Formal Cultivation Begins

"Yes, Grandpa Master Roshi, just like that. Calm down and imagine yourself as a great tree..."

Indeed, Wuchen could hardly call Master Roshi "Little Turtle," even though his soul's age was more than enough to justify it.

As for continuing to call him "Grandmaster," Master Roshi had suddenly taken a dislike to it, despite having no objections before. Though he didn't know why, Wuchen had no desire to be a nuisance.

Thus, he chose the compromise of calling him "Grandpa."

"Grandpa Master Roshi, exhale, inhale... exhale, inhale... Remember this rhythm. Imagine your palms and the soles of your feet are like flowers on a tree, naturally facing the sky..."

Unlike teaching Goku, guiding Master Roshi now came with many limitations.

For one, he was restricted by language, making it difficult to express certain concepts. For another, he was restricted by the origins of his cultivation techniques—the backstory—which he couldn't explicitly explain.

Therefore, Wuchen's guidance remained rather abstract.

"Good, now you should be able to feel the power within you... Imagine there is a tree inside your body. Your abdomen is the base, the upper body is the branches and leaves, and the lower body is the roots..."

"...Slowly, try to let the power within you flow, following the roots and the branches, connecting them... Let nature take its course, and carefully sense the path of the veins..."

Time passed quickly, and it wasn't until the sky turned completely dark that the three of them began to eat dinner.

During the meal, Master Roshi continued to communicate with Wuchen, showering him with praise.

Yes, he didn't have the slightest suspicion; he believed this was something Wuchen had realized on his own, and that the tree must truly exist.

Otherwise, why would Wuchen's explanation, using the tree as an analogy, be so detailed?

By using "Enlightenment through observing a tree" as the backstory, Wuchen had successfully led Master Roshi to a preconceived notion, and by ensuring his explanations remained consistent, he naturally made Master Roshi believe it without doubt.

"Wuchen, that energy you named 'spiritual energy'... why haven't I felt any increase in it yet?" Even when encountering problems, he asked for advice with an open mind, showing none of the airs of a martial arts master.

"Grandpa, it's like this: we are still just imitating the form of a tree. Tomorrow, we will begin learning the method to produce spiritual energy." Just as he had taught Goku, Wuchen had only taught Master Roshi the method of meditation and breathing today.

Master Roshi had learned the meditation and breathing techniques very well, so he could begin practicing the actual cultivation method tomorrow.

This made Wuchen even more convinced that in this world, the Master Roshi before him must have his own system of cultivation, one that shared the same marvelous results as the methods of the immortals!

"Good! We continue tomorrow!"

The next morning, the three sat cross-legged in a row, facing the sea.

While Wuchen circulated his Yin-Yang Creation Art, he also described it to Master Roshi using words he could understand. As for Goku, he spent the time stabilizing his cultivation.

In just three to five days, Master Roshi was already able to produce spiritual energy.

At the same time, he became quite familiar with the circulation paths of the Twelve Meridians, though he simply didn't know what these twelve "branches" and "roots" inside his body were called.

As for the various acupoints, he had some sensation of them, though it wasn't quite specific yet.

Meanwhile, Wuchen also took the opportunity to share the Heaven-Propping Staff with Master Roshi, using a similar excuse.

With that, Wuchen and Master Roshi—a pair who were teacher and student, friend and friend, grandfather and grandson—decided after some deliberation to leave their current location in search of a better place to cultivate.

Three hundred miles north of Turtle Hermit Island lay a large island with mountains, forests, and a freshwater lake, which they designated as their training ground.

According to Master Roshi, Sun Wufan—the grandfather of the brothers Wuchen and Goku—had once trained on this very island.

After choosing their residence, the two formulated a training plan for the three of them.

They would rise early to train their bodies with the staff. From after breakfast until lunch, Master Roshi would arrange the training. From the afternoon until bedtime, all their time would be spent on cultivation.

The day after moving, the formal training began.

They rose to wash up before the sun appeared, practiced with the Heaven-Propping Staff alongside the morning sun, and once breakfast was finished, Master Roshi took the lead.

Master Roshi's training was simple: tilling the land, helping the island's residents farm.

However, they had to till the land by hand. According to him, this could simultaneously exercise the hands, claws, arms, shoulders, brain, eyes, waist, legs, and feet... in short, the entire body could be tempered.

But there was always a time when the fields were finished.

Master Roshi would then lead them in other training, whether it was helping at construction sites, delivering goods on foot across the island, or extreme swimming training—all sorts of daily activities.

The key was to increase the difficulty as much as possible; for instance, he would require them to complete these tasks while carrying dozens of pounds of turtle shells on their backs.

In short, it was about training the body to the limit, squeezing out every ounce of energy, and stimulating their potential.

At the same time, they could earn some money to sustain their ever-increasing appetites. Of course, daily expenses were still primarily draining Master Roshi's "coffin savings."

As for the cultivation practice, Wuchen handled all the arrangements.

Step-by-step practice was the norm, with the reuse of spiritual energy being the focus.

Following the example of Mount Paozu, they began to select various plants and crops to cultivate.

It is worth mentioning that Wuchen also had Goku begin producing spiritual energy, practicing the knack of refining essence into spirit.

After truly practicing the Yin-Yang Creation Art, Wuchen discovered that even without deep study, this technique served as an excellent foundation.

In any case, there were no other immortal cultivators in this world, so there was no need to race against time; slow and steady progress was perfectly fine.

Beyond that, Wuchen selected a suitable technique and cleverly passed it on to Master Roshi.

The Black Tortoise Raging Waves Transformation was a technique for an era of scarce spiritual energy, which also required the condensation of an Origin Soul. However, once the Origin Soul was formed, one had to attach either the water or yin attribute to it to continue subsequent cultivation.

Those who mastered this method would enjoy a long life, avoid disasters, and escape sinking into ruin.

When still, one was like an ancient well, invisible and imperceptible; when in motion, one was like a raging sea, unshakable and unstoppable! It was worthy of the Black Tortoise body and lived up to the Raging Waves Transformation!

This is the current state of the three's cultivation: Wuchen focuses entirely on the Yin-Yang Creation Art.

Goku and Master Roshi, however, only practice the techniques for absorbing essence and refining spirit within it, while primarily focusing on the Nine Origin General Knowledge Art and the Black Tortoise Raging Waves Transformation, respectively.

As for the Heaven-Propping Staff, a method for tempering the body, they all practice it together.

Wuchen bears a heavier burden; for one, he must constantly keep an eye on Goku and Master Roshi. After all, they lack experience and are prone to making mistakes.

Especially with Goku, Wuchen must also divert his attention to refining the violent aura drawn out in order to suppress the Great Ape transformation. Should he be even the slightest bit careless, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Therefore, Wuchen dares not be negligent.

Furthermore, Wuchen must also attend to the spiritual plants and fruits.

While spiritual energy is certainly a good thing that can transform plants and nourish those who consume them, it could also lead to unfavorable mutations, potentially turning them into highly toxic substances!

Thus, tending to the fruit plants is also Wuchen's job; classifying the spiritual plants and verifying their properties are necessary procedures.

With the so-called "Dharma, Wealth, Companions, and Land"—the four essential elements of cultivation—Wuchen can be considered to have the basics in place.

Time flies in the blink of an eye, and a month has suddenly vanished.

"Tap! Tap! Tap!"

Before the three of them had even mastered the ropes, their newly moved-into home welcomed two uninvited guests!