Chapter 2

"Ha ha!" Li Yue laughed loudly, his punches becoming even more fierce.

"You can't beat me!"

"Ha ha! Ha ha!" Li Yue laughed even louder.

"Laughing for nothing!" Chu Li said irritably, "Afraid to compete?"

Li Yue reined in his momentum, his face not flushed and his breath not heavy, his smile undiminished: "Really want to compete?"

"Rubbish!"

"Hehe, I won't hurt you, I can beat a Ninth Rank Guard!"

"Less talk, will you compete or not?"

"Alright, let's compete."

Chu Li placed the green sword on the stone table and picked up the scabbard: "Don't get hurt!"

"Alright... alright!" Li Yue gritted his teeth.

Chu Li flicked the scabbard: "Come on!"

"Here's my punch!" Li Yue, fearing that if he didn't act, Chu Li would say something even more insulting, launched a Black Tiger Heart Snatching punch.

He was full of confidence; a person with inner strength was like an adult to a child.

Chu Li activated the Great Round Mirror Wisdom, and the scene before his eyes changed suddenly.

In his eyes, Li Yue instantly turned into a skeleton, and with a thought, the skeleton was covered with muscles, white meridians, and green inner strength. Images appeared in Li Yue's mind: Chu Li being hit in the chest, falling to the ground, and admitting defeat with a grim face.

Every detail of Li Yue's movements, the flow of inner strength, and the changes in his thoughts were clearly presented before Chu Li's eyes, as clear as looking in a mirror.

He flicked and tapped the scabbard, precisely at the moment when Li Yue's new and old strength were transitioning, when his muscles moved the slowest. Thus, it looked like Li Yue was obediently waiting, without any resistance.

"Ah..." Li Yue cried out, rubbing his arm.

Chu Li smiled: "Again?"

"Take this punch!" Li Yue shouted.

Chu Li lightly turned his wrist and thrust, and Li Yue seemed to obediently bring his fist forward, crying out again, with half his body numb and unresponsive.

Chu Li stopped the scabbard at his neck: "Brother Li, you're dead!"

Li Yue's eyes widened: "What kind of sword technique is this?"

"Breaking Illusion Sword, want more?"

"More! ... I haven't used my ultimate move yet!" Li Yue said, his face red.

He felt that just now it was as if he had delivered himself, Chu Li knew his moves and preemptively countered them. This time, he would use a set he had never used before!

"Same result, come on!"

"Roar!" Li Yue roared like a thunderclap, rushing forward with all his might.

Chu Li lazily thrust his sword, and Li Yue cried out again, staggering backward.

Chu Li followed up, the scabbard resting on his throat: "You're dead again!"

"Strange, really strange!" Li Yue rubbed his wrist, staring at Chu Li in confusion: "You shouldn't have seen this set of boxing techniques before."

Chu Li put away the scabbard: "Any boxing technique is the same."

"Is the Breaking Illusion Sword technique really that powerful?" Li Yue asked disbelievingly: "Without inner strength, it still has such great power?"

Chu Li nodded: "You can try practicing it."

He had practiced sword techniques before, which were vastly different from this one, and he could never beat Zhuo Feiyang.

The Breaking Illusion Sword technique had the flavor of the Nine Swords of Dugu, and when combined with his Great Round Mirror Wisdom, it was extremely powerful. It seemed that he could now challenge Zhuo Feiyang!

"Still, I'll pass, I don't have the talent for swordsmanship." Li Yue waved his hands: "Your sword technique can definitely pass the Ninth Rank Tower."

Chu Li hummed irritably: "What about hidden weapons?"

"Ha ha..." Li Yue suddenly realized, laughing: "It's a pity you haven't established your foundation, otherwise you'd be another Zhuo Feiyang!"

Entering the mansion for a year and passing two towers, Zhuo Feiyang was now an Eighth Rank Guard, a genius with a bright future.

"Zhuo Feiyang..." Chu Li's lips curled into a cold smile.

Li Yue leaned in, whispering: "Brother, what grudge do you have with Zhuo Feiyang?"

Chu Li hummed.

Li Yue asked curiously: "Aren't you classmates? Your relationship should be good."

"Don't mention him, it's a downer!" Chu Li waved his hand, sheathing the green sword on the table.

Now, Zhuo Feiyang was famous, while he was still an unknown servant, with a huge gap in status. Could Zhao Ying withstand Zhuo Feiyang's relentless pursuit? He felt a sense of urgency!

Chu Li exhaled a deep breath, returned to the west wing, and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Observing all realms, remaining pure and unsoiled, is called the Great Round Mirror Wisdom.

The Great Round Mirror Wisdom is a combination of Heavenly Eye and Mind Reading.

Within the range of the Great Round Mirror Wisdom, all things in heaven and earth are thoroughly understood, including the inside and outside of the human body, bones, muscles, blood, meridians, essence, and inner strength, even the images in the mind.

After mastering the Great Wisdom Source Sutra, one has a photographic memory and a mind far surpassing ordinary people.

Thus, he was full of ambition, determined to enjoy the glory and wealth of this world, wield supreme power, and obtain countless beauties.

Thinking of this, he shook his head.

His master had used connections to send him to the Duke's Mansion. Upon entering, he realized that without a foundation, he was far behind others and needed several times the effort to catch up.

Once inside the mansion, the atmosphere was not harmonious.

At the beginning, he and the other new arrivals received training in the mansion rules. He couldn't practice martial arts, was looked down upon, mocked, and humiliated, and had a mortal enemy, Zhuo Feiyang—a martial arts genius. Zhuo Feiyang had already passed the Ninth Rank Tower and become an Eighth Rank Guard, while he was still an unranked servant.

Zhuo Feiyang opposed him in every way. If it weren't for his two lifetimes and the Great Round Mirror Wisdom, he would have long since collapsed. Now that he had mastered the Breaking Illusion Sword technique, he no longer needed to endure this humiliation!

---

The next morning, he practiced the Breaking Illusion Sword technique twice, then rowed across the lake to the island where the library tower stood, a bronze high-rise tower standing majestically.

The library tower shimmered, and people standing below felt as small as ants.

Two bronze tripods, three stories high, stood at the entrance.

A stone staircase led to a large armchair, where an old woman with silver hair sat, reading a book with her hair neatly tied up, looking tidy and sharp.

"Grandma Sun!" Chu Li bowed.

Grandma Sun kept her eyes on the book, waving her hand.

Chu Li bowed again and quietly entered the tower.

As soon as he stepped in, he felt a sense of temporal dislocation, as if he had returned to the library of his original world, with rows of bookshelves exuding the fragrance of ink.

Using the bulldozer reading method, he had read through the first floor and half of the second floor.

There was only him in the tower; most people went to the martial arts hall, where specialized martial arts manuals were kept. Few people came to the library.

Since he started reading in the library, he had only seen Grandma Sun and no one else.

He felt both regret and joy, clearly they didn't value the miscellaneous books in the library, not realizing that knowledge is power, which, when transformed into wisdom, is a powerful force not inferior to martial arts.

"Hey?" He suddenly stopped, took a deep breath to suppress his joy, and confirmed again that this page indeed depicted the Withering and Flourishing Tree!

Could his luck finally be turning? The Withering and Flourishing Tree, which he had never hoped to find, actually appeared, with a probability akin to winning the lottery!

The Autumn Leaf Temple had two major treasures: the Great Wisdom Source Sutra and the Withering and Flourishing Sutra. He had mastered the Great Wisdom Source Sutra, but the Withering and Flourishing Sutra required the Withering and Flourishing Tree diagram, which he lacked.

The Withering and Flourishing Tree, a legendary object, existed in the Thirty-Three Heavens, unsoiled and indestructible, enduring for countless eons, with an immeasurable lifespan.

How could something from the Thirty-Three Heavens appear in the human world? So Chu Li hadn't paid much attention, but his curiosity from his previous life led him to understand the Withering and Flourishing Sutra, as it was said that mastering it could grant immortality.

Seeing the Withering and Flourishing Tree diagram, was his luck finally turning?

He closed his eyes, his mind blank, and felt a powerful force obstructing his memory of the Withering and Flourishing Tree. Interesting, it seemed to be the real thing!

He appeared at the entrance: "Grandma Sun, this diagram is quite interesting, I want to copy it."

"Willow and Flourishing Tree diagram?" Grandma Sun glanced at it, stood up, and entered the tower: "Wait a moment."

She entered the tower and quickly came out, handing him a scroll: "This is Li Yuming's original, I'll give it to you."

Chu Li opened it and immediately took a step back.

It was also a Withering and Flourishing Tree diagram, a towering tree that seemed to leap out of the painting, with a vast and overwhelming presence. He felt an impulse to kneel.

Grandma Sun smiled at him: "Interesting!"

Chu Li was the first not to kneel upon opening the diagram, and she secretly smiled, this little Chu was indeed no ordinary person.

"Thank you, Grandma Sun!" Chu Li rolled up the scroll without hesitation and bowed.

"Ah..." Grandma Sun shook her head: "There are fewer and fewer young people who read books these days, all of them are restless, with limited prospects. It's rare that you like books!"

Chu Li bid farewell and rowed back to the East Garden.

The small boat glided on the lake, the bottom of which was blue sand, making the water exceptionally clear. Fish swam leisurely, and lotus leaves swayed in the wind.

Chu Li smiled, facing the cool breeze, with new hope, everything seemed beautiful.

Hopefully, the Withering and Flourishing Sutra could make up for his lack of foundation and allow him to formally cultivate inner strength!

---

He hung the scroll at the head of his bed, sat in a lotus position, glanced at it, closed his eyes, opened them for a moment, and closed them again, repeatedly trying to visualize.

After a while, he achieved nothing, bit his lip, and activated the Great Round Mirror Wisdom, focusing on the Withering and Flourishing Tree.

"Boom!" A dull sound, as if a thunderbolt had struck the sky, his body trembled, as if hit by lightning, unable to move.

The sound of thunder continued in his ears, everything before his eyes shook, and a powerful force surged into his body, trying to tear him apart.

Everything suddenly stopped, as if in an instant or a long time, his senses recovered, the pain disappeared, leaving only a sense of comfort and ease.

He stood up, went to the center of the courtyard, looked up at the sky, and smiled in ecstasy.

The invisible shell around his body was shattered, his senses were freed, spreading infinitely, merging with the surroundings, indistinguishable from each other.

He was a tree, a breeze, a stone, a piece of earth...

Touching a plum tree, he instantly felt a sense of connection, his senses synchronized, as if he had become the plum tree, feeling the warmth of the earth, the brightness of the sun, and the freshness of the air, all transformed into strength, nourishing himself.

The essence of the plum tree flowed into his body, and he subconsciously practiced the Small Meridian Cleansing Technique, completing a full cycle in an instant, far more efficiently than before.

Practicing with the essence of the plum tree, it would take only four years!

He let go of the plum tree and tried other trees: willows, pines, birches... then various flowers, and finally chose the green mulberry flower.

The green mulberry flower was similar to a chrysanthemum, delicate and fine, but its essence was pure and clear, far surpassing that of any tree. It would take only three years to master the Small Meridian Cleansing Technique!

He couldn't help but laugh, what a powerful Withering and Flourishing Sutra!

The green mulberry flower was a Ninth Rank medicinal herb, but because it was beautiful, Miss Xiao Qi liked it, so some were planted in the East Garden.

The medicinal garden was divided into nine ranks, and the guards of the medicinal garden were much higher in rank than those of the flower garden, at least Eighth Rank, and had to be proficient in flowers and herbs to qualify for the Ninth Rank medicinal garden.

The priority was to advance in rank!

Advancing in rank would allow him to access higher-quality herbs, making the Small Meridian Cleansing Technique progress faster, allowing him to establish his foundation early and definitely win over Zhao Ying!

"Brother, it's bad!" Li Yue rushed over, interrupting his daydream.

"What's wrong?" Chu Li asked absentmindedly, still immersed in the wonderful feeling and his future dreams.

"Xuelan is sick, come and take a look!" Li Yue pulled him and ran.

Hearing that Xuelan was sick, Chu Li quickly walked to the Xuelan garden.

Xuelan looked like ordinary orchids, with leaves as clear and transparent as ice, a marvel of nature.

In the Xuelan garden, there were 120 Xuelan plants. Entering felt like stepping into a flawless world, making the mind clear, a great pleasure.

At this moment, 50 Xuelan leaves had one or two black spots, which were particularly noticeable.

He leaned in and sniffed, the smell was pungent and foul, and he frowned: "It's not rust spot disease!"

"Then what is it?" Li Yue asked anxiously: "This is bad!"

Xuelan sold for ten taels per plant outside. If they died, the mansion would fine 15 taels, and if more than 50 plants died, it wouldn't just be a fine, but a demotion and transfer from the East Garden.

Living in the East Garden was carefree, and it was Miss Xiao Qi's garden, with the advantage of being close to her, and the benefits were endless!

Chu Li reached out, connecting his senses with the Xuelan, and everything became clear.

He frowned in thought, searching his memory palace.

After a moment, he found the answer: "It's the Dew Mealworm!"

"Dew Mealworm?" Li Yue's eyes widened in confusion.

Chu Li said: "Brother Li, can you get Heartbreak Grass and Soul Snatching Grass?"

"They are highly toxic... I'm Ninth Rank, I can only get ten plants."

"Then get ten of each, and mix their juices."

"Alright!" Li Yue rushed out.

Chu Li sat in the Xuelan garden, touching a healthy Xuelan with one hand and a diseased one with the other, transferring the healthy Xuelan's essence to the diseased one.

The Dew Mealworm was like a fine thread, about the size of a fingernail, feeding on dew, with highly toxic saliva, consuming vitality.

The diseased Xuelan was severely damaged, drooping, and some were on the verge of death. If not for the Withering and Flourishing Sutra, several would have died quickly.

When Li Yue returned with two boxes, the five most severely diseased Xuelan had recovered, and Chu Li breathed a sigh of relief, having escaped death!

Chu Li took a fine grass stick, dipped it in the grass juice, and carefully applied it, using poison to counter poison. This would make the black spots turn white again, but it would also turn the non-black spots black.

Li Yue didn't dare to touch, his rough hands couldn't be as precise as Chu Li.

"Brother, I'll ask Old Meng to take a look," Li Yue whispered.

Chu Li waved his left hand.

Li Yue scratched his head, embarrassed, not trusting Chu Li, but considering the importance of the matter, it was better to be safe.

Chu Li didn't mind; Li Yue didn't know his abilities and was cautious by nature.