Step by Step Ascend to Immortality

Chapter 143: Chapter 132 I can’t continue talking

Master Wangshan finally calmed his heart, the turbulent blood within him settling down. Yet the events of the initiation ceremony would forever be etched in his soul.

He himself had no idea why he suddenly and inexplicably shared such a deeply revealing story, one that laid bare his own Dao heart. It was as if his very soul underwent a profound baptism, more painful for him as the storyteller than for those listening, for every character in the tale seemed to mirror his own being.

His disciples, clearly moved, showered him with praise: "Master, you were magnificent today!"

"I've never heard such a riveting story!"

"From start to finish, I was completely consumed by your words!"

"Master, why stop now? Even though the ceremony has run late, I believe the entire hall would gladly listen until dawn if you continued."

"Yes! I still wish to be tortured by your words, as heartbreaking as they are—yet so captivating I simply cannot stop!"

The crowd buzzed with questions, all wondering why Master Wangshan had chosen to stop telling this extraordinary story. He merely shook his head and said, "I can't continue this story."

"Improvise?" A disciple asked incredulously, "How could that be? How can a story made up on the spot be so flawless?"

"Because each character in the story is a reflection of every cultivator here," Master Wangshan responded, recalling the few who remained unaffected by his tale, a sudden surge of anger reigniting the blood within him. "I need to step out for a while."

"But why?" his disciples asked, confused. "Master, shouldn't you rest?"

Moments later, Master Wangshan, now dressed in the plain robes of an ordinary disciple of the Shenxiao Sect, concealed his true identity and soared toward Chonghua Peak. He was determined to understand why such a gripping, emotionally charged story had no impact on a particular master-disciple pair.

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Despite the presence of Chu Nanhua, a false Core Formation cultivator overseeing Chonghua Peak, Master Wangshan—a seasoned Nascent Soul expert—effortlessly slipped past the defenses. Cloaked in the shadows of the night, he silently approached the peak, eavesdropping on the barely audible whispers coming from within.

Behind him, the voice of Dao Xingzi could already be heard, preaching to the gathered cultivators. As the second-ranked Nascent Soul master of the Shenxiao Sect, it was rare for him to openly share his wisdom, usually limiting himself to brief formalities. Yet today, due to the commotion stirred by Master Wangshan, he was forced to offer teachings drawn from his centuries of cultivation.

"Master, has Master Wangshan finished his story?" he overheard Shen Yaqin's voice, and her new disciple replied, equally puzzled, "Yes, Master, he has. I didn't expect it to end so soon."

"Finally, it's over!" Shen Yaqin sighed in relief, returning from her immersion in spiritual plants and noticing the moon had risen. "Is it night already? The sky darkened so quickly today!"

Liu Suiyun inquired, "What was the story about, Master? You spoke so brilliantly that I could hear Master Wangshan's voice, but I didn't catch a word of his story."

Shen Yaqin responded indifferently, "I have no idea. I was too focused on your progress to bother with the noise Master Wangshan was making. Probably just some crude, tasteless tales—nothing worth listening to."

Hearing this, Master Wangshan felt a surge of fury. After all the years of painstaking preparation to present his grand Dao, Shen Yaqin had reduced it to "crude" and "tasteless"?! This was his path to immortality, yet she dismissed it with such disdain.

Liu Suiyun added, "But, Master, your teachings on spiritual plants were far too fascinating. I couldn't spare a thought for anything else. Now that Master Wangshan's lecture has ended, might I humbly ask for more guidance?"

Shen Yaqin, clearly pleased by her disciple's words, felt as though she had just sipped the finest spirit tea from the Central Tang. "Now Dao Xingzi is teaching. He's the second-ranked Nascent Soul cultivator in the sect, and the last time he spoke publicly was thirty years ago. Don't you want to hear him? It would benefit you greatly."

"Utterly boring," Liu Suiyun replied. "I only wish to continue learning about spiritual plants from you, Master."

Deep down, Shen Yaqin took immense pride in her teaching. Although her expertise in the study of flora was vast, she had never specialized in it, her attempts at tea cultivation having ended in complete failure. Consequently, much of her knowledge had remained sealed away—until now.

With Liu Suiyun's keen interest, Shen Yaqin found a renewed passion for teaching. His rapid progress in plant cultivation, especially in growing tea and vegetables, astonished her. He absorbed knowledge like a sponge, and with every passing moment, Shen Yaqin was continually amazed at his growth.

"Dao Xingzi will be heartbroken if he hears your assessment," Shen Yaqin remarked with amusement.

"Utterly boring," Liu Suiyun repeated. "I feel sharper than ever, and I've never been more eager for your guidance. Please, let me learn more."

"Very well!" Shen Yaqin ignored Dao Xingzi's lecture. "Let us continue."

Master Wangshan finally found some solace. Although his profound lecture had gone unnoticed by that master-disciple pair, Dao Xingzi had received a similarly poor review. In that sense, they were even.

He continued eavesdropping on Shen Yaqin's one-on-one tutoring session with Liu Suiyun. Though he knew little of spiritual plant cultivation, his centuries of experience had taught him enough to follow their dialogue.

What struck him was the quality of their exchange. This was no one-sided lesson; it was a dynamic, interactive dialogue. Shen Yaqin was a gifted teacher, and Liu Suiyun an exceptional student. Even Master Wangshan found himself enjoying their conversation: "So that's how it is... so that's how it is..."

Time flew by, and both master and disciple became utterly absorbed in the world of spiritual plants, unaware of the passing hours. At that moment, no matter how captivating Dao Xingzi's lecture was, it would still pale in comparison to Liu Suiyun's simple remark: "Utterly boring."

"It seems Chu Nanhua has found himself a fine disciple," Master Wangshan thought. "But the Dao I speak of will be even more captivating, even more heart-wrenching. They'll have no choice but to beg me to continue."

Master Wangshan felt a lightness wash over him. Though he had been unable to finish his story earlier, a new idea had begun to take shape.

Upon returning to the summit of Paoma Peak, he gave instructions to his favorite disciple: "Gather all the Daoist scrolls in our peak related to plant cultivation, especially those on tea and vegetable farming, and copy them. Send a set to Shen Yaqin at Chonghua Peak."

Meanwhile, Dao Xingzi's lecture had reached its climax. In previous years, his teachings would have stirred the audience into a frenzy, but today, the applause was scattered and lacked enthusiasm. Dao Xingzi began to feel uneasy.

"Could it be that Master Wangshan's story was too exceptional? Or was my lecture too mundane?"

Refusing to believe Master Wangshan had outshone him, Dao Xingzi began sharing his most profound insights. As a creature of over a thousand years, he had lived an extraordinary life, and his condensed wisdom finally elicited some applause, though it left the following speakers feeling anxious.

Master Wangshan's tale had set the bar so high, emotionally draining the audience, that even Dao Xingzi's brilliance couldn't rally a full response. The next Nascent Soul masters scraped by, relying on their long lifespans and abundant knowledge to impress.

However, the first Core Formation cultivator to speak after them, attempting to follow Sect Master Li Wanjian's example by delivering an uplifting message of love, justice, and the "minnow effect," was met with resounding boos. The entire hall, still reeling from Master Wangshan's heart-wrenching story, rejected his lighthearted sermon.

"It's over... it's all over! How will we ever teach again after this?!"

Normally, such feel-good stories would inspire the younger disciples, but today, they were like expired medicine, with the crowd openly revolting against the insipid message. The speaker barely escaped being thrown off the stage and was forced to abandon his uplifting anecdotes, instead sharing hard-won cultivation secrets just to save face.

The weaker Core Formation cultivators who followed became increasingly nervous. Even the top-ranked Core Formation master of the Shenxiao Sect had barely survived the crowd's backlash. How could they fare any better?

Thus, throughout the night, one cultivator after another reluctantly revealed their most treasured techniques. By dawn, Shen Yaqin finally urged the still-enthusiastic Liu Suiyun to pause, saying, "Take a break. It's time to listen to your master's lecture."