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…………

At the same time, "White Tiger" Su Xiao also carried an old axe according to the instructions of the white-bearded old Taoist, preparing to chop firewood in this dense pine forest.

His true essence was also sealed by the mysterious power in the ruins, and he temporarily became a mortal without any supernatural abilities.

But the expression on Su Xiao's face did not change in the slightest.

He walked straight to a bush, looked at the axe in his hand, and then at the dead branches of the bush.

As a closed disciple of the Sword Pavilion Master and a proud son of heaven who grew up under the admiration of everyone since he was a child, Su Xiao had never had experience in chopping wood, and he didn't know how to chop firewood efficiently.

After pondering for a moment, he swung his sword and picked up his axe and slashed at the branch in front of him.

Because the axe was heavy and blunt, there was still obvious rust on the blade.

Su Xiao's violent slash only made the entire shrub sway, shaking off some withered yellow leaves, but he failed to cut down a single piece of firewood.

Seeing such a scene, Su Xiao frowned slightly.

He couldn't help but think of the scene many years ago, when he had just entered the Sword Pavilion, when his master taught him to learn swords.

That year, he was still an ignorant little boy.

He stood on the top of the steep mountain in Shudi, holding a wooden sword in his hand, and with all his strength, he stabbed at the puppet in front of him.

"Bang!"

The wooden sword and the puppet slammed together.

Su Xiao staggered back, only to feel a tremor in his wrist and a sharp pain in his palm.

The puppet remained unscathed and unmoved.

A strong sense of frustration welled up in his heart.

He slammed the wooden sword on the ground and sat down on the ground, crying and shouting, "I'll never practice swords again."

Shizun didn't get angry, but picked up the wooden sword from the ground, handed it to him, and said to him in a flat tone: "If it doesn't work once, just do it again." ”

"What if it still doesn't work?" The young Su Xiao raised his head and looked at Shizun with a pair of red eyes.

"Then come a hundred, a thousand."

“……”

Thinking of this, Su Xiao reached out and wiped the sweat on his face.

In his opinion, chopping wood is the same as practicing swords.

If it doesn't work once, try again.

If you practice for a long time, you will succeed.

As long as the effort is deep, the iron pestle can also be sharpened into an embroidery needle.

For nearly two decades, he has been a firm believer in this.

So, he swung his axe again and slashed at the dry bushes in front of him.

Once, twice, three times...... Dozens of ...... Hundreds of ......

His movements gradually became skillful, and he chopped down one piece of wood after another.

It's just that the palms of his hands have a lot of blood blisters in the repeated labor; As soon as the blood bubble bursts, it hurts in the heart.

But he didn't care.

When he first practiced his sword, his injuries were much worse than this, and both hands were covered with calluses, and he was already numb to this pain.

Time passed silently.

The firewood at Su Xiao's feet was piled up more and more.

At this time, two woodcutters in coarse cloth shirts passed by Su Xiao.

Carrying axes on their shoulders, each carrying two bundles full of firewood, and singing mountain songs, they walked down the mountain.

But Su Xiao was unaware of this.

Unconsciously, in the process of wielding the axe, he had a new understanding of the Sword Pavilion's secret swordsmanship "Pingtian Sword Technique".

…………

Shangguan Jin took a deep breath.

Her axe slipped from her hand and slammed into the protruding rocks, making a loud "clang" sound, and faintly visible sparks bursting out.

Sweat oozed from her forehead and ran down her cheeks, tickling; Flowing into the mouth, salty.

The fair and delicate skin of her palm was also ground out with more than one wound, and red blood flowed out, wetting her sleeves.

And her spotless robes were now covered with dust and mud.

Since Shangguan Hibiscus became the personal companion of the Exorcist Division Wupinlang and the head of the Division, there has never been such a time of embarrassment.

After all, she has always been a person who pays great attention to her image.

Even when she was practicing her sword, she would wrap her palms and body with True Yuan to avoid soiling her clothes and leaving scars on her body.

Because of this, she was very depressed.

She didn't want to let Gu Xu, Su Xiao, Chen Yanping and others see her sloppy appearance after reaching the top of the mountain.

At this moment, two woodcutters in coarse cloth shirts and carrying axes passed by her while singing mountain songs.

After seeing these two people, Shangguan Jin's eyes lit up, as if he saw a life-saving straw.

But she did not immediately rush forward and ask the woodcutters for help.

Instead, she hid behind a pine tree and smeared her robes with blood and mud to make her look even more embarrassed.

Then she took a handkerchief out of her pocket and wiped the dust and sweat off her face, so that it would not obscure her delicate and pure countenance.

At this time, she trotted to the two passing woodcutters, bowed slightly to them, then raised her head, opened her eyes wide, and said in a particularly sincere tone: "Two brothers, I didn't want to disturb you. It's just that the little girl has encountered a little trouble, and if she can't solve it smoothly, she will be punished by her elders. I see that the two brothers are kind-hearted, so I have come to ask them to lend a hand......"

Speaking of this, she changed her words and said in a more effeminate tone: "Of course, if the two of you have urgent matters to do, you don't have to. I'll figure it out myself......"

"What's your trouble and need our help?" One of the woodcutters interrupted her and said to her.

Shangguan Jian lowered his head and described the bitterness of chopping wood in detail.

During this period, she constantly emphasized that she was a weak woman who could not chop wood, and at the same time did not forget to praise the two woodcutters for their experience and skill.

Hearing her words, both woodcutters smiled and readily agreed to her request.

In the following period, they helped Shangguan Jin chop two tall piles of firewood and bundle them with hay.

At this moment, Shangguan Jin's mood was relaxed and happy.

She felt she had a chance to be the first person to reach the top of Laoshan Mountain.

…………

Gu Xu was not in a hurry to chop wood.

He looked at the blunt, rusty axe and couldn't help but frown slightly.

According to his estimates, if he wanted to use this broken axe to chop wood, he was afraid that it would take several days to get two bundles of firewood according to the requirements of the old man of Whitebeard.

Although he doesn't mind suffering.

But he always felt that such a test set by the Kongxuansan people should not be as simple as it seemed.

He stood under the pine tree and looked around.

In the field of vision, there is a lush sky; The surroundings are exceptionally quiet, and only a slight sound of wind can be heard.

Just then, his gaze fell on a hazel stone under a pine tree.

It is smooth on one side and rough on the other.

The silvery-white moonlight shines through the pine branches and leaves, casting specks of light on its surface.

With his extensive knowledge, Gu Xu recognized that the stone was a "sandstone", a sedimentary rock composed mainly of quartz and feldspar.

This rock has many uses, such as construction, utensils, tombstones, floor tiles, vases......

And, whetstone.

"Sharpen the knife and don't mistake the woodcutter." This is the truth that Chen Jisheng has emphasized in front of Gu Xu more than once.

Chen Jisheng was very worried that Gu Xu would pursue the speed of cultivation at all costs under the pressure of his lifespan, and ignore the preparations that should be made when practicing.

For example, sufficient elixir, such as a solid foundation, such as a calm mind.

Of course, judging from the actual situation, Gu Xu behaved more steadily than Chen Jisheng imagined.

So at this moment, when he saw this whetstone, Gu Xu had a faint smile on his face.

He walked straight forward and sharpened the axe with a "ho-ho-ho" - grinding the curls and rust of the axe with the rough side of the stone, and sharpening the axe with the smooth side.

The stone seemed to have a magical power, which made the axe in his hand quickly rejuvenate and shimmer.

Next, it's time to chop wood.

But Gu Xu didn't know any skills in chopping wood.

Most of the books in the Exorcism Division's library were related to spiritual practice, and it was impossible to teach him what mortals would do, such as chopping wood, farming, raising fish, and so on.

At this moment, a rough and loud mountain song came from the depths of the pine forest.

Gu Xu raised his head and saw the two woodcutters carrying axes and firewood on their backs, striding through the pine forest in the thick shade.

At first glance, they were two ordinary people who had no cultivation.

"But here's the problem...... In this isolated Laoshan Mountain, how can there be mortals living for a long time? Gu Xu immediately realized a serious problem, "What's more, for twenty-three years, the villagers under the mountain were all tragically killed in the mysterious massacre. ”

He quickly came to the conclusion that these two villagers, most likely, were just illusions like the white-bearded old Taoist.

Immediately afterward, he began to think again: What is the purpose of the Kongxuansan people to create the illusion of two woodcutters?

A moment later, he had the answer in his mind.

He walked straight up to the two woodcutters and bowed politely to them, claiming that he was chopping wood for the first time, and that he was a little rusty, hoping that they would give them some guidance.

The two woodcutters readily agreed.

One of them demonstrates, and the other explains.

They told Gu Xu that the matter of chopping firewood seems simple, but there are actually many details that cannot be ignored.

For example, the hands holding the axe should not be too tight, because in the process of chopping wood, there will be a huge force to form a rebound, which will shake the tiger's mouth painfully - but if you pinch the axe to send some, the rebound will be lighter, will not hurt yourself, and can save strength;

For example, if you encounter a tree nodule when chopping wood, you have to chop it several times over and over again, because the tree nodule is usually very hard;

For example, when cutting firewood and it is necessary to divide the tree segments, you must first set up the tree segments, kick the horse step, and then use the axe to break it down - the horse must be pedaled well, and the feet should not be too close together, otherwise if the axe splits the air, it will hurt your feet or other parts of the body;

For example, the length of a piece of firewood should not exceed 50 centimeters - whether it is long or short, it is not good to put it in an earthen stove for fire;

……

The words of the two woodcutters made Gu Xu gain a lot.

With his "erudition and strong memory", he took all these skills that the woodcutter said to heart.

After explaining these skills, the woodcutter sang the mountain song again and drifted away, and soon disappeared at the end of Gu Xu's field of vision.

Gu Xu held the handle of the axe and looked at the green grass and trees around him.

He suddenly remembered another sentence that Chen Jisheng had said to him: "There is never more than one path of cultivation." ”

Among them, there are straight shortcuts, wrong paths, and long and bumpy detours.

Choice is sometimes more important than effort.

It's better to find the right way than to run blindly in the wrong direction.

…………

[This chapter has not yet been written, and there will be repeated content later, so let's see it later!] 】

[This chapter has not yet been written, and there will be repeated content later, so let's see it later!] 】

The fundamental purpose of "Qingluan" Du Jingjing's entry into the Laoshan ruins is not to seize the inheritance of immortals.

The fundamental purpose of "Qingluan" Du Jingjing's entry into the Laoshan ruins is not to seize the inheritance of immortals.

She knew very well that with her talent for cultivation, it was unrealistic to compete for inheritance with demons like Su Xiao, Chen Yanping, and Gu Xu.

She has only one goal -

That is to kill Xiao Shangzhen and complete the task assigned to her by the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan.

The fierceness of the competition for the Tai'a sword among the princes of the Great Qi Dynasty can be said to be in full swing.

Although the Emperor of Great Qi once ordered that the princes were forbidden to kill each other.

But this can only ensure that they are brothers and sisters on the surface.

Privately, they can be said to have exhausted all means in order to compete for the right to inherit the throne.

Not long ago, after the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan returned from Yishan, he recruited Du Jingjing's teacher, Tao Qian, a guest of Qingzhou Mansion, with extremely generous conditions.

Naturally, Du Jingjing also followed her teacher and joined the command of the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan.

Although Xiao Shangyuan is much older than Xiao Shangzhen, his cultivation is also much higher than Xiao Shangzhen.

But deep in Xiao Shangyuan's heart, he was full of jealousy towards his young and ignorant younger brother.

On the one hand, when Xiao Shangzhen used the "Tianyan Stone" to test her cultivation qualifications, she once measured the three-grade vision "Moon Surge River"; But Xiao Shangyuan himself only measured the four-grade vision "Grass Yellow Bird".

On the other hand, Xiao Shangzhen's mother is Chen Anzhi, the contemporary queen and daughter of the Chen family in Xiangyang; But Xiao Shangyuan's mother was an ordinary palace maid from a humble background - even after giving birth to the prince, she was only canonized as a "Zhuang concubine" and did not get more holy favors.

In addition, the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen also has a sister who is in charge of secular government and has a scheming approach.

This means that even if Xiao Shangzhen can only cultivate and do nothing else, he will have a group of loyal supporters.

But like the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan, he could only rely on flickering and luring to reluctantly establish a set of his own team.

It can be said that the two princes are very different in terms of congenital conditions.

Although Xiao Shangzhen is not interested in the succession to the throne now, she just wants to sneak out to play, so she fights with Princess Zhaoning all day long......

But what if he suddenly opens up in the future?

Therefore, in the eyes of the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan, only dead people are truly no threat.

However, it is not realistic to kill a prince within the confines of the Great Qi Dynasty.

The reason is simple.

There are many monks in the Great Qi Palace who have mastered divination and heavenly tricks.

In addition, Luo Chuan, the head of the exorcist division, is also known to have insight into everything in the world.

He must not be able to hide such a thing as a killer for his younger brother.

But the Laoshan ruins are different.

Xiao Shangyuan knew that the prohibition arranged in Laoshan before the ascension of the Kongxuan Sanren could shield the heavenly machine.

It is capable of blocking all communication between the ruins and the outside world.

Even the head of the Exorcist Division was unable to see what was happening inside the ruins.

At the same time, Xiao Shangyuan happened to know that Tao Qian's student Du Jingjing was a member of the reserve of the "Shenji Battalion" and was about to go to Laoshan with his younger brother Xiao Shangzhen to find the inheritance left by the immortals.

Xiao Shangyuan was suddenly overjoyed.

He understands that the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has finally arrived.

If the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen dies in the ruins of Laoshan Mountain, then as long as all the evidence related to him is erased, the world will never know who the real murderer is.

At that time, he could completely say, "It's all because the prohibition of the Immortal Cave Mansion is too terrible, so that my brother was unfortunately killed", and then went to his brother's mourning hall for a few nights, pretending to shed a few tears.

The world may still think that the two brothers have a deep relationship!

…………

Laoshan ruins, Juxiantai.

"Qingluan" Du Jingjing stood behind the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen, holding a dagger with a cold light in her hand, against his neck. At this time, on her face, there was no longer the restraint and timidity of the past, but became calm and calm.

She came prepared today.

Her teacher Tao Qian had been very kind to her, and she couldn't let her teacher down no matter what.

And she also understands that when Tao Qian joins Xiao Shangyuan's camp, there will be no way out for the two of them.