Chapter 53 Disciple_1 Translator: 549690339 Bai Zisheng felt somewhat guilty, and then a bit annoyed at himself for seemingly weakening his presence, so he puffed out his chest and glared at Mo Hua. “They probably have other motives for becoming apprentices…” Mo Hua thought to himself and then ignored Bai Zisheng, focusing on reading the enlightenment book “Elementary of Five Element Formation.” Today he had to finish this book, and then, having some questions, he planned to seek guidance from Mr. Zhuang in the evening; if he continued to idle chat, he wouldn’t finish it. Bai Zisheng, feeling bored since he was new and didn’t know what to do, sat down with Bai Zixi on the side, holding Spirit Stones, and began to meditate and cultivate. As they cultivated, a faint blue Spiritual Power surrounded them, indicating by its density that the two must already be at the later stages of Qi Refinement level. Mo Hua was secretly impressed, acknowledging that the heritage of the Noble Clans was indeed different from that of ordinary cultivators. Although only two or three years older than Mo Hua, their cultivation was already four or five minor realms higher than his. Moreover, from Bai Zisheng’s previous remarks, their talent and proficiency in formations were also very high. Mo Hua silently reflected, “There are always people better than oneself, and heavens beyond this one. One should not be arrogant, but neither should one be discouraged. It’s best to steadfastly pursue one’s cultivation and study of formations.” Mo Hua quickly calmed his mind and once again focused on the Formation Books. A cool breeze arose among the mountains, dispersing the leaves, stirring the pond water, creating ripples, and then everything returned to calmness once again. Mr. Zhuang’s courtyard, originally holding only one Disciple, now harbored three. And Mo Hua became known among the three registered disciples as the one with the lowest apparent cultivation, the poorest aptitude, and the least conspicuous. Having finished reading “Elementary of Five Element Formation” and consulting Mr. Zhuang with his questions, dusk approached, and the evening sun draped over the mountains, signaling it was time to return home. Mo Hua bid farewell to Mr. Zhuang and, at the junction, also said goodbye to the Bai siblings. Then, slinging his Storage Bag over his shoulder, he trod down the mountain path bathed in twilight. Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi took another mountain path, and halfway, Bai Zisheng couldn’t help but ask: “Aunt Xue, can you tell what kind of Spiritual Root Mo Hua has?” Aunt Xue hesitated for a moment, then said, “Judging by the fluctuations of his Spiritual Power, he should possess a Small Five Elements Spiritual Root, with scant and below-average quality, and it seems he hasn’t even formally started learning any Cultivation Technique.” “An ordinary Small Five Elements Spiritual Root, of below-average caliber, and looking at enlightenment Formation Books…” Bai Zisheng murmured, then added, “With aptitudes like my sister’s and mine, Mr. Zhuang was only willing to take us as nominal disciples, and that too because he considered my mother’s face. What merits does that boy called Mo Hua have to be accepted as a nominal disciple by Mr. Zhuang?” Aunt Xue’s brow furrowed slightly, recalling Mo Hua’s words and behavior, and then said: “Mr. Zhuang has unconventional methods in taking disciples, and he does not solely judge by aptitude…” Aunt Xue further explained, “Moreover, the path of Tao Cultivation is lengthy; one cannot only consider immediate speed. The child, Mo Hua, is most likely from a Loose Cultivator background. Loose Cultivators differ from Noble Clans as they have no heritage, little foundation, and whether in cultivation or formations, they start late and progress slowly. They cannot be compared with Noble Family Descendants in terms of progress.” Bai Zisheng said, “Is the gap between Loose Cultivators and Noble Clans really that significant?” “The gap is not only huge, but it’s also fair to say it’s as different as heaven and earth.” Aunt Xue sighed and said: “Any inconspicuous Cultivation Technique or Formation heritage from a Noble Clan, if placed in the hands of a Loose Cultivator, could be regarded as a family treasure. Our Bai Family’s books for enlightening the descendants, those common Loose Cultivator disciples might not even get a chance to see in their entire lifetimes.” Bai Zisheng was secretly astonished. Aunt Xue then cautioned him, “Regardless of Mo Hua’s background, you are now half a fellow apprentice. Do not be insensitive, do not get into a conflict with him, and be mindful of your speech, lest you displease Mr. Zhuang.” “I understand, Aunt Xue,” Bai Zisheng replied with a semblance of understanding. The next day, the Bai siblings went up the mountain at dawn and began to study with Mo Hua under Mr. Zhuang’s tutelage. Old Kui placed two more stone tables under the grand locust tree, next to Mo Hua’s smaller table. The three children each worked on their own cultivation and studies, and in the evening, they would all seek answers from Mr. Zhuang. Wherever it was cultivation level or knowledge of formations, the Bai siblings were a cut above Mo Hua. Many of the problems they raised were beyond Mo Hua’s comprehension, but Mr. Zhuang’s casual pointers often hit the nail on the head. Although Mo Hua’s understanding was not entirely clear, he nevertheless benefited greatly through osmosis. As Mo Hua pondered, it was a good thing that Mr. Zhuang accepted the Bai siblings as nominal disciples, otherwise there would have been many questions she had never encountered and wouldn’t even know where to begin asking. Now that she had someone to ask questions for her and Mr. Zhuang to give answers, Mo Hua just needed to listen attentively. And so, the three of them became Mr. Zhuang’s nominal disciples together, spending their days cultivating, drawing formations, then asking Mr. Zhuang to solve their doubts before returning home. The three didn’t talk much on a normal day. When Mo Hua was reading, she was fully focused and had no time for idle chatter. Bai Zisheng was somewhat arrogant, and since Mo Hua didn’t initiate conversation with him, he naturally didn’t speak to Mo Hua either, while Bai Zixi was somewhat aloof and also not fond of talking. This kind of life continued for a month until one evening when Da’hu and his two companions found Mo Hua, stating that the Lotus Festival had arrived and invited her to join them in strolling the streets to enjoy the festivities. The Lotus Festival was a minor one, yet quite lively. It was said to commemorate a cultivator of great merit in Tongxian City and was established as a tradition where every year at this time, incense would be burned and precious lamps shaped like the Nine Curves Lotus would be lit to convey remembrance from afar. Mo Hua had spent the whole day on Formation Painting, exhausting her Divine Sense and had used the Meditation Technique twice, making it unsuitable for further use that day. Since she had nothing else to do, she went out with her three companions to watch the lively scene. When passing by the far left side of the neighborhood, they noticed a newly built cave residence in a rather secluded location with a larger area, appearing as if several adjacent houses on the street had been bought, demolished, and rebuilt. The entrance gate to the cave residence bore no sign, and the grey bricks used were unassuming, yet it stood out distinctively among the modest dwellings of the loose cultivators. Mo Hua wondered, “When did a cave residence appear here?” Xiaohu replied, “You haven’t been around here for a long time, so you’re not aware. This cave residence has been up for about a month now.” Xiaohu, looking at the towering walls of the cave residence, couldn’t help but sigh, “Building such a cave residence, how many Spirit Stones would it take?” “It must be,” Da’hu was counting on his fingers, not quite sure, and finally scratched his head, “tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, I guess…” “Probably tens of thousands…” “Tens of thousands of Spirit Stones… I might never save up that much in my lifetime…” “Can’t you have a little ambition?” “You’re the one with ambition; can you save up that many?” Shuanghu said, “I said you should have ambition, not that you definitely need to save up Spirit Stones. Most of those who aspire to become immortals don’t become one, right? They’re gone before they achieve it…” Da’hu and Xiaohu nodded in agreement, thinking it made sense. Shuanghu, curious, said, “This place is so out of the way, far from the market town, and inhabited by ordinary loose cultivators, who would bother to construct such a big cave residence here? Do they think they have too many Spirit Stones?” “Exactly, if I had that many Spirit Stones, I would also build such a large cave residence.” “So who do you think is the master of this cave residence?” Shuanghu turned to Mo Hua and asked, “Mo Hua, do you know?” Mo Hua shook her head, “How would I know.” Just as the three were talking, the main gate of the cave residence opened. Out walked a handsome boy with striking eyebrows, a delicate girl carved like jade, and a female cultivator with a veil and a graceful figure. Mo Hua recognized them at a glance; it was the Bai siblings and Aunt Xue. When the Bai siblings also saw Mo Hua and her companions, Bai Zisheng paused for a second: “Mo Hua?” Da’hu and the others all looked at Mo Hua at once, and Mo Hua too was stunned; she hadn’t expected the owners of the cave residence to be the siblings from the Bai Family. Bai Zisheng inquired in return, “What are you doing here?” Mo Hua replied, “I’m out and about.” “Out and about?” Bai Zisheng seemed as if he was hearing the term for the first time, and his expression was visibly excited as he then looked eagerly at Aunt Xue. On the side, Bai Zixi also brightened, her eyes shimmering like autumn waters as she turned to Aunt Xue.