Chapter 288 — Lord of the Great Dao
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 4
If he fell short of someone, it could only be because he had not trained hard enough. The realm and strength he now possessed came not solely from the care of the village head, Alchemist Grandpa, Granny Zhu, and the others, nor from his chances, but were summoned by his own effort.
An ordinary man, if he will only use his head and apply himself with diligence, can scarcely imagine the measure of his potential. No one notices the efforts of a successful person before the success comes and thinks him exceptional; it is only after he succeeds that others deem him extraordinary, then mythologize him and overlook exactly those efforts. Seeing this, Si Yunxiang and Ling Yuxiu also threw themselves into cultivation, each practicing her own arts without disturbing the other.
Long Jiaonan lay beneath a tree, breathing and meditating, attempting to molt once more. But her wounds were too grave and the cost too high, and she could not shed her skin. If she molted again, she would turn into a middle-aged woman; several more times and she might become an old crone. When the sun was three poles high, Shen Mu returned to the spirit spring to fetch water for the yellow essences planted near it.
Suddenly he stopped. At the edge of the spring, an old Daoist in a robe washed to gray was cupping water in a leaf, moving with care among the yellow essences to water them.
A youth beside him was lending a hand. The old Daoist noticed that one yellow essence had put out a leaf from its crown, and a smile spread over his wrinkled face. He crouched and stroked the leaf gently, saying, "These yellow essences are reborn after death. Is life not marvelous, Cult Leader Shen? " Every gesture followed nature's subtle principle, as if he had become one with this sea, this island, this spring, this sky, and these yellow essences—nothing separate, nothing withheld. "Senior Brother speaks truly," Shen Mu said as he stepped forward.
"But I wonder whether these yellow essences, once revived, are still the same yellow essences as before. The Holy Cult Leader greets the Dao Lord. " The old Daoist made haste to return the salute. "Since we meet for the first time, this old Daoist offers his respects.
Lin Xuan, come quickly and greet the present Human Emperor! " The Dao Child Lin Xuan beside him was astonished but asked no questions.
He made a disciple's salute and bowed.
"The Dao Child pays respects to the Human Emperor. "