Chapter 8 Practice makes him almost a master

The Spring Farm House in the back mountain of Dual Cultivation Sect is located on the mountainside, surrounded by mountains and rivers. It is like spring all year round and is full of various spiritual grasses and vegetables. Shen Shisan has been here for a few days. Although he is still thinking about practicing, Dean world courtyard Shui Mo Ning asked him to help take care of the vegetable garden first, so he can only put aside the practice of the technique temporarily.

The vegetable garden of The Spring Farm House is not large, but it is full of spiritual energy, and all the spiritual vegetables grown are growing vigorously. Every morning, Shen Shisan would get up early and go to the vegetable garden to take care of it. The branches and leaves of the spiritual grass sway in the morning light, the dew is crystal clear, and the breeze blows, bringing with it a fresh breath.

On this day, Shen Shisan was hoeing the weeds around the spiritual grass. Suddenly, there was a rush of footsteps in the woods in the distance. Shen Shisan looked up and saw a big white dog suddenly burst out of the forest, its muscular body like a gust of wind, rushing straight towards him.

Shen Shisan took a few steps back in shock, and almost dropped the hoe in his hand to the ground.

"What... is this?" He was startled, and after taking a closer look, he realized that this was no ordinary dog. The dog was all white, with smooth hair, a hint of agility in its eyes, and faint spiritual energy fluctuations in its aura.

This is no ordinary thing!

Shen Shisan immediately became alert and thought to himself: "This spiritual beast seems to be unusual. Could it be some elder's pet?"

Sure enough, a moment later, a clear female voice came from the forest: "Xue Ben! Why are you running so fast? Don't scare others!"

Shen Shisan followed the sound and saw a woman wearing a sky courtyard Taoist robe coming in a hurry. She has a beautiful face and a gentle expression. She is Tian Linger, the direct disciple of the dean of sky courtyard. This big dog, Snow Run, is her master's spiritual beast.

Tian Linger came to Shen Shisan, smiled slightly, and said, "Junior Brother Shen, are you okay? This Snow Run is my master's spiritual beast. Although it has a docile temper, it also likes to play tricks sometimes."

Shen Shisan breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "It turns out to be Senior Sister Tian's spirit beast. It really scared me just now."

Tian Linger patted Snow Run on the head and said with a smile: "Snow Run is very psychic. He doesn't often come to this back mountain on weekdays. Maybe he smelled something interesting today and came here to join in the fun. Bar."

Xue Ben wagged his tail obediently, as if he understood his master's words.

While the two were talking, Mo Wenyu's voice suddenly came from the distance: "Hey, Senior Sister Tian, ​​please stop bullying our Junior Brother Shen. He just entered the door not long ago. If you people from sky Courtyard scare him, If you run away, I'm going to find the boss to argue with you."

Shen Shisan turned around and saw Mo Wenyu walking from a distance with a smile on his face and a cloth bag in his hand.

"Senior Brother Mo." Shen Shisan cupped his hands and saluted.

Mo Wenyu walked up to the two of them and seemed not to care about Tian Linger's existence. He directly patted Shen Shisan on the shoulder and said in a low voice: "Junior brother, I brought you something good again." As he said, Mo Wenyu opened the cloth bag mysteriously, revealing several ancient books.

Before Shen Shisan could see the cover clearly, Tian Linger raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "Mo Wenyu, are you bringing those messy books to coax Junior Brother Shen again? Don't teach him badly!"

When Mo Wenyu heard this, his expression remained unchanged, and he still smiled and said: "Senior Sister Tian, ​​what do you know? This is a 'required course' for cultivating the state of mind, and it will be of great help in breaking through bottlenecks."

When Shen Shisan heard this, a trace of embarrassment suddenly appeared on his face. He vaguely guessed that the books Mo Wenyu brought were not serious spiritual books, but also books with "strange" contents.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Mo, for your kindness. Junior Brother has been busy practicing recently and I'm afraid I don't have time to take care of anything else." Shen Shisan politely declined in embarrassment.

Mo Wenyu didn't take it seriously and forced the book into Shen Shisan's hands: "Hey, don't be so serious. You must also know how to relax in practice, otherwise it will be easy to go crazy."

Tian Linger watched from the side, covered her mouth and chuckled, and teased Shen Shisan: "Junior brother Mo, you have to be careful. Mo Wenyu is a very bad guy, so don't let him lead you astray."

Shen Shisan took the book helplessly and whispered: "Thank you, Senior Brother Mo, I will pay attention to it."

While several people were chatting and joking, Tian Linger suddenly remembered something and looked at Shen Shisan and said: "By the way, Junior Brother Shen, how have you been practicing the "Red Dust Art" recently? Have you been stuck on the fourth level for a long time?"

Shen Shisan nodded and said seriously: "It is true that there have been some bottlenecks in my practice recently and I have been unable to break through them."

Tian Linger frowned slightly and thought for a moment. Suddenly something strange flashed in her eyes. She turned to Shen Shisan and said, "If you really want to make a breakthrough, you might as well go to the library and read some profound classics. Maybe you can find some inspiration."

Shen Shisan's heart moved, thinking of his previous experience in the Library Pavilion, so he nodded and said, "Thank you, senior sister, for reminding me. I'll go take a look right away."

The three of them were about to leave the vegetable garden when Xue Ben suddenly let out a low roar and his ears perked up, as if he sensed something strange.

Mo Wenyu frowned and said softly: "It seems that the peaceful days of the Dual Cultivation sect will not last long." He raised his eyes and looked into the distance, his eyes deep, as if he was thinking about something.

Just as the three of them were about to leave the vegetable garden, a roar suddenly came from the Dan Pavilion in the distance. A thick smoke rose faintly in the sky, accompanied by a vibration, as if something exploded. Shen Shisan, Mo Wenyu and Tian Linger stopped almost at the same time and turned to look in the direction of Dan Pavilion.

"Something happened to Dan Pavilion?" Tian Linger exclaimed.

Mo Wenyu frowned, and his tone was calm but with a hint of ridicule: "No way, the Dan Pavilion exploded again? Could it be that the senior sister has gone wrong again?"

Shen Shisan was confused when he heard this, and couldn't help but ask: "Brother Mo, what's the explosion of the furnace? What's going on in the Dan Pavilion?"

Mo Wenyu smiled and explained: "The explosion of the furnace means that the alchemy failed and the furnace exploded. Although Dan Pavilion Senior Sister Liu Ruyan is very talented, she is sometimes impetuous and often makes mistakes while refining alchemy."

"Senior Sister Liu Ruyan?" Shen Shisan said the name silently, and a figure suddenly appeared in his mind. Liu Ruyan is a famous genius alchemist in the Alchemy Pavilion. It is said that she is one of the master's favorite disciples. However, her alchemy skills often make mistakes, and this is not the first time that she has exploded.

Tian Linger couldn't help laughing at the side: "Senior Sister Liu Ruyan always makes the Alchemy Pavilion into a fuss every time she makes elixirs. I'm afraid she is eager for quick success again this time."

While several people were talking, another anxious shout came from the direction of Dan Pavilion: "Come and help! The furnace is exploding!"

Mo Wenyu shook his head and sighed: "Let's go over and check out the situation."

The three of them rushed towards Dan Pavilion.

The Dan Pavilion is located in the back mountain of the Dual Cultivation Sect and is the center for refining elixirs for the entire sect. The pavilion is full of aura, with numerous alchemy furnaces and the fragrance of medicine overflowing all year round. However, at this moment, the Dan Pavilion was filled with smoke and chaos. As soon as Shen Shisan entered the Dan Pavilion, he saw several Dan Pavilion disciples hurriedly picking up the broken pieces of the Dan Pavilion. In the center, stood a woman in white, looking at the broken Dan Pavilion with a frown.

"Senior Sister Liu!" Mo Wenyu shouted.

The woman raised her head when she heard the sound, and it was Liu Ruyan. Her eyebrows were raised with helplessness on her face. When she saw a few people approaching, a bit of embarrassment appeared on her face.

"Why are you here?" Liu Ruyan forced a smile, glanced at Shen Shisan, and said somewhat uncomfortably, "I missed it again. I didn't expect this furnace pill to be so unstable."

Mo Wenyu joked: "Senior Sister Liu, is this the third time you have exploded the furnace? Is it because you are impatient again this time?"

Liu Ruyan sighed softly and glanced at him: "It's not because there is something wrong with the formula of this furnace elixir. I originally wanted to speed up the refining, but I didn't expect it had the opposite effect, and the furnace exploded."

Shen Shisan stood aside and saw that although Liu Ruyan looked helpless, she had a graceful figure and an outstanding temperament, and her whole person still exuded a unique charm. Although the explosion of the elixir furnace made her a little embarrassed, this loneliness made her even more charming.

"Sister Liu, do you need help?" Shen Shisan asked with concern.

Liu Ruyan nodded towards him: "Junior Brother Shen, I'm afraid I can't figure it out for a while. If you're not busy, you can help me clean the alchemy furnace." Her tone was calm, not because of this time He made a mistake and angered others, but he was very polite to Shen Shisan.

Shen Shisan nodded in agreement and stepped forward to help clean up the remaining pieces of the alchemy furnace.

Liu Ruyan looked at his careful cleaning and couldn't help but smile: "Junior Brother Shen, you are really diligent."

Mo Wenyu joked from the side: "Senior Sister Liu, Shen Shisan is a disciple named by the master himself. You should pay more attention to him."

Liu Ruyan was slightly startled when he heard this, a strange look flashed in his eyes, and then returned to normal: "Of course, since he can stay, it means that the leader values ​​​​it. Junior Brother Shen, you can come to the Dan Pavilion when you are free in the future. Sister, the Dan Pavilion is here. Although medicine often fails, if you have any questions about cultivation, feel free to ask me."

Shen Shisan quickly handed over his hand: "Thank you, Senior Sister Liu. Junior Brother will definitely remember it in my heart."

Liu Ruyan smiled gently, and then continued to instruct other disciples to clean up the mess. Although the Dan Pavilion was in a mess, her aura was still strong, as if all this was just a small episode for her.

Soon after, the Dan Pavilion gradually returned to calm. Mo Wenyu looked at the sky and said to Shen Shisan: "Junior Brother Shen, it's getting late, let's go back."

Shen Shisan nodded and followed Mo Wenyu out of the Dan Pavilion. When they left, Liu Ruyan stood at the door of Dan Pavilion, looking at Shen Shisan's back thoughtfully, seeming to be slightly interested in him.

As the Dan Pavilion regained its tranquility, the nights of the Acacia Sect were once again shrouded in moonlight. Shen Shisan secretly decided in his heart that the art of alchemy seemed to have great potential. Perhaps he could also learn some alchemy knowledge in the future to increase the speed of his practice.

Shen Shisan has been in seclusion for half a year. Although he has worked hard day and night on cultivation, he has never been able to break through the fourth level of world Heart Method. This stagnation made him feel more and more anxious. Every time he tried to calm down and concentrate all his spiritual power on his Dantian, some distracting thoughts would appear and disturb his mind.

He sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, breathing long and hard, trying to feel the flow of spiritual energy. However, Tian Linger's cunning eyes and Liu Ruyan's charming smile appeared in his mind involuntarily. The teasing with Tian Linger that day in the library, and Liu Ruyan's amorous feelings when he occasionally passed by, seemed to be lingering, entangled in the depths of his mind like a shadow.

Once these thoughts surfaced, Shen Shisan's state of mind began to become chaotic. His body seemed to be surrounded by an invisible stream of heat. His whole body was unbearably hot, and his spiritual energy could not function as smoothly as usual. He tried hard to drive away these thoughts, but the more he resisted, the more vivid they became. Even the contents of the books that Mo Wenyu had given him came to his mind from time to time.

"What on earth is going on?" Shen Shisan became more and more confused. He knew that these emotions were taboo in the eyes of cultivators, especially practicing mental methods such as World Heart Method, which required cultivators to keep their minds pure, otherwise it would be easy to become possessed. However, the more he resisted, the more intense the heat and distracting thoughts became, and the spiritual energy began to flow uncontrollably in the body.

Shen Shisan gasped and felt that his body seemed to be pulled by some kind of force and he could no longer practice quietly. He opened his eyes, frowned, and looked up at the sky outside the cave. It has been half a year since he went into seclusion, but he has still been unable to break through the bottleneck, and even daily practice has become extremely difficult.

"Mo Wenyu, what kind of books did you read to me?" Shen Shisan secretly blamed the books that Mo Wenyu had given him that day. The pictures and words in the books had lingered in his mind, making him He felt his heartbeat racing all the time and couldn't concentrate.

He stood up and began pacing back and forth in the cave, trying to calm down. But the heat and depression in his heart made him feel extremely depressed. "If this continues, I'm afraid I won't even be able to break through the fourth level bottleneck, let alone continue to practice."

At this moment, Shen Shisan suddenly thought of something - the Red Dust Art is about refining the heart in the mortal world, and his confusion and depression during this period may be a test of his state of mind. Since the human mind method is to cultivate the emotions in the mortal world, why should we deliberately suppress these distracting thoughts?

Shen Shisan couldn't help but start to think: Maybe these emotions and desires are not obstacles, but part of the world. Cultivation cannot be completely separated from the ordinary world. If you resist blindly, you will have flaws in your state of mind. Thinking of this, he gradually calmed down and decided not to suppress these thoughts deliberately, but to face them and understand them.

He sat down slowly, closed his eyes, relaxed his mind, and no longer resisted the distracting thoughts in his mind. Tian Linger's smile, Liu Ruyan's beautiful figure, and the pictures in the book Mo Wenyu gave him that day, appeared in his mind one after another, but this time, Shen Shisan chose not to avoid them, but to regard them as part of your own state of mind.

With this adjustment in his state of mind, Shen Shisan gradually felt that the heat in his body began to dissipate, and his spiritual energy resumed flowing. His breathing calmed down, his mood gradually became peaceful, and his spiritual energy flowed smoothly through his meridians, as if the opportunity for a breakthrough was quietly gestating.

Shen Shisan's heart moved, and he thought secretly: "Perhaps, this is the true meaning of World Heart Method - coexist with the world of mortals, and keep the state of mind unchanged."

After this breakthrough in his state of mind, Shen Shisan finally understood the true meaning of the Red Dust Art - since he is practicing in the mortal world, he should not blindly resist the emotions and desires of the mortal world, but should coexist with them and understand the true meaning. Sex is the first hurdle for young people, and it is also an unavoidable test in spiritual practice. Only by facing it squarely can we break through.

After he adjusted his state of mind, his heart gradually calmed down. As he took a deep breath, the spiritual energy in his body began to flow naturally through his meridians, no longer feeling stagnant as before. Spiritual energy swirled and gathered in his dantian, and a powerful force rose up in his body, instantly breaking through the bottleneck on the fourth level.

Shen Shisan felt the spiritual energy inside his body billowing and his energy veins flowing smoothly, as if the spiritual energy from the surrounding world was pouring into his body. He slowly opened his eyes, and there was a hint of spiritual light in his eyes. He finally broke through the fourth level of the world of mortals!

The abundant strength in his body and the calmness of his mind made Shen Shisan feel more comfortable than ever before. He knew that he had taken an important step on the road of spiritual practice.

He walked out of the cave and looked up at the blue sky. The breeze blew against his face, and it seemed that even the scene between heaven and earth became extraordinarily bright.

"It seems that the six months of seclusion were not in vain," Shen Shisan whispered to himself, and then he decided to go to world Academy to visit Dean Shui Mo Ning and inform her of his breakthrough.

Shen Shisan walked into the main hall of world Courtyard. The atmosphere in the hall was as peaceful and peaceful as usual, with a faint fragrance floating around. Dean Shui Moning was sitting in front of the case, gently flipping through the scroll in his hand, as if he was studying some ancient classics.

"Dean." Shen Shisan stepped forward respectfully and saluted.

Shui Moning looked up at him with a faint smile in his eyes: "Shen Shisan, you are finally out of seclusion. It seems that you have gained something during this period of time."

Shen Shisan nodded, with a little excitement in his tone: "Thanks to the dean's guidance, I have broken through the fourth level of world Heart Method."

After hearing this, Shui Mo Ning nodded slightly, with a flash of approval in his eyes: "That's right. Being able to break through the fourth level in a short period of time proves that you have begun to understand the true meaning of World Heart Method. The cultivation of the state of mind is more important than the technique, especially The practice of world courtyard is not only the cultivation of spiritual energy, but also the realization of the emotions of the mortal world."

Shen Shisan said with some gratitude: "Thank you, Dean, for your guidance. When I was in retreat, I was confused by emotional thoughts. It was these thoughts that troubled me for a long time. Later I realized that it was these emotions that allowed me to see The connotation of World Heart Method."

Shui Mo Ning showed a faint smile: "What the Art of Mortal Art emphasizes is to practice in the world of mortals. It is not to abandon emotions, but to learn to control them. All kinds of emotions in the world of mortals, such as love, hate, desire, and persistence, are all part of your practice. . When you can find a balance among these emotions, you can truly move to a higher level."

Shen Shisan suddenly felt enlightened by Shui Mo Ning's words. He understood that his future path of cultivation was not only to improve his skills, but also to constantly understand the various things in the world of mortals.

Shui Mo Ning added: "Now that you have broken through the fourth level, you must stabilize your realm and don't rush for success. The cultivation of your mental state is particularly important."

Shen Shisan nodded: "I understand, Dean."

Shui Mo Ning gently put down the scroll in her hand, stood up, turned around and looked at the scenery outside the hall, her tone became softer: "You are a rare male disciple in world Heart Method, and you have such a talent. Although the road ahead will be difficult, But it is also full of infinite possibilities. Don't forget that you can see your truest self in the world of mortals."

After hearing this, Shen Shisan felt firm in his heart. He knew that the road ahead was full of unknowns and challenges, but he was no longer afraid. He saluted respectfully to Dean Shui Moning again, then said goodbye and left.

Walking out of the main hall of world courtyard, Shen Shisan felt in an ethereal mood, and the surrounding scenery seemed to be clearer. Along the way, many disciples from the world Heart Method commented after seeing him coming out of seclusion.

"Junior Brother Shen is out of seclusion, and he actually broke through the fourth level of world Heart Method!"

"I heard that he had been in seclusion for half a year without any movement. I didn't expect that he would break through all of a sudden."

Shen Shisan no longer paid attention to these discussions. As his mood improved, the worries of the past no longer bothered him. He knew that his true practice had just begun.

As Shen Shisan's practice continues to deepen, his strength is also improving rapidly. After breaking through the fourth level of world Heart Method, Shen Shisan felt that the spiritual energy was running more smoothly in his body. He practiced day and night, comprehended the secret of world Heart Method, and rushed to the sixth level in one go. The sixth level of world Heart Method is the key to foundation building - once he succeeds in cultivation, he will be able to enter the ranks of real practitioners and reach the foundation building stage, and his strength will make a qualitative leap.

During this period, Shen Shisan not only made great progress in practice, but his interpersonal relationships also became more and more extensive. What surprised him the most was that although Mo Wenyu of the Dual Cultivation sect was an elder, he didn't have much of an elder's airs within the sect. The disciples of the Dual Cultivation Sect are not as rigid as the outside world reports. They often refer to each other as brothers and sisters, and their relationship with each other is more relaxed and harmonious than family members. Shen Shisan and Mo Wenyu got along very well. Mo Wenyu took him to visit places from time to time, often shared some cultivation experiences, and even occasionally brought out some weird gadgets to relieve Shen Shisan's boredom.

One day, Shen Shisan was tending the vegetable garden outside Dan Pavilion when he suddenly heard a loud noise coming from inside Dan Pavilion. He frowned, remembering how many times he had heard about Senior Sister Liu Ruyan of Dan Pavilion, and couldn't help but shake his head.

"Senior Sister Liu must have made the noise again..." Shen Shisan muttered to himself and walked quickly towards the Dan Pavilion.

Sure enough, before he reached the door, he saw Liu Ruyan walking out of the Dan Pavilion, her face covered in black smoke, her hair messy, but there was unconcealable excitement in her eyes. She held a small alchemy furnace in her hand and walked happily towards Shen Shisan.

"Junior Brother Shen, look at the elixir I refined this time! Although it still failed, I have found the key breakthrough!" Liu Ruyan said excitedly while wiping the smoke from his face.

Shen Shisan couldn't help but laugh: "Senior Sister Liu, you are still so keen on studying those residual scores. This is the fifth time that the Dan Pavilion has exploded, right?"

Liu Ruyan didn't take it seriously and waved his hand: "It's okay. The study of alchemy requires constant experimentation and trial. Even if there are only a few clues, I am willing to pursue it. Junior Brother Shen, you can come to the alchemy pavilion anytime to take a look. ? Maybe it can help me find inspiration!"

Shen Shisan smiled slightly, admiring Liu Ruyan's persistence and talent even more in his heart: "Senior Sister Liu is extremely talented in alchemy. I'm afraid that if I go, I will only add to the chaos."

While the two were talking, suddenly a figure floated over, it was Mo Wenyu. He had the same free and easy smile as always, and held a few shabby books in his hands. He had obviously collected some unpopular books.

"What are you talking about? You didn't even call me!" Mo Wenyu came over with a smile.

Liu Ruyan rolled her eyes at him: "You are more comfortable than us disciples if you don't do your job all day long. Is it the elder's duty to wander around?"

But Mo Wenyu looked serious: "I'm doing research, collecting information is a very important job." He paused, turned to Shen Shisan and said: "By the way, Junior Brother Shen, you have practiced to the point where Have you reached the sixth level of the world? If you work harder, you will be able to build the foundation. It will be a big event for the Dual Cultivation sect."

Shen Shisan nodded, with a firm look on his face: "Yes, the foundation building period is my current goal, and I will definitely break through as soon as possible."

Mo Wenyu patted Shen Shisan on the shoulder with satisfaction: "Yes, you have ambition. But don't just focus on practicing, you should also go out and walk around more. Cultivation is important, but the state of mind cannot be ignored either."

Shen Shisan nodded, but in his heart he thought of the complicated emotions he had during the retreat. It seemed that in the process of practicing World Heart Method, emotions and desires were unavoidable tests. Mo Wenyu's words once again reminded him that the path of cultivation is not only the pursuit of improving strength, but also the simultaneous growth of state of mind and strength.

In the days that followed, Shen Shisan continued to practice with concentration in the world courtyard, and his contacts with Tian Linger and Liu Ruyan gradually increased. He found that Tian Linger had a lively and cheerful personality, and would often hear all kinds of interesting rumors and news everywhere, and would sometimes tease Shen Shisan, making him laugh or cry. Liu Ruyan, on the other hand, was more immersed in the study of elixirs, and from time to time he would bring some weird remnants to Shen Shisan for discussion.

As his cultivation progressed, Shen Shisan realized more and more deeply that the practice of the Dual Cultivation Sect was not limited to improving the level of spiritual energy or techniques, but more about the cultivation of state of mind and the understanding of emotions. In getting along with these senior brothers and sisters, he gradually learned how to find his own balance in the world of mortals, and gradually found his own sense of belonging in the Dual Cultivation sect.

In the not-too-distant future, the threshold of foundation building is quietly waiting for his arrival.