“Hmm…”

Inside the ring, Lin Yu’s voice was still as faint as a dying breath, as if it could cut off again at any moment.

“Don’t speak yet, it consumes your spirit. Use your thoughts to tell me everything.”

Su Ming closed his eyes, forcibly suppressing the surging ecstasy and excitement in his heart, and sank his divine sense into the Xuantian ring.

Falling off the cliff.

The raging torrent.

The near-death counterattack.

Qingfeng and Mingyue’s rescue.

The interrogation at the Hall of Meritorious Deeds.

The awe towards the Cloud Hidden Sect.

The assessment at the External Affairs Hall.

Finding a foothold in the Accounting Office.

The predicament with the formation jade slip.

The origin of the six spirit stones.

…

Scene after scene, memory after memory, like a surging flood, carrying all of Su Ming’s unease and caution from the past two months, poured unreservedly towards that faint soul body that had just awakened.

At the moment the information was transmitted, Su Ming felt as if he had relived that nine-deaths-one-life ordeal, his mind in turmoil.

Inside the Xuantian ring, Lin Yu, who had received all this, fell into a long silence.

Su Ming didn’t dare disturb him, only waiting nervously.

A long time passed, so long that Su Ming began to wonder if his master had fainted again.

A thought filled with amazement, and a hint of secret delight, sounded in Su Ming’s mind.

“Holy smokes!”

“I just took a nap, and my disciple… has already gotten himself into the official system?!”

“The Cloud Hidden Sect! The External Affairs Hall! Specially Appointed Menial!”

“With a salary (spirit stones) too! Three pieces a month!”

“This cliff jump was a bloody jackpot!”

Su Ming: “…”

He was stunned speechless for a long moment by his master’s sudden outburst.

This style… seemed a bit different from the awakening of a great master he had imagined.

Before he could ponder it further, Lin Yu’s tone, still somewhat weak but having regained its usual steadiness, slowly sounded.

“Hmm, disciple, you have done very well.”

The voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a power that settled the heart.

“Finding a sliver of life in a desperate situation; securing a place for yourself in a den of wolves. Your temperament, intellect, and forbearance are all of the highest order.”

“The cliff fall was my carelessness, nearly plunging both master and disciple into a state beyond all redemption.”

These words were an affirmation of Su Ming’s efforts during this time.

Su Ming’s eyes grew hot, all the grievances and unease in his heart instantly vanishing without a trace.

“Master, if not for your final intervention…”

“No need to say more,” Lin Yu interrupted him. “Master and disciple are as one.”

“Since we have arrived at this Cloud Hidden Sect, we must first establish our fundamental strategy here.”

“Fundamental strategy?”

“Correct.” Lin Yu’s voice took on a serious tone. “Namely, the eight characters: ‘Conceal the sharp edge within the blunt, nurture obscurity within silence.’ Previously in the mountain village, what I taught you was ‘conceal clumsiness to avoid disaster.’ Now that we are in an immortal sect, a place of mixed fish and dragons, we must deepen this path, integrating it into daily cultivation.”

Su Ming’s mind jolted into alertness, listening intently.

“You are now within the Cloud Hidden Sect. It seems safe, but in reality, dangers lurk everywhere.” Lin Yu analyzed. “Your foundation is destroyed, your path to immortality severed. Once you display talent beyond expectations, you may attract the attention of other cultivators.”

“You have no background, like duckweed without roots. Qingfeng and Mingyue can protect you for a while, but not forever. They are, after all, inner sect disciples, their circumstances vastly different from ours.”

“Therefore, our strategy is divided into two lines: the overt and the covert.”

“Overtly, you, Su Ming, are still that menial with astonishing talent in calculation, the ace menial of the Accounting Office with no hope in the immortal path. You must perform better, more outstandingly than before, making everyone believe your value lies solely in accounting. Use your unparalleled ‘excellence’ to cover up the ‘genius’ you may reveal in the future.”

“You must use your position to read all the classics, ledgers, and lists you can access. For us, those are not dull numbers, but the operating veins of the sect, the distribution of resources, the network of relationships… they are our living map and protective talisman!”

Su Ming’s mind was shaken. He had never considered that the ledgers he dealt with daily held such profound strategic significance.

“And covertly?”

“Covertly,” Lin Yu’s tone gained a sharp edge, “I will personally guide you to systematically study the path of formations.”

“We won’t learn flashy but impractical attack arrays, nor will we touch attention-grabbing grand illusion arrays. We will only master three types: survival, concealment, and escape!”

“First, blocking prying eyes. Soundproofing arrays, breath-concealing arrays, shielding arrays. To ensure all our activities within this tiny space remain unknown to outsiders.”

“Second, early warning and surveillance. Warning arrays, spying arrays, confusing trail arrays. To ensure we are fully aware of any ill-intentioned individuals long before they approach.”

“Third, and fundamental, prepare an escape route. Short-distance teleportation arrays, simple earth-escape arrays, flexible contingency arrays! To ensure that if things go south, we can flee thousands of miles away in the first moment and seek a new chance at life!”

“Our goal is not to become a revered grandmaster of formations, but to become a seeker of the Dao who cannot be detected, cannot be trapped, cannot be pursued, and can peacefully pursue the great path of longevity.”

Su Ming listened, his heart surging with excitement.

This theory was unheard of, completely overturning his understanding of cultivation.

But for some reason, he felt… his master made so much sense!

“This disciple understands!” Su Ming nodded emphatically.

“Very good.” Lin Yu seemed quite satisfied with Su Ming’s comprehension.

“With the plan set, let’s talk about startup capital.”

“Take out the three spirit stones you have left. Let me see them.”

Su Ming complied, pouring all three low-grade spirit stones from the cloth pouch, lining them up on the bed.

In the dark room, the gentle glow emitted by the spirit stones illuminated his young, earnest face.

“Hmm, the quality is acceptable.” Lin Yu’s thoughts swept over the stones.

My soul body repair SPA package!

“These three spirit stones need to be allocated for use.”

“Two of them will be placed into the Spirit Gathering Array inside the Xuantian ring immediately to nourish my soul body. The faster I recover, the more guidance you receive, and the safer you become. This is called investment, understand?”

“Understood.”

“The last one,” Lin Yu paused briefly, “is for you.”

“During your daily cultivation, you can draw a wisp of spiritual energy from this stone, integrating it into the circulation cycle of the Greenwood Longevity Art. Remember, just a wisp, no more!”

“Although your Dao foundation is destroyed, the Greenwood Longevity Art is ever-renewing. Combined with the residual medicinal power of the Hundred-Herb Revival Pill, it is enough to subtly, slowly repair your meridians. This process must be slow, so slow you can barely perceive it yourself, and no one else must notice any sign.”

“What we want is not meteoric progress achieved in a day, but the silent, gradual nourishment of water dripping through stone.”

After this speech, clear and meticulous, every point accounted for.

Su Ming’s admiration for his master reached a new level.

Strategizing from within a tent, calculating without a single oversight.

This was the true demeanor of a master!

He immediately followed Lin Yu’s instructions, pressing two spirit stones against the Xuantian ring.

The ring flashed faintly, and the two stones disappeared, sucked into the ring’s interior.

Su Ming could clearly feel the Spirit Gathering Array inside the ring suddenly speeding up its operation. A stream of pure spiritual energy began continuously nourishing Lin Yu’s weakened soul body.

Lin Yu let out a comfortable “hmph.”

Bliss! Absolute bliss! A five-star energy SPA! I’ll have to get my disciple to snag more spirit stones later!

“Alright, the plan is set, resources are in place. Now, let’s begin our first lesson.”

Lin Yu’s voice sounded again.

“Your previous understanding of spiritual energy control was correct in direction, but wrong in method.”

“Where was it wrong?” Su Ming humbly sought guidance.

“It was wrong because you only knew how to block, not how to guide.”

“Forcing spiritual energy to stop or change direction within your meridians is like trying to rein in a galloping horse. Naturally, it’s extremely difficult and prone to losing control.”

“True control is about guidance.”

“Now, close your eyes, mobilize that wisp of spiritual energy within your body. Don’t try to control it, just ‘watch’ it, feel its flow trajectory, speed, rhythm within your meridians…”

Su Ming did as instructed.

He calmed his mind, looking inward.

That wisp of green spiritual energy, like a mischievous little fish, was swimming aimlessly through his meridians.

“Feel it?”

“I feel it.”

“Good. Now, don’t command it. Instead, imagine that ahead of it, a channel it would prefer, more comfortable, appears. Use your will to ‘pave a path’ for it.”

Su Ming was taken aback upon hearing this.

Pave a path?

He tried focusing his will on a section of meridian ahead of the spiritual energy, imagining that area becoming incredibly smooth and comfortable.

A strange thing happened.

That originally erratic wisp of spiritual energy actually seemed attracted by something, actively and smoothly flowing towards the section of meridian where his will was concentrated!

The entire process was seamless, without the slightest obstruction or force!

Su Ming’s heart gave a powerful thump!

“This…”

“This, is ‘momentum’.” Lin Yu’s voice carried a hint of laughter.

“Act according to the momentum, not force against it. This is not only the method of controlling spiritual energy but also the foundation of the path of formations.”

“Contemplate this carefully. Tonight, practice this. When you can make this wisp of spiritual energy flow freely through all your meridians, guided by your will paving the path, I will teach you the next step.”

“Yes, Master!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep