Chapter 8: Jade Forest Mountain Peak
In just a single night, how did she tire herself so much? Yu Yan frowned, and did a few seals with his hands. Zhu Yao, who was tired to point of being incapable of moving earlier, suddenly felt a surge of warm energy filling her entire body. The fatigue within her body disappeared in a single sweep, and even her ragged breathing earlier had calmed down. So this is Mystic Art? How mysterious.
Looking at his new disciple finally getting up, Yu Yan was finally relieved. He looked at her from head to toe, and suddenly thought of something. Unless…
“You climbed this mountain by foot?”
Zhu Yao pouted her lips. “How else?” She did not know how to fly, after all.
Yu Yan looked at her strangely. “Why did you not use the teleportation formation?” Unless, she did it to train herself, and to also demonstrate her determination to becoming a deity? With this thought in mind, Yu Yan’s expression was momentarily much better, and was a little satisfied with this disciple who would usually speak nonsensical things. This disciple, even though she did not seem to be very bright, she was rather hard-working.
A certain hard-working disciple: “……” In her mind, she was already flipping an unlimited number of tables. What the hell! If there’s a teleportation formation, say so from the start!
After taking in many deep breaths, Zhu Yao finally suppressed her urge to scratch his face. As he was her superior, she had no choice but to take a step back, and furthermore, he was her future pillar of support.
“Master, your disciple greets you.” Zhu Yao lowered her body, and gave him a proper bow.
“Mn!” Yu Yan nodded, his heart was momentarily filled with large amount of satisfaction. It’s been more than ten thousand years, and he finally had a disciple of his own. Before his master ascended, he had constantly reminded Yu Yan to find a successor to the Jade Forest, and Yu Yan finally did not let him down.
Unconsciously, his disciple in front of him was becoming more pleasing to his eyes, and he had the urge to rush over and hug her. He sized Zhu Yao up a little. If she had been a little younger, it would have been better. Haah! Why did she not become my disciple a little sooner? Many thoughts spiraled in Yu Yan’s mind, but his face was still as icy cold and expressionless as ever.
With a wave of his hand, Zhu Yao’s clothes which was dirty beyond hope earlier, was restored to its former look in an instant. Even those old stains which she could not washed off in the past had disappeared.
“Amazing.” Zhu Yao curiously pulled her clean clothes. A strong laundry detergent? Becoming a deity was actually this much fun. “Master, are you going to teach me this Mystic Art?” With this, she would no longer need to wash her clothes in the future. It would be so convenient for her.
“The Dirt Removing Art is only an entry-level Mystic Art. Once you learn how to absorb spiritual energy, you will naturally know how to use it.” Yu Yan said lightly. “You have just arrived, first familiarize yourself with the surroundings. Spiritual energy will be the most abundant in the early morning, so I will only teach you how to absorb spiritual energy into your body tomorrow morning.”
Zhu Yao nodded. She would be staying here for a long time anyway, even though she was curious about cultivation, it was not something she had to rush for.
“Follow me.” Yu Yan passed by his disciple in front of him, and walked towards the direction she came from.
We’re beginning with the familiarization already? Zhu Yao raised her spirits up, and hurriedly followed after him. Along the way, she worked hard to memorize the surrounding places, so as to prevent herself from losing her way in the future.
The Jade Forest Mountain was very quiet in the afternoon. Occasionally, there would be chirping and cricketing, but there were mostly just trees around. Not long later, Zhu Yao gave up on memorizing. She could not possibly memorize how all the trees look like, right? Hence, she simply followed behind him obediently.
Yu Yan was not a person of many words, she knew simply by looking at his cold-looking face. And since Zhu Yao was not really comfortable with talking to people she did not know, the two of them did not have a single conversation throughout the walk.
After four hours, Zhu Yao was finally unable to take it any longer. “Master, are we not there yet?” If they were going to keep walking any longer, the sky would turn dark.
Yu Yan turned back and looked at her. “It’s right in front, we’re almost there.”
Zhu Yao did not say anything else. Yet another two hours passed, even if it’s a downhill walk, her legs were already about to give way. However, the person in front of her, still did not have the intention of stopping at all. Didn’t you say we were almost there? Her mind was filled with suspicions, but she could only grit her teeth, and simply swept her gaze across her surroundings.
Eh, why does that slanted tree look a little familiar? And that piece of stone that looked like a turtle looks rather familiar too. I even think I have seen that monkey with the red buttocks from somewhere as well.
“We’re here!”
The person in front of her stopped and Zhu Yao took a look at her surroundings. The hell, was this not the base of the mountain she was at yesterday? Master took her on a walk for the entire afternoon, just to return to this place? She looked really good climbing the mountain, so he wanted her to climb it again? Master, you can’t play your disciple for a fool like this.
“Master…” She felt like crying.
Yu Yao looked at her pitiful expression. Why did she give him such a face for? His disciple was being stupid again, it seemed. Calmly deciding to ignore her, he pointed to a patch of grass three meters to his right. “That’s the teleportation formation. You cannot simply enter within the Jade Forest Mountain using a flying sword. Through this formation, you’re able to reach the peak of the mountain.”
Ah, so the reason why he brought her on this trip, was to show this formation to her. Zhu Yao looked at the patch of lush grass. There doesn’t seem to be anything different about it though.
Under Yu Yan’s signal, she followed after him towards the place he pointed to, and stood there. A flash of light suddenly appeared under her feet, a circular formation lighted up, and inside the formation, a few symbols were faintly moving. Immediately after, the white light became even brighter, the scenery before her changed, and she was already standing on the mountain peak. What a mystical formation.
Zhu Yao became really interested. She circled around the formation that was still emitting a faint light a few times, yet, she still could not understand the theory of how it worked. As she thought, becoming a deity was a luxurious and majestic path.
“This formation can be used to transfer both ways. You can also use it send yourself down the mountain.” Seeing that his disciple was interested in the formation, Yu Yan took the initiative to explain.
“Really!?” Zhu Yao became a little excited, and hurried into the formation. Just as he said, the light once again grew brighter, and with a whoosh, she once again stood at the side of the formation at the base of the mountain. She stood on the formation again, and with another whoosh, she once again returned to the mountain peak. Zhu Yao playfully jumped in and out of the formation a couple of times, and could not help but admire the wonders of mystic arts. If she were to compare them, cars and airplanes were basically so much weaker compared to this formation.
Eh, wait a minute! She turned to look at her master, whose face was still as cold as ever. “Since this formation can teleport both ways, then why did master bring me on a walk for the entire afternoon earlier?”
Yu Yan was startled by her stare, and seemed to have realized this problem as well. Slightly turning his head away, he avoided the question. “Have an earlier rest today. Tomorrow, I will teach you how to absorb spiritual energy into your body.”
After saying that, he turned around and entered the house, closing the door as he went in. He was definitely influenced by his disciple’s stupidity, it was definitely not because he did not think of using the formation to head down the mountain.
Zhu Yao’s face darkened. Does master have a skill called, ‘Play your disciple for a fool’?
At a loss of words, she looked at the thatched cottage in front of her. That’s right, a thatched cottage. This crazily cool-looking master of hers, was actually living in a thatched house, and it was the only thatched cottage on the entire mountain peak. Everywhere else was just barren land.
In that case, there was a problem. Hole-digging technique… Ah, pui!¹ Where was she going to rest tonight? Master, did you forget something?
After silently inspecting the terrain for a long while, she determined that there were no other place on the mountain peak she could stay for the night. Thus, Zhu Yao had no choice but to knock on the thatched house’s door.
Just after three light knocks, with a creak, the door automatically opened. The interior of the house was relatively simple, other than a bed, there was nothing else inside. And her master was currently meditating on the bed.
“What is it?”
“Master, where do I stay tonight?” Zhu Yao asked honestly.
Yu Yan was startled for a moment. Only then did he realize that his disciple was still a mortal, and unlike practitioners, it was impossible for her to casually pick out a cave and cultivate inside. It was an oversight on his part.
¹’Pui!’ : Zhu Yao spitting because she said something wrong.