Cultivating the Dao for Ten Years, Nothing but Perseverance

Chapter 7: Cultivating the Dao for Ten Years, Nothing but Perseverance

[When you were fifteen, the Daoist with a golden toad perched on his shoulder wished to take Lu Yu as his disciple. He admitted that he had not taken a disciple in many years and now wished to accept him as his final disciple.]

[To take on a disciple, the Daoist deliberately displayed a skill. With a light leap, he soared to the treetop, and when he landed, he was as silent as a feather.]

[Everyone in Lu Manor was utterly astonished, crying out that he was an immortal.]

[Unexpectedly, Lu Yu refused. Even the Daoist surnamed Liu was somewhat surprised.]

[Your uncle hurriedly cut Lu Yu off, reminding him to be respectful and courteous. Your mother, well aware of the Daoist's extraordinary nature, quickly urged Lu Yu to acknowledge him as his master.]

[Lu Yu said firmly, "If you want to take me as your disciple, then you must take my elder brother as well."]

[The Daoist frowned slightly upon hearing this and did not agree at once.]

[Another month passed. Lu Yu's cultivation advanced again, and his Innate Skill had already entered the fourth level. His speed was astonishing.]

[When his uncle sparred with him, it took more than a hundred moves before he could win. His uncle was deeply shaken.]

[The Daoist surnamed Liu watched with an itch in his heart, believing Lu Yu's talent to be exceptional. He was undoubtedly the perfect candidate to revive the Three Truths Sect.]

[He proposed taking Lu Yu as his disciple again, only to be refused once more.]

[Lu Yu said that becoming his disciple was fine, but his elder brother had to be accepted as well.]

[The Daoist fell into thought.]

[He recalled the prophecy left behind by a great Daoist fifteen years ago: "A heavenly star shall descend into the world, and the conflict between Dao and demon shall bring an age of chaos."]

[From then on, Daoist sects began widely accepting disciples.]

[At this time, Lu Yu was fifteen or sixteen, matching the description in the prophecy. The Daoist's heart stirred. Perhaps this descended Daoist child truly would be Lu Yu.]

[As for Lu Chen, though his aptitude for martial arts was inferior to Lu Yu's, he was mature beyond his years, possessed Calmness Within, handled matters in perfect order, and never made mistakes. He was bound to achieve great things in the mortal world.]

[Unfortunately, he was not suited for cultivation.]

[But for Lu Yu, this possible Daoist child, he was willing to make an exception.]

[Thus, the two of you became disciples under the Daoist, and your mother was overjoyed.]

[The Daoist revealed his true name: Liu Jinchan.]

[That year, your uncle traveled north to join your father, while you two brothers followed your master to Mount Zhongnan, the founding ground of the Three Truths Sect.]

[This was your first time leaving your hometown.]

[New check-in location unlocked: Mount Zhongnan.]

[On this day, you two received the true register of the Three Truths Sect.]

[Unlocked righteous-path disciple identity—Three Truths Sect disciple.]

[There were few disciples in the Three Truths lineage, but every one of them was extraordinary. Only then did you learn how lofty the Daoist surnamed Liu's seniority was—even the sect leader of the Three Truths lineage called you two Martial Uncles.]

[The Daoist surnamed Liu was proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as the three teachings of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. You two brothers were utterly convinced.]

[Afterward, you and your younger brother began cultivating the Dao on Mount Zhongnan. He personally taught you Daoist scriptures and martial arts.]

[That year, beacon fires stretched across the land and the chaotic age was rife with conflict, yet you lived deep in the mountains, cut off from the world.]

[Cultivation became your daily routine.]

[Each day, you climbed from the foot of the mountain to its summit, bathed in the morning sun, crossed stone steps, and tempered your body in the pool.]

[From the first ray of dawn until night fell and all sounds went still, you remained in the training ground, diligently practicing stances. Sweat poured like rain, soaking your clothes through.]

[Year after year passed, from spring blossoms in full bloom to winter snow drifting down. Yet your progress in martial arts was not as swift as expected.]

[Two years flew by, and you still lingered at the second level of the Great Yellow Court, possessing only a little more strength than an ordinary person.]

[One day, you fought Lu Yu. His palm techniques were fierce and his movements nimble. Within only a few exchanges, he forced you into peril after peril.]

[Seeing that your defeat was certain, Lu Yu could not bear to hurt your pride. So he fought you again. This time, he deliberately held back, only barely defeating you after two hundred moves.]

[You had seen through it long ago and merely smiled. You did not lose heart. Instead, you trained even more seriously, often practicing until you forgot yourself. Whenever you gained some insight, you were overjoyed.]

[This year, you were eighteen. Your mother sent a letter to you brothers, saying that she missed you dearly and worried whether you had grown accustomed to the harsh life in the mountains.]

[The letter said that the realm was becoming increasingly chaotic. After the autumn harvest, the Northern Xuan Kingdom crossed the border, war drums booming as terror spread through the north.]

[When Father returned, his hair had already turned white. He passed by home three times without entering. He told Mother to prepare the family for a southern migration, for the North Wind Profound Kingdom would soon march south.]

[That autumn, your cultivation finally broke through, reaching the third level of the Great Yellow Court. It could only be called slow progress; disciples who had entered the sect just a year ago had already surpassed you.]

[Lu Yu, on the other hand, was only seventeen and had already begun to shine. Aside from the few elders in the mountains, he had almost no rivals.]

[The true qi within his body could be released and withdrawn at will, enough to protect himself. He had already entered the ranks of first-rate martial artists in the martial world.]

[He possessed great prestige within the sect, and every newly initiated disciple admired him.]

[Lu Yu possessed the heart of a pure child, and the Daoist surnamed Liu praised him even more highly as a born cultivation prodigy.]

[Another year passed. Today, you were nineteen.]

[As Northern Xuan's iron cavalry crossed the Yellow River, calls within the Three Truths Sect to descend the mountain and save the world grew ever louder.]

[Lu Yu was even more filled with righteous indignation. He gathered a group of like-minded disciples and intended to secretly descend the mountain under the cover of the morning mist, hoping to save the common people.]

[However, on the night before, Lu Yu had taken the initiative to seek your opinion.]

[Thus, you made your decision.]

1. Tell Master about this.

2. Turn a blind eye and let him do as he pleased.

3. Go with him.

4. Personally take part in it. (0/3)

Yu Ke looked at the options appearing in his mind and pondered for a moment.

At this point, Lu Yu's cultivation had already surpassed yours by quite a bit. Ordinary strong men could not even get close to him; he had the ability to protect himself.

He was already eighteen. Even if you tried to stop him, it would most likely be futile.

Besides, with Master's insight, he had likely long since guessed Lu Chen's nature.

Yu Ke chose 2, turning a blind eye.

[When Lu Yu learned that you would not stop him, he said happily, "Just wait, Brother. I'll surely accomplish something great."]

[As soon as Lu Yu descended the mountain, the Daoist surnamed Liu quietly appeared before you. Watching Lu Yu and a group of Three Truths Sect disciples leave the mountain, you realized that, just as you had expected, this matter could probably not be hidden from Master.]

[The Daoist smiled lightly. "Actually, the one who should most descend the mountain for experience is you, my disciple."]

[Liu Jinchan sighed inwardly. One of his two disciples was a born Daoist child, yet his heart remained in the mortal world. The other should have been a talent fit to govern an age, yet insisted on becoming a mountain prime minister.]

[You did not understand what he meant. You only felt that you trained even more diligently that night.]

[Another cycle of cold and heat passed. Not a single day went to waste. There were no roosters or dogs in the mountains, so you rose with the morning dew and roamed beneath the stars at night.]

[This year, you turned twenty, yet your cultivation still remained at the third level of the Great Yellow Court, with only slight improvement.]

[You were not anxious. You still cultivated every day according to your old methods, unwavering as thunder.]

[Some of the newly recruited disciples had already cultivated the Great Yellow Court to the fourth level.]

[Since you had become a disciple under the Daoist surnamed Liu, you were exempt from both the obligations of seniority and the morning and evening lessons.]

[This drew the dissatisfaction of the sect's disciples. Mocking voices became common, saying that you had only attained your position by currying favor with the sect elders.]

[Lu Yu held great prestige among the newer disciples. Especially after his departure, the sect disciples' grievances toward you grew ever greater.]