Chapter 140: lend a hand

Someone shouted loudly: "Is the senior brother a natural Dao body?"

Pan Yun also stared intently at Zhang Liuzhen, waiting for his answer.

Zhang Liuzhen smiled and nodded, showing no concealment: "Yes, I am indeed a natural Dao body."

The square erupted in low but noisy murmurs—admiration, envy, reverence…

Outside the square, not only did Zhang Zi change color, but Lin Jingle did too.

"Nonsense, absolute nonsense," Zhang Zi whispered in reprimand: "So many demons and evils seek to seize a natural Dao body. He doesn't even hide it—he broadcasts it to everyone. Doesn't he have enough trouble already?"

Lin Jingle glanced at Zhang Liuzhen on the platform and said softly: "Have him moved into the Academy."

Zhang Zi lowered his eyes: "No, the Celestial Master's Mansion won't agree."

Lin Jingle said: "The Celestial Master isn't at the Mansion right now. If demons take advantage, with Liuzhen's current condition, he's in danger. Let him stay in the Academy—here, you and I, plus the heads of each hall, can protect him."

Zhang Zi stared at him for a moment, then nodded: "Very well. I'll discuss it with the Celestial Master's Mansion."

He looked up at Zhang Liuzhen on the platform, who was saying: "Qi exists outside the body, within heaven and earth—it's called spiritual energy. Within the body, refined and owned by oneself, it's called Yuanli, also known as Yuanqi."

"Over the years, folk terms have changed, but no matter what it's called, its essence remains transforming heaven-and-earth energy into one's own."

"To achieve this, you must see it—see the inside of your own body. This is inner observation…"

Zhang Liuzhen taught them on the spot how to sit, regulate breath, enter stillness, observe spiritual energy in the heavens and earth, and inner observation of bodily changes.

Not just the new students, but the senior students behind them also sat cross-legged on the ground, following his guidance to regulate breath and enter stillness.

Pan Yun followed along.

She thought she wouldn't enter stillness here—she merely closed her eyes to rest.

But Zhang Liuzhen's words always pierced her ears, seizing her spirit.

She couldn't help but listen to him, couldn't help but follow his breath and enter stillness.

Just as Pan Yun's cultivation method began to align with the breathing rhythm, Pan Xiaohei, who had been crouching beside her leg, gave her a swipe with his paw.

Pan Yun snapped her eyes open.

Zhang Liuzhen on the platform looked over. Pan Yun immediately shut her eyes and held her breath, then after a moment, exhaled slowly to regulate her breath.

Yet her spirit remained alert, no longer sinking as before.

Zhang Liuzhen detected no anomaly and withdrew his gaze.

He looked at the students below, diligently regulating their breath, his eyes unconsciously drifting to Pan Yun, Miao Zhen, and Miao He.

He felt no irregularity from them, and smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over several others whose presence stirred the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

These few are promising talents~

Miao Zhen and Miao He meditated according to Zhang Liuzhen's method and easily saw colorful particles in the air.

They knew—this was spiritual energy.

On Mount Sanqing, they had always been able to see it, and even move and absorb it—just very little.

They mostly still cultivated internal force, then practiced morning meditation at sunrise, sitting and regulating breath to absorb spiritual energy.

Because at that time, the spiritual energy on Mount Sanqing was densest and most vibrant, and they themselves were most alert, able to enter stillness without much effort.

Only by entering stillness could they absorb spiritual energy and convert it into Yuanli or internal force.

If they cultivated internal force, their internal force cultivation base would grow rapidly.

Of course they wanted to absorb spiritual energy directly like the senior brother and their masters, but they simply couldn't maintain stillness long enough to move heaven-and-earth spiritual energy.

Each time they started to stir the spiritual energy, the two would involuntarily exit stillness and wake up.

Eventually, not only could they not absorb spiritual energy for cultivation, their internal force didn't change at all—so later, they learned their lesson: except during specific times, they practiced internal force daily.

The senior master said they lacked cultivation base; once they grew older and their cultivation improved, they could enter stillness anytime, anywhere like the junior master and absorb spiritual energy.

They had always strived toward this, thinking it would take years—yet now, just by changing their breathing method, they could instantly see spiritual energy and move it.

Pan Yun turned to warn Miao Zhen and Miao He the moment she came to, but as she turned her head, she saw they were already deep in stillness—awakening them suddenly might cause harm.

She bit her lip, gathered her spirit, maintained a steady breathing rhythm, and silently took a talisman array plate from her Spirit Realm space.

This was the first array plate she'd made since arriving in this world, crafted with Miao Miao's help.

There was no choice—her cultivation was this low, her internal Yuanli this scant, she couldn't carve a complete array plate.

She held the array plate in her hand and opened her eyes.

She saw Zhang Liuzhen on the platform glancing toward a different direction, not paying attention here.

She immediately activated the array plate—a barrier rose within a fifteen-meter radius centered on her…

Zhang Liuzhen spun around sharply, took two steps forward, his gaze flicking between Pan Yun and Xuan Li, about to approach—when suddenly, from the side-rear of the crowd, a burst of flame erupted.

Zhang Liuzhen immediately abandoned this anomaly, his body flashing away—he was already below the platform, his form flickering twice through the air, arriving moments later.

Zhou Wangdao sat cross-legged on his cushion, spiritual energy raging around him, his entire body wrapped in flames—but unharmed.

Those nearby who hadn't yet entered stillness jolted awake, screamed, and scrambled away in panic.

Zhang Liuzhen raised his hand to calm the turbulent spiritual energy, found it ineffective, and whispered beside his ear: "Calm your heart, remain tranquil—don't rush…"

Zhou Wangdao could hear him, but couldn't answer—he'd surely tell him he wasn't rushed at all.

Pan Yun placed the array plate on the cushion, picked up Pan Xiaohei, and set him beside it—perfectly blocking the view.

She slipped through students fully absorbed in regulation, joining the crowd gathered to watch, craning her neck to see.

This fire awakened over a dozen students—all seniors.

They knew this was a critical moment for those on the field, so they didn't make noise; after their initial startled cries, they stayed quiet, only their faces tense with worry over how to extinguish the fire.

They'd already thought of water seals and digging up earth.

Pan Yun, short and standing among them, heard their murmurs and shook her head: "Both methods won't work—he's had a qi deviation."

Her voice was quiet, but Zhang Liuzhen still heard it. He turned his head, spotting Pan Yun peering curiously from behind the crowd.

He glanced down at Zhou Wangdao, whose face was redder, burn marks now appearing on his neck, sighed, and placed his hand on Zhou Wangdao's shoulder.

Pan Yun's gaze sharpened—she saw him channeling Green Wood Qi into Zhou Wangdao's body, guiding the deviated qi out and repairing his meridians. But his talent lay in Green Wood Qi—wood generates fire. As soon as the Green Wood Qi entered, the fire burned fiercer—so Zhang Liuzhen directly drew the fire energy into himself…

Pan Yun watched Zhang Liuzhen's face grow paler. After a moment's hesitation, she stepped forward, slapped his hand away, and pressed her own onto Zhou Wangdao's shoulder.

The moment her Yuanli entered Zhou Wangdao's body, it transformed into Water Spirit Power, dousing the fire still burning in his meridians—and with unstoppable force, surged straight to his dantian.

The flames around Zhou Wangdao vanished instantly; the turbulent Fire Spirit Energy, as if encountering its natural enemy, calmed immediately.

Zhou Wangdao opened his eyes, saw Zhang Liuzhen standing before him, and cried: "Senior brother…"

The moment he spoke, a wisp of smoke drifted out—then smoke began pouring from his nose, ears, and pores. Pan Yun couldn't help it—she burst out laughing: "Pfft!"

Zhang Liuzhen couldn't hold back either—he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Pan Yun froze. She stepped back quickly: "Look! Senior brother bled saving you!"

It definitely wasn't her slap that made him bleed. Not her qi.

Zhou Wangdao's eyes instantly reddened. He scrambled up and grabbed Zhang Liuzhen, who was swaying: "Senior brother, it's all my fault…"

!. ead

"Don't—" Zhang Liuzhen tried to stop him, but Zhou Wangdao had already risen and seized his hand.

A gust of wind blew—Zhou Wangdao's clothes, which had appeared unchanged, instantly turned to ash, dissolving into the air with the breeze.

Pan Yun's eyes flew wide. The next instant, a pair of hands covered them—she heard only her sisters' shrieks and the stifled, sudden laughter of the senior brothers.

Pan Yun grabbed the hands covering her eyes, tilted her head slightly: "Senior nephew?"

Wang Cong's face was dark with exasperation. He pressed tighter over her eyes and pulled her into the crowd: "Junior Master, let's go find the two junior sisters."

Pan Yun sighed in endless regret, tugging at Wang Cong's hands: "Let go—I promise I won't turn back."

Wang Cong glanced back—some disciples were frantically shedding their outer robes to drape over Zhou Wangdao. He released his grip.

The students in meditation were slowly emerging from stillness. They'd just awakened, unaware of what had happened, still seated, delighted by their cultivation progress.

Sensing unusual commotion behind them, they finally turned to look.

Pan Yun walked past them without turning back, her face solemn as she told Wang Cong: "I saw nothing. And am I the kind of person who invades privacy, who disrespects others? Even if you hadn't covered my eyes, I'd have closed them."

Wang Cong: "Junior Master, if you said that with more conviction, and less regret in your tone, it'd be more convincing."

Pan Yun: "I'm only nine!"

Wang Cong snorted.

Pan Yun asked: "How did you get in? How did you even reach the square…?"

Wang Cong: "I was once a student here. Returning to visit former masters and senior brothers isn't normal?"

He paused, then added: "Yesterday, I met Zhang Weiliang on the mountain's base. He was being escorted out of Shangqing Town by two Zhang family Daoists, sent off for trials. I was worried about you, so I came up to check."

Pan Yun: "Don't worry—I'm perfectly fine. I went down the mountain yesterday to buy notebooks and didn't see you. I thought you'd gone back. I wanted you to take some letters for me."

Wang Cong sighed: "Understood. Give me the letters—I'll take them back."

The two returned to Pan Yun's spot.

Everyone seated here was still in stillness, not yet awakened.

As Wang Cong drew closer, he noticed something odd—the spiritual energy here was calm and lively, utterly unlike the environment ten steps away.

He scanned the area, his gaze drifting to the black cat.

He stepped forward, lifted Pan Xiaohei—and saw the array plate hidden beneath it; his two paws had perfectly concealed it.

Pan Yun glanced at Miao Zhen and Miao He, then at Xuan Li, who was about to awaken. She retracted the array plate.

The moment the array plate vanished, noisy sounds and the still-turbulent spiritual energy flooded into this space.

Xuan Li snapped out of stillness. Miao Zhen and Miao He's eyelids fluttered, then opened.

As more students awakened, they learned of the commotion behind them and gathered to investigate.

Miao He woke up, saw everyone crowding toward the back, didn't check her own cultivation, jumped up, tiptoed, and asked curiously: "Junior Master, what are they doing over there?"

Pan Yun said: "Senior brother spat blood. Everyone's concerned for him."

"Ah, why did he spit blood?" Miao He asked in confusion. "Didn't Big Brother just finish guiding our cultivation?"

Wang Cong exhaled in relief; his Little Uncle was still somewhat reliable. "Forget it—someone will see Big Brother off. This class has long overrun. Hurry up and tidy up, return to your courtyard, or head to your next lesson."

"Big Brother, why are you here?" Miao He finally spotted Wang Cong, astonished.

Wang Cong vigorously ruffled her hair, disheveling her bun, and only then felt a little more at ease. "I've been standing here for ages—do you only see the spectacle?"

Miao He chuckled sheepishly, looking down, a little guilty.

Miao Zhen had already checked her cultivation base. "Big Brother, Little Uncle, this breathing method is strange—half an hour of cultivation has already nearly matched my usual full day's progress."

Pan Yun added: "It induces stillness swiftly and makes it easy to sink deeply into meditation, fully immersing the spirit."

Wang Cong: "This breathing method isn't from the Academy's original teachings—I've never learned it before. It's likely Big Brother's own creation."

He smiled. "He's a genius. You'll do well to learn well from him in the future."

Pan Yun always tended to doubt things at first—even people. "Such an excellent breathing method—and he just gave it away like that?"

Wang Cong said: "He's a man of great selflessness."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

Wang Cong smiled: "I know Little Uncle still holds a poor opinion of the Zhang family because of past events—but think of Fourth Auntie. She's a Zhang too."

Pan Yun replied: "Actually, my first impression of Fourth Sister wasn't good either."

Wang Cong:...

The old generation's grudges and entanglements... He wanted to hear, but dared not.

"But now things are much better. Are there many in the Zhang family like Fourth Sister?"

Wang Cong said: "Not many. But still, the majority are fair and good—otherwise, the Emperor wouldn't have granted the Zhang family a noble title and imperial edict, entrusting the Celestial Masters' Mansion with authority over all Daoists, and commanding their obedience."

Miao Zhen frowned. "If the Zhang family is truly so good, why were we bullied the moment we entered the Academy, with no one stepping forward to defend us?"

(End of Chapter)