CHAPTER 427: CHAPTER 427 CYAN PINE CALMING CURSE

Chi Songzi!

Lu Zheng took a deep breath, calming his wildly beating heart.

Under the gaze of Wansong Daoist, which seemed to see through human hearts, Lu Zheng awkwardly smiled and deeply regretted his earlier curiosity.

Geez, in front of such a person, how could one hide their emotions?

See, didn’t you slip up? What excuse can you use to cover up naturally?

Yet...

"The White Cloud Temple truly has deep roots," Wansong Daoist said with a smile. "I didn’t expect there would be records of Chi Songzi."

Huh? Misunderstood?

Lu Zheng scratched his head and awkwardly said, "I accidentally heard my master mention it during a conversation in the sect, but I’m not sure about the specifics."

Indeed, Wansong Daoist did not suspect anything, just nodded and said, "I heard the Immortal say he only secluded himself in the mountains, rarely appearing in the world. It’s likely his disciples were quiet people, mostly solitary practitioners, rather than opening a sect widely.

I guess at some point, a generation of his disciples had friendships with disciples of the White Cloud Temple, hence the name appeared in their records."

Lu Zheng nodded repeatedly, indicating Wansong Daoist was quite right.

Finally passed through...

Song Kaichuan eagerly sat opposite Wansong Daoist, waved his hand to reset the chessboard, and the two started a new game.

Lu Zheng did not stay to watch but strolled away from the mountain top, admiring the scenery.

Wansong verdant and lush, limitless sea of clouds.

Lu Zheng gazed around, finding that everywhere his eyes landed, there was pure nature.

Eagles soared in the sky, tigers and deer roamed the mountains, great rivers surged, clear springs trickled, lush greenery abounded, and flowers appeared and disappeared.

Lu Zheng focused his eyes, scanning nearly a hundred miles, only at a distant valley riverbank did hints of smoke rise.

This Wansong Mountain is indeed deep!

...

Lu Zheng watched the sea of clouds, closed his eyes for meditation, until the next morning when soft purple clouds touched his face, and he opened his eyes, exhaled a three-foot stream of white energy, gradually dissipating.

Getting up, he turned around and approached the stone platform under the ancient pine tree, just to see Song Kaichuan already completely at a disadvantage in the chess game.

Lu Zheng blinked, simply amazed at the endless depth of chess artistry.

Upon first meeting Song Kaichuan, his chess skills had already left Lu Zheng in awe.

Considering that at that time, he was already quite formidable, even the skilled Shen Ying and chess-practiced Daoist Yuting were not his match, let alone the amateur Liu Qingyan and his master Daoist Mingzhang.

Yet even so, Lu Zheng had enhanced his skills several times, finally solving a game that troubled Song Kaichuan for thirty years, slightly surpassing him.

Then, he had enough foundation to strengthen further, by New Year, he had swept through the Jinhua Sect and casually won a copy of the "Golden Palace Secret Technique".

If he had gone to Wansong Mountain at his level back then, he would likely have failed even the first test by Wansong Daoist.

And now, facing a dream-like chess game interpreted by Wansong Daoist over two thousand years, he felt unconfident.

Honestly, could Lu Zheng really solve the chess game set by Chi Songzi?

Perhaps noticing Lu Zheng’s apprehension, Wansong Daoist smiled warmly at him, "No need to worry, Xiaoyou. Solve the dream-like chess game if possible, it’s not a shame if you can’t.

After all, solving chess is not the goal, enjoying the process is the true pleasure.

Moreover, during the process, I’ve comprehended many techniques and increased my state of mind greatly. This is also a form of immortal teaching."

Lu Zheng nodded, then Wansong Daoist pointed at his forehead.

Green light entered his spirit, a stream of thousands of words from the "Cyan Pine Calming Curse" flashed through Lu Zheng’s mind like flowing water.

"This is what I’ve realized, a Heart Cultivation Curse, reciting it helps focus the mind. Whether cultivating or working, it aids concentration, achieving twice the result with half the effort."

"Thank you, senior, for bestowing the technique!" Lu Zheng quickly bowed in gratitude.

"It’s just a small technique." Wansong Daoist waved his hand indifferently.

Lu Zheng’s spirit browsed through the technique, roughly understanding the use of this curse.

Only Wansong Daoist, a big figure, would speak so modestly.

Called the Calm Heart Curse, although not a cultivation technique by itself, it enhances cultivation techniques, essentially an enhancement aura for cultivation.

Additionally, after cultivating this curse, the mind becomes clear, enabling calm casting in magical combat, saving magical power; until a spell is thoroughly familiarized, this technique saves power and enhances effectiveness.

In other words, for spells like the Exorcism Curse, which Lu Zheng has mastered, the Calm Heart Curse holds little effect, but for the more difficult Flowing Cloud Demon-slaying Curse, it cannot achieve the strongest effect with minimal power, making the Calm Heart Curse useful at this time.

By imparting this technique to Lu Zheng, Wansong Daoist directly aids in focusing his mind, suppressing anxiety and impatience, allowing him to play chess with undivided attention.

Truly extravagant!

But I like it!

Lu Zheng took no offense, promptly sat on a large stone, faced the cloud sea, and began to cultivate the "Cyan Pine Calming Curse".

Calm as icy clarity, unshaken by collapsing heavens...

Uh, no...

Calm as the pine, eternal green...

...

Next, Lu Zheng daily consumed a few pine nuts, focused on cultivating the "Cyan Pine Calming Curse", and within three days, he had mastered the technique.

"Jade Seal, enhance!"

"Buzz!"

At the same time, the cooldown for Lu Zheng’s chess skill enhancement also ended.

"Jade Seal, enhance!"

"Buzz!"

Lu Zheng opened his eyes wide, feeling clarity and brightness throughout his body, True Qi flowing, spirit refreshed, vitality abundant.

"Huh?"

Wansong Daoist and Song Kaichuan both turned to look at Lu Zheng.

Wansong Daoist was slightly surprised, "The Calm Heart Curse was mastered so quickly?"

Song Kaichuan nodded, "Lu Xiaoyou has an extraordinary gift, having attained a hundred years of Dao practice the year before last, yet this year much improved."

"It’s quite remarkable," Wansong Daoist nodded in agreement, then invited Lu Zheng, "Lu Xiaoyou, care for another game?"

"Willingly!" Lu Zheng was eager to test his current chess skills.

Lu Zheng placed white first, making a heavenly star move, Wansong Daoist responded with black, forming a diagonal pattern.

Song Kaichuan sat by, observing silently.

...

Over three days, the two played two games, with Lu Zheng drawing one and losing another, slightly at a disadvantage.

However, Wansong Daoist’s expression was very cheerful, clearly in good spirits.

Lu Zheng took out a kettle and tea leaves, boiling water to brew tea while processing the insights gained from the matches with Wansong Daoist, striving to reduce the cooldown period.

After witnessing Wansong Daoist bully Song Kaichuan for a day, he applied enhancements again before sitting opposite Wansong Daoist once more.

Then...

January 25, loss, draw.

January 29, loss.

February 3, draw, loss.

February 7, draw.

February 11, draw, win.

February 15, win, draw.

February 18, win.

February 23, win.

Song Kaichuan: w(°o°)w

Wansong Daoist: o_O???