Chapter 8

When Laozi emerged from his seclusion, this anecdote was still known to Zhouyi. It was simply that Laozi felt life had no hope and decided to travel west. The gatekeeper of Hangu Pass, Guanyin, knew Laozi possessed great wisdom and wanted to detain him, but could not. In the end, he had to settle for a lesser option, asking Laozi to leave behind a book before letting him go.

In "The Other Shore," this anecdote took on even more mythological elements. For example, the vast purple aura stretching for eight thousand miles. Zhouyi finally understood why Wenshi could not detain Laozi; they were not on the same level. Even Laozi's mount had come to his hall for a meal, and now, after a satisfying meal, it was dozing off in the hall. As for Laozi himself, he was even more impressive, never once speaking directly to Wenshi.

Alas, Mr. Guanyin, the direct descendant of Wenshi's Dao, who could cultivate the supreme ethereal Dao at least at the level of a terrestrial immortal, was powerless against Laozi. There was nothing he could do.

In any case, the legend of the "Tao Te Ching" had little to do with Zhouyi. The current situation was clearly part of the plot of "The Other Shore." He was merely a catalyst, proving the player's involvement in major events.

What Zhouyi was concerned about was how much benefit he would gain after these two great figures reached an agreement, and his cultivation as a Qi Practitioner. Most likely, he would still be taught the Taiqing Qi Cultivation Dao by Wenshi. If there were no changes, according to the words of the bird-man from Zhongnan Mountain, he should be able to become a named disciple of Wenshi. When he eventually attained the rank of a terrestrial immortal, he could truly become a disciple of Qingyang Palace and learn the supreme ethereal Dao.

Indeed, Wenshi was somewhat weaker. Seeing that Laozi, seated, never spoke to him directly, he had to yield and said, "If Sir insists on leaving, please leave behind a book."

Laozi, who had been evading the question, finally came to his senses and replied to Wenshi, "Sigh! I knew you would纠缠 (entangle) me before I came. What's the point of leaving behind a book? Isn't the world already chaotic enough? Fine, I'm a bit tired from the journey today, I need to rest first." With that, he got up and was about to leave.

Upon hearing this, Wenshi immediately grasped the subtlety and said joyfully, "Disciple will guide Sir." Just as he stepped forward, Laozi waved his hand and said, "No need, I know you still have things to discuss. I'll just find a place to sleep."

Wenshi was taken aback and looked back at the shepherd boy. The boy got up, bowed his head, and walked past Wenshi, closely following Laozi. The old and the young turned a corner and disappeared, leaving only the green ox dozing in the hall.

"Is that it?"

Zhouyi, who had been watching from the side, was also taken aback. What about the "sure to be rewarded" he promised? Could it be that he was just treated to a meal and that was it? This task reward was too meager! Zhouyi glanced back at Wenshi, who was facing away, deep in thought. Zhouyi wanted to speak but dared not. He was reluctant to give up, so after some deliberation, he quietly withdrew.

The great figures were thinking, and it was not proper for a player to speak, let alone stay if not explicitly asked to. Players were always at a disadvantage with these great figures, whether they were the head of a sect or other senior figures. They seemed to be there to teach players how to behave. You couldn't afford to be disrespectful, and it was especially important to be cautious when interacting with NPC great figures. Zhouyi, who had been trained by these great figures, knew the rules and didn't dare to overstep. After quietly leaving the hall, he whispered to a servant outside and then withdrew.

After leaving the hall, Zhouyi didn't dare to linger in Guanyin's residence and headed straight for the gate, though his steps were slow, clearly still hoping that Wenshi would turn around and notice his absence, and then have someone bring him back.

Time ticked by, and Zhouyi was drenched in sweat, each step feeling like an eternity. Wenshi was clearly in the hall, and with just a turn, he could become the first player Qi Practitioner.

But he also knew that if he approached rashly, even if Wenshi didn't get angry, he would most likely be rejected. In the early stages of the game, the initiative was almost entirely in the hands of the NPCs. The only initiative players had was to make themselves visible to the NPCs and then be taken as disciples.

Finally standing at the gate, Zhouyi felt a bit reluctant. On one hand, it would be very difficult to meet Wenshi again, and on the other, the "sure to be rewarded" from Laozi was unresolved, and he couldn't argue about it.

"Fine! I'll just find a master at Huashan first!" Reluctantly, Zhouyi made a new plan. Even if the path of a Qi Practitioner was blocked, with the "Two Instruments Subduing Demons Chart of the Saviour Celestial Venerable" and his own strength, finding a way out wouldn't be too difficult.

As he stepped out, his vision suddenly blurred, and his body shuddered involuntarily. When he came to, the crowd outside Guanyin's residence had vanished, and the guards were nowhere to be seen. The formidable Hangu Pass had inexplicably turned into an empty city.

"Wait!"

Suddenly, Wenshi's voice called out from behind. Zhouyi was about to turn around when a hand landed on his shoulder, and he was instantly immobilized. A system message appeared:

You have been restrained by Wenshi's secret technique. The restraint will not be lifted until the technique is canceled.

At the same time, Wenshi appeared in front of Zhouyi, and his information was finally revealed: Wenshi, level ???, Zhouyi, restrained, unable to speak. Without a word, Wenshi placed a palm on Zhouyi's head!

This touch felt like a sudden enlightenment. Zhouyi felt a tingling in his mind, followed by a series of system messages:

You have accepted Wenshi's enlightenment, your magic power has been unsealed, and you have successfully received the teachings. You have become a Qi Practitioner.

You have gained the Qi Practitioner attributes: 3 magic points per second, 15 magic points per second when meditating, increasing with level.

You have learned the "Cloud Climbing Technique."

You have learned the first level of the "Shangqing Small Derivation Five Elements Qi Cultivation Technique."

Your health has increased by 200, your magic power by 100, your basic magic attack by 80, your magic defense by 100, and your critical hit rate by 3%.

You have learned the Shangqing Small Derivation of the Ten Thousand Phenomena.

You have learned the Small Derivation of the Metal Light.

You have learned the Small Derivation of the Water Light.

You have learned the Small Derivation of the Wood Light.

You have learned the Small Derivation of the Fire Light.

You have learned the Small Derivation of the Earth Light.

Zhouyi was shocked by the changes in his body, but Wenshi, without waiting, said with a hint of urgency:

"This time, I am transmitting the Dao on behalf of a friend, so I cannot be considered your master. Keep this jade token well. Use your magic power to activate it when you reach level 10, and it will send you to a master. When you complete this cultivation, come to Qingyang Palace in Shu. Do not enter Hangu Pass for three days, and do not step west of Hangu Pass for half a month. Do not mention this to anyone! If you violate this, I will crush your bones and scatter them, erasing your existence!"

Zhouyi felt the restraint lift, and, with a burst of courage, said, "Thank you, Master, for your teachings. Please take me as a named disciple."

"With your level of insight, how can you learn my Wenshi Dao! Go quickly!" Wenshi sternly rebuked and pushed Zhouyi, a gentle force propelling him into the sky. A cloud appeared beneath his feet, carrying him eastward.

Looking back from the cloud, the once-deserted Hangu Pass was now bustling again. Zhouyi took a deep breath, still feeling a bit dazed by the sudden turn of events. He quickly recalled the system message and opened his attribute panel, feeling elated. As the saying goes, "When the road seems to end, a new path appears." The ancients were not wrong.

Character Name: Zhouyi

Health: 395

Magic Power: 300

Cultivation Level: Level 8

Faction: Qi Practitioner [Transcendent]

Seeing the words "Qi Practitioner," Zhouyi felt a sense of relief for the first time since his rebirth. As long as he was a Qi Practitioner, the bird-man's path to becoming a great Qi Practitioner didn't matter. Zhouyi had already noticed that the world of "The Other Shore" was somewhat different from his memories, as the test users lamented, "The scenery is not as good as before!"

Facing repeated setbacks at the start of the game, if not for his good fortune and quick thinking, the consequences would have been dire. The bird-man's promise of becoming a named disciple of Wenshi had only led to his being belittled, and he had become a Qi Practitioner in a muddled way, which left him somewhat dissatisfied. The path to greatness was unreliable, and he needed to be flexible.

As Zhouyi checked his other attributes, the cloud beneath him continued eastward, passing by two players flying on their swords. The push from Wenshi made the cloud incredibly fast, and as it passed by, the wind lifted the robes of the two players.

Qingbin Jingwu watched a player fly past him as if he were alone, and immediately glared at the person beside him:

"Didn't I tell you to keep a close watch on the people inside the pass? How could this happen?"

Without further ado, Jingwu recited a spell, and his cloud disappeared. He merged with his sword, transforming into a silver-white beam of light, chasing after the fleeing cloud.