007. Tricking a Female Disciple

Lu Wu arrived at the thatched hut for outer disciples, only to find that Ziyu was nowhere to be seen.

“Huh? That’s strange.”

Spreading his wings, Lu Wu soared high into the air. At over twenty meters up, the wind battered him so fiercely he could barely hold his position. Though the celestial beetle’s strength was considerable, it was still no match for the gusts at this height. Still, he was able to spot the girl from above.

At this moment, Ziyu was sitting by the stone pool behind the thatched hut. Before her lay the introductory volume of the Supreme Void Dao Scripture. Lu Wu, without the slightest courtesy, began to read.

“As expected, the Book of Knowledge used the introductory chapter to complete the entire Supreme Void Dao Scripture!”

He examined it closely. This technique, however, was impossible for him to cultivate. It required the meridians of a human body as its foundation. Though Lu Wu possessed a human soul, he had no human body and thus could not practice such a method. Nevertheless, many of the spells within piqued his interest.

Ziyu, her face swollen with welts, sat on a stone by the pool, her silver teeth gritted in frustration.

“I must become an inner disciple!”

“Why—why is it that every time I calm my mind to cultivate, I get bitten by insects?”

“Is Heaven itself preventing me from seeking the Dao?”

Lu Wu was left awkwardly speechless after hearing this.

Well… my apologies, but I need to cultivate too. It’s hardly my fault your flesh smells the most enticing.

Ziyu calmed herself once more and resumed her cultivation efforts. Lu Wu watched as she performed a mudra, and immediately noticed she had made a mistake.

“This poor girl is too miserable—her mind is unsettled. How can she possibly cultivate like this?”

After some thought, Lu Wu flew off a distance and traced a path in the air.

“Holy Woman, if I try to fly straight into the Sword Tomb, will I be caught?”

The Holy Woman's voice echoed: “What do you think?”

Lu Wu pondered. “What if I trick this girl into bringing me in with her…”

The Holy Woman replied, “You could. But how would you communicate with her?”

“You don’t actually believe that a mere mortal like her could decipher the words I’m hiding in my clumsy flight patterns, do you?”

What the Holy Woman really wanted was for Lu Wu to beg his future master to help him transmit a message.

Lu Wu, undaunted, scrawled furiously in the air: “I’ve mastered primordial spirit transmission.”

The Holy Woman was shocked. “Already? That fast?!”

“Very well, try speaking with her.”

Lu Wu flew over to the girl and landed directly on the Supreme Void Dao Scripture’s introductory chapter. “Do you know why you keep getting bitten?”

Hearing a voice at her ear, Ziyu jolted and looked around.

Under the moonlight, there was nothing in sight. Looking more closely, she noticed a small insect on her book and shook her head, thinking she was imagining things.

“Who’s there?” she called.

Lu Wu replied, “You can see me.”

Ziyu immediately realized the voice was coming from the bug. She puffed up with anger. “So it’s you biting me!”

Lu Wu transmitted his thoughts: “Hahahahahaha!”

“The truth is… I have been testing you.”

“I believe you are exceptionally gifted and worthy to become my first disciple.”

Ziyu asked suspiciously, “Are you a demon?”

Lu Wu’s primordial spirit thundered, “Mind your words!”

“I am a hidden inheritor of the Supreme Void Palace. Very few in the entire palace know of my existence.”

The Holy Woman, listening in, was exasperated. “Go on with your bluster. I’m going to rest.”

With the Holy Woman gone, Lu Wu let his imagination run wild.

“Nine thousand seven hundred years ago, I battled seven sages atop Wind and Cloud Mountain.”

“Five thousand eight hundred years ago, I slew a dragon in the East Sea with a single hand.”

“Three thousand years ago, I defended this world against an apocalyptic calamity.”

“Who stands at the summit of the immortal path? When I appear, all Dao fades.”

“I alone have shaped eternity, extending the glory of humanity for another million years.”

If one is to boast, one might as well boast grandly.

Ziyu was dumbstruck. “Then why are you just a little bug?”

Lu Wu laughed heartily. “My primordial spirit inhabits this exotic beast for two reasons: first, to avoid detection; second, this creature possesses a unique power—it can test a person’s talent through bloodsucking.”

The young girl, being only fourteen or fifteen, was so thoroughly taken in that she actually believed him.

“Then, Senior, how is my talent…?”

“Exceptional!” Lu Wu praised. “Absolutely extraordinary! Only a hair’s breadth shy of my own.”

Ziyu hesitated. “A hair’s breadth?”

“A fraction of a fraction,” Lu Wu replied. “But enough digression.”

“I will now guide your cultivation. There are only two days left before the entrance test. You must master the introductory chapter within this time to qualify for the inner sect.”

“Repeat your hand seals.”

Ziyu complied, performing the mudras as she had learned.

“Stop—this is wrong. Your left ring finger should be above, the right below. You’ve reversed it.”

“If your seal is inverted, your meridians won’t align and you won’t sense any energy.”

Ziyu checked the introductory chapter and, realizing her mistake, blushed furiously. “I’ve been so distracted by constant interruptions that my mind has been unsettled.”

Lu Wu cleared his throat and grew solemn. “Now you see—the insect bites were but my way of finding the best method to teach you, to test your talent and progress.”

“Now focus. That shouldn’t be difficult, should it?”

Upon hearing this, Ziyu was instantly enlightened.

Of course! The bites weren’t hindrances to her cultivation, but rather the Senior’s way of helping her.

Once she understood this, the unbearable itch from the welts on her face became instead a source of motivation—a reward and encouragement in her cultivation.

Within her sea of qi and dantian, the sensation of qi immediately condensed.

The Book of Knowledge updated itself at once.

“Mortals: Ziyu has sensed qi.”

Lu Wu smiled. “Well done, you’ve sensed qi. Continue.”

With her first feeling of qi, Ziyu quickly began circulating it, attempting to practice the full cycle, but something still felt off.

Lu Wu watched, as the Book of Knowledge continued to update.

Having identified the issue, Lu Wu said, “Your method is correct, but you lack enough spiritual energy.”

Ziyu recalled the spiritual energy powder Elder Chen had distributed to new disciples and hurried to take it out.

The Book of Knowledge rapidly updated once more.

“Spiritual energy powder detected.”

“Spiritual energy powder: When swallowed, can release thirty percent of its medicinal power.”

“If dispersed by soul force and infused directly into the Heavenly Pool Acupoint, ninety percent of its power can be utilized.”

Seeing that Ziyu was about to swallow the powder, Lu Wu quickly stopped her. “Wait!”

“Let me help you release its full medicinal power—at least three times as effective!”

Ziyu was astounded. “Please, Senior, lend me your aid!”

Lu Wu prepared to disperse the powder with his soul force, but hesitated. “Um, lift your collar for a moment.”

Ziyu froze. “Senior, why?”

“The medicine must be infused at the Heavenly Pool Acupoint.”

The Heavenly Pool? Isn’t that the highest point of the chest…?

Ziyu’s face flushed crimson.

Lu Wu scolded, “A cultivator should rise above worldly concerns. Even if I haven’t formally taken you as my disciple, I am half a master to you.”

“Do you think I, in this insect’s body, would take advantage of you?”

Chastened, Ziyu realized she had let impure thoughts intrude during her cultivation.

“I was wrong.”

“Senior, please help me!”

Lu Wu instructed, “Once the essence is infused, immediately circulate your qi throughout your body!”

“Yes, Senior!”

When Lu Wu entered, he realized it was too dark to see anything, a complete loss. “Damn, wasted so much soul force.”

Fortunately, he could now cultivate, and he still needed Ziyu for further progress.

If a mere mortal Ziyu could facilitate his evolution, how much more effective would she be at the Foundation Establishment stage?

Seeing Ziyu sink into a meditative state, Lu Wu simply flew off in search of other prey.

If he bit her now, he might ruin everything. For the sake of entering the Sword Tomb, better to be patient.

…

At dawn, Ziyu awoke to find, to her astonishment, that she had reached Foundation Establishment.

“I succeeded?”

“And that Senior…”

At breakfast, as Ziyu entered the dining hall, Elder Chen’s eyes lit up. “Excellent! You had not even sensed qi yesterday, and today you’ve already reached Foundation Establishment. Remarkable talent!”

“Your name?”

Ziyu bowed. “Disciple Ziyu.”

Elder Chen stroked his beard. “Very good. You’d made no progress for days, yet now you have succeeded overnight. How so?”

Ziyu was about to reply but remembered the Senior’s words about remaining hidden in the Supreme Void Palace. She lowered her head. “I… made a mistake with the hand seals before, but I suddenly realized it.”

“I see. Cultivation must indeed be approached with care,” Elder Chen said with satisfaction, laughing heartily. “Here are three bottles of spiritual energy powder. Before you enter the Sword Tomb, continue practicing the introductory chapter.”

“Off you go.”

After the meal, Ziyu took out a bottle of spiritual energy powder, hesitated, and swallowed a dose.

She was immediately astonished: “Indeed, when I take it alone, only a third of the medicinal power is effective.”

“That Senior is truly incredible—he can triple the power of spiritual medicine!”

“When I enter the Sword Tomb… I must ask the Senior to join me. There may be great rewards awaiting!”