This Taoist Master is too Frivolous

“Ding!”

“The Tree Spirit is startled, merit points+iooo, enlightenment+1.”

In Xu Yang’s mind, the system prompt came again, he couldn’t help but think: “It looks like this Tree Spirit hasn’t died completely, its spirit has started to recover…”

“Perhaps it was startled because I Awakened too quickly?”

Awakening is a wonderful state.

With a shift in his thoughts, Xu Yang once again woke up from his state of Awakening.

Seeing that Grandmaster Chengming and Supreme Sage Shancun were still looking at him, his face turned red with embarrassment. “Both seniors are still here? Sorry, sorry, I accidentally woke up from my Awakening state… I will really try to Awaken this time.”

He said it, and then mentally promoted the “Fire Manipulation Skill” once again.

His understanding and cultivation of the “Fire Manipulation Skill” had reached its limit; this time, after just once more upgrade, he entered into his Awakening state.

Supreme Sage Shancun and Grandmaster Chengming were completely numb.

Both of them stared at Xu Yang, who had entered into his Awakening state, for a long time before they let out a long sigh and couldn’t help but say: “What a monster!”

Grandmaster Chengming, stroking his beard, said, “Throughout history, I’ve seen many geniuses, like Xu Zhiyuan, the past sect leader of the Jingming Sect, who is one of them. He started practicing Daoism in his middle ages and was able to reach the Divine Transcendence Realm in less than 20 years. That talent is already dramatic enough… but compared to this kid, it’s nothing.”

Supreme Sage Shancun asked doubtfully, “Ancestral Master, Xu Yang is around 20 years old now, right? If he really has this talent to Awaken anytime, let alone with the guidance of Supreme Sage Qingxu, his achievements should be more than this, right?”

What does it mean to be able to Awaken at any time?

A lot of people seek an Awakening in their lifetime but fail to achieve it.

A lot of people are stuck at a certain bottleneck for several years, or even decades, unable to break through — yet they might make a rapid breakthrough with a sudden Awakening!

Supreme Sage Shancun found it hard to imagine.

If someone can Awaken at will anytime and anywhere, how terrifying would that be?

While the two were talking, Xu Yang’s aura gradually rose, becoming stronger and stronger. His body was surrounded by a bright red glow, and a heatwave swept in all directions!

The ginkgo tree suddenly trembled.

“Hmm?”

The expression of the old man in the purple robe changed slightly. He carefully sensed it and a hint of joy flashed across his face. “The Tree Spirit is recovering…”

Then, Xu Yang slowly opened his eyes.

His Dao aura subsided, the red light disappeared, and there was a touch of disappointment in his eyes.

Supreme Sage Shancun caught this scene and hurriedly asked, “Xu Yang, did you fail to reach the realm of Dao with your fire method?”

“No, I did.”

“If you have already entered the Dao, why are you looking so down?”

“Alt!”

Xu Yang sighed and said, “The last time I reached the Dao with the rules of Thunder, it caused a celestial event. The spiritual aura within a ten-mile radius crazily surged towards me, and my cultivation level rose from the early stage of the Qi Refining Realm within a few minutes and reached the Entering Dao Realm…”

“I thought this time, reaching the Dao would allow me to advance from the middle stage of the Entering Dao Realm to the later stage… Even if not, there should be significant progress. Who would have thought that it would be just a simple entry of the fire method into the Dao!”

Of course.

There were gains too.

The moment Xu Yang “entered the Dao of fire,” he clearly sensed the “fear emotion” transmitted by the ginkgo tree spirit. It was probably scared that he would lose control and ignite the heavenly fire to burn it…

So, in that instant, the ginkgo tree provided him with five times “merit points+iooo” and “enlightenment+1”.

With the previous four times, Xu Yang gained another 9000 merit points in this brief moment.

And the costs of the several “Awakenings” totaled less than 6000 points… The data behind the “merit points” column on the system attribute panel increased by nearly 3000, not decreasing.

Hearing Xux Yang’s complaint, Supreme Sage Shacun fell into silence.

The old man in a purple robe finally said, “Xu Yang, did you sense something when you Awakened just now?”

“Hmm.”

Xu Yang nodded and said, “The spirit of the ginkgo tree is likely to have revived.”

“If that’s the case…”

After considering for a few seconds, the old man in a purple robe added, “Can our friend Xu Yang postpone his cultivation under the ginkgo tree… I’d like to try to communicate with the Tree Spirit and see if I can interact with it.” Postpone?

Postpone my ass, such a good opportunity to score merit points, how could I waste it?

That’s 1000 points each time… And it even improves enlightenment!

Xu Yang immediately said, “Senior, don’t worry. When I Awakened just now, I sensed the spirit of the ginkgo tree. It just woke up and is still very weak… If I can Awaken again under the tree, the aura of the Dao will disperse, which should be a good thing for its recovery.”

“You just entered Dao with fire method, could you Awaken again?”

The old man in the purple robe knew naturally that Awakening under the tree could be beneficial to the “Tree Spirit”.

After all, the birth of the Tree Spirit is due to the cultivation and comprehension of the predecessors of the Daoist sect under the tree. It absorbed the aura of the Dao, slowly triggering its intelligence.

But Xu Yang…

This is nonsense!

You entered Dao with thunder method the day before yesterday, and today you entered Dao with fire method, could you Awaken again?

Xu Yang smiled and said, “Although it’s difficult to Awaken, still, if I Awaken a few more times, I will eventually succeed… Well, senior, next, I want to comprehend the law of water under the tree…”

“The law of water inherently has the effect of nourishing all things. If I can Enter Dao with the rule of the water element under the ginkgo tree, it will be greatly beneficial to the Tree Spirit!”

As he said it, he closed his eyes again.

His mind lingers on the small “+” behind the “Water Manipulation Skill”.

“Ding!”

“Merit points-50, Water Manipulation Skill+1.”

“Ding…”

A series of system prompt tones kept ringing. In just a moment, he had spent 4000 merit points, then his translucent “Dao aura” rose again.

A faint blue light appeared around him.

The old man in the purple robe and Supreme Sage Shancun were both dumbfounded!

Dammit…

Is this even a human?

Even the ginkgo tree trembled.

“Ding!”

“The Tree Spirit is startled, merit points+iooo, enlightenment+1.”

Xu Yang kept his eyes closed, a smile curling up from the corner of his mouth. He couldn’t help but comment, “I just perfected my water method and the aura of the Dao emerged, I haven’t even Awakened yet, and the Tree Spirit has already started providing merit points?”

Really cool!

He spent another 500 points of merit to upgrade Water Manipulation Skill 10 times.

In the next moment, his body trembled, the Dao rhyme around him surged, an aura full of profound mysteries rose from his body, and he entered the state of enlightenment once more.

However, this time, the Tree Spirit was not startled at all.

On the contrary…

In the dark, Xu Yang felt a tidal wave of joy infiltrating his heart. Though his eyes remained closed, he could clearly perceive the trembling of the Ginkgo tree’s branches…

The Ginkgo tree was exulting joyously.

“Looks like reaching the Dao Realm with the power of water element has indeed significantly nourished the Tree Spirit…”

Xu Yang’s thoughts shifted, and he stepped out of the state of enlightenment.

“Ding!”

“The Tree Spirit was shocked, Merit value +1000, Enlightenment +1.”

It wasn’t until this moment, the Tree Spirit provided an abundance of merit again. Xu Yang could even sense a glimmer of sadness that the spirit was projecting.

Its demeanor now reminded him of an innocent little girl.

Xu Yang couldn’t help but reach out to gently touch the rough bark of the Ginkgo tree, and chuckled: “Relax, for me, enlightenment is as easy as eating or drinking…”

Witnessing this, the purple-robed old man suddenly blessed out and glared angrily, exclaiming, “Xu Yang, what are you doing? If you want to cultivate, just cultivate. What are you touching my Ginkgo tree for?”

Xu Yang: “…”

He looked surprised.

Is exchanging some pleasantries with a Tree Spirit warrant such an intensity?

Yet this old Daoist is referred to as the “Divine Master”…but he can’t even maintain a tranquil state of Dao?

Not to mention, calling it “my ginkgo tree,” it was clearly planted by Laozi…

Grumbling inwardly, Xu Yang contemplated further, and once again upgraded his “Water Manipulation Skill,” and in the next moment, the Dao rhyme resonated from his body again.

Swoosh..

At this moment, the value of the Ginkgo tree began to quiver as well.

A sense of elation was transmitted once again.

Hum!

The void trembled.

Under the Ginkgo tree, the sun’s rays refracted and unbelievably cast rainbow-like glimmers in the clear sunny sky.

The state Xu Yang was in at this moment was extremely peculiar. It seemed like he was cultivating, but his eyes were wide open… Yet, the world in front of him was not the real world, but a blaze of rainbow colors.

Within the vibrant colors, a figure emerged abruptly.

This figure held a scripture and sat under a tiny Ginkgo tree, surrounded by many Daoists who sat on the ground, quietly listening to his teachings.

“Laozi teaching Dao Te Jing?”

A thought flickered across Xu Yang’s mind, leaving him stunned. He wasn’t sure why this scene, lost in the river of history, reappeared. Was it the residual Dao rhyme triggered by his own process of ‘cultivation,’ or…

Was it played out by the Ginkgo tree as a remnant of those olden days?

He stared intently at the figure beneath the Ginkgo tree.

Back in the day, the Ginkgo tree was very small, its branches hardly the thickness of an arm, it should have been the autumn weather, the ginkgo leaves had turned golden.

The older Daoist beneath the tree held scriptures; he was clearly visible, yet Xu Yang couldn’t make out his face, or rather… as soon as he saw his face, he forgot it in the next instant.

In the next moment.

The old Daoist suddenly looked up.

His eyes seemed to pierce through eons, met Xu Yang’s gaze for a moment. A faint smile hung on his lips as the hand holding the bamboo slips gestured a wave towards Xu Yang.

Next, the image of the old Daoist “preaching beneath the tree” gradually blurred.

Meanwhile, Xu Yang…

A violent shock rocked his heart!

He abruptly stood up, his face showing a look of astonishment… Was it his imagination?

If the ‘image’ he just witnessed was indeed the scene from the past when Master Laozi was teaching the Dao Te Jing, enacted by the Tree Spirit of the Ginkgo tree… why could he… see me?

After more than two thousand years… he could see me?

“Xu Yang, what’s wrong with you?”

The purple-robed old Daoist and Supreme Sage Shancun asked simultaneously.

It seemed that they couldn’t see what Xu Yang was seeing.

In the vibrant scenery of his vision, another image started to flicker. This time, it was a man dressed in silver armor, and the Ginkgo tree in the picture had grown much larger.

The man was sitting cross-legged under the tree, a long spear placed beside him.

He radiated a domineering aura of formidable vitality and true essence of martial art, but… the figured that ‘saw’ its onlooker from before did not appear again.

Images kept flickering.

Those were the residues left by the masters who once cultivated under the Ginkgo tree.

Xu Yang saw a Daoist who had a sword on his back and a Dharma seal around his waist, resembling the spitting image of the Ancestral Master of the Jingming Sect, Celestial Master Xu Xun.

Until the end…

The images came to a halt.

Among them was a middle-aged Daoist.

This Daoist looked around 40 years old; he exuded an indescribable sharpness and arrogance. He stood under the tree, his body filled with Dao rhyme. His familiar face invoked tears from Xu Yang.

“Grandpa….”

Xu Yang’s heart cried out.

He recalled what the purple-robed old Daoist had once said, that his grandfather had once visited Zongsheng Palace to discuss Daoism and lingered under the Ginkgo tree…

Finally.

The images dispersed.

Xu Yang stood under the Ginkgo tree, slowly closing his eyes.

On his body, the blue glow was becoming stronger!

Swoosh…

From the void, it was as if the sound of flowing water seeped through, as if a large river was brimming in the sky.

At this moment, inside Zongsheng Palace, even the entire Louguan Temple scenic spot, everyone involuntarily looked up, and vaguely, it seemed as if there was a long river surging in the sky!

P.S: The second update is here, the third might be a little late, probably after midnight. Please check it tomorrow!