Hidden moth

Chapter 248 Folding bamboos and practicing crane posture in the garden

Facing He Kao's question, Li Xiuyuan explained calmly, "If my guess is correct, you didn't want to have too much contact with Elder Mei and planned to stay as far away from him as possible. Otherwise, you wouldn't have specifically requested a long-term mission.

But Elder Mei just asked you if you were willing to learn swordsmanship from her, and you agreed."

He Kao smiled awkwardly and said, "You are right, but I really want to learn."

Li Xiuyuan nodded slightly and said, "You made a trade-off between wanting to stay away from trouble and wanting to learn her swordsmanship. I don't have much to say, but what happened just now?"

He Kao: "What happened just now?"

Li Xiuyuan: "You clearly know that those three people's affairs are none of your business, nor should you care. You didn't want to care at first, so why did you change your mind and use your travel ability to track them down?

Are you embarrassed to have inherited someone's swordsmanship and want to do something to repay them?"

He Kao: "Maybe that's the reason."

Li Xiuyuan glared at him and said, "Tell the truth!"

He Kao: "To be honest, it's just a matter of a second. I suddenly felt curious and wanted to confirm my judgment, so I went to follow him."

Li Xiuyuan: "You don't need to investigate those three people, but you still want to show off. Not only do you meddle in other people's business, but you also use the magical power of the hidden moth. What are you thinking?"

He Kao: "I don't know either. How can everything in the world be explained so clearly?"

Li Xiuyuan: "How can there be so much that cannot be explained? There is nothing wrong with curiosity. The desire for knowledge and the desire to show off are both considered as the six desires according to current views. Only with desires can one practice cultivation.

The first step in spiritual practice is how to "see desire". You should have experienced this long ago, but "seeing desire and knowing how to act" is not just a matter of that step.

There were disciples of the Shu Sect who leaked the secrets, probably more than one, but I don't think all of them deliberately violated the clan's gag order, and some of them didn't even have the intention to betray the sect.

But they did just that. Maybe they let it slip accidentally, or they didn't take it seriously, or they couldn't help it, or they thought it didn't matter who they told privately.

A high-level warlock like you could do something like this. For example, do you want to expose the identity of the hidden moth? Of course not! But how do you do it?

You were obviously the person closest to the scene, and the mastermind behind the scenes could not have failed to notice you, but you couldn't help but immediately use your Yin Shen's magical powers to track down the three thugs.

Doing so may be detected by experts.

As long as the distance is close enough, the sixth-level master of Wangqimen will be able to detect your presence; as long as you are spying on the other party, the sixth-level illusionist of Xingshenmen will also be able to sense that you are spying on him.

If you expose the magical power of the Hidden Moth, then the identity of the Hidden Moth may be exposed, and people may also design methods to deal with the Hidden Moth... Is this what you want?

Why are people like this? It's because they haven't cultivated enough! Specifically speaking, your problem is probably that your concentration isn't strong enough, which is why your mind wanders.

Do people always praise you for being attentive? But no matter how attentive you are, you will still be inconsiderate. To tame your mind, no matter how much you think, it's useless. You must start by cultivating concentration."

He Kao was sweating from the old man's words. He lowered his head and said, "Thank you for your teachings. I really didn't think it through!"

Li Xiuyuan's face was filled with anger as he asked, "Did all my previous words go to waste? This isn't a matter of lack of consideration. No one can consider everything. This simply means that I haven't cultivated my concentration enough!"

He Kao didn't argue and quickly said, "Speaking of concentration, Wei Luo just told me a while ago that when one reaches a certain level of cultivation, one must sit in meditation for a long time to purify the body and mind. She also suggested that I try it during the long Spring Festival holiday and practice three to five days of meditation."

Li Xiuyuan: "You really need to do this. It tests your concentration. Only with concentration can you have a focused mind. What if you can't do it?"

He Kao: "I was just about to ask you, how do I cultivate concentration?"

Li Xiuyuan: "It's hard to explain the concentration of mindfulness in a very intuitive way, but the power of concentration can be seen."

He Kao: "Can you see this too?"

Li Xiuyuan: "My master taught me a very simple trick, but it's also a stupid method. It freezes an object and prevents it from moving. No matter what you do, the object must be frozen for as long as possible."

This simple method Elder Li had taught was surprisingly simple, even a third-rank cultivator could use it. Using the Art of Control, he could immobilize an object, even a small one like a toothpick, and hold it suspended in mid-air or tilted somewhere to prevent it from falling.

But one thing you need to pay attention to is that you must keep this object still and unable to move.

After saying this, Li Xiuyuan got out of the car and left. He had come here specifically to criticize He Kao. He Kao seemed steady, but in fact he was a bit erratic. This was no wonder. No matter who had the ability of a hidden moth, it was inevitable that they would develop some erratic habits.

He Kao didn't notice that after the old man got off the car, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, as if he couldn't help but smile, as if he had succeeded in doing something bad.

He Kao didn't know that the method taught by Elder Li could indeed cultivate concentration of mind, but on the other hand, it was also a little trick for sorcerers to prevent others from affecting their minds with magic.

This was the Xingshen Sect's secret teaching. Elder Li could teach him, but he wouldn't reveal the true mystery. He Kao immediately tried that "little trick" with a chess piece he had brought with him, but found it wasn't easy.

The method of controlling objects is performed through spiritual consciousness, which is like an extended hand that can make the chess pieces float in the air, but the hand can also be unstable at times.

If the spirit and magic power are slightly scattered and unfocused, or if the person is a little impatient, even if the spell is not interrupted and the chess piece is still floating in the air, there will still be tiny disturbances, making it difficult to "fix" it for a long time.

It would definitely not be a good idea to try this while driving, so He Kao put away the chess pieces and planned to go home first.

He Kao thought Mei Guyu was a nuisance. In the final analysis, he was afraid that he would be targeted as well. As a hidden moth, it was really uncomfortable to be targeted.

But being a stealth moth also has an advantage, which is that he can sense whether he is being observed?
On the way back to Pugang Town across the river from the city, He Kao made sure that no one was following or observing him, and his mentality gradually relaxed... Mei Guyu had her own practice, and He Kao also had his own practice.

The newly acquired sword-controlling technique, as well as Elder Li's simple method of cultivating concentration, were all his gains today and future cultivation. Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly had a very mysterious sensation, which actually came from Piaocai Cave Heaven.

He had never had this feeling before, but he naturally understood what was going on - someone practiced the Hidden Moth Technique and broke through to the fourth level, becoming a scholar.

No matter which technique you practice, once you break through the fourth level, you will be summoned by the cave heaven. Gu Chun once described his feelings at that time in detail to He Kao.

Gu Chun practiced the art of alchemy in the past. During his college years, he broke through to the fourth level of cultivation. Then he felt a certain call from heaven and earth, coming from a distant place.

He later found out that it was the Xianhu Cave Heaven of Danding Sect. This call had been looming, and he could vaguely sense the direction of the entrance to the Xianhu Cave Heaven.

It was like receiving a divine thought, or a memory being awakened, and he could sense it as long as he wanted to. Presumably, the disciples of the seven major sects all experienced similar situations after breaking through to high levels of cultivation.

He Kao himself also had the experience of breaking through to a high level. At that time, he sensed the Piaocai Cave Heaven, which was the so-called Hidden Moth Space after it was unfolded.

This cave is not located anywhere in reality, and He Kao cannot tell where it is. However, it can be reached instantly with the power of the hidden moth.

If he were just an ordinary disciple of the Hidden Moth Sect, he certainly wouldn't have this ability, and all he could sense was the so-called portal location. However, the portal to the Hidden Moth Dimension wasn't fixed; it was the landscape painting.

The master Lei Dunzi added the image of Tan Xianren to the landscape painting, which became the "Tan Xian Holding a Cane" that has been passed down to later generations.

Now He Kao experienced this matter from a different perspective. As the Hidden Moth and the ruler of the Hidden Moth space, he sensed the call from the Cave Heaven, which meant that someone had broken through to the fourth level of the Hidden Moth technique.

That person must be feeling very strange now. He can sense the existence of Piaocai Cave Heaven, but he cannot sense the location of the door, because the painting has been brought into the cave by He Kao. At this moment, Piaocai Cave Heaven is like a room without a door.

But He Kao was not worried about that person. He should be aware of the situation and had already been to Piaocai Cave.

Gao Xue'e has not yet entered the door, and Lan Jiuwan has not formally started to practice the Yin'e Art. At this moment, the only one who can break through to the fourth level of the Yin'e Art is one of the three elders.

We just met Elder Li, and he wasn't in the process of breaking through, so it had to be Elder Gu or Elder Jiang... In just a few days, he'd already broken through to a higher level by simultaneously practicing the Hidden E Art? Elders are truly amazing!

After arriving home, he immediately sent a message to each of the two elders: "Did you achieve a breakthrough? It's astonishing!"

After a while, Elder Gu replied, "What breakthrough did I make? It's so shocking!"

He Kao was very careful not to mention the three words "Yin'e Technique" and replied, "The last time we met, we discussed the technique together."

Gu Chun: "It's been less than a week. Do you think you can beat the game? How can it be that fast? I still have no idea if I can even do it!"

From what he said, he probably hadn't started practicing yet, so it must be Elder Jiang. Elder Jiang hadn't replied, so either he couldn't be contacted in Jinghua Cave Heaven, or he just didn't want to bother with him.

He is worthy of being a seventh-rank great mathematician. He is the most powerful sorcerer He Kao has ever seen. It is impossible not to admire him!
After returning home and having a simple dinner, He Kao started practicing sword control in the courtyard after digesting the food. The entry level of sword control was very simple, just a set of five-form boxing, named "Five Forms" instead of "Five Elements".

Wuxingquan is said to imitate the movements of five animals, and explanations of the techniques are readily available online. However, the Wuxingquan taught by Mei Guyu differs from the modern version, and many of the moves are impossible for the average person to perform or cannot be performed to their full potential.

The so-called small frame here means using the fist as a sword frame, practicing body shape and footwork with fist and foot skills, and contains the basics of sword moves.

He Kao also practiced similar kung fu frequently, for example, the five-form staff technique that Gu Chun taught him. He usually practiced it as boxing, but it was actually spear techniques.

But the Five-Shaped Staff is a martial art. Its subsequent skills could be used for charging into battle on horseback during the cold weapon era, but they are no longer practical today. However, sword control is different. Its subsequent skills involve a myriad of sword techniques, and the higher the level of cultivation, the more powerful and difficult it is to master.

He Kao already had a foundation, so he skipped the small frame stage and broke off a bamboo stick to begin practicing swordsmanship. He first needed to master the sword form to develop the sword spirit, and then combine it with the art of holding and controlling.

The so-called "controlling technique" still involves holding the sword, but also controlling it with the mind. This is the third-level sword technique. After reaching the fourth level, one can also try to cut with sword energy.

The foundation of entry-level swordsmanship is based on the five basic forms. He Kao was particularly drawn to the crane form. If combined with the magical moth wings given to him by Elder Gu, the resulting performance would be particularly graceful and elegant...

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(End of this chapter)