Chapter 153 Becoming Ling Jueding
At the same time, "White Tiger" Su Xiao also followed the instructions of the white-bearded old Taoist, carrying an old ax and preparing to chop wood in this dense pine forest.
His true essence was also sealed by the mysterious power in the ruins, temporarily turning him into a mortal without any extraordinary abilities.
But the expression on Su Xiao’s face did not change at all.
He went straight to a bush, looked at the ax in his hand, and then at the dead branches of the bush.
As a close disciple of the Master of the Jiange Pavilion and a proud man who grew up with everyone looking up to him, Su Xiao had never had any experience in chopping wood and did not know how to chop wood efficiently.
After pondering for a moment, he picked up the ax as if swinging a sword and chopped off the branches in front of him.
Because the ax is very heavy and blunt, there are obvious rust stains on the edge.
Su Xiao's violent chop only caused the entire bush to sway and shook off some yellow leaves, but failed to cut down any firewood.
Seeing such a scene, Su Xiao frowned slightly.
He couldn't help but think of many years ago, when he had just joined the Sword Pavilion and his master taught him how to learn the sword step by step.
That year, he was still an ignorant little boy.
He stood on the steep mountain top of Shu, holding a wooden sword in his hand, and stabbed the puppet in front of him with all his strength.
“Bang!”
The wooden sword and the puppet collided hard.
Su Xiao staggered back, feeling her wrists trembling and her palms hurting sharply.
The puppet was unscathed and remained motionless.
A strong sense of frustration surged into his heart.
He smashed the wooden sword on the ground, fell to the ground, cried loudly, and shouted, "I will never practice swordsmanship again."
The master was not angry, but picked up the wooden sword from the ground, handed it into his hand, and said to him calmly: "If it doesn't work once, just do it again."
"Then what if it still doesn't work?" The young Su Xiao raised his head and looked at the master with a pair of red eyes.
"Then do it a hundred times, a thousand times."
"..."
Thinking of this, Su Xiao reached out and wiped the sweat from his face.
In his opinion, chopping firewood is the same as practicing swordsmanship.
If it doesn't work once, try it again.
Practice for a long time and you will succeed.
As long as you work hard, an iron pestle can be ground into an embroidery needle.
He has been firmly convinced of this for nearly twenty years.
So, he swung the ax again and struck at the dry shrubs ahead.
Once, twice, three times...dozens of times...hundreds of times...
His movements gradually became skillful, cutting off firewood one after another.
It was just the palm of his hand that had a lot of blood blisters due to repeated labor. Once the blood blisters burst, it would cause excruciating pain.
But he didn't care.
When he was practicing swordplay, his injury was much more serious than this. Both hands were covered with calluses and he had long been numb to the pain.
Time passed quietly.
More and more firewood piled up at Su Xiao’s feet.
At this moment, two woodcutters wearing coarse shirts passed by Su Xiao.
They carried axes and each carried two bundles of firewood, singing folk songs loudly and walking down the mountain.
But Su Xiao was completely unaware of this.
Unknowingly, in the process of swinging the axe, he had a new understanding of the secret sword technique of Jiange, "Pingtian Sword Art".
…………
Shangguan Jin took a deep breath.
Her ax slipped from her hand and hit the protruding rock, making a loud "clang" sound, and you could vaguely see the sparks shooting out.
Sweat seeped out from her forehead, flowed across her cheeks, itching, and flowed into her mouth, making it salty.
The fair and delicate skin on her palms was also scratched with more than one wound, and bright red blood flowed out, soaking her sleeves.
And her spotless robe was now covered in dust and dirt.
Since Shangguan Jin became the fifth-grade doctor of the Exorcism Department and the personal attendant of the chief of the department, there has never been such a miserable time.
After all, she has always been a person who pays great attention to her own image.
Even when she was practicing swordplay, she would wrap her palms and body with true energy to avoid staining her clothes and leaving scars on her body.
Because of this, she felt very depressed.
She didn’t want Gu Xu, Su Xiao, Chen Yanping and others to see her sloppy appearance after reaching the top of the mountain.
At this moment, two woodcutters wearing coarse shirts and carrying axes passed by her while singing folk songs.
After seeing these two people, Shangguan Jin's eyes lit up, as if he saw a life-saving straw.
But she did not immediately rush forward to ask the woodcutters for help.
Instead, she hid behind the pine tree and smeared blood and mud on her robe to make herself look more embarrassed.
Then she took out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the dust and sweat off her face to prevent it from covering up her delicate and pure face.
At this time, she trotted up to the two passing woodcutters, bowed slightly to them, then raised her head, opened her eyes wide, and said in a particularly sincere tone: "Two brothers , Actually I don’t want to disturb you. It’s just that the little girl has encountered some troubles. If she can’t solve it smoothly, she will be punished by her elders. I think the two brothers are kind, so I am here to ask them to lend a helping hand..."< br>
At this point, she changed the topic and said in a softer tone: "Of course, if you two have something urgent to do, there is no need. I will try my best to find a way to solve the problem myself... "
"What trouble did you encounter and needed our help?" One of the woodcutter interrupted her and asked her.
Shangguan Jin lowered his head and described the pain of chopping firewood in detail.
During this period, she kept emphasizing that she was a weak woman who could not chop wood, and at the same time she did not forget to praise the two woodcutters for their experience and skill.
Hearing her words, both woodcutter smiled and readily agreed to her request.
In the next period of time, with their skilled skills, they helped Shangguan Jin chop down two tall piles of firewood and bundle them with hay.
At this moment, Shangguan Jin felt relaxed and happy.
She felt she had a chance to be the first person to reach the top of Mount Laoshan.
…………
Gu Xu was not in a hurry to chop firewood.
He looked at the blunt and rusty axe, and couldn't help but frown slightly.
According to his estimation, if you want to use this broken ax to chop firewood, you may need to chop for several days to get two bundles of firewood as required by the white-bearded old man.
Although he doesn't mind hardship.
But he always felt that such a test set by Kong Xuan Sanren would not be as simple as it seemed.
He stood under the pine tree and looked around.
In the field of vision, there is a lush green sky; the surrounding is extremely quiet, and only the slightest sound of wind can be heard.
At this moment, his eyes fell on a light brown stone under the pine tree.
It is smooth on one side and rough on the other.
The silvery white moonlight shines through the pine branches and leaves, casting dots of light spots on its surface.
With his extensive knowledge, Gu Xu recognized that the stone was a piece of "sandstone", a sedimentary rock mainly composed of quartz and feldspar.
This kind of rock has many uses, such as buildings, vessels, tombstones, floor tiles, vases...
And, whetstones.
"A sharpened sword will never make you a chopping wood." This is what Chen Jisheng emphasized more than once in front of Gu Xu. Chen Jisheng had always been worried that under the pressure of life expectancy, Gu Xu would pursue the speed of practice at all costs and neglect the preparations he should make during practice.
Such as sufficient elixirs, such as a solid foundation, such as a calm mind...
Of course, from the actual situation, during Gu Xu’s cultivation process, He has always been more stable than Chen Jisheng imagined.
So at this moment, when he saw this whetstone, Gu Xu had a faint smile on his face.
He walked straight forward and sharpened the axe--using the rough surface of the stone to polish the curl and rust of the axe, and using the smooth surface to make the ax sharper.
This stone seemed to have a magical power, which quickly made the ax in his hand look brand new and shimmer with cold light.
Next, it’s time to chop wood.
But Gu Xu didn’t know any wood-cutting skills.
Most of the books in the Exorcist Department's library are related to spiritual practice, and it is impossible to teach him things that mortals do, such as chopping wood, farming, raising fish, etc.
At this moment, a rough and loud folk song came from the depths of the pine forest.
Gu Xu raised his head and saw the two woodcutters carrying axes and firewood, striding through the densely shaded pine forest.
At first glance, they looked like two ordinary people with no cultivation.
"But the problem is... How can there be mortals living in this isolated Laoshan Mountain for a long time?" Gu Xu immediately realized a serious problem, "What's more, in the past twenty-three years, the people at the foot of the mountain All the villagers were unfortunately killed in the mysterious massacre."
He quickly came to the conclusion that these two villagers were just like the white-bearded old Taoist, and they were just illusions.
Immediately afterwards, he began to think again: What was the purpose of Kong Xuan Sanren creating the illusion of the two woodcutters?
After a moment, he had the answer in his mind.
He walked straight towards the two woodcutters and bowed his hands politely to them. At the same time, he claimed that it was his first time to chop wood and his technique was a bit unfamiliar. He hoped that the two woodcutters could provide some guidance.
The two woodcutter readily agreed.
One of them gave a demonstration and the other explained.
They told Gu Xu that cutting firewood may seem simple, but in fact there are many details that cannot be ignored.
For example, the hands holding the ax should not be held too tightly, because during the process of chopping firewood, there will be a huge force that rebounds, which will shock the tiger's mouth until it hurts - but if you squeeze the ax hard enough, A few, the rebound force will be lighter, you will not hurt yourself, and you can save energy;
For example, if you encounter a tree knot when chopping firewood, you have to chop it several times over and over again. Because tree tumors are usually very hard;
For example, when cutting down firewood and needing to divide the tree segments, you must first stand the tree segments up, kick the horse, and then use the ax to break them down—— You must pedal well, and your feet cannot be too close together, otherwise if the ax hits the air, you will hurt your feet or other parts of the body;
For another example, the length of a piece of firewood It is best not to exceed fifty centimeters - whether it is too long or too short, it is not easy to put it on the earth stove to burn fire;
...
Gu Xu gained a lot from the words of the two woodcutters.
With his "knowledge and strong memory", he kept all the techniques mentioned by the woodcutter firmly in his mind.
After the woodcutter explained these techniques, he sang folk songs again, drifted away, and soon disappeared from the end of Gu Xu's field of vision.
Gu Xu held the handle of the ax and looked at the green vegetation around him.
He suddenly remembered another sentence that Chen Jisheng once said to him: "There is always more than one path to practice."
The right direction is better than running blindly.
In addition, Gu Xu's time is really limited, and he must cultivate to the realm of a saint before he is thirty years old.
He often strives to find the optimal solution in the process of practice.
Thinking of this, he smiled slightly, followed the instructions of the two woodcutters, and began to chop wood.
His movements were a little jerky at first, but soon became smooth and easy.
The firewood piled beside him was of the same length and had smooth cuts - at least in terms of appearance, it looked much better than the ones that "White Tiger" Su Xiao chopped haphazardly.
…………
The top of Laoshan Mountain.
A cold wind blew by.
Thick clouds and mist began to surge, like waves of the sea.
The two Taoist boys standing outside the gate of the ancient building were still discussing the young people climbing the mountain.
The little Taoist boy in black said expressionlessly: "The immortal master once said that a person's attitude towards spiritual practice can be seen from the simple matter of chopping firewood. This is indeed the case!"< br>
The little Taoist boy in white responded: "Senior brother is right. That beautiful woman has good qualifications, but she is too scheming. If the immortal master is still in the world, he will definitely not like people like her."
The little Taoist boy in black continued: "The young man with the sword is actually a perseverant person. But in his heart, it seems that he only has his own Tao, but he cannot fit in other people's things."
The little Taoist boy in white said: "Senior brother is right. He may be able to become a successful sword cultivator, but he is not a suitable inheritor."
The little Taoist boy in black said: "Actually, the immortal master also He once said that if you keep following the path that others have taken, you will have a chance to become a powerful practitioner; but if you want to become a saint-level strongman, you must walk your own path
"This young man. A sword cultivator, if he could really follow his path, he might really be able to accomplish something. "
The little Taoist boy in white: "By the way, senior brother, what do you think of that handsome Fu Xiu? "
The little Taoist boy in black was silent for a long time, and then slowly said: "All the choices he has made so far are what the Immortal Master wants to see; if the Immortal Master is still in this world, he should be very happy. Appreciate him. ”
The little Taoist boy in white frowned and said: "But, senior brother, there are too many causes and effects involved in him - letting him inherit what the immortal master left behind may not necessarily be the right choice."
The little Taoist boy in black retorted : "What you said is wrong. We only need to do things according to the immortal master's instructions, and we don't need to have our own ideas. If he really reaches the top, then he is the best successor."
The little Taoist boy in white sighed: "Senior brother is right."
…………
The first person to complete the task of chopping wood was undoubtedly Shangguan Jin.
Carrying two bundles of firewood, she came to an old Taoist with a white beard who was resting under a pine tree with her eyes closed.
The white-bearded old Taoist opened his eyes, looked at her black robe stained with mud and blood, and then at her clean and bright face, and said lightly: "I asked you to chop the firewood. Are you done?"
Shangguan Jin nodded and placed the firewood on the ground in front of Lao Tao.
The old Taoist frowned: "These firewood...you shouldn't have chopped them yourself, right?"
Shangguan Jin smiled sheepishly: "Because I'm not very good at this. , so I asked others to help.”
The old Taoist pondered for a moment and commented: "You are a very smart person. It's just that I never like people who are too smart."
After finishing his words, the entire pine forest - together with the firewood on the ground and the Shangguan hibiscus The ax in his hand disappeared without a trace in an instant.
Shangguan Jin's sealed true energy also surged in her body again.
It was just at this time that she found that the climbing road in front of her suddenly stopped.
At the end of the road is a high cliff.
Under the cliff is the boundless East China Sea.
There is no longer a road to the top of the mountain.
At this moment, she finally understood what the white-bearded old man said, "I never like overly smart people."
That sentence was equivalent to declaring her failure.
Her mind suddenly went blank.
Unknowingly, she looked up again at the distant top of Mount Laoshan, shrouded in clouds and mist, and felt her eyes were a little moist.
She knew that she might never have the chance to go there and see the stunning scenery.
"Oh, I just hope that our 'Shenji Battalion' will not be wiped out here!" A bitter smile appeared on Shangguan Jin's face, thinking silently.
Thinking of this, she turned around and walked down the mountain along the way she came.
The fairy tale came to nothing.
.........
On the way down the mountain, Shangguan Jin saw a familiar face.
That is Chen Yanping of Xiangyang.
At this time, he was covered with bruises and fell down on the roadside. His face looked ashen and there was no sparkle in his eyes.
When Shangguan Jin passed by him, he raised his head and said with some surprise: "Sir Shangguan, you also failed?"
Shangguan Jin smiled: "Climbing to the top... is not as easy as we imagined."
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(End of this chapter)