Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Su Xiao smiled and said, "Senior Brother Shi is absolutely right. The essence of the 'Flowing Cloud Dao Body' lies in the balance of strength and gentleness, where power is exerted but intention is inexhaustible. This applies not only to body refinement but also to the application of spells."

As she spoke, a water sphere materialized at her fingertips. Under her control, the water sphere sometimes shot out like an arrow, and sometimes fluttered like gauze, changing unpredictably. "Spells are not inanimate objects; they need to be guided by the caster's divine will in order to be as easy to use as an arm or finger."

Zhao Qingyan added, "The same principle applies to array formations. Array patterns are like the meridians in the human body. The flow of spiritual energy also needs to be rhythmic and have ups and downs, in harmony with the rhythm of heaven and earth, in order to unleash the maximum power of the array. A rigid array formation is merely a shell."

She casually drew a few simple spiritual patterns on the ground. As the spiritual light flowed, it formed a tiny spiritual gathering effect. Although simple, it contained profound mystery.

The new disciples listened with rapt attention, feeling as if a new door had opened before them. They realized that cultivation had so many intricacies and was not simply a matter of arduous practice.

Li Xiaocao then took out several newly harvested spiritual herbs and distributed them to everyone to identify their medicinal properties, explaining how to combine pills according to different constitutions in order to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

"Every medicine has its side effects. The process of refining elixirs and using medicine is like governing a country and waging war; one must know how to appoint the right people and balance yin and yang..."

Everyone chatted amongst themselves, creating a harmonious atmosphere. Even the usually taciturn Atu mustered the courage to ask a few questions about the circulation of qi during the process of drawing qi into the body, and Su Xiao patiently answered them one by one.

At this moment, Shen Mo's figure quietly appeared not far away. He did not disturb everyone, but stood with his hands behind his back, quietly watching this heartwarming scene, with a faint smile on his lips.

A sect is not merely about the cold inheritance of cultivation techniques and the accumulation of resources; more importantly, it is about the atmosphere of mutual respect between master and disciple, mutual assistance among fellow disciples, and mutual learning and growth. This is the foundation for the continuation of a sect.

He saw that although Shi Tie was impatient, he was willing to teach everyone he knew; Su Xiao was calm and meticulous, and good at guiding; Zhao Qingyan and Li Xiaocao each displayed their strengths; and the new disciples were diligent in their studies, eager to learn, and respectful of their teachers. All of this made him feel gratified.

"It seems everyone has made progress recently," Shen Mo said as he slowly approached.

Upon his arrival, everyone rose and bowed in greeting: "Sect Leader (Senior Brother)!"

Shen Mo waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to sit down. His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Shi Tie: "Junior Brother Tie, your aura is deep and your blood is as pure as mercury. You're just one step away from the seventh level of Qi Refining, aren't you? Have you encountered a bottleneck?"

Shi Tie scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed: "Sect Leader, you have a keen eye! I feel my qi and blood are sufficient, but I'm just missing that tiny bit of opportunity. It's like there's a thin layer of paper separating us, something I can't break through!"

Shen Mo nodded slightly and said, "Reaching the sixth to seventh level of Qi Refining is a crucial step in transforming Qi into liquid, requiring a high degree of unity between Qi, blood, and spirit. You are brave and diligent enough, but you lack flexibility. Perhaps you could try slowing down the pace first, and in the 'Light Cloud' difficulty level of the Flowing Cloud Secret Realm, not with the goal of killing enemies, but to calmly comprehend the meaning of the flowing clouds and the changes of strength and softness. You might gain something from that."

Shi Tie's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh: "That's right! All I knew was to attack recklessly! Thank you for the guidance, Sect Leader!"

Shen Mo then looked at Su Xiao and said, "Junior Sister Xiao, you are meticulous and have a talent for manipulating magic, but sometimes you are too cautious and lack decisiveness. In your spare time, you can spar with Junior Brother Tie more often to experience his fierce momentum. The right path is to combine strength and gentleness."

Su Xiao seemed to understand, and respectfully replied, "Disciple understands, thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Sect Leader."

Then, Shen Mo casually pointed out a few minor flaws in Zhao Qingyan's array setup, encouraged Li Xiaocao to continue exploring alchemy, and gave guidance on common problems encountered by several new disciples in their cultivation. Each time, he hit the nail on the head and enlightened them.

Everyone was convinced and their awe and admiration for the sect leader deepened. Although the sect leader seemed to ignore trivial matters, he seemed to have a complete understanding of everything in the sect.

......

Time flies like an arrow; in the blink of an eye, three years have quietly passed.

Qingyun Mountain is no longer the somewhat quiet place it once was. The mountain gate has been expanded, more halls have been added, and people can be seen coming and going everywhere.

In the morning mist, the line of people waiting by the Body Tempering Pool stretched like a long dragon, probably no less than fifty or sixty people. The new and old disciples were mixed together, and their auras varied in strength, but each of them had sharp eyes and full of energy.

On the training ground, shouts, the crackling of spells, and the clash of metal rose and fell as dozens of figures leaped and sparred, their spiritual energy surging. In front of the Scripture Pavilion, "Flowing Cloud Pavilion," long queues often formed, with disciples holding jade tokens, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to enter and study profound techniques or the insights of the sages.

The herb garden has expanded several times in size, with crisscrossing paths and the fragrance of medicinal herbs filling the air. More than twenty disciples are responsible for tending to it. At the entrance to the "Flowing Cloud Secret Realm" on the back mountain, the white jade archway gleams, and disciples come and go in an endless stream, making it the most important trial site for the sect.

After three years of accumulation, the Qingyun Sect has grown to over a hundred disciples. Although it still cannot compare with those large sects that have thousands or tens of thousands of disciples, its overall atmosphere has been completely renewed, and it is showing signs of becoming a prosperous sect.

The disciples' cultivation levels have undergone earth-shattering changes.

Shi Tie has now firmly secured his position as the top disciple, and his cultivation has reached the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining! His physique has become increasingly robust, and he stands there like an iron tower. His blood and qi surge like a tide, showing faint signs of liquefaction. Every move he makes carries an astonishing sense of oppression.

However, he had lost some of his former playfulness and gained more composure. Clearly, breaking through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck was no easy task. Even with the complete "Flowing Cloud Dao Body" and the tempering in the secret realm, he was still stuck at this crucial moment, requiring immense opportunities and accumulation.

Su Xiao's cultivation had also reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. His aura was not as domineering as Shi Tie's, but it was more profound and enduring. There was a faint mist around him, and his movements were as smooth as flowing water. His control over spells was exquisite.

She is now not only the senior disciple of the sect, but also the de facto "chief steward," assisting Shen Mo and Han Lin in handling most of the sect's affairs, managing more than a hundred people in an orderly manner, and her prestige is growing day by day.

Zhao Qingyan and Li Xiaocao both reached the eighth level of Qi Refining. The former was highly skilled in array formations and had reinforced the mountain-protecting array several times. She also began to try to set up more complex spirit-gathering and illusion arrays. The latter became the sect's chief alchemist, in charge of the alchemy room. The "Condensing Cloud Pill" and "Flowing Cloud Powder" she refined were of excellent quality and in short supply.

Most of the senior disciples, such as Wang Hu and Zhang Daniu, have also advanced to the mid-to-late stage of Qi Refining, becoming the backbone of the sect.

Even the thirty-six new disciples who joined three years ago have made rapid progress with ample resources and a good atmosphere. Most of them have stabilized at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining. Among them, a few with excellent aptitude and temperament, such as Sun Hao, have even touched the threshold of the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Even the least talented but most resilient A-Tu, through sheer perseverance, managed to cultivate to the second level of Qi Refining, which impressed many people.

As for Sect Leader Shen Mo, he has been living a secluded life for the past three years, spending most of his time in seclusion in the Enlightenment Cave. His aura has become increasingly profound and unfathomable. Everyone in the sect vaguely senses that the Sect Leader seems to have reached a critical juncture, and perhaps, the Foundation Establishment stage is not far off.

The sect was thriving.