Enlightenment Tea

In the Hundred Thousand Mountains, the Azure Heaven Bull King was preparing today's spirit rice.

"Nine hundred and ninety-eight, nine hundred and ninety-nine, one thousand..."

It muttered, not missing a single grain.

Even though Gu Changge hadn't cut its flesh last night, the psychological shadow lingered.

"If I'm well-prepared, that devil shouldn't torture me, right..."

It mumbled, its bovine eyes full of melancholy.

Suddenly, a slender hand reached out from the void and accurately grabbed its horn.

"Moo?!"

The Bull King stiffened all over. Before it could react, the entire bull was dragged into a spatial rift.

When it opened its eyes again, it was standing in front of a spirit garden filled with dense spiritual energy, with a smiling Gu Changge standing beside it.

"Lao Huang, I've found you a new job."

Gu Changge patted the bull's head and pointed at the spirit garden.

"From now on, this spirit field is under your care. Water it every day, loosen the soil, apply fertilizer, and keep an eye out for herb thieves."

The Bull King's eyes widened. Its gaze swept over the Enlightenment Tree and the Undying Elixir in the spirit garden, and its mouth gaped open wide enough to fit an ostrich egg.

"This... this is... the Enlightenment Tree?! And the True Dragon Undying Elixir?!"

"Yeah, just planted them for fun."

Gu Changge casually plucked an Enlightenment Tea leaf and stuffed it into the bull's mouth.

"Do a good job, and I'll reward you with a leaf every month."

The Bull King chewed twice, and suddenly its entire body trembled. The spiritual energy within it surged madly, faintly touching the threshold of the Great Sage realm!

It plopped down on its knees, tears welling up in its eyes: "Rest assured, Master! This little bull will guard the herb field like its own life!"

Gu Changge nodded in satisfaction and turned toward the bamboo hut.

"Oh, right, build yourself a shed by the spirit field. The Purple Flame Spirit Rice still needs to be planted, don't delay it."

"...Moo?"

The wild joy on the Bull King's face froze instantly, as if a basin of cold water had been poured over it.

It stared blankly at Gu Changge, the excitement in its eyes fading bit by bit, replaced once again by melancholy.

So, after changing locations, it still had to plant spirit rice?

It thought that by guarding the Enlightenment Tree and the Undying Elixir, it could escape its fate of farming. It never expected... this damn farming fate was inescapable!

In front of the bamboo hut, the morning sun filtered through the bamboo leaves, casting fine golden light. Xiao Ruobai sat cross-legged on a bluestone, focusing on circulating the mental cultivation method of the "God of War Strategy."

Spiritual energy flowed around him like a tide, drawing steady arcs through his meridians, but repeatedly stagnated upon touching a certain profound gate, as if blocked by an invisible barrier.

Suddenly hearing slow footsteps behind him, Xiao Ruobai abruptly retracted his energy and opened his eyes. He saw Gu Changge walking over carrying a purple clay teapot, steam still curling from the spout.

He hurriedly stood up and bowed: "Master."

Gu Changge waved his hand, placed the teapot on the stone table, took two celadon cups, and poured out the amber tea.

The tea leaves expanded and floated in the water. A crisp fragrance instantly spread out, mixing with the morning bamboo dew scent, surprisingly causing Xiao Ruobai's tense nerves of the past few days to suddenly relax.

"Try it, freshly picked tea."

Gu Changge pushed one of the cups in front of him.

Xiao Ruobai cupped the teacup with both hands. The tips of his fingers touched the warm wall of the cup. Just as he sent the tea into his mouth, a strange warm current slid down his throat.

It was not as violent as spirit wine, nor as heavy as medicinal pills. Instead, it was like countless tiny specks of light wandering along his meridians. Wherever they passed, the previously blocked spiritual energy dispersed like melting ice and snow.

Just as he felt surprised, a "buzzing" explosion sounded in his mind. The scriptures of the "God of War Strategy" seemed to come alive. Those previously obscure and difficult words surged like a tide, and the originally fragmented diagrams pieced together into a complete battle formation before his eyes.

He saw countless phantoms wearing battle armor practicing moves in his mind, sometimes fierce and unparalleled like a tiger descending a mountain, sometimes flexible and continuous like a spirit snake wrapping around a tree.

"So that's how it is..."

Xiao Ruobai muttered to himself. The doubts that had previously stuck at the profound gate suddenly cleared up.

The battle aura around him suddenly boiled. The originally pale golden airflow now faintly glowed with a crimson luster, lingering around his body like flames.

The barriers in his meridians shattered inch by inch under the pincer attack of the warm current and battle aura. Spiritual energy surged forward like a bursting river.

The cyclone in his dantian spun and grew madly, stabilizing into the form of the late Foundation Establishment stage in just a moment.

Xiao Ruobai abruptly opened his eyes, a profound divine light in the depths of his eyes. He could clearly feel that the breathing of the surrounding vegetation and the flow of spiritual energy in the wind had become tangible.

The halberd that had felt heavy just a moment ago now seemed as light as a feather in his mind. The variations of various moves were deduced freely in his heart.

"Master, this tea..."

He looked up in shock. The teacup in his hand still held its residual warmth, but the tea inside had already turned into pure spiritual energy, blending into his limbs and bones.

Gu Changge was leisurely sipping tea. Hearing this, he said casually: "Tea I grew myself, over there. If you want to drink it in the future, go pick it yourself."

Gu Changge put down his teacup, looked at Xiao Ruobai who had just broken through, and said lightly: "Since your realm is stable, I will pass you the Shadow Stepping Footwork."

Saying that, he flicked his finger lightly on Xiao Ruobai's forehead.

Xiao Ruobai only felt a burst of clarity in his sea of consciousness. Countless methods and secrets regarding the Shadow Stepping Footwork flooded in like a tide, from techniques for exerting force to step transitions, all clear and distinct.

"This footwork focuses on 'speed' and 'change'."

Gu Changge withdrew his hand, his tone calm. "Speed in step frequency makes it difficult for opponents to catch your trajectory. Change in direction allows you to instantly alter course when encountering obstacles, without being confined to a fixed route."

He didn't demonstrate much, only saying: "The mental cultivation method has already entered your sea of consciousness. The rest depends on your own comprehension. Go practice. Practice until you can shuttle freely through this bamboo forest without breaking a single bamboo leaf."

Xiao Ruobai closed his eyes to digest for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, there was understanding in them.

He bowed to Gu Changge, turned around, and stepped into the bamboo forest, beginning to practice according to the methods in his sea of consciousness.

Gu Changge sat back on the stone stool, picked up his teacup, and watched the young man's figure sometimes sprinting, sometimes changing direction in the bamboo forest, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Xiao Ruobai's comprehension was already astonishing, and coupled with the lingering effects of that cup of Enlightenment Tea, the methods in his sea of consciousness rapidly blended with his own insights.

At first, his steps were a bit rusty, and the circulation of spiritual energy between his legs and feet was slightly stagnant, occasionally bumping into bamboo leaves and making them rustle.

But in less than half an incense stick's time, he found the trick.

His movements gradually quickened, his steps as dense as a sudden rainstorm. When shuttling through the bamboo forest, his figure turned into a faint afterimage.

When encountering thick bamboo trunks blocking the way, the direction under his feet instantly changed, either left or right, advancing or retreating, always able to dodge at the most ingenious angle, as if he had predicted all obstacles in advance.

Another hour passed, and Xiao Ruobai's figure in the bamboo forest was already as smooth as floating clouds and flowing water.

He no longer deliberately pursued speed, but let his spiritual energy perfectly match his footwork. Every step landed just right, not only not breaking a single bamboo leaf, but even the wind he stirred up was very gentle, only making the bamboo leaves sway slightly.

Evidently, he had grasped the rudiments of the Shadow Stepping Footwork and successfully entered its doors.

At this moment, his movement technique was agile and elegant, completely different from the young man who only knew how to fight head-on before.