Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

The old Taoist priest's question made Zhang Jingqing pause in surprise.

Well, it's hard for him to answer that.

After a moment's thought, he said, "This is a long story. Do you all remember Old Master Lu's 80th birthday?"

"Of course I remember!" said the Wang family head. "That time, both the Little Celestial Master and Lu Jin became very famous."

Fame… Zuo Ruotong’s eyes flickered slightly. Although it wasn’t a good reputation, it was indeed a rise to fame.

Zhang Jingqing continued, "The original intention was to take the opportunity to teach him a lesson for his arrogance, but things didn't go as planned. Instead of suppressing his arrogance, it emboldened him!"

"After returning to the mountain, I was racking my brains about how to discipline him again when I discovered that a disciple I had been testing had made rapid progress during this period. Without making a fuss, his cultivation level had reached the point where he was second only to Zhang Zhiwei among his peers."

“I thought to myself at the time, this child has already made such progress before I have even given him my full support. If I teach him carefully, wouldn’t he become another ‘Zhang Zhiwei’?”

"So I had an idea to train him and let him teach Zhang Zhiwei a lesson, so that he would know what it means to be arrogant and ignorant."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked surprised. They had considered many possibilities, such as the young Taoist priest being too straightforward and lacking social skills, or that his personality was unsuitable for being a Taoist priest...

But what I never expected was that... they actually wanted to train another disciple who was even more powerful than the Little Celestial Master, and then use him to put the Little Celestial Master in his place.

What is this? Who is it that doesn't know their own limitations?!
It's as if someone like the Little Celestial Master can be taught casually.

If the Celestial Master hadn't been so highly respected, they would have definitely rebuked him on the spot.

Even the usually composed Master Zuo couldn't remain calm after hearing Zhang Jingqing's words, and uttered:
“Master, I’ve always been puzzled by the vast difference in temperament between you and my young friend Zhang Zhiwei. But after hearing your words today, I realize... you truly are worthy of being your personal disciple!”

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

Zhang Jingqing: "…………"

He doesn't admit that his personality is like Zhang Zhiwei's... no, he doesn't admit that Zhang Zhiwei's personality is like his!
In that case, wouldn't it be ourselves who would ruin the atmosphere of Longhu Mountain?

"Celestial Master, your idea... is truly audacious!" Patriarch Wang asked, barely suppressing a laugh. "However, Little Celestial Master's cultivation is advancing by leaps and bounds. What gives you the confidence to allow a disciple who was originally lagging behind him to surpass him?"

Not only the head of the Wang family, but everyone else was also very curious, as this might involve the beliefs and methods of the Celestial Master's followers.

Who wouldn't want to know the method to simultaneously train two exceptional geniuses?

"My confidence stems from..." Zhang Jingqing saw through everyone's thoughts, smiled slightly, and said frankly:
"The strategy is simple. On the one hand, let Zhang Zhiwei 'teach in place of his master' and be responsible for teaching his fellow disciples how to cultivate. In this way, he will have to be distracted and his own cultivation progress will naturally be slowed down."

"On the other hand, he privately gave Zhang Huaiyi special instruction, personally guiding him on the essentials of cultivation and teaching him the secret thunder magic of Longhu Mountain!"

"With one side stagnating while the other is making great strides, there may be a sliver of an opportunity... for Zhang Huaiyi to catch up with or even surpass Zhang Zhiwei."

Everyone fell silent again, inwardly criticizing the Celestial Master's "dirty trick" as truly "inhuman".

If their disciples produced a prodigy like Zhang Zhiwei, they would cherish him dearly and wouldn't be willing to engage in such underhanded tactics to hinder his cultivation!
"What was the result?" the Wang family head pressed.

"And the result..." Zhang Jingqing countered, "can't you guess it yet?"

"Ahem...of course I could guess," the Wang family head said, slightly embarrassed. "What I mean is, what were the specifics of their match? How many moves did Zhang Huaiyi last against the Little Celestial Master?"

Zhang Jingqing paused for a moment, then, realizing there was no need to hide it, she spoke frankly:
"The process... was exactly the same as the competition between Lu Jin and Zhiwei back then. He couldn't withstand a single move."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

The usually stern-faced Master Zuo was the one who was laughing the most.

I feel better now. It's not that my followers are of poor quality; it's just that Zhang Zhiwei is no ordinary person.

Zhang Jingqing was already used to this. On Longhu Mountain, his fellow disciples Zhang Yi and Yi Qian often teased him about it.

The Left Gate Master's smile faded, and he said seriously, "If it were anyone else, the Celestial Master's plan might have succeeded. Unfortunately, the target is young friend Zhiwei... however..."

He then changed the subject with respect, saying, "I admire your decisiveness and flexibility, Celestial Master. You adjusted your methods of testing your disciples in time, and did not miss out on Zhang Huaiyi, such a talented and promising individual."

Master Zuo is a self-reflective person, and Zhang Jingqing's actions reminded him of himself.

Back then, Li Muxuan, like the Celestial Master, was testing his opponent.

However, due to the subtle arrogance in his heart, he failed to be as flexible and adaptable as the Celestial Master, and ultimately missed out on this disciple.

Although by chance he was later found again and became a disciple again, some regrets could not be made up for.

"What Master Zuo means..." Zhang Jingqing noticed Zuo Ruotong's gaze turning towards Li Muxuan not far away, "is he referring to that disciple? Zhiwei once mentioned him to me, praising his talent quite a bit, only saying that he has a bit of a childish nature. But a child's heart, as the saying goes, mischievous as it may be, is ultimately a rough gem. The Ghost Hand King of Quanxing failed to polish him well, but in Master Zuo's hands, he will surely shine brightly."

"A gentleman loves talent, but he acquires it in a proper way!"

Zuo Ruotong smiled calmly. It wasn't that he didn't want to formally accept Li Muxuan as his disciple, but Li Muxuan still carried Wang Yaozu's dying wish to spread the knowledge of "Reversing the Eight Directions".

The reason he was reluctant to kill Wang Yaozu on several occasions was twofold: firstly, although Wang Yaozu was a member of the Quanxing sect, he was not a particularly wicked person; and secondly, Wang Yaozu's methods were indeed rare.

He also wanted the Ghost Hand King's methods to be passed down.

Unless Li Muxuan completes the inheritance and comforts Wang Yaozu's spirit in heaven, he cannot accept him as a disciple with a clear conscience.

As for why he took in Li Muxuan instead of sending him down the mountain...

It wasn't because he was two-faced; it was because he saw the confusion in Li Muxuan's heart.

If he doesn't take Li Muxuan in, and lets him wander the martial world, his impetuous nature might lead him astray.

"Let's not talk about this anymore, Celestial Master. Since you took Zhang Huaiyi in to teach our young friend Zhiwei a lesson, it seems you value our young friend Zhiwei more, right?"

Master Zuo said, "Please don't think I'm being nosy. Actually, I have no intention of interfering in the inheritance of the Celestial Master's Mansion. I'm just concerned about your situation, after all, I owe him too much."

Zhang Jingqing paused for a moment, then did not give an immediate answer.

Seeing this, the red-faced old Taoist said, "Celestial Master, are you really hesitating? Is there a better candidate for Celestial Master besides the Little Celestial Master?"

Zhang Jingqing pondered for a moment and said, "To be honest, I haven't really made up my mind yet. For a long time, I assumed that Zhang Zhiwei was the future successor, but as his cultivation level has increased, I'm starting to have some doubts."

"Why?" asked the Left Gate Master.

Zhang Jingqing said, "His strength has exceeded my expectations. At his current level, the position of Celestial Master and the Celestial Master's degree are dispensable to him and have no effect. He doesn't need them either."

The red-faced old Taoist remained silent. Zuo Ruotong nodded: "I feel the same way. With your abilities, young friend, you don't need to rely on external things; you can reach the heavens on your own. I even think that you are fully capable of becoming a saint and an ancestor, creating a great and enduring sect of Xuanmen."

The red-faced old Taoist priest laughed and said, "That makes sense. Throughout history, there are many such examples. Our Wudang has prospered to this day because of our patriarch Zhang Sanfeng. It's a pity that young friend Wei did not make a move this time. I wonder what level he has reached now?"

He looked at Zhang Jingqing: "Master, are you aware of this?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm asking!" Zhang Jingqing said irritably. "I've long since lost sight of his true nature! If I could see through him, why would I have spent three years cultivating Zhang Huaiyi only to suppress him?"

The red-faced old Taoist priest: "..."

That's unfair to him; he really wasn't thinking about that just now.

Zuo Menchang laughed and said, "It is indeed difficult to describe the level of my friend Zhiwei. When I first fought with him, I could vaguely sense his depth."

"But later, every time I saw him, his level of cultivation would rise. I have never seen a cultivator progress so quickly in my life, which is why I said he could reach the heavens."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingqing said, "Actually, Zhang Zhiwei's cultivation speed is not considered fast. Throughout history, there have been quite a few people who cultivated faster than him."

"In terms of talent, he was not the most outstanding among the past masters of the Celestial Master's Mansion, but he was good at perseverance and was able to accumulate knowledge and skills gradually."

"He is constantly accumulating knowledge and experience, never stopping for a moment, always seeking progress, and always finding the right direction without taking any detours."

“There’s a fairy tale called ‘The Tortoise and the Hare.’ Of course, Zhiwei isn’t a tortoise; he runs faster than a hare! But what’s remarkable is that he also possesses the tortoise’s unwavering perseverance.”

Zhang Jingqing laughed and said, "People in the martial arts world say that he is the reincarnation of the Celestial Venerable, which is why he has such a fast cultivation speed. In fact, in terms of talent in cultivation and Qi refining, he is not the strongest one."

Zuo Ruotong asked curiously, "If Zhiwei isn't the strongest, then who is?"

Zhang Jingqing said, "I learned about a person from him named Wugensheng."

"That Quanxing Sect Leader?" the Left Sect Master asked.

“He is the acting sect leader!” Zhang Jingqing said.

Zuo Menzhang seemed to be thinking. He had never met this person before, but he had heard about him from Li Muxuan.

Li Muxuan did not mention his talent for cultivation, but only said that his methods were extremely terrifying, capable of separating all methods into primordial Qi, thus rendering them ineffective.

He was momentarily stunned when he learned of this person's abilities.

Back then, in order to break through the third level, he took a great risk to fight Zhang Zhiwei, hoping to use Zhang's lightning technique to tear apart the reverse life state and forcefully break through.

Not only did it not work, but it also consumed a lot of innate Qi.

If he hadn't later discussed the Dao with his friend Zhiwei, broken through the three levels of reverse life on his own, and learned the Sage's Thief technique, he would probably have already died from exhaustion.

When he learned of Wugensheng's abilities, he even thought that if he had sought out Wugensheng instead of Zhang Zhiwei, he might have been able to forcefully break through the third level.

However, this was just a thought. A breakthrough achieved through profound enlightenment and a breakthrough achieved through brute force may seem to have the same result, but in reality, they are very different.

A breakthrough that brings profound enlightenment is a breakthrough in the Tao, which then leads to a breakthrough in the techniques.

A breakthrough achieved through brute force is merely a breakthrough in technique; the underlying principles remain broken.

If you want to reach the heavens, you have to start all over again. Going forward is easy, but turning back is difficult. If you really do that, your cultivation will only become more and more difficult.

He focused more on Wugensheng's skills than on his talent.

The Left Gate Master asked in surprise, "What is so special about him that he deserves such praise from the Celestial Master?"

The Wudang sect leader also said, "I have heard of this person, but I did not expect the Celestial Master to have such a high opinion of him! If his talent surpasses that of Fellow Daoist Wei, wouldn't he be a great scourge to the martial world?"

Zhang Jingqing said, "I learned some information about this person from Zhiwei, so I took the opportunity to observe him from a distance."

"We discovered that this person was indeed as Zhang Zhiwei had said, a born genius with extraordinary skills. Even without practicing any techniques, he could enter the deepest level of cultivation simply by sitting there without moving."

"This has already surpassed the fourth level of stillness meditation."

"It is a state that many people seek but cannot attain in their entire lives."

"But he had it from birth."

"Moreover, he also possesses an innate ability that is almost impossible to counter."

"This person can truly be described as exceptionally gifted, far surpassing Zhang Zhiwei in innate talent."

Upon hearing this, Master Zuo said, "But his cultivation level is definitely not as high as that of young friend Zhiwei."

He remembered that Li Muxuan had told him that Wugensheng was very wary of Zhang Zhiwei when they were at Yinghelou.

“They are worlds apart,” Zhang Jingqing affirmed. “As I said before, innate talent is not everything.”

"One also needs the discernment to distinguish the direction of the road, and the perseverance to seek the truth."

"If the direction is wrong, or if one is like the hare in the tortoise and the hare race, running and stopping, being lazy and negligent, it will be difficult to reach the finish line."

Zuo Ruotong said, "Does the Celestial Master think this person is going in the wrong direction?"

Zhang Jingqing nodded and said, "Those innate extraordinary people created by fate, especially the powerful ones, all have the illusion that they are blessed by heaven and can change the world with their own power."

"But that is always just an illusion. Without adapting to the trials that reality brings, it is easy to gain everything and become frivolous and arrogant."

"Although Wugensheng has some virtue, he is not immune to worldly ways. Therefore, he disdains practicing cultivation techniques and studying magic arts."

"Although he was doing the work of 'helping others seek the Way,' wasn't he also seeking the Way for himself?"

At this point, Zhang Jingqing commented, "He doesn't seem to belong to the righteous path, nor does he seem to belong to the Quanxing sect. He's more like a tourist who's just playing around in the world, which is why he divides people into different classes and such!"

"Ultimately, he lacked the necessary respect for the Quanxing organization, the world of the supernatural, and even the era itself. He was too arrogant."

Zuo Ruotong pondered for a moment, then wholeheartedly agreed: "The Celestial Master's commentary is spot on! I previously thought he was one of the few clear-headed individuals in the Quanxing sect, perhaps someone who could guide them onto the right path. Now it seems he's nothing more than a self-proclaimed clear-headed fool!"

Then, he looked at Zhang Zhiwei, who was sitting at the children's table eating wine and peanuts:
"Having given the negative example, let's talk about the positive one. Every time I discuss philosophy with my young friend Wei, I gain something. This time, I'll drink with him until we're both thoroughly drunk." (End of Chapter)