Chapter 26

Xiaoxiu's small practice does not represent all of Wang Suishi's disciples, but those who appear in the small practice naturally have not progressed too far in their cultivation.

"Senior Brother, hello." The six people quickly approached and bowed to Wang Suishi in unison.

The six people, four men and two women, upon closer inspection, it was clear that the two women did not stand close to the other four men. It was evident that the two sides did not get along well.

"Good, good." Wang Suishi laughed heartily. Being stationed in the Teaching Hall clearly suited him; some people simply enjoyed the joy brought by teaching.

"This is Gu Xuyao, your new junior brother. Little Gu, why don't you greet your senior brothers?"

Gu Xuyao nodded slightly, stepped forward, and bowed in greeting.

The four men stood two in front and two behind. However, it was obvious that three of them followed the other one. The two women were the same; one of them shyly hid behind the other, occasionally stealing glances at Gu Xuyao.

"Gu Xuyao? Could you be the cultivator who caused a big commotion in the practice room during the last small practice?" One of the men asked. Gu Xuyao had noticed him from the start; he had a sharp face and a sly look.

Gu Xuyao raised his head and looked at him.

"Yes, it's me."

On that day, Gu Xuyao's timing for refining his Immortal Root was perfect. It happened to be during the small practice, and all the cultivators from the three halls saw the light of the ultimate Immortal Root being condensed. There was no shortage of discussion, and more people wanted to know which hall that person would cultivate in.

"Tsk, looks like you're not much, ultimate breakthrough? It's not much different from us. Brother Yulin, haven't you already been able to lift a boulder over your head after ten days of cultivation?" The sharp-faced cultivator sneered, then returned to the man in the lead, with a fawning smile.

The man called Yulin had a poker face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, a square face, and short hair. There was always a hint of arrogance in his expression, clearly not someone who came from the Mortal Zone.

"Wu Chang, don't say such things. Brother Gu, this is Wu Chang. He doesn't mean any harm; he just has a habit of being sarcastic. Don't take it to heart." After saying this, Yulin glanced at the two cultivators behind him. "The two behind me are Ma Ming and Ma Ke."

After Yulin's introduction, the two brothers nodded at Gu Xuyao.

"I am Bing Qi, and she is Miaomiao. Hello, Brother Gu." The woman in the lead introduced herself before Yulin could introduce the two women standing to the side.

Gu Xuyao returned their greetings, but he didn't say much. His personality was like that, and he felt a bit uncomfortable at the moment.

"Ha ha ha, you all have gotten to know each other, so let's start today's practice." Wang Suishi timely intervened to end the awkwardness, and the seven of them followed suit, beginning their cultivation for the day.

Once they got into the state, the six people started asking questions non-stop. This was the best opportunity to resolve their doubts. Even the shyest Miaomiao looked at Wang Suishi with enthusiasm, hoping for answers.

"Hey, Gu Xuyao, you don't look like someone who grew up in the cultivation world. Which Mortal Zone are you from?" Gu Xuyao was naturally the most idle in such a setting, so he could only listen to the questions from his senior brothers.

"Brother Wu, I come from the Hongni Zone. Please take care of me in the future." Gu Xuyao responded neither humbly nor arrogantly. Although he didn't have a good impression of Wu Chang from the start, he knew that in the Taiheng Sect, they would often meet, and he didn't want any awkward situations in the future.

Wu Chang sneered and said it was no big deal, then continued asking Wang Suishi questions.

Gu Xuyao didn't mind. He had done what he should do. If the other party insisted on making things difficult for him, he would accompany them all the way. Now that he had an Immortal Root, who was more advanced in cultivation wasn't determined by today but by the future.

The day passed quickly. After a day of listening, Gu Xuyao's practice finally ended.

"Little Gu, did you gain anything today?" As the six people left, Wang Suishi still had a smile on his face.

Gu Xuyao glanced at Wang Suishi, nodded slightly, but didn't say anything.

"Brother Yulin, why did you give that Gu Xuyao so much face? I've already asked, he's just a wild kid from the Hongni Zone. You should know, even among Mortal Zones, the Hongni Zone produces very few cultivators. It's a garbage zone." As soon as they parted ways with Wang Suishi, Wu Chang couldn't help but speak up. After all, Yulin had saved face for Gu Xuyao in front of Wang Suishi.

Yulin didn't turn back, continuing to lead the way.

"Wu Chang, do you know that he achieved an ultimate breakthrough and refined an Immortal Root? Although I don't think it's that strong, such cultivators are extremely rare. Do you think the higher-ups won't notice him?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Chang's eyes lit up. "Hehe, as expected of Brother Yulin, you think far ahead. So your meaning is, we should temporarily get along with him and then give him a good lesson when the time is right?"

Yulin didn't speak, but the Ma brothers, who were walking at the back, also smiled sinisterly.

"You all should stop this!" Bing Qi couldn't stand it anymore. "Gu Xuyao hasn't done anything to you. You're just jealous that he achieved an ultimate breakthrough. Always thinking of schemes and traps, I'm ashamed of you." After saying this, Bing Qi pulled Miaomiao and quickly left, disappearing in a flash.

"Brother Yulin, this woman is so annoying. Should we..." Wu Chang gritted his teeth.

Yulin glanced at him and shook his head slightly. "We can't touch this woman. Let's think about how to deal with our little brother Gu."

Bing Qi's actions were naturally noticed by Gu Xuyao. He took a deep breath, deep in thought, and followed Wang Suishi to the Teaching Hall.

Time flew by, and the monotonous days of basic practice passed quickly but were also very fulfilling.

Three months, nearly a hundred times dragging his tired body back to the Teaching Hall, Gu Xuyao's cultivation had greatly improved. Of course, compared to other cultivators, there was still a gap.

"Two boulders can be lifted easily, the flying technique can lift you a foot and a half off the ground, and your mental awareness can sense a half-mile radius. Little Gu, your foundation can be considered complete. Next, it's time for real cultivation." Wang Suishi looked at Gu Xuyao and smiled with satisfaction.

Gu Xuyao bowed deeply. "Thank you, Senior Brother Wang, for your meticulous guidance. Xuyao will never forget your kindness."

Just like Zhang the Blacksmith, Gu Xuyao would never forget those who had greatly helped him. And like Dilun and the Li brothers, he would not let go of those who had a grudge against him!

Wang Suishi chuckled and helped Gu Xuyao up.

"There's no need for that. Actually, I didn't help you much. These are all very basic things. Even if someone else had taught you, you would have achieved the same results. It's all due to your own efforts." As he spoke, Wang Suishi took out the gourd. After using his mental awareness to read the hexagonal stone, Gu Xuyao knew that the thing was called a Hundred Treasure Gourd, a storage magical tool created by alchemy. This item was very common in the cultivation world, almost everyone had one.

"Little Gu, take a look at this." This time, what came out of the gourd was not a book but a hexagonal stone.

Gu Xuyao infused his mental awareness into the hexagonal stone, and immediately, scenes appeared before his eyes. Inside, different cultivators demonstrated various cultivation techniques, with text introducing the origins of the techniques and their strengths in combat.

"Now that you have completed your basic cultivation, it's time to formally begin the first realm of physical cultivation, the Root Entry Realm." Wang Suishi shook the gourd again, and this time, three pills and a set of robes appeared in his hand.

"Here, this is the reward for disciples who pass the basic test. These are the Essence-Enhancing Pills. Taking them during cultivation can double your efficiency. The Root Entry Realm is about solidifying the Immortal Root. This realm is divided into three levels. You just need to continuously nourish your Immortal Root with Essence Energy to make it stronger, and you will reach the next realm." Wang Suishi paused and handed the clothes and pills to Gu Xuyao. "Go change into the clothes. From now on, you are a true disciple of the Taiheng Sect."

After saying this, Wang Suishi pointed at the hexagonal stone in Gu Xuyao's hand.

"This stone records the cultivation techniques you can choose at your level in the Physical Hall. Each person can only cultivate one technique. There is no superiority or inferiority among them. As long as you cultivate one technique to its peak, you can stand on your own."

Gu Xuyao nodded slightly and infused his mental awareness into the hexagonal stone to watch the demonstrations and introductions of the techniques. He had heard that there were millions of cultivation techniques in the cultivation world, and it seemed that this was not an exaggeration. Just in the Taiheng Sect, there were five techniques available for Gu Xuyao to choose from.

Choosing is often a test of one's decisiveness, but this was not a big problem for Gu Xuyao.

"Senior Brother Wang, all five techniques look excellent, but I prefer the Thunder Roar Five Shouts." Choosing a technique is like selecting a weapon; you must choose one that suits you.

Wang Suishi nodded, took the hexagonal stone back, and shook the gourd again. This time, another hexagonal stone came out.

"This is the technique for the Thunder Roar Five Shouts. It is divided into five levels. There are many experts in the Taiheng Sect who cultivate the Thunder Roar Five Shouts. You have made the right choice."

After saying this, Wang Suishi took a deep breath and patted Gu Xuyao's shoulder.

"Go, it's time for you to cultivate on your own. Don't forget the small practice every ten days. If you have any questions, you can come to me. On regular days, it's best not to come to the Teaching Hall. If you come, I will teach you, but if I teach you, the other disciples will think I'm favoring you, and that would be a problem."

Gu Xuyao didn't say anything else, just nodded heavily, bowed, and turned to leave the Teaching Hall.

Watching Gu Xuyao's departing figure, Wang Suishi shook his head slightly, slowly opened his palm, and revealed a hexagonal stone, a piece cut from a larger hexagonal stone used for communication.

"Little Gu, work hard. Don't let everyone down..." Wang Suishi murmured to himself.

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