The Path Toward Heaven

Earlier, Liu Shisui went back to his own courtyard and attentively read the textbook on entry-level magical instruction, and soon he could recite all the content in the book.

He practiced and followed the textbook’s instruction while the sun had not yet set.

At first, he practiced a variety of postures, then the stride and back-bridge, and finally a set of boxing routines.

The boxing moves were not so difficult, but he had to apply continuous force. He could hardly breathe after a while, and he simply could not continue.

Just when he was ready to give up, he felt a sudden movement in his chest and abdomen, and his breathing occurred in a peculiar rhythm that synchronized perfectly with the force released when he punched!

That kind of breathing rhythm was indeed peculiar, as it was at first slow, then rapid, seemingly irregular. Yet that was something Liu Shisui was especially familiar with, otherwise he could not possibly use it.

It was the breathing method he learned from Jing Jiu back in his small village.

Even now, he still didn’t know this breathing method was called Yumen Breathing. Though Liu looked seemingly humble and dull, he was actually quite intelligent, so he knew instantly what this meant.

Jing Jiu glanced at him once without saying anything.

Liu Shisui understood the meaning and quickly stood up.

One year ago, at the entrance to the small village, Jing Jiu, must have known at first sight that he had that one-in-a-million natural Dao quality; otherwise Jing would not have chosen him.

During that one whole year, Jing Jiu did not teach him more stuff, just the basic method of Yumen Breath.

Though it was the basics, it was extremely important. Liu’s Dao quality had been protected very well. As long as they were not blind at the Green Mountain Sect, they would one day find him.

Yet it only took Liu Shisui half a day to figure this out; this was quite unexpected, and the ability of this kid to comprehend all this was even better than Jing had envisioned.

“You don’t have to thank me. You’ve taught me before, so I’ was just returning the favor,” said Jing Jiu.

But Liu Shisui thought, “How can you compare firewood-cutting and cooking to practicing Cultivation?”

“You should concentrate on your Cultivation practice. The caretakers will take care of the chores here, so you don’t have to think of coming here all the time,” Jing Jiu added.

“But Young Master, you don’t want me anymore?” Liu Shisui shouted urgently.

Jing Jiu didn’t wish to hear the fuss, so he raised his hand to tell Liu to stop; looking through the window he could tell the size of the courtyard was not overly small, and it was troublesome to sweep and clean it, and he didn’t like the strangers touching his personal things.

“Well, it’s up to you.”

…

…

The green leaves were falling along with the wind, and the water was flowing downstream.

Time was flowing just like that water, and soon, ten days had passed.

The disciples of the South Pine Pavilion had been practicing day and night diligently; no one dared to relax.

Everywhere on the hillside ground the young disciples were seen training: they were either squatting or stretching their body against a pine tree, but the boxing practice was seen most often.

The sounds of thrusting fists and shouting could be heard from the early morning till twilight, and in early summer, the leaves were rustling and falling, and the birds in the forest were even more restless.

In the area where most disciples were practicing boxing routines, one could even see vague traces of white smoke.

Master Lü was fairly satisfied as he looked upon such a scene, and thought that a majority of these disciples would be able to reach the initial stage within three months.

It was at this moment that Liu Shisui walked out of the training hall.

Master Lü was even more satisfied, smiling, and thought that Liu really lived up to the expectations thanks to his natural Dao quality.

, He judged that he would only take a few days for Liu to enter the state of the Spiritual Stability, and he even had a chance to perfect the state of Spiritual Stability State in a year or so based on his current progress.

If the South Pine Pavilion could have produced a gifted disciple who arrived at the inner sect within a single year…

His desire to accomplish this grew even stronger when thinking of Brother Meng on Shangde Peak.

Brother Meng wouldn’t have been so fortunate were it not for his lucky discovery of Zhao Layue.

His eyes followed Liu’s every movement and saw him enter that small courtyard; his smile froze, and he frowned.

That small courtyard was Jing Jiu’s.

Nobody knew what Jing Jiu had done in the past ten days, no matter who they were, neither those external disciples nor himself.

Every afternoon you would see Jing Jiu lying on a bamboo chair and bathing in the sun, and nobody knew where that bamboo chair came from.

The more Master Lü thought about it, the more he believed he had made a mistake.

But his true grudge against Jing Jiu was not his laziness, but the fact that until today, Liu Shisui still regarded himself as his attendant or even a servant.

It seemed that Liu didn’t catch the attention from the masters and the respect from his classmates at all, and he still acted the same way as in the small village, taking care of Jing Jiu’s daily affairs.

He had to do the chores in that small courtyard after each day of hard practice.

Master Lü and the disciples found it ridiculous every time they saw such a scene and disliked Jing Jiu as a result..

In accordance with the rules of the Green Mountain Sect, or the habits so to speak, the external disciples’ Cultivation practice was rarely was usually left interrupted, but the desire to do so grew stronger and stronger in Master Lü’s mind, and now reached a point where he could not suppress it.

He did not want the young man who had merely the beauty of a face to destroy the future of the most promising genius in the Green Mountain Sect.

He was looking for a suitable opportunity to separate this pair of master and servant, and even thinking of whether he should seek a reason to expel Jing Jiu

…

…

One quiet night, after Liu Shisui returned and entered his own courtyard through the door, he saw Master Lü standing in the middle of the courtyard.

He was a very smart kid, and soon enough he had already guessed why the master was here, and his face turned rather pale.

Seeing his changed expression, “It looks like I need not say anything,” Master Lü commented.

Liu Shisui did not speak, lightly shutting his lips

Master Lü didn’t him to be such a stubborn kid, “The practitioners of Cultivation disregard fate and look down on mortal lives; how could you allow yourself to be somebody’s servant,” he pleaded in an authoritative tone.

“Young Master helped me out, and I have to repay him,” said Liu Shisui with his head lowered.

“I don’t care what was between you two in the mortal world, but now that you are, the past affairs and debts should be done away with; at the Green Mountain Sect, we practice the Dao of blades and gain a sharpened heart; are you telling me that you don’t even have the willpower to make a decision?” asked Master Lü, frowning.

“If you want to get rid of Young Master, then I will also give up Cultivation practice,” Liu said with a trembling voice and his head was still lowered.

Master Lü had gotten a little bit angry after hearing this, and thought, So many people in the mortal world dream of practicing Cultivation, and you are actually willing to give it up for somebody else?

But his anger quickly turned into slight admiration, Liu’s determined choice without consideration for himself actually coincides with the Dao of the Green Mountain Sect, does it not?

“I will respect your wishes, and will not force him out, but you have to understand that you are a true Cultivation genius, far beyond the reach of your young master,” Master Lü looked Liu in the eyes and said, “No matter whether you can get used to it or not, the change has already occurred, and one day he will not be able to keep up with your progression, and you and he will be separated just like in the clouds and will never meet again. I only hope that you will not be dragged down by him too much before your parting.”

Having said that, he left the small courtyard.

Liu Shisui raised his head, but his small face revealed that he was still puzzled. .

In the moment that followed, he looked at the courtyard covered by the darkness of the night, showing a trace of hesitation.