Slag Shou Cultivating Manual - Chapter 72

Early spring arrived with the sound of melting snow cascading down the mountains. The cold and white mist that had blanketed the Tianshan Mountains gradually dispersed, and the mountain peaks were tinted green by the spring breeze.

As nature revived, so too did the spiritual plants, brimming with new life. Workers resumed mining the spiritual veins, making this the season when spiritual energy was most abundant. Various sects took advantage of this time to recruit new disciples, posting notices across the land. Many young people, with dreams of becoming immortals, were filled with excitement, packing their belongings and rushing to different locations to undergo the spiritual root tests.

The Tianshan Sect was located near Dongxi Town, and soon, the town was flooded with people heading for the tests. At the foot of the mountain, where notices of rules were posted, the atmosphere was lively and crowded. People jostled to read the announcement boards, their emotions a mix of nervousness and anticipation as they set foot on the mountain path. In the end, many were left dejected, packing up their belongings and returning home, having been disqualified from the path of immortality due to having five spiritual roots.

Of course, among the thousands, there were those with three or two spiritual roots—well-suited for cultivation. Even testing for such qualifications was enough to bring immense joy, contrasting with the sighs of those who failed. The alternating emotions kept Dongxi Town bustling all day long.

The bustling atmosphere only began to quiet down as the sun set.

As night approached, fewer people were returning down the mountain. It was only then that a lone figure appeared in front of the notice board.

The young man, dressed in plain green cloth, reached out with a slightly scarred hand to touch the fabric in front of him. His eyes flickered as he carefully studied every word on the notice, his dry lips rubbing together and producing a low, indistinct breath, laden with unspoken emotion. He pressed his lips together nervously before whispering, “Tianshan Sect… benefactor?”

…

He Lang agreed to attend the spiritual root test because he had a feeling that the chances of encountering his mission target would greatly increase in such a large crowd. However, as more and more people arrived in front of the sect, and then either descended the mountain or were accepted into the sect, the crowd thinned out. By twilight, not a single person had caught his attention.

He Lang grew more disheartened as he watched, his mind filled only with thoughts of his mission target. It was hard for others not to assume he was in a bad mood, and the disciples dared not approach him to offer greetings.

He wasn’t the only master present for the event; there were several highly respected elders seated with him. However, they all seemed much older, exuding a calm and imposing aura. They appeared indifferent to the surrounding activity, their serious demeanor making He Lang hesitate to speak to them.

On the other hand, a rather young and handsome man kept striking up conversations with He Lang, addressing him as “Senior Brother.”

Standing behind him was Bai Lingzhi, whom He Lang had met a while ago.

This time, Bai Lingzhi was quite sharp. Upon seeing He Lang, she greeted him repeatedly, her sweet words causing He Lang to smile despite himself.

After finishing her greetings, she withdrew to stand beside the man who had been treating He Lang warmly.

Yes, he was Bai Lingzhi’s master and He Lang’s junior, Wu Ding Zhenren. His youthful appearance was enough to indicate his remarkable cultivation, as he had entered the Foundation Establishment stage early and had thus retained his youthful looks.

Although he was already a master, Wu Ding Zhenren’s personality seemed unchanged—still brimming with youthful mischief. He hadn’t been seated for long before he started teasing He Lang. When he noticed He Lang wasn’t engaging with him, he racked his brain for old memories to share.

“Senior Brother, do you remember? We used to be the top students. Even when we skipped the training our master assigned us, he would turn a blind eye. But you were always more diligent and never wanted to play with me, always practicing day and night. That’s why your cultivation is higher than mine now.”

“And remember when you did something even bolder than me? If our master hadn’t favored you back then, you would’ve been locked up for ten years!”

“Oh, and remember when we went to the back mountain to catch a celestial crane, saying we’d roast it to try its meat?”

“Do you remember that?!” Wu Ding was practically parched from talking so much, finally pausing to rest as he looked expectantly at He Lang.

He Lang had been listening attentively, but in the end, he simply smiled and shook his head, replying honestly, “I don’t remember.”

“Senior Brother, you’re too heartless!” Wu Ding widened his eyes in mock pain, clutching his chest and shaking his head in exaggerated disappointment.

He Lang tilted his head slightly, looking at him with guilt. What he said was true; it had nothing to do with He Lang being heartless.

“Master, don’t get too worked up,” Bai Lingzhi, standing behind him, whispered softly. She glanced around, noticing there were still quite a few new disciples and outsiders around. She hoped her master would remain composed and not embarrass the Tianshan Sect.

Wu Ding Zhenren was unhappy about being scolded by his disciple and widened his eyes in protest. “How can I not be excited? You don’t understand, little one, how rarely your senior uncle comes out of his retreat. Now that I’ve finally caught him, of course I have to catch up with him properly!”

Bai Lingzhi turned her head away, dismissing his words as nonsense.

The dynamic between this master and disciple was somewhat humorous and lighthearted. Though with such a master, it was hard to truly respect him… He Lang sighed softly at the close relationship between the two, which immediately drew hearty laughter from Wu Ding.

“That’s right, Senior Brother! All these years you’ve been in seclusion, I’ve taken on quite a few disciples. Teasing the young ones has become a way for me to pass the time and keep myself entertained—hahaha!” Wu Ding waved his hand, a relaxed smile on his face.

“That’s great, truly great,” He Lang murmured with a faint smile on his lips.

Although Wu Ding seemed a bit unreliable, looking at the disciples serving him, it was clear he wasn’t completely inattentive to them. Moreover, those who practice cultivation can easily become overly fixated on power, leading to anxiety. To be as carefree and unburdened as Wu Ding was a rare blessing indeed.

“Senior Brother, why don’t you take on a few obedient kids to serve you? Your brilliant disciple has long left you to wander the world, so why not take this opportunity to pick a few more you like? Otherwise, your days must be lonely—just practicing day and night? Boring!”

He Lang, although curious about that former disciple of his, simply shook his head at Wu Ding’s suggestion of taking on more disciples.

Earlier, some of the youths who passed the spiritual root test had expressed interest in becoming his disciples. Some were even from noble or influential families, with the stewards personally leading them to plead on their behalf.

However, considering that his strength had not fully recovered, He Lang felt it would be difficult to properly mentor any new disciples, so he firmly declined.

And truthfully, He Lang acknowledged that he was rather selfish when it came to emotions. He only wanted to focus on his mission target and doubted he could give proper attention to these young people.

Seeing He Lang shake his head without saying a word, Wu Ding leaned in close and teased with a playful smile, “Senior Brother, could it be you don’t know how to interact with your disciples? Just look at how cold you seem! And since you’ve been so focused on your own cultivation and advancement, I bet you don’t even know how to teach others! Let me tell you, Senior Brother, just pick some talented kids with single spiritual roots, give them some spiritual stones and techniques. If they don’t behave, lock them up in a cave on the back mountain for ten days or half a month!”

Listening to these unreliable methods, He Lang grew increasingly certain Wu Ding was trying to amuse him or perhaps joking at his expense. Afraid He Lang might take it seriously, Bai Lingzhi couldn’t help but interject, “Though Master may act frivolously, he takes us disciples very seriously. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have reached our current level of cultivation.”

The more she spoke, the more embarrassed Wu Ding seemed. He quickly silenced her and sent her away. “Girl, go help the steward test the spiritual roots of your future junior brothers and sisters!”

Bai Lingzhi obediently closed her mouth, playfully stuck out her tongue, and ran over to assist the steward.

He Lang suddenly thought that perhaps having a disciple wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.

…

The mountain had grown dark, with the setting sun lingering between two peaks—signaling the end of the day.

The steward overseeing the spiritual root tests glanced at the remaining few people. His quick scan revealed no one particularly outstanding, so he decided to call it a day.

The other masters had long disappeared, and Wu Ding had also left with a group of newly accepted disciples. He Lang, however, stayed until the very end, hoping for one last chance.

But by now, it seemed unlikely his mission target would appear.

He Lang sighed in disappointment, gently stroking the melon rabbit in his arms. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he heard a familiar voice from behind.

“Senior, is it still possible to test my spiritual roots?”

Author’s Note: A cute character is about to make an appearance! (≧O≦)