“There’s a slightly damp smell…”
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, though he had already detected it—the soil carried an extremely pure aura of the Five Elements, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element spiritual energy.
“You kid, even a fool would know it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, much like mud dried under the sun. But after three years of transformation, influenced by the earth’s energy veins, the spiritual currents here have completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. Its texture was very loose, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought that digging a hole could yield such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an exceedingly rare treasure.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay flat in the pit, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while silently circulating his internal energy. As he absorbed the earth’s energy, he simultaneously strengthened his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy veins underground had changed. An unfamiliar type of energy emerged, multiplying the spiritual power within his body several times over!
“This is incredible!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to abandon meditation. Instead, he would seek out famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy to cultivate his power. A single breath of such energy could rival months or even years of traditional cultivation.
Within three to five minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique energy streams.
After taking in these energies, a thumb-sized spiritual elixir condensed within his dantian.
As his spiritual power grew, some of Shui Miao’s abilities began to restore themselves.
He extended his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were dwindling.
“You brat, I told you to dig, so what are you doing lying in there?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao sprawled in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in soil, and chuckled, “Elder, I was sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, with murky water bubbling up. He was utterly astonished. “How did this happen? How did the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint turn into a barren land?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and saw the change in the soil.
Without the old man’s explanation, Shui Miao knew exactly what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth’s energy veins, turning this place barren.
“Get up quickly! This is barren land—its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but soon breathed a sigh of relief. “Lad, it’s lucky you asked me about the acupoint! If those people had come the day after tomorrow and dug up such barren land, they would’ve chopped me up on the spot!”
“So, what do we do now?” Shui Miao feigned ignorance.
“What else? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, picked up his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao grabbed the shovel and followed him to the vehicle.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a stone in front of the car, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s urn. He adopted me when I was very young. A master for a day is a father for life!”
Was the old man planning to swap the urns and place his master’s in the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you place the urn here?”
“You sure ask a lot of questions!” To secure a ride with Shui Miao, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Here’s the thing: in the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint, the three dragons also need to be buried with bones. Otherwise, who would guard the master in an empty dragon acupoint? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of a wealthy merchant, just to save one life.”
“Elder, who exactly are ‘they’?”
Shui Miao grew increasingly curious about this mysterious group.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious bandits from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint, and I was blinded by greed. Now, thinking back, I deeply regret it! Thankfully, this acupoint is ruined, so I won’t have to live with a guilty conscience.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier damage. To his surprise, it started immediately.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, we’re running low on gas. Do you know if there’s a gas station nearby?” Shui Miao didn’t want to risk stalling midway and having to trek back with the old man—getting lost was bad enough, but encountering a wolf pack would be worse.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to go to the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. Leaving tomorrow night would still be fine.” Though advanced in years, the old man was spirited, his eyes sharp and bright. It was clear he was also a lecherous old soul.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they might use dark magic against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to take losses lying down. If they dare scheme against me, I’ll make sure they pay.” The old man picked up his shotgun, checked the ammunition, disassembled it, and reassembled it with practiced ease—exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao swallowed hard. This old man was no simple character. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Little brother, I think you’re a decent fellow. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” The old man loaded the shotgun with bullets and smiled at Shui Miao, proposing to take him as a student.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of what the old man had to teach.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to provide for.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a master, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded. “Alright, that sounds good!”
“Heh, you seem reluctant, so forget it. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Little brother, you wouldn’t look down on an old codger like me, would you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge a connection with Shui Miao.
Feeling awkward, Shui Miao replied, “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young. It wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring Return Pavilion, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!” The old man licked his lips and smiled smugly.
“True capabilities?” Shui Miao was puzzled. Did the old man have some other hidden talent?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation skills are unmatched in the world. Most of my spiritual power was drawn from those lustful women. Don’t you think that’s impressive?”
“Impressive! Absolutely impressive!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly, he was astounded. This old man was truly something else—a dual cultivation master even at his age! What had he been in his youth? A flower-snatching bandit disguised as a feng shui master, armed with a shotgun?
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, but in reality, he had already detected it—the soil carried an exceptionally pure aura of the Five Elements, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element spiritual energy.
“You kid, even a fool would know it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, much like dried-up mud under the sun. But after three years of transformation, influenced by the earth’s energy veins, the spiritual currents here have completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. The texture was very loose, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought that digging a hole could yield such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an exceedingly rare treasure.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay flat in the pit, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while silently circulating his inner energy. As he absorbed the earth’s energy, he simultaneously strengthened his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy veins underground had changed. A type of energy he had never encountered before was being drawn out, and it multiplied the spiritual energy within his body several times over!
“This is incredible!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to abandon meditation. Instead, he would seek out famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy to cultivate his power. A single breath of such energy could equate to months or even years of cultivation.
Within three to five minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique energy streams.
After taking in these energies, a spiritual core the size of a thumb condensed within his dantian.
As his spiritual power grew, some of Shui Miao’s abilities began to recover.
He extended his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were dwindling.
“You brat, I told you to dig, so what are you doing lying in there?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao sprawled in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in dirt, and chuckled, “Elder, I was sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, with murky water bubbling up. He was utterly astonished. “How did this happen? How did the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint turn into a death zone?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and only then noticed the change in the soil.
Without the old man explaining, Shui Miao knew what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth’s energy veins, turning this place into a lifeless zone.
“Get up quickly! This is a death zone—its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but then sighed in relief, saying gratefully, “Lad, it’s fortunate you asked me about the acupoint! Otherwise, when those people come the day after tomorrow and dig up a death zone like this, they’d chop me to pieces on the spot!”
“Then… what do we do now?” Shui Miao pretended to be clueless.
“What do we do? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, went to grab his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up the shovel and also returned to the car.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a rock in front of the car, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao looked at the old man curiously.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s urn. I was adopted by him when I was very young. A teacher for a day is a father for life, as they say.”
Was the old planning to swap the urns and place his master’s ashes in the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you place the urn here?”
“You sure ask a lot of questions!” To secure a ride with Shui Miao, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Here’s the thing: the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint requires the burial of bones for the dragons. Otherwise, who would guard the master in an empty dragon acupoint? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of a wealthy merchant, just to save one person from being killed.”
“Elder, who exactly are these people you keep mentioning?!”
Shui Miao grew increasingly curious about this mysterious group.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious outlaws from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint, and I was blinded by greed when I agreed. Now, thinking back, I deeply regret it! Thankfully, this acupoint is ruined, so I won’t have to live with a guilty conscience.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier issues. To his surprise, it started right away.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, the car is low on fuel. Do you know if there’s a gas station nearby?” Shui Miao didn’t want to risk stalling midway and having to trek back with the old man. Getting lost was bad enough, but encountering a pack of wolves would be worse.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to go to the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. Leaving tomorrow night would still be fine.” Despite his age, the old man was full of energy, his eyes sharp and bright. It was clear he was also a lecherous old fellow.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they might use dark magic against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to let others take advantage of me. If they dare plot against me, I’ll make sure they pay the price.” The old man picked up his shotgun, checked the ammunition, disassembled it, and reassembled it with practiced ease, exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao swallowed hard. This old man was no ordinary person. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Young man, I think you’re quite decent. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” After loading the shotgun with bullets, the old man smiled at Shui Miao and proposed the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of what the old man could teach.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a master, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded and said, “Alright, that sounds good!”
“Heh, seeing how reluctant you are, forget it. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can still be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Young man, you wouldn’t look down on an old codger like me, would you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge a connection with Shui Miao.
Shui Miao felt awkward. “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young. It wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled then—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring House later, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!” The old man licked his lips and smiled smugly.
“Truly capable?” Shui Miao was puzzled. Did this old man have some other remarkable skill?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation technique is unparalleled in the world. Most of my spiritual power was drawn from those lustful women. Tell me, isn’t that something?”
“Absolutely! Without a doubt!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly, he was utterly bewildered. This old man was truly something else—a dual cultivation master even at his age! What kind of person had he been in his youth? A flower thief disguised as a feng shui master, shotgun in hand?
With that, the old man got up to relieve himself.
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, though he had already detected it—the soil carried an incredibly pure aura of the Five Elements, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element spiritual energy.
“Young man, even a fool could tell it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, much like mud dried under the sun. But after three years of transformation under the influence of the earth’s energy veins, the spiritual currents here have completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. Its texture was incredibly soft, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought digging a hole could yield such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an exceedingly rare treasure.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay flat in the pit, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while silently circulating his internal energy. As he absorbed the earth’s energy, he simultaneously strengthened his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy veins underground had shifted. An unfamiliar type of energy emerged, multiplying the spiritual power within his body several times over!
“This is amazing!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to abandon meditation. Instead, he would seek out famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy to cultivate his power. A single breath of such energy could equate to months or even years of cultivation.
Within just a few minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique energy streams.
After taking in these energies, a spiritual core the size of a thumb condensed within his dantian.
As his spiritual power grew, some of Shui Miao’s abilities began to recover.
He extended his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were dwindling.
“Brat, I told you to dig! What are you doing lying in there?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao sprawled in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in dirt, and chuckled. “Elder, I was sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, with murky water bubbling up. He was utterly shocked. “How did this happen? How did the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint turn into a death zone?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and saw the change in the soil.
Without the old man’s explanation, Shui Miao knew exactly what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth’s energy veins, turning this place into a lifeless void.
“Get up quickly! This is a death zone—its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but soon breathed a sigh of relief. “Lad, it’s lucky you asked me about the acupoint! If those people had come the day after tomorrow and dug up a death zone like this, they would’ve chopped me up on the spot!”
“So… what do we do now?” Shui Miao feigned ignorance.
“What else? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, grabbed his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up the shovel and followed him to the car.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a rock in front of the vehicle, and retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth. He then carried it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s ashes. He adopted me when I was very young. A master for a day is a father for life!”
Was the old man planning to swap the urns and place his master’s ashes in the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you place the urn here?”
“You ask too many questions!” Since he needed a ride, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Here’s the thing: the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint requires the burial of bones for the dragons. Otherwise, who would guard the master in an empty dragon acupoint? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes and claimed they belonged to a relative of a wealthy merchant. It was to save at least one life!”
“Elder, who exactly are ‘they’?”
Shui Miao grew increasingly curious about these mysterious people.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious bandits from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint. I was blinded by greed and agreed. Now, thinking back, I regret it deeply! Thankfully, the acupoint is ruined, and I no longer have to live with a guilty conscience.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier issues. To his surprise, it started immediately.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, we’re running low on gas. Do you know if there’s a gas station nearby?” Shui Miao didn’t want to risk stalling midway and having to trek back with the old man. Getting lost was bad enough, but encountering wolves would be worse.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to go to the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. Leaving tomorrow night would still be fine.” Despite his age, the old man was energetic, with sharp, gleaming eyes. It was clear he was also a lecherous old man.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they might use dark magic against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to take losses lying down. If they dare scheme against me, I’ll make sure they pay the price.” The old man picked up a shotgun beside him, checked the ammunition, disassembled it, and reassembled it with practiced ease, exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao swallowed hard. This old man was no simple character. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Young man, I think you’re quite decent. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” After loading the shotgun with bullets, the old man smiled at Shui Miao and proposed the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of what the old man could teach.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a master, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded. “Alright, that sounds good!”
“Heh, you seem reluctant. Forget it, then. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Young man, you wouldn’t look down on an old codger like me, would you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge some kind of relationship with Shui Miao.
Feeling awkward, Shui Miao replied, “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young. It wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring Return Pavilion, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!” The old man licked his lips and smiled smugly.
“True capabilities?” Shui Miao was puzzled. Did the old man have some other hidden talent?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation skills are unmatched in the world. Most of my spiritual power was drawn from those lustful women. Don’t you think that’s impressive?”
“Impressive! Absolutely impressive!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly he was astounded. This old man was truly something else—a dual cultivation master even at his age! What had he been in his youth? A flower thief disguised as a feng shui master, carrying a shotgun?
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, though he had already detected it—the soil carried an incredibly pure aura of the five elements, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element spiritual energy.
“Young man, even a fool could tell it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, much like mud dried under the sun. But after three years of transformation, influenced by the earth’s veins, the energy here has completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. It was very loose, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought digging a hole could yield such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an exceedingly rare treasure.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay flat in the pit, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while silently circulating his internal energy. As he absorbed the earth’s vein energy, he simultaneously strengthened his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy from below changing. A type of energy he had never encountered before was being drawn out, and it multiplied the spiritual energy within his body several times over!
“This is incredible!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to abandon meditation. Instead, he would seek out famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy to cultivate. A single breath of such energy could equate to months or even years of cultivation.
Within just a few minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique streams of energy.
After taking in these energies, a spiritual core the size of a thumb condensed within Shui Miao’s dantian.
As his spiritual power grew, some of his abilities began to restore themselves.
Shui Miao extended his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were nearly depleted.
“Young man, I told you to dig, so why are you lying in there?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao lying in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in soil, and chuckled. “Elder, I was sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, and murky water was bubbling up. He was utterly astonished. “How could this be? How did the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint turn into a deathland?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and saw the change in the soil.
Without the old man’s explanation, Shui Miao knew exactly what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth vein energy, turning this place into a deathland.
“Get up quickly! This is a deathland; its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but soon breathed a sigh of relief. “Young man, it’s fortunate you asked me about the acupoint! Otherwise, if those people had come the day after tomorrow and dug up a deathland, they would’ve chopped me to pieces on the spot!”
“Then… what do we do now?” Shui Miao feigned ignorance.
“What else? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, picked up his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao grabbed the shovel and followed him to the car.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a rock in front of the vehicle, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s urn. He adopted me when I was very young. A master for a day is a father for life!”
Was the old man planning to swap the urns and place his master’s in the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you place the urn here?”
“You ask too many questions!” To secure a ride, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Here’s the thing: the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint requires the burial of bones for the dragons. Otherwise, with an empty dragon acupoint, who would guard the master? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of a wealthy merchant, just to save one life.”
“Elder, who exactly are ‘they’?”
Shui Miao grew increasingly curious about these mysterious people.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious bandits from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to prepare this acupoint. I was blinded by greed and agreed. Now, thinking back, I deeply regret it! Thankfully, the acupoint is ruined, so I no longer have to wrestle with my conscience.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier issues. To his surprise, it started immediately.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, the car is low on fuel. Do you know where the nearest gas station is?” Shui Miao didn’t want to risk stalling midway and having to trek back with the old man—getting lost was bad enough, but encountering wolves would be worse.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to visit the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. Leaving tomorrow night would still be fine.” Despite his age, the old man was energetic, with sharp, gleaming eyes. It was clear he was also a lecherous old man.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they might use dark arts against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to let others take advantage of me. If they dare plot against me, I’ll make sure they pay.” The old man picked up his shotgun, checked the ammunition, disassembled and reassembled it with practiced ease—exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao swallowed hard. This old man was no ordinary person. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Young man, you seem like a decent fellow. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” The old man loaded the shotgun with bullets and smiled at Shui Miao, proposing the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of the old man’s skills.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a master, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded. “Alright, that sounds good!”
“Heh, you seem reluctant, so forget it. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Young man, you wouldn’t look down on an old codger like me, would you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge a connection with Shui Miao.
Shui Miao felt awkward. “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young. It wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring Return Pavilion, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!” The old man licked his lips and smiled smugly.
“True capabilities?” Shui Miao was puzzled. Did the old man have some other remarkable skill?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation technique is unparalleled. Most of my spiritual power was drawn from those lustful women. Now, tell me, isn’t that a remarkable skill?”
“Remarkable! Absolutely remarkable!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly, he was astounded. This old man was truly something—a dual cultivation master even at his age! What had he been in his youth? A flower thief disguised as a feng shui master, armed with a shotgun?
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, though he had already detected it—the soil carried an incredibly pure aura of the Five Elements, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element spiritual energy.
“You kid, even a fool would know it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, much like mud dried under the sun. But after three years of transformation under the influence of the earth’s energy veins, the spiritual currents here have completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. Its texture was incredibly loose, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought that digging a hole could unearth such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an exceedingly rare treasure.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay flat in the pit, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while silently circulating his internal energy. As he absorbed the earth’s energy, he simultaneously strengthened his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy veins underground had changed. A type of energy he had never encountered before was being drawn out, and it multiplied the spiritual energy within his body several times over!
“This is amazing!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to abandon meditation. Instead, he would seek out famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy to cultivate his power. A single breath of such energy could equate to months or even years of traditional cultivation.
Within three to five minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique energy streams.
After taking in these energies, a spiritual core the size of a thumb condensed within his dantian.
As his spiritual power grew, some of Shui Miao’s abilities began to recover.
He extended his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were nearly depleted.
“You brat, I told you to dig, so what are you doing lying in there?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao sprawled in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in soil, and chuckled, “Elder, I was sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, and murky water was bubbling up. He was utterly shocked. “How did this happen? How did the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint turn into a death zone?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and only then noticed the change in the soil.
Without the old man’s explanation, Shui Miao knew exactly what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth’s energy veins, turning this place into a lifeless void.
“Get up quickly! This is a death zone—its energy is harmful to people!” The old man wore a puzzled expression but soon sighed in relief, saying gratefully, “Young man, it’s lucky you asked me about the acupoint! Otherwise, if those people had come the day after tomorrow and dug up a death zone like this, they would’ve chopped me to pieces on the spot!”
“Then… what do we do now?” Shui Miao feigned ignorance.
“What do we do? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, went to grab his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up the shovel and also returned to the car.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a stone in front of the car, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth from beneath it, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s ashes. I was adopted by him when I was very young. A teacher for a day is a father for life, as they say.”
Was the old planning to swap the urns and place his master’s ashes in the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you put the urn here, Elder?”
“You sure ask a lot of questions!” Since he needed a ride, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Well, the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint requires the burial of bones for the three dragons. Otherwise, who would guard the master in an empty dragon acupoint? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of a wealthy merchant, all to save at least one life.”
“Elder, who exactly are ‘they’?”
Shui Miao grew increasingly curious about these mysterious individuals.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious bandits from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint, and I was blinded by greed when I agreed. Now, thinking back, I deeply regret it! Thankfully, this acupoint is ruined, so I won’t have to live with a guilty conscience.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier issues. To his surprise, it started immediately.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, the car is low on fuel. Do you know if there’s a gas station nearby?” Shui Miao didn’t want to end up stranded midway, forced to trek back with the old man—not only was it easy to get lost, but they might also encounter wolf packs.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to go to the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. Leaving tomorrow night will still be soon enough.” Though advanced in years, the old man was spirited, his eyes sharp and bright. It was clear he was also a lecherous old fellow.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they’ll use dark magic against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to let others take advantage of me. If they dare plot against me, I’ll make sure they pay the price.” The old man picked up a shotgun beside him, checked the ammunition, disassembled it, and reassembled it with practiced ease—exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao gulped silently. This old man was no simple character. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Young man, I think you’re quite decent. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” After loading the shotgun with bullets, the old man smiled at Shui Miao and proposed the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of what the old man could teach.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a master, but he couldn’t outright refuse at the moment. After a pause, he nodded and said, “Okay, sure!”
“Heh, seeing how reluctant you are, let’s forget it. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can still be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Young man, you’re not looking down on this old wreck, are you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge some kind of connection with Shui Miao.
Shui Miao felt awkward. “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young, it wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled then—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring Return Pavilion later, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!” The old man licked his lips and smiled smugly.
“True capabilities?” Shui Miao was baffled. Did this old man still have some other hidden talent?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation technique is unparalleled in the world. Most of my spiritual power was drawn from those lustful women. Now, tell me, isn’t that a remarkable skill?”
“Remarkable! Absolutely remarkable!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly, he was utterly bewildered. This old man was truly something else—despite his age, he was actually a master of dual cultivation with women! What kind of person had he been in his youth? A flower-snatching bandit disguised as a feng shui master, armed with a shotgun?
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, though he had already detected it—the soil contained extremely pure Five Elements spiritual energy, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element energy.
“You kid, even a fool would know it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, much like dried-up mud under the sun. But after three years of transformation, influenced by the earth’s energy veins, the spiritual aura here has completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. It was very loose, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought digging a hole could yield such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an extremely rare treasure.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay in the pit, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while silently circulating his energy—absorbing the earth’s vein energy while strengthening his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy from below had changed. An unfamiliar type of energy vein emerged, multiplying the spiritual energy within his body several times over!
“So exhilarating!”
Overwhelmed with joy, Shui Miao decided then and there to forgo meditation in the future. Instead, he would head to famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy for cultivation. A single breath of it could equate to months or even years of cultivation.
Within three to five minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique energy streams.
After taking them in, a thumb-sized spiritual pill condensed within his dantian.
As his spiritual energy grew stronger, some of Shui Miao’s abilities began to return.
He extended his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were nearly depleted.
“You brat, I told you to dig, so why are you lying in there?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao lying in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in soil, and chuckled. “Elder, I was sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, with murky water bubbling up. He was shocked. “How did this happen? How did the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint turn into a dead zone?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and saw the change in the soil.
Without the old man’s explanation, Shui Miao knew what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth’s vein energy, turning the area into a dead zone.
“Get up quickly! This is a dead zone—its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but soon breathed a sigh of relief. “Lad, it’s lucky you asked me about the acupoint! If those people had come the day after tomorrow and dug up a dead zone like this, they would’ve chopped me up on the spot!”
“Then… what do we do now?” Shui Miao feigned ignorance.
“What else? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, grabbed his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up the shovel and followed.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a stone in front of the car, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s urn. He adopted me when I was very young. A teacher for a day is a father for life, as they say.”
Was the old planning to swap the urns and place his master’s in the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you place the urn here?”
“You ask too many questions!” To secure a ride, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Here’s the thing: in the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint, the three dragons also need to be buried. Otherwise, who would guard the master in an empty dragon acupoint? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of a wealthy merchant, to save at least one life.”
“Elder, who exactly are ‘they’?”
Shui Miao grew increasingly curious about these mysterious people.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious bandits from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint. I was blinded by greed and agreed. Now, thinking back, I regret it deeply! Thankfully, the acupoint is ruined, and I no longer have to wrestle with my conscience.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier issues. To his surprise, it started immediately.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, we’re running low on gas. Do you know if there’s a gas station nearby?” Shui Miao didn’t want to end up stranded halfway, forced to trek back with the old man—getting lost was bad enough, but encountering wolves was even worse.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to go to the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. We can leave tomorrow night and still make it.” Despite his age, the old man was spirited, with sharp, gleaming eyes. It was clear he was also a lecherous old man.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they’ll use dark magic against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to let others take advantage of me. If they dare plot against me, I’ll make sure they pay.” The old man picked up his shotgun, checked the ammunition, disassembled and reassembled it with practiced ease—exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao swallowed hard. This old man was no simple character. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Young man, I think you’re quite decent. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” The old man loaded the shotgun with bullets and smiled at Shui Miao, proposing the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of what the old man could teach.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a arrangement, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded. “Alright, that sounds good!”
“Heh, you seem reluctant, so forget it. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Young man, you wouldn’t look down on an old codger like me, would you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge a connection with Shui Miao.
Shui Miao felt awkward. “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young. It wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring House later, I’ll show you my real skills!” The old man licked his lips and grinned smugly.
“Real skills?” Shui Miao was puzzled. Did the old man have some other remarkable ability?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation technique is unparalleled. Most of my spiritual energy was drawn from those lustful women. Don’t you think that’s a remarkable skill?”
“Remarkable! Absolutely remarkable!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly, he was astounded. This old man was truly something—at his age, he was still a top-tier master of dual cultivation with women! What kind of person had he been in his youth? A flower thief disguised as a feng shui master, armed with a shotgun?
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, though he had already detected it—the soil contained extremely pure Five Elements spiritual energy, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element energy.
“You kid, even a fool could tell it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, much like mud dried under the sun. But after three years of transformation under the influence of the earth’s veins, the energy here has completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. It was very loose, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely.
“Who would have thought digging a hole could yield such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an exceedingly rare treasure now.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay flat in the pit, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while silently circulating his energy. As he absorbed the earth’s vein energy, he simultaneously strengthened his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy from below had changed. A type of energy he had never encountered before was being drawn out, and it multiplied the spiritual energy within his body several times over.
“So exhilarating!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to forgo meditation in the future. Instead, he would head to famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy to cultivate. A single breath of such energy could equate to months or even years of cultivation.
Within three to five minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique energy streams.
After taking in these energies, a spiritual core the size of a thumb condensed within Shui Miao’s dantian.
As his spiritual energy grew stronger, some of his abilities began to recover.
Shui Miao extended his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were nearly depleted.
“You brat, I told you to dig, so what are you doing lying in there?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao lying in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in dirt, and chuckled. “Elder, I was sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, and murky water was bubbling up. He was utterly shocked. “How could this be? How did the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint turn into a death zone?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and only then noticed the change in the soil beneath his feet.
Without the old man’s explanation, Shui Miao knew what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth vein energy here, turning the area into a lifeless void.
“Get up quickly! This is a death zone—its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but then sighed in relief. “Lad, it’s fortunate you asked me about the acupoint! Otherwise, if those people had come the day after tomorrow and dug up a death zone like this, they’d have chopped me to pieces on the spot!”
“Then… what do we do now?” Shui Miao feigned ignorance.
“What do we do? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, went to grab his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up the shovel and returned to the car as well.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a stone in front of the car, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s urn. He adopted me when I was very young. A teacher for a day is a father for life, as they say.”
Was the old planning to swap the urns and place his master’s in the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you place the urn here?”
“You sure ask a lot of questions!” Since he needed a ride, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Well, the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint requires the burial of bones for the three dragons. Otherwise, with an empty dragon acupoint, who would protect the master? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of a wealthy merchant, just to save one life.”
“Elder, who exactly are ‘they’?”
Shui Miao grew even more curious about this mysterious group.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious bandits from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint, and I was blinded by greed when I agreed. Now, thinking back, I truly regret it! Thankfully, the acupoint is ruined, so I don’t have to live with a guilty conscience anymore.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier damage, but it started right up.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, the car is low on fuel. Do you know if there’s a gas station nearby?” Shui Miao didn’t want to risk stalling midway and having to trek back with the old man. Getting lost was bad enough, but encountering a wolf pack would be worse.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to go to the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. Leaving tomorrow night would still be soon enough.” Despite his age, the old man was full of energy, his eyes sharp and bright. It was clear he was also a lecherous old man.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they’ll use dark magic against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to let others take advantage of me. If they dare scheme against me, I’ll make sure they pay the price.” The old man picked up his shotgun, checked the ammunition, disassembled and reassembled it with practiced ease, exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao gulped silently. This old man was no simple character. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Little brother, I think you’re a decent fellow. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” After loading the shotgun with bullets, the old man smiled at Shui Miao and proposed the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of what the old man had to offer.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a master, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded. “Alright, that sounds good!”
“Heh, seeing how reluctant you are, forget it. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can still be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Little brother, you’re not looking down on this old wreck, are you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge a connection with Shui Miao.
Shui Miao felt awkward. “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young. It wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled then—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring Return Pavilion, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!” The old man licked his lips and smiled smugly.
“True capabilities?” Shui Miao was puzzled. Did the old man have some other remarkable skill?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation technique is unparalleled in the world. Most of my spiritual energy was drawn from those lustful women. Don’t you think that’s an impressive skill?”
“Impressive! Absolutely impressive!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly he was bewildered. This old man was truly something else—a dual cultivation master even at his age! What had he been in his youth? A flower thief disguised as a feng shui master, carrying a shotgun?
Overjoyed, Shui Miao decided he’d stop meditating in the future and instead dig into dragon veins in famous mountains and rivers to absorb their energy directly. One breath could equal months or even years of cultivation.
Within three to five minutes, he absorbed two more unique energies.
After absorbing them, a small pill the size of a thumb formed in Shui Miao’s dantian.
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, but in reality, he had already detected it—the soil contained extremely pure Five Elements spiritual energy, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element energy.
“You kid, even a fool would know it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, almost like dried-up mud under the sun. But after three years of transformation under the influence of the earth’s energy veins, the spiritual aura here has completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. Its texture was very loose, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought that digging a hole could yield such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an extremely rare treasure.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay flat in the hole, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while silently circulating his internal energy. As he absorbed the earth’s energy, he simultaneously strengthened his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy veins underground had changed. A type of energy he had never encountered before was being drawn out, multiplying the spiritual energy within his body several times over!
“This is amazing!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to abandon meditation. Instead, he would seek out famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy to cultivate his power. A single breath of such energy could rival months or even years of traditional cultivation.
Within just a few minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique energy streams.
After taking in these energies, a thumb-sized spiritual pill condensed within his dantian.
As his spiritual power grew, some of Shui Miao’s abilities began to recover.
He expanded his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were dwindling.
“You brat, I told you to dig, so what are you doing lying in there?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao sprawled in the hole like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in dirt, and chuckled. “Elder, I was sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, with murky water bubbling up. He was shocked. “How did this happen? How did the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint turn into a deathland?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and saw the change in the soil.
Without the old man explaining, Shui Miao knew what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth’s energy veins, turning this place into a deathland.
“Get up quickly! This is a deathland—its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but soon breathed a sigh of relief. “Lad, it’s lucky you asked me about the acupoint! Otherwise, when those people come the day after tomorrow and dig up a deathland, they’d have chopped me up on the spot!”
“So, what do we do now?” Shui Miao feigned ignorance.
“What else? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, grabbed his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up the shovel and followed him to the car.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a rock in front of the car, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s ashes. He adopted me when I was very young. A teacher for a day is a father for life, after all!”
Was the old man planning to swap the urns and place his master’s ashes in the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you put the urn here?”
“You ask too many questions!” To secure a ride with Shui Miao, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Here’s the thing: the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint requires the burial of bones for the dragons. Otherwise, with an empty dragon acupoint, who would guard the master? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of a wealthy merchant, just to save one less person from being killed.”
“Elder, who exactly are ‘they’?”
Shui Miao grew increasingly curious about these mysterious people.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious outlaws from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint, and I was blinded by greed when I agreed. Now, thinking back, I regret it deeply! Thankfully, this acupoint is ruined, so I don’t have to live with a guilty conscience anymore.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier issues. To his surprise, it started immediately.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, we’re running low on gas. Do you know if there’s a gas station nearby?” Shui Miao didn’t want to risk stalling midway and having to trek back with the old man—getting lost was bad enough, but encountering wolves would be worse.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to go to the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. Leaving tomorrow night would still be fine.” Despite his age, the old man was full of energy, his eyes sharp and bright. It was clear he was also a lecherous old man.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they might use dark magic against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to let others take advantage of me. If they dare plot against me, I’ll make sure they pay the price.” The old man picked up his shotgun, checked the ammunition, disassembled it, and reassembled it with practiced ease—exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao swallowed hard. This old man was no simple character. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Young man, I think you’re quite decent. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” After loading the shotgun with bullets, the old man smiled at Shui Miao and proposed the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of what the old man could teach.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a master, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded. “Alright, that sounds good!”
“Heh, you seem reluctant, so forget it. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can still be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Young man, you wouldn’t look down on an old codger like me, would you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge a connection with Shui Miao.
Feeling awkward, Shui Miao replied, “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young, it wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring Return Pavilion, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!” The old man licked his lips and smiled smugly.
“True capabilities?” Shui Miao was puzzled. Did the old man have some other hidden talent?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation skills are unmatched in the world. Most of my spiritual power was drawn from those lustful women. Now, tell me, isn’t that a remarkable skill?”
“Remarkable! Absolutely remarkable!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly he was astounded. This old man was truly something else—despite his age, he was a top-tier master of dual cultivation with women! What kind of person had he been in his youth? A flower-snatching bandit disguised as a feng shui master, armed with a shotgun?
He extended his spiritual awareness and found he could now sense everything within a fifty-meter radius.
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, though he had already detected it—the soil contained extremely pure Five Elements spiritual energy, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element energy.
“You kid, even a fool would know it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, almost like dried-up mud under the sun. But after three years of transformation under the influence of the earth’s veins, the energy here has completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. It was very loose, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought that digging a hole could unearth such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an extremely rare treasure now.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay flat in the hole, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while secretly circulating his energy. He absorbed the earth’s vein energy while simultaneously strengthening his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy from below had changed. A type of energy he had never encountered before was being absorbed, and it multiplied the spiritual energy within his body several times over!
“This is amazing!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to abandon meditation. Instead, he would go to famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorb their energy, and cultivate his power. A single breath here could equal months or even years of cultivation.
Within three to five minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique energy streams.
After absorbing these energies, a spiritual core the size of a thumb condensed within Shui Miao’s dantian.
As his spiritual energy grew stronger, some of his abilities began to recover.
Shui Miao extended his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the pure spiritual energy was nearly depleted.
“You brat, I told you to dig, so what are you lying in there for?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao lying in the hole like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in dirt, and chuckled, “Elder, I was just sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood up, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, and murky water was bubbling up. He was shocked. “How did this happen? How did the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint turn into a deathland?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and saw the change in the soil.
Without the old man’s explanation, Shui Miao knew what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth’s vein energy, turning this place into a deathland.
“Get up quickly! This is a deathland—its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but then sighed in relief. “Lad, it’s lucky you asked me about the acupoint! Otherwise, if those people came the day after tomorrow and dug up a deathland, they’d have chopped me up on the spot!”
“Then… what do we do now?” Shui Miao pretended to be clueless.
“What do we do? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, went to grab his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up the shovel and followed him to the car.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a rock in front of the car, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s urn. He adopted me when I was very young. A master for a day is a father for life!”
Was the old man planning to swap the urns and place his master’s in the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you put the urn here?”
“You ask too many questions!” To secure a ride, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Here’s the thing: in the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint, the three dragons also need to be buried. Otherwise, who would protect the master in an empty dragon acupoint? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of a wealthy businessman, just to save one life.”
“Elder, who exactly are these people you’re talking about?!”
Shui Miao grew even more curious about this mysterious group.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious bandits from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint. I was blinded by greed and agreed. Now, thinking back, I regret it deeply! Thankfully, this acupoint is ruined, so I don’t have to live with a guilty conscience anymore.”
“……”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not work after breaking down earlier. To his surprise, it started right up.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, the car is low on gas. Do you know where the nearest gas station is?” Shui Miao didn’t want to end up stranded halfway, forced to trek back with the old man. Getting lost was bad enough, but encountering a pack of wolves would be worse.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to go to the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. We can leave tomorrow night and still make it.” Despite his age, the old man was full of energy, his eyes sharp and bright. It was clear he was also a lecherous old man.
Shui Miao wanted to ask about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they’ll use dark magic against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to let others take advantage of me. If they dare plot against me, I’ll make them pay.” The old man picked up his shotgun, checked the ammunition, disassembled it, and reassembled it with practiced ease, exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao swallowed hard. This old man was no ordinary person. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Young man, I think you’re quite decent. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” The old man loaded the shotgun with bullets and smiled at Shui Miao, proposing the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of what the old man had to teach.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a master, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded. “Alright, that sounds good!”
“Heh, you seem reluctant, so forget it. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Young man, you wouldn’t look down on an old fool like me, would you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge a connection with Shui Miao.
Shui Miao felt awkward. “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young. It wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring Return Pavilion, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!” The old man licked his lips and smiled smugly.
“Truly capable?” Shui Miao was puzzled. Did this old man have some other hidden talent?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation skills are unmatched. Most of my spiritual energy was drawn from those lustful women. Don’t you think that’s impressive?”
“Impressive! Absolutely impressive!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly, he was utterly bewildered. This old man was truly something else—a dual cultivation master at his age! What had he been in his youth? A flower thief disguised as a feng shui master, armed with a shotgun?
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, though he had already detected it—the soil carried an incredibly pure aura of the Five Elements, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element spiritual energy.
“You kid, even a fool would know it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, much like mud dried under the sun. But after three years of transformation, influenced by the earth’s energy veins, the spiritual currents here have completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. The texture was very loose, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought that digging a hole could yield such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an exceedingly rare treasure.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay in the pit, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while secretly circulating his inner energy. As he absorbed the earth’s energy, he simultaneously strengthened his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy below changing. A type of energy vein he had never encountered before was being drawn out, and it multiplied the spiritual energy within his body several times over!
“This is incredible!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to abandon meditation. Instead, he would seek out famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy to cultivate. A single breath of such energy could rival months or even years of traditional cultivation.
Within three to five minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique energy streams.
After taking in these energies, a thumb-sized spiritual pill condensed within his dantian.
As his spiritual power grew, some of Shui Miao’s abilities began to recover.
He extended his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were dwindling.
“You brat, I told you to dig! What are you lying in there for?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao lying in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in soil, and chuckled, “Elder, I was sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, with murky water bubbling up. He was utterly shocked. “How did this happen? How did the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint turn into a barren land?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and saw the change in the soil.
Without the old man’s explanation, Shui Miao knew what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth’s energy veins, turning this place barren.
“Get up quickly! This is barren land now. Its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but soon breathed a sigh of relief, saying gratefully, “Lad, it’s lucky you asked me about the acupoint! Otherwise, if those people came the day after tomorrow and dug up such a barren land, they’d have chopped me up on the spot!”
“So… what do we do now?” Shui Miao pretended to be clueless.
“What do we do? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, went to grab his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up the shovel and returned to the car as well.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a stone in front of the car, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s ashes. He adopted me when I was very young. A master for a day is a father for life!”
Was the old man planning to swap the urns and place his master’s ashes in the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you put the urn here?”
“You ask too many questions!” To secure a ride with Shui Miao, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Here’s the thing: the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint requires the burial of bones for the three dragons. Otherwise, who would guard the master in an empty dragon acupoint? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of a wealthy merchant, just to save one life.”
“Elder, who exactly are ‘they’?”
Shui Miao grew increasingly curious about these mysterious people.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious outlaws from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint. I was blinded by greed and agreed. Now, thinking back, I regret it deeply! Thankfully, this acupoint is ruined, and I no longer have to live with a guilty conscience.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier issues. To his surprise, it started immediately.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, the car is low on fuel. Do you know where the nearest gas station is?” Shui Miao didn’t want to risk stalling midway and having to trek back with the old man. Getting lost was bad enough, but encountering wolves was even worse.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to go to the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. We can leave tomorrow night and still make it.” Despite his age, the old man was energetic, with sharp, gleaming eyes. It was clear he was also a lecherous old man.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they might use dark arts against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to take losses lying down. If they dare scheme against me, I’ll make sure they pay.” The old man picked up a shotgun beside him, checked the ammunition, disassembled it, and reassembled it with practiced ease, exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao swallowed hard. This old man was no simple character. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Young man, I think you’re quite decent. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” After loading the shotgun, the old man smiled and proposed the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of the old man’s skills.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a master, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded. “Alright, sure!”
“Heh, you seem reluctant. Forget it, then. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Young man, you wouldn’t look down on an old coot like me, would you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge a connection with Shui Miao.
Feeling awkward, Shui Miao replied, “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young. It wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled. From now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring Return Pavilion, I’ll show you my real skills!” The old man licked his lips and grinned smugly.
“Real skills?” Shui Miao was puzzled. Did the old man have some other remarkable ability?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation technique is unparalleled. Most of my spiritual power was drawn from those seductive women. Don’t you think that’s a remarkable skill?”
“Remarkable! Absolutely remarkable!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly he was astounded. This old man was truly something—despite his age, he was a master of dual cultivation with women! What kind of person had he been in his youth? A flower thief disguised as a feng shui master, armed with a shotgun?
The old man had taken a walk, tidied up his belongings inside the wooden house, and now stood outside, surprised to find Shui Miao lying in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in dirt, grinning foolishly. “Senior, I was just sniffing the air.”
“Hmm?”
At the moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, with murky water rising from below. Shocked, he exclaimed, “How can this be? How did this Triple Dragon Protecting the Master site turn into a cursed ground?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and noticed the change in the soil.
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, though he had already detected it—the soil carried an incredibly pure aura of the Five Elements, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element spiritual energy.
“Young man, even a fool could tell it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, much like mud dried under the sun. But after three years of transformation, influenced by the earth’s energy veins, the spiritual currents here have completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. Its texture was soft and loose, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought that digging a hole could yield such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an exceedingly rare treasure.
He quickly set down his shovel, lay flat in the pit, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while silently circulating his internal energy. As he absorbed the earth’s energy, he simultaneously strengthened his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy below changing—a type of energy vein he had never encountered before emerged, multiplying the spiritual energy within his body several times over!
“This is incredible!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to abandon meditation. Instead, he would seek out famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy to cultivate his power. A single breath here could equate to months or even years of conventional cultivation.
Within just a few minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique energy streams.
After taking in these energies, a thumb-sized spiritual elixir condensed within his dantian.
As his spiritual power grew, some of Shui Miao’s abilities began to recover.
He expanded his spiritual awareness and found he could now sense all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were dwindling.
“Young rascal, I told you to dig, so what are you doing lying in there?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao sprawled in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in dirt, and chuckled, “Elder, I was just sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, with murky water bubbling up. He was utterly shocked. “How did this happen? How did the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint turn into a barren land?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and only then noticed the change in the soil.
Without the old man explaining, Shui Miao knew exactly what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth’s energy veins, turning this place barren.
“Get up quickly! This is barren land—its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but soon breathed a sigh of relief, saying gratefully, “Young man, it’s fortunate you asked me about the acupoint! Otherwise, if those people had come the day after tomorrow and dug up such a barren land, they would have chopped me up on the spot!”
“So, what do we do now?” Shui Miao feigned ignorance.
“What else? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, went to grab his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up his shovel and followed.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a stone in front of the car, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s urn. He adopted me when I was very young. A teacher for a day is a father for life!”
Was the old man planning to swap the urns and place his master’s in the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you place the urn here?”
“You ask too many questions!” To secure a ride, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Well, the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint requires the burial of bones for the three dragons. Otherwise, who would protect the master in an empty dragon acupoint? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of a wealthy merchant, just to save one life.”
“Elder, who exactly are ‘they’?”
Shui Miao grew increasingly curious about these mysterious people.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious outlaws from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint. I was blinded by greed and agreed. Now, thinking back, I deeply regret it! Thankfully, this acupoint is ruined, so I no longer have to live with a guilty conscience.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier issues. To his surprise, it started immediately.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, we’re running low on gas. Do you know where the nearest gas station is?” Shui Miao didn’t want to risk stalling midway and having to trek back with the old man—getting lost was bad enough, but encountering wolves would be worse.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to go to the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. Leaving tomorrow night would still be fine.” Though advanced in years, the old man was spirited, with sharp, gleaming eyes. It was clear he was also quite the lecher.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they might use dark magic against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to take losses lying down. If they dare scheme against me, I’ll make sure they pay.” The old man picked up his shotgun, checked the ammunition, disassembled and reassembled it with practiced ease—exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao swallowed hard. This old man was no simple character. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a killer in his youth!
“Young man, I think you’re quite decent. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” The old man loaded his shotgun with bullets and smiled at Shui Miao, proposing the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of what the old man had to offer.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a arrangement, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded. “Alright, that sounds good!”
“Heh, you seem reluctant, so forget it. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Young brother, you wouldn’t look down on an old fool like me, would you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge a connection with Shui Miao.
Feeling awkward, Shui Miao replied, “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young. It wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled then—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring Return Pavilion, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!” The old man licked his lips and smiled smugly.
“True capabilities?” Shui Miao was puzzled. Did the old man have some other hidden talent?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation skills are unparalleled. Most of my spiritual power was drawn from those lustful women. Don’t you think that’s impressive?”
“Impressive! Absolutely impressive!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly he was astounded. This old man was truly something—a dual cultivation master even at his age! What had he been in his youth? A flower thief disguised as a feng shui master, armed with a shotgun?
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao played the fool, though he had already detected it—within the soil was an incredibly pure aura of the five elements, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element spiritual energy.
“Young man, even a fool could tell it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, much like mud dried under the sun. But after three years of transformation, influenced by the earth’s energy veins, the spiritual currents here have completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. It was very loose, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought digging a hole could yield such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an exceedingly rare treasure now.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay flat in the pit, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while silently circulating his inner energy. As he absorbed the earth’s energy, he simultaneously strengthened his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy underground had shifted. A type of energy vein he had never encountered before was being drawn out, and it multiplied the spiritual energy within his body several times over!
“This is incredible!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to abandon meditation. Instead, he would go to famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy to cultivate. A single breath here could equal months or even years of traditional practice.
Within three to five minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique energy streams.
After taking in these energies, a spiritual core the size of a thumb condensed within Shui Miao’s dantian.
As his spiritual power grew, some of his abilities began to recover.
Shui Miao extended his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were nearly depleted.
“Young rascal, I told you to dig, so what are you doing lying in there?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao sprawled in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in dirt, and chuckled. “Elder, I was sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, and murky water was bubbling up. He was utterly astonished. “How did this happen? How did the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint turn into a death zone?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and only then noticed the change in the soil.
Without the old man’s explanation, Shui Miao knew exactly what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth’s energy veins, turning this place into a lifeless void.
“Get up quickly! This is a death zone—its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but soon breathed a sigh of relief, saying gratefully, “Lad, it’s fortunate you asked me about the acupoint! Otherwise, if those people had come the day after tomorrow and dug up a death zone like this, they would’ve chopped me to pieces on the spot!”
“Then… what do we do now?” Shui Miao pretended to be clueless.
“What do we do? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, went to grab his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up the shovel and also returned to the car.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a rock in front of the vehicle, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s ashes. I was adopted by him when I was very young. A master for a day is a father for life!”
Was the old man planning to swap the urns and place his master’s ashes in the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you put the urn here?”
“You ask too many questions!” To secure a ride with Shui Miao, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Here’s the thing: the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint requires the burial of bones for the three dragons. Otherwise, with an empty dragon vein, who would protect the master? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of a wealthy merchant, just to save one life.”
“Elder, who exactly are ‘they’?”
Shui Miao grew increasingly curious about this mysterious group.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious bandits from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint, and I was blinded by greed when I agreed. Thinking back now, I deeply regret it! Thankfully, this acupoint is ruined, so I don’t have to live with a guilty conscience anymore.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier issues. To his surprise, it started right up.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, the car is low on fuel. Do you know where the nearest gas station is?” Shui Miao didn’t want to risk stalling midway and having to trek back with the old man—getting lost was bad enough, but encountering a wolf pack would be worse.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to go to the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. Leaving tomorrow night would still be fine.” Though advanced in years, the old man was energetic, with sharp, gleaming eyes. It was clear he was also a lecherous old soul.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they’ll use dark magic against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to take losses lying down. If they dare scheme against me, I’ll make sure they pay.” The old man picked up his shotgun, checked the ammunition, disassembled and reassembled it with practiced ease—exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao swallowed hard. This old man was no simple character. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Young man, I think you’re quite decent. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” The old man loaded the shotgun with bullets and smiled at Shui Miao, proposing the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of what the old man had to offer.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a master, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded. “Alright, that sounds good!”
“Heh, seeing how reluctant you are, forget it. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Young man, you wouldn’t look down on an old codger like me, would you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge a connection with Shui Miao.
Shui Miao felt awkward. “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young. It wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled then—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring Return Pavilion, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!” The old man licked his lips and smiled smugly.
“True capabilities?” Shui Miao was baffled. Did this old man have some other hidden talent?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation skills are unmatched in the world. Most of my spiritual power was drawn from those seductive women. Now, tell me, isn’t that something?”
“Absolutely! Without a doubt!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly he was astounded. This old man was truly something else—well into his years yet still a top-tier master of dual cultivation with women! What had he been in his youth? A flower-snatching bandit disguised as a feng shui master, shotgun in hand?
“So… what do we do now?” Shui Miao pretended to be confused.
“What do you mean, what to do? We leave!”
Shaking his head, the old man grabbed his bag and walked toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up the shovel and returned to the car as well.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a stone from the front of the car, and retrieved a small urn wrapped in red cloth from beneath it, placing it in the front passenger seat.
“Senior, whose ashes are these?” Shui Miao asked curiously.
The old man sighed. “My master’s. I was taken in by him when I was young. Once a teacher, forever a father.”
Was the old man planning to switch the ashes? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you bring your master’s ashes here?”
“You ask too many questions!” The old man had no choice but to explain, hoping to ride in Shui Miao’s car. “You see, the Triple Dragon Protecting the Master site requires burial remains for the three dragons. Otherwise, the site is empty—who would protect the master then? I didn’t want them to kill anyone else, so I brought my master’s ashes and told them they belonged to a rich businessman, just to save one life.”
“Senior, who exactly are ‘they’?”
Shui Miao grew even more intrigued by this mysterious group.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious Mongolian criminals. They paid me five million to prepare this site. I agreed out of greed, but now I regret it. Luckily, this site is ruined, so I don’t have to feel guilty anymore.”
Shui Miao finally understood.
He turned the key, worried the car might be damaged and not start, but to his surprise, it started immediately.
He drove the car away.
“Senior, there’s not much gas left. Do you know where the nearest gas station is?” Shui Miao didn’t want to get stuck halfway and have to walk back with the old man, risking getting lost or encountering wolves.
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, but in reality, he had already detected it—the soil carried an incredibly pure aura of the Five Elements, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element spiritual energy.
“You kid, even a fool would know it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, almost like dried-up mud baked by the sun. But after three years of transformation under the influence of the earth’s veins, the energy here has completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. Its texture was incredibly soft, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought that digging a hole could yield such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an extremely rare treasure.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay flat in the pit, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while silently circulating his internal energy. As he absorbed the earth’s vein energy, he simultaneously strengthened his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy underground had changed. A type of energy he had never encountered before was being drawn out, and it multiplied the spiritual power within him several times over!
“This is amazing!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to abandon meditation. Instead, he would seek out famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy to cultivate his power. A single breath of such energy could rival months or even years of traditional cultivation.
Within three to five minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique streams of energy.
After taking in these energies, a spiritual core the size of a thumb condensed within his dantian.
As his spiritual power grew, some of Shui Miao’s abilities began to return.
He extended his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were nearly depleted.
“You brat, I told you to dig, so what are you doing lying in there?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao sprawled in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in dirt, and chuckled. “Elder, I was sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, with murky water bubbling up. He was utterly shocked. “How did this happen? How did the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint turn into a death zone?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and saw the change in the soil.
Without the old man explaining, Shui Miao knew what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth vein energy here, turning the place into a lifeless void.
“Get up quickly! This is a death zone—its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but soon breathed a sigh of relief. “Lad, it’s lucky you asked me about the acupoint! If those people had come the day after tomorrow and dug up a death zone like this, they would’ve chopped me up on the spot!”
“So… what do we do now?” Shui Miao feigned ignorance.
“What do we do? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, went to grab his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up the shovel and followed him to the car.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a rock in front of the vehicle, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s ashes. He adopted me when I was very young. A teacher for a day is a father for life, as they say.”
Was the old man planning to swap the urns and place his master’s ashes in the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you put the urn here?”
“You sure ask a lot of questions!” Needing a ride, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Well, the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint requires the burial of bones for the dragons. Otherwise, who would guard the master in an empty dragon acupoint? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of a wealthy merchant, just to save one life.”
“Elder, who exactly are ‘they’?”
Shui Miao grew increasingly curious about these mysterious people.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious outlaws from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint, and I was blinded by greed. Now, thinking back, I regret it deeply! Thankfully, the acupoint is ruined, and I don’t have to live with a guilty conscience anymore.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier issues. To his surprise, it started right up.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, we’re running low on gas. Do you know if there’s a gas station nearby?” Shui Miao didn’t want to end up stranded halfway, forced to trek back with the old man—not only was it easy to get lost, but they might also run into wolves.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to go to the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. We can leave tomorrow night and still make it.” Despite his age, the old man was energetic, with sharp, gleaming eyes. It was clear he was also a lecherous old man.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they’ll use dark magic against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to take losses lying down. If they dare scheme against me, I’ll make them pay.” The old man picked up his shotgun, checked the ammunition, disassembled it, and reassembled it with practiced ease—exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao gulped silently. This old man was no ordinary person. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Young man, I think you’re quite decent. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” The old man loaded the shotgun with bullets and smiled at Shui Miao, proposing the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of what the old man had to offer.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a master, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded. “Alright, sure!”
“Heh, you seem reluctant. Forget it, then. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Young man, you wouldn’t look down on an old codger like me, would you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge a connection with Shui Miao.
Shui Miao felt awkward. “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young. It wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring Return Pavilion, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!” The old man licked his lips and smiled smugly.
“True capabilities?” Shui Miao was puzzled. Did this old man have some other hidden talent?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation skills are unmatched in the world. Most of my spiritual power comes from draining those lustful women. Now, wouldn’t you say that’s a remarkable skill?”
“Remarkable! Absolutely remarkable!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly he was astounded. This old man was truly something else—a dual cultivation master even at his age! What had he been in his youth? A flower thief disguised as a feng shui master, shotgun in hand?
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, though he had already detected it—the soil carried an extremely pure aura of the Five Elements, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element spiritual energy.
“Young man, even a fool could tell it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, much like mud dried under the sun. But after three years of transformation under the influence of the earth’s veins, the energy here has completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. It was very loose, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought that digging a hole could yield such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an incredibly rare treasure.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay flat in the pit, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy while silently circulating his energy. As he absorbed the earth’s vein energy, he simultaneously strengthened his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy from below had changed. A type of energy he had never encountered before was being drawn out, multiplying the spiritual energy within his body several times over!
“This is amazing!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to abandon meditation. Instead, he would seek out famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy to cultivate his power. A single breath of such energy could equate to months or even years of cultivation.
Within just a few minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique streams of energy.
After taking in these energies, a thumb-sized spiritual pill condensed within Shui Miao’s dantian.
As his spiritual power grew, some of his abilities began to recover.
Shui Miao extended his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were nearly depleted.
“Young man, I told you to dig, so why are you lying in there?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao lying in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in dirt, and chuckled. “Elder, I was just sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood up, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, with murky water bubbling up. He was utterly shocked. “How did this happen? How did the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint turn into a death zone?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and saw the change in the soil.
Without the old man’s explanation, Shui Miao knew exactly what had happened—he had absorbed all the earth’s vein energy, turning the area into a lifeless void.
“Get out quickly! This is a death zone—its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but soon breathed a sigh of relief. “Young man, it’s lucky you asked me about the acupoint! If those people had come the day after tomorrow and dug up a death zone like this, they would’ve chopped me up on the spot!”
“So… what do we do now?” Shui Miao feigned ignorance.
“What else? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, grabbed his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up the shovel and followed him to the car.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a rock in front of the vehicle, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s urn. He adopted me when I was very young. A teacher for a day is a father for life!”
Was the old planning to swap the urns and place his master’s in the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you place the urn here?”
“You ask too many questions!” Since he needed a ride, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Here’s the thing: the Three Dragons Protecting the Master acupoint requires the burial of bones for the three dragons. Otherwise, who would protect the master in an empty dragon acupoint? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of a wealthy businessman, just to save one life.”
“Elder, who exactly are ‘they’?”
Shui Miao grew increasingly curious about these mysterious people.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious bandits from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint, and I was blinded by greed. Now, thinking back, I regret it deeply! Thankfully, the acupoint is ruined, and I no longer have to live with a guilty conscience.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
He tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier troubles. To his surprise, it started immediately.
So, Shui Miao drove off.
“Elder, the car is low on fuel. Do you know where the nearest gas station is?” Shui Miao didn’t want to risk stalling midway and having to trek back with the old man—getting lost was bad enough, but encountering wolves would be worse.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to visit the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. Leaving tomorrow night would still be fine.” Despite his age, the old man was energetic, with sharp, gleaming eyes. It was clear he was also a lecherous old man.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to prepare himself. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they’ll use dark magic against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to take losses lying down. If they dare scheme against me, I’ll make them pay.” The old man picked up his shotgun, checked the ammunition, disassembled it, and reassembled it with practiced ease, exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao swallowed hard. This old man was no simple character. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Young man, you seem like a decent fellow. I’m thinking of taking you as my disciple and teaching you everything I know.” After loading the shotgun, the old man smiled at Shui Miao and proposed the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of what the old man had to teach.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such a arrangement, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded. “Alright, that sounds good!”
“Heh, you seem reluctant, so forget it. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Young man, you wouldn’t look down on an old codger like me, would you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge a connection with Shui Miao.
Feeling awkward, Shui Miao replied, “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young. It wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring House later, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!” The old man licked his lips and smiled smugly.
“Truly capable?” Shui Miao was puzzled. Did the old man have some other hidden talent?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned in, and whispered into Shui Miao’s ear, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation skills are unmatched. Most of my spiritual power comes from drawing it from those lustful women. Don’t you think that’s impressive?”
“Impressive! Absolutely impressive!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly, he was astounded. This old man was truly something else—despite his age, he was a master of dual cultivation with women! What had he been in his youth? A flower thief disguised as a feng shui master, armed with a shotgun?
“Hmph! I never let anyone get away with hurting me. If they dare attack me, I’ll make sure they pay dearly.” The old man picked up his rifle, checked the bullets, and expertly disassembled and reassembled it. His domineering aura was unmistakable.
Shui Miao swallowed hard. This old man was no ordinary person. Judging from his demeanor, he must have been a killer in his youth.
“Little brother, I think you’re a decent guy. I want to take you as my apprentice and teach you everything I know.” The old man loaded the rifle and smiled at Shui Miao.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of the old man’s skills.
Becoming his apprentice now would simply mean taking on the responsibility of calling him “master” and supporting him.
Shui Miao had no interest in that, but couldn’t refuse outright. After a pause, he nodded. “Okay… sure!”
“Haha, since you seem reluctant, let’s forget the master-disciple thing. How about we become brothers instead?” The old man patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Little brother, you wouldn’t look down on an old man like me, would you?”
The old man was clearly determined to form a connection with Shui Miao.
Shui Miao felt awkward. “Senior, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young, it wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Haha, we’re not getting married! There’s no need for it to be ‘appropriate.’ It’s settled. From now on, I’ll be your big brother. When we get to the Hui Chun Restaurant later, I’ll show you my real skills!” The old man licked his lips, grinning proudly.
“Real skills?” Shui Miao was puzzled. What other “skills” did this old man have?
“It smells a bit damp…”
Shui Miao pretended to be clueless, though he had already detected it—within the soil was an exceptionally pure aura of the five elements, with a particularly strong presence of earth-element spiritual energy.
“Young man, even a fool could tell it smells damp,” the old man shook his head helplessly. “This is the scent of earth spiritual energy. Three years ago, the soil at this depth was entirely gray, devoid of any vitality, much like mud dried under the sun. But after three years of transformation, influenced by the earth’s energy veins, the spiritual currents here have completely changed. Keep digging, and call me when you hit soil of a different color.”
The old man got up to relieve himself.
Shui Miao dug relentlessly downward. After digging about thirty centimeters deeper, he suddenly noticed the soil below had turned purplish-red. Its texture was very loose, and waves of pure spiritual energy surged upward. Inhaling it invigorated Shui Miao immensely!
“Who would have thought that digging a hole could yield such pure spiritual energy!”
For Shui Miao, spiritual energy was an exceedingly rare treasure.
He quickly set down the shovel, lay in the pit, and took deep breaths of the spiritual energy. At the same time, he quietly circulated his energy, absorbing the earth’s vein energy while strengthening his own spiritual power. After a while, Shui Miao noticed the energy from below had changed. A type of energy vein he had never encountered before was being drawn out, and it multiplied the spiritual energy within his body several times over!
“This is incredible!”
Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Shui Miao decided then and there to forgo meditation in the future. Instead, he would head to famous mountains and great rivers to dig up dragon veins, absorbing their energy to cultivate. A single breath of it could equate to months or even years of cultivation.
Within just a few minutes, Shui Miao absorbed two more unique energy streams.
After taking in these two energies, a spiritual core about the size of a thumb condensed within Shui Miao’s dantian.
As his spiritual energy grew stronger, some of his abilities began to recover.
Shui Miao extended his spiritual sense and found he could now detect all information within a fifty-meter radius.
Deep underground, the reserves of pure spiritual energy were nearly depleted.
“Young rascal, I told you to dig, so what are you doing lying in there?”
The old man had taken a stroll, tidied up the luggage in the wooden cabin, and came out only to find Shui Miao lying in the pit like a toad.
Shui Miao quickly stood up, his nose covered in soil, and chuckled. “Elder, I was sensing the energy.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Shui Miao stood, the old man noticed the soil beneath his feet had turned pitch black, with murky water bubbling up. He was utterly shocked. “How did this happen? How did the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint turn into a death zone?”
“What?”
Shui Miao looked down and only then noticed the change in the soil beneath his feet.
Without the old man’s explanation, Shui Miao knew exactly what had happened—the earth’s vein energy here had been completely absorbed by him, turning this place into a lifeless zone.
“Get up quickly! This is a death zone—its energy is harmful to people!” The old man looked puzzled but then sighed in relief, saying gratefully, “Young man, it’s fortunate you asked me about the acupoint! Otherwise, if those people had come the day after tomorrow and dug up such a death zone, they would’ve chopped me to pieces on the spot!”
“Then… what do we do now?” Shui Miao feigned ignorance.
“What do we do? We leave!”
The old man shook his head, went to grab his bags, and headed toward Shui Miao’s car.
Shui Miao picked up the shovel and also returned to the car.
The old man placed his luggage in the back of the pickup truck, moved a stone in front of the car, retrieved an urn wrapped in red cloth, and brought it to the passenger seat.
“Elder, whose urn is this?” Shui Miao asked, puzzled.
The old man sighed. “This is my master’s urn. I was adopted by him when I was very young. A teacher for a day is a father for life!”
Was the old planning to swap the urns and place his master’s in the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint? Shui Miao scratched his head. “Then why did you place the urn here?”
“You sure ask a lot of questions!” To secure a ride with Shui Miao, the old man had no choice but to explain. “Here’s the thing: in the Three Dragons Guarding the Master acupoint, the three dragons also need to be buried with bones. Otherwise, who would guard the master in an empty dragon acupoint? I didn’t want to see them kill indiscriminately, so I brought my master’s ashes, claiming they belonged to a relative of some wealthy merchant, just to save one less person from being killed!”
“Elder, who exactly are these people you’re talking about?!”
Shui Miao grew increasingly curious about this mysterious group.
The old man frowned. “They’re a group of vicious bandits from Outer Mongolia. They offered me five million to set up this acupoint, and I was blinded by greed when I agreed. Now, thinking back, I deeply regret it! Thankfully, this acupoint is ruined, so I no longer have to wrestle with my conscience.”
“…”
Finally, Shui Miao understood.
Shui Miao tried starting the car, worried it might not ignite after earlier issues. To his surprise, it started right up.
So, he drove off.
“Elder, the car is low on fuel. Do you know where the nearest gas station is?” Shui Miao didn’t want the car to break down midway, leaving them to trek back on foot. Not only was it easy to get lost, but they might also encounter wolf packs.
“Let’s head to the town up north. Since you want to go to the Witch Sect anyway, we have time. We can leave tomorrow night and still make it.” Though advanced in years, the old man was spirited, with sharp, gleaming eyes. It was clear he was also quite the lecher.
Shui Miao wanted to inquire about the Witch Sect to be better prepared. “Elder, didn’t you have a falling out with them? How dare you go back? Aren’t you afraid they might use dark magic against you again?”
“Hmph! I’m not one to take losses lying down. If they dare scheme against me, I’ll make sure they pay the price.” The old man picked up his shotgun, checked the ammunition, disassembled and reassembled it with practiced ease—exuding an aura of dominance.
Shui Miao swallowed hard. This old man was truly extraordinary. Judging by his demeanor, he must have been a murderer in his youth!
“Young man, I think you’re quite decent. I’d like to take you as my disciple and teach you everything I know.” After loading the shotgun with bullets, the old man smiled at Shui Miao and proposed the idea of mentorship.
In truth, Shui Miao had already learned most of what the old man could teach.
Becoming his disciple now would essentially mean acquiring a “father” to support.
Shui Miao had no interest in such an arrangement, but he couldn’t outright refuse. After a pause, he nodded and said, “Alright, that sounds good!”
“Heh, you seem reluctant, so forget it. If we can’t be master and disciple, we can still be brothers!” The old man gently patted Shui Miao’s shoulder. “Young man, you’re not looking down on this old wreck, are you?”
The old man seemed determined to forge some kind of connection with Shui Miao.
Feeling awkward, Shui Miao replied, “Elder, how could I look down on you? It’s just that I’m too young. It wouldn’t be appropriate…”
“Heh, it’s not like we’re getting married. There’s no such thing as appropriate or not. It’s settled then—from now on, I’m your big brother. When we get to the Spring Return Pavilion, I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of!” The old man licked his lips and smiled smugly.
“True capabilities?” Shui Miao was puzzled. Did this old man have some other remarkable skill?
The old man raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shui Miao’s ear, and whispered, “Your big brother’s dual cultivation technique is unparalleled in the world. Most of my spiritual energy cultivation was drawn from those lustful women. Now, tell me, isn’t that a remarkable skill?”
“Remarkable! Absolutely remarkable!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though inwardly, he was utterly bewildered. This old man was truly something else—despite his age, he was actually a master of dual cultivation with women! What kind of person had he been in his youth? A flower thief disguised as a feng shui master, armed with a shotgun?
“Absolutely! Definitely impressive!”
Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up, though his mind was reeling. This old man was truly something else. At his age, he was still a master of dual cultivation with women! What kind of person had he been in his youth? Could he have been a notorious womanizer, hiding behind the guise of a feng shui master, armed with a rifle?
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage