Shen Lian rearranged his train of thoughts and replied, “Qing Yi, you’re so lucky to be able to have Xiang Shan Zhenren as your teacher.”
Song Qingyi thought that Shen Lian would change his attitude after hearing his background story. He expected Shen Lian to either intentionally please him or distance himself because of his status. Who knew that Shen Lian did not change anything and only gave him a symbolic praise.
It was his first time meeting someone like that and he found that super interesting.
Song Qingyi said, “Haha, I have no idea what did my mentor see in me. Since I’m heading back, do you want to come along? Maybe my mentor would pick you too.” He was serious about the invitation but whether Shen Lian made it or not, it depends solely on Lu Jiuyuan and it was not something Song Qingyi had the power to decide.
Although his words may seem reckless, it actually was beyond his martial exercise and a basic chapter of the Freedom of Letting Go Scripture. This scripture emphasized on the mind, as it sees the mind as the sources of dharma.
The Freedom of Letting Go Scripture and the Taixu Strategy were almost Daoist martial exercises and they both have their own attractions. Song Qingyi had a good impression of Shen Lian as Shen Lian did not treat him differently because of his identity, and that really changed his views on Shen Lian. Song Qingyi understood the wise words by ancient people saying, “You can know someone for your whole life and they’d still feel like strangers, while there are strangers that feel you have known them for your whole life.”
Shen Lian replied, “Qingyi, you’re being funny. Actually, I already have a mentor.”
“Oh, so you’re not heading to the Temple of Killings to be an apprentice. May I know what sect or school are you from? My Xuantian sect has many branches and maybe we are related?” Song Qingyi was surprised and asked Shen Lian directly. There were legit reasons behind his questions. As he was a sincere person and mana obtained from Freedom of Letting Go Scripture made him highly sensitive to other people’s breath and that was how he discovered Shen Lian’s mana. Although Shen Lian’s mana was vague, but it was extremely pure. He didn’t manage to sense a strong force of mana within Shen Lian and that was why he thought Shen Lian’s experience in cultivation was not high.
When in fact it was the Taixu Strategy that kept Shen Lian’s mana in a spiral form, so that mana will be confined and become less traceable. Even if a highly skilled person noticed the fluctuation of his mana, they wouldn’t think that he had a mana as strong.
Shen Lian replied, “My mentor became a celestial, it’s not something worth mentioning. Anyway, what is your purpose of coming to the desert?” Shen Lian did not intend to hide but having heard about Chen Jianmei and Monk Baoguang’s feud, he wanted to help Chen Jianmei.
He was not the kind of person who was inflexible. Considering that Chen Jianmei was on the field while he was behind the scene, should there be any unforeseen circumstances during the Dao ‘discussion’ of deity vanquishing, at least his sudden appearance could be helpful.
Chen Jianmei may be an arrogant person but Shen Lian believed that Chen Jianmei would do the same for him. It was alright for the disciples of Qing Xuan to not like each other but they would never harm each other. This was the rule of Qing Xuan; also because they had the same roots.
Dao cultivators could fight with heaven, earth or humans but they would never harm like-minded people. Qing Xuan was able to be established for over million years was because of this teaching. However, once in a while there would be nails that stick out. After all the world was constantly changing and nothing was impossible.
Song Qingyi felt guilty, “I am sorry for opening your old wounds.”
Shen Lian replied, “Qingyi, please don’t sweat it. You have yet to tell me what’s your purpose of visiting the desert. If there are any inconvenience in this, I shall not probe further.”
The last hint of the sun sunk into the horizon. The sky was filled with stars; the milky way can be seen spread across the starry night, it was a stunning view.
Song Qingyi had his eyes fixed on the milky way as he felt the change in the atmosphere’s temperature. The night in the desert was as cold as ice. He casually said, “My mentor told me that there’s a spiritual being that appeared here. He told me to try my luck and if I found that spiritual being, I could use that to cultivate an instrument. When I reach immortality, it could advance as magic talisman.
Qing Xuan was also a top celestial school but none of the disciples had ever enjoyed such privileges treatment as Song Qingyi. Shen Lian wanted to mock Song Qingyi for having the easy way out but he worded in a different way, “Xiang Shan Zhenren sure treats you well.”
Song Qingyi smiled, “Ah Lian, you might feel that my mentor treats me really well, and that’s somewhat true. Actually in the Xuantian sect, most of our cultivation materials are either produced by our mentors or our mentors would inform us where to look for the items.
Of course some items would have been taken by someone else by the time we arrived. But that’s fine as things that can be taken away are replaceable. As for the unique celestial beings where even our mentors were not able to produce, they would generally leave a Dao mark on it. If anyone took it, they would know and they will retrieve it.” Song Qingyi felt a sense of familiarity with Shen Lian as he dropped the surname and addressed him as Ah Lian.
Shen Lian did not expect the Xuantian sect’s cultivation method was so different compared to Qing Xuan. Qing Xuan highly emphasized on being independent, whether it was him or Chen Jianmei, the headmaster would at most give them some advice and will not take the initiative to interfere. How far they could go was subject to their dedication and luck. It was the self-empowering spirit that had produced many excellent talents every generations. For instance, the previous headmaster made Zhang Ruoxu to cut down seven years of stone bamboo at the bamboo ocean. That really trained his tenacious will power.
But obviously Xuantian sect took a different cultivation approach. Because of extraordinary figures like Lu Jiuyuan, they could easily take spiritual beings form heaven and earth to supplement their practice and cultivation. It did not matter if their disciples were over-relying on them as long as they reach that certain level.
It was like there was a river ahead and a boatsman who could only take a few people. Some would swim to the other side while some would build a bridge to get across. Anyone who could get on the bridge will be able to cross over to the other side.
It did not matter what method was used as long as you get to the other side.
Such philosophy was deep but Shen Lian was able to comprehend and felt that Lu Jiuyuan sure was extraordinary. No surprise that he was untouchable as Xuanmen’s number one.
Song Qingyi noticed Shen Lian pondering and he knew that Shen Lian probably couldn’t accept Xuantian sect’s style of teaching. He said, “My mentor said that my generation of cultivators should be disruptive and utilizes the essence of the heaven and earth. If you see a celestial being and you don’t have the guts to use it to upgrade your training, all I could say is that you’re being a hypocrite. Since you’re cultivating, why do you fear foreign objects?” He conveyed Lu Jiuyuan’s words in verbatim with a hint of ridicule.
Shen Lian realized that Song Qiying was out of the ordinary. He could proudly say such words and acknowledged it.
Shen Lian smiled, “Xiang Shan Zhenren’s words sure make sense. I feel it’s good to be free and cultivate but it’s also an honourable thing to be able to control oneself and not do anything that betrays their faith. There are no rights or wrong to the path to Dao as long as it is passable.”