Chapter 7, the Dream Goddess offers guidance through the maze

The beautiful woman let out a soft "Oh" and continued, "Young Master Taishi, it is a pleasure to meet you! As for my name and background, you will come to know in due time... The reason I have come to meet you is that you are favored by fate, and your unintentional actions have contributed to my cultivation. In return, I would like to grant you some special abilities through my magic. What do you think, Young Master?"

In a state of confusion, Taishi Ci felt that a stranger had arrived outside the tree house. He rose and walked out, and his eyes were immediately drawn to a woman in colorful garments: she was as beautiful as a flower, with brows like distant mountains, eyes filled with autumn waves, and a countenance that was ethereal and extraordinary, fresh as if a fairy had descended from the heavens

Hehe, please believe me, my lord, I harbor no ill intentions towards you... The beauty's smile is as light and carefree as a gentle breeze, instilling deep trust. "Please, my lord, gently close your eyes and maintain a calm and peaceful heart..."

The bizarre loss of the bronze box did not evoke any resentment in Taishi Ci towards the beautifully dressed woman. Instead, he smiled and leaped up, reaching out to grab the animal skin. However, it was as if he were trying to fish the moon from the water; the animal skin, so close at hand, remained just out of his grasp. In his impatience, he was about to exert all his strength when suddenly, he felt a sense of awakening.

At this moment, Taishi Ci already understood why the beautiful woman in colorful attire left five bottles of elixirs: the five bottles of blue elixirs were foundational cultivation pills of the water element, crafted by ancient alchemists. For ordinary people, consuming one can enhance physical strength and prolong life, while for martial artists, taking one can promote their cultivation and accelerate their training speed

According to the information provided by the beautiful woman in my dream: in ancient times, martial arts were classified according to the five elements. Based on the standards of the five-element martial arts, "Wave" is categorized as a water-based martial art

Tai Shici suppressed the sorrow in his heart and weakly waved his hand in the direction where the golden-haired monkey had disappeared. After eating some mountain fruits to stave off hunger, Tai Shici busied himself with securing his dwelling, and then he fell into a deep sleep

Due to the forceful indoctrination by the beautiful woman, Taishi Ci has a profound understanding of martial arts. He knows that contemporary martial arts differ significantly from those of ancient times; contemporary martial arts place greater emphasis on lethality, while ancient martial arts focused on the cultivation of "the unity of heaven and man"

Tai Shici, upon hearing this, blushed and softly replied: "My surname is Tai Shi, my given name is Ci. I am from Huang County in Donglai Prefecture, Qingzhou, and I am fourteen years old"

At this moment, Tai Shici was truly bewildered. Could it be that a beautiful dream has come true? It had been a long time since he had last dreamed; what exactly had happened?

The woman in colorful attire seemed to have encountered countless people, understanding the youthful innocence and shyness of Taishi Ci. She gazed at him with her beautiful eyes and said gently: "Hehe, young man, today we are destined to meet. I have specially come to visit you and the library... Young man, the place you are in is called Ice and Fire Island. As for the situation of this island, I will inform you shortly!"

Every day, Tai Shici feels a remarkable progress in himself. Every day, Tai Shici is exceptionally delighted

Ancient martial arts emphasized the relationship between life itself and the universe from the very beginning of training, focusing on the alignment of the individual's realm and cultivation. In contrast, contemporary martial arts prioritize achieving lethality in the shortest time possible, centering on the dantian, followed by unblocking the Ren and Du meridians, then the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and subsequently the entire body

Tai Shici, holding a white mat, was at a loss. The woman in colorful attire extended her delicate white fingers and pointed ahead. Unconsciously, Tai Shici walked in front of the woman in colorful attire and knelt on the mat.

When Taishi Ci fully awakened, he got up and patted his forehead, realizing it was all just a dream. Truly, it was just a dream.

After reading the first part, Taishi Ci initially grasped the basic framework of "Lang". The practice of Lang is divided into three realms: the first realm is the Cultivation of the Original Energy, which internally involves unblocking the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and externally focuses on strengthening the body through exercises such as splits and flexibility training. The second realm is the Foundation Solidification Period, where the internal aspect is to unblock the Ren and Du Meridians, while the external aspect is to become proficient in the techniques of "Lang Gong". The third realm is the Maturity Period—Five Energies Returning to Origin, where the internal requirement is to channel water energy throughout the body, including the skin and hair, allowing the water energy to be transformed at will into other energies within the Five Elements. This transcends the mutual generation and restriction of the Five Elements, reaching the realm of the transformation of the Five Elements.

Tai Shici dreamily followed her into the tree house. Under Tai Shici's gaze, the woman in colorful attire performed a trick, conjuring two white cushions out of thin air. After handing one cushion to Tai Shici, she knelt gracefully on the other, resembling a delicate willow swaying in the wind.

Tai Shici looked at the golden-haired monkey with deep gratitude. If it were not for the golden-haired monkey, he would have perished in this unfamiliar place long ago. The golden-haired monkey paid no attention to Tai Shici's gratitude, instead fixating its gaze on the box engraved with lightning, its expression exceedingly unnatural

"Hehe, a guest has arrived, why is the host not being welcoming?" The woman in colorful attire said with a charming laugh. Her voice was gentle and melodious, making it very pleasant to listen to.

At only fourteen years old, Tai Shici, inexperienced and naive, suddenly felt his handsome face flush bright red. Seeing Tai Shici's embarrassment, the woman in colorful attire casually walked into the tree house.

When he opened his eyes again, the beautiful woman had mysteriously vanished, along with the four bronze boxes. On the ground, there was only a pile of animal hides, the Star-Moon Battle Armor, four hand halberds, a sword, and five blue porcelain bottles

Subsequently, the golden-haired monkey, with tears in its eyes, slowly walked out of the tree house. By the time Taishi Ci sensed that it was the moment for the golden-haired monkey to leave him, the monkey had already transformed into a beam of golden light and vanished from his sight

It let out a series of "chirps" and then turned around, pointing in a certain direction. Tai Shici understood its meaning: the golden-haired monkey was indicating that there was a grove of mountain fruits in that direction that Tai Shici needed.

Although reserved and shy, Taishi Ci still knew how to express his gratitude. He lowered his head and nodded respectfully to the beautiful woman as a sign of thanks

Tai Shici looked around the tree house, and the scene was like a dream. Four bronze boxes had vanished without a trace, and a white mat along with some animal skins were neatly arranged on the ground

Regarding the martial arts recorded in "The Waves," Tai Shici is extremely interested in the "Treading the Waves" technique. If he can cultivate to the realm of "Shrinking the Earth to an Inch," he would be able to ride the wind and walk on the waves. In this way, he could embark on the journey home and reunite with his mother

The historian Tai Shici, well-versed in the art of war and poetry, understood that one cannot become fat in a single bite; cultivation requires a step-by-step approach. Thus, in a solitary environment, Tai Shici embarked on a journey of solitary cultivation: meditating at set times, breathing in the old and the new; exercising regularly, practicing the martial arts techniques of "Surfing Eighteen Styles"; and training in the "Treading Waves" body technique at scheduled intervals

Tai Shici seemed to be hypnotized, following the instructions given to him. He did not see how the beautiful woman cast her spell; he felt a heaviness between his brows. Then, a beam of white light merged into his mind. After the white light vanished in an instant, Tai Shici gained clarity on many matters.

Tai Shici pursed his lips and tacitly agreed to the beauty's request

In the midst of confusion, Tai Shici picked up the animal skin and stepped out of the tree house. It was now the morning of the following day. Tai Shici held the animal skin up to the bright sunlight, and as he glanced at the shadow of the animal skin on the ground, he finally recognized the strokes and lines; they were ancient characters from a primordial era.

The abilities gained in his dreams made Taishi Ci burst into laughter. He excitedly ran back to the tree house, bringing all the animal skins into the sunlight. One by one, he examined the animal skins under the sun, almost memorizing the knowledge of the skins completely.

The eighteen pieces of animal hide record the ancient martial arts cultivation secrets: the martial arts manual is titled "Waves," and it is divided into three sections: the cultivation chapter, the martial arts techniques, and the body movement.

The external requirement of the third realm, the maturity stage, is that the practitioner must cultivate the "Wave Treading" technique recorded in the "Waves" to its utmost, achieving the state of "shrinking the land to an inch"

"Hehe, young man, what is your name and surname, and where are you from?" the beautiful woman asked gently

Through the words of the beautiful woman, Tai Shici vaguely understood that her arrival was related to his opening of the four boxes. As for what special abilities she possessed, Tai Shici was very eager to acquire them. To be able to come and go freely in the primeval forest, the beautiful woman was certainly not an ordinary person