Chapter 25

Ling Chongxiao saw Shen Lian's expression seemed somewhat strange and said, "What's wrong? Have you heard this poem before?"

"Seems like I have. Wasn't this poem written by a Daoist surnamed Wang?"

"I'm not quite sure. At that time, the Ancestor only saw a line of small characters below the poem, which read, 'The old friend who hid the flowers has gone, but his words remain. My heart is like that of Ji Zi.' The signature was a 'Li' character."

"At that time, the Ancestor thought the poem must have been left by someone named Zang Hua, and the 'Li' at the end must have been an old friend of Zang Hua. As for the reference to Ji Zi, the Ancestor had no clue."

"While the Ancestor was puzzled, he suddenly smelled a bloody wind in the fragrance of the plum blossoms. When he turned around, his limbs went weak; behind him was a white-striped tiger."

"Clouds follow dragons, and winds follow tigers. The tiger had upturned eyes and a white stripe on its forehead."

"It was staring at the Ancestor and suddenly pounced."

"The Ancestor was so frightened that he stepped back. To his surprise, the tiger didn't land on him but hung in mid-air as if held by an invisible rope."

"At that moment, the Ancestor heard a clear child's voice, 'Who are you, and how did you get here?'"

"The Ancestor saw the tiger slowly land on the other side, and a little girl, no more than six or seven years old, was sitting on its back. She had her hair tied in a topknot and held a green bamboo flute in her hand."

"The little girl's skin was almost transparent, and her exposed wrist was as white as snow, looking like a cold moon in the distance. She spoke like an adult, holding the flute."

"The Ancestor asked in surprise, 'Was it you who was playing the flute just now?'"

"Turns out you're just a commoner who wandered into the mountains. Forget it, I'll deal with you later."

"Then, in the northwest sky, dozens of red lines suddenly approached."

"Someone in those red lines said coldly, 'Li Qing Shui will definitely send you back to the cycle of rebirth today.'"

"The little girl glanced at the Ancestor and then a black cloud appeared under the tiger, which flew toward the red lines in the sky."

"That night, there were rumbling sounds and many colorful lights in the northwest, with dozens of red lines crisscrossing."

"Until dawn, they finally disappeared."

"In the plum grove where the Ancestor was, there was a stone house. He waited until morning but didn't see the little girl return. Instead, he found a portrait, three scriptures, and a wooden fish in the stone house."

"Since the Ancestor didn't wait for the little girl, he took the things from the stone house and left, heading southeast instead of northwest. The mountain was so large that it took him more than ten days to reach the sea in the southeast. Later, he practiced one of the techniques by the sea, and after achieving some success, he built a raft and returned to the mainland."

"Having said this, Ling Chongxiao smiled slightly, 'Now you know the origin of the Divine Foot Technique, right?'"

"Shen Lian said softly, 'So the Divine Foot Scripture is one of those secret texts? And the wooden fish is the one you have?'"

"You guessed right. The three scriptures were called 'Mingyu Technique,' 'Divine Foot Scripture,' and they had some similarities, but in terms of power, the Mingyu Technique was more formidable. Both required high talent, but the only difference was that although the Mingyu Technique was more powerful, it was incomplete. The Ancestor always thought his master was biased, but he didn't know that his master knew his temperament was too extreme. If he practiced the Mingyu Technique, it would be incomplete, and he would force himself to practice it, harming himself. Therefore, he passed on the complete Divine Foot Scripture to him."

"As for me, my talent is indeed a bit higher, and my master always hoped I could complete this technique and pass it on to the disciples in the future."

"These past years, I have indeed gained some insights and reached the 'Descending White Tiger' stage of Daoist cultivation, which has helped me maintain my youth. But to complete this world-renowned technique is beyond my ability."

"I have wasted too much time on this, so I don't plan to pass the 'Mingyu Technique' to you, to avoid hindering your future."

"Based on my years of experience, although the 'Mingyu Technique' is profound and intricate, it is fundamentally derived from the 'Divine Foot Scripture,' both being orthodox Daoist techniques."

"If you can cultivate the Divine Foot Scripture to a high level, you will gain much and have a chance at immortality."

"Shen Lian, after hearing so much from Ling Chongxiao, suddenly remembered that the 'Divine Foot Scripture' seemed to appear in a certain version of Jin Yong's novel. He had also read a book called 'A Daoist Wandering in the Martial World,' where the protagonist created a technique called 'Divine Foot Scripture.'"

"Unfortunately, he only read three volumes of this novel, which he loved very much, and never had the chance to finish it."

"He vaguely felt that there might be some connection, but it was too incredible to think that a novel could align with his current situation."

"Novels are novels, but what he experienced was a real journey in a different world."

"The third scripture, could it be the 'God-Slaying Sword Scripture'?"

"Shen Lian said slowly."

"Indeed, this sword technique is extremely powerful and is not just a martial art but similar to a divine method. However, since the Ancestor, those who practiced this technique all met bad ends, so it was later forbidden. Since he passed it to you, one reason is that he didn't want this powerful sword technique to be lost, and the other is that he might not have had good intentions."

"Ling Chongxiao laughed coldly. He knew the Green Robe Man best, but after the incident with the Green Robe Man, Ling Chongxiao no longer wanted to revive the sect. Since Shen Lian had the chance, passing the technique to him would ensure the lineage continued."

"Destiny is not to be feared, and ancestors' rules are not to be followed. I am not afraid of these things," Shen Lian replied. In his view, those who practiced the God-Slaying Sword met untimely deaths because their spirits were not strong enough. They relied on this technique to defeat strong enemies, causing severe damage to their spirits. Even if they could recover, the repeated damage left lasting problems, making them increasingly extreme, ultimately either destroying the world or themselves.

"The Green Robe Man's temperament was partly due to his own nature and partly influenced by the God-Slaying Sword."

"He practiced this technique only for self-protection and would not become obsessed with it. To cultivate, one must first cultivate the mind. If one cannot control their own mind and indulges in it, it is not the way to immortality."

"For three consecutive nights, Ling Chongxiao explained the key points of cultivation to Shen Lian."

"Finally, he left a letter and departed without saying where Shen Lian could find him again."

"That morning, it was the reopening of the inn where Shen Lian stayed, without any grand ceremony."

"The sign 'Tongfu Inn' had been replaced with 'Youjian Inn.'"

"On the right pillar, it read, 'Welcoming Elegant Guests Often.'"

"On the left pillar, it read, 'Always Welcoming Guests.'"

"PS: Thanks to Cangwu Zhenren and Sky_Headshot for their support."

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