The following days grew colder, autumn deepened, and the very green trees shed all their yellow leaves.
Ji You began to frequent between Bishui Lake Garden and the Immortal Kitchen, a two-point line.
In the Outer Courtyard, those diligently Cultivating the Dao gradually decreased, while more scenes of young men and women strolling by the lake, walking across bridges, and watching the leaves fall from the mountains appeared.
Of course, they weren't just strolling; they would also discuss the Dao during their walks, only to find themselves deep in the forest after much discussion.
“Let’s stay in Shengjing tonight. I booked an inn where we can discuss the Dao all night. I want to test if your Dao Heart is clear, Junior Sister.”
“?”
Ji You returned from the Immortal Kitchen, looked at this scene, and thought, "Good heavens, physiologically clear, is it?"
Cao Jinsong, however, had long grown accustomed to this: “Students generally go through several stages after entering the academy. First, everyone studies diligently, Cultivates assiduously, and focuses wholeheartedly, because at that time, everyone believes they are a favored Genius of Heaven and will not be inferior to anyone.”
“Then some will stand out, leaving others far behind, and most people's Dao Hearts will be damaged, while the rest begin to doubt if effort is useful.”
“After that, some will develop distracting thoughts, while others will still Cultivate diligently, but their Dao Hearts will be much weaker than before.”
Cao Jinsong looked at Ji You: “Currently, in the Outer Courtyard, you are the one who has left others far behind. You will likely come out on top in the Inner Courtyard selection, but do not become arrogant; you must still Cultivate diligently.”
Ji You listened to Cao Instructor's brazen statement and said, “My Divine Thought is too weak; I can only observe the Heavenly Dao for three breaths. I need a Divine Pill to recover. How much money do you have, Instructor?”
“It will bankrupt me.”
“How did I end up with such an unpromising Instructor? Can't you try harder? Look at Instructor Ma; Worldly Families in the capital send him gifts for various festivals!”
“?”
At night, the stars shone brightly.
Ji You sat cross-legged, his Divine Thought soaring into the sky, with countless brilliant meteors constantly streaking past his eyes.
However, he did not chase after the stars but continued to explore the deeper, boundless, vast darkness, using this to strengthen his Divine Thought.
After all, with his current Divine Thought strength, observing the Heavenly Dao in the book was still too dangerous.
Divine Thought and the body are ultimately different; if one were truly injured by the might of the Heavenly Dao, it would be irreparable.
And this method of exploring deep space was relatively gentler.
From the first day when his Divine Thought soared for half an hour to now, exceeding an hour, it shows that this method is indeed effective.
“The limit of half an hour is observing the heavens for three breaths. I should be able to reach six breaths now. To be safe, I'll stay at six breaths…”
“No, that’s too short.”
“I’ll try to last for an hour and a half, so that the safe time reaches nine breaths before I can observe the Heavenly Book again.”
Ji You held his breath and concentrated, his golden Divine Thought continuously flying through the brilliant starry sky.
Half an hour is not long, but half an hour beyond the limit is deadly; each time he pushed past the limit, it caused him extreme weakness.
So much so that every time Cao Jinsong came to see him, he felt that Ji You seemed to have been busy with something at night.
Such exhausting days continued until the fifth day. With his strong willpower, Ji You finally managed to extend the time his Divine Thought soared to an hour and a half.
“Done.”
“My mind is incredibly powerful now.”
After resting for a moment, Ji You went to the Wudao Field. After his Divine Thought soared into the sky once more, he chased after the starlight and began to fall into the endless Void.
Meanwhile, on a high mountain in a desolate wilderness where all directions were void and dark, a barefoot, beautiful young woman sat on a stone cliff, immersed in comprehending the Dao.
Her vibrant red dress was caught by the wind, fluttering on the cliff, as if adding a striking splash of blood-red color to the darkness.
This was her seventh day of Cultivating here, about two hours each day.
But like Ji You, she also couldn't endure the Heavenly Might for long, so she could only comprehend and rest intermittently.
Just then, she opened her eyes, gently raised her hand to wipe away a bead of sweat, and her fragrant, snow-white jade feet lightly stepped on the black stone as she stood up, looking around aimlessly.
As she looked, she began to gaze at the stone below, frowning slightly.
“Did I really just wander in by mistake?”
“I should have stayed and played for two more days…”
“But that guy seems a bit lustful.”
The young woman sat back on the stone, propping her cheek, and suddenly recalled the phrase 'national beauty and heavenly fragrance,' narrowing her eyes once more.
Cultivating the Dao is an extremely boring thing, but the young woman didn't know that when she was little.
She only felt that her family's mountain was incredibly magnificent, and she also wanted to fly like those people.
But the Heavenly Dao insisted that she reach Perfection at ten years old and enter the Upper Five Realms the following year, placing all the pressure on her young shoulders.
That wasn't something she wanted to bear, but her elders at home said it was something she needed to bear.
So, after looking at the mountain for too long, no matter how beautiful it was, it would become tiresome.
And when she discovered a hidden space in the mirror and saw a stranger inside, she actually found it somewhat amusing.
As a result, she hadn't seen him for seven days, and she began to realize that he really was just an accidental passerby…
However, just then, she suddenly heard a faint whistling sound from the dark, cavernous void. After confirming it wasn't an illusion, the young woman immediately became alert.
If there could be one accidental intruder, there could be a second. The previous one was just foolish, but this one might not be the same.
And at this moment, a figure gradually emerged from the black stone below and to the left.
The young woman recognized the other's facial features and paused slightly, then immediately sat upright, pretending to Cultivate the Dao.
At this moment, Ji You opened his eyes and found himself back at the foot of Void Mountain, and he saw the young woman sitting on the stone cliff.
Beautiful.
Although he had seen her once before, seeing her again still felt stunning.
However, beautiful girls only affect Cultivation speed.
Ji You took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and began to observe the Heavenly Dao.
Indeed, his tempered Divine Thought had become much stronger. He began to see more details and also had time to ponder the “penetration” aspect of profound enlightenment.
The evolution of the Heavenly Dao is very chaotic, like a tangled ball of yarn.
But in reality, it is the intertwining of Laws; although chaotic, each strand is complete. It is simply impossible for a human to comprehend it all at a glance, so one can only unravel it thread by thread, searching for a main line.
Previously, Ji You could only persist for three breaths, unable to even find a clue. But now, nine breaths allowed him to roughly get a sense of it.
Ji You gradually gained some insight, then slowly closed his eyes, entered a meditative state, and his Dao Heart gradually became clear.
“Six observations of the Dao, each for nine breaths…”
“Reached the limit…”
Ji You propped his hands on the boulder and looked to his upper right, seeing a section of a crystalline, jade-like foot with a lovely hint of pink.
Hmm?
He wondered if it was his imagination, but he thought that delicate foot had just moved slightly.
Beautiful girls can affect Cultivation speed, but curiosity does not. Curiosity is the most important quality for a Cultivator seeking the Heavenly Dao.
Ji You slowly rose, approaching the young woman as he had last time.
She seemed to be in a meditative state, showing no reaction. Ji You thought he must have been mistaken; why would a Fairy pretend to be in meditation?
However, just as he was about to turn and leave, he noticed a faint blush gradually appearing on her face, which was fairer than frost and snow.
Before Ji You could react, he suddenly saw a scarlet sleeve swing over…
At this moment, the Disciple in the Wudao Field was slightly startled, realizing that Ji You had suddenly returned from his Dao comprehension state and was lying on the ground, quietly looking up at the night sky.
This Genius was truly terrifying. Cultivating the Dao was originally an extremely arduous task, yet he Cultivated it with such ecstasy…
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