In that distant little black house

Fellow Daoist Cen, surnamed Cen Mingzheng, is a veteran elder of the Lingxu sect.

He is much older than Zhang Jingmo, and is now in the late stage of Jindan.

It's just that he has been in the late stage of Jindan for more than six hundred years but has not conceived yet, and his remaining birthdays are not many.

Perhaps because of his eagerness to seek the Tao, Cen Zheng's temperament has become more and more eccentric in recent years. He rarely interacts with people on weekdays, and he never bows to himself unless it is necessary.

Usually his elixir is delivered by the boy, but this time he didn't know what kind of wind was blowing, but he came to the door by himself.

Cen Zheng said: "Friend Zhang Daoist, I have a request from the poor Daoist, I don't know..."

How could Zhang Jingmo not know what he wanted to say, before he waited for Cen Zheng to finish speaking, he interrupted: "If Fellow Daoist Cen came here for Yuan Qingdan, I'm sorry that I'm powerless and unable to help."

Cen Zheng's face darkened. His expression was already gloomy, but now he looked even more gloomy. He said: "It seems that Zhang Daoyou is not willing to give poor Daoist this face."

Zhang Jingmo still didn't feel the slightest touch—he knew the path this person would take in the future, either his lifespan was exhausted and he failed to conceive a baby, and he fell, or he fell into the evil way and was cut by the right way. Among the more than 120 endings , anyway, it does not belong to Cen Zheng's way of life.

The way of heaven is hard to break, Zhang Jingmo believes in fate, but he doesn't.

He believed that it was because of this endless cycle of reincarnation that he was like a rat in a vat, and he was powerless to escape even if he had no means to escape.He doesn't believe it, but even though he has failed countless times, he still has to fight and never give up.

But for this gloomy-faced person in front of him, Zhang Jingmo obviously had no intention of changing his fate for his sake, he said lightly: "I don't know if I won't give you face, Fellow Daoist Cen, I have some face, I really can't afford it."

Cen Zheng's face twisted.

Zhang Jingmo said again: "I refined three Yuan Qing Dan, two of which were given to the head. If Fellow Daoist Cen wants it, go to the head to ask for it." After finishing speaking, he was ready to turn around and leave.

How could Cen Zheng not know that Zhang Jingmo was mocking him, the relationship between him and the head of the sect has always been cold, if he went there to ask for it, he might not only fail to get the pill, but also suffer a sneer and ridicule.

As soon as Zhang Jingmo took two steps, he heard Cen Zheng's voice again, but this time what Cen Zheng said made his eyes turn cold.

Cen Zheng said: "Zhang Daoyou, if I remember correctly, you have a four-year-old apprentice."

Zhang Jingmo's footsteps stopped.

Cen Zheng said again: "If I remember correctly, after 12 years, it will be the Xuanwu Conference?"

Zhang Jingmo already knew what Cen Zheng wanted to say.

Cen Zheng said: "Do you know that there is a disciple under my sect who entered the Tao at the age of six and is now on the fourth floor of the Qi refining stage?"

Zhang Jingmo naturally knew it, not only he knew it, but the entire Lingxu Sect knew that Cen Zheng had a genius apprentice who entered Taoism at the age of six, and it took only five years to reach the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage.

But what about this?

Zhang Jingmo's figure remained steady, neither continuing to walk nor looking back.

Cen Zheng thought that Zhang Jingmo was afraid, but he didn't dare to turn his head because of face, so he laughed and said, "Tell me, how far can your disciple win in the Xuanwu meeting?"

Pulling out the chips is the method of measuring the disciples at the Xuanwu meeting.

Cen Zheng said again: "Tell me, what if your disciple suddenly fell into a coma and fell into the endless cold abyss..."

Every year at the Xuanwu Conference, there are disciples who die due to accidents. If this happens, the disciples who play tricks may be punished, but they will never be punished too severely.

Because the world of self-cultivation is such a world where the weak prey on the strong, if you can't even survive this level, then you don't have the qualifications to live.

Zhang Jingmo said: "So what does Fellow Daoist Cen mean?"

Cen Zheng said: "What I mean, you still don't understand? If the remaining Yuanqing Pill is still there, give it to me. I will definitely reward you dearly. If you have already eaten it, give it to me again... "

Zhang Jingmo said: "Fellow Daoist Cen, it doesn't seem to be daylight yet."

Cen Zheng was taken aback, but he didn't understand what Zhang Jingmo meant.

But Zhang Jingmo said with a smile: "No wonder, I think you seem to be in a dream, talking in your sleep."

Cen Zheng stared sharply, and reprimanded, "You are so ignorant of good and bad, Zhang Jingmo, wait for something to happen to your apprentice, come and cry with me!"

Zhang Jingmo laughed loudly, and he said: "Crying? I, Zhang Jingmo, have lived for so many years, and I really have never cried, but I want to remind you, if something happens to your darling apprentice, don't come to me to wipe your tears."

After he finished speaking, he left, and coldly threw two words at Cen Zheng: "No!"

Being ridiculed like this, Cen Zheng had no reason to stay any longer. He flicked his sleeves and walked away against the wind. Judging by his appearance, Zhang Jing was indeed furious.

Zhang Jingmo returned to the house, and said to the pale-faced Mingyue, "Call Lu Guijiu, you can go down and recuperate." After he finished speaking, he casually threw a bottle of healing elixir to Mingyue.

Seeing Zhang Jingmo's expressionless face, Mingyue also knew that her cave master was also very angry, so she made a promise and carefully retreated out of the room.

Zhang Jingmo propped his chin with his hands, but recalled what Cen Zheng said. If Cen Zheng hadn't reminded him, he would have almost forgotten such an important event - the Xuanwu Conference.

Every 20 years, the Lingxu Sect will hold a Xuanwu Conference, at which time all new disciples over the age of 15 must participate.

One of the most important items of the Xuanwu Conference is to raise funds.

Bamboo pieces filled with numbers will be suspended on boulders suspended in the air.The higher the number, the more difficult it is to obtain the bamboo pieces. Within one month, the disciples who can get the larger number of "chips" will be closer to the front.

Among them, the top three disciples have the right to choose three items in Lingxu Sect's Treasure Pavilion, which can be spells, spiritual energy, or even pills.

You can have as long as you want.

Back then, Lu Guijiu also participated in the Xuanwu Conference, but...he only got No.3.

As for the reason why Lu Guijiu was ranked third, Zhang Jingmo pressed his temples, but he couldn't remember... because when Lu Guijiu participated in the Xuanwu Conference, his big apprentice happened to come back from a trip.

Zhang Jingmo was busy preparing magic tools for the big apprentice to refine the elixir, and helping the apprentice overcome the catastrophe and build a foundation, so he didn't have the heart to take care of the Xuanwu Conference.

Thinking of this, and thinking of what Cen Zheng said just now, Zhang Jingmo suddenly became a little angry - but he didn't know whether he was angry with Lu Guijiu or himself.

Lu Guijiu, who was summoned by Mingyue, knocked on the door, and then softly called Master.

Zhang Jingmo said: "Come in."

Lu Guijiu came in respectfully. When he came, Mingyue told him that Zhang Jingmo was in a bad mood, and he hesitated to speak, and he didn't know what happened.

Seeing Lu Guijiu coming in, Zhang Jingmo didn't tell him to sit down as usual, but looked at his apprentice expressionlessly, and when Lu Guijiu felt a little uncomfortable, he called out: "Gujiu .”

Lu Guijiu said: "Master... I don't know what you want from me?"

Zhang Jingmo said: "Gujiu, do you know which word you hate the most as a teacher?"

Lu Guijiu shook his head in a daze

Zhang Jingmo smiled when he saw this, and his smile made Lu Guijiu inexplicably cold again, and then Lu Guijiu heard his master say softly: "Apprentice, the most hated word for a master, it is It's a second word."

Lu Guijiu repeated blankly: "Time?"

Zhang Jingmo said: "Secondly, from two years ago, not being good at it, not being good at it before and not being good at it is the second place."

Lu Guijiu vaguely understood what Zhang Jingmo was going to say.

Zhang Jingmo stood up and walked in front of Lu Guijiu. He looked down at Lu Guijiu from a high height. He neither picked up his apprentice nor squatted down to look at him. His eyes were rare cold. He said: "This time Goods are detested by the heavens."

Lu Guijiu looked up at his master, feeling that his master was so strange at this moment.

Zhang Jingmo said: "Whatever you want, the teacher will give you what you want, spiritual energy and medicine, chance luck, whatever the teacher has, I can give you."

Lu Guijiu listened quietly.

Zhang Jingmo said: "So, no matter what you do, you have to do your best." It's not that Zhang Jingmo deliberately forced Lu Guijiu, but the challenges that Lu Guijiu will face in the future are too difficult. It was reborn more than 120 times, and took countless opportunities, but still failed to survive.

Zhang Jingmo said: "You can hide your clumsiness in front of everyone, but let the teacher know your best side."

Lu Guijiu nodded. He didn't know what happened to Zhang Jingmo, but he knew very well that at this time, he just agreed.He felt that if he hesitated a little at this time, the person in front of him might not want him.

Zhang Jingmo saw Lu Guijiu nodding in satisfaction.

The eyes of the child in front of him are still full of ignorance, without the firmness of the future, nor the silence of the future, but he can already vaguely see the shadow of that all-powerful person.

After getting the answer, Zhang Jingmo's eyes softened, he touched Lu Guijiu's head, and called softly: "Gujiu."

Lu Guijiu knew that his favorite master had returned.

Zhang Jingmo bent down and picked Lu Guijiu up from the ground, and then asked him carefully if there was anything he didn't understand when he was practicing.Lu Guijiu answered obediently, he didn't ask what happened to his master, and he didn't ask any questions he didn't want to understand.

Zhang Jingmo knew that he had a precocious apprentice, but at least so far, he felt that Lu Guijiu's precocity was a good thing.Although deep down in his heart, Zhang Jingmo felt a little uneasy. He knew that he seemed to be raising a giant beast, but he was not sure whether it was the giant beast that helped him break out of the confinement, or swallowed him completely.