Under One Person: I Have a Billion Taoist Gods Within Me

Wang Ai wiped the sweat from her forehead. The chubby boy's face was filled with barely suppressed pride, and although his voice was still slightly breathless, he tried his best to appear calm.

"Brother Lu, this is something I've come up with recently..."

He paused, seemingly trying to come up with a catchy name for this new method, and after a long pause, finally managed to utter:

"Well, let's call it 'drawing a mountain on the ground' for now."

"Look, the mountain is right here."

"If you want to come over, you'll have to get over this mountain first."

A chorus of barely suppressed gasps and whispers rose from all around.

"A divinely painted mountain? How old is this child?"

"To 'draw a mountain on the ground'...what a boastful statement, yet he actually pulled it off!"

"When did the Wang family produce such a little monster?"

"Not a monster, but a genius... a true genius!"

Wang Wang sat at the table, his face still tense, but his fingers trembled slightly in his sleeve.

Ai'er had never shown him this trick of "drawing a mountain on the ground".

When did this child secretly learn this skill without his knowledge?

The mountain's structure, the misty atmosphere, the refined artistic conception...

It deviates from the orthodox methods of the Wang family's divine art in every way, and exudes an unorthodox and unorthodox atmosphere.

But ironically, it became one.

And it turned out so beautifully.

Wang Wang took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions.

He didn't know whether to scold his son for "acting up" again or to be proud of his son.

Lu Jin stood before the "mountain," his expression solemn.

He did not rush to try to break through, but quietly "sensed" this invisible mountain formed by the divine will.

It has no physical form and cannot be broken by force.

It has no boundaries and cannot be bypassed.

It doesn't even have real "hardness".

It's not for "blocking," but for "speaking."

It means: There is no way out here.

Those who believe this will truly have nowhere to turn.

This is the prototype of the highest realm of Wang Family Divine Painting - to express form with intention, to endow spirit with spirit, and to change the power of heaven and earth with the subtlety of brush and ink.

Lu Jin slowly closed her eyes.

He recalled what his master, Zuo Ruotong, had once said:

"The three stages of rebirth begin with self-refinement, which is to cleanse oneself of all impurities."

"However, dust is not only inside, but also outside."

"The pressure from others, the changes in celestial phenomena, the dangers of terrain, and even all tangible and intangible obstacles in the world—all can be turned into dust."

"Dust is on your body, so refine it by going against the grain."

"Dust in the external world should also be... cleansed away."

Lu Jin opened her eyes.

He took a step forward.

step.

The milky white aura surrounding him was more solid and serene than when he faced Feng Ping earlier.

The light no longer just lingered around the palms and wrists, but spread like water to the entire arm, and then permeated the shoulders, back, chest and abdomen.

He was using the rebellious Qi to cleanse himself of the dust.

At the same time, it is also cleansing the "obstacles" that this "mountain" has left in his perception.

Two steps.

He stepped into the realm of "mountains".

In that instant, everyone clearly saw that Lu Jin's steps paused noticeably.

It's not that I'm held back by physical objects.

Rather, it is a more subtle kind of stagnation.

It was as if every step he took required three, five, or ten times more "intention" than usual to propel him forward.

The mountain that Wang Ai painted was not meant to confine the body.

It is used to trap "belief".

If you believe this path is blocked, your steps will become heavier and heavier, more and more sluggish, until you can no longer move an inch.

This is a clash of minds, not a contest of strength.

Lu Jin did not stop.

His steps slowed down, but became more and more steady.

With each step he took, the milky-white aura around him brightened a little more.

Those lights were, with an almost reverent attitude, "wiping away" the traces left by the mountain's shape in his perception.

It's not about breaking through, going around, or ignoring.

Instead...

"Though there are mountains here, they do not hinder my journey."

The mountain is still there.

Wang Ai's definition still holds true.

But Lu Jin's "intention" was subtly written in small print next to Wang Ai's "definition":

—There are mountains.

There is a way!

Three steps.

Four steps.

Five steps.

Lu Jin was less than ten feet away from Wang Ai.

His pale white robe was soaked with sweat, veins were visible on his forehead, and his breathing was heavy as if he were carrying a thousand pounds.

But the light in his eyes was clearer and brighter than ever before.

There was no hostility in that light, no obsession with victory or defeat.

There is only one kind of devotion and determination to "break through one's own limitations".

As Wang Ai watched Lu Jin walk towards her step by step, the smug look on her chubby face gradually froze.

For the first time, he truly "felt" that the "mountain" he was so proud of was being "penetrated" bit by bit by some gentler, yet more resilient force.

It's not about conquering or crushing.

Instead...

That power passed through the mountain.

The mountain is still there; it's still the same mountain.

But the "road" is no longer a dead end.

Wang Ai bit her lower lip, her chubby little hand gripping the "gilding" pen again.

He was not reconciled.

Of course he was unwilling to accept it.

He also wanted to prove to Guan Shihua that he was better than Lu Jin!

He picked up his pen, ready to draw something else.

Draw a river? Draw a city wall?

Draw a giant turtle that can bounce people back?

However, just as his brush tip was about to touch the rice paper...

His hand paused.

He saw Lu Jin's eyes.

Those eyes were clear, peaceful, and without a trace of impatience or hostility.

That wasn't the look you gave your opponent.

That was the look in the eyes of someone who was worthy of respect, a promising junior, and a child striving to shine.

Wang Ai suddenly realized that she didn't seem to want to win as much anymore.

Or rather, it seems he no longer really wanted to "defeat" the person in front of him.

He put down his pen, stunned.

The stubborn, unwilling, and defiant expression on Little Fatty's face gradually softened into something more complex and indescribable.

After a long pause, he muttered to himself:

"You're as hard as a mountain."

Lu Jin finally took the last step and stood in front of Wang Ai.

He leaned down to be at eye level with Wang Ai, sweat trickling down his brow bone, but he didn't bother to wipe it away.

He just smiled, his voice hoarse yet gentle:

"Wang Shidi's mountain is a good mountain."

"If one day my brother's mountain range stretches for thousands of miles and continues endlessly, I'm afraid I won't be able to cross it even if I walk until dark."

Wang Ai blinked her eyes, and her chubby face turned red again.

He turned his head away and said in a muffled voice:

"That...that's natural."

Having said that, she glanced quickly at Lu Jin, her voice barely audible, like a mosquito's hum:

"Brother, you...you're not bad either."

Lu Jin's smile deepened.

He took a step back and solemnly clasped his hands in a gesture of respect:

"Brother Wang's skill in applying the talisman is truly remarkable. I have learned a great deal from it today."

"Thank you for your guidance, my junior brother."

Wang Ai was somewhat flustered by this formal expression of gratitude.

He hurriedly returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute, his chubby little hands crookedly cupped, and he mumbled something indistinctly:

"No...you're welcome..."

"Your method of 'walking the road up the mountain' was quite impressive."

"When...when you have time, could you teach me?"

Lu Jin was slightly taken aback.

He then nodded seriously:

"it is good."

"As long as my younger brother wants to learn, I will tell you everything I know."

Wang Ai nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling.

He turned around, and with his chubby little legs, he ran back to his father's side, panting heavily.

Looking at his son's disheveled appearance, covered in sweat and with his jacket soaked through, Wang Wang intended to give him a stern scolding, but the words that came out were:

"Are you tired?"

Wang Ai shook her head, then nodded, and finally honestly admitted:

"I'm a little tired."

He looked up at his father with a rare hint of trepidation:

"Father, I...didn't I embarrass the Wang family just now?"

Wang Wang remained silent for a long time.

He reached out and vigorously rubbed his son's sweaty back of the head, his voice flat:

"good."

Wang Ai blinked, and the apprehension on the chubby boy's face slowly turned into a bright smile.

at the same time...

At the main table.

Zuo Ruotong withdrew her gaze from Lu Jin, her gentle eyes filled with relief.

"This child has finally seen the light today."

"In the past, when he fought with others, he always thought about how to 'win'; but in these two matches today, he was thinking about how to 'get through'."

"He who conquers others possesses strength; he who understands others possesses vision. This step has been well taken."

Celestial Master Zhang Jingqing stroked his beard and smiled, then continued:

"Brother Zuo, you're too modest."

"Your disciple has just broken the 'drawing a mountain on the ground' technique and has already vaguely touched the threshold of the three levels of 'purifying the outside world' in the reverse life."

"This child possesses exceptional comprehension and temperament; given time, he will surely achieve great things."

Zuo Ruotong shook her head slightly, her smile humble:

"You flatter me, Celestial Master."

"Jin'er has only just begun her journey and is still far from reaching the 'Cleansing the Dust' realm."

His gaze shifted to Li Yuan, carrying a hint of seeking confirmation:

"What does Daozi think?"

Li Yuan held the empty teacup, his gaze calmly falling on Lu Jin.

After a moment, he slowly said:

"Young Master Lu's progress lies not in technique, but in his mind."

"In today's two battles, he first fought against Huo Dezong, using 'transformation' to respond to strength, thus proving his own learning."

"To fight again against the divine path, to break through obstacles with 'through' means to clarify one's direction."

"Verification is knowing what is."

"To understand is to know the reason why."

"If you know the reasons why, you will not get lost, no matter how far the path is."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Ruotong remained silent for a long time.

His gaze toward Li Yuan grew increasingly profound and solemn.

"I have noted down Daozi's words."

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhiwei continued to listlessly twirl the empty teacup.

He had just watched the entire competition between Lu Jin and Wang Ai, and from beginning to end, he hadn't uttered a single comment.

But when Li Yuan said those words, his fingers, which were twirling the teacup, paused slightly.

Zhang Zhiwei turned his head and looked at Li Yuan's calm profile.

There was no provocation, no comparison, and not even the usual inquiry and interest in his gaze.

There was only a very simple, even somewhat bewildered, curiosity.

He thought for a moment, then suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching Li Yuan's ears:

"Senior brother."

"You see things much more clearly than anyone else."

"Why do you never participate in the game?"

Li Yuan turned his head and met Zhang Zhiwei's excessively clear eyes.

He did not answer immediately.

After a moment, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, a smile as faint as a distant mountain:

"I was there."

"It's always been here."

Zhang Zhiwei blinked.

He seemed to understand, but didn't ask any further questions.

He simply said "Oh," then looked away and continued turning his teacup.

The cheers in the courtyard gradually subsided.

The enthusiasm among the younger generation is growing ever stronger.

Fengping has already made a move.

Lu Jin has already taken action.

Even that chubby little boy from the Wang family has made a move, and it was such an amazing move: "drawing a mountain on the ground".

So, who's next?

Countless gazes once again converged on the figure in the gray-white Taoist robe beside the Celestial Master.

Zhang Zhiwei continued to swirl the teacup.

It seemed as if they were completely unaware of everything around them.

However, his fingers, which were twirling the teacup, stopped again.

He looked up, his excessively bright eyes lazily sweeping across his surroundings.

Then he spoke, his voice still in that nonchalant tone:

"Huh? Why are you all staring at me?"

"Want to see me make a move?"