Upon waking, Zhou Shu stretched, feeling refreshed.
Several plates of spiritual food and a few medicinal pills were already laid out on the table beside him.
Three meals a day were accompanied by high-quality spiritual food and grains, designed to strengthen the body and slightly increase spiritual power.
The pills each had their own uses: two Huangya Pills, for strengthening cultivation, one Qingxin Pill, for calming the mind and preventing inner demons, and three Peiyuan Pills, for slightly increasing cultivation speed.
These things would be delivered in due time.
This was the benefit of being a direct disciple: no need to search for resources, and no shortage of resources.
After casually devouring the spiritual food and practicing spiritual control for two hours, Zhou Shu headed down the mountain. The
mountain path was rugged, but with a lightness talisman attached to his leg, even the steepest terrain seemed as easy as flat ground. This first-level talisman, which required two low-grade spirit stones to obtain, was something others were reluctant to use, but he didn't care.
Along the way, many fellow disciples approached him, and he responded with a smile.
Zhou Shu maintained good relationships with the disciples of Tianyun Peak, both outer and inner disciples. Having lived two lives, he understood the importance of interpersonal relationships; carelessness could easily lead to trouble.
Unlike the aloofness of other geniuses, he was remarkably approachable, often sharing his elixirs with other disciples. Known as the most unassuming genius, he was quite popular on Tianyun Peak.
But there were also those who ignored him.
For example, the disciple weeding and digging in the spiritual fields would occasionally glance at Zhou Shu with deep resentment, as if he wanted to devour him, yet he feigned composure, pretending to ignore it.
Zhou Shu remained indifferent and smiled.
He understood. Unlike him, outer disciples simply cultivated daily, and the resources they needed came naturally and abundantly. Meanwhile, outer disciples busied themselves with chores, farming and mining for six or seven hours, yet ultimately received less than a tenth of the resources he received.
It was truly unfair.
But that was the way things were in the world of immortal cultivation: only those with sufficient talent could receive adequate training.
Zhou Shu waved goodbye and left, going around several mountain roads and coming to a desolate hillside.
The hillside was littered with rocks, with few blades of grass and very thin spiritual energy. Basically, no one would come here. But on the hillside, there was a thatched cottage and a small spiritual field that had just been reclaimed.
Beside the spiritual field, a tall young man was making clouds and rain.
The Small Cloud and Rain Art is a must-learn art for most outer disciples, and it is perfect for watering spiritual fields.
"Hey, do you need help?"
Zhou Shu walked over quickly, smiled, and patted the young man's shoulder.
The young man turned around and grinned, revealing two rows of snow-white teeth. "No, how could I give you such a good training opportunity?"
"Then I'm going to help you."
Zhou Shu pretended to be resentful and stretched out his hand. A hazy cloud formed in his hand, and a moist breath immediately filled the air.
The young man raised his hands in surrender, relinquishing the incantation. "I'm afraid of you. Be careful not to overwater the new fields."
Zhou Shu smiled and nodded, carefully controlling the mist and clouds to water the spiritual fields.
The young man's name was Yang Hei, an outer disciple with a stubborn temper, and Zhou Shu's only close friend. The two had met by chance, but their personalities were compatible, and they bonded like a family.
Yang Hei had joined the sect a few months before him, and his aptitude was poor, the lowest of the group. He didn't even receive a spiritual field, completely abandoned by the sect. Undeterred, he cultivated several plots of his own spiritual fields and lived an optimistic and carefree life.
A quarter of an hour later, the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped.
Yang Hei was looking down at the spiritual grain seeds when Zhou Shu walked up to him and threw a jade bottle over. "Here are thirty more Pei Yuan Dan pills. Take them and practice hard."
Yang Hei took the jade bottle and frowned. "Why don't you use the pills? No wonder you're still at the first level of the Qi Refining Realm. I'm almost catching up with you! You're a genius. Don't let people laugh at you."
Zhou Shu sat on the ground with a hint of pride on his lips. "Let them laugh. I'm opening up my meridians. I'll soar into the sky when I have enough."
Yang Hei shook his head. "Do I have to open up so many meridians? With your guidance, I've opened up two hundred meridians." , I think it is enough, and any more may not be of any use. "
Zhou Shu lay down and looked at the sky, "It is useful, you will see it in the future. I set a time of one year for myself, and this year will be used to lay the foundation, not only the Qi channels, but also the spiritual power control and so on must be strengthened. As for the cultivation, put it aside for now. The same goes for you. If possible, it is best to open up 250 Qi channels at the first level of the Qi Refining Realm, so that it will be much easier in the future."
Qi channels can only be gradually nurtured by spiritual power when they are first started to cultivate immortals, and grow stronger with the spiritual power to become complete and good Qi channels.
As the cultivator's cultivation level increases, for example, when they reach the fourth or fifth level of the Qi Refining Realm, the difficulty of opening up the Qi channels is reduced, but the Qi channels that have just been opened are like babies, and they cannot withstand the cultivator's spiritual power at all. Instead, they will become damaged Qi channels or even useless Qi channels, which are far inferior to the effect of opening up at the first level of the Qi Refining Realm.
Yang Hei thought for a moment. "I've tried my best, but my talent isn't as good as yours, and I don't know how far I can go."
"Talent is important, but skill is equally crucial," Zhou Shu said, sitting up and smiling. "What's the problem this time? I need your help with something."
The two chatted for over half an hour before Zhou Shu stood up and left, heading back to the summit of Tianyun Peak.
Yang Hei called after him, "Next time, let's go to Qingshui Pond. I caught a few silvertail fish there—first-level spiritual fish! Let's grill them!"
Zhou Shu smiled, nodded, and waved goodbye. As
the sky darkened, the roadside was deserted. This was the perfect time for most cultivators to cultivate.
Morning and evening, cultivators would head to the Juyun Terrace in the middle of Tianyun Peak, where spiritual energy was abundant and ideal for cultivation.
But Zhou Shu didn't need to go. Beneath the cushion he often sat on in the bamboo forest at the summit of Tianyun Peak lay a spiritual vein, providing a constant supply of spiritual energy, far more effective than the Juyun Terrace.
Back at the summit, Liu Yuze hadn't returned yet, but a new message appeared on the jade communication tablet.
"Disciple, Master and the other Peak Masters are refining magic weapons in the Heart-Searching Hall. It will take about a month, so you can't leave. You should practice the Listening to the Waves Sutra on your own first. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know using the communication talisman."
Zhou Shu pondered for a moment, wondering why all the peak masters suddenly wanted to refine magic weapons, and why it took so long. Could it be that something unexpected had happened in the sect?
After thinking for a while, he couldn't come up with anything, so he shook his head and let go of the thought.
It's not your place to meddle in other people's business. As a disciple, he should just take care of himself. Besides, he was planning to practice the Listening to the Waves Sutra on his own. The master's guidance would probably not be as good as his own deduction.
After a short break, the villain in his mind reappeared.
Time passed day by day.
The daily deduction made the complex Listening to the Waves Sutra gradually clearer.
How to make the spiritual power flow, how to make the Qi channels harmonious...
The diagram of the mental method operation was revealed in his mind bit by bit, and the entire outline gradually emerged.
Every point that required attention was clearly marked and had a specific solution. As long as he followed suit, he would be able to master the Listening to the Waves Sutra perfectly.
It was time.
Zhou Shu sat on the spiritual channel and began his first practice.
Bang, bang...
As the spiritual energy entered and transformed, the spiritual energy tide within his body began to surge, wave after wave, undulating through his meridians and sea of energy.
"The tide is much stronger than before, but should I be able to handle it?"
Zhou Shu was a little concerned. He hadn't calculated his body's endurance for this deduction. The Listening to the Tao Sutra was given to him by Liu Yu, and since his master said there was no problem, he wouldn't bother. Moreover
, if the body's endurance were factored into the deduction, the time would increase tenfold at least.
He couldn't wait any longer. A soft sound echoed within him, and the tide surged, opening a tiny, long-blocked meridian! Zhou Shu was overjoyed. "It really works! I've opened a meridian just after starting the practice, but isn't it a little too fast?" Before his joy faded, another soft sound was heard. Another meridian was opened. "This..." The joy in Zhou Shu's heart disappeared, replaced by doubt. He knew very well that he was only at the first level of the Qi Refining Realm. No matter how powerful his mental method was, it would not produce such a result. There must be a problem. He must stop practicing! However, it was too late. Snap, snap, snap... a series of light sounds continued to be emitted in the body, and the Qi channels were continuously opened. In less than a few dozen breaths, all 360 Qi channels were fully opened, and all were connected at once! But the tide of spiritual power did not stop, and continued to surge madly in all directions. Bang! The Qi channels could not withstand this force at all, and suddenly exploded! In a few blinks of an eye, the runaway spiritual power tide broke all the Qi channels, and even continued to surge in the body, turning rivers and seas upside down. Puff, blood gushed out like a fountain, and Zhou Shu's whole body began to bleed. But by this time, he had completely fainted and no longer had a trace of consciousness.