Reading Is Also Cultivation

Shi Yi had originally wanted to ask some questions about the Great Vehicle Tathagata Sutra when he went to the Daoist temple in Ninghe County.

Now, it seemed he couldn't.

If possible, borrowing books related to Daoist magic cultivation and understanding them himself would be the best approach.

Even joining the Daoist temple as a disciple and practicing their internal cultivation techniques would avoid trouble.

This thought flashed through Shi Yi's mind, becoming one of his backup plans.

"What did Mr. Xuanming mean when he said, 'Reading is also cultivation' at the end?"

"Could it be that this world also has Confucian cultivation methods?"

Shi Yi's mind kept replaying Mr. Xuanming's final words to him.

It left him somewhat confused about the meaning.

"Jixia Academy is one of the sacred lands in the world. Could it really be a place that cultivates Confucian cultivators?"

Shi Yi thought of the several sacred lands mentioned by Mr. Xuanming.

Jixia Academy, Zhengyi Immortal Dao, and Great Putuo Temple.

Given their names as sacred lands, they were naturally not ordinary places.

He had come into contact with two of them. The first was Jixia Academy. When Shi Yi was apprenticed, Lu Feng, the School Master of Anyang Martial Arts School, mentioned that the school's founder was related to Jixia Academy, and the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Strength Training Fist he practiced originated from Jixia Academy.

As for the other, Great Putuo Temple, it was the source of the Vajra Bodhi Bracelet Mother Bead he had obtained. The Great Vehicle Tathagata Sutra within it was undoubtedly an important cultivation technique of Great Putuo Temple, though he wasn't sure to what extent of preciousness.

He hadn't encountered Zhengyi Immortal Dao, but judging by its name, it should be a major Daoist sect.

Shi Yi wasn't sure if the Daoist temple in Ninghe County was related to it.

"Hoo!"

"I can't overthink it. I have plenty of time. I'll take it step by step."

"I'll find an opportunity to ask Mr. Xuanming again carefully."

Shi Yi took a deep breath, calming his mind.

Mr. Xuanming's words had indeed left an impression on him.

On his way back to the martial arts school, Shi Yi heard the sound of weapons clashing from a nearby alley entrance.

However, he paid no attention to it.

Since the Divine Constable Bureau had left, Anyuan Town had been restless these past few days.

The Five Tigers Gang, Jinyang Gang, and Blood Sword Hall frequently clashed, resulting in many deaths.

The Town Magistrate and other officials seemed oblivious, allowing these gangs to fight.

In Lu Feng's words, the government wouldn't intervene as long as only gang members were dying.

Whether ordinary citizens were caught in the crossfire, Shi Yi didn't know, but he was certain that people with status in Anyuan Town were definitely not affected.

These gangs in Anyuan Town bullied the weak and feared the strong, only wielding their blades against those weaker than them.

Shi Yi couldn't manage it, nor did he have the ability to.

Ignore it – that was what Lu Feng had told him.

Shortly after Shi Yi left, several injured men emerged, their swords stained with blood!

If one ignored the bloodstains flowing from the alley entrance, the alley could be considered peaceful again.

"Next time I visit Mr. Xuanming, I should borrow the Four Books and Five Classics and copy them!"

After Shi Yi finished his cultivation at Anyang Martial Arts School and returned to his residence, he had an idea in his mind.

Regardless of whether Lu Feng's words were intentional or if he simply wanted Shi Yi to read more, reading the Four Books and Five Classics wouldn't be a waste of time for him. Since he had started reading, he might as well read the representative books for the imperial examinations in this world.

The Four Books and Five Classics were books with a long history in this world, highly representative. Furthermore, copying books was not a problem for Shi Yi; he had the electronic copying method, which was fast and convenient.

Given some time, he could copy all of Lu Feng's collection.

A part of the reason Shi Yi had this idea was that Lu Feng had told him that famous Martial Path experts in the Great Zhou Dynasty had all read many books.

Clearly, reading more was also very beneficial for Martial Path cultivation.

He couldn't understand the connection now, simply because he hadn't reached that level yet.

Shi Yi opened his water pouch and took his usual small sip of Hundred-Year Stone Milk. He now mostly drank it after finishing his cultivation, as he found that the nourishing effect of the Hundred-Year Stone Milk was better after cultivation, and it could also repair hidden injuries in his body.

Martial Path cultivation, accumulated over time, would still lead to some hidden injuries, which he could now directly avoid by using the Hundred-Year Stone Milk!

Moreover, since he started drinking the Hundred-Year Stone Milk, his mental state had been improving.

"The Hundred-Year Stone Milk is almost gone!"

"Six days have passed since the Divine Constable Bureau left, and seven days have passed since I last collected the Hundred-Year Stone Milk."

"The number of people going to Mount Jiuhua has decreased in the past few days, and very few are going today. Tomorrow, there will be even fewer!"

"Tomorrow night, I'll go and see if the Hundred-Year Stone Milk is still there. If it is, I'll see how much has gathered, and I'll know the approximate time it takes to fill up."

Shi Yi was also calculating the time in his heart.

These days, he had patiently refrained from going, to prevent being discovered by people from the past.

Although this possibility was very small, it wasn't impossible. With so many people having gone, it wasn't strange for a few to possess peculiar abilities. If by chance someone had a special tracking ability, his trip to Mount Jiuhua would not end well.

As long as he wasn't inside, he wouldn't cause any commotion, and naturally, no one would be able to discover him.

Therefore, Shi Yi planned to wait another day.

Only by being a patient hunter could one reap greater rewards.

According to the current situation, as time passed, the number of people returning empty-handed would increase, and the number of people entering Mount Jiuhua to seek opportunities would decrease. The safer it would be for him to obtain the Hundred-Year Stone Milk.

When eventually no one was thinking of seeking opportunities anymore, no one would discover the secret of the Hundred-Year Stone Milk!

"My current consumption is almost complete, and I also need to replenish my stock. Otherwise, I can wait a bit longer to go."

The Hundred-Year Stone Milk in Shi Yi's water pouch was almost gone!

This rate of consumption was also a result of Shi Yi exercising restraint; otherwise, he could have drunk more.

The effect of the Hundred-Year Stone Milk was very mild, and the energy it contained was easily absorbed by the human body. Therefore, there were no issues with drinking more of this Earth Treasure.

Just like the first time Shi Yi directly drank half of his stock, his body did not experience any adverse effects.

The energy contained within his body was also absorbed by his body during his daily cultivation, improving his cultivation progress.

"It's getting late now!"

"I should return to Earth to rest!"

Shi Yi rested for a while in the room. Feeling that his body had almost finished absorbing the Hundred-Year Stone Milk, he decided to leave.

He wouldn't stay here after nightfall.

With a slight shift of his thoughts, Shi Yi frowned.

Because he heard footsteps.

"That guy surnamed Jiao seems to have run ahead. Chase him! He's seriously injured and can't run far. We can't let him get away!"

"He's a Hall Master. Capturing him would be enough for us brothers to get promoted."

Outside the house, a group of people's voices sounded, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps running into the distance.

Clearly, they were in pursuit.

These days, Anyuan Town had been very restless. This was true during the day, and even more so at night. Lu Feng had also told Shi Yi not to go out after dark.