Chapter 89: The Six Arts of a Gentleman
While the great experts rushed to Jiuyue Mountain, Qiao Wan worked diligently on molding clay figurines.
In the dungeon, cultivation was not of much use. So, Qiao Wan had transferred most of her abilities to her clone. With spiritual awareness, cultivation, and physical training, the clone was almost indistinguishable from the original.
After all, it was her own clone, and she needed to take it seriously if she wanted to go out and have a good time. It would give her some face.
Usually, when people have a second identity, they let loose and don't have to worry about being caught. This time, Qiao Wan wanted to do something big, now that she had a fancy disguise.
After brainstorming together, the name was finally decided by a wicked scholar who was imprisoned at the bottom of a cliff.
His last name is Lu, so let's call him Lu Cixian.
Qiao Wan shook her head and said, "I don't want to become immortal. I'd rather be called Cixian."
Lu Cixian.
Once a high-profile name was confirmed, the corresponding moves should also be impressive.
Throw Your Thunder, let's call it "Thunderous Force".
Venerable One Miaofa looked at Qiao Wan, and surprisingly said something slightly complimenting: "You are not as weak as you imagine."
This is to remind Qiao Wan not to be arrogant and underestimate herself.
Since her childhood in Kunshan, Qiao Wan had been taught by the teachers of Qizawa Province. Along the way, she also received guidance from Demon Emperor Jia Yin on body techniques and martial arts. With her amazing footwork, Throw Your Thunder, and strong awareness, she went to the Cen family to strengthen her muscles and veins. Now she can easily match her peers in terms of skills and abilities.
After breaking through the Infant Transformation stage, having a keen awareness not only allows her to freely explore and remember things, but also store everything she sees and hears in her mind.
Her mind is like a river, rich with memories. Although she can't move forward, she can look back and vividly recall her past experiences.
This feeling is incredibly strange. Qiao Wan sat cross-legged and pondered for a while. The once blurry memories have become clear, as if they have been organized and categorized by someone.
As Qiao Wan casually sifted through her mind, she was shocked to find that the things she had seen and learned in her past life were also neatly organized and stored in her mind.
For example, she had completely forgotten about advanced math, those few old poems she memorized, and the research materials she looked up when writing her papers.
There was even the English proficiency test she took.
When she saw those familiar English words, Qiao Wan was confused.
Poems were somewhat useful for her scholarly studies, but she didn't need English.
Except for the memories of her past family and classmates, which were still missing, all her other memories were stored clearly in her mind, like a huge library that she could access whenever she wanted.
After withdrawing from her mind, Qiao Wan opened her eyes.
After all, her skills couldn't be fully used since this was a lower-level account. If she wanted to make a name for herself in the Law Conference, she must train well. Instead of immediately leaving the dungeon after parting ways with Lu Cixian, Qiao Wan sat down and familiarized herself with her new body, and planned out her skills again.
After planning for a while, Qiao Wan felt fortunate and suddenly thought of the book on Dao that Ma Huaizhen had given her. She had kept it in her storage bag ever since she left the mountain and hadn't taken it out to read.
Now, in front of us is a very important person in the Buddhist community, the Venerable One in the Great Hall of Light.
Qiao Wan respectfully presented the scripture and said, "Please guide me, respected senior."
Buddhist cultivation is a profession that values learning. In order to help others, one must study extensively and learn diligently.
In Buddhist cultivation, one must learn the "Five Wisdoms": clarity of declaration, skillful means, medical knowledge, understanding causes, and inner clarity. It encompasses various skills such as craftsmanship, mathematics, astronomy, calendars, language, and logic.
It turned out that she asked the right question.
Venerable One Miaofa looked down at the scripture and said, "There is a restriction in this scripture."
Qiao Wan asked, "Can the Venerable One understand it?"
Miaofa furrowed his brows and asked, "Where did you obtain this scripture from?"
Qiao Wan replied, "It was given to me by an elder."
Venerable One Miaofa paused for a moment and then reached out to take the scripture.
The scripture that had troubled Qiao Wan for many days was effortlessly understood by the Buddhist practitioner before her.
As the scripture was opened, three bold and powerful characters were written on the page.
"A gift for my sister."
Qiao Wan was startled.
She flipped through the book again.
This book can truly be called a manual for sword cultivation, starting from the basics of breathing techniques and covering all the details of cultivation, sword techniques, and personal insights.
With just a simple glance, one could tell that this book must have been written by a skilled sword cultivator. The insights and experiences written in it were easy to understand.
Thinking about the words on the first page, Qiao Wan hesitated a bit.
This should be a gift from a senior cultivator to his sister who was just starting her journey to becoming an immortal. She had planned to study according to this book, but now she felt a bit hesitant.
She went through the entire book again, but there was no signature.
"You have obtained this book, which can be considered your fate. Every opportunity happens for a reason," said the Buddha with a calm expression, accepting the situation. "Since you can't find the original owner, why not cultivate according to what's written here? When you find the true owner in the future, you can offer your gratitude then."
It made sense to Qiao Wan.
Qiao Wan put the book back into her bag and thanked Miaofa with a bow as she stood up.
After finishing her sculpture, she switched back to her smaller instrument with excitement, ready to show off, I mean, ready to go practice.
The dungeon was dark, with no sunlight in sight. But as soon as she walked out, it was still morning outside.
Although the Three Teachings Law Meeting hadn't started yet, disciples from various sects had already gone to Jiuyue Mountain and Lisheng Peak to discuss and debate the teachings.
First, she had to make a name for herself.
Qiao Wan clenched her fist and pumped herself up, heading straight towards Lisheng Peak.
She wanted to see how far she could go.
Lisheng Peak wasn't very high, but the view from the top was beautiful, with a strong mountain breeze.
To her surprise, as soon as she arrived at the foot of Lisheng Peak, Qiao Wan saw a familiar figure.
The young man wore a yellow shirt and had a carefree smile on his face. He stood at the foot of the mountain, observing the crowded group of people with curiosity.
Xiao Boyu!
Qiao Wan took an instinctive pause as she walked. Her heart skipped a beat, but after a second, she realized that she now looked like a handsome young man. Even if she stood in front of Xiao Boyu, he might not recognize her. So she immediately put her mind at ease, pursed her lips, and quickened her pace until she reached the crowd.
Just as she took a step forward, to her surprise, the young man glanced at her and spoke up voluntarily: "Someone is blocking the way up the mountain."
Did I fall off the horse?
Qiao Wan was startled.
But seeing Xiao Boyu's calm and composed expression, she felt slightly relieved.
After their limited interactions, Qiao Wan could tell that Xiao Boyu had the same proud personality as Xiao Boyang. She was puzzled by the fact that he took the initiative to speak to her. He was still a mystery.
After thinking for a moment, Qiao Wan maintained a cool demeanor and nodded gently, saying in a deep voice, "Thank you."
What Qiao Wan didn't know was that the reason Xiao Boyu took the initiative to speak was actually very straightforward.
It was mainly because she, disguised as a young man, looked handsome and had a good temperament.
The young man had a cool and distant expression, giving off a sense of being a "talented youth".
Although Xiao Boyu was a bit of a playboy and had average cultivation, he had the support of the Xiao family, a powerful background, and a wide network of connections. He especially enjoyed making friends with talented young people, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to establish a relationship with Xie Xingzhi .
The young master of the Xiao family was very open-minded. He knew the importance of relying on friends when going out. With his average cultivation, there wasn't much room for improvement. It wasn't a bad thing to make more friends.
As for that untrustworthy Qiao Wan , she was an exception.
The thought of Qiao Wan made Xiao Boyu grit his teeth silently.
Damn it, he had been lurking in the Great Hall of Light every day for the past few days, but he still couldn't figure out anything.
Thinking about how Qiao Wan ruined his mood, Xiao Boyu glanced at the young man in front of him, feeling somewhat intrigued.
In terms of appearance, the young man was quite handsome, and his cultivation was also good. For some reason, whenever Xiao Boyu looked at this young man, his heart would beat a little faster, and he couldn't help but experience a complex and unsettling feeling in his chest.
It was as if he had seen him somewhere before.
He came with the teachers this time, hoping to establish connections and expand his network.
With her keen eyes, she immediately spotted the young master of the Xiao family, who was unaware of their enmity, and mistook her interest for a "fateful encounter due to briefly catching sight of you in the crowd."
With a desire to make new friends, she decisively approached him with a smile and started a conversation.
"Have we met before, immortal friend?"
Qiao Wan's mouth twitched imperceptibly.
"As soon as I saw you, immortal friend, I felt like I recognized you." Xiao Boyu smiled, trying to appear decent despite his vulgar demeanor.
Qiao Wan glanced at him, whispering softly, "Perhaps we have had a chance encounter somewhere before."
The young man seemed somewhat cold, but Xiao Boyu didn't pay much attention.
"My surname is Xiao, and my name is Boyu. How should I address you, immortal friend?"
"Lu Cixian."
"Are you also going to Lisheng Peak, immortal friend?"
"Just going up for a look."
"Perfect timing." Xiao Boyu smiled. "I am also going up the mountain to find a friend. Why don't we go together?"
Xiao Boyu actively extended an invitation to form a team.
Yes, or no.
Xiao Boyu, just like Xiao Boyang, holds grudges and is easily upset.
Qiao Wan looked at the young man for a moment and nodded softly. "Alright then."
With the team formed, Qiao Wan glanced over the crowd once more.
A group of young scholars from Sun Tao College and Chongde Ancient Garden were blocking the way to the mountaintop. They rented several academies there and their disciples were currently engaging in scholarly debates. If anyone wanted to participate in the debates, they had to pass through several checkpoints first.
From the foot of the mountain to the top, scholars were stationed to "block the way," with a total of six checkpoints, representing the six arts of gentlemen.
The crowd grew restless, being stopped at the foot of the mountain.
- Why aren't we allowed to go up the mountain?!
Jiuyue Mountain, which clearly belongs to the Great Hall of Light, has been blocked by a few Confucian cultivators who won't let anyone up the mountain. Are they trying to start a fight or something?!
When do we have to follow the rules of you sour Confucians?!
"This is a debate organized by us Confucian cultivators," sneered the blocking cultivator. "Naturally, we will follow the rules of us Confucian cultivators. If you have the ability, you can organize your own!"
No matter how the crowd protested, the Confucian cultivators refused to budge.
Xiao Boyu looked at Qiao Wan's reaction and asked, "Immortal Friend Lu?"
Qiao Wan stepped over the crowd and approached one of the Confucian cultivators, bowing respectfully. "How can we pass this challenge? Please, Immortal Friend, start asking the questions."
The crowd fell silent.
"Immortal Friend, please wait!"
"Don't go! Why should we listen to these sour Confucians?"
The Confucian cultivator guarding the foot of the mountain couldn't help but glance at the young man before him.
The young man was elegant and handsome, with dragon scales at the corners of his eyes. Standing in the mountain breeze, his robes fluttered, giving him a celestial appearance.
These days, everyone who came to participate in the debate conference has actually figured out the situation of the talented young people from various sects. The young man in front of them is handsome, composed, and speaks confidently. He looks like someone from a big sect. But...they haven't heard of anyone like that in any sect before.
One of the female scholars, looking at Qiao Wan, smiled and said, "You have the aura of a scholar. Are you from Sun Tao College by any chance?"
Qiao Wan shook her head, her voice cold, "I am not from Sun Tao College."
The female scholar asked, "Then are you from Chongde Ancient Garden?"
"Also no."
"Qingyang Academy?"
Qiao Wan bowed politely, "I am a self-cultivator."
The few scholars guarding the foot of the mountain were not very interested.
Just a self-cultivator, nothing worth getting to know.
The female scholar assessed Qiao Wan with a glance and asked, "Do you want to pass the test, immortal friend?"
The young boy with a clear and cold voice said, "Please, fairy, give me a question."
"Alright," the female cultivator smiled, opened her mouth, and suddenly showed a smile without saying anything. Then she turned around and picked up a small hammer and tapped the small drum beside her.
Dong--
After hanging the small hammer on the shelf, the female cultivator bowed and said, "Immortal friend has passed, please proceed up the mountain, immortal friend."
Oh my goodness!
The people who were stopped at the bottom of the mountain immediately realized that something was not right.
Why can this boy move forward without answering a question?! And why are the rest of us being stopped?!
They were told that they could only move forward after answering a question, but the back door was so conspicuous.
Noticing the discontent of the crowd, the female cultivator smiled sweetly and said, "Fellow cultivators, this test is about manners. If we allow this immortal friend to go up the mountain, should we also allow all of you to go up?"
Qiao Wan bowed and took a step forward, but suddenly a sword light whizzed towards her.
Xiao Boyu was the first to sense that something was wrong. He raised his eyebrows, but did not take any action. If he couldn't avoid it, this young man in front of him wasn't worth getting to know.
The female cultivator was taken aback and shouted, "Be careful, immortal friend!"
However, the young man didn't notice and continued forward.
The sword attack didn't weaken, and in the next second, it was about to deeply pierce the young man's shoulder, resulting in a bloody scene.
In the blink of an eye, the people present had different expressions on their faces.
Didn't anyone notice?
The people present sneered, pretending to be calm and getting ready to see a joke.
After all, as a lone cultivator, if he got injured, it didn't matter much. There was no trouble from a sect coming to find him.
Xiao Boyu started to doubt his life choices. With such a confident heart, could he have really misjudged the situation?
But just as he imagined the sound of the sword piercing through muscles, it didn't happen. When the flying sword hit the young man's shoulder, instead of piercing through, it made a clanging sound and broke into two pieces, falling to the ground.
- A body cultivator?!
Everyone was stunned. This young man, who didn't have much flesh on his body, turned out to be a body cultivator?
This is not over yet. At the same time, a fierce five-clawed white dragon suddenly burst out, followed by a brilliant white light. A golden lotus flower and the white dragon with five claws swiftly spiraled out, swiftly and accurately slamming towards the one who had just launched a sneak attack with a sword.
"What is this Buddha light?!" The female cultivator widened her eyes, speechless.
The Buddha light emanating from this young boy, why does it look so familiar?
"It seems to be Venerable One Miaofa's Lotus Seal…" Another Confucian cultivator who was guarding the mountain, was the first to notice that something was off, and his face changed.
The bustling crowd suddenly fell into an unexpected silence, not a single sound was heard.
Could it be that this young boy in front of them is related to Venerable One Miaofa? How could he possess a Buddhist seal personally drawn by Venerable One Miaofa?
Xiao Boyu was taken aback, his eyebrows raised high, and his heart beat rapidly.
Venerable One Miaofa's Lotus Seal?
If this lotus flower is indeed the Lotus Seal, then what is this protective dragon energy...?
At the foot of the mountain, the crowd looked at each other and watched as the young man continued walking up the mountain road without stopping.
Xiao Boyu immediately lifted his foot and followed, after all, being born into the Xiao family, he found this challenge quite simple.
After a while, more people approached.
They had come to Lisheng Peak because they heard that Xie Xingzhi and a few others were at the top of the peak and they wanted to meet them. They couldn't stay trapped here forever.
Watching the young man walk further and further away, a female cultivator at the foot of the mountain turned around and urgently took out a communication jade pendant.
[Zheng Senior Brother, I just saw a unfamiliar scholar, do you remember him? Do you remember? Do you remember?!!]
After a while, a line of ink writing appeared on the jade pendant.
[Who?]
[A young man, traveling with the disciples of the Xiao family, he looks handsome, they said he is a wandering cultivator, he has dragon scales on his face and a Lotus Seal with the symbol of a swastika, it seems to be the Lotus Seal of Venerable One Miaofa!]
[I don't remember.]
"That's Venerable One Miaofa's Lotus Seal! When you reach this level, Immortal Friend Lu, please pay attention and help me out." Zheng Xingyu put away the jade pendant and felt a bit condescending.
Having a handsome face is useless. This is only the first level, you can't see anything special. As for Venerable One Miaofa's Lotus Seal, it's impossible to find. It's just that Zhang Wei has shallow knowledge and probably misunderstood some random Buddhist seals.
Just as he put away the jade pendant, he looked up and saw two figures walking up the mountain path.
The young men were as refreshing as rinsing with ice and snow, and they were indeed handsome and refined.
Zheng Xingyu was taken aback and quickly signaled. Several Confucian disciples came forward, holding a cylinder containing bamboo sticks.
This level tested dancing. Behind them were various musical instruments such as bells, drums, qin, se, guan, sheng, and xiao, all arranged neatly.
Qiao Wan drew the word "dance" and Xiao Boyu drew the word "music".
Xiao Boyu handed the slip of paper to Qiao Wan and said, "Immortal Friend Lu, do you want to exchange with me?"
In the world of cultivation, there were noble families who practiced prayer dances. Qiao Wan always learned a bit from them.
Thanks to the teachings of Elder Martial Brother and the intense practice in Youxian Town, Qiao Wan didn't plan to get too close to Xiao Boyu when they traveled together. She politely declined.
But Xiao Boyu was determined to make friends with Qiao Wan and wasn't upset.
Zheng Xingyu glanced at the young boy in front of him and said, "Are you ready? If you are, let's begin."
Dancing is not difficult, but it's challenging to come up with something new.
Xiao Boyu confidently sat in front of the instruments, holding a drum. He curiously watched the young boy and wondered what kind of dance he would perform.
The sound of drums started.
The young boy lowered his gaze, stepped and turned, his feet moving in a celestial formation. While dancing to classical music, he made a hand gesture resembling a Buddhist seal. His movements were not feminine but subtly expressed a touch of Buddhism. He lowered his gaze, raised his eyes, and as his sleeve fell, a lotus pattern with a swastika symbol was revealed. It felt as if there were bells ringing all around, accompanied by the sound of the sacred hymns.
The dance suddenly became gentle, showing a kind and compassionate side, and then became intense, revealing anger.
One person played music while the other person showed off their dancing skills.
On the other side of the mountain path, a man's footsteps paused as he looked at the scene before him.
The young man's figure was agile like a flying dragon, like an eagle soaring in the sky. He had a heroic bearing and every movement was powerful.
The tassels spun and the stars shook, the flower vines swayed and the dragons and snakes moved.
"Younger martial brother Xie?"
A weak and questioning voice suddenly sounded, as the younger martial brother from Chaotian Mountain cautiously looked at the man who suddenly stopped in front of him.
The man had a graceful demeanor, carrying a mysterious iron sword. He stood on the mountain path like a tall pine tree, his gaze fixed on several Confucian scholars not far away.
Besides Lone Sword Xie Xingzhi, who was famous for his swordsmanship along with the sickly Lu Pihan, who else was there?
This seemed to be a challenge set up by Chongde Ancient Garden and Qingyang Academy.
Following Xie Xingzhi's gaze, the younger martial brother from Chaotian Mountain also glanced in that direction.
The boy dancing, although not as skilled as the monks who specialized in dance and music, had a unique charm that was difficult to pinpoint.
"This dance, although a bit awkwardly performed, embodies the essence of the Three Teachings," the man spoke with a deep voice, his usually furrowed brow slightly relaxed, a hint of approval flickering in his eyes. "It perfectly aligns with the purpose of the Three Teachings Law Meeting."
Although young and not high in cultivation, the boy before them had a deeper understanding of the Three Teachings Law Meeting than many on Lisheng Peak.
"Ah...," the young disciple's expression turned into one of disbelief. He opened his mouth, but couldn't find the right words to say.
Xie Xingzhi rarely complimented others.
"Is Senior still watching?"
Xie Xingzhi withdrew his gaze. "Let's go."
