While Shen Xin Zi silently admired Pan An's deep understanding of human nature, Long Qing could no longer contain his curiosity and blurted out, "You're so powerful, why would you choose to stay in the Medicine Valley?"
Shen Xin Zi smiled warmly. "I am not a member of the Tai Xuan Sect. I simply enjoy the atmosphere here. I plan to stay for a few hundred years while I contemplate the doubts in my heart."
A few hundred years...
Hearing this, Long Qing's gaze toward Shen Xin Zi changed. For the first time, he began to believe the man's claims.
"You said you're a Wandering Immortal. How can you prove it? I'm not a child anymore!" declared the thirteen-year-old, puffing his chest with mock maturity. His words drew a hearty laugh from Shen Xin Zi.
Before Long Qing could react, Shen Xin Zi placed a firm hand on his shoulder and leapt effortlessly into the air.
The scenery before Long Qing blurred, forcing him to shut his eyes. When he finally opened them, the sight that greeted him left him utterly awestruck.
They were in the sky!
Beneath them stretched an endless sea of clouds, while above hung a starry expanse, impossibly vast and dazzling. The stars seemed brighter and denser than anything Long Qing had seen before, more numerous than even the flowers in the valley.
Mouth agape, Long Qing's bright eyes sparkled with wonder. The stars suspended overhead seemed so close yet so unreachable. In this boundless sky, his perception of the world expanded infinitely. Turning in circles, he marveled at the vastness of it all, oblivious to the fact that there was no ground beneath his feet.
Shen Xin Zi stood nearby, a gentle smile on his face. Watching the boy's childlike wonder, he found himself understanding the mindset of Bodhi Patriarch.
No wonder Gu An had once said Bodhi Patriarch adored Sun Wukong.
After several moments of spinning in delight, Long Qing suddenly realized his precarious situation. Seeing the void below, he quickly latched onto Shen Xin Zi's robe, eyes wide with a mix of fear and excitement.
"Is this really the sky?" he asked expectantly, looking up at Shen Xin Zi.
The boy's lack of fear impressed Shen Xin Zi, raising his estimation of Long Qing's potential.
"Yes, this is the sky, far from the ground. At your current speed, it would take you at least twenty years to reach this point if you were chasing the White Spirit Mouse."
Long Qing's eyes widened in shock. Looking down, he could only see the thick sea of clouds. Yet, far in the distance, he noticed a faint blue glow. He didn't know what it was but found it captivating.
Glancing upward again, he pointed at a streak of light and asked, "What's that?"
Shen Xin Zi followed his gaze. "That's a Flying Immortal returning. He's still very far from us."
"Flying Immortal..." Long Qing murmured, his eyes sparkling with determination. "Can I go to the stars?"
Shen Xin Zi shook his head slightly. "You can't. Only those who reach the Flying Immortal Realm can break through the invisible Celestial Barrier."
"Flying Immortal... I want to cultivate! I'll take you as my master. Teach me how to reach the Flying Immortal Realm!" Long Qing's small fists clenched as he declared his resolve.
Gu An had forbidden anyone from teaching Long Qing before he turned sixteen, insisting on overseeing the boy's cultivation personally. As a result, Long Qing had yet to begin his foundational cultivation and hadn't revealed his latent talents.
Shen Xin Zi, however, could see the boy's extraordinary physique and concluded that, even if Long Qing wasn't a peerless prodigy, he was far from ordinary. He couldn't help but marvel at Gu An's knack for discovering talent. Like the Nine-Finger Divine Lord, Shen Xin Zi suspected that Gu An was guided by an unknown higher power.
Who could this mysterious figure be, capable of eluding even Shen Xin Zi's perception? Was it the Sword Master of the Dao, or perhaps another great cultivator? The Tai Xuan Sect currently housed many reclusive masters, several of whom even Shen Xin Zi could not discern clearly.
Whatever the truth, Long Qing's spirited determination pleased Shen Xin Zi immensely. Smiling kindly, he said, "Reaching the Flying Immortal Realm is no easy feat. Are you willing to put in the effort to cultivate?"
"I won't let you down!" Long Qing nodded fervently, his youthful face brimming with resolve.
"Then kneel and bow to your new master," Shen Xin Zi said, his tone light yet encouraging.
He wanted to emulate Bodhi Patriarch, hoping to gain enlightenment through the experience of taking on a disciple.
Without hesitation, Long Qing dropped to his knees and performed the formal rites of apprenticeship. Rising, he looked up at Shen Xin Zi with wide, hopeful eyes and asked, "Master, I heard that the Medicine Valley once produced a genius named Yang Jian. Can I surpass him?"
Helping the boy to his feet, Shen Xin Zi smiled and said, "Yang Jian was indeed extraordinarily talented. But your master is far superior to his master. With hard work, you're destined to surpass him."
Long Qing's face lit up with an exuberant smile, his youthful enthusiasm infectious.
Meanwhile, in the pavilion, Gu An sat reading a book, the corners of his lips curling into a subtle smile.
"Surpassing Yang Jian isn't difficult, but in the past century…"
Gu An pondered, his curiosity piqued at the thought of Shen Xin Zi teaching Long Qing how to cultivate.
With Shen Xin Zi's cultivation level, how could he unravel the mysteries of the Return to Origin Dao for Long Qing?
Half an hour later.
The door creaked open, and Long Qing stepped inside. He walked to the desk, his expression complex.
Gu An looked up at him and smiled. "What's wrong? Did the Bull Demon King bully you again?"
Long Qing shook his head and replied, "Master, you're the most important person in my heart. Do you believe me?"
The statement amused Gu An. Was this kid feeling guilty about something?
"Really? Well, that depends on how you plan to repay me in the future," Gu An replied lazily, his eyes returning to the book in his hands.
"I'll definitely repay you!" Long Qing declared with conviction.
When I become an immortal, I'll make the Tai Xuan Sect revere you! Determination burned brightly in Long Qing's heart.
Seeing that Gu An didn't respond further, Long Qing asked curiously, "Master, what are you reading? Can I take a look?"
Gu An closed The Adventures of Green Hero and gave him a stern look. "If you're so free, go chop firewood!"
Hearing this, Long Qing immediately darted away, calling back over his shoulder, "Immortals don't chop firewood!"
His spirited declaration brought a smile to Gu An's face as he resumed reading.
Two days later.
In a secluded part of the Medicine Valley, amidst a bamboo forest, Shen Xin Zi and Long Qing sat cross-legged in meditation.
"Master, why haven't I cultivated any spiritual energy yet?" Long Qing couldn't help but open his eyes and ask.
Shen Xin Zi, still with his eyes closed, replied, "It's rare for someone to cultivate spiritual energy within two days. Don't rush."
Still, a hint of doubt flickered in Shen Xin Zi's mind. Why is it so slow?
He recalled Yang Jian's initial struggles with Qi absorption. Perhaps Long Qing's physique is similarly unique, he thought, dismissing his concerns. His patience was unshaken.
Suddenly, a figure streaked across the bamboo canopy, catching Shen Xin Zi's attention.
"It's him…" Shen Xin Zi muttered.
"Who is it?" Long Qing asked curiously, having also seen the fleeting figure.
Shen Xin Zi shook his head, choosing not to answer.
Long Qing's eyes darted mischievously before he stood up and dashed out of the bamboo grove.
Shen Xin Zi rose to follow. He wasn't upset by Long Qing's actions—after all, the boy was only thirteen.
In the pavilion.
Gu An replaced his book with The Investiture of the Gods, meticulously leafing through its pages.
Bang—
The window suddenly flew open, startling Gu An into turning toward the source of the noise. A delighted smile broke across his face as he exclaimed, "Senior Brother Li! You've returned?"
Li Ya landed gracefully, brushing off his robe with a snort. "What? Not happy to see me?"
"How could that be? Please, have a seat!" Gu An quickly replied.
Placing The Investiture of the Gods aside, he rose to prepare tea for Li Ya.
Li Ya approached the desk, eyeing the book Gu An had been reading. With a chuckle, he remarked, "After all these years, you're still reading The Investiture of the Gods. Don't tell me you're like those other cultivators trying to glean Daoist insights from it?"
Gu An, pouring hot water into the teapot, replied, "I'm just reading casually. This book's stories can't compare to your experiences. Come on, tell me—how have you been? Did you get hurt?"
Li Ya's expression turned serious. "With my abilities now, how could I possibly get hurt? Besides, I have the support of Mysterious Divine City. Since you want to know, I'll tell you everything. You'd better take notes."
Gu An brought over a steaming cup of tea, placing it in front of Li Ya before sitting down. "True. With Mysterious Divine City under your command, even my disciple Long Qing wouldn't stand a chance of getting hurt."