Eldest Senior Sister, Did I Learn It?

When Daoist Buyu learned he actually had a chance of being released, he was practically ready to take Lu Yang as his master, frightening Lu Yang into repeatedly waving his hands and saying that would never do. Lu Yang laid out his idea to Daoist Buyu, who found Lu Yang's words quite reasonable. "Indeed, we've neglected the power of propaganda. Mortals know far too little about immortal cultivation, the Five Great Immortal Sects, and the other sects." Stroking his beard in thought, Daoist Buyu mused, "Writing pingshu storytelling about the Dao Seeking Sect is truly skilled work. Give me a moment to ponder this. "Our Dao Seeking Sect spans a hundred and twenty thousand years of history, which can be divided into three eras: Daoist Xiantian founding the sect, Heavenly Venerable Guiyuan elevating us to one of the Five Great Immortal Sects, and our Ancestor of Restoration, Daoist Lord Hanhai. Each era offers plenty of stories to tell. Just starting with 'Daoist Xiantian Divining the Path of Heaven and Earth' alone gives us vast material." *As expected of Master,* Lu Yang thought to himself. Only his master could dress up Daoist Xiantian getting lost as something as grandiose as "divining the path of heaven and earth." That skill alone was worth learning for quite some time. "Naturally, we can't leave out modern events—those are the highlights. Take this seat, for instance. You can't just say I was picked up by the third elder; it must be changed to being born of Heaven and Earth, someone born in response to destiny itself, clutching a short sword at birth with the word 'Kill' engraved upon its hilt... *Cough*, I'm merely joking, of course. I wouldn't actually put it like that." Catching the Eldest Senior Sister's frost-chilled gaze, Daoist Buyu instantly surrendered. "I'll faithfully recount it all, without the slightest fabrication!" Daoist Buyu then adopted a conciliatory tone. "Good disciple, could you let your master out first? When it comes to the Dao Seeking Sect slaying demons, eradicating devils, and upholding the righteous path, your eight martial uncles were the primary witnesses. To write this pingshu, your master naturally has to question them about the details. Only then will I have room to unleash my craft." Yun Zhi decided this actually sounded somewhat sensible, and prepared to let her master leave. Then she simply turned to walk away. Daoist Buyu panicked and shouted from behind, "Good disciple, you haven't released your master yet!" Without looking back, Yun Zhi replied, "Meditate in your cave abode for three days, and the barrier will naturally dissipate." *Good grief,* Lu Yang thought. In other words, after being locked away for ten whole years, his master hadn't even managed to meditate continuously for three days. No wonder the Eldest Senior Sister refused to release him. Lu Yang jogged up beside the Eldest Senior Sister and said eagerly, "Eldest Senior Sister, I'd like to learn a spell that can be cast using only the mouth." "Why?" "In combat, I noticed that feet are used for dodging and attacking, and hands are occupied wielding swords or launching hidden weapons. There's always a use for them, but the mouth sits completely idle. "Just picture it: I'm locked in a stalemate with an enemy, weapons clashing, neither able to gain the upper hand. If I suddenly spit a spell from my mouth to catch them off guard, a victory is guaranteed!" Yun Zhi couldn't relate to what Lu Yang called "locked in a stalemate." In her fights, she had always crushed her opponents. Still, if Lu Yang wanted to learn, she had no reason to stop him. "I possess an art that allows one to exhale the Qi of Youjin upon mastery, sharp enough to sever a strand of hair blown against it. It requires an affinity for a Metal Spiritual Root. Your Sword Spiritual Root barely qualifies. However, it takes several breaths to charge, and you cannot make any other moves while gathering power." Lu Yang shook his head. "Too restrictive. It's fine for sneak attacks, but rarely useful in direct combat." "What about Samadhi True Fire? You gather strength within your abdomen, then exhale the upper, middle, and lower true fires. Nothing short of rootless water can extinguish them. The learning curve is steep, however; it might take several months. You've never learned Five Elements spells before, so I cannot say how your talent lies in that regard." Yun Zhi abruptly went silent, suddenly remembering that the first Five Elements spell Lu Yang had learned was Shrinking the Earth. Lu Yang brightened. The renowned Samadhi True Fire! Given the opportunity, he naturally had to learn it. Even if he failed, it would at least put the longing to rest. "I want to learn Samadhi True Fire." Seeing that Lu Yang had made his choice, Yun Zhi did not dissuade him. She led him to the place where he had first begun his cultivation. It was here that Lu Yang had lifted vats and caught tofu, successfully achieving Qi Induction—a place full of sentimental value. Yun Zhi explained in a calm tone, "The so-called Samadhi True Fire refers to three fires: Divine, Essence, and Mortal. In their classification, they share a certain affinity with the river spirit's axes. "The Sovereign Fire resides in the heart, also known as the Divine Fire, named the Upper Samadhi. The Minister Fire resides in the kidneys, also known as the Essence Fire, named the Middle Samadhi. The fire in the bladder—that is, the sea of qi beneath the navel—is the Commoner Fire, named the Lower Samadhi. "When casting Samadhi True Fire, you must pay attention to these three locations: the heart, the kidneys, and the bladder. "I previously instructed you to keep your kidney water perpetually abundant at all times for this very reason. The human body contains the Five Elements, and most Five Elements spells rely on the five internal organs. Thus, kidney water is of utmost importance. "I shall demonstrate once for you. Watch closely." Yun Zhi faced a massive tree, parted her petal-soft lips, and exhaled a stream of Samadhi True Fire. The tree, thick as a man's embrace, was reduced to ash in an instant—so fast that Lu Yang couldn't even react! And this was Yun Zhi holding back the power as much as possible. Had she exerted her full strength, whether Tianmen Peak would even still be standing remained debatable. "Did you grasp it?" Lu Yang hesitated. The Eldest Senior Sister's teaching methods were always mysterious and unfathomable; everything depended on one's own comprehension. "I'll give it a try." His self-created Art of Illuminating the Heart and Seeing Nature could pierce through the essence of things, and a part of developing it was precisely so he could learn the arts taught by his senior sister. It was time to display the power of his self-created art! Lu Yang channeled his internal mana, concentrating it into his heart, kidneys, and bladder, then spat forcefully—launching saliva thirty feet away! "Samadhi True Fire!" Refusing to believe it, Lu Yang shouted aloud and spat another stream of saliva thirty feet! *Pah!* *Pah!* Lu Yang repeatedly cast the technique, spitting until his mouth went parched and his tongue dry. Samadhi True Fire truly was difficult to learn. Seeing Lu Yang working so hard, Yun Zhi handed him a gourd. Lu Yang took a sip, finding it exceptionally sweet, as if it were heavenly nectar. "What kind of water is this? It's so sweet!" "Sugar water." Lu Yang: "..." How could sugar water not be sweet? Displaying relentless perseverance, Lu Yang tried again and again, practicing from midday until dusk, until he finally began to grasp the knack of it. "This time it will definitely work. Samadhi True Fire, exhale!" Lu Yang mustered all his strength, mobilizing the spiritual energy throughout his body and circulating it through minor and major heavenly orbits. With a fierce burst, roaring flames surged from his mouth, scorching the massive tree until it crackled with popping bursts! "It worked!" Lu Yang beamed. He truly was talented at learning techniques; a spell that normally took months had taken him just a single afternoon. Watching from the side, Yun Zhi felt that something was off about the flames. Stepping forward heedless of the intense heat, she pinched a tiny flicker, rubbed it between her fingers, and touched the tip of her tongue to her fingertip. "Sweet?" Why would flames have a taste? "Cast it again." Bewildered, Lu Yang spat out another burst of true fire. Yun Zhi tasted it again. "Salty?" "One more time." Yun Zhi tasted it once more. "Spicy?" After repeatedly testing it, Yun Zhi discovered that Lu Yang's flames were extremely powerful, yet their flavors were bizarre: either sweet, salty, or spicy. Lu Yang ran over excitedly. "Eldest Senior Sister, did I learn it?" Yun Zhi looked at him with an utterly strange expression. "You learned it. But what you learned is Three-Flavor True Fire." "Three-flavor true fire?"