Chapter 59: Chapter Fifty-Nine: Choosing a Technique

Mo Hua ultimately still didn't choose a cultivation technique; when they parted, Mo Hua's silhouette carried a faint air of melancholy.

Bai Zi Xi watched silently, then suddenly spoke: "I'll have Xue Yi bring you some spiritual items."

Mo Hua paused slightly—he hadn't expected the usually cold Bai Zi Xi to be so kind-hearted, and he couldn't help smiling, yet still declined:

"No need. Cultivation is a lifetime's journey—I can't rely on others for it forever. Besides, one shouldn't accept gifts without earning them."

Bai Zi Xi's expression remained indifferent, unreadable whether pleased or not.

After speaking, Mo Hua added sincerely: "Thank you!"

Mo Hua always remained grateful for others' kindness.

After the group left, Master Zhuang, who had been lounging on a reclining chair from sunup to moonrise, finally rose slowly and walked to a secluded, slightly dusty little study, muttering under his breath:

"Old Puppet is too lazy—how long has this study gone uncleaned?"

Suddenly, Old Puppet's figure appeared behind him, where no one had been a moment before:

"If you don't use it, what difference does cleaning make?"

"I've told you countless times—don't keep appearing out of nowhere. This courtyard feels unnaturally eerie."

Master Zhuang complained, then paced through the study, rummaging through books and jade slips. The already untidy study grew even more disordered.

"Looking for something?"

"I'm searching for a few cultivation techniques," Master Zhuang said carelessly.

"For that boy, Mo Hua?"

"Correct."

"You never cared this much for your disciples before," Old Puppet said flatly, with a hint of sarcasm.

Master Zhuang selected several jade slips, spread them on the table, sat down slowly, and began flipping through them one by one:

"Before, I was wholly devoted to the Dao—naturally arrogant. Now, time has changed, I've lost my connection to the Dao, so I've gained the leisure to meddle in trivial matters."

Old Puppet fell silent; the room instantly grew still.

After a moment, Master Zhuang couldn't help saying: "Say something once in a while—otherwise this room really feels eerie."

Old Puppet replied coldly: "What do you want me to say?"

Master Zhuang thought for a moment, then asked: "What technique do you think would suit Mo Hua?"

"Not choosing is best."

"Why not choose?"

"If you don't interfere, you avoid karmic ties. Mo Hua will have fewer troubles."

Master Zhuang shook his head. "I don't believe in karma. Even if karma truly exists, you can't escape it. Perhaps coming to Lizhou and taking Mo Hua as my student already stirred karma—once heavenly fate begins turning, it can't be changed."

After speaking, Master Zhuang felt it was bad luck and scoffed at himself:

"Lose your Dao heart, and your mind grows old—this sounds just like those old fools in the Tianquan Pavilion who speak in riddles."

Old Puppet said coolly: "I am one of those old fools from the Tianquan Pavilion."

Master Zhuang gave a faint, wry smile. "You're a bit different." Then he changed the subject: "What about the Two Yin-Yang Technique?"

"Too obscure."

"The Five Elements Transformation Technique?"

"His meridians can't handle it."

"What about the Dao Xuan Scripture?"

"He'll be hunted down by the Dao Xuan Sect."

…

After Master Zhuang spent a long time selecting, Old Puppet rejected them all one by one; finally, he asked:

"Do you have any techniques of your own? Let me see them."

"None of mine are suitable."

Master Zhuang sighed. "Having a poor spiritual root is such a hassle. Why couldn't Mo Hua have been a top-grade root? Then choosing a technique would be easy. Back when I chose mine, I just picked the best one—no need for all this back-and-forth."

Old Puppet silently rolled his eyes.

"Needs to be unique, needs to be mid-grade lower rank, needs to suit five-element roots, and the required spiritual items mustn't be too expensive…" Master Zhuang muttered.

"The 'unique' requirement is unnecessary…"

Master Zhuang shook his head. "No. My disciple must be unique."

"He's only a registered student—not a formal disciple who's paid tea and sworn allegiance."

"You don't understand," Master Zhuang said with an air of profound mystery. "If even my registered students are unique, it shows how extraordinary I am as a master."

Old Puppet said: "Didn't you once say that true experts show power, while fools boast with words?"

"Can you remember even one good thing I've ever said?" Master Zhuang grumbled.

"Back then, you were arrogant as hell—and never said anything decent."

Master Zhuang looked slightly disgruntled, then shifted focus: "Focus on the task—choose the technique first."

Master Zhuang began rummaging through the entire room again, keeping anything that seemed suitable, tossing aside what didn't.

Old Puppet silently followed behind, picking up what was discarded, occasionally handing over one or two jade slips. Master Zhuang glanced at them, showed mild disdain, but kept them anyway, muttering:

"Your taste in techniques is still so vulgar…"

The next day, after sketching arrays all day, Mo Hua was just about to head home when he saw Master Zhuang waving to him from the bamboo pavilion.

Mo Hua walked over, bowed, and asked curiously: "Master, do you have something to instruct?"

Master Zhuang placed a large bundle of mixed jade slips and texts before Mo Hua. "Pick one."

Mo Hua's mouth dropped open. "Master…"

"Since you call me Master, I can't let you down. Choosing a technique is no big deal."

Mo Hua thought of Mr. Zhuang, always lazy, lying on his chair all day, and looking at the large bundle of cultivation techniques clearly carefully selected, warmth stirred in his heart; he stood up and bowed deeply again.

"Choose for yourself—I'll contemplate the Dao for a while."

Mr. Zhuang waved his hand and lay back on the chair, closing his eyes to rest.

Mo Hua moved gently, trying not to disturb Mr. Zhuang, and carefully flipped through the pile of cultivation techniques before him.

"Spirit Transformation Scripture," "Sitting the Dao Technique," "Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Classic," "Immortal Path Divine Art"…

These techniques, just by their names, were profound and their effects extraordinary—some enhanced spiritual power, some cultivated both spirit and body, some even reduced cultivation bottlenecks; all could cultivate at least thirty Zhou Tian of spiritual power, and more than half the required heavenly and earthly spiritual materials were familiar to Mo Hua.

That even Mo Hua, with his current Foundation Establishment-level knowledge, recognized them meant these spiritual materials, though rare, were certainly not priceless, unobtainable treasures or rare primordial spiritual substances.

Clearly, Mr. Zhuang had put great thought into selecting these techniques.

Mo Hua silently stored this kindness in his heart and turned his focus to choosing a technique.

First, he picked the cheapest ones requiring the least heavenly and earthly materials; then, the ones that could cultivate the most Zhou Tian of spiritual power; then, the ones most compatible with his affinity; then, the ones with the most practical effects…

Mo Hua weighed and compared, finally selecting several that suited him best—but then he frowned again.

The least amount of heavenly and earthly materials didn't mean none at all; in actual cost, it still amounted to over a thousand spirit stones.

The techniques Mo Hua had seen these past days often required spirit materials worth tens of thousands of spirit stones; compared to those, a few thousand spirit stones were already the cheapest.

But Mo Hua suddenly realized that even a few thousand spirit stones were beyond his means.

Mo Hua was suddenly stuck.

At that moment, Mo Hua suddenly came across a jade slip with a rough surface and an unusually archaic shape, standing out starkly among the elegant or refined books and jade slips.

Holding it in his hand, he immersed his spiritual sense into it—three ancient characters appeared in his mind: "Great Expansion Scripture." Mo Hua read further, then suddenly felt something was missing from the technique's description.

After a moment of thought, Mo Hua suddenly remembered: this technique had no note listing the required heavenly and earthly materials.

Did that mean practicing this technique required no additional heavenly and earthly materials?

The moment this thought arose, it struck Mo Hua's young heart, leaving him trembling with excitement.