In this sweltering heat, people kept wiping the sweat from their foreheads, waiting for the arrival of the immortals.
Even after waiting until the afternoon, Ziyun Mountain remained unchanged, plain and ordinary, with no immortals descending on clouds.
"What's going on? Is someone trying to scam us?" The crowd began to stir, and some impatient people started to complain.
Several spoiled rich kids began to curse angrily: "How dare they lie to us! I'll go back and have my father execute the person who spread the rumors!"
"I'm going to teach him a lesson."
Amidst the cacophony of angry curses, several spoiled young men shoved each other and left.
The orange glow of the setting sun spilled into the crowd, which had dwindled to 20,000. Some who thought it was a lie turned and left, while the rest remained.
As the sun sets and the moon rises slowly, its cool light illuminates the faces of the crowd, reflecting the myriad aspects of human life. Some are worried, some are calm, some are cursing, some are self-deprecating, some are smiling, some are in pain…
"I'm not waiting anymore, this is clearly a joke! Let's go," a man in brocade robes stood up and said indignantly.
Some people with wavering wills and indecisiveness got up and stood up. People tend to follow the crowd. Seeing that everyone else thought it was a scam, they also thought it was a scam.
The man in brocade robes looked at the group of people still sitting and sneered, "Utterly foolish." Then he led his entourage away in a grand procession.
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Chapter 51: Preaching
"How foolish! Don't they know this is a test from the immortals?" A scholar in a blue robe spoke indifferently, showing great disdain for these impatient people. His words were echoed by the crowd around him.
The scholar smiled slightly, enjoying the feeling of being flattered. But his smile soon faded.
A day passed, and at noon the next day, the scorching sun beat down on the crowd in the open space like a furnace. Suspicion spread like wildfire, and people left in droves.
The next day passed, and the immortal did not appear. The scholar in the blue robe, who had claimed it was a test, also slunk away. However, he did not remain silent. Instead, he gathered a group of people and stood at the government office gate demanding an explanation. But the government officials paid no attention to him and simply beat him up before throwing him out.
The scholar in blue robes, harboring resentment, spread the story privately, so that later people knew it was a hoax. Some people who originally wanted to come went home disappointed after hearing the rumors, and only a very few refused to believe it and came to see for themselves.
"Look at these fools, they're still here. Do they really think some immortal will come?"
"Yeah, that was really stupid. Luckily I left on the first day."
"You're so smart, I waited until the next day to leave." Several guys who wanted to come and watch the show didn't mention their own retreat at all, but instead mocked the group of people who persisted.
Faced with genuine skepticism and ridicule from others, some who had initially stood firm also left in the eyes of others, becoming part of the so-called "wise" group.
On the third night, a crescent moon hung obliquely on the curtain of stars, and only three hundred people remained at the foot of the mountain.
"Young Master, we're almost out of rations. Shall we go back?" Xiao Hei said to Gu Wen, glancing at the last bit of rations left in the bag.
"You go back first. I want to keep waiting. Whether it's true or false, I, Gu Wen, will persevere." Gu Wen smiled slightly and said firmly.
"Brother Da Niu, should we go back?" the lean man suggested in a low voice, rubbing his rumbling stomach.
“I won’t leave. I believe the immortals wouldn’t lie to us.” Da Niu’s gaze remained unwavering as he sat on the ground, waiting quietly.
As for the others, they showed no intention of backing down. They sat in place, closed their eyes, and waited quietly without any complaints.
Zhang Xuan took out the wine pouch, wanting to take another sip, but after hovering it in the air for a long time, not a single drop of wine dripped from the spout.
He threw down the wine jug, chuckled helplessly, stood up, stretched his limbs, and then walked towards the other seated people. Those who could persevere for so long were all people of extraordinary willpower, and most of them were from poor families, making them easy to befriend.
"Brother, my name is Zhang Xuan..."
"Look to the east!" Before Zhang Xuan could finish speaking, a shout drew everyone's attention.
To the east, streaks of purple light swept across the sky like ribbons, painting the dark firmament with color. Above the purple light, a white-robed Taoist priest descended from the heavens, his handsome face and eyes as vast as the universe, captivating anyone who looked into them. His white robes were not Taoist robes, but his aura immediately revealed him as a Taoist; the first thing one would notice about him was his transcendent, otherworldly presence.
In the city, people who were originally preparing to rest also saw the magnificent purple light and flocked towards Ziyun Mountain. However, when they reached the vicinity of Ziyun Mountain, an invisible barrier blocked their way, and they could only watch helplessly as the Taoist slowly walked towards Ziyun Mountain.
"It's all your fault! If you hadn't persuaded me to come back, I would have obtained the destiny of immortality." A group of bald, burly men were hitting the white-robed man beside them, making him run around wildly.
Some people in the crowd were crying, some were filled with regret, and one elderly person even fainted and was rushed to the hospital by his family.
Whether these people regret it or not is none of Xu Le's business. Since they've left, he should just watch quietly.
The Taoist walked step by step through the void without any unusual phenomena. What seemed like a small step actually covered a distance of hundreds of meters, and in an instant, he arrived above everyone's heads.
"Humans are strange creatures. They have great creativity but are always obsessed with internal strife. One person is a dragon, but a group of people are worms. The waiting before is a test of your patience, and the retreat along the way is a test of your perseverance and whether you blindly follow the crowd."
Those who lack their own opinions are destined to live under the control of others and will never be able to forge their own path. Even with the greatest talent, they are nothing but cowards. Therefore, congratulations to everyone present; you have passed the test.
Xu Le's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears. The three hundred people who remained were moved to tears; they felt their perseverance had been worthwhile.
Xu Le slowly floated down, his mind conjuring water molecules in the air to form a lotus platform. He sat cross-legged on the lotus, floating above the crowd, his eyes scanning each person. There were men and women, young and old, exactly 365 people. This number made Xu Le look up at the starry sky, chuckle, and say, "I sense that the world has changed, so I have specially imparted martial arts to you."
So-called martial arts are nothing more than extracting the parts on qi and blood cultivation and tendon and bone training from the body-refining section of the Qi cultivators' lineage in the Daoist classics, then reducing and simplifying them, and evolving into what is essentially a general outline of martial arts. What one can comprehend depends entirely on the individual.
Xu Le is no good person. The main reason for his preaching this time is that after this world completely digests Jing Hongzi's Celestial Inner World, it will inevitably undergo a level leap and take a step towards a higher world.
At that time, spiritual energy and other forms of energy will be generated between heaven and earth, and the world will transform from a world without magic to a world with low magic. This transformation process is very long. If someone can push this step forward, they will be rewarded by the world. Otherwise, why would someone like Xu Le, who is only interested in personal gain, come to spread the Dao?
Moreover, the martial arts he imparted this time were not selfless; he left a hidden door within them, and in his eyes, everyone who practiced this technique would have a fatal flaw.
Moreover, the most significant loss in this abridged version is the removal of the absorption of the essence of the sun and moon to temper the body; it only allows the most basic circulation of qi and blood to continuously strengthen the body. As for the gains, it's about learning from the countless martial arts practitioners who have evolved their techniques—this is all experience, which will serve as accumulation for his future cultivation.
"What is martial arts?" Zhang Xuan asked loudly from the crowd.
"Martial arts is a way of cultivating oneself and the first path to pursuing truth. The spirit of martial arts is to stop fighting and quell conflict, and to find the ultimate goal of mutual assistance and unity in contradictions and struggles. Martial arts is not violence, not killing for the sake of killing, or fighting for the sake of fighting, but to quickly stop killing and fighting, to protect and guard all living beings. When forced to use force, it is to extend benevolence to others, turn hostility into friendship, and unite heaven and earth into one."
Xu Le's voice was serious and solemn, reflecting his understanding of martial arts as he had seen people online before.
"What's the use of martial arts?" Li Yun asked this question. Her heroic spirit was in no way inferior to that of a boy; on the contrary, she possessed an even stronger martial spirit, making her even more radiant and beautiful.