As dawn broke, Master woke me up early.

　　I rubbed my eyes and followed him out of the room, stretching my arms and enjoying the moment.

　　The mountain air was exceptionally fresh, and every breath I took felt cool and invigorating.

　　“Gouwa, your training is quite straightforward. You’ll focus on three main areas: cultivating your mind, refining your body, and mastering techniques,” Master said earnestly, and I listened intently.

　　“Cultivating your mind involves meditation; you need to connect with the essence of everything around you and harmonize your state of mind with nature. The idea is that true understanding comes from within, and all laws are inherently natural. Refining your body means practicing martial arts to strengthen yourself and develop a sense of righteousness. As for mastering techniques, that includes specific skills like sword control and talisman drawing, as well as setting up formations and initiating spells!”

　　“Techniques...” I murmured, realizing that the methods Master had used before were all cultivated techniques.

　　“Exactly!” Master replied. “But remember, techniques are ever-changing and not confined to any specific form; they are merely external tools. What you truly need to cultivate is your own understanding of the Dao. Mastering the Dao to control techniques is fundamental; don’t get this backward, or you’ll end up straying down the wrong path!”

　　“Yes, Master, I understand!”

　　“Good!” Master nodded seriously. “Now, run five laps around the Xuanxin Temple.”

　　“Uh?” I nearly thought I misheard him.

　　While the Xuanxin Temple isn’t large, it’s still a proper Taoist temple with all the essentials. A lap around it must be at least three to five miles!

　　“What’s wrong? Do you have a problem?”

　　“No... no problem.” I could only start running around the Xuanxin Temple.

　　The temple is situated in a unique spot; even though it’s on a mountaintop, the terrain is relatively flat, so I wouldn’t be tripping over rocks. Plus, there’s a dirt path surrounding the temple that’s perfect for running.

　　As I expected, by the time I finished just one lap, I was already drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.

　　“Master... can I take a break?”

　　Master was sitting there, calmly brewing a pot of tea and sipping it.

　　“No, keep going!” he replied coldly, not even glancing at me.

　　With no other choice, I pushed on. By the time I reached the third lap, my legs were on fire, and I felt like I couldn’t run another step.

　　“Keep going, don’t stop!” Master commanded.

　　“Master, I—”

　　“Hmm?”

　　His fierce gaze made me hesitate, and I could only wipe the sweat from my brow and keep running.

　　However, as I neared the end of the fourth lap, something unexpected happened. Just moments ago, I had been exhausted and my legs were aching, but now that feeling had vanished, replaced by a rush of exhilaration.

　　What’s happening?

　　I thought to myself, experiencing this joyful sensation for the first time. I really wanted to keep running!

　　So, when I finished the fourth lap, I didn’t stop at all and launched straight into the fifth lap.

　　In that final lap, I felt incredibly light on my feet, even more so than during the first lap.

　　When I finally completed all five laps, Master smiled at me and asked, “How do you feel?”

　　I looked down at my feet, then touched the back of my head and let out a goofy grin.

　　“Everyone has a limit to their stamina. The closer you get to that limit, the more tired you’ll feel. But don’t stop—push through! When you break past that limit, you’ll discover a new beginning, and this new beginning will be even better than your initial state!”

　　After he finished speaking, Master smiled again and said, “Alright, go wash up, then it’s time to eat!”

　　Breakfast was simple: a bowl of millet porridge, a steamed bun, and a plate of stir-fried cabbage.

　　It was the first time I realized Master could cook so well. Although the meal was light, I enjoyed it immensely and polished off every last bite.

　　“After you finish eating, head to the study. There are two books I’ve prepared for you on the table. Take your time to read them, and if you have any questions, come ask me.”

　　“Alright!”

　　Master stood up and headed back.

　　I cleaned the dishes and, after washing them, made my way to the study.

　　On the desk lay two books: one was a classic of Taoism, and the other focused on methods for cultivating the mind.

　　Curiosity piqued, I glanced around the room, taking in the shelves brimming with an impressive collection of books—Qimen Dunjia, Meihua Yishu, Taiyi Shenshu, and so many more. There were countless legendary texts, and I couldn’t quite grasp why Master wanted me to focus on just these two.

　　Still, I’ve always had a natural fascination with Taoist practices, so I shrugged off my confusion and dove into the reading.

　　Hours flew by, and before I knew it, it was noon. I closed the book, marveling at how quickly time had passed.

　　“Time for lunch, Dogwa!” Master called out.

　　“I’m coming, Master!” I replied, rushing over to take a seat across from him.

　　Lunch was a feast compared to breakfast, featuring several golden steamed buns, a bowl of bean sprout soup, and a delicious beggar’s chicken.

　　Master tore off a chicken leg and handed it to me with a grin: “Here, dig in!”

　　I took it eagerly, savoring each bite.

　　I had tasted beggar’s chicken before, but that was ages ago, made by my grandfather. Master’s version, however, was far superior.

　　“Slow down, it’s a whole chicken!” Master chuckled, watching me with amusement.

　　“Hehe, I know, I know!” I laughed, trying to pace myself.

　　“How’s the reading going? Do you understand it?” Master asked, taking a swig from his wine gourd.

　　“It’s going well; I finished the first part of the Heart-Satisfying Sutra,” I replied casually, still gnawing on the chicken leg.

　　“Pfft!” Master spat out his wine in surprise: “The first part... you finished it?”

　　“Yep, sure did,” I nodded confidently.

　　“Do you understand it?”

　　“I do.”

　　“Any questions?”

　　I shook my head: “Nope.”

　　Master looked momentarily stunned and quickly took another swig of wine to steady himself.

　　“Master, are you okay?”

　　“I’m... I’m fine...” he stammered, a bit flustered.

　　“Master, I noticed there are so many books in the study. Why did you only let me read those two?” I asked, genuinely curious.

　　Master said with a serious tone, “The rest of those books are mostly techniques I’ve shared with you. In the end, they’re just tools for people to use!”

　　I looked at him, instinctively slowing my eating as I contemplated his words.

　　“Master wants you to grasp the essence of all techniques, which is also the essence of everything in this world—Tao!”

　　I paused, reflecting deeply on what he had said. While I couldn’t fully understand it yet, I knew he was right; after all, I had seen his incredible skills with my own eyes.

　　After lunch, I had half an hour to spend as I wished.

　　The afternoon was dedicated to the dojo, where Master taught me martial arts and shared insights on related practices. Dinner, however, was a stark contrast to lunch—just a bowl of thin porridge, a yellow steamed bun, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.

　　As Master put it, this was all about “keeping a clear mind and few desires.”

　　Curious, I asked him why we had such a feast for lunch.

　　He paused for a moment, then playfully kicked me in the rear: “You little rascal! It’s your first day of training, and I wanted to make sure you had a good meal!”

　　Rubbing my backside, I laughed and replied, “I knew it! You really do care about me, Master!”

　　“Enough with the cheekiness—go meditate!”

　　I chuckled and ran off, finding a large rock outside the temple to sit on.

　　As I gazed up at the bright moon hanging in the sky, a warm feeling spread through my heart, and I smiled as I closed my eyes.