How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

Lao Can isn't brain-dead, but you have to say... he looks a lot like one.

He was once a legendary elder of the Mohist school, whose mastery of weaponry was unparalleled.

The Mohists were renowned for their artifacts, and his mastery of such skills should have been the highest honor in the Mohist school. However, this old man ruined his own path.

How was it destroyed?

It's quite a joke, actually.

It is said that one day, the Grand Elder represented the Mohist school in a debate, facing more than ten other literary schools and several secular dynasties. On such an important occasion, on such a sacred platform, which member of the holy family did not make careful preparations?

So, the old man carefully crafted a belt for the Grand Elder. Wearing this belt, he walked on the platform with lotus blossoms, which pleased the Grand Elder greatly.

However, this very belt caused a huge joke.

The Grand Elder, looking majestic and imposing, spoke of the blossoming of the Great Dao. At that moment, the belt spoke, but what did it say?

"Bullshit! Utter bullshit!"

It was accompanied by the sound of farting...

In an instant, the solemn and sacred debate platform became the lifelong shame of this elder of the Mohist school, and an indelible disgrace for the Mohist school for ten thousand years.

The Mohist sage was furious.

The Grand Elder was naturally even angrier.

This old man was subjected to the strictest rules of the Mohist school: he was dismembered into eight pieces and thrown off the Abandoned Weapon Cliff, in order to uphold the traditions of the Mohist school.

When ordinary people commit such reckless acts, they naturally return to dust and ashes, and that's the end of it.

However, this old man was no ordinary person. He was a master of literature and cultivation. As long as his consciousness remained, he would not die anytime soon. He quietly did something earth-shattering at the foot of the abandoned weapon cliff.

He took discarded artifact fragments and, using the profound and unfathomable principles of the Mohist school, transformed them into his own limbs, which he called the highest realm of the Way of the Artifacts: "sacrificing oneself for the Way."

"Elder!" Zhou Wenju's mind raced with countless thoughts as he tried to rise and pay his respects.

With a whoosh, a metal arm pressed down on his shoulder: "Young brother, don't call me elder, just call me Old Man Can!"

"How could I possibly accept such an honor?"

"This is not just politeness. The title of elder is an insult to me! I simply do not like it." Lao Can sighed softly. "Young brother, it is indeed regrettable that you have been betrayed, but meeting me is truly a case of heaven never closing its doors to others."

"Do you know about what happened on the Abandoned Weapon Cliff?" Zhou Wenju asked.

"My eyes are forged from Thousand-Mile Crystal, and my ears are crafted from Wind-Following Gold. How could the scenery of Mount Huding escape my discerning eyes?"

Zhou Wenju stared at the gleaming eyes before him, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse of the old man's faintly gleaming ears...

A collective "Holy shit!" went through my mind...

It's not just his limbs; his eyes and ears were also trained. Could it be that when he was dismembered into eight pieces, the "eight" was actually just a figurative number?

Old Can grinned, "Don't worry, although your limbs are broken and your internal organs are incomplete, my mastery of weapon crafting is unparalleled. I will surely be able to transform your crippled body into a legend!"

Zhou Wenju was somewhat surprised: "Senior, my limbs are not broken, and my internal organs are not fatally injured..."

"Young man, what are you saying?" Old Can glared at him. "How can you fall from such a height and still have all your limbs intact? Believe me, if I say you're crippled, then you're crippled..."

Zhou Wenju stared intently at him, his mind racing with intense emotions.

Why is this most unapproachable old monster being so enthusiastic today? It turns out he's planning to conduct experiments on him!

He clearly has all four limbs intact and all his internal organs are undamaged, yet he insists on lying through his teeth and putting himself on his experimental table.

What kind of master of weapon crafting is this?

What kind of senior expert is this?

That's a madman!

"Senior!" Zhou Wenju sighed softly, "You were once a senior in the literary world, can't we just talk things out?"

"Of course! Do you want to hear grand principles or simple ones? I'll just give you both all at once..." Lao Can said, "The grand principles focus on the Great Way itself. 'Sacrificing oneself for the Way' is the ultimate goal. Young brother, your step is lofty and admirable, worthy of the world's respect and admiration..."

He bowed with his left hand and placed his right hand on Zhou Wenju's shoulder to prevent him from getting up.

Zhou Wenju rolled his eyes and gave up the physical struggle.

"A simpler approach might be more convincing!" Lao Can said. "Today, facing betrayal and tyranny, you have no power to resist. You should have deeply understood the cruelty of this world, where 'man is the knife and you are the fish.' Without cultivation, you can only be repeatedly tormented in this world, living a life worse than death. If you had willingly followed my way, why would you be in this situation?"

His left hand lifted slightly, brushing past Zhou Wenju's nose, a chilling touch.

With a soft hiss, a piece of metal beside Zhou Wenju was severed in two.

Zhou Wenju stared blankly at the metal arm, his heart pounding...

Holy crap!

Wolverine?

Seeing his expression, Lao Can pressed his advantage: "This was my achievement decades ago. Now my skill is ten times greater than it was back then. If I were to apply it to you, the effect would surely amaze everyone..."

"Senior, I believe you can create an amazing weapon, but as the sage said, everyone has their own ambitions, so please don't force me to do something I don't want to do."

"Young man, don't be ungrateful!" Old Can's face darkened.

"Senior is indeed... well-intentioned. If I really had no other choice, I might as well go crazy with you. But alas, I do have other options."

"There's still a way to go? With your mediocre family-inherited meridian cultivation method? You want to follow the path of meridian cultivation?" Old Can squinted at him, his eyes, though not human, still conveying a mocking tone.

"I can study literature!" Zhou Wenju said.

"Wenxiu, haha, so you can't see the current situation at all. Not to mention that you don't have the literary foundation for the imperial examinations, even if you did, you wouldn't be able to pass the registration stage! The idea of ​​being granted literary talent, literary circles, and literary mountains through the imperial examinations is undoubtedly a pipe dream."

They don't even have the qualifications to register for the exam?

Why?

Zhou Wenju quickly searched his mind, but couldn't find the answer for the moment...

"Kid, don't you understand?" the old man said.

Zhou Wenju shook his head slightly.

"This is the benefit of having the ability to see and hear everything," Lao Can said. "Your father chose the wrong side. He was demoted from a high-ranking official to a minor county magistrate in Lingnan. That's the price of choosing the wrong side. But the price goes far beyond that. The bigwigs in the court will not allow your Zhou family descendants to enter the imperial examinations again and cause any more trouble. Besides... boy, why do you think the Third Prince of Ruyang is targeting you?"

The third prince of Ruyang!

The moment these six words entered Zhou Wenju's ears, a ripple suddenly stirred in his mind. Perhaps this was the last resentment left to him by that gradually dissipating soul.

"Why?" Zhou Wenju asked, forcing himself to focus.

"Because he wants to sever your ties with the Mohists."

Zhou Wenju's heart gradually brightened...

The struggle between women may seem sensitive, but it doesn't really qualify for high-level power struggles.

What kind of woman couldn't a man like the Third Prince get?

Why do they have to target Lin Shuiyao?

The real goal is to sever the link between the Zhou family and the Mo family.

The only hope for the Zhou family to turn things around lies in the rise of its members. Zhou Wenju entered the outer sect of the Mo family and displayed remarkable talent in weapon crafting, making it possible for him to enter the Mo family in the future.

The Mohist school was one of the eighteen schools of thought on literature and Taoism.

Its status was equivalent to that of a feudal dynasty.

Once he joins the Mohist school and gains their favor, the Mohists may bestow upon him literary talents, literary circles, and literary mountains...

This is a privilege of the Literary and Moral Sages, a shortcut to being granted literary talent outside of the imperial examinations.

"There are two ways to open the door to literary cultivation: one is the imperial examination, and the other is direct bestowal by the Holy Family. I've already mentioned the path of the imperial examination, which is hopeless for you. That leaves only the path of direct bestowal by the Holy Family. However… the Mohist School has that damned Grand Elder in charge, and there's also the collusion between Hu Dingshan and the Prince of Rulan. If you want to open the door to literary cultivation through the Mohist School, that's like placing your hopes on utter nonsense!" Old Can's eyes flashed with a crazed light: "Therefore, your only path is the path of martyrdom that I have designed for you! Believe me, this path has a profound meaning, boundless implications, and endless wonders…"

"This is not the only way!" Zhou Wenju let out a long sigh.

"What other way is there?" Lao Can asked.

"You should know, senior, that there's another road name: Dao Hai Fishing!"