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…………
At the same time, "White Tiger" Su Xiao also followed the instructions of the white-bearded old Taoist, carrying an old ax and preparing to chop wood in this dense pine forest.
His true essence was also sealed by the mysterious power in the ruins, temporarily turning him into a mortal without any extraordinary abilities.
But the expression on Su Xiao's face didn't change at all.
He went straight to a bush, looked at the ax in his hand, and then looked at the dead branches of the bush.
As a close disciple of the Master of the Jiange Pavilion and a proud man who grew up with everyone looking up to him, Su Xiao had never had any experience in chopping wood and did not know how to chop wood efficiently.
After he pondered for a moment, he picked up the ax as if swinging a sword and chopped off the branches in front of him.
Because the ax head was heavy and dull, there were obvious rust stains on the edge.
Su Xiao's violent chop only caused the entire bush to sway and shook off some yellow leaves, but failed to cut down any firewood.
Seeing such a scene, Su Xiao frowned slightly.
He couldn't help but think of the scene when his master taught him how to learn the sword step by step when he first joined the sword pavilion many years ago.
That year, he was still an ignorant little boy.
He stood on the steep mountaintop of Shu, holding a wooden sword in his hand, and stabbed the puppet in front of him with all his strength.
"boom!"
The wooden sword and the puppet collided hard.
Su Xiao staggered back, feeling her wrists trembling and her palms hurting sharply.
The puppet was unscathed and remained motionless.
A strong sense of frustration came over him.
He smashed the wooden sword on the ground, fell to the ground, cried loudly, and shouted, "I will never practice swordsmanship again."
The master was not angry, but picked up the wooden sword from the ground, handed it into his hand, and said to him calmly: "If it doesn't work once, just do it again."
"Then what if it still doesn't work?" The young Su Xiao raised his head and looked at the master with a pair of red eyes.
"Then do it a hundred times, a thousand times."
"..."
Thinking of this, Su Xiao stretched out her hand to wipe the sweat from her face.
In his opinion, chopping firewood is the same as practicing swordsmanship.
If it doesn't work once, try it again.
If you practice for a long time, you will succeed.
As long as you work hard, an iron pestle can be ground into an embroidery needle.
He has been convinced of this for nearly two decades.
So he swung the ax again and struck at the dry bushes ahead.
Once, twice, three times... dozens of times... hundreds of times...
His movements gradually became more skillful, and he chopped off firewood one after another.
However, the palms of his hands had a lot of blood blisters due to repeated labor. Once the blood blisters burst, he felt excruciating pain.
But he didn't care.
When he was practicing swordplay, his injuries were much more serious than this. Both hands were covered with calluses and he had long been numb to the pain.
Time passed quietly.
There were more and more firewood piled up at Su Xiao's feet.
At this time, two woodcutters wearing coarse shirts passed by Su Xiao.
They carried axes, each carried two bundles of firewood, sang folk songs loudly, and walked down the mountain.
But Su Xiao was completely unaware of this.
Unknowingly, in the process of swinging the axe, he had a new understanding of the secret sword technique of Jiange, "Pingtian Sword Art".
…………
Shangguan Jin took a deep breath.
Her ax slipped from her hand and hit the protruding rock, making a loud "clang" sound, and you could vaguely see the sparks shooting out.
Sweat seeped from her forehead, flowed across her cheeks, itching, and flowed into her mouth, making it salty.
The fair and delicate skin on her palms was also scratched with more than one wound, and bright red blood flowed out, soaking her sleeves.
And her spotless robe was now covered in dust and dirt.
Ever since Shangguan Jin became the personal attendant of the fifth-grade doctor and chief of the Exorcism Department, there had never been such a miserable time.
After all, she has always been a person who pays great attention to her own image.
Even when she was practicing sword practice, she would wrap her palms and body with true energy to avoid staining her clothes and leaving scars on her body.
Because of this, she felt very depressed.
She didn't want Gu Xu, Su Xiao, Chen Yanping and others to see her sloppy appearance after reaching the top of the mountain.
At this time, two woodcutters wearing coarse cloth and carrying axes passed by her while singing folk songs.
After seeing these two people, Shangguan Jin's eyes lit up, as if he had seen a life-saving straw.
But she did not immediately rush forward to ask the woodcutter for help.
Instead, she hid behind the pine tree and smeared blood and mud on her robe to make herself look more embarrassed.
Then, she took out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the dust and sweat off her face to prevent it from covering up her delicate and pure face.
At this time, she trotted to the two woodcutters who were passing by, bowed slightly to them, then raised her head, opened her eyes wide, and said in a particularly sincere tone: "Brothers, I actually didn't want to disturb you. . It’s just that the little girl has encountered some trouble. If she cannot solve it smoothly, she will be punished by her elders. I think the two brothers are kind-hearted, so I am here to implore them to lend a helping hand..."
At this point, she changed the topic and said in a softer tone: "Of course, if you two have something urgent to do, there is no need. I will find a way to solve it myself..."
"What trouble did you encounter that needed our help?" One of the woodcutter interrupted her and asked her.
Shangguan Jin lowered his head and described the pain of chopping firewood in detail.
During this period, she kept emphasizing that she was a weak woman who could not chop wood, and at the same time she did not forget to praise the two woodcutters for their experience and skill.
After hearing her words, both woodcutter smiled and readily agreed to her request.
In the next period of time, with their skilled skills, they helped Shangguan Jin chop down two tall piles of firewood and bundle them with hay.
At this moment, Shangguan Jin felt relaxed and happy.
She felt she had a chance to be the first person to reach the top of Mount Laoshan.
…………
Gu Xu was not in a hurry to chop wood.
He looked at the blunt and rusty axe, and couldn't help but frown slightly.
According to his estimate, if he wanted to use this broken ax to chop firewood, he would probably need to chop for several days to get two bundles of firewood as required by the old man with white beard.
Although he doesn't mind hardship.
But he always felt that such a test set by Kong Xuan Sanren would not be as simple as it seemed.
He stood under the pine tree and looked around.
In the field of vision, there is a lush green sky; the surrounding is extremely quiet, and only the slightest sound of wind can be heard.
At this moment, his eyes fell on a light brown stone under the pine tree.
It is smooth on one side and rough on the other.
The silvery white moonlight shines through the pine branches and leaves, casting dots of light spots on its surface.
With his extensive knowledge, Gu Xu recognized that the stone was a piece of "sandstone", a sedimentary rock mainly composed of quartz and feldspar.
This kind of rock has many uses, such as buildings, vessels, tombstones, floor tiles, vases...
And, whetstone.
"A sharpened sword will never make you a chopping wood." This is what Chen Jisheng emphasized more than once in front of Gu Xu.
Chen Jisheng had always been worried that under the pressure of life expectancy, Gu Xu would pursue the speed of practice at all costs and neglect the preparations he should make during practice.
Such as sufficient elixirs, such as a solid foundation, such as a calm mind.
Of course, judging from the actual situation, Gu Xu performed more steadily than Chen Jisheng imagined.
So at this moment, when he saw this whetstone, Gu Xu had a faint smile on his face.
He walked straight forward and sharpened the axe--using the rough surface of the stone to polish the curl and rust of the axe, and using the smooth surface to make the ax sharper.
This stone seemed to have a magical power, and the ax in his hand quickly became brand new and shimmered with cold light.
Next, it’s time to chop wood.
But Gu Xu didn't know any wood-cutting skills.
Most of the books in the Exorcist Department's library are related to spiritual practice, and it is impossible to teach him things that mortals do, such as chopping wood, farming, raising fish, etc.
At this moment, a rough and loud folk song came from the depths of the pine forest.
Gu Xu raised his head and saw the two woodcutters carrying axes and firewood, striding through the densely shaded pine forest.
At first glance, they looked like two ordinary people with no cultivation.
"But the problem is... how can there be mortals living in this isolated Laoshan Mountain for a long time?" Gu Xu immediately realized a serious problem, "What's more, for twenty-three years, the villagers at the foot of the mountain have been mysteriously massacred Unfortunately, he died."
He quickly came to the conclusion: These two villagers were most likely just illusions like the white-bearded old Taoist.
Immediately afterwards, he began to think again: What was the purpose of Kong Xuan Sanren creating the illusion of the two woodcutters?
After a moment, he had the answer in his mind.
He walked straight towards the two woodcutters and bowed his hands politely to them. At the same time, he claimed that it was his first time to chop wood and his technique was a bit unfamiliar. He hoped that the two woodcutters could provide some guidance.
The two woodcutter readily agreed.
One of them demonstrated and the other explained.
They told Gu Xu that the matter of cutting firewood seemed simple, but in fact there were many details that could not be ignored.
For example, the hands holding the ax should not be held too tightly, because during the process of chopping firewood, there will be a huge force that rebounds, which will shock the tiger's mouth until it hurts - but if you squeeze the ax more tightly, the rebound force will Being lighter will not hurt yourself and saves energy;
For example, if you encounter a tree knot when chopping firewood, you have to chop it several times over and over again, because the tree knot is usually very hard;
For example, when you cut down firewood and need to divide the tree segments, you must first stand the tree segments up, step on the horse, and then use the ax to break them down - the horse steps must be done well, and the feet must not be too close together. , otherwise if the ax hits the air, you will hurt your feet or other parts of the body;
For another example, the length of a piece of firewood should not exceed fifty centimeters - whether it is too long or too short, it is not suitable for burning in an earthen stove;
…
Gu Xu gained a lot from the words of the two woodcutters.
With his "knowledge and strong memory", he kept all the techniques mentioned by the woodcutter firmly in his mind.
After the woodcutter explained these techniques, he sang folk songs again, drifted away, and soon disappeared from the end of Gu Xu's field of vision.
Gu Xu held the handle of the ax and looked at the green vegetation around him.
He suddenly remembered another sentence Chen Jisheng once said to him: "There is always more than one path to practice."
Among them, there are straight shortcuts, wrong paths, and long and bumpy detours.
Choice is sometimes more important than effort.
It is better to find the right approach than to run blindly in the wrong direction.
…………
[This chapter has not been finished yet. There will be repeated content later. Please read it later! 】
[This chapter has not been finished yet. There will be repeated content later. Please read it later! 】
"Qingluan" Du Jingjing's fundamental purpose in entering the Laoshan ruins was not to seize the immortal inheritance.
"Qingluan" Du Jingjing's fundamental purpose in entering the Laoshan ruins was not to seize the immortal inheritance.
She knew very well that with her talent in cultivation, it was unrealistic to compete with monsters like Su Xiao, Chen Yanping, and Gu Xu for inheritance.
She has only one goal——
That is to kill Xiao Shangzhen and complete the task assigned to her by the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan.
The fierce competition among the princes of the Daqi Dynasty for the Tai'a Sword can be said to be in full swing.
Although the Emperor of Da Qi once ordered that the princes should not kill each other.
But this can only guarantee that they are brothers and sisters on the surface.
Privately, they can be said to have exhausted all means in order to compete for the right to inherit the throne.
Not long ago, after the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan returned from Yishan, he recruited Du Jingjing's teacher Tao Qian, the guest minister of Qingzhou Prefecture, with extremely favorable conditions.
Naturally, Du Jingjing also followed her teacher and joined the service of the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan.
Although Xiao Shangyuan is much older than Xiao Shangzhen, and his cultivation level is much higher than Xiao Shangzhen.
But deep in Xiao Shangyuan's heart, he was full of fear of his young and ignorant brother.
On the one hand, when Xiao Shangyuan used the "Tian Yan Stone" to test his cultivation aptitude, he had detected the third-grade phenomenon "Moon Flowing River"; but Xiao Shangyuan himself only detected the fourth-grade phenomenon "Youcao Oriole".
On the other hand, Xiao Shangyuan's mother is Chen Anzhi, the contemporary queen and the legitimate daughter of the Chen family in Xiangyang; but Xiao Shangyuan's mother was once an ordinary palace maid of humble origin - even after giving birth to a prince, she was only canonized as "Zhuang Zhuang". "Concubine" and did not get more holy favors.
In addition, the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen also has a scheming sister who is in charge of secular government affairs.
This means that even if Xiao Shangzhen only practices cultivation and does nothing else, he will still have a group of loyal supporters.
But like the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan, he could only rely on deception and inducement to barely build his own team.
It can be said that the two princes are very different in terms of innate conditions.
Although Xiao Shangzhen is not interested in the succession to the throne now, he just wants to sneak out to play, and for this reason he battles wits and courage with Princess Zhaoning all day long...
But what if he suddenly gets enlightened in the future?
Therefore, in the eyes of the eldest prince Xiao Shangyuan, only dead people are truly without threat.
However, it is not realistic to kill a prince within the scope of the Daqi Dynasty.
the reason is simple.
There are many monks in the Daqi Imperial Palace who are masters of divination and divination.
In addition, Luo Chuan, the head of the Exorcism Department, also claims to have insight into everything in the world.
He definitely couldn't hide the fact that he killed his younger brother.
But the Laoshan ruins are different.
Xiao Shangyuan knew that the restrictions placed by Kongxuan Sanren in Laoshan before his ascension could block the secrets of heaven.
It can block all communication between the ruins and the outside world.
Even Chief Luo of the Exorcism Department was unable to discern what was happening in the ruins.
At the same time, Xiao Shangyuan happened to know that Tao Qian's student Du Jingjing was a member of the reserve force of the "Shenji Camp" and was about to go to Laoshan with his younger brother Xiao Shangzhen to find the inheritance left by the immortal.
Xiao Shangyuan was immediately overjoyed.
He knew that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had finally arrived.
If the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen died in the Laoshan ruins, then as long as all the evidence related to him is erased, the world will never know who the real murderer is.
When that time comes, he can completely say, "It's all because of the terrible restrictions in the Immortal Cave that my brother unfortunately died." Then he can stay in his brother's mourning hall for a few nights, pretending to shed a few tears.
People in the world may still think that the two brothers have a deep relationship!
…………
Laoshan ruins, Juxiantai.
"Qingluan" Du Jingjing stood behind the fourth prince Xiao Shangzhen, holding a gleaming dagger at his neck. At this time, her face no longer had the shyness of the past, but became calm and calm.
She came prepared today.
Her teacher Tao Qian had been very kind to her, and she could not let her teacher down no matter what.
And she also understood that when Tao Qian joined Xiao Shangyuan's camp, the master and the apprentice would have no way out. If they succeed, they will become princes, and if they fail, they will become prisoners.
