Chapter 4: A New Hope

It's been a month since the gods left, and there is no longer a lively scene in the martial arts training ground.

Children who have cut off the path of cultivating immortals, under the leadership of their parents, begin to learn all kinds of farm work and skills, they want to start their ordinary life, gradually take on the burden of the family, marry a wife and have children, support their parents, and then pin their hopes on their children. When this martial arts training ground is lively again, it should be ten years later.

Xiao Tian is not practicing, he doesn't need to do farm work, he sleeps every day except for eating, and at a young age, he is already like a walking corpse.

His heart, from the day the gods left, was dead.

I don't know why, when he was very young, there seemed to be a voice in his heart calling: "Cultivating immortals, cultivating immortals......"

It seems that since the day he became conscious, he felt that he wanted to cultivate immortals. Slowly, he became sensible, so he asked his father what cultivating immortals was, and his father told him what it meant to cultivate immortals. Since then, in his small heart, he has already thought that cultivating immortals is his only goal. For this goal, he is not afraid of hardship, never tires of it, whether it is to strengthen his body or to meditate and breathe, he has never been bored. Although his father was also a mortal, he taught him a set of introductory eight styles, and told him to practice hard, although this set of movements was practiced very hard, and he often had back pain, he was also willing to eat and never slack. However, the heavens seemed to have played a big joke with him, gave him a firm belief, and then gave him a body that could not be cultivated. Holding the hope of what if, enduring the ridicule of his partners, he silently persevered and never slackened, until that day, his dream was shattered by reality, the ideal tower collapsed, and his life lost hope.

When his father looked at him like this, he probably wanted him to accept the reality slowly, and he didn't say much comfort, but just silently took care of his food, clothing, and daily life.

That night, the clouds covered the moon, the weather was gloomy, and Xiaotian couldn't sleep, so he secretly got up.

The father may have been tired during the day and slept very deeply, and did not notice his actions, Xiaotian secretly came out of the house, walked through the martial arts training ground, climbed over the small hills, and came to the place where he used to secretly vent his emotions.

The little mind couldn't hold too much nonsense, and he thought in a bit of a daze: "I still have to live, should I die immediately?"

After all, he is still a child who will not be ten years old, and he still has some hopes and reveries for life, but when he thinks that he will not be able to cultivate from now on, he immediately feels that the future is bleak, and those hopes and reveries have become boring. But let him die immediately, he felt a little dumbfounded that it didn't seem necessary to do so immediately.

Sitting at the foot of the mountain in a silent daze, I don't know how much time passed, a voice suddenly sounded behind him: "You don't want to live anymore, do you?"

The sound appeared very suddenly, and Xiao Tian screamed in fright, and jumped up from the ground at once.

He turned his head, only to notice that an old man had appeared behind him.

The old man looked like he was sixty or seventy years old, but he didn't make people feel old, standing there, his back straight, his hair was all white, neatly combed, he pulled his hair in a bun, and pinned it with a hosta.

Maybe it was the appearance of the old man that made people feel good, Xiao Tian was not very scared after being startled at first, he asked timidly: "You... How do you know what I'm thinking?"

The old man laughed and said something that stunned him: "Because, I am a god." ”

After a while, Xiao Tian suddenly came to his senses: "Are you an immortal? No, you must not be, the immortals are already gone, besides, the immortals will not pay attention to us mortals who can't cultivate." ”

The old man was not annoyed, but still smiled and said, "So, have you ever seen a fairy?"

"Yes, a few days ago, the gods just came to our village and took away all the children with spiritual roots. After Xiao Tian finished speaking, his eyes couldn't help revealing a gloomy color.

"Oh, you're talking about those cultivators, they also deserve to be called immortals? It's just a group of cultivators who have just started the Tao, they can barely be called monks, and they are really ridiculous and generous!"

If the words just now made Xiao Tian stunned, these words simply made him not believe his ears, and he was stunned for a long time before he asked in a daze: "You say you are an immortal, they are not, how can I believe you?"

The old man stroked his beard and looked at Xiao Tian with a smile: "You don't believe me, it doesn't matter, the key is that you don't want to be a fairy?"

The old man's words made Xiao Tian's heart thump, and for a while, he couldn't care if the old man was an immortal, but he just asked: "Old immortal, that... Can I cultivate?"

The old man's expression became serious: "You really want to know?"

Xiao Tian nodded busily: "Yes, I think in my dreams, old fairy, tell me quickly!"

"Then, let me ask you first, why do you want to be an immortal?"

"Why? Everyone wants to be a god, besides, being an immortal can be immortal!"

"In this case, everyone in this world wants to be immortals, can I take care of it? Why bother to ask you?"

Xiaotian was confused.

In his heart, he just has always had this strong desire, as for the question of why, he has never thought about it, he just feels that life should be like this, and now when the old man asks, he can't help but be a little unsure of how to answer.

The old man didn't ask, just stared at him.

After a while, Xiao Tiancai replied: "As an immortal, I can take good care of my father." ”

"A mortal life is only a hundred years in a hurry, and if you don't take care of it, your father will be gone. ”

"I can take my father with me and live forever. ”

"Is your father a monk?"

"I... I do not know. ”

"You must know that immortals are not omnipotent, and people without spiritual roots are destined not to be immortals. ”

"I... I can figure it out!"

"What else is there besides?"

"Also, I can protect the villagers, everyone can be fed and clothed, no longer hurt by wild beasts, and live a good life. ”

"What about yourself, being an immortal, shouldn't you enjoy yourself?"

"Enjoyment?

"It's just good food, good clothing, endless money, and endless blessings!"

"Uh... , become a god, have skills, you should help others a lot, it shouldn't be just for your own enjoyment!"

"Tell me, that's what you really think?"

"Hmm. Xiao Tian nodded affirmatively.

"Everyone wants to be an immortal, but this road is not so easy to walk. Which immortal has not gone through a lot of hardships and endured many disasters and tribulations, even if he dies for a lifetime, he may not be able to succeed. Are you willing to suffer?"

"Yes, I am willing, I am not afraid of hardship, but ,... Old immortal, do you think I can cultivate?"

The old man looked at Xiao Tian silently for a while, and then said, "You can." ”

Xiao Tian was stunned, but he was a little incredulous: "I can really do it, old fairy, I heard it right, right?"

"Yes, but it's difficult, it's very difficult, and it's no different than not being able to cultivate. ”

"Why is that?"

"Child, I see that your physique is a person who has no congenital five elements spiritual roots, and is completely unable to cultivate, and he encountered a catastrophe when he was young, and his life should have been lost, but someone should have saved your life with the treasures of heaven and earth, so he survived. This treasure of heaven and earth must have a great spiritual effect, not only saving your life, but also helping you improve your physique, so that you, a person who is missing from the congenital five elements, have a trace of wood spirit root qi, although it does not cast the spirit root, but it does not exclude you from absorbing wood vitality. From this point on, you can cultivate. However, compared to the spirit body, the speed at which your physique absorbs the vitality is too far, and the cultivation is not much stronger than that of mortals without any foundation, while cultivators are going against the heavens and earning a trace of vitality in the life period, and many people with outstanding talents and vast magical powers have either encountered calamities, or their life span has reached the point where they cannot break through, and they cannot escape the cycle of life and death. Your cultivation path is a hundred times more difficult than that of ordinary cultivators, not to mention suffering hardships, the hope of breaking through is also very small, even if you have endured a thousand hardships and suffered all kinds of sins, it is very likely that you will be like a mortal, and in the end you will still die to nothingness. Under such circumstances, you still have to cultivate?"

When Xiao Tian heard this, the hope that had just been ignited in his heart was once again shattered. Although I have had an unforgettable painful experience, I still feel very uncomfortable. After all, he was just a child, and in the face of the successive blows of fate, he was already a little overwhelmed and stunned. In my little heart, I just thought: "Alas, it seems that those immortals are right, after all, I am just a waste person who can't cultivate." This fairy grandfather said that my life was almost lost when I was young, so why didn't I just die at that time, so as not to suffer from these endless troubles?"

After silently taking pity for a long time, he thought again: "My father has never told me about these things, and it seems that he is afraid that I will be sad, so he will not tell me." Although I am a cripple, my father loves me and loves me, and if I am sad or sad, or die, he will be even more sad. My father said that my mother passed away as soon as I was born, and my father has been dependent on me all these years, and I can't leave my father alone. Grandpa Immortal said, I still have a glimmer of hope for cultivation, and I can't give up for my father's sake. Thinking of this, he had already made a decision in his heart, and said: "Immortal Grandpa, I'm not afraid of hardship, please teach me to cultivate." ”

After that, facing the old man, his knees weakened and he knelt down.

At this time, the old man also secretly thought in his heart: "This child, although his qualifications are poor, but his mind is also firm, and his heart is simple, he can think about others, even if he does not succeed in cultivation in the future, it is just an empty thing, and he will not do evil things and harm one party." This must be the destiny of the underworld, so that when I meet this child, I will lead him on this road, the so-called plan is in the people, the success is in the sky, and the future will be left to the heavens to decide. Thinking of this, he said to Xiaotian and Yan: "Child, you kowtow to me three times." When Xiao Tian heard this, although he didn't know what was going on, he still kowtowed respectfully three times.

"Since you kowtowed, don't you call me Master?"

Xiao Tian was overjoyed when he heard this: "Fairy grandfather, you... You....Master!"

"Good boy, from today on, I will be your master, but there is one thing I want to make clear to you first, cultivation is against the sky, master can only give you a point or two on the way to cultivation, and the rest of the things depend on your own practice, all kinds of hardships on the way of cultivation have to be borne by yourself, and master cannot share anything for you, otherwise, not only will you not be able to resist the catastrophe yourself, but the catastrophe of the master will also be aggravated. If you want to cultivate, you have to endure a lot more hardships than others, and if you want to succeed in cultivation, you don't know how many hardships you have to go through.

"Master, Xiaotian has already thought it through, I'm not afraid of hardship. ”

"You show me the introductory eight style exercises first. ”

Hearing this, Xiao Tian thought secretly: "It seems that the master is really an immortal, and he even knows the entry eight styles." As soon as I was excited, I was full of energy, and the posture I usually felt uncomfortable was also sweet.

After watching Xiao Tian finish practicing, the old man said: "Child, it seems that your ancestors should also be immortal cultivators, this introductory eight style is not only a method of refining the body, but also has a good auxiliary role in absorbing the vitality of heaven and earth." These eight styles should imitate some actions such as birds and beasts, and it must be known that in this world, in addition to us humans, there are thousands of spiritual species, not only birds and beasts, but also some flowers and trees also have their spirituality. Some spiritual species have the beauty of heaven and earth, and we humans have an advantage in the close absorption of certain heaven and earth vitality. If your father doesn't know, it may be that the bloodline of cultivation among your ancestors has gradually disappeared, and the mental method of cultivation has not been passed down. You can absorb the wood aura, one of the eight styles is to imitate the birds in and out of the branches, birds inhabit the wood, and the wood aura is congenitally inherent, you can practice this style on the branches in the future, I teach you a set of luck methods, from Dadun, between the walks, through the Taichong, Zhangmen, the period of the door into the liver, and then into the dantian. The five organs of human beings correspond to the five elements of heaven and earth, the liver is the main growth, the wood, the heart is the main circulation, the fire is the main absorption, the spleen is the main absorption, the earth, the lungs are clean, the gold is the main clean, the kidney is the main clean, and the water is the main one. Cultivating to the cycle of the five elements, endlessly, is for the small success, the five elements are one, the power is endless, it is for the middle success, and the five elements are jumped out of the five elements, and the world is the world, which is for the great success. Every cultivation stage has a corresponding cultivation period, these things are too early for you, you cultivate first, and when you can sense the vitality entering the body, I will tell you. After speaking, he dictated a set of mental methods, Xiao Tian silently wrote it down, and pointed out the method of meridian operation again, which was not very difficult, and after saying it two or three times, Xiao Tian remembered it.

After teaching this, the old man said, "You practice first, and I'll come back in a few days." Then he turned around and wanted to leave. Xiao Tian was reluctant in his heart, and hurriedly asked, "Master, you... What's your name?" the old man laughed and said, "My name, I won't tell you yet, and when you have achieved cultivation, I will naturally tell you." Your name is Xiaotian, but I know it. He smiled, and suddenly, as if he had suddenly appeared, he disappeared without a trace.

Xiao Tian stayed in place, as if in a dream for a while, but the old man's mental method was vividly and clearly, and told him that everything that happened was real. At that moment, he immediately ran back to the martial arts training ground, found a big tree on the side of the field, picked a thick trunk and fought up, standing on one foot, staying at the waist, pouting his hips, lying down, and raising his arms. This posture is weird, and it is really difficult to do, but since the master has said that the path of cultivation is extremely difficult, and his own difficulties are dozens of times more difficult than others, I don't know that this little suffering is naturally nothing, so I silently insisted on it, and only ran the mental method over and over again. I was dizzy and dizzy, my back hurt, I couldn't hold on, I planted it from a branch and fell heavily to the ground. Fortunately, he has practiced since he was a child, and although his body is not strong, it is also strong, and this time it was just a painful fall, but it was not a big problem.

The sky brightened slightly, and he remembered that if his father woke up, he would be alarmed if he didn't see him, so he limped home. When I entered the house, fortunately my father had not woken up yet, so he quickly slipped into the house, took off his clothes and pants and got into the bed. After tossing and turning all night without sleeping, I was also tired at this time, and I fell asleep after a while.

He slept until almost in the afternoon, when his father came in and called him for lunch. Fortunately, his father saw that he was in a bad mood recently, so he didn't ask in detail, and Xiaotian didn't need to explain to his father. I thought that although my master taught me the method of cultivation, he also said that there was only a glimmer of hope for my cultivation, and nine times out of ten I would still be disappointed, and I didn't have the feeling of vitality entering my body, so I didn't have to tell my father in a hurry. It's better to wait until you can feel the vitality entering your body, and then tell your father to surprise him.

Since then, Xiaotian has a goal in his life, and he picks up his daily practice again. It's just that now the martial arts training ground is empty, and his own goal is too conspicuous, so he doesn't have to provoke others to point fingers, so he just goes out early and returns late every day, and practices diligently in the martial arts training ground when no one is around, and is especially attentive to the practice of the introductory eight styles, and just meditates and sleeps at home during the day.

Before I knew it, another month had passed. Early in the morning, before dawn, Xiao Tian had been practicing on the branches as usual until his muscles and bones ached, and he was dizzy. I couldn't hold on anymore and fell headlong under the tree as usual. These days, I have silently practiced according to the Master's mental method, and I have formed an unconscious reaction, and when I fall, I still run according to the mental method, and suddenly I feel a trace of cool air surging up from the soles of my feet, until I reach my chest, and my body involuntarily flips in the air, and when I land, my feet hit the ground first, and I stood on the ground.

Standing on the ground, still confused, for the scene just now, the mind vaguely seemed to grasp something, realized that there were some wonderful changes in his body, but what the specific changes were, and a little confused, was thinking about it, suddenly heard a voice say: "Xiaotian, do you feel the vitality into the body?"