pair...isn’t that a big cabbage?”

 Since it is an absolute battle, it must be rare.

How is it possible that there are five pairs at once?

Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly and said, "Guess why?"

Mo Hua blinked, held his chin, and thought for a moment before saying uncertainly:

 “Is five... related to the five elements?”

Mr. Zhuang nodded happily, "Not bad!"

He said with some emotion in his tone, "This is a set of five elements, metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Each of the five elements has one set, but the essential principles are the same, so the five sets are grouped into one set."

Hearing this, Mo Hua felt itchy in his heart like a kitten scratching his paws.

He really wanted to know what this formation was, what the formation pattern looked like, what the structure of the formation hub was, and what role it would play after being learned.

 But he still has one biggest question.

 “Master…”

Mo Hua hesitated and asked, "Even if I learn the formations of the Thirteen Patterns of the First Grade and practice every day, my spiritual consciousness may not be able to break through the bottleneck and reach the stage of the mid-stage foundation building of the Fourteen Patterns..."

 This is something he only recently realized.

 The further you get to the back, the slower and more difficult it becomes for your spiritual consciousness to grow.

He is now at the peak of the thirteenth line, and looks like he is only a few steps away from the fourteenth line.

 But this threshold is like a natural chasm.

The spiritual consciousness that I cultivate every day by drawing formations is like a glass of water.

This glass of water flows into the natural chasm and disappears in an instant.

 I really don’t know how many years and months it will take to fill this natural chasm and break through the bottleneck...

 The ultimate formation of twelve lines, the enhanced spiritual consciousness is limited.

Then even if you learn the Thirteen Lines formation, it probably won’t be much better.

Mr. Zhuang’s eyes narrowed slightly and he said slowly:

“The enhancement of spiritual consciousness is only one aspect…”

"Even if your spiritual consciousness cannot be enhanced to the fourteenth line, you must build the foundation with the thirteenth line of spiritual consciousness. This formation is what you must learn!"

Mr. Zhuang’s tone was solemn and his expression was solemn.

Mo Hua felt a little scared in his heart, "Master, is there anything special about this formation?"

Mr. Zhuang did not answer directly, but asked:

“Mo Hua, do you think there is any difference between you and Zi Sheng Zi Xi?”

Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were both a little stunned, and then looked at the ink painting.

Mo Hua scratched his head.

 There are so many differences between him and his younger brother and younger sister.

The only thing that is the same may be that they are all disciples of Mr. Zhuang.

“Brother and sister, are they from aristocratic families, with good talents, good spiritual roots, and good inheritance?”

 Ink painting is weak and weak.

Mr. Zhuang nodded and sighed:

“You may not feel it deeply now, but when you set foot in a wider world of cultivation in the future, you will understand that family background, spiritual roots, and inheritance are all cold and cruel barriers that separate the upper-class families from the lower-class casual cultivators.”

“There are some things that disciples from aristocratic families can do, but casual cultivators cannot.”

 “The road they can walk, you can’t walk.”

“They are born with good spiritual roots, have no worries about food and clothing, have abundant spiritual stones, and have rich spiritual objects. They only need to cultivate. If something goes wrong, someone will take care of it for them. There are also people who will plan their future for them.”

Mr. Zhuang looked at the ink painting, his eyes warm and filled with love:

"But you can't. You have to walk the road in the future on your own; you have to earn spiritual stones by yourself; if you offend others, no one will support you; if you encounter trouble, you have to deal with it yourself..."

“But your talent for formations is extremely good, and your understanding is also extremely high. In the future, you will definitely interact with many talented people from major families, major sects, and even the Central Dao Court in the cultivation world, and even compete in a showdown.”

　　"In this case, the greatest disadvantage is that you have no family or sect."

"And you can't even refine your body. The danger you will encounter in the future will be great..." ˆ ˆ ...

 The expression in the ink painting is somewhat solemn.

Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua with worried eyes.

Bai Zisheng thought for a while, silently made up his mind, and said:

“Master, don’t worry, I am a senior brother, and I will definitely protect my little junior brother! He is my junior brother, and he is also a member of our Bai family. I will not let anyone bully him!”

Mr. Zhuang was slightly startled. Looking at Bai Zisheng, he felt both surprised and relieved.

 The Bai family...can still raise such a child...

　　It’s really rare.

Mr. Zhuang patted Bai Zisheng on the shoulder and said, "It's great if you have such a heart..."

Mr. Zhuang’s language was implicit and some words were not stated clearly.

 Because the aristocratic family has never been affectionate.

 The same goes for the Bai family.

 In the future, the two children, Zisheng and Zixi, may not be able to protect themselves...

Mr. Zhuang’s eyes were dim and he sighed in his heart.

However, naturally the mother of these two children has to worry about these things, and she can't control so much.

Mr. Zhuang turned his attention to ink paintings again.

Mo Hua frowned in thought, his big clear eyes blinked and blinked, then suddenly lit up, he looked at Mr. Zhuang and asked:

“Master, does what you said have something to do with the formation I’m going to learn next?”

Mr. Zhuang sighed.

 What a smart kid, he really knows everything.

 He nodded and said: "Not bad."

 Outside the car window, the Sishui River is constantly surging, meandering and flowing into the distance.

Mr. Zhuang said: "The geniuses who cultivate the world of Jiuzhou are like the crucian carp crossing the river. They are countless..."

“But without exception, they all practice their own skills, learn their own Taoist methods, and all their abilities are to enhance their own killing power.”

“They compete with each other, and they all want to defeat many geniuses by themselves, and they are arrogant.”

 “This kind of thing is extremely difficult.”

“You need to have outstanding spiritual roots, a profound family background, unique opportunities, a deep foundation, powerful Taoism, and top-quality spiritual weapons to be able to surpass the monks of your generation and become the pride of heaven..."

Mr. Zhuang paused slightly and looked at the ink painting:

 “But you can’t do this kind of thing.”

Mr. Zhuang once again listed the shortcomings of ink painting:

"Your spiritual roots are not good, your birth is not good, you are born weak, and your spiritual weapons are crude. Although your skills are special, they do not increase your spiritual power. Only your formations are stronger than them."

 “In a head-to-head fight, you have no advantage.”

“And some extremely rare monastic resources can only be obtained by fighting for them head-on.”

"So, you can't follow the same path as them. You fight for opportunities. You can't rely on your own killing ability like them."

 “You must have the means to kill, but you cannot focus on killing.”

 “You cannot rely on your own strength to overwhelm the genius.”

"Then we can only find another way, not to specialize in killing, but to assist in killing..."

 “Auxiliary killing?”

Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding.

Mr. Zhuang explained: “To put it simply, it is to enhance the power of other people’s humanitarian law.”

Mo Hua somewhat understood it, but still didn’t think clearly.

 What is the difference between majoring in killing and assisting in killing?

Mr. Zhuang smiled lightly and said meaningfully:

“If you major in killing, you will compete with all the geniuses, and you will be their enemies. They will not give you a good look.”

"But if you assist in the killing, you can help them compete with other geniuses, but they will look at your face."

“The stronger your means of assisting the killing, the less they will dare to offend you.”

"In this way, you don't have a noble family, but any noble family can be your help. You don't have a sect, but any sect can be your background."

“You will also have a place among the utilitarian and snobbish Taoist forces, and among the many geniuses with outstanding spiritual roots, skills, and Taoism!”

Mr. Zhuang sighed.

 “The first rafters rot first.”

 “You can’t stand out, and you don’t need to stand out.”

“Learn to hide in the dark, learn to take advantage of the situation, be like a fish in water among the major forces, and have both sides. Only in this way can you truly go a long way, improve your cultivation step by step, understand the formation, and seek the true path..."

After Mr. Zhuang finished speaking, he looked a little emotional.

When I was young, I just didn’t understand this truth.

　　He blindly overpowers his peers, relies on his talent and is arrogant, and looks down on the world. However, it is easy to break through hard work, and he suffers a big loss...

 Ink painting suddenly realized.

 Assist in killing, avoid others' sharp edges, hide in the dark, and learn to take advantage of the situation.

In this way, we can seek a foothold among the various forces in the monastic realm with strict barriers, conflicting interests, and fierce competition.

 Master actually thinks so long-term for himself...

Mo Hua was deeply touched and grateful.

But these are probably still early.

 Let alone the arrogant rivals, he hasn't even built the foundation yet.

Mo Hua thought for a moment and then said:

“Master, is the Five Elements Absolute Formation at the border of Da Li Mountain a formation that assists in killing?”

Mr. Zhuang nodded, "The Five Elements Absolute Formation is essentially about strengthening the spiritual power of the Five Elements."

 The five elements of spiritual power are strengthened!

Mo Hua’s eyes lit up and he wanted to ask more specific questions, but Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly and pretended:

 “You will know when the time comes.”

Mo Hua pouted.

 But I didn’t dare to slander Mr. Zhuang in my heart.

As long as he slanders, Mr. Zhuang will definitely know it and will hit him on the head.

Mo Hua can only ask some other things:

“Master, what state boundary is Dali Mountain?”

 “Third grade.”

Mo Hua was surprised, it turned out to be a third grade one!

“Wouldn’t it be true that there will be golden elixir monks?”

Mr. Zhuang nodded, "There are some, but not too many. Dali Mountain is a relatively remote area among the third-level states. The resources for cultivation are not rich. Although it is ranked third-level, it cannot support too many golden elixirs... "

“Only some larger clans have Jindan in charge.”

“Ordinary monks still focus on foundation building and Qi refining.”

 “Oh.” Mo Hua nodded.

He wanted to ask more about the Five Elements Jue Formation and the Dali Mountain State Boundary, but found that Mr. Zhuang looked a little tired and seemed a little tired, so he asked with concern:

 “Master, please take a rest.”

Mr. Zhuang glanced outside with some emotion:

“It’s okay, wait a minute, there is a Longquan Waterfall ahead, I want to see it.”

“Master, have you been here before?” Mo Hua couldn’t help but ask.

Mr. Zhuang nodded, looking a little sad and nostalgic: "I've been here before, but it was... a long time ago..."

 Very early very early…

 How early is it?

Master doesn’t look very old...

Mo Hua muttered in his heart.

He raised his head again, only to see that Mr. Zhuang was in low spirits, his eyes were still a little gloomy, and he was in a daze.

“Master, how long does it take to reach Longquan Waterfall?”

Mo Hua asked softly.

Mr. Zhuang came back to his senses, thought for a moment and said:

“I guess there’s still another hour…”

Mo Hua thought for a while and said, "Master, please sleep for a while. When the time comes, I will call you."

Mr. Zhuang was slightly startled, then he looked pleased and obeyed:

"good."

Mr. Zhuang closed his eyes peacefully and fell asleep peacefully.

Ink painting is sitting upright, counting the time and looking out the window.

 He also wanted to see what the Longquan Waterfall that Mr. Zhuang mentioned looked like.

 It was quiet inside the car, but Surabaya was noisy outside the car.

The carriage followed the turbulent water, followed the road south, and kept going forward...

  Most of today was spent on detailed planning, so I am a little late. Sorry~

　　

　　

 (End of this chapter)