Slag Shou Cultivating Manual - Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Five Elements Cultivation

The next day, as soon as He Lang got out of bed, he saw his young apprentice bustling about, holding a piece of cloth and wiping the tables and chairs. A glance to the side revealed that by his bedside, warm water, a towel, a tooth stick, and a jade comb had already been prepared, along with hair ties and a crown, showing his thoughtful attention to detail.

He Lang usually woke up early, but seeing the spotless room and the rearranged furnishings suggested that his young disciple must have gotten up well before dawn.

After finishing the already clean tables and chairs, Jiang Hanzheng casually turned his head and noticed that He Lang was awake and looking at him with interest. He panicked instantly and hurriedly bowed deeply, saying, “Good morning, Master. I’ve already watered the spirit herbs.”

He Lang nodded, got out of bed, and, not minding his disheveled clothing, approached Jiang Hanzheng. His robe was half-open, revealing part of his pale chest. Jiang Hanzheng quickly glanced away and lowered his head, nervously twisting the corner of his clothes.

“Do you know why I have you water the spirit herbs every day?” He Lang asked.

Jiang Hanzheng responded with an “Ah?” and furrowed his brow in thought for a moment before shaking his head. “I’m foolish, and I hope Master can guide me.”

He felt that such labor was suitable for him, so he believed his master’s arrangement was correct. Moreover, it would be too presumptuous to ask for his master’s guidance on cultivation; he wouldn’t dare to even consider it.

He Lang said no more, draped on an outer robe, and led him to the spirit field.

Thanks to Jiang Hanzheng’s meticulous care, the plants in the spirit field thrived, more lush than when he first arrived, emanating a rich spiritual energy. Even without the wind, the plants seemed to sway gently as if they possessed spiritual awareness. The abundance of spirit herbs filled the area with vibrant wood spiritual energy, and flickering lights scattered throughout, creating a unique beauty.

“You come into contact with the spirit herbs daily, so you must be familiar with wood spiritual energy. Since wood can generate fire, and you possess a powerful fire attribute within you, if you start cultivating from the wood spiritual energy, the results will be doubled for half the effort.” He Lang picked a spirit herb from in front of him and handed it to Jiang Hanzheng.

Jiang Hanzheng’s eyes widened slightly as he received the softly glowing spirit herb. He focused his mind, drawing power from his dantian, and vaguely sensed the presence of spiritual energy, but found it difficult to absorb.

He Lang, meanwhile, could feel the spiritual energy nearby flowing toward him with just a gentle breath. He reached out and grasped Jiang Hanzheng’s wrist to channel spiritual energy into him, allowing him to gain more understanding. He also explained the cultivation method he had devised for him: “The five elemental roots have long been regarded as useless by the world because having multiple roots leads to chaos, making it hard to absorb spiritual energy, unlike a single elemental root which allows for straightforward qi cultivation. However, I believe that if each of the five roots absorbs spiritual energy evenly, perhaps all five elements can be cultivated.”

“The five elements interact, with wood nurturing fire to transform its stubbornness, water nourishing wood to release its force, and metal being fed by water while earth is enriched by metal. You should first learn to use wood spiritual energy to catalyze the fire spiritual energy within you. Refining the other types of spiritual energy will then become much easier. However, the balance of these five types of spiritual energy needs careful control; otherwise, an excess of fire will burn wood, too much wood will shrink water, excessive water will sink metal, and too much metal will transform earth… If this series of balances is disrupted, the spiritual energy might stagnate.”

The five elemental roots had long been abandoned by the world, naturally leading to no highly skilled cultivators spending energy on such trivial matters. However, He Lang could not simply give up on them. He searched through various texts and, after much study, devised a method that might be effective for those with five elemental roots.

Jiang Hanzheng listened, his mind suddenly clear, and his heart raced anxiously. If he could truly cultivate all five elements together, he would be able to handle anyone proficient in any particular technique effortlessly, making him almost invincible!

So, Master had been searching for cultivation methods for a mediocre person like him all this time?

He Lang smiled at his young apprentice and continued to advise him.

“This method will take effect very slowly, and your cultivation speed will lag behind others for quite some time. However, the foundation will be solid. To cultivate steadily and not fall behind others, you will have to put in several times the effort.”

As he spoke, He Lang had already calculated several times in his heart, pondering how to further enhance his disciple’s cultivation. The years in the Realms of Cultivation were long, and time could pass in an instant. He certainly couldn’t stay here for hundreds of years, accompanying his disciple in cultivating to immortality.

Jiang Hanzheng listened to his master’s advice, nodding repeatedly. He cared little about the disadvantages; as long as he had the opportunity to cultivate, he was already satisfied. Why would he want to compare himself to others or even surpass them?

He Lang handed over all the techniques and spirit stones from his Qian Kun bag without holding back.

Though Jiang Hanzheng couldn’t fully understand what these items were, he knew they were undoubtedly valuable. The moment he held this seemingly light bag, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds in his hands.

He Lang took out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears from the corners of Jiang Hanzheng’s eyes, patting his head helplessly. “It’s only right for me to treat you well, so you don’t have to be so overwhelmed.”

Jiang Hanzheng rubbed his damp eyes and nodded vigorously. Once his master left, he absently touched the top of his head where He Lang had just patted him. He took a deep breath, inhaling the lingering scent of cold fragrance from where He Lang had held his wrist. The soothing aroma calmed him further. Gripping the spirit herb tightly, he felt that the path ahead seemed clear and bright.

Having obtained a cultivation method, Jiang Hanzheng diligently followed his master’s teachings and began practicing with enthusiasm. He found the repetitive exercise of drawing qi into his body to be anything but dull, continuing until it grew dark. He Lang, noticing the time, called for him to stop and take a break.

Unbeknownst to them, dusk had already settled in. He Lang felt that something was missing and, after a moment, realized they hadn’t eaten all day.

He himself didn’t feel hungry, but what about Jiang Hanzheng? After a whole day of practicing without a drop of water or a single meal, Jiang Hanzheng showed no sign of complaint, not even mentioning his hunger, and he had completely forgotten about it himself.

Feeling a bit guilty, He Lang lightly tapped his forehead and went into the back room to prepare some dishes.

Once Jiang Hanzheng stopped practicing, a wave of fatigue washed over him, and he felt weak all over. His stomach rumbled with hunger, and all he could think about was going back to rest.

But just then, his master called him over. Assuming He Lang had more guidance to offer, he mustered his energy to listen. To his surprise, He Lang removed his ornate outer robe, gently waved him to sit at the table, and served up several steaming plates of food, even personally dishing out rice for him.

Jiang Hanzheng’s heart stirred with a flurry of emotions, and countless questions flooded his mind, but he didn’t dare voice them. He was already stunned into silence upon seeing his master preparing a meal for him. He couldn’t believe He Lang sat beside him, casually picking up chopsticks to serve him a piece of vegetable.

“What are you staring at? Eat,” He Lang said.

With mixed feelings swirling inside him, Jiang Hanzheng struggled for a long time before finally lifting the bowl to his lips. After a few bites, he found the food refreshing and delicious. His master actually had such culinary skills?

Even though the food was made from simple ingredients, it felt as precious as a gourmet meal to him. After so long of roughing it and eating basic meals at the outer sect, sometimes even having his food snatched away by older disciples, it had been ages since he tasted something so exquisite.

Jiang Hanzheng savored the flavors, but suddenly found it hard to swallow, as if a lump had formed in his throat.

He Lang noticed his strange expression and puzzled over it. Although he wasn’t an expert in cooking, he thought it shouldn’t be too difficult to eat, as he himself had no issue with it.

After a couple of bites, he realized Jiang Hanzheng had set down his chopsticks, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“Master, you don’t have to force yourself to eat just for me…”

He Lang was a bit confused but quickly grasped the situation.

Jiang Hanzheng assumed that He Lang was eating with him to help him adapt to life, and since food was only considered impure and detrimental to spiritual cultivation, cultivators like him often had some aversion to eating.

However, He Lang didn’t mind these taboos. His status was already elevated, and he was detached from worldly matters. He only needed to gradually restore his original cultivation level and didn’t need to be overly concerned like an ordinary practitioner. Moreover, a high level of cultivation wasn’t necessarily a good thing; he didn’t want to completely change his lifestyle for such reasons.

Still, he couldn’t shake the deeply ingrained belief that to be human meant to experience ease and fatigue, joy and sorrow, as well as emotions like love and desire.

He paused, chuckling helplessly. After all, he had lost his emotional soul; with neither the seven emotions nor the six desires complete, what right did he have to speak on what it meant to be human?

Once the meal was finished, Jiang Hanzheng quickly cleared the dishes, almost as if trying to escape back to his quarters.

He feared that if he lingered too long, he would become attached to this unexpected warmth and care.

But He Lang wouldn’t let him slip away so easily. Seeing him wanting to distance himself, He Lang felt an even stronger urge to draw closer.

“Where are you going? How can you rest well sleeping in that crowded dormitory with outer disciples? It’s not good for your cultivation. Stay here instead.”

**Author’s Note:** Langlang is about to start flirting! Everything about cultivation is just wishful thinking, all fake, fake, fake.