Headmaster Zhao calmly accepted Luo Zhou's bow!
Then he said slowly:
"Stand up. Remember, I'm your teacher, not your master.
I won't take you as a disciple. You're only my student.
Nor can I take you as a disciple; it would ruin you. I hope your future lies beyond that boundless sea of stars!"
His words were grave!
Luo Zhou rose and said, "Teacher, I understand!"
Headmaster Zhao nodded.
"To walk steadily along the path of immortal cultivation, you must master the hundred arts of cultivation.
Among these hundred arts, Array Formation, Alchemy, Artifact Crafting, and Talisman Drawing come first.
Beneath them are Mining, Medicinal Cuisine, Spirit Plant Cultivation, Beast Taming, Refining Gu, Esoteric Techniques, Strategy and Calculation, Divination, Spirit Slaughter, Stargazing, Immortal Runes, Spirit Cultivation, Ghost Control, Spirit Appraisal, Law Attachment, Puppet Making, Pulse Examination, Qi Observation, Tea Drinking, Command Incantations, Construction, Porcelain Making, Incense Making, Offering to the Yin, and countless other arts. As they branch out, the number of immortal professions reaches several thousand.
Every one of these arts is important. Let me tell you: every powerful cultivator who achieves success has mastered one or several immortal arts and advanced in several, even a dozen, immortal professions. Only then can they go farther along the immortal path!
Otherwise, if you kill a demon beast without knowing Spirit Slaughter and butcher it haphazardly, you'll lose at least half its Spirit Stones. If you don't know how to refine souls, you'll let a formidable enemy's soul go to waste—and lose a fortune in Spirit Stones. If you don't know Spirit Appraisal, you'll mistake a treasure for a rock, blind to its worth. If you don't know Mining, then even if you find a Spirit Stone mine, you'll lose half the Spirit Stones.
Force Users are one of the immortal professions under Construction. There are thirty-six legacies of the Longevity Force Users in this world, said to have been created by the Supreme Daoist Lord.
Mountain-Moving Force User, Mountain-Shifting Force User, Overturning Rivers Force User, Sea-Treading Force User, Thunder Force User, Myriad-Weight Force User,
Yellow Turban Force User, Dark-Crowned Force User, Green-Faced Force User, Red-Tusked Force User, Golden-Armored Force User, Dharma-Protecting Force User,
Prayer Force User, Altar-Guardian Force User, Water-Calm Force User, Lightning Force User, Demon-Subduing Force User, Evil-Dispelling Force User,
Vast Force User, Sun-Chasing Force User, Tortoise-Divining Force User, Hinoki Force User, Mighty Force User, Heavenly Soldier Force User,
Cloud-Chasing Force User, Lightning-Chasing Force User, Sky-Supporting Force User, Sea-Bridging Force User, Sky-Overturning Force User, Earth-Covering Force User,
Thunder-Riding Force User, Water-Controlling Force User, Fire-Controlling Force User, Wind-Guiding Force User, Soul-Capturing Force User, Netherworld-Connecting Force User.
..."
Luo Zhou hadn't imagined there were so many intricacies to Force Users. He nodded repeatedly, listening with rapt attention.
"To advance as a Force User, you must meet one prerequisite: immense strength."
Luo Zhou said, "Teacher, that's no problem. I have the strength of ten thousand catties."
Headmaster Zhao continued:
"After advancing to the immortal profession of Force User, besides gaining immense strength, your body will change shape. You'll become imposing or handsome.
"That's because Force Users were originally created by the Daoist Lord as a sort of ceremonial guard, to make rituals look grand.
"Force Users also know Construction. They can build houses and cities, repair cave abodes, and even create Blessed Land Grotto Heavens.
"Beyond lending ceremony and pageantry, the real work of Force Users is manual labor.
"I have thirteen golden Force User talismans here, but you must choose with your eyes closed.
"That's the Daoist tradition: choose a Force User with your eyes shut and leave it to fate.
"Once you've chosen, go home and swallow it with Incense Ash. You'll become a Force User.
"To advance to another type of Force User, you'll need to obtain and refine another Force User golden talisman. Or, when your opportunity comes, you may automatically advance to a second Force User profession.
"Legend has it that a great master once mastered all thirty-six types of Force Users and ascended to the heavens in a single step, advancing directly to Nascent Soul Force User!"
As he spoke, Headmaster Zhao took out thirteen golden talismans.
Luo Zhou couldn't help asking, "A Nascent Soul Force User—is that like a construction-site workhorse among Nascent Souls?"
Headmaster Zhao scolded him. "What nonsense are you talking about?
"A Nascent Soul True Lord is a resplendent Celestial Lord, immortal for ten thousand years, with spirits beyond the heavens. One thunderbolt could kill you!"
"Enough chatter. Choose!"
After talking for a while, Headmaster Zhao's personality began to show.
He was a bit like a mischievous old child, and particularly liked teasing Luo Zhou, laughing and scolding him.
Luo Zhou closed his eyes and reached out. A golden talisman slipped into his hand.
Neither he nor Headmaster Zhao knew what kind of Force User it was.
Luo Zhou would only find out after going home and refining it.
He thanked Headmaster Zhao profusely.
Headmaster Zhao continued:
"Besides Force User, I also have twenty-seven other immortal professions, including Strategist, Curse Master, Talisman Master, Dead Agent, and Tea Guest.
"Take your time. If you can, choose several professions and advance into the Dao.
"They'll be of great help to your cultivation in the future!
"At the very least, they'll make it easier to earn Spirit Stones!"
At the mention of Curse Master, Luo Zhou's eyes lit up. He bowed and said, "Thank you, Teacher!"
He'd been pretending to be a Curse Master all along. Perhaps he really could advance in that profession here.
Headmaster Zhao gave him more instruction.
As the head of the Daoist academy, imparting the Dao and teaching was his duty.
He quietly taught these immortal professions to outstanding disciples in the academy.
Old people liked to ramble. They talked for a full hour before they finally finished.
After the lesson, Luo Zhou went home.
The first thing he did was fetch some Incense Ash and swallow it together with the Force User golden talisman.
After swallowing it, Luo Zhou waited quietly.
About fifteen minutes later, it seemed a celestial melody rang in his ears!
"When the winter solstice brings the birth of yang, the pitch pipes turn to Huangzhong, and an arc hangs over the gate's left side. Recall the auspicious birth of years past, the dream of a jade swallow's message, and today's birthday celebration. Incense burns in the golden censer. The Southern Dipper shines bright, the Northern Mountain's hall lies deep, and green pines and cypresses stand as turtles and cranes follow..."
As the celestial melody played, Luo Zhou quietly transformed.
He grew taller and leaner, his features turning refined, his eyes especially bright.
Immortal profession: Hinoki Force User!
Hinoki and pine, the ageless pine of the southern mountain, Longevity of Pine and Cypress.
In a daze, Luo Zhou understood that among the thirty-six Longevity Force Users, the Hinoki Force User ranked thirty-third.
His strength increased by a thousand catties, reaching eleven thousand catties.
His whole body felt incomparably light, and he gained much finer control over his strength.
His lifespan increased by at least sixty years, a full sexagenary cycle.
He gained two great traits: Pine and Cypress Wither Last and Bamboo-Thin Pine-Slender.
Pine and Cypress Wither Last: "Only when the year grows cold do we know that pines and cypresses are the last to wither!"
This trait gave Luo Zhou boundless perseverance and endurance. He would never give up, rarely fall ill, and enjoy good health, with a touch of innate spiritual energy!
He was completely immune to spells and abilities that caused weakness or fatigue.
His former trait, Rapid Recovery, had been absorbed by the Hinoki Force User and vanished.
Bamboo-Thin Pine-Slender was even more unusual. From then on, Luo Zhou would remain tall and slender, refined and handsome—always the most handsome person in a crowd.
Like a pine tree, he would be unyielding. He could resist most spells and abilities involving mind-reading or sensory detection.
A fine bird chooses a tree to nest in. As a great pine tree, Luo Zhou would be especially popular with birds and other creatures of the skies.
The Hinoki Force User was a typical ceremonial Force User, created by the Daoist Lord to lend an imposing appearance to rituals.
This profession didn't add much strength, but it certainly made one dignified and handsome—a beauty capable of charming men, women, demons, and beasts alike!
Luo Zhou looked at himself in the mirror. He really had become more handsome.
What good was that? He didn't make a living off his looks. Any other Force User would be better!
But the more he looked at his reflection, the more he liked it!
Still, it wasn't bad. Being handsome was important for a lifetime. He'd struck gold—made a killing!
The greatest advantage of the Hinoki Force User would come if he ever obtained the Tortoise-Divining Force User.
The two could form the combination Tortoise-Divining Hinoki, giving birth to the divine ability <Blessings as long as the flowing waters of the Eastern Sea, longevity as great as the ageless pine of the Southern Mountain>.
Becoming a Force User was a great deal, no matter how he looked at it.
But that wasn't Luo Zhou's main concern.
It was the Woodworm Devil, the Crocodile Dragon, Yue Canglong. Nothing anyone said mattered. He had to kill it.
How could he repay the kindness of the True Person of Green Ridge? By sacrificing tens of thousands of lives? And then tens of thousands more would die in the future?
The coming competition? The higher-ups didn't want to work hard anymore, so they wanted to sacrifice commoners instead—and tens of thousands more would die!
That wasn't how things were!
That wasn't how the world worked!
That was no way to reason!
The dragon had to die. No matter what the True Person of Green Ridge did, I said it: not even the immortals could save it. It had to die!
Even if the True Person of Green Ridge retaliated and I was going to die tomorrow, I still had to kill the old Crocodile Dragon today!
Boundless killing intent coalesced in Luo Zhou's heart. He had to kill the beast!
Today was already the eighteenth day of the sixth month. There were fifteen days left!
But how could he kill the old Crocodile Dragon?
The old Crocodile Dragon had the True Person of Green Ridge's power behind it and possessed a divine seal granted by Heaven and Earth. It had become one with this stretch of river.
Without the power to shatter seas, rivers, and lakes, no one could kill it.
After advancing to Hinoki Force User, Luo Zhou's body had transformed dramatically, and he now possessed a trace of innate spiritual energy.
As Luo Zhou's resolve grew unshakable, his spiritual energy stirred. In a daze, he saw a flash of light before his eyes.
His ability, Flash of Inspiration, stirred by Luo Zhou's conviction and supported by this spiritual energy, quietly awakened.
In that flash, Luo Zhou saw rain pouring down. He hid by the river, concealed in a spot along its bank.
The old Crocodile Dragon had transformed into a small dog again. In the downpour, it happily came over to eat people.
But this time, evil deeds would meet their reckoning!
Luo Zhou saw himself suddenly strike. Countless waves surged up along the riverbank around the old Crocodile Dragon, and the river exploded with a roar.
In the water, the old Crocodile Dragon was completely disoriented, swept along by the current.
Then Luo Zhou struck with a Dragon-Slaying Thrust—and truly slew the dragon!
The old Crocodile Dragon was killed!
Just like that, the problem was solved!
Luo Zhou was dumbstruck. Then he understood why the river had grown turbulent.
The divine ability Overturning Rivers and Seas
Truly made rivers and seas churn, raising monstrous waves. It disrupted Heaven and Earth's divine seal, so the river was just a river, and the old Crocodile Dragon was just the old Crocodile Dragon!
With no protection, one Dragon-Slaying Thrust would blow its head off!
In a daze, the flash of inspiration vanished!
Without advancing to the immortal profession of Hinoki Force User, he wouldn't have gained that trace of spiritual energy. He couldn't have awakened Flash of Inspiration, and without it, he would never have learned how to kill the old Crocodile Dragon.
One link after another, cause and effect aligned!
Luo Zhou was overcome with excitement. Evil deeds would meet their reckoning—the heavens themselves were helping him. Old Crocodile Dragon, you're dead!
No one dared strike, so I'll strike. No one else can do it, so I will!
No one dares to kill it? Then I will!
Before you continue