Hidden moth

Chapter 319 Originating from High Mountains and Flowing Water

Grandpa Jiang's analogy is very interesting. The most important effect of the Pure Yang Pill is to assist in the Yi Jin Xi Sui (Muscle/Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing) and improve a person's cultivation aptitude.

Zhang San's score improved from 40 to 60, meaning that someone with insufficient talent could barely begin to cultivate. Li Si's score improved from 90 to 95, meaning that someone with excellent talent had taken another small step forward.

From a vulgar utilitarian perspective, if Zhang San's score increased by 20 points and Li Si's by 5 points, then it's obviously more worthwhile to give the medicine to Zhang San, as he gains 15 points more.

But things are not that simple. Even if Zhang San enters the realm of cultivation, he may very well remain a low-level sorcerer for life, with a cultivation level of at most the second rank. Only high-level cultivators can cultivate truly profound spells.

If it were Li Si instead, there might be a greater chance of breaking through to the pinnacle, which would be of utmost significance to the art of magic.

The first batch of Pure Yang Pills was given to the leaders and deacons of various sects first. In addition to rewarding their contributions, another reason was that they themselves represented the group with the highest cultivation and best aptitude in the sect.

To break through to the Great Completion or even higher levels of cultivation, one cannot rely solely on aptitude; all aspects are indispensable. However, without sufficient aptitude, nothing can be discussed, as it is the most important foundation.

If Li Si were to take the exam and his aptitude could improve from 90 to 95, what if he took more Pure Yang Pills, such as two, three, or even four or five? He might gradually improve from 95 to 99.

The only problem is, where can we get so many Pure Yang Pills?

Seeing He Kao bent over doing arithmetic in the cart, Jiang Daozhen added, "This time, the number of Pure Yang Pills refined is not just thirty-six, but equivalent to seventy-one!"

He didn't mention a second batch; he meant the first batch. It should be taken by two people together with the peony. The effect is the same as if they took it alone, provided that one of them has a fifth-level cultivation.

In this situation, it would be unreasonable for anyone to take the pill alone, as it would be a huge waste of resources. Everyone would take it and share it with others.

So, who they choose to bring along becomes very important, and this is another loophole opened by the Clan Law Hall... In this way, it is entirely possible for someone to have the opportunity to take multiple Pure Yang Pills.

Jiang Daozhen's situation is unique. As Zhao Sanjin has pointed out, he is not suitable to take the pills with others. He can only take the Pure Yang Pill and Peony by himself.

This is somewhat helpful for a complete transformation, but its effect is not significant. The main point is to experience the process; taking more will not be beneficial. It was precisely because he took his own special circumstances into account that Jiang Daozhen mentioned the number seventy-one.

Although Jiang Daozhen did not say anything explicitly, He Kao already knew about the Clan Court and his attitude.

Arriving once again at Jinghua Village, the westernmost part of Fengwei Township, Jiang Daozhen left the three-wheeled vehicle in the village to charge, and the two walked towards the high mountains outside the village.

Just as they were about to reach the entrance to the grotto, Jiang Daozhen stopped by a spring, looked back at the mountain basin where the village was located, and suddenly asked, "Xiao Kao, have you noticed any problems with the current state of the arts?"

He Kao: "Ah, what aspect are you referring to, sir?"

Jiang Daozhen: "Fine, I won't make things difficult for you. The current problem with the art is that there is a lack of successors."

He Kao: "That's not right. There are already more than 7,000 registered disciples, most of whom are young junior disciples. How can you say that there is a lack of successors?"

Jiang Daozhen glanced at him: "Do you know how old I am this year?"

He Kaoshi jokingly asked, "Ninety-nine?"

This is an ancient custom from their hometown. No matter how old an elderly person is after reaching 100 years old, they often refer to themselves as 99. Nowadays, people rarely hear about this custom.

Jiang Daozhen was amused by him: "It's not that exaggerated, but he's already eighty-eight. Among all the elders of the Clan Law Hall, apart from the only junior disciple Mei Guyu, the youngest wild elder is sixty-six this year. Don't you think there's anything wrong with that?"

He Kao: "The cultivation levels of all the elders have transcended their age, so what problem could there be?"

Each level of cultivation has its own corresponding transcendence achievement. For example, the first level is a transcendence of the senses, the second level is a transcendence of the body, the third level is a transcendence of the mind... So, at the sixth level, one of the achievements is a transcendence of age.

They don't care how old they are, as long as their lifespan hasn't ended; their appearance is only a matter of their state of mind.

Jiang Daozhen: "That's not what I meant. In your opinion, who is the most likely person in the Lingxi Sect to break through to the sixth-level fortune teller level?"

He Kao: "Of course it's Junior Sister Wei."

That was the only answer he could give. Lingxi Sect had two other fifth-rank deacons, but He Kao was not familiar with them. He had only heard their names but had never seen them. Moreover, Wei Luo was only in his early twenties and was the most outstanding disciple among the younger generation of the sect.

Jiang Daozhen: "Don't you think there's a bit too much of an age gap between us, master and disciple?"

Upon hearing his words, He Kao realized there was indeed a problem. According to the tradition within the sect, a master's disciples must be at least twenty years younger than themselves, but Wei Luo was much younger than his master. Among the younger disciples of the sect, the most accomplished was undoubtedly Mei Guyu, who was only twenty-five years old this year and already possessed the perfect cultivation of the sixth rank. Moreover, He Kao knew that she had recently entered the Void Realm, and if she successfully completed her tribulation, she could break through to the seventh rank.

As if he could always know what He Kao was thinking, Jiang Daozhen spoke again: "Mei Guyu is very young, two years younger than you. He is already an elder of the Clan Law Hall, but there is only one Mei Guyu in the current sect of magic!"

Many of you disciples are already quite old.

In fact, after Mei Guyu broke through to the sixth level of the fortune teller, according to the tradition of the sect, the clan hall should prepare to update the genealogy and generation order. At that time, unless there are special reasons, we older generation fortune tellers will no longer accept disciples, and future successors will become disciples of your generation.

However, the procedure has been delayed for several years, and it hasn't been arranged to this day. Do you know why?

Although this is a question, it does not require He Kao's answer, because the words themselves have a divine interpretation. The reason is that among the younger generation of disciples in the art sect, only Mei Guyu has broken through to the sixth level of mastery in recent years.

In principle, only cultivators who have achieved the Great Completion stage can serve as elders of the Clan Law Hall. If it weren't for Mei Guyu, there would almost have been a risk of the lineage ending.

The two generations of sorcerers who constitute the mainstream of the current sorcery school, from Jiang Daozhen to Wei Luo, have experienced the entire process of the Eastern Kingdom's transformation from a backward agricultural society to a fully industrialized era, and then to the information age.

Amid such drastic changes in the social environment, the cultivation and transmission of magical arts have been put to the test, resulting in a relative break in the tradition of magical arts.

Until recently, the art has explored relatively mature inheritance experience in the context of the new era, which is first reflected in the number of new disciples.

However, for He Kao and his generation of sorcerers to become the backbone of the sorcery school, they still need time and space to grow in terms of quality.

Jiang Daozhen concluded meaningfully, "Wei Luo is the future of the Lingxi Sect, Mei Guyu is the future of the entire Shu Sect, and as for you, you are the hope for protecting the future of the Shu Sect..."

I once made Wei Luo swear an oath before the ancestral tablet. Personally, as long as you don't become her enemy, and publicly, as long as you don't do anything forbidden, she will always trust and support you.

She made one condition at the time: she wanted to go to Qiyuan to see for herself what kind of person you were.

This time, I hope you will also make a vow. No matter what achievements you make in the future, you must not turn against the Clan Hall or betray the sect. You must assist the Clan Hall and lead the sect, always upholding the righteous path and seeking truth to pass on the teachings.

Even if you encounter the schemes and betrayals of scoundrels from the martial arts world, you must hold fast to your principles!

He Kao nodded without hesitation and answered with only one word: "Okay".

This might have confused others, but He Kao didn't ask any more questions. For example, the phrase "even if one encounters the schemes and traps of scoundrels from the martial arts world," would have made others hesitant, but He Kao had already experienced it firsthand.

We can't pin all the blame on the Xiaomeng. Zhao Huanzhen, Peng Xian, and others who plotted against him back then, as well as the scoundrels from the Huiming Shi family later on, all came from within the Shumen sect.

Jiang Daozhen is about to go into seclusion to undergo tribulation. No one dares to say that they are absolutely certain of success. What is he most worried about at this moment?
He devoted decades of his life to cultivating the first true moth in a thousand years, and there is hope that the Hidden Moth lineage can be restored. The next step, of course, is to hope that the Hidden Moth lineage can return to the art of magic.

However, there are still great obstacles to this matter. He Kao may encounter various doubts and difficulties. Due to Yin E's special supernatural powers, there will likely be covetousness and sabotage from within the magic sect.

The historical lesson of the Hidden Moth lineage's break with the magic sect a thousand years ago and the ensuing siege remains, making various suspicions unavoidable. If Jiang Daozhen were still alive, he could control the situation, but what if Jiang Daozhen were gone?

If, due to some unforeseen event, the Hidden Moth lineage were to break with the Magic Sect again, or if He Kao were to betray the Magic Sect in a fit of pique, then all the hard work of Jiang Daozhen and the others would not only be in vain, but would also bring irreparable damage to the Magic Sect.

Even without Jiang Daozhen saying it aloud, He Kao knew that he was determined to make this vow.

For ordinary people, oaths may seem to have little binding force, but it's different for cultivators, especially oaths with formal ceremonies, which inevitably involve their state of mind during cultivation.

Generally speaking, the higher one's cultivation level, the greater the impact of the oath.

Once a cultivator reaches the sixth-order mastery level, they will keep their oath unless they discover that the premise of the oath is false or invalid.

Therefore, even a fully accomplished cultivator will not easily make an oath; once an oath is made, it can be considered a vow.

Such a vow would be more reliable for both He Kao and Wei Luo after they break through to the sixth level of cultivation. But Jiang Daozhen couldn't wait. Things in this world are rarely perfect; the most appropriate time is when the need arises.

What truly surprised He Kao was that Jiang Daozhen actually made Wei Luo make a vow as well, and for that vow, Wei Luo even went to Qiyuan to see him in person... presumably he only agreed after seeing that he was qualified.

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(End of this chapter)