A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 170 Fortune's wheel turns; this life, it's my turn.
Three days later, at dawn, the morning dew was still fresh on the plaza of the outer branch of Qingmu Peak.

Wang Kui, Luo San, Lan Gu, Liu Zhe, and Shen Quan stood side by side, a full hour earlier than the appointed time. The five elements pattern on the edge of the square gleamed faintly in the morning light, casting long shadows of the five men.

Hou Haikun watched from afar, his heart pounding with anxiety. He knew the temperaments of these five old friends; they were all used to being wild and unruly. Although they had already made arrangements, he doubted they could swallow their pride and bow down to a sect leader who was much younger than them.

Footsteps echoed across the stone arch bridge. Li Weizhou, dressed in a blue robe, walked slowly from the direction of the pavilion. Behind him followed Situ Qingyue and Feng Biwu, Feng Biwu carrying a writing brush, ink, paper, and an antique wooden box.

"Sect Leader." The five spoke in unison, their tone less arrogant than it had been that day, and more deliberate.

Apart from Lan Gu glancing at Feng Biwu, the other four didn't even give her a sidelong look.

That makes sense. If a rogue cultivator had been wandering in the Northern Spiritual Domain for over a hundred years and didn't even understand these basic rules, he would probably have turned to dust long ago.

Li Weizhou stopped in front of the five people, his gaze calmly sweeping over them: "Have you all thought it through? Once it's written down, there's no going back."

Wang Kui took half a step forward, slamming his giant axe on the ground: "I've thought it through. I wish to join the Five Elements Sect and ask the sect leader to guide me through the maze of cultivation." Luo San, Lan Gu, and the others also nodded, their eyes filled with undisguised longing—a yearning for the Great Dao that overwhelmed the arrogance of rogue cultivators.

Shen Quan, holding the broken sword, sincerely said, "If the sect leader does not abandon me, I am willing to entrust this broken sword to you."

Li Weizhou lightly tapped the jade pendant at his waist with his fingertips. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears: "Very good. Guidance is not difficult, but the rules of the Five Elements Sect must be explained in advance."

He gestured for Feng Biwu to open the wooden box, which was lined with thick brocade: "Cultivation is like building a house. If the foundation is not solid, adding bricks and tiles is futile. If you want me to give you guidance, you must first let me see your 'foundation'."

All five of them were taken aback.

"What the sect leader means is..." Liu Zhe stroked the bamboo sword, reacting first, his old face slightly darkening.

"Take out your respective cultivation techniques." Li Weizhou's gaze fell on the wooden box. "Don't hold back, and don't worry. The Five Elements Sect has plenty of cultivation techniques. But, this is the rule."

These words were like a stone thrown into still water; a complex and unpleasant expression flashed across the faces of the five people.

The cultivation method is the foundation of a practitioner, the confidence to roam the martial world, and a secret gained at the cost of one's life.

Wang Kui's "Blazing Heaven Technique" was risked to steal from the Black Wind Lake Fire Dragon's lair; Luo San's "Thick Earth Technique" was given to him by the old miner who raised him before his death; Lan Gu's "Gentle Water Entangling Silk Technique" was obtained from the secrets of Broken Snow Cliff; Liu Zhe's "Withered Vine Sword Technique" was the culmination of a hundred years of his own efforts; and Shen Quan's "Broken Blade Golden Manual" was even more entangled in the feuds between his sects...

Which one can be easily shown to others?

Wang Kui gripped his giant axe tightly, the flame tattoo on his bronze arm faintly glowing. He said, "Sect Leader, do you not trust us?"

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I'm wondering if you trust me."

Li Weizhou shook his head and said, "I also want you to think this through yourselves. Furthermore, once you join my sect, you must understand the principle of the five elements' mutual generation. Your cultivation methods are just like the initial blanks of 'metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.' I need to see how the blanks are before I know what needs to be trimmed or what needs to be supplemented. If you can't even be this honest, how can you guard the sect together in the future?"

He paused, then looked at Shen Quan: "Fellow Daoist Shen said he was willing to entrust his broken sword to you. But you don't even dare to show your own sword manual to others. The word 'entrust' is far too light."

Shen Quan tightened his grip on the broken knife, and his breathing behind the iron mask became heavier.

Luo San squatted on the ground, his fingers unconsciously picking at the cracks in the stone slab, and muttered, "My cultivation technique... is only a few pages long. I wrote it clumsily, and I'm afraid the sect leader will laugh at me."

"A technique that allows you to withstand a bear demon in the demon realm is a good foundation, no matter how clumsy it may seem." Li Weizhou's voice softened. "What I want is not so much sophistication, but sincerity."

Wait, isn't this called Spirit World PUA?

After a moment of silence, Lan Gu's voice, like morning dew, said, "My cultivation techniques... contain some secret and unspeakable methods that I'm afraid won't meet the sect leader's approval."

“The Five Elements inherently possess Yin and Yang. Water can nourish all things and also penetrate stone,” Li Weizhou replied calmly. “There is no right or wrong in cultivation methods; it all depends on where they are used.”

Liu Zhe sighed and lightly tapped the ground with his bamboo sword: "My swordsmanship is something I created little by little on my own and have kept hidden for decades... Well, let the sect leader take a look today, I'm just afraid it will offend the sect leader's noble eyes."

Having said that, he took out a jade slip from his bosom.

Li Weizhou smiled, took the document, scanned it briefly with his divine sense, and then casually handed it to Situ Qingyue, saying, "Take a look too."

Upon seeing this, Situ Qingyue noticed that Liu Zhe's expression changed again, and he could no longer contain himself and his face darkened.

However, Situ Qingyue quickly returned the jade slip and asked, "Fellow Daoist Liu, do you think that withering and flourishing are enemies or friends?"

Liu Zhe was taken aback upon hearing this, and slowly said, "Of course they are enemies. When things wither, they flourish and perish; when they flourish, they wither and die, just like when an old vine dies, a new seedling grows."

"Then look at this bamboo."

Situ Qingyue casually pointed to the old bamboo beside her. Half of the bamboo was charred black, a mark of being struck by lightning. But beneath the charred skin, the newly sprouted bamboo nodes were turning green. She said, "The charred parts represent decay. The newly sprouted nodes represent growth. If it weren't for this charred skin blocking the cold winter winds, could the new shoots have survived?"

Liu Zhe followed his finger and looked at the charred bamboo skin, which resembled a layer of armor, tightly wrapping the tender green inside. Suddenly, he fell silent.

"Let's look at the forest after the wildfire."

Situ Qingyue continued, "On the surface, it looks like a patch of charcoal, but the roots buried in the soil have absorbed the nutrients from the ashes. When the spring rains fall, they can sprout even more densely than in previous years. Do you think this fire is destroying the forest, or is it stimulating the growth of new forest?"

In terms of skill and cultivation, she was far inferior to Liu Zhe, but in terms of sword intent, she was superior to Liu Zhe.

Liu Zhe recalled the wildfires he had witnessed in his youth, which burned the entire mountainside black, but the following spring, the sprouts emerging from that black soil were indeed stronger than those elsewhere.

Situ Qingyue began to speak frankly: "Your 'Withered Vine Sword Technique' only focuses on the entanglement, tightening, and twisting of the 'withered' part, but neglects the growth, transformation, and continuation of the 'flourishing' part. It's like an old vine entwining a mountain. If you only know how to tighten it to the point of death, you'll break the rocks and lose your support. But if you understand how to leave some resilience while tightening, and use the momentum of the rocks to sprout new tendrils, the longer it entwines, the deeper the roots will grow. This is the true meaning of your 'Withered Vine Entangling a Mountain' technique."

Withered is bone, flourishing is blood; bone supports blood, blood nourishes bone—how can they be separated?

Liu Zhe's hand holding the sword trembled slightly. He suddenly remembered his sword moves, which always sought "withering" in every move, wishing he could make his opponent fall to the ground like a withered tree with one strike. But he never thought that without the flow of "glory" in the sword's momentum, it was like a vine with broken roots, which looked hard but was actually easy to break.

To my surprise, this young and beautiful girl had such skill in swordsmanship.

After Situ Qingyue finished explaining the way of the sword, Li Weizhou smiled and said, "The 'blooming of withered trees' in swordsmanship is not about adding glory to withered moves."

He placed the withered leaf in his palm, a wisp of wood-elemental spiritual energy gathering at his fingertips. The withered leaf slowly unfurled, its edges tinged with a faint green. He said, "This is to teach you that within decay lies prosperity. Just like this leaf, it may seem dead, but as long as the roots remain, it can revive when it encounters spiritual energy. The ruthlessness of 'withered' in your swordplay should inherently carry the confidence of 'prosperity,' just like an old vine carving its way into a rock, knowing it can sprout new tendrils, which is why it dares to entwine for so long and so deeply."

Looking at the enlightenment in Liu Zhe's eyes, he finally said, "Practicing swordsmanship is like living life. Those who fear decay cannot maintain their glory. Those who understand decay will have their glory last. The new buds on your scabbard did not sprout from the outside of the withered vine, but from the heart of the withered vine. Your sword should be the same. From the new buds on the scabbard, I can see that you have actually realized the problem, but you have never thought it through."

Actually, practicing only the "Desolation" technique is not impossible; if practiced to its extreme, it can be just as powerful.

However, human talent is limited, and it is clear that few people can achieve this level; at least Liu Zhe is not yet capable.

But if you change direction, the road will open up.

Liu Zhe looked down at the bamboo sword. The withered vines on the scabbard were entwined with new buds, much like his current mood: the "withering" that had been entangled for a hundred years suddenly had a crack leading to "glory," and in that crack, a light he had never seen before was shining.

A wave of sudden enlightenment washed over him, and the old man immediately bowed deeply to Li Weizhou and Situ Qingyue. He then picked up a pen, wrote his name on the contract, and walked a short distance away to sit cross-legged and meditate.

Everyone else fell silent, their envy no longer concealed.

The mountain breeze swept through the forest, bringing the fresh scent of grass and trees, and also dispelling the stagnation in the square.

Wang Kui suddenly pulled a jade slip from his robes and slapped it onto the brocade in the wooden box. The jade slip was engraved with flame patterns, and its edges were badly worn. It was the "Blazing Heaven Burning Technique" that he had obtained in his youth through a fortuitous encounter. The burly man scratched his head and said, "Sect Leader, we'll trust you this once! This technique is powerful enough, but the finishing move is always a little off. Please give us some pointers!"

Seeing this, Luo San also took out an oilcloth package from his pocket, untied it layer by layer, revealing several pages of rough hemp paper with crooked words written in charcoal: "My 'Thick Earth Technique' only has five pages, but this paper is not ordinary paper. It was used as my armor."

Li Weizhou: "..."

Lan Gu bit her lip, pulled a jade hairpin from her hair bun, and gently twisted it. A transparent jade slip with water patterns popped out from the hairpin. Li Weizhou was surprised. He had never seen such a jade slip before. Indeed, the spirit world was vast and full of wonders.

She raised her hand and placed the jade slip into the wooden box: "This contains the complete 'Soft Water Entangling Silk Technique'."

Finally, it was Shen Quan's turn. He slowly took the broken sword from his waist. In addition to the rusty blade, the scabbard also contained a somewhat damaged jade slip.

His fingers trembled slightly as he held the jade slip, but he ultimately placed it in the wooden box, saying, "This is the jade slip of the 'Broken Blade Golden Manual'... However, Sect Leader, I have a great grudge against me. I was originally a disciple of the Golden Blade Sect in the Southern Spirit Region. Because my wife was beautiful, she was chosen by a true disciple of a minor Daoist sect... That beast threatened my son's life to force himself on my wife, forcing her to submit to him. But that beast still didn't let my son go. I couldn't defeat him, so I went to his entire family, leaving not a single hair behind. The Golden Blade Sect, fearing trouble, expelled me..."

"OK OK."

Li Weizhou waved his hand and said, "The past is none of my business. Once you enter this sect, you are a disciple. Whether it's a minor sect or a major sect, if they really come looking for your life, that's fine with me. Just kill that scourge as well. If they can go that far, don't blame me for no longer protecting you. But as long as that beast is alive, the Five Elements Sect will keep you safe. Do you agree?"

Shen Quan trembled, gritting his teeth as he said, "If we can die together, I would agree wholeheartedly. Thank you for granting my request, Sect Leader!!"

Having said that, he knelt down and kowtowed heavily.

In the spirit world, this is already an extremely respectful gesture.

After Li Weizhou woke up, he looked at the martial arts manual in the wooden box, tapped the edge of the box lightly with his fingertip, and the lid clicked shut.

"Come back in three days to collect it."

He nodded to the five people and said, "I will carefully examine the cultivation technique and give you an answer on how to instruct them. Ah Kun, take them to claim their new home."

After saying that, he turned and left with Situ Qingyue and Feng Biwu, leaving the five of them standing in the square with different expressions.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the square, Liu Zhe continued his meditation, undisturbed.

As the morning dew gradually evaporated, the sunlight fell upon them, making them feel more grounded than yesterday.

Hou Haikun secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his mood brightening.

He knew that he, too, was about to usher in a completely new future.

Li Weizhou did not rush back, but instead quietly left the Five Elements Sect with Feng Biwu and headed to Black Wind Lake.

Before the morning mist had been burned away by the morning light, two sword lights had already swept out of the Five Elements Sect's mountain gate.

The sword beneath Li Weizhou's feet was the Kunwu Divine Sword, its blade gleaming with a faint five-colored halo, like the first rays of dawn.

Feng Biwu used an Ice Soul Sword, which was pure white with fine water patterns as thin as hair wrapped around its spine. It was the sword used by the head of the Water Peak of the Five Elements Sect when he was young.

If their sect hadn't declined, the two of them would never have been able to use such magical treasures and artifacts right away.

The two swords clashed side by side, their blades flashing and scattering tiny sparks, like dog food being fluffed in the wind...

"Doesn't going out for a walk make you feel much better?"

Li Weizhou turned his head to the side, and as he spoke, the wind brushed against Feng Biwu's temple. This woman was truly beautiful.

Even after watching it a thousand times, it still feels amazing.

Today she changed into a moon-white magic dress, which Li Weizhou bought in Qingshui City for thirty low-grade spirit stones.

The reason it's so cheap is because its only advantage is that the skirt won't flutter in the wind and expose you when you're flying on a sword...

Upon hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Feng Biwu's cool and beautiful face. She glanced at Li Weizhou with eyes that seemed to hold the waters of spring in March, and nodded.

Ascetic practices are truly agonizing.

Li Weizhou's sword suddenly moved half an inch closer to her, and he reached out to brush the stray hairs from her temple behind her ear.

Feng Biwu's ears burned; though they had been intimate countless times in their bedroom, this was outside...

She turned her head to look at him. The morning light fell on his profile, clearly outlining his jawline. The smile on his lips seemed to be etched into her heart.

There are many people who fly in the sky on swords, but only one pair is this affectionate.

Of course, the fog is too thick right now, so others can't see it...

"The Soul-Devouring Miasma in Blackwind Lake is formidable. When we get closer, follow my sword."

Li Weizhou's voice came through the wind, and the Kunwu Sword suddenly lit up, cleaving a path of light about ten feet wide in front of him. The morning mist was shaken away to the sides, revealing the outline of Duanyun Mountain in the distance.

Black Wind Lake is located on the shady side of Broken Cloud Mountain.

Feng Biwu responded, and the Ice Soul Sword sped up, running parallel to his sword.

"Little Biwu, once this matter is settled, let's go see the icy sea in the far north. The ice floes there can reflect fish ten feet away."

Li Weizhou smiled and made empty promises.

Feng Biwu's pretty face flushed red. Although her heart was filled with sweetness, she still reminded him, "There are cultivators ahead."

Li Weizhou didn't mind, laughed and said, "Go around them."

The place he and Feng Biwu were going to didn't need to have Black Wind Dragon Fish; the more turbulent the water, the better.

Of course, they didn't dare to go too deep, as there were large spirit beasts in the depths of the lake, which were not something the two of them could handle.

The two found a secluded corner where a tributary of the Black Water flowed. Their spiritual energy was neither too strong nor too weak. Li Weizhou acted as protector, and Feng Biwu cast a divine power seal. Li Weizhou did the same.

They found more than a dozen such tributaries, and after finishing, the two flew away on their swords.

Looking down from above, the vast Black Wind Lake, which could also be called Black Wind Sea, stretches as far as the eye can see.

Countless forces, large and small, divided and occupied the fertile lands, resulting in countless battles and plunders.

Countless lives have been lost here in the pursuit of cultivation resources.

Sure enough, they hadn't flown far when several cultivators surrounded them, demanding a toll...

Li Weizhou didn't bother with any further explanation. He used the Golden Rainbow Technique to instantly kill the strongest opponent, and the rest scattered like birds and beasts.

The two set off again, and Feng Biwu said with amusement, "These people didn't check the almanac before they went out. They've run into a brick wall when they tried to rob someone. I thought you would stall for a while and then wipe them all out."

Li Weizhou shook his head and said, "As time goes on, more people will see it. It's not the time for the Five Elements Sect to show its face yet... Besides, what's the use of killing these few? The Spirit Realm's heritage spans tens of thousands of years. The best resources have all been divided up by the major sects and families, leaving only scraps for the rest. To stand out, you have to risk your life. There will be plenty of people resorting to crooked means. Even if you kill seven hundred more, it won't make a difference. Tribulation cultivators are just as numerous. They're just unlucky to have provoked us. We'll teach them a lesson. Actually, killing them is very simple. Don't move that corpse. Hide it nearby, and those people will definitely come back soon."

Feng Biwu, a seasoned veteran, nodded and said, "The person isn't important; what they have on them is."

However, Li Weizhou hadn't set up a trap; he had already dumped the corpse on Earth, where it plunged into a sea of ​​blood: "Let's go, today we'll go sightseeing in Qingshui City."

Feng Biwu smiled, her eyes bright, and the two of them went to Qingshui City together to eat at a restaurant and buy clothes.

Knowing that she liked cosmetics, Li Weizhou specially took her to choose an extremely vibrant one: the Rebirth Flower.

These flowers grow where the Demon Cave and the Demon Realm meet. They are not of much use, but their beauty is unparalleled in the spirit world.

Most women can't pull off this shade of red; only exceptionally beautiful women can truly enhance its beauty and make it complement their natural charm.

In short, Feng Biwu was extremely happy today.

……

When we returned to Lihuo Peak, dusk was turning the peaks a crimson gold.

The fire lotus in the mountains is in full bloom in the cracks of the rocks, its petals tinged with pale purple. As the evening breeze blows, it scatters sparks of light.

Bronze wind chimes hang from the eaves of the Li Huo Hall. The clappers are made of old fire jade. They do not ring when the wind blows, but only emit a warm and cozy breeze.

Master's wife, Tian Ru, sat beside the three-legged jade incense burner in the hall. The burner contained aged pine resin, and the smoke was a pale golden-red color, slowly rising around the fire-patterned carvings on the beams.

Zhou Yueniang, Situ Qingyue, Qi Erniang, Tao Ling'er, and Ximei sat around the jade table, on which was a freshly warmed spirit wine, the liquid shimmering with an amber light in the glass cup.

They occasionally sipped their wine, but most of the time, they listened to their teacher's wife, Tian Ru, recount stories from the past...

Li Weizhou and Feng Biwu came in, but didn't disturb the enjoyment. They sat down nearby and listened to the story together.

"Back when your master first started cultivating the fire element, he always wanted to practice the 'Heaven-Burning Technique,' wishing he could burn through the Five Elements Sect's protective formation in one move."

With a look of reminiscence on her face and a smile on her lips, Master's wife Tian Ru said, "Back then, my father always told him that the power of fire was not in its intensity, but in its 'control'. He just wouldn't believe it and was very stubborn. So I stole my father's 'Fire Separation Talisman' and made him try it. As a result, it burned through the medicinal field on the back mountain, and even the 'Dew Condensation Grass' that my father had cultivated for a hundred years turned to ashes."

The younger generation laughed as they listened. Zhou Yueniang said, "Was Master this impatient when he was young? I thought Master was born mature."

The master's wife gave her a reproachful look, but also laughed and said, "Who is born knowing this? That time, my father punished me by making me stay in seclusion in the Fire Cave for half a year, forbidding me from cultivating. All I could do was watch the churning magma. Your master told me that at first he only felt tormented, the heat of the magma scalding his spiritual veins. Later, he slowly began to appreciate it: 'Look at that magma, it looks like it's rushing around, but in reality, every wisp of flame is sinking into the earth's core, gathering enough strength before it bursts forth.'"

She picked up the fire tongs from the table and added a piece of pine resin to the stove. The golden-red smoke suddenly condensed into a flame. She smiled and said, "Just like this fire, it burns fast when it's raging, but it also burns out quickly. If you can control it and let every bit of heat go deeper, it can burn longer." Later, his understanding of fire deepened, and his cultivation progressed extremely rapidly, advancing by leaps and bounds. In fact, the principles are all the same. Even fire needs to be 'hidden,' while water is like a 'hidden dragon in the abyss.' The more turbulent it is, the deeper it needs to sink. Earth goes without saying... So there's no need to rush. Sometimes choosing to slow down might be better.

As she spoke, Tian Ru looked up at Li Weizhou and asked, "You're back?"

Li Weizhou nodded and smiled, saying, "Please continue, Master's wife, so that we can broaden our horizons."

Tian Ru shook her head and said, "You disciples, let alone me, even your master said, are the best he has ever seen in his life. Not only are you fast, but you are also exceptionally pure and righteous. This may be related to the blessings of Heaven, but in any case, unless you encounter difficulties in your cultivation, then come to me and your master. Otherwise, we don't need to interfere too much. You are all people with great fortune, and in the future, you will probably not be able to be contained by a small Northern Spiritual Domain. Just remember, no matter where you go in the future, you will always come from the Five Elements Sect."

With her intelligence, she naturally saw more and more the extraordinary nature of this family.

Li Weizhou said happily, "Master's wife, I am the sect leader of the Five Elements Sect. No matter where I go, I am."

Tian Ru glanced at him and said, "That sounds nice. Our sect is considered quite good in the Northern Spiritual Domain. Our ancestor, the Five Sacred Mountains True Man, was a scholar of both heaven and man. He used five Profound-level spiritual veins to nurture the Earth-level spiritual vein of Hunyuan Peak. In the Northern Spiritual Domain, it is already one of the top spiritual veins. But in the Central Continent, those great sects and families all have Heaven-level spiritual veins within their sects. It is said that deep within the Imperial Court and some reclusive sects, there are even Immortal-level spiritual veins that were captured with supreme magic power back then. That is the center of the Spiritual Realm, and it is also your future."

Li Weizhou smiled and said, "No rush, no rush. There will be spiritual veins, heavenly-level spiritual veins, and immortal-level spiritual veins. Since they can capture them, so can we. Fortune turns, and this time, it's my turn."

Tao Ling'er let out a hearty, joyful laugh. Li Weizhou asked, puzzled, "Senior Sister, what are you laughing at?"

Tao Ling'er said seriously, "No, I think you did the right thing."

Li Weizhou asked, puzzled, "Was that the right thing to do?"

Tao Ling'er encouraged him, "Boys need to know how to boast to be successful."

Not to mention Tian Ru, Zhou Yueniang and others, even Xi Mei was laughing so hard she almost died.

Li Weizhou: "..."

……

(End of this chapter)