In the midst of the heavenly lightning, Yu Luming could not discern his surroundings.
He only remembered countless pairs of eyes from the audience.
Those eyes were all fixed on him.
...
"Yu Luming, what's the use of you reading these damn books every day!"
"You should cultivate with your senior brothers and sisters! Cultivation can banish demons and protect the righteous, and lead to immortality!"
"Ai, what a blockhead, why can't you take advice!"
"Don't bother with him, let's go cultivate ourselves!"
In a daze, Yu Luming seemed to return to a few months prior.
Since ascending Longhu Mountain fifteen years ago, he had been immersed in the library, reading for a full fifteen years.
For these fifteen years, apart from sweeping fallen leaves for the Old Heavenly Master daily, Yu Luming had barely left the library.
In winter, he relied on a lamp for both light and warmth, while in summer, he used a slender bamboo strip to ward off the annoying mosquitoes.
He read day and night. The disciples who came to study in the library changed one after another, but Yu Luming remained there.
His former senior brothers and sisters who used to point fingers at him had now become junior brothers and sisters.
Those people did not understand. Since they had come to Longhu Mountain, why didn't they learn some skills to take back, instead of spending all their time in the library? Did reading books lead to immortality?
Yu Luming never explained the reason to anyone.
He just quietly read his books, and the Old Heavenly Master never inquired about his situation.
Then one day.
He closed his book and habitually looked up to find another one. It was only then that he realized that the "books that couldn't be finished in ten lifetimes," as his master had said, he had finished in fifteen years.
"There are no more books."
Yu Luming felt a momentary confusion, as if he shouldn't remain on Longhu Mountain any longer.
At that moment, the Old Heavenly Master appeared.
For fifteen years, the Old Heavenly Master had only taught Yu Luming to recognize characters, and had not bothered with him since then. Da Feng Novel Network
"You've finished reading all the books?"
"I have."
"Your master still has one last book."
"What book?"
"You'll know when you read it."
Yu Luming took the book and opened it. Inside, he saw depicted the images of a dragon and a tiger.
On that day, the tranquility of Longhu Mountain was broken. The roars of tigers and dragons resounded throughout the mountain, and news spread like wildfire—a young Daoist acolyte sweeping floors on Longhu Mountain had obtained the Dragon-Tiger Secret Script.
Fifteen years of diligent study,
One day, hearing the Dao, the world would know.
For Yu Luming, there was no golden house in books, nor beauties of jade-like appearance. What he sought in books was the meaning of existence.
"Did you find your answer?" the Old Heavenly Master asked Yu Luming afterward.
Yu Luming shook his head. "Master, I still don't know the meaning of my existence."
"Do you think my life has meaning?"
"Yes, Master. You are the head of the Daoist lineage in the world. Your meaning is endowed by your position."
The Old Heavenly Master smiled. "If you truly think so, then why don't you become the Heavenly Master? Perhaps by becoming the Heavenly Master, you will understand the meaning of your existence."
Thus, Yu Luming made a vow to inherit the position of Heavenly Master.
However, the Old Heavenly Master said he could not become the Heavenly Master.
He didn't understand.
He had studied diligently for fifteen years, and after obtaining the Dragon-Tiger Secret Script, his fifteen years of knowledge had propelled his strength forward by leaps and bounds. Yet, even so, why couldn't he succeed to the Heavenly Master position?
Where exactly was the problem?
...
The heavenly lightning continued to cleanse Yu Luming for nearly three minutes.
Three minutes was enough time to cook instant noodles.
Long Feicheng held a bowl of instant noodles and said to Wang Jiwang, "Does the previous bet still count? I think I regretted it too early."
Wang Jiwang was also a little uncertain. "You... still want to bet on Liu Yiren winning?"
"Yu Luming has been struck by lightning for three minutes; he's probably mush by now..." Long Feicheng said.
Indeed.
Could a normal person survive being struck by heavenly lightning for three minutes?
That was clearly impossible!
Just as Wang Jiwang was about to agree to continue the bet,
Liu Yiren suddenly stopped her technique.
Seeing a change in the situation on the field, the audience's spirits immediately lifted.
"Is Yu Luming still alive?" Da Feng Novel
"Three minutes, a full three minutes! Even an immortal undergoing tribulation wouldn't be like this!"
"This Liu Yiren is truly formidable, she's made a marvel out of the Five Thunder Orthodox Method!"
Zhang Shantong asked Yan Shouyi, "Do you think Yu Luming is still alive?"
"Alive," Yan Shouyi answered without hesitation.
"Why is he still alive?" Nun Guan Yun asked, puzzled.
Yan Shouyi explained, "Yu Shun is a direct disciple of the Old Heavenly Master. The Old Heavenly Master would not ignore his life or death. And since three minutes have passed, and the Old Heavenly Master remains indifferent, it shows that Yu Shun is completely fine. I believe Yiren also realized this, which is why she stopped wasting her efforts."
Yan Shouyi's understanding was correct, because the black smoke on the Myriad Laws Altar quickly dissipated, and Yu Luming was indeed sitting there, unharmed!
"Yu Luming is truly alright!"
"This is too astonishing!"
"Everyone, pay attention, on his head... am I seeing things correctly? Is that Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown?!"
"Damn it, has Yu Luming already become an immortal?!"
"No, that's not the true Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, but merely a manifestation simulated by the Golden Light Mantra!"
"My heavens, how did the defensive power of the Golden Light Mantra become so strong?!"
"One Liu Yiren improves the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, and one Yu Luming improves the Golden Light Mantra. Longhu Mountain truly lives up to its name; these disciples are all hidden dragons and crouching tigers, too formidable!"
On Yu Luming's head, a golden lotus was perched. If one didn't look closely, they might truly believe that Yu Luming had achieved consummation and attained the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.
The so-called Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown refers to essence as the Jade Flower, Qi as the Golden Flower, and Spirit as the Nine Flowers. Daoism emphasizes cultivation, believing that by refining essence into Qi, refining Qi into spirit, refining spirit into emptiness, and finally gathering it at the crown, one can become impervious to all calamities.
Yu Luming had clearly not reached that stage yet.
But using the Golden Light Mantra to simulate the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown to withstand Liu Yiren's heavenly lightning was still something that made people sigh with admiration.
Wang Jiwang swallowed, then turned to Long Feicheng and said, "The bet just now..."
"Bet? What bet?" Long Feicheng played dumb. "Old Wang, are you hallucinating? Did anyone mention a bet just now?"
"You..."
Wang Jiwang pointed at Long Feicheng, speechless. It seemed he was experiencing Long Feicheng's shamelessness for the first time.
Yu Luming slowly opened his eyes, waved the bamboo strip in his hand, and dispelled the Golden Light Mantra above his head.
He said to Liu Yiren with a wry smile, "Actually, it's difficult for us to determine a winner."
Liu Yiren remained silent.
"I read books for fifteen years and only started practicing martial arts two months ago. And you are not much better off; you possess immense magical power but don't know how to wield it. We are like two unbreakable iron barrels, unable to do anything to each other."
This time, Liu Yiren nodded. She sighed and said, "Indeed."
"Then let's change the way we compete."
Liu Yiren also didn't want to continue this stalemate. She asked, "How do you want to compete?"