Pan Long rested for nearly an hour before his mind settled again.
A master of his caliber had an exceptionally firm will, one that nothing could easily shake. Even if mountains collapsed before his eyes or he suffered a thousand cuts, he could face it calmly. But the unknown old man's cultivation was unfathomably high. His faint smile carried an indescribable profundity and power beyond imagination.
Only because Pan Long practiced the Nine-Turn Mysterious Art and had endured the agony of Body Tempering with Heavenly Stellar Force and Earthly Baleful Force had he forged his will into steel. Had an ordinary expert at the Innate Peak heard that single laugh, it would have crushed his spirit. For the rest of his life, he would have chased the meaning hidden in that smile, never again finding his own path.
Worse, he would have worshipped the man fanatically. At a single command, he would have gone through fire and water without hesitation, even taking pleasure in it.
As certain strange tales put it: "Ever since I first saw the peach blossoms, I have never doubted again." On the surface, it looked like a sudden awakening to life's true meaning. In reality, the person's mind had been seized, robbing him of the ability to renew himself or grow.
This was most common in the Buddhist School's Sudden Enlightenment School. Its followers sought the bright spark within the heart, believing that finding a single flash of insight could swiftly elevate them. They rejected the slow, painstaking work of tempering the mind and will.
The Sudden Enlightenment School did have eminent monks of extraordinary talent who achieved great cultivation the moment understanding dawned. Far more, however, were influenced by all manner of outside things during their search. They became trapped in a state where "mountains