Gou Zai Qingluo Cave Heaven Cultivation

Zhou Clan Academy.

Today, students need to go to the Hundred Herbs Garden for morning classes.

As soon as you step into the garden, a refreshing fragrance of herbs wafts over you.

Zhou Baoqing's spirits lifted.

Looking around, the spiritual fields are laid out in a well-organized manner, with water from irrigation canals irrigating the thriving spiritual herbs.

Colorful butterflies fluttered among the flowers and leaves, while several ancient plants, glistening with morning dew, shone with a gentle glow under the rising sun.

Master Wenxi wore a faded gray linen long gown, his trousers were slightly rolled up, and he wore a pair of straw sandals covered in mud. He looked like an ordinary old farmer.

But no one dared to underestimate him; he was an expert in cultivating spiritual herbs at the clan school.

"Today's morning lesson is weeding. As usual, you get a credit for each weed you pull."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the students below, and emphasized, "Don't take these credits lightly. In next month's quiz, in addition to the A, B, C, and D grades you receive in class, the credits you accumulate in the Hundred Herbs Garden and the Weapon Refining Workshop will also be included in the final assessment and grading."

If you have a good credit score, even if your written work is a bit lacking, you can still maintain a stable academic record.

If you don't get any credits and you're lazy and slacking off, then getting a "terrible" evaluation and being expelled is only a matter of time!

Upon hearing this, all the students perked up.

Zhou Baoqing also felt a chill run down his spine. When it came to grades, he was undoubtedly at the bottom of the class.

Soon, the groups were decided. He and Su Wan were in one group, responsible for managing a portion of the spirit fields in the East Garden.

They also received a pair of gloves and a medicine hoe.

Zhou Baoqing picked it up and looked at it. The surface of the glove was rough, but the inside was very soft. He didn't know what material it was made of.

The hoe was small, only about the length of a forearm, but it was very sharp and gleamed.

Gloves protect against insect bites and weed cuts, while a hoe is used to deal with stubborn weeds with deep roots.

It may look ordinary, but in the mortal world, it might be a magical treasure that can isolate all poisons or be unstoppable.

Zhou Baoqing was amused by his own idea.

The two walked side by side toward the East Garden.

A morning breeze blew by, and the ribbon in Su Wan's hair swayed gently in the wind. She walked upright, her small face showing her usual seriousness.

Zhou Baoqing turned his head slightly, breaking the silence: "Su Wan, thank you for ringing the bronze chime to call back my soul yesterday in the Jing Si Pavilion."

His thanks were incredibly sincere.

Although Su Wan did not actually "save his life," this pure friendship between classmates is invaluable.

Su Wan blushed slightly at his sudden thanks and waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "Classmates should help each other; it was just a small favor, but..."

She changed the subject, her bright almond-shaped eyes revealing a hint of curiosity, "How did you reach the middle stage of the Clear Mind Realm so quickly? Everyone says you're like a completely different person."

Zhou Baoqing had prepared his answer beforehand, and said calmly, "Before, I was muddle-headed and didn't know the importance of cultivation. I always thought that I could enjoy peace and tranquility as long as my family protected me. A few days ago, I bumped my head and fell into a coma for three days. I went through a brush with death and suddenly I understood. In the struggle for the Great Dao, if you don't advance, you fall behind. I have now completely awakened."

He wasn't deceiving Su Wan. In a sense, the awakening of his memories as a laborer in his past life, coupled with the breaking of the mystery of his birth, truly led him to a "sudden enlightenment about life and death," and every word came from the bottom of his heart.

Upon hearing this, a strange light flashed in Su Wan's eyes.

She is a self-disciplined and ambitious girl who admires those who can admit their mistakes, correct them, and strive for improvement.

"What a magnificent contest of the Great Dao!"

Su Wan's eyes crinkled into a playful smile. "Now that you've come to your senses, I'll consider you a formidable rival!"

Zhou Baoqing knew that this classmate was extremely competitive and a true "test-taker," so he said, "Then you'd better watch out. Once I step up my game, your first place position will be hard to keep."

"Dream on! You'd better pass your quiz this month first!"

After exchanging a few harsh words, they smiled at each other and actually felt closer.

We arrived at our destination not long after.

Looking at the spiritual herbs covering the ground, Zhou Baoqing felt a little envious. How wonderful it would be if he could take them all into his own cave.

What a pity.

Without mastering the Earth Control Technique, one cannot create islands by enclosing soil; it is too early to covet these spiritual herbs.

He put on gloves and began weeding.

This job looks simple, but it's actually quite strenuous.

The weeds in the Hundred Herbs Garden were nourished by spiritual energy, their roots gripping the spiritual soil like writhing dragons, and their leaves had fine serrations along their edges.

Zhou Baoqing used all his strength to barely pry out one with the hoe, his wrist trembling slightly.

In contrast, Su Wan was also drenched in sweat, but her movements were methodical and orderly.

Just like farming, carrying water and chopping wood, this kind of work also has a "skill level". Zhou Baoqing used to scoff at this kind of group activity and would avoid it if he could, so he became rusty.

But Su Wan, an excellent student with both good character and academic performance, was clearly not doing this kind of work to earn credits for the first time. Her movements were skillful, and she carried each hoe and pick with ease.

Seeing his frantic efforts, Su Wan offered him some tips: "Don't use brute force to pull it up. Use the jade hoe to cut diagonally along the direction of the grass roots, find the weakest point of the main root, cut the main root, and then gently lift it up. This will lift it up by the roots."

Zhou Baoqing tried it and found it indeed saved him a lot of effort.

After weeding this area, I looked at the bamboo basket and immediately blushed.

Su Wan was just a little girl, but her bamboo basket contained far more weeds than his.

Looks like I'll need to keep trying next time!

…………

After the morning class, everyone returned to Qingjin Hall with sore arms.

Next up is Master Gan's lesson on talismans.

Master Gan demonstrated the basic "water gathering pattern" by wielding his brush with his wrist suspended in front of the hall.

Zhou Baoqing sat upright in the back row, concentrating intently.

Thanks to the spiritual enhancement brought about by meditating on the Azure Snail Cave last night, these things were no longer difficult for him. His eyes were sharp, and he easily saw through the direction and pauses of the spiritual energy in the ink lines.

He casually disassembled it on scrap paper, drew a few key nodes, and drew them smoothly and fluently. In the transitions between the strokes, he could even faintly reveal the charm of the old master's brush.

Suddenly, the sound of snoring coming from next door caught Mr. Gan's attention.

Zhou Baoqing quickly nudged Zhou Changping, who was sleeping and snoring in class, with his elbow.

"Wake up."

"Hey, what are you doing!"

Zhou Changping looked up and saw Master Gan's smiling face. Before the master could speak, he quickly clasped his hands in a bow and apologized loudly, "Master, please forgive me! Master, please forgive me! I stayed up late last night studying to comprehend the Dao of Talismans and review my lessons, and that's why I was sleepy and my eyes were blurry!"

Even if he apologizes to Zhou Xuezheng, he will still be punished.

Master Gan was mild-mannered and always tolerant of his students; he was the type who responded better to gentle persuasion than force.

So he immediately apologized but refused to correct his behavior, which is also a case of a gentleman deceiving someone with his principles.

Who says the chubby boy doesn't understand social etiquette?

As expected, Master Gan did not hold Zhou Changping accountable. He simply stroked his beard and said, "Since you are tired, why not stand and listen to the lesson for a while to refresh yourself and avoid missing the subtleties of the water-gathering pattern?"

Then, looking at Zhou Baoqing, he noticed that the paper on Zhou Baoqing's desk was covered with disassembled runes. The strokes were smooth, and although there was no spiritual energy infused into them, they were both lifelike and vivid, with the flow of energy clearly visible.

To his surprise, Master Gan asked Zhou Baoqing to demonstrate the water-gathering talisman to his classmates.

Zhou Baoqing walked to the podium with neither arrogance nor servility, and picked up the talisman brush.

He broke down the "water gathering pattern" into three parts, explaining its principles aloud as he drew it.

"The meaning of gathering water lies in the ceaseless flow of water. The first stroke, 'Guiding the Spirit,' should be as light and agile as a stream. The second stroke, 'Swirling,' requires the breath to be drawn into the dantian, with the tip of the brush suspended in the air for a half breath, accumulating the momentum of the water. Only the final stroke, 'Gathering the Sea,' can then be gathered into a circle, and the water will naturally flow into the channel."

The classmates were all surprised.

Unexpectedly, the little tyrant who used to be at the bottom of the rankings can now speak fluently and explain the essence of talismanic arts so thoroughly!

"Is this still Zhou Baoqing?" Wang Gou'er asked incredulously.

Su Wan thought to herself, "Zhou Baoqing, now that he has realized his mistakes, is indeed a formidable opponent."

As soon as Zhou Baoqing returned to his seat, Zhou Changping, disregarding his punishment of standing, quickly leaned over to ask, "Brother Bao, I understood a bit of what you just did! Teach me!"

Zhou Baoqing looked at the runes he had drawn and pointed out the broken parts, saying, "When the old master drew this stroke, it wasn't a continuous stroke; the tip of the brush hovered in the air for half a breath before falling. Why don't you try it?"

Zhou Changping followed Zhou Baoqing's instructions and gestured.

"hiss."

"Really! Drawing like this is so much smoother, not awkward at all! Your explanation is even more insightful and easy to understand than that of Master Gan!"

Zhou Changping was so excited his face turned red. "With your guidance, what am I afraid of failing the assessment? Now I'm going to show my dad what a prodigy is!"