When they had come, the Wokou had been attacking the city, so they had ridden at a gallop, swift as the wind. There was no need for such haste on the way to Taizhou.
Heavy forces guarded the city; there was no urgency.
Cao Jinxing asked Qi Jiguang for two fine horses and set off for Taizhou with Qin Xuanji, following Yang Xi and Lu Yi. After they had traveled some distance, Yang Xi and Lu Yi suddenly felt rather superfluous. They rode ahead on their Cloud-Turning Steeds, leaving the man and woman to travel at an unhurried pace behind them.
Seated on horseback, Cao Jinxing was still contemplating the "Rootless Tree" Zhang Sanfeng had left behind.
If his guess was right, this should be an immortal-level cultivation art.
What Cao Jinxing lacked most at present was precisely such a complete text.
The Earth Marsh Scripture he had secretly learned was incomplete, after all. He could only imitate the circulation of internal energy in a rudimentary way and knew little of its underlying principles. He had never figured out the difference between immortal martial arts and Spirit Martial arts, and his imitation was based solely on Spirit Martial principles, so the results of his cultivation had fallen short of his expectations.
Ultimately, cultivation was an endeavor governed by the mind, closely tied to insight.
A single difference in understanding often led in the opposite direction. "Rootless Tree" had arrived at just the right time.
"Rootless tree, its blossoms fair; forget all feeling before the view, and savor the moonlight."
"Make essence whole and flourishing, blossoms dazzling to the eye; do not pick the wrong melon in the garden."
"The five metals and eight stones are all false; myriad herbs and countless formulas all fall short."
"Golden toad, jade crow;