My Master’s Daoist Heart is Unstable - Chapter 2

Li Shangyuan soaked dazedly in the medicinal bath, his face covered in a dense layer of fine sweat.

Master’s new medicinal ingredients really hurt!

Amidst the alternating cold and heat, Li Shangyuan felt the pain seep from the outside in, as if it were invading his very marrow.

He gritted his teeth and endured in silence. After all, these were the medicinal ingredients Master had gone to great lengths to obtain for him.

In his hazy state, he heard the sound of voices approaching from outside the door. The person speaking to Master seemed to be faintly angry.

“So it really is a four-element inferior mixed spirit root! Guanfu, why are you still wasting spiritual baths on him every day with such a talent? This is a complete waste! Think about it carefully,” Zhong Yao advised.

He had spent an entire year on his journey, and just as he arrived at the Wanqing Sect, he received the Sect Master’s message. He was so delighted that he completely ignored the trading market—which only opened once every twenty years—and rushed back to see what kind of disciple could make his grand-disciple a Master.

He had done everything he could to shorten his journey, finally arriving at the Sect two months early.

But upon seeing the disciple, he couldn’t help but be appalled. How could someone with only the talent of a service disciple be his grand-disciple? How could he not be exasperated?

Shen Guanfu sighed silently. He knew this would happen.

Zhong Yao frowned deeply and pleaded earnestly, “The Disciple Acceptance Ceremony had a young man with extraordinary talent, a once-in-a-century find. Martial Uncle doesn’t understand why you would pass up such a candidate to bring back a Mixed Spiritual Root from the Mortal Realm…”

Zhong Yao paused abruptly. He knew his martial nephew was always a steady and prudent man who would never act so recklessly. “Could it be… that this boy has some extraordinary quality?”

“Not at all. He simply caught my eye,” Shen Guanfu replied slowly.

Li Shangyuan, who had grown accustomed to belittlement from a young age, was so stunned by his Master’s words, which weren’t even a compliment, that he began to smile foolishly, completely forgetting to circulate his qi to regulate his breath.

Zhong Yao was speechless for a moment before trying to persuade him again, “Guanfu, your lineage must not be severed. With this boy’s talent, inheriting your lineage would be as difficult as ascending to heaven. Martial Uncle still hopes you will reconsider.”

After all, Shen Guanfu was Ancestor Wunian’s only personal disciple. If he took on a disciple with such poor talent, the Wushang Sect’s Wunian lineage would surely come to an end!

Shen Guanfu didn’t speak or nod. His gentle face, however, clearly showed his unwavering resolve.

Zhong Yao couldn’t help but sigh and silently thought, Senior Brother! Your disciple is truly stubborn!

But in the end, he wasn’t from Wunian’s lineage—only a fellow disciple of the same generation. Otherwise, he would have forced another disciple upon Shen Guanfu to prevent the lineage from dying out.

Why hasn’t Master answered yet? Has he really decided to abandon me?

Li Shangyuan subconsciously clenched his small hands, his heart gradually filling with dread.

Zhong Yao knew his junior disciple’s temperament. Once he made a decision, no amount of persuasion could easily change his mind.

He could only try to retreat to advance, saying, “How about this: you transfer this child to the Sect Master and change your personal disciple to that child with the Heavenly Spirit Root. How does that sound?”

Shen Guanfu raised his eyes slightly and then softly said, “Since I have already accepted him, how can I change it so casually? Besides, I intend to only take this one disciple in my lifetime.”

The warm voice he suddenly heard seemed to melt from his ear into his heart, and joy rang out in his mind like shattered jade falling on pearls.

Li Shangyuan finally received his Master’s answer, and it was just as much a promise as he had hoped.

Zhong Yao was furious, but seeing his only remaining disciple, he couldn’t bring himself to vent his anger and could only leave with a grim expression.

As footsteps drew closer, Li Shangyuan hadn’t yet had time to wipe away his tears.

Shen Guanfu looked at the child, who was trying to act tough despite his teary eyes, and asked with a faint smile, “You heard everything?”

Li Shangyuan sniffled and slowly waddled to the edge of the pool. He couldn’t help but reach out with his small hand to clutch his Master’s robes, lifting his head and mumbling, “Master, I’ll be good. I’ll listen to you.” So, don’t listen to Martial Uncle saying you don’t want me.

Shen Guanfu’s expression was obscured by the rising steam. He merely looked down at Li Shangyuan’s hand, which hadn’t yet been dipped in the medicinal bath, and gently reminded him, “Put your hand in.”

Hearing this, Li Shangyuan immediately let go and quickly placed his hand in the water. After adjusting his posture, he blinked up at his Master, signaling that he would soak obediently.

Seeing this, Shen Guanfu continued patiently, “Focus your mind. Tomorrow, when you cultivate, we will see if the new medicinal ingredients are effective.” After Li Shangyuan nodded obediently again, Shen Guanfu vanished instantly.

Li Shangyuan continued to stare at the spot where his Master had been standing for a long time before finally focusing his mind to circulate his qi and clear his meridians.

Shen Guanfu teleported to the top floor of the Library, passing straight through the barrier. He stopped in the center of the room, then with a flick of his fingers, deactivated the restriction.

The characters on the mural came alive, disassembling and reassembling into a series of runes that formed a small formation around him.

In an instant, a flash of light swept through, and the top floor of the Library returned to its silent state, as if no one had ever been there.

For the past two years, he had been preoccupied with reshaping his disciple’s meridians. He couldn’t afford to rush, yet he had to find a method that was compatible with Li Shangyuan’s body—a task that had consumed a tremendous amount of his energy.

But all for the sake of ascension. Shen Guanfu had no other choice.

He had initially thought the Ice-Subduing Beast’s inner core could stimulate and widen the overly narrow meridians throughout Li Shangyuan’s body. However, just now by the medicine pool, he had used his spiritual power to probe and found the effect to be negligible—no wider than a strand of hair.

He was truly bewildered. How could someone chosen by the Heavenly Dao have such poor aptitude? If he didn’t know that even the Heavenly Dao was bound by the rules of the world’s operation, he would have suspected it was deliberately hindering this generation of cultivators from ascending.

He withdrew from his thoughts and scanned the sealed chamber, his gaze finally settling on an ancient tome.

At the first light of dawn, Li Shangyuan had already been practicing his cultivation techniques with meticulous precision beneath the white magnolia tree in the courtyard.

But even after trying for half the morning, he still couldn’t draw Qi into his body. He repeated the attempt over and over, failing each time, yet he never stopped.

Shen Guanfu had witnessed the entire scene. After a moment, he stepped forward.

As soon as Li Shangyuan saw him, he immediately bowed formally, but his voice was choked with self-reproach and sobs. “Master, I’m sorry… I’m useless… I’ve even wasted your medicinal herbs…”

Hearing the boy’s words, Shen Guanfu blurted out without thinking, “What else can we do? How about drinking the herbal bathwater again?” For some reason, he suddenly felt the urge to tease him.

Li Shangyuan’s eyes widened. He hadn’t considered that such an option was possible. He nodded emphatically and said with utter seriousness, “Then I’ll go drink it right now.” With that, he turned and headed toward the side hall.

Shen Guanfu followed slowly behind him and asked again, “How do you plan to drink it?”

Li Shangyuan stopped in his tracks and began to think seriously.

As if an idea had struck him, he asked hesitantly, “Master, should I drink it all in one go?” When his Master didn’t respond, he added in a small, anxious voice, “Maybe I can wait until I’m a little older to drink it? That way I can drink more at once.”

Master had a storage spiritual bag; the medicine’s potency wouldn’t diminish if stored inside.

Shen Guanfu glanced down at the tuft of hair standing up on top of the child’s head and said plainly, “Hmm… Alright. I will store it in the storage bag for you first. You can drink it when you’re older.”

Hearing this, Li Shangyuan couldn’t help but step forward and lean close to his Master, his eyes shining brightly. “Thank you, Master!”

Shen Guanfu averted his gaze and gently pushed the child away, creating some distance between them.

Only then did he return to the main point. “Alright, I have discovered another pill formula that can reshape your spiritual root. I will go into secluded cultivation to refine the pill. Once you take it, your cultivation level will increase.”

Seeing this, Li Shangyuan silently took two steps back. His lips parted several times, but he couldn’t help but ask softly, “Then how long will Master be in secluded cultivation?”

“It is not yet known. During this time, you will attend classes with the Sect Master’s personal disciple. Do not forget to cultivate.”

Li Shangyuan recalled what the Elder had taught during the pill refining class. Pill refining was said to be the most energy-consuming process, and under normal circumstances, it would be difficult to complete in less than three to five years.

He silently lowered his eyes, hating his own uselessness.

Then, he cupped his hands and took his leave, slipping away to cultivate once more.

Before Shen Guanfu went into secluded cultivation for pill refining, he still needed to find a certain medicinal herb. Just as he was about to set out, he ran into Zhong Yao and Jin Youdao, who had come to find him.

After learning the news, the latter was still lost in thought, while the former resolutely opposed it:

“This pill formula has never been tested. Whether it is genuine or not is one thing, but the Dizhuo Grass you need grows on Cangqi Mountain. This mountain is surrounded by miasma. A single mistake could damage a cultivator’s very foundation. Why do you insist on this?”

Zhong Yao’s beard quivered up and down with anger. This martial nephew of his was surely driven mad by his disciple.

Jin Youdao frowned, clearly agreeing with Ancestor Zhong Yao’s sentiment.

Shen Guanfu felt a headache coming on. If he hadn’t always been unwilling to hide things from his fellow disciples, he would have long since brushed them off with an excuse.

“I have a lead now, so you don’t need to worry,” Shen Guanfu said, then turned his head to look at Jin Youdao.

As soon as Jin Youdao met his Ancestor’s gaze, he understood immediately and hastily rose to go and appease the other Ancestor Chongyao, who had already left in a huff.

“You can come out now,” Shen Guanfu said softly to the figure behind the door.

Li Shangyuan immediately ran to Shen Guanfu’s side.

“Master, this disciple… this disciple is not worth Master taking such risks for.”

Li Shangyuan gripped his Master’s robes tightly. If he hadn’t deliberately eavesdropped, he would never have known that the ingredients for refining this pill had to be sought in such a perilous place.

Shen Guanfu comforted him gently, “Alright, Master is willing. Say no more. You just need to cultivate diligently; leave the rest to me.”

Li Shangyuan lowered his gaze, remaining silent for a moment before taking two steps back. He then performed a disciple’s salute with utmost respect, his tone exceptionally firm.

“Master, rest assured, this disciple will definitely cultivate even more diligently to live up to Master’s care.”

Shen Guanfu nodded with a smile, his expression full of approval.

After Li Shangyuan took his leave, Shen Guanfu watched the youth’s departing figure, his smile fading slightly as his amber eyes became as calm as still water.

From then on, the soundproofing formation in the inner hall of Fufeng Peak was never activated again.

Barely half a year had passed since Shen Guanfu returned from Cangqi Mountain with the Dizhuo Grass. During this time, Li Shangyuan cultivated diligently without a single day’s rest, yet his cultivation level did not advance by even half a step.

Shen Guanfu offered a few symbolic words of comfort before entering secluded cultivation to refine pills.

Li Shangyuan thus continued his diligent cultivation while attending the Sect’s classes. Three years passed on Fufeng Peak, with white magnolias blooming and withering, before Shen Guanfu finally emerged from seclusion.

Having consumed the pill refined by his Master half an incense stick’s time ago, Li Shangyuan felt his entire body’s meridians fracturing with pain—an agony even more excruciating than the medicinal baths.

Now possessing the physique of a young man, Li Shangyuan sat cross-legged on the Ice Jade, his jaw clenched tight and his face contorted with pain. He still remembered his Master’s instructions on the cultivation technique, forcing himself to maintain his will and circulate his qi to regulate his breathing.

In an instant, pale red blood droplets continuously seeped from his pores. The sound of continuous snapping echoed within his body, signaling the complete shattering and restructuring of his meridians.

After an unknown amount of time, the pain receded. Li Shangyuan finally relaxed, then promptly lost consciousness.

Shen Guanfu fished him out of the pool before he could sink to the bottom. When Li Shangyuan next opened his eyes, he saw his Master sitting cross-legged beside him.

“It’s good that you’re awake.”

Hearing his Master’s voice, Li Shangyuan instinctively apologized, “Master, I’m sorry.”

Upon waking, he felt no changes other than a slight increase in his spiritual power.

Shen Guanfu opened his eyes and said gently, “It’s all right. At least your spiritual energy is a bit more abundant now.”

Shen Guanfu hadn’t expected the boy’s reconstructed spirit root to be identical to the previous one. The rules of the Heavenly Dao were truly stubborn.

He gazed at Li Shangyuan’s lowered head and continued, “Master will think of another way. You should rest for now.” After enduring multiple rebirths, what was this in comparison?

Li Shangyuan silently watched his Master’s departing figure, his heart aching. He couldn’t help but despise himself—Why am I so foolish.

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