Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

Fang Qianhe… Zhang Zhiwei was stunned for a moment, then suddenly remembered that in the story, the eldest of his ten disciples was named Fang Qianhe.

Did it appear so early...?

On second thought, it makes sense. Before Zhang Chulan appeared, the third oldest of the ten disciples had already passed away.

Those who cultivate themselves will die peacefully in their old age, often around seventy or eighty. By that calculation, the eldest disciple is currently at that age.

"Mr. Zhang... what are your orders?"

Fang Qianhe appeared slightly nervous and hesitated for a moment when addressing Zhang Zhiwei. He was still a student of the celestial master's monastic order and had not formally entered the celestial master's mansion. He had neither a master nor could he address Zhang Zhiwei as his senior uncle or master.

Calling him "Taoist Master" isn't appropriate either; he's already practically a Taoist priest, so it sounds strange.

After thinking for a moment, he chose to address Zhang Zhiwei as "Master Zhang." Elders are addressed as "Master," and in the North, Taoist priests are generally called "Taoist Master," which is also applicable in the South.

"Master Zhang..." Zhang Zhiwei smiled. Fang Qianhe was the first person in Longhu Mountain to address him like that. Previously, this title was used to address his master.

“It’s nothing, you have a good talent,” Zhang Zhiwei said. “However, the path of cultivation has just begun, and the real trials have just begun. Remember this feeling from just now, and practice it every day from now on, so that your Qi can become more and more obedient.”

"Yes, yes, Master Zhang, I will definitely not slack off in the slightest." Fang Qianhe hurriedly assured him, his face full of excitement. He had actually received praise from the legendary Little Celestial Master!

Although he wasn't born into a family of extraordinary people, he had been studying at Longhu Mountain for some time. He didn't have much of an impression of the old Celestial Master Zhang Jingqing, but he knew all about the deeds of the young Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei like the back of his hand. He had long been a big fan of Zhang Zhiwei.

Zhang Zhiwei nodded to him, then looked at the other students: "You are the same."

"We will remember Master Zhang's teachings!" the disciples responded in unison, each one unable to contain their excitement. Being instructed in cultivation by the young Celestial Master was a truly unforgettable honor that they would strive for!

Afterwards, Zhang Zhiwei provided more in-depth guidance. He himself possessed a calming quality, and his explanations were also very thorough, passing on knowledge orally and personally. Soon, several more talismans successfully generated Qi.

This greatly surprised the young Taoist priest watching from the side. He thought to himself, "How come the guys who were so dense in my hands became as bright as geniuses in the hands of Senior Brother Zhiwei?"
He also admitted that Zhang Zhiwei's teaching was better than his own, but he always felt that... it wasn't that much better, was it?

Isn't it just simpler and easier to understand? How can it possibly lead to such a profound and enlightening realization?!

As he was pondering this, he saw Zhang Zhiwei walk up to several students he thought had poor comprehension and pat them on the head one by one.

Immediately, Qi surged from their bodies, clearly a sign that they had obtained Qi.

This is… The young Taoist priest instantly thought of a line from Li Bai’s poem: “An immortal touched my head, and I received eternal life by tying my hair together.”

"A touch and I'll be enlightened? I wonder if I could ask Senior Brother Zhiwei to touch me?" the young Taoist thought to himself, but in public, he ultimately did not take any action.

Under Zhang Zhiwei's guidance, the students all embarked on their own paths of Qi cultivation. Some students, who rarely obtained Qi, even obtained it under Zhang Zhiwei's touch on their heads.

The young Taoist priest saw all of this and felt that Zhang Zhiwei's actions were akin to forcing growth, but he did not voice his doubts.

Zhang Zhiwei naturally knew that this was forcing growth.

However, the premise of forcing seedlings to grow faster is that the seedlings are good seedlings.

The few students he had just helped were not promising talents; their abilities were extremely average. If they were in other sects, they might have barely been able to enter the sect.

But this is the Celestial Master's Mansion. Regardless of their temperament, their talent alone is enough to prevent them from passing the test.

However, since they had met him here, it must be fate. Even if they couldn't pass the test, he still gave them a small gift.

After all, this world is not peaceful, and having Qi gives you more resources to survive.

In the following days, after reflecting on the past and present, Zhang Zhiwei would come and guide these students.

Under Zhang Zhiwei's guidance, all the students embarked on their own Qi cultivation journeys, gradually mastering the knack of communicating with the Qi within their bodies, starting from initial confusion.

Afterwards, Zhang Zhiwei taught them some "traditional martial arts," because simply cultivating qi without knowing how to use it is like having a treasure mountain but no one to rely on.

He chose Baguazhang, which is popular in martial arts schools outside the area.

Among the popular martial arts of our time, Bajiquan is considered too forceful and prone to causing trouble, while Taijiquan has a high entry barrier. Baguazhang, situated in the middle and being a Taoist secret art, is just right.

Zhang Zhiwei was an expert in all martial arts, including fist fighting, swordsmanship, and Baguazhang. His skill was so high that even the master of Yanwutang would be like a lackey in front of him.

He slowly rose to his feet, stepping on the eight trigrams, with Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Dui, Zhen, Gen, and Xun flowing endlessly, their combinations infinitely varied.

Baguazhang originated from Taoism and incorporates the hexagrams of the I Ching and the myriad phenomena of mountains and rivers, making it exquisite and complex.

The moves are easy to learn, but the artistic conception is hard to achieve.

The moves are the form, the artistic conception is the heart.

Therefore, the essence of Baguazhang lies in the artistic conception inherent in its footwork, rather than in physical movements. It requires transcending the ever-changing trigrams and the Taoist spirit of emptiness and freedom, using the feet to interpret the mysteries of heaven and earth.

If you can achieve this, you can be called a master of Baguazhang.

The monks and the young Taoist priests all watched this scene intently.

Zhang Zhiwei's rehearsal was very slow, yet he fully conveyed the artistic conception. Everyone who saw it felt enlightened and gained something from it.

Even the young Taoist priest was the same; once he grasped the essence of a Dharma assembly, he understood all the principles. The Taoist concepts contained in Baguazhang were still very valuable for him to learn from.

With Zhang Zhiwei's oral and personal instruction, the students quickly mastered the skills.

Of course, while teaching martial arts, Zhang Zhiwei also imparted some principles of life to them. Although he did not use the Blue Hand technique, it still left a very deep impression on them.

After the lesson, Zhang Zhiwei instructed the students to practice on their own or in pairs.

The students immediately began practicing as if they had been injected with adrenaline. They stood in a horse stance, their palms pounding like mountains, their breaths booming like thunder, eager to show off their skills in front of their idol.

Everyone in Longhu Mountain knows that the Little Celestial Master doesn't have any disciples yet.

If you perform well and catch his eye, he might take you on as a disciple and teach you thunder magic—wouldn't that be the pinnacle of your life?!
Fang Qianhe was the most outstanding among them.

As expected of the founding disciple in the original story, his innate talent and comprehension are both top-notch. While others are still figuring things out, he is already fighting with considerable skill, his body moving like a dragon and his palms striking like thunderbolts, showing the result of years of hard training.

"Senior Brother Zhiwei, your teaching ability is too strong! In just a few days, they have already mastered most of it. If they were sent down the mountain, they would all be experts, and it would take at least ten people to get close to them," the young Taoist praised.

Zhang Zhiwei shook his head and said, "This level is not worthy of praise. They are all scattered and lack spirit. They have only learned the form but not the spirit. They can only bully ordinary people."

"After all, he hasn't been practicing for very long. To have achieved this level is already quite good," the young Taoist said. "Look at that kid named Fang Qianhe, he's doing quite well." "That kid is indeed alright," Zhang Zhiwei said. "Although he's only a beginner, he has already grasped the essence. With just a casual stance, his entire spine seems to have a great dragon lying dormant, twisting all his muscles and bones into a single rope, ready to burst forth at any moment."

The young Taoist priest also said, "Fang Qianhe has only been learning for a few days, but he has already mastered your Baguazhang technique, Senior Brother Zhiwei. Moreover, his entire back and spine have developed the power to stretch and extend. This kid is truly a talent."

"By the way, Senior Brother Zhiwei," the young Taoist continued, "when you returned to the mountain before, didn't you tell us that during the ascension ceremony, the Celestial Master said that you were always giving random advice everywhere, and that you should take on a few more disciples to teach, so that the good stuff wouldn't go to outsiders!"

"You also asked us to keep an eye out for promising young talents, and here we are..."

The young Taoist priest gestured towards Fang Qianhe with his chin, and said with some envy, "Is there a promising talent that's come knocking on our door? Why don't we... take him in?"
Zhang Zhiwei nodded and said, "I can consider it."

Actually, given his current age, he really should be taking on apprentices.

When his master mentioned it before, he was still thinking about whether he should go down the mountain to see if there were any good talents.

Now that a suitable candidate has come knocking on his door, he naturally won't let the opportunity slip by easily.

Actually, he hadn't deliberately thought about gathering all ten disciples from the original story, nor did he even have the idea of ​​going to find them. But unexpectedly, the disciples came to him on their own.

This truly can be considered a twist of fate.

However, although he did not intend to search for it, he also did not intend to deliberately avoid it.

Since fate has brought us together, why not accept it?

Neither deliberately pursuing nor deliberately avoiding. Accepting what comes naturally, remaining calm and inactive—this is Zhang Zhiwei's current state of mind.

However... although I am willing to take Fang Qianhe as my disciple, I would not accept him as a disciple after just one glance. Everything should be done in an official manner.

To become his disciple and inherit his mantle, it's not enough to just practice the Dragon Tiger Inner Alchemy or Bagua Palm; there will be a series of tests.

Zhang Zhiwei looked at Fang Qianhe. Although the boy was only ten years old, he was calm and composed when he practiced boxing, without the slightest impetuousness.

He nodded, and pondered the content of the test...

He's really not good at this kind of thing.

He was not like his master, who liked to do things like tapping his head three times or putting his hands behind his back, nor was he like Zhou Sheng, who liked to force himself to fit historical allusions.

He is a person who has always been simple and straightforward in his actions.

After thinking for a while, he made up his mind.

After everyone finished their rehearsal, he spoke:

"My teaching of you ends today. Next, go find Lü Ci and practice with him until the ordination ceremony begins. I will take the first place in this ordination ceremony as my disciple."

Without waiting for a reply, Zhang Zhiwei vanished in a flash, leaving everyone bewildered.

Everyone was stunned for a while, and after they had fully digested the information they had just received, they all shouted excitedly.

What was once just a wishful thought, a fantasy, has now become a reality.

The young celestial master is really going to take on a disciple, and it's one of them! How could anyone not be overjoyed?

If the Little Celestial Masters could accept disciples from all over the world, they would naturally not dare to ask for anything. But if they were chosen from among the registered disciples, wouldn't that mean that each of them would have a chance?

As students who entered the monastic community in the same batch, and with no real gap between them yet, they all feel that they are no less capable than others.

“This is a rare opportunity, you must seize it,” the young Taoist priest sighed. “I didn’t have these advantages back then.”

"Yes, we will definitely try our best!" the students replied in unison, their voices resounding through the sky.

"By the way, Master Zhang told us to go find Master Lü Ci. Where can we find him?" someone asked.

“You may not know Lü Ci, but he has another nickname that you must know, which is…” The young Taoist priest said, enunciating each word clearly: “The Earth-Hoeing Madman!”

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately realized that the "Ground-Hoeing Maniac" was a well-known figure in Longhu Mountain. From the Taoist priests to the tenant farmers, everyone knew him.

"Master Zhang told us to train with the hoeing maniac, does that mean we'll be hoeing in the fields for the next few months?"

A novice monk with limited knowledge said with a long face that he preferred practicing Qi cultivation and boxing to hoeing the ground.

"What do you know? The 'Ground-Hoeing Maniac' is the second of the two pillars of the Lü family. He's incredibly powerful. With his guidance, our chances of successfully receiving the ordination will be much higher, and our chances of becoming disciples of the Little Celestial Master will also increase..." said a knowledgeable ordination student.

Before he could finish speaking, he realized what was happening and quickly headed straight for the field.

Where can you find a master farmer who loves to till the land? In the fields, of course!

As soon as one person made a move, the others swarmed after them.

Soon, only the young Taoist priest remained in the area.

He watched the departing figures of the disciples and muttered to himself, "With the cultivation intensity of the 'Ground-Hogging Maniac,' wouldn't you kids be exhausted like dogs if you went over there?"

"It's good to be exhausted like a dog. Even if I'm not exhausted like a dog now, I'll be exhausted like a dog during the ordination ceremony."

"However, because of Senior Brother Zhiwei's intervention, this year's ordination ceremony is probably the most special one yet."

He then went to the Shangqing Palace and reported the matter to the Celestial Master Zhang Jingqing.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingqing did not stop him and approved of Zhang Zhiwei's actions.

In the past, the selection of ordained monks involved spending several months at Zhengyi Temple, where they would sweep the courtyard, copy scriptures, and learn breathing exercises from their fellow disciples every day—all of which were extremely tedious.

But it is precisely through this kind of monotony that their character is tempered, so that they can calm down, engrave the word "stillness" into their bones, and understand that cultivation is not about seeking supernatural powers, but about first learning to be a down-to-earth person.

However, following Lu Ci, this hoeing maniac, should achieve the same effect.

Don't underestimate the simplicity of hoeing; it actually tests one's character and perseverance, which are the most fundamental aspects of spiritual practice.

Zhang Jingqing waved his hand, dismissing the young Taoist priest. He picked up a newspaper, intending to catch up on national affairs.

Suddenly, someone came to report that the head of the Wuhou School from Zhuge Village was requesting an audience. (End of Chapter)