Chapter 5: The Elder, the Falling Star, and the Young Man
Having already reached the summit, Xu Yun was completely unaware that below, a person was rapidly ascending the steep cliffs, taking the shortest route towards the clearing where the girl had once stood.
After a moment, his expression brightened again as he remembered that he had not written his name on that piece of paper. Who would that old man go to for the debt in the future? He quickly turned around to take a cautious glance and, in the next moment, dashed out of the attic, nearly colliding with two disciples who were cleaning at the door.
I know you look down on this worthless thing here. Here, take a look at this book; I usually wouldn't part with it. The old man proudly pointed to the golden book in his hand, then shoved it into Xu Yun's hands, continuing to say: This is a star technique I created when I suddenly had an epiphany while advancing to the Starry Realm, and it is well-known throughout the Yuandao Sect.
Indeed, a hundred taels for a book is truly a significant profit
Xu Yun strolled along the white jade path, her face radiating a brilliant smile. She thought to herself that this time she had truly made a profit, having spent her last one or two silver coins to purchase a book crafted entirely of pure gold, which could easily yield a profit of several dozen silver coins.
The two disciples watched as Xu Yunyu's figure grew increasingly distant, their expressions shifting continuously.
Xu Yun was speechless as he held the paper and pen, staring blankly for a while before finally reacting. He licked the dry tip of the pen and began to write swiftly. Beneath the remaining ink was a faintly visible string of characters, but the old man seemed indifferent to this. He snatched the paper away and, in the next moment, had returned to the square table, where, in just a moment, the sound of snoring was heard again
Xu Yun was startled by the old man's action. Observing the old man's strength, if he were to truly become angry, it would be frightening; even a breath from him could be unbearable. The old man now appeared quite upset, so it was best not to provoke him. Xu Yun hurriedly attempted to explain: "I..."
One hour later
... ...
I never expected to leave just now, and yet I must return. However, when it comes to cultivating martial skills, it is best to find a quiet place. Yet, I must keep a distance from that girl in green.
At last, Xu Yun reluctantly placed the book into her arms, her thoughts turning for a moment before she lifted her foot and walked towards the familiar ten-thousand-meter peak in the distance
After a while, Xu Yun reluctantly picked up the dirty books from the ground. Looking at the messy footprints on the pages, she let out a soft snort and said, "After all, they were bought with money; it would be truly regrettable not to take a look at them."
Xu Yun was taken aback, feeling somewhat at a loss in his heart: "What does this mean?"
The old man was speaking when he seemed to suddenly discover something. Taking advantage of Xu Yun's inattention, he glared fiercely at the disciples who were constantly looking around in the distance. He then leaned a little closer to Xu Yun, his voice taking on an unusually mysterious tone: "How about this, I find you quite agreeable, this star technique is sold to others for a hundred taels of silver, but I will sell it to you for just ten taels of silver."
At this moment, the eyes sparkle with brilliance, joy is evident in every expression, and the pages are constantly turning
Xu Yun felt an intense heat surging through all 360 acupoints in his body, a tremendous force erupting from within, as if his body were about to explode. The exposed skin revealed an unusual flush of red, and with a roar, he struck a powerful punch against the hard rock. At the same time, a clear image of a water-blue star appeared behind him, and an immense, overwhelming pressure radiated outward.
As Xu Yun was about to step out of the Wu Pavilion, his pupils suddenly constricted. He took a few steps back, startled, and looked at the old man who had suddenly appeared before him. As if recalling something, his gaze subtly swept towards the direction of the square table. He sighed inwardly, realizing it was indeed him, while simultaneously pondering, "Could it be that the noise from dropping the book just now was too loud, waking this strange old man, and now he has come to settle the score with me?"
However, the power of this "Falling Star" actually depends on the solidity of one's natal star. The so-called solidity refers to the degree of similarity between one's own natal star and the corresponding stars in the endless cosmos. For the Earth visitor Xu Yun, this is simply an extraordinary benefit
Before Xu Yun could speak, the old man swiftly moved and embraced Xu Yun's shoulders. With a flip of his palm, a book shimmering with golden light was cradled in his hand. Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the cover of this book was actually made of gold
Xu Yun looked up at the towering mountain peak rising 10,000 meters before him. As he leaped forward, he climbed along the steep mountain path, disappearing into the endless sea of trees.
The old man looked at Xu Yun with a shocked expression, a strange smile flashing across his face, and he clicked his tongue, saying: "Not bad, little fellow. The posture you had when you dropped the book just now has quite the style of my younger days."
Xu Yun possesses a kind of persistent confidence, or rather, a pride that stems from having once been a citizen of Earth. On this Qianyuan Continent, in terms of understanding the celestial bodies of the universe, Xu Yun is undoubtedly among the foremost individuals.
"It's nothing, five taels will do," the old man said. After saying this, he looked at Xu Yun's still awkward expression, and his face suddenly changed. He raised his sleeve and cast a ripple of starlight, which, upon touching Xu Yun, vanished instantly. Then, holding a piece of broken silver in his hand, he became so angry that he puffed out his beard and glared: "You only have one tael of silver."
Falling Stars, signifying the descent of celestial bodies, draws upon the power of the stars within the mind's domain. It activates the boundless potential of the body, with every action resembling the fall of a star
Xu Yun stared blankly at the exquisite books in his hands, raised his hand and directly placed them into his bosom, feeling quite chaotic inside, secretly thinking that this old man is truly quite ill.
"Done." The old man’s eyes suddenly brightened. He raised his hand and summoned a pair of paper and brush that flew out from Xu Yun's embrace, chuckling, "Scholars are indeed good; they even carry such things with them. Now I say, you write."
Has Elder Shouge sold more than three hundred copies this month?
"Senior, what do you mean by this?" Xu Yun said, somewhat at a loss as he struggled. However, no matter how much strength he exerted, he could not break free from the old man's arm, who seemed oblivious to his plight and showed no intention of letting go.
The old man raised his hand and handed the paper and pen to Xu Yun, mumbling for a while, then lightly cleared his throat and began to speak: "Today, I owe Elder Lin Changqing of the Shouge nine taels... no, ninety-nine taels of silver, to be repaid within one year... Hey, hurry up and write it down."
He reached out to brush the dust off the pages and casually scanned with his eyes
Xu Yun once again stood atop this mountain peak, gazing at the trees and rocks scattered around him. His mood was entirely different from the last time. With his eyes closed, he felt the gentle breeze carrying the natural fragrance of the forest, listening to the rustling sound of the leaves. He found the sensation in his heart to be extraordinarily beautiful and melodious, unable to resist the urge to shout out loud, yet in the end, he merely shook his head and refrained from taking action
En? Xu Yun only saw the first sentence, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat, with only one thought in his mind: "This star technique actually has no acupoint restrictions, but instead draws upon the power of the natal star. Does that mean..."
In my earlier days, I comprehended the path of the falling stars, and thus created this technique. I initially believed that I could harness this stellar skill to unlock the boundless potential within the human body. However, even the most solid of the original stars of the Yuan Dao sect can only increase strength by three thousand jin through this technique, while an ordinary star cultivator can merely augment their strength by a hundred jin. How lamentable, how sorrowful.
He decided to try whether the "Falling Star" could truly be cultivated. With a soft exhale, he followed the records of the "Falling Star," allowing his consciousness to sink into his life star. In an instant, the life star pulsed like a beating heart, emitting a sound like a "thump," and an invisible ripple spread out, instantly enveloping all three hundred and sixty acupoints in his body.
It is indeed so! At this moment, Xu Yun finally understood why that old man would use this star technique to deceive others. Clearly, he was unwilling to see his own created star technique go unnoticed. However, the power of this star technique was simply too weak, which is why he resorted to such actions. Nevertheless, this ability to swindle money must be considered a form of unhealthy obsession.
Moments later, behind a massive rock at the foot of the mountain, a thin young man with a sharp nose and a lewd expression emerged. He gazed in the direction where Xu Yun had disappeared, his face displaying considerable confusion: "I never expected there would actually be someone unafraid of death, daring to come to Black Rock Mountain. Could it be that they are here to steal my business? This won't do. Although Lin Qiao'er could return at any moment and might be blocked on the mountain, if I don't go up now, I'm afraid all the good stuff will be taken by this kid."
At that moment, the figure that had been sleeping on the square table suddenly raised its head, revealing an old man with skin as delicate as that of a baby. The old man's eyes shone with a terrifying brightness, akin to a hunter who has found its prey. In the next instant, he let out a strange chuckle, and his figure vanished into thin air.
With a thunderous roar, amidst the overwhelming sound, clouds of dust spread across the sky, and the violent air currents pressed down on the surroundings, causing the trees to bend and nearly break. Beneath the dust lay a massive pit, approximately five meters in diameter and one meter deep. The cracks extending across the ground resembled writhing serpents, while a large amount of rubble tumbled down from the mountain peak, making the entire mountain appear as if it were splitting and collapsing.
However, when it came to the end, Xu Yun could no longer continue speaking. Looking at the golden powder continuously falling from the paper in his hand, his lips twitched incessantly: "This old man is truly ruthless, actually using gold powder to fool people. Even if I scrape it all off, I probably won't even recover the cost of one or two silver coins."
In a fit of anger, he forcefully threw the book in his hand to the ground, as if to vent his frustration, and then stomped on it a few times, feeling somewhat relieved afterwards
Smiling triumphantly for a while, he reached into his bosom and took out the ornate book, pulling the cover off without a second thought, muttering continuously: "Escaping poverty and achieving prosperity, this feeling is truly..."
Xu Yunyuet felt increasingly uneasy; this old man somehow resembled a vendor of dog-skin plaster from a past life. However, the situation was already quite clear: if he did not purchase this star technique, the outcome would surely not be favorable. Yet, the ten taels of silver posed a bit of a dilemma. His expression turned somewhat awkward as he said, "Senior, I currently do not have ten taels of silver."
"By harnessing the power of my natal star, I will pierce the three hundred and sixty acupoints, causing all the acupoints in my body to erupt like falling meteors, unleashing their maximum potential in the searing flames, instantly triggering an incredible force." Xu Yun pondered for a moment, feeling a sense of anticipation, "I wonder how much power my natal star can truly unleash."
The young man muttered for a moment, gritted his teeth fiercely, and surprisingly chose not to take the normal mountain path. Instead, he quickly climbed along the steep cliffs of the mountain, using vines for assistance, clearly aware that this route would allow him to ascend more quickly.