Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 134: A proud dragon has regrets
The iron-gray dragon soared into the sky, flying straight to the far reaches of the heavens. The surrounding area was vast and empty, without clouds or wind and thunder, only a great sun radiating its brilliant divine light.

A dragon soars around the sun, and the blazing sun is like a precious pearl played with in the dragon's claws, revealing its boundless power to control the sun, moon, heaven, earth, and all things.

Supreme and mighty, supreme and victorious!
Gao Wu suddenly realized that the Azure Dragon was already at the peak of the Nine Heavens, so strong that it could not advance any further.

The azure dragon that controlled the blazing sun was quickly engulfed by the sun's dazzling and endless divine light, its enormous body seemingly about to be completely melted by the sun.

As if sensing something, the azure dragon let out a long roar, abandoned the blazing sun, and flew downwards, returning to the clouds and thunder, disappearing without a trace.

At this point, the Azure Dragon no longer possessed the supreme and invincible power to control the nine heavens, but instead, shrouded in clouds, it acquired an unfathomable and ineffable mystical significance...

"The dragon that has reached its zenith will regret it!" Through the spiritual power he inherited, Gao Wu saw the scene and comprehended the profound meaning of the azure dragon reaching its peak and then retreating voluntarily. This gave him a deep understanding of "The dragon that has reached its zenith will regret it."

The principle behind the saying "the dragon soars too high and then regrets" is very simple: it means that extreme prosperity will inevitably lead to decline, and extreme rigidity will inevitably lead to destruction.

This applies to everything; once something reaches its peak, it will inevitably decline because there is no further room for improvement.

In the realm of martial arts, it's even simpler: one must have reserves of strength in order to calmly cope with changes and protect oneself.

The proverb "A dragon soaring too high will regret it" was a profound truth in ancient times. In the information age, however, it's something everyone understands.

Gao Wu specialized in the Nine Forms of the Dragon, and naturally pondered the "Regretful Dragon" form countless times, having long understood its principles.

Martial arts training is a rigorous system, composed of various aspects such as movement, breathing, and visualization.

Even with the old man's guidance, Gao Wu's progress in the Nine Forms of the Dragon was very slow. It wasn't until the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra was upgraded that he made rapid progress with the help of potions.

It wasn't until Bailongjiang attained enlightenment that Gao Wu was considered to have mastered the Nine Forms of the Dragon.

Later, he received instruction in the "Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use" technique from An Ziru, and thus obtained a true mastery of the art.

The deep rest of "Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use" allowed Gao Wu to adjust his physical and mental state in the most natural way, laying a good foundation for his martial arts cultivation.

Today, Gao Wu received Lu Yuan's teachings on the "Regretful Dragon Soaring to the Sky" technique. Through the condensation of his spiritual power, he witnessed the changes in the technique and understood its essence and meaning in the most direct way.

As a martial arts master, Lu Yuan's understanding of the "Regretful Dragon Soaring" technique may not be entirely correct. However, in terms of level, it far surpasses that of advanced martial arts practitioners.

After the Azure Dragon dissipated, it transformed into hundreds of characters and images, clearly revealing the secrets of cultivating the "Regretful Dragon" technique.

Compared to the wondrous image of the Azure Dragon, the information conveyed by words and images is very concise, direct, and easy to understand.

There are now three foreign spiritual imprints in the spiritual world of Gaowu. One is Song Chunqiu's Zhanbingquan (Battle Soldier Fist), which, although a complete set of boxing techniques, is relatively the lowest level.

One is An Ziru's "Hidden dragon should not be used," and the other is Lu Yuan's "The dragon that has risen too high will regret it."

Both of their spiritual imprints originated from the Nine Forms of the Dragon, but there was a clear difference in their quality. Lu Yuan's spiritual imprint was perfect and stable, while An Ziru's spiritual imprint was considerably inferior in comparison.

Foreign spiritual imprints will not cause any interference to Gao Wu, just like files stored on a computer, which will only be activated if Gao Wu actively accesses them.

A spiritual imprint naturally has its limits. Once the spiritual power within it dissipates, or a high-level martial artist breaks the imprint with their own spiritual power, the imprint will be completely destroyed.

When Gao Wu opened his eyes and looked at Lu Yuan sitting in front of him, he felt completely different.

Before, he seemed like an old-fashioned man, no different from his father. Now, however, he is someone to be admired and respected.

Regardless of how strong Master Lu's martial arts combat power is, his interpretation of the essence of "The Dragon Regrets" is a thousand times stronger than his.

Unfortunately, the old man was unwilling to accept him as a disciple directly!
"Many thanks to Master Lu for passing on the secret techniques. This disciple will remember this kindness and never forget it." Gao Wu stood up and bowed respectfully.

Even if it's just one move, "The Dragon Regrets," he would benefit from the other party's secret techniques for an endless time.

Even in universities, such advanced secret techniques are not easily taught. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a difference between students and apprentices.

The last time An Ziru taught him the skill of "Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use" was as a reward for his contributions in the Dragon Claw Peak Secret Realm.

He thwarted the demon cultists' plot that time, saving many lives. He thanked An Ziru, but he felt he deserved this legacy.

The situation is different now. Lu Yuan met him for the first time, had no dealings with him, and owed him nothing, yet he still taught him a secret technique. This relationship is quite different.

Regardless of Lu Yuan's reasons, Gao Wu was very grateful for it.

Lu Yuan waved his hand gently: "You are young, yet you are wholeheartedly devoted to goodness and uphold the righteous path with courage. Such magnanimity is admirable."

"In comparison, martial arts talent is like a bird being able to fly or a fish being able to swim. Although it is rare, it is an innate trait, and there is really nothing to praise about it."

"Master Lu, you flatter me. I don't deserve it." Gao Wu said modestly, but he was actually quite pleased with the words.

Just as Lu Yuan said, martial arts talent is innate aptitude, which depends entirely on luck. However, character and conduct are cultivated, and it is through these that one's wisdom, talent, and magnanimity are revealed.

It can only be said that Lu Yuan truly deserves to be called a grandmaster; his breadth of vision and knowledge far surpasses that of ordinary people!

However, the old man praised him highly, but refused to take him as his apprentice... which was a bit hypocritical...

Lu Yuan said, "Thirty years ago, a level seven golden-armored flying tiger broke into Anjing, destroyed a small part of Anjing, and caused a million casualties."

"Upon hearing the news, Hai Gong rushed to Beizhou to kill the Golden Armored Flying Tiger. He then used the energy core left behind by the Golden Armored Flying Tiger to open up a small secret realm, dividing the power of the Golden Armored Flying Tiger into nine gates, which he named the Nine Limit Gates."

"The original intention was to help Beizhou cultivate martial arts geniuses. For martial arts masters, the Nine Limits Pass is also extremely difficult."

"For warriors, it is like an insurmountable barrier, hence the name 'Nine Limits of Heaven'."

Lu Yuan said calmly, "Nine passes are hardly the pinnacle of the heavens."

He looked into Gao Wu's eyes and said, "The Ninth Limit is quite dangerous for warriors. Don't push yourself when you try to pass it. With your abilities, you will definitely be able to pass the Ninth Limit with patience and practice for two or three years."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Lu." Gao Wu bowed again in gratitude.

The old man seemed to have high hopes for him, which excited him quite a bit. A grandmaster like him certainly had good judgment. There must be some reason why he wasn't immediately accepted as a disciple.

Even grandmasters are human; they have family and friends, complex networks of interests, and their own difficulties. Gao Wu understood this perfectly. Lu Yuan nodded, then turned to Song Mingyue and praised, "Your Frostbite Heavenly Serpent technique is very refined."

Song Mingyue nodded and lowered her eyes: "Master Lu is too kind. I don't deserve such praise."

Lu Yuan asked softly, "Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

Song Mingyue didn't speak. She raised her head and looked at Lu Yuan, her bright eyes full of doubt, as if she didn't understand why Lu Yuan wanted to take her as his disciple.

Strangely enough, Lu Yuan understood Song Mingyue's meaning. He explained, "You are a mentalist, and the path of the Frost Serpent is quite unique."

"Within the Northern Continent, only my method is suitable for you. If you become my disciple, guiding you to level six is ​​no problem at all. As for higher levels, that's beyond what I can teach..."

Song Mingyue hesitated for a moment and looked at Gao Wu, making no attempt to hide her desire for his opinion.

She naturally knew that there were many benefits to becoming Lu Yuan's disciple, but compared to this martial arts master, Gao Wu held a more important place in her heart, so important that no one could shake it.

She could certainly discuss things with Gao Wu through mental power, but such a secret exchange in front of Lu Yuan would be too impolite.

Gao Wu never expected that Lu Yuan would actually take Song Mingyue as his disciple, and he was even more surprised that Song Mingyue would hesitate and ask for his opinion.

He frantically gave Song Mingyue meaningful glances, telling her what was there to think about, this was Lu Yuan, a martial arts grandmaster!
Although Beizhou is vast, only King Wu, Song Xuetao, can steadily suppress Lu Yuan.

Although Song Mingyue is Song Xuetao's great-granddaughter, the two generations between them represent a very large distance.

The Song family is a very large clan, and Song Mingyue has never met Song Xuetao. Even Song Yunhe has never met this Martial King.

Becoming a disciple of Lu Yuan was already the best choice for Song Mingyue.

An Ziru was also somewhat surprised. She was surprised that Lu Yuan had taken a liking to Song Mingyue's aptitude and talent, and even more surprised that Song Mingyue still needed to consider it and consult Gao Wu! It was simply absurd!

Fortunately, Lu Yuan had the demeanor of a grandmaster. Although he was strict, he was not petty and did not think that Song Mingyue's actions were impolite.

Choosing a master is a major decision and should be carefully considered.

Song Mingyue suddenly asked, "Do I have to kowtow to become a disciple?"

Lu Yuan chuckled: "Kowtowing is a traditional bad habit that reinforces the sanctity of the relationship between ruler and subject, father and son, and teacher and student."

"We martial artists value courage and courage, and sincerity is paramount when it comes to becoming a disciple. Without sincerity, even a thousand kowtows are useless. I don't care about others, but at least in my lineage, we don't need to kowtow to become a disciple. Offering a cup of tea is enough."

An Ziru was afraid that Song Mingyue would say something foolish again, so she took the initiative to stand up and help set up the tea set. She also called the woman over to prepare hot water and asked Song Mingyue to serve tea to Lu Yuan.

Song Mingyue was quite used to brewing tea and was very skilled at it. She carefully washed the tea set, brewed a cup of tea, and offered it to Lu Yuan with both hands: "Master, please have some tea."

Lu Yuan took the teacup and took a sip. He said with some surprise, "The tea is brewed quite well."

Although he doesn't like brewing tea, he does know how to appreciate it.

He then said, "From now on, you are my personally taught disciple. My school also has some rules, which I will explain to you later."

Having established their master-disciple relationship, Song Mingyue bowed deeply, her attitude respectful and formal.

“Come over at nine o’clock every morning. I’m free during that time and can give you a lesson.”

Lu Yuan stood up and said, "It's getting late, you should all go back and rest."

"Goodbye, Master."

Song Mingyue didn't know what to say, so she greeted them, bowed deeply, and left.

An Ziru smiled bitterly to herself. She left a few more kind words for Song Mingyue at the end to avoid offending Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan didn't take it to heart: "This child is indifferent but honest, not good at socializing, but extremely quick-witted when facing enemies, and has a very high talent in martial arts. It is precisely because I admire her personality that I took her under my wing."

He said with some emotion, "As for his martial arts skills, personality, and magnanimity, they are all excellent, but his talent in martial arts is lacking. What can I do?"

An Ziru could only sigh helplessly.

As the ancients said, "To test jade, one must burn it for three days; to discern talent, one must wait seven years." This means one should not make hasty judgments about others.

The problem is that Gao Wu has been practicing martial arts for at least ten years. While easily killing two high-level warriors is certainly impressive, it also reveals the true level of his swordsmanship and martial arts skills.

Based on past experience, there is ultimately a limit to the talent of an individual's mental strength. There are no shortcuts to advancing to the Martial Arts Grandmaster level.

Lu Yuan said, "He is full of spirit, vigor, and strength, far surpassing his peers, and even three points stronger than Song Mingyue. The problem is that he lacks martial arts talent and cannot integrate his form, spirit, and energy through martial arts."

"When I taught him the lesson 'The Dragon Regrets Overreaching,' I hoped that he would not exhaust his strength, energy, or spirit, but rather draw inward by three-tenths to be able to control his form, energy, and spirit with ease."

"Don't tell him this principle. If he can't understand it himself, telling him will only be an obstacle."

An Ziru bowed slightly: "I understand."

Back on shore, after An Ziru left, Gao Wu smiled and said to Song Mingyue, "You really are a super genius. Even Master Lu wanted to take you as his disciple. I'm just here to keep the prince company."

Song Mingyue said seriously, "Your talent surpasses mine. It's just that it's too special..."

What she really meant was that although Lu Yuan was a martial arts master, he couldn't see through Gao Wu's true talent. However, since she had become Lu Yuan's disciple, it wouldn't be appropriate for her to speak ill of her master behind his back.

Gao Wu was somewhat moved, and he said earnestly, "It's enough that you understand me!"

Before Song Mingyue could speak, he chuckled and said, "I was wondering why Master Lu would pass on the 'Regretful Dragon' technique to me for no reason. It turns out it was because of you. I really benefited from your help this time!"
Song Mingyue shook her head: "Master Lu values ​​your talent and imparted the secret technique to you, but it has nothing to do with me."

Gao Wu chuckled, "You're quite serious about this. Never mind, it's a great thing that you've become Master Lu's disciple. I'll treat you to a big meal tonight to celebrate!"

(End of this chapter)