荒墟牧神 - 第137章 少尊主遇道門 - 錦書坊

Shen Mu's present state did indeed look like sleepwalking—racing and dashing about within his sleep, yet able all the while to see the scenery on every side and to dodge the obstacles in his path. What troubled Shen Wanyun was that, in the midst of that running, Shen Mu kept unleashing fist techniques and leg techniques, striking with such vigor that the wind whistled around him! Now and again he would even draw out a butchering knife and hack and slash with it.

"Junior Brother Shen's strength is already so great, yet he works harder than anyone else, practicing even in his dreams. His comprehension may be a little poor, but such diligence is worth my emulation!"

Greatly inspired, Shen Wanyun returned to his dwelling and cultivated himself with redoubled diligence.

Yet Shen Mu was not wholly asleep; his state was different from sleepwalking. It was a cultivation method all his own. The Mystic Body Three Elixir Art had its peculiarities in practice: when he cultivated, he ran and raced, and his progress came faster; and because his mind was at rest, every punch and stance he executed was the memory of his body.

These past years in the Desolate Ruins Shen Mu had relied on this very method to advance by leaps and bounds; it was only upon coming to the state of Jingping and learning its customs that he had stopped cultivating in that way.

Shen Mu ran for two hours, then woke, bright-eyed and full of vigor.

Just then a familiar voice laughed: "Have you rested enough?"

Shen Mu turned hastily. "Patriarch."

At this hour there was no one else on the mountain; even the Libationers and the men of the Directorate of Education and the Palace Library had gone to rest. They too had listened to Imperial Preceptor Jingping expound the law for two days without sleep, and needed to recover themselves.

The young Patriarch smiled. "Imperial Preceptor Jingping's discourse on the law—what did you make of it?"

Shen Mu said in admiration, "Imperial Preceptor Jingping is a being like a god of heaven. He thinks what others dare not think and does what others dare not do. Truly without peer."

The young Patriarch stepped away down the mountain. "The swordsmanship the Imperial Preceptor taught—how well have you learned it?"

"I would not claim to have mastered it, but I have gained some understanding."

Shen Mu said, "I learned the sword from my village headman and thought I had plumbed all its mysteries; I never imagined there were things I had not yet learned."

The young Patriarch said, "The saying 'there is no end to learning' is wrong. It should be 'there is no end to creating.' If you only learn, you will spend your whole life learning and nothing will ever become your own; creation alone has no boundary. You are still young, and you must still draw on what others have created. But once you have accumulated enough, you must try to create. If you only learn, you remain a student forever; but create a single move, and you are a grandmaster."

They came to the Jade Cliff, and there before the mountain gate of the Grand Academy sat the two Daoists, one old and one young, still waiting.

The young Patriarch smiled a smile that was not quite a smile: "The reason I invited Imperial Preceptor Jingping here was to transmit the Way to you and expound the law. He has taught for two days; you have reaped a great boon. Are you not going down?"

Shen Mu said with ardor, "If the Patriarch gives but the word, would your disciple dare disobey?"

The young Patriarch gave a cold laugh and kicked him off the cliff. "Little wretch, fine words from that mouth of yours! Others have blocked our mountain gate for so long and I have not seen you stir; if there were no profit in it for you, would you be so eager? Get down there!"

Shen Mu landed, rubbed his backside, and walked toward the mountain gate.