"Cough, gym master …."
On the other side, Xue Lei was a bit flustered. He knew the obsession in Luo Nan's heart. In layman terms, anything that involved Formatting Theory was Luo Nan's reverse scale! He was really afraid that Luo Nan would turn around and leave in anger. He did his best to salvage the situation. He hoped that Xiu Shenyu would not speak too harshly and leave some leeway for Luo Nan to turn around.
Unfortunately, his eyes were blocked in the darkness. Even if he did, the possibility of Xiu Shenyu changing his words was close to zero, given his temperament.
The tai chi ball continued to spin endlessly in the bowl tray. The luminous patterns on its surface gradually became clear amidst the grinding sounds. Xiu Shenyu turned his gaze. He had no intention of speaking again.
As for Luo Nan, the end of his gaze stopped on Xiu Shenyu's face. He had been like this ever since Luo Nan said 'without a doubt'. But he did not make the next move. He stood in place like a stone statue. Even his breathing was sealed.
Xue Lei looked left and right. In the end, he could not continue. He could only hang his head and pray in secret, hoping that the heavens would open their eyes and not cause trouble.
For a time, there was only the grinding tai chi ball in the spacious room. It rolled from one heart to another.
An unknown amount of time passed. Luo Nan, whose entire body was stiff, suddenly took a step forward. He raised a hand and broke through the incorporeal layer of stone. He reached out and pressed the rolling tai chi ball. The metal ball rubbed against his palm. Due to the uneven application of external force, the metal ball bounced twice, nearly flipping over. It stabilized with great difficulty, rocking back and forth in the bowl tray. The luminous patterns naturally disappeared.
Xiu Shenyu furrowed his brows and raised his eyes to meet Luo Nan's gaze.
The gym master didn't like to be disturbed when he was fiddling with the tai chi ball!
Xue Lei's heart beat wildly. He wanted to cry but no tears came out of the situation before him. A few days ago, he suggested that Luo Nan come to the daoguan to learn breathing techniques. He never imagined that this would happen!
But the following development was not as pessimistic as Xue Lei imagined.
Luo Nan was not angry at being criticized for his Formatting Theory. Xiu Shenyu did not get angry when the tai chi ball stopped spinning. When the monotonous sound that could move people's hearts faded away, Luo Nan's whisper grew clearer.
"Gym Master Xiu, the only flaw in my technique is that it does not take the body into consideration. Am I right?"
"I don't believe that it is your technique."
Xiu Shenyu also stretched out his hand and pressed it against the Tai Chi ball. This was the second time he had done something similar. At the same time, Luo Nan found it hard to accept these words.
At this moment, both of their palms were pressed against the Tai Chi ball. The metal ball became even quieter, unable to move. In this subtle 'contest of strength,' Xiu Shenyu slowly replied,
"The right path of cultivation in the world should be from the inside to the outside, from me to him. Water moves according to the mountains, Qi moves according to the body, and the charm is within. What does it have to do with 'me' if it's just a myriad of phenomena outside the body? "
Xue Lei felt dizzy listening to Xiu Shenyu's pronouncements, but Luo Nan understood each and every word. Not only was it personally related, but Xiu Shenyu's words touched upon a concept Luo Nan was most familiar with.
"Me!"
Why did it sound so ironic?
The sixteen words written on the title page of Grandpa's notebook were all preceded by the word "I": My heart is a prison, my heart is a furnace; my heart calls for a mirror, my heart calls for a country.
Wasn't "Formatting Theory" rooted in "me"? How could it not be?
It was this root that caused Luo Nan to blurt out his rebuttal, "It can't be. When I cultivate, I always use the 'me' as the axis!"
"What do you use to determine the 'me'?"
Xiu Shenyu did not give Luo Nan the chance to continue arguing. He directly pierced through Luo Nan's final line of defense. "The 'me' of cultivation has the structure of the body and bones, the circulation of energy and blood, and the changes of movement and stillness. It must exhaust the nature of matter. Only by being unprepared can one guarantee every step and every seal, without any mistakes …. You have failed to do this."
Luo Nan stopped talking. He listened in silence.
"Using pure consciousness as a reference, without any material foundation, it is only natural for one to make mistakes. If it were someone else, their body and soul would be out of balance to a certain degree. They would be restrained, and it would be difficult to move even an inch. But you are like a towering iceberg, expanding layer by layer. There are no signs of restrictions. "
Xiu Shenyu did not continue speaking after this, but his meaning was clear and unmistakable. No matter how vast and powerful the structure of the mental plane is, the core mechanism that increases and decreases changes cannot be linked to the person. How can it be said to be yours?
Luo Nan's eyes drooped as he stared at the tai chi ball in front of him. He was a bit lost in thought.
Seeing that the room was about to enter a state of silence, Xue Lei could no longer hold back. "If there really is such a problem, then it must be adjusted …. Gym Master, this can be adjusted, right?"
Xue Lei's choice of words was very particular, but Xiu Shenyu's response was very straightforward. "External techniques cannot be used by me. It is not too late to start anew and return to the right path."
Luo Nan raised his head upon hearing this and looked straight at Xiu Shenyu. His face was wooden and expressionless.
Xue Lei saw that the situation was far from good. He rushed forward a step and grabbed Luo Nan's right arm. "You can mull over this a bit more …."
Luo Nan knew what Xue Lei was nervous about, but he was not actually angry. He was just thinking about his grandfather.
It was probably because Xiu Shenyu's emaciated physique was a bit similar to his grandfather's. Luo Nan's thoughts drifted to the sanatorium. There was an insane old man there, tormented by illness to the point that he was no longer human. His life was nearing its end.
What had caused all of this? Luo Nan was not a doctor. He was unable to make an accurate judgment. However, there was an obvious fact right now.
Luo Nan had previously confirmed that he was agitated by anger, but it was meaningless to improve the old man's illness. On the other hand, if Luo Nan admitted the flaws of Formatting Theory and was able to make some amendments on this basis, then the positive effects would likely be immediate!
Luo Nan's mind was a bit absent-minded at this moment. His thoughts changed as fast as lightning, but it was never a simple process.
The undercurrent of subversive concepts churned the sand in his heart. Over five years, the hardships and obsession of refining and taking medicine day in and day out drifted and surged at this moment. He inexplicably cut into the silhouette of Gear under the setting sun. He also looked across the lake at the empty treehouse ….
Luo Nan was unable to grasp his own emotions for a time, but he had already made up his mind. He took a deep breath, forgetting about whether or not it was flawed. He took a step back and faced Xiu Shenyu, bowing heavily.
"I cultivate in Formatting Theory. It is my grandfather's life's work. I can't give it up no matter what. If the gym master is able to help me mend my flaws and correct my mistakes, I will never forget this favor! "
Xiu Shenyu seemed to be startled for a moment. Then he shook his head. "You are willing to be controlled by the law. You wish to be imprisoned, but you cannot obtain it."
Luo Nan just looked at him. "Can I?"
Xiu Shenyu answered normally, "I'm not proficient in visualization and the like. I can only practice martial arts and refine energy. I can't deal with the so-called flaws and errors in your Formatting Theory …. At most, I can help you strengthen your body, increase the endurance of your body, and give you the space to adjust and experiment. "
"It's enough." Luo Nan was resolute and decisive.
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