Su Ming carried the water bucket, pacing back and forth in the courtyard, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes squatting, sometimes standing up. He gradually immersed himself in this feeling of extreme control over his body, never tiring of it.

After playing around for a good while, he finally set the bucket down. The curiosity in his heart ultimately overpowered his fascination with his newfound strength.

He rubbed his hands together, feeling a bit embarrassed as he asked in his mind, “Master, you old… you said earlier that this ring itself is a pocket dimension?”

Lin Yu thought to himself, “Here it comes, here it comes, the regular program. I knew this kid couldn’t hold back.”

Lin Yu sighed, adopting a tone of helplessness that seemed to say, “Why is this child so interested in these external material things?” “So what if it is?”

“Then… then inside that pocket dimension… are there… lots of treasures?” Su Ming’s voice was filled with a young person’s yearning for treasure.

Lin Yu thought to himself, “Treasures? The real treasures are all in my head! Apart from a pile of junk left behind who knows how many years ago, this ring contains nothing but a resentment bomb that could explode at any moment. Which one do you want?”

“Hmph.” Lin Yu snorted coldly. “Shortsighted! What constitutes a treasure? Divine weapons and sharp blades will eventually be damaged one day; miraculous elixirs and medicines also have their time of depletion. Only one’s own personal strength is the true, eternal, indestructible treasure! You haven’t even stepped through the gate of cultivation yet, and you’re already thinking about these side paths and crooked ways. How will you ever ascend to the Great Dao in the future?”

This scolding immediately made Su Ming’s face flush red.

“Disciple… disciple understands his mistake.”

“Forget it.” Seeing that the reprimand had been sufficient, Lin Yu’s tone softened again. “Your curiosity is a natural human tendency. This master will let you broaden your horizons, lest you become confused and led astray by the trivial tricks of the outside world in the future.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Ming’s vision suddenly blurred.

He seemed to “see” a gray, hazy space, not large, about the size of a few rooms. Within the space, a few items floated scattered about—exactly those things Lin Yu had inventoried earlier.

“Look carefully.” Lin Yu’s voice seemed to become the narration for this space.

One image was magnified. It showed several dull, almost spirit energy-depleted stones.

“These are low-grade spirit stones, the common currency of the cultivation world. They can also be used directly for cultivation. They contain pure spirit energy, incomparable to the mixed, impure energy freely floating between heaven and earth.” Lin Yu paused, his tone carrying obvious disdain. “However, these few… their spirit energy is almost completely exhausted, not even enough to stuff between your teeth. For you to use them, you probably wouldn’t even hear a sound.”

Lin Yu thought to himself, “Poor! Really dirt poor! The previous owner was too stingy, leaving behind an inheritance not even worth looking at.”

The scene shifted, revealing a broken sword. Only half of the blade and an ancient, simple hilt remained, covered in rust and faintly exuding a heart-palpitating, baleful aura.

“This sword carries an extremely heavy baleful aura. It is a great object of misfortune.” Lin Yu’s voice turned serious. “Never mind you, even a cultivator with some achievements might have their mind eroded by the baleful aura if they touch it carelessly. Pass! This thing is just for looking at, don’t even think about touching it.”

Lin Yu thought to himself, “A murder weapon, absolutely a murder weapon! Su Ming’s little body would fall seriously ill from just one touch. Must hide it well, in case he digs it out someday to use as a fire poker.”

Finally, the scene settled on the three quietly resting jade slips.

“These are inheritance jade slips, recording techniques and knowledge.” Lin Yu’s voice held a trace of gravity. “Two of them are protected by powerful restrictions. Even this master currently lacks the power to open them. The remaining one records a cultivation method called the ‘Greenwood Longevity Art’.”

Lin Yu thought to himself, “Encrypted files, can’t open them! Infuriating! The only one that can be viewed is an advanced product that needs a beginner’s tutorial, but the disciple is starting from an illiterate foundation. Don’t dare teach it recklessly!”

“This cultivation method is balanced and peaceful, originally an excellent foundational technique. But…” Lin Yu’s tone shifted. “The very beginning requires drawing energy into the body, visualizing green wood, communicating with the Essence of Yi Wood… The crucial points within are such that a tiny deviation leads to a huge error. You currently can’t even recognize all the characters yet, and your mind is not settled. If you attempt to cultivate it forcefully without a protector to guide you, the consequences would be unthinkable.”

The vision before his eyes vanished, and Su Ming’s mind returned to his body.

He no longer held the slightest bit of contempt in his heart. Instead, he was filled with awe.

Spirit stones with depleted energy, a baleful broken sword, mysterious yet unreachable jade slips… These things that his master spoke of as if they were “junk” or “dangerous”—any single one contained worlds and power beyond his imagination.

“Did you see?” Lin Yu’s voice drifted over leisurely. “These things, for you right now, are either useless or harmful. Your only path is to be down-to-earth, first study books to understand principles, and lay a solid foundation. Wait until you later enter a sect, have a guide, have a solid foundation, and broadened horizons. Only then might these things become usable for you.”

“Disciple… has been taught!” Su Ming bowed deeply, a gesture from the heart.

His master not only taught him techniques but was also teaching him the principles of cultivation, always putting his safety first.

“Mmm, it’s late at night. Go back and rest. Remember, starting today, whether walking, staying, sitting, or lying down, you must always maintain the ‘Concealing Qi and Returning to Origin’ state. When you can make it as natural as your breathing and heartbeat, only then will the ‘Aura Concealment Art’ be considered to have truly reached minor mastery.”

“Yes, Master.”

Su Ming respectfully acknowledged, then turned and walked toward his small hut.

He deliberately slowed his pace, savoring the feeling of power being held within and his body being light. The moonlight stretched his shadow long, yet his footsteps falling on the ground truly only stirred a light breeze, with not the slightest sound audible.

…

The next day, just as dawn was breaking.

Su Ming awoke from his meditative state. He had not slept last night but had sat in meditation the entire night.

Maintaining the ‘Aura Concealment Art’ all night had not tired him. Instead, he felt full of energy, refreshed and clear-headed. The small “point of light” in his Dantian also seemed to have solidified a little more.

He pushed open the door. The cool morning air, carrying moisture, greeted him.

In the courtyard, his second brother Su Yang, bare-chested, was swinging an axe, grunting and puffing as he chopped firewood. Beads of sweat covered his bronze skin, glistening in the morning light. His solid muscles rippled with each movement, full of a sense of power.

Su Ming walked up behind him, watching quietly, his footsteps as light as a cat’s.

Su Yang finished splitting a log, straightened up, took a breath, wiped the sweat off with his arm, and turned to grab another one.

As he turned, he saw Su Ming standing there silently.

“Good heavens, mother!”

Su Yang was so startled he jumped back violently, even swinging the axe in his hand up. Only after clearly seeing it was Su Ming did he let out a long sigh of relief. Laughing and crying at the same time, he scolded, “You brat! Are you a cat? Walking without a single sound! Want to scare your brother to death so you can get more of the inheritance, is that it?”

Although he scolded with his mouth, there was not a trace of blame in his eyes, only affection for his younger brother and a hint of curiosity.

Seeing his second brother’s flustered yet deliberately fierce appearance, Su Ming couldn’t help but curve the corners of his mouth into a smile. He knew his second brother was just playing around with him; it had always been like this between them.

“Brother, let me help you.” Su Ming walked forward and, without waiting for Su Yang’s reply, easily picked up two large bundles of chopped firewood from the ground—a weight that would require Su Yang to use seventy or eighty percent of his strength to lift.

“Hey!” Su Yang’s attention was indeed immediately captured. He looked Su Ming up and down in surprise, forgetting all about being scared just now. “You kid, what have you been eating these past few days? Your strength has grown! These bundles of firewood aren’t light!”

He stretched out his big hand, habitually wanting to ruffle Su Ming’s hair, just like when they were kids.

Su Ming instinctively wanted to dodge, but seeing his second brother’s hearty smile and the concern in his eyes, he stopped his movement, allowing that big hand covered in sweat and wood chips to messily ruffle his hair a couple of times.

The sensation was a bit rough, yet exceptionally warm.

“Studying is studying, but you also need to take care of your body. Don’t learn from those frail, bookish Xiucai who can’t even tie up a chicken.” Su Yang withdrew his hand, placed it on his hip, and instructed with an air of mature authority. “If there’s any heavy work, wait for your brother to come back and do it, you hear?”

“I know, brother.” Su Ming nodded, feeling warmth in his heart. He carried the firewood, turned, and walked toward the kitchen, his steps still light and quiet.

Su Yang watched his younger brother’s back, which seemed straighter than usual, smacked his lips, and felt that this kid was somehow a bit different, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“Looks like studying more really is useful? Even his aura is different?” He scratched his head, gave a simple laugh, stopped overthinking it, and raised his axe again.

The rhythmic sound of chopping firewood once again filled the courtyard, intertwining with Su Ming’s light yet steady footsteps, merging into this tranquil, vibrant morning light.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep