Immortal's Pupil

Outside the dilapidated temple, a handsome figure in a dark robe stood there in a daze. The bloodshot veins in his wide-open eyes were so dense that they actually seeped out tiny drops of blood.

Yu Zhensheng appeared calm, but his brows were tightly furrowed as he slowly raised his hand.

If he had managed to wake his disciple before the latter failed to open his Aperture of the Eye, there would have been a high chance of avoiding blindness. However, doing so would have been a huge blow to his disciple's resolve to pursue the Dao.

But if he was even a moment too late, his disciple's eyes would be beyond saving...

The balance between these two outcomes was something that even he, with all his experience, found difficult to gauge at that moment.

Fortunately, his disciple hadn't disappointed him.

Sunlight poured down, illuminating the young face and outlining its sharp features. The previously vacant eyes were gradually regaining their light.

In the depths of his pupils, a faint golden glow could even be seen.

The irises were crystal clear, slightly bulging. The shape subtly shifted from round to square, not obviously, but noticeable upon closer inspection.

Seeing this, Yu Zhensheng finally let out a long sigh of relief, a faint smile appearing on his face.

A square pupil is indeed the mark of an immortal; the Nine Revolutions Spiritual Light nourishes the Jade Field.

After opening his eyes, as his Dao cultivation continuously improved, his pupils would gradually change from round to square, revealing the appearance of an immortal.

Baopuzi stated, "The eyes of immortals all have square pupils," and Laozi Zhongjing mentioned that cultivators who had reached five hundred years of practice could manifest square pupils, allowing them to "see through all directions."

Tao Hongjing, a renowned Daoist priest of the Southern Dynasties, experienced "one eye occasionally becoming square" in his later years, almost attaining an immortal aura.

Now, his disciple had finally entered the hall and could be considered someone who had attained the Dao.

"You brat, you've still got some skill. You didn't make your Master—"

Yu Zhensheng was about to praise him when he saw his disciple's pupils shift, as if he were about to regain consciousness.

"Hmph, taking this long to break through the pass. Mediocre, barely satisfactory."

He quickly changed his tune, waved his sleeve, and sighed, "You're the dumbest one I've ever taught."

Behind his back, however, he was drenched in a cold sweat.

That was close, he almost heard me!

Zhou Sheng smiled dismissively, not telling his Master that he had indeed heard him. Instead, he asked curiously, "Master, does that mean I have senior brothers?"

In all these years, his Master had never mentioned any other senior brothers.

"You have a senior sister as well. You'll meet her when we go to Xunyang this time."

After saying this briefly, Yu Zhensheng waved his hand and said, "You've just broken through the pass. Get acquainted with it first, and then we'll continue our journey."

"Yes, Master!"

Zhou Sheng then began to carefully perceive the changes in his body. First and foremost were his eyes. The moment he opened them, the entire world became brand new.

It was as if someone with severe myopia had suddenly put on a pair of properly fitted glasses.

He could even see the texture of a distant blade of grass and the wingbeats of a mosquito, a sensation somewhat similar to the state he was in when performing the opera "Mount Dingjun."

Except now, there was no expenditure of energy; it had become almost instinctual.

In addition, the Magic Power in his Dantian had surged. The medicinal effects of the Mica Formula, combined with the natural growth after opening his Aperture of the Eye, had caused his Dao cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds. The Magic Power accumulated in his Dantian was like a small lake.

His Dao cultivation had increased from six years to approximately fifteen years, a growth of nearly ten years!

He felt his body become lighter, his internal vital energy flowing continuously, warming his limbs and bones.

The entire person seemed to have undergone a transformation, as if reborn.

At this point, the Immortal's Cloud Mica Pill gifted by the City God Lu Bingyuan had exerted its full effect. If Zhou Sheng were to take the same medicine again, he would not gain any further progress.

Fortunately, he could still use the Luoshu to deduce and calculate the true medicinal formula to continue increasing his Dao cultivation!

Popping pills is fun for a while, and it's always fun to keep popping pills.

However, just as Zhou Sheng was preparing to use the Luoshu for divination, his Master's voice suddenly rang out.

"Focus your spirit in your eyes and carefully examine this bowl of water."

Yu Zhensheng poured a bowl of water and handed it to him, saying meaningfully.

Zhou Sheng took a deep breath and channeled the Magic Power from his Dantian into his eyes. Previously, doing so would cause his eyes to swell and become sore, as if ordinary pupils couldn't bear so much Magic Power.

But now, not only was there no burden, but he even felt a cool comfort.

The next moment, his vision was further enhanced. The ordinary bowl of water before his eyes gradually enlarged, resembling a calm expanse of waves.

Within the waves, he vaguely saw countless small insects, wriggling densely.

It was only after a significant amount of Magic Power was consumed that he suddenly snapped back to reality, lost in thought.

"The Buddha observes a bowl of water and sees eighty-four thousand insects."

Yu Zhensheng said with great interest, "After opening your eyes, by circulating your Magic Power, you can perceive the subtle and see the hidden. You can see things that ordinary people cannot, such as the insects in this bowl, but..."

"You don't seem surprised."

Yu Zhensheng remembered the shock he felt the first time he saw these insects after opening his eyes. They filled the water, the food, and even the air.

He was so frightened that he didn't eat or drink for three days.

Zhou Sheng shook his head and chuckled, then drained the water in the bowl in one gulp, without any reservations.

Having already seen such things under a microscope in his past life, he naturally had no psychological barriers. Instead, it made him even more curious about cultivation.

The macroscopic universe, the microscopic world.

No wonder the voice in the illusion said these eyes could let him see the real world.

But who exactly was that voice?

Thinking of this, he asked directly.

Yu Zhensheng explained, "That voice is one of the Six Thieves, the Eye Thief, also known as Joy of Seeing. It's one of the 'spirits' residing within your physical body."

"Spirits?"

"The Huangtingjing says that the human body has Three Palaces, Six Mansions, and 120 Joints, totaling thirty-six thousand deities. Joy of Seeing is one of them. By subduing it, your eyes have gained supernatural abilities."

Zhou Sheng nodded, a look of excitement on his face.

The six senses—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—the first gate had been passed. Next was Ear Hearing Anger. What kind of supernatural abilities would he gain if he passed this gate?

"Although you've achieved some success now, you must still avoid arrogance and impatience. Don't forget Daoist Xie, whom you shot and killed. He had also opened his Aperture of the Eye, yet he still died at your hands during our fight."

He paused, then Yu Zhensheng shared a piece of his own experience.

"Dao cultivation is certainly important, but when fighting, it's a life-or-death struggle, with victory or defeat decided in an instant. If you don't fight, how can you know who will win or lose?"

In his day, among the Gathering of Heroes in the Hundred Schools of the Underworld, he wasn't the one with the highest Dao cultivation, but he was the best fighter.

Therefore, he didn't want his disciple to rely too much on Dao cultivation, but rather to focus more energy on combat skills.

"Master's teachings, your disciple remembers them well!"

Zhou Sheng also agreed with this philosophy. Dao cultivation was one thing, and methods were another. Unless the difference in Dao cultivation was vast, the outcome of a fight still depended on one's methods.

"Alright, let's get on the road immediately. We should be able to reach Xunyang City before dark."

When Yu Zhensheng mentioned Xunyang City, his eyes deepened, and his voice held a particularly intriguing tone.

"Master, besides my senior sister being there, is there anything else special about Xunyang City?"

Zhou Sheng couldn't help but ask curiously.

Yu Zhensheng merely smiled mysteriously and said nothing.

For some reason, Zhou Sheng felt that his Master's smile was somewhat chilling.