"The Daodejing? What is that?"
Dongfang Dao looked at the book Ye Yun finally handed over, and was instantly taken aback. In this world, there were no moral bottom lines to speak of; living was a form of cultivation. Who would read the Daodejing?
"You can distribute this book within the Heavenly Expanse Empire. From the elders to the children, everyone can read it."
"This is a heavenly book. Those with talent can gain immense benefits from it, even comprehend supreme cultivation techniques."
Whether they could comprehend cultivation techniques, Sun Xiaoshan didn't know. But even commoners would benefit from studying the Daodejing, and it had an unparalleled effect on stabilizing the empire's grassroots.
"Supreme cultivation techniques? This... isn't it too much to let everyone comprehend? Perhaps it should be limited to a certain scope?" Wu Ming stood by, dumbfounded. Every cultivation technique was usually kept secret, for fear of others learning it. Yet here, Sun Xiaoshan was proposing widespread study.
"This book is not a cultivation technique, but a form of education, and also a guide. Everyone is different, and each person will perceive this book differently, gaining different inspirations. Perhaps some can comprehend supreme immortal cultivation techniques, some might glean martial arts mental techniques, or even strategies for governing a nation. It could even be about the way commoners interact with each other?"
"The most important thing about universal learning is that it can improve the overall quality of our human race. Then, the disciples we recruit for the Clear Moon Sect will be stronger, and our legacy will endure for a longer time!"
"Good!" Dongfang Dao shouted, startling Wu Ming.
"Well done, boy! I truly didn't misjudge you! Wu Ming, after this, you will make rubbings of these four cultivation techniques. As Xiaoshan suggested, but we can't just give them away for free. Apart from the 'Daodejing,' disciples of corresponding levels for the other three techniques must spend a certain amount of sect points to exchange for them." Dongfang Dao said enthusiastically.
Sun Xiaoshan's current combat power was comparable to an early Heavenly Venerate. With disciples all possessing cultivation techniques surpassing the Heavenly rank, it meant his sect would experience an explosive growth in power for some time to come!
Most importantly, the high-end combat power of the elders and true disciples could also break through in a short period, allowing them to keep pace with Ye Yun in the future.
Soon, Wu Ming left with the rubbings. These rubbings would be duplicated into more copies later, especially the Daodejing, which needed to be communicated with the Emperor of the Heavenly Expanse Empire. Coincidentally, Dongfang Dao also intended for the Heavenly Expanse Empire to begin a slow expansion, so this matter required his personal attention.
As for cultivation techniques not in the sect's possession, they were usually only duplicated into ten copies, which disciples could borrow using points.
However, this time, the usual convention was broken. The rubbing of 'Vast Radiance Sword Qi Art' reached ten thousand copies. Each inner disciple could borrow it for five days with a small amount of points. However, it had to be returned after five days and would be gradually destroyed thereafter.
During these ten years of closed-door sect training, the disciples had suffered almost no casualties. The number of inner disciples had surpassed thirty thousand, while the number of outer disciples remained just over seventy thousand.
In recent years, with the Clear Moon Sect's guard down, many human prodigies had died at the hands of alien races, resulting in a dwindling number of new disciples for the Clear Moon Sect, with the number of outer disciples recruited even being less than the number of inner disciples promoted.
This was also one of the reasons Dongfang Dao agreed to Sun Xiaoshan's suggestion to open the sect.
"Xiaoshan, your most important task now is to improve your strength and combat experience, as you haven't truly engaged in combat since you arrived at the sect." After Wu Ming left, Dongfang Dao said anxiously.
"Sect Master can rest assured. In these ten years, my cultivation has not been the only thing that has improved." Sun Xiaoshan possessed all of Ye Yun's memories, and this experience was almost ingrained in his bones.
"Good! That's good!"
Dongfang Dao could find no fault with Sun Xiaoshan, besides saying "good," he had no other words of praise.
"Sect Master, that... have my parents been well all these years?" Sun Xiaoshan asked after some hesitation. Eight years of interaction had forged some deep bonds in his soul.
Although Ye Yun had injected various divine senses, he hadn't imbued them with emotions and memories. However, through the reverse memory infusion, even though he had witnessed the life and death separations of loved ones, it had also made him yearn for familial affection.
"Don't worry. When you were declared dead to the outside world, your parents were brought to the sect. They are currently living in your former residence. However..." Dongfang Dao said with a strange expression.
"What's wrong?" Sun Xiaoshan looked at his expression, finding it perplexing. Since they were in the sect, and even in his former residence, there was no reason for them to be bullied.
"Uh, it's good news. You'll know when you go back and see." Dongfang Dao said with a smile.
Good news?
Sun Xiaoshan had originally planned to go back into seclusion if his parents were fine. But now, his curiosity had been piqued by Dongfang Dao.
Following his memories, Sun Xiaoshan found the residence allocated to him when he was promoted to elder.
"Dad, Mom, your most beloved son is back." Sun Xiaoshan shouted before even entering the gate, as if the twelve-year separation hadn't erased the childishness in his heart.
"Big brother, who are you? Are you here to see my parents?" Pushing the door open and stepping into the residence he had been away from for so long, he saw a little girl riding a wooden horse in the courtyard.
This...
Sun Xiaoshan was dumbfounded. Things seemed to be a bit off.
"Little sister, what's your name? And why are you here?" Sun Xiaoshan managed his expression and squatted down in front of the wooden horse, looking at the face that bore some resemblance to his own.
"Me? My name is Sun Xiaoyun. This is my home, so of course I'm here." The little girl looked at Sun Xiaoshan and then turned to call out into the house.
"You scoundrel, a big brother is here to see you!"
...
"Scoundrel?!"
This was undoubtedly his own mother! Even the tone of her voice and her accent were exactly the same! And this naming style was also very Yun Shan.
It's over. Am I lacking love? Does that mean familial love can also disappear?
"Xiaoshan?! You're back." Just as Sun Xiaoshan was in a daze, Sun Dashan came out from inside. Seeing Sun Xiaoshan, he was filled with surprise and joy.
"Dad, when did you secretly open a new account without telling me?" Sun Xiaoshan gloomily glared at him, then looked at his sister, who looked no older than three or four years old, sitting on the wooden horse.
"Xiaoyun, I'm your brother. Come, let your big brother hug you." Sun Xiaoshan said as he picked up his sister.
"Brother? Are you the big-headed brother that the scoundrel father and devil mother mentioned? Did you come back from fighting little monsters?" Sun Xiaoyun wasn't afraid of being held by Xiaoshan, but the string of harsh words from her mouth dealt blow after blow to Sun Xiaoshan.
Scoundrel father?
Devil mother?
And big-headed brother?
Ye Yun looked at his embarrassed father, feeling an urge to turn and flee.
"Dad, where are Mom and Mom?" Sun Xiaoshan asked, holding Xiaoyun, as he walked into the house.
This residence was allocated only to elders. The spiritual energy concentration in this area of the Clear Moon Sect was among the highest.
There were almost no elders like Ye Yun who brought their families to live here. This residence was usually the elder's place of seclusion. Normally, the families of elders or the Sect Master would be arranged to live on the outer mountain peaks, and some even lived in the mortal world.
"Your mother? She's gone to the outer sect." Sun Dashan said dejectedly.
"Outer sect? Why would she go to the outer sect?"
"Working. Since your sect was willing to take us in, we can't just do nothing."
"That's fine too. Wait, Dad, your cultivation... when did you switch from martial arts to cultivation?" Sun Xiaoshan was already accustomed to the situation of the wife being strong and the husband being weak.
But his own father was willing to abandon his martial arts path to become a cultivator? And judging by his cultivation, he seemed to have reached the Spirit Refining realm.
"Heh heh, after coming here, I've been envious every day seeing you disciples flying around. So, if I don't switch to cultivation, wouldn't I be wasting this rich spiritual energy?"
"Besides, it's too boring staying here, so I just practiced when I had nothing to do. Heh heh, Xiaoshan, my father's cultivation talent is not bad, is it? I'm a cultivator in the Spirit Refining realm now." Sun Dashan laughed heartily at Ye Yun.
Cultivators were the mainstream in this world, while martial arts were practiced by ordinary people in the mortal world. The difference between the two was vast.
For Sun Dashan now, although the Spirit Refining realm was only the third realm among cultivators, his combat power was still stronger than some Martial Lords.
However, cultivating to the Spirit Refining realm in ten years, while occupying the place with the highest spiritual energy concentration in the Clear Moon Sect, could only be considered mediocre talent. It would take at least another twenty years to break through again!
After that, he would fall into a predicament where cultivation and lifespan were at odds. If he didn't break through, he would watch himself die of old age. Just like Wu Ming before.
However, as his father in this world, Ye Yun would naturally not let him fall into such a situation. At the very least, he wanted the three of them to live until the opening of the Heavenly Dao!
When the Heavenly Dao opened, the Tenth and Eleventh Universes would connect, and he could use endless resources to forcefully extend their lifespans to tens of millions of years.
"Dad, you and Mom can cultivate these two techniques from now on. Perhaps before my 'ascension,' you can be invincible in the world?" Sun Xiaoshan said with a smile, pointing a finger at his brow.
Besides the Great Nirvana Technique, Ye Yun had also taught him a life-extending 'Longevity Technique.'
It could be said that as long as Sun Dashan and the other two cultivated this technique, their lifespans would be greatly increased.
Upon reaching the perfection of the first layer of the Longevity Technique, lifespan would increase by a hundred years; the second layer by two hundred years; the third layer by four hundred years! Upon reaching the perfection of the ninth layer, lifespan could increase by nearly a hundred thousand years!
Of course, the greatest function of the Longevity Technique was not to increase lifespan, but to improve one's talent and physique while improving cultivation, ultimately leading to a sublimation of life form.
"Holy crap, Xiaoshan, your methods are amazing." Sun Dashan felt a dizziness in his head, with a surge of new memories, he now looked at Sun Xiaoshan as if he were an immortal.
After coming to the Clear Moon Sect, he had often heard legends about his son. Therefore, when the Sect Master asked them if they wanted to disband their true qi and switch to cultivation, they agreed without hesitation.
"Whether it's amazing or not isn't important. What's important is that I'm your son." Sun Xiaoshan said proudly with a smile. From childhood to adulthood, the way he interacted with his father was always like this, more like friends than father and son.
"That's right, haha, when the son is amazing, the father is amazing." Sun Dashan laughed heartily. The twelve years had not left too many traces of age on him, except for the full beard that displeased Sun Xiaoshan. Otherwise, he looked honest and simple.
Xiaoshan played with his sister, who was a full eighteen years younger than him, for a while. His mother, Luo Meiyun, finally returned. After more than ten years, Luo Meiyun's actions were as decisive as ever. Besides work, she also took care of almost all the household chores, which made Sun Xiaoshan, who was accustomed to Blue Star's way of thinking, somewhat envious of his cheap dad.
However, thinking about it, Ding Yi also seemed quite virtuous!
At certain moments, Sun Xiaoshan surprisingly missed Ding Yi.
It seemed he still had to cultivate quickly and break through this封禁 as soon as possible. Then he could go back to see Ding Yi and their soon-to-be-born child.
"You brat, you go into seclusion for ten years at a time. The next time you go into seclusion, will your mother not even see you when she's buried? Do you think I went through all the trouble of giving birth to you just to poop you out?" Luo Meiyun twisted Sun Xiaoshan's ear. Upon meeting him, Yun's fierce demeanor once again dealt a heavy blow to Sun Xiaoshan.
Where was the promised gentleness and compassion? Where was the selfless maternal love?
"Mom, Mom, calm down. I'm a Mahayana expert now. How am I supposed to conduct myself in the sect if you do this?"
"Oh, Mahayana? Great expert? Even if the Jade Emperor himself came... no, you're my flesh and blood! What, you've gotten bold?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Meiyun's eyes, instead of reddening as expected, widened with a murderous glint.
"Mom, Mom, I was wrong. I'll report to you every month next time." Sun Xiaoshan, seeing that look, immediately recalled an unforgettable incident from when he was seven years old and quickly begged for mercy.
"Hmph, now you know to be afraid. Let me tell you, if you go into seclusion for so long again, I'll come directly to your secluded cave. Let's see who dares to stop me."
"Yes, yes..." Sun Xiaoshan lowered his head, not daring to speak. He shot a sideways glance at Sun Dashan, who was stirring up trouble nearby.
"Stay for dinner. Also, Sun Dashan, go wash the clothes by the door." Luo Meiyun said as she walked into the kitchen.
This residence originally had no kitchen. After they moved in, a kitchen, a bathroom, and other living amenities were added, even many things that did not belong to the current stage of this world.
Luo Meiyun was busy cooking, Sun Dashan was busy washing clothes, leaving a large and a small one to stare at each other in the living room.