Chapter 296, I’m Going to Evolve!
Shortly after Chen An left the maze in the back mountain, a middle-aged man in a plain shirt arrived elegantly.
He had an extraordinary aura and walked quickly, but his brows were tightly furrowed, as if he had encountered some troublesome matter.
The middle-aged man’s name was Meng Mao, an instructor in the Formation Cultivation Department of the Joint University of Cultivation.
The reason for his current vexation was precisely that he was about to take on the role of an instructor in the Formation Cultivation Department.
Mount Longhu had been passed down for thousands of years, and it was now the seventy-fourth generation.
Meng Mao was a disciple of the seventy-third generation of Mount Longhu. Among them, seven were the most famous, known as the Seven Sons of Longhu, each extraordinary.
Among the seven sons, some were good at fighting, some at mediating disputes, and some at making money.
In short, Meng Mao, being the youngest and lowest in cultivation among the seven sons, was inevitably pushed forward by his senior brothers to take the bullet and assume the position of instructor.
But Meng Mao only wanted to cultivate in seclusion in the mountains, seek immortality, and pursue the great path. Now, he was being forced to leave the mountain to become a teacher. How could this not make him feel agitated and disturbed?
The most crucial point was that he had been tricked by his senior brother at the time.
He only remembered his senior brother smiling as he asked in front of their Master, “In our generation, if we talk about cultivation, perhaps Senior Brother Meng might not rank high. But if we talk about accomplishments in formations, if Senior Brother Meng claims second, who among us would dare claim first?”
What flattery! Meng Mao listened to this praise until he felt lightheaded. He quickly patted his chest and said proudly, “Senior Brother is absolutely right. I never expected that my usual low-key and hidden nature would be discovered by Senior Brother. I am truly unworthy, unworthy…”
Meng Mao’s words were a mixture of humility and a sliver of pride.
However, Meng Mao’s pride did not last long because the Master quickly appointed the successor and left satisfied.
Then, the senior brothers also left satisfied, leaving Meng Mao alone, stunned and bewildered.
The simple Junior Brother Meng had been played like a fiddle.
Damn it.
As the middle-aged man with an extraordinary aura recalled the scene where his senior brother set a trap for him, he couldn’t help but let out a curse.
He flicked his sleeves with a sense of dejection and then stepped into the formation.
But he soon retreated.
He looked blankly at the maze he had personally set up before him, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.
Why did it feel… like something was not right?
The formation was still the same formation, but it was like his wife of many years, who had grown old and faded, had suddenly found a second youth, bringing a brand-new experience.
With such a question, Meng Mao stepped into the formation again.
This time, he stayed in the formation for a full three hours.
When he reappeared outside the formation, Meng Mao’s eyes were filled with uncontrollable shock and excitement.
All the vexations from before were now nowhere to be found.
“…Wonderful, truly wonderful.”
Meng Mao murmured to himself, continuing to observe with his whole heart the formation that had once been so familiar to him.
Why “once”? Because the current formation had undergone some subtle changes compared to the one in his memory.
The changes were extremely subtle. If this formation had not been personally set up by Meng Mao, and if he had not been immersed in the art of formations for many years, he would never have been able to feel these subtle changes.
But it was precisely these insignificant changes that had completely transformed the entire formation, elevating it by more than one notch.
At the very least, to Meng Mao’s eyes now, he could only perceive its beauty.
It was the beauty of order, the unique beauty of formations.
Meng Mao was momentarily lost in it, unable to extricate himself.
It was only when a hint of fish-belly white appeared in the sky, and newcomers began to come and go, jogging, that he slowly awoke.
Some students noticed the middle-aged man behaving strangely and cast curious glances.
Meng Mao could only leave blankly, leaving behind a few faint murmurs.
“Who… who could it be?”
“Is it the Senior Brother? Or the Master? Could it be… that person?”
The man shook his head vigorously.
“Impossible, absolutely impossible…”
…
…
Early morning.
Perhaps he had slept early last night, Chen An also woke up very early today.
When he got up, his three roommates were still fast asleep, presumably because they had stayed up too late having deep discussions last night.
Chen An pushed open the door and walked out of Courtyard Four Branch.
There were many students coming and going on the road, most of them of similar age, but with vastly different styles of dress.
Those wearing Tai Chi uniforms and Zhongshan suits were fine; they didn’t look too out of place, making one mistakenly think they were still living in the bustling cities below the mountain.
But those wearing jeans and skirts couldn’t help but widen their eyes slightly, feeling a strange sense of a hybrid between ancient and modern.
Chen An planned to have breakfast first.
Although his body did not need to eat, it did not affect his need to eat, drink, and sleep.
He had indeed lived through nine lifetimes, but it was only in this life that he truly lived for himself.
Therefore, even for trivial matters like eating and sleeping, Chen An was extremely willing to do and try them.
He also thought that once the materials for alchemy were complete, he would bring Chen Xi along, and then the two of them would, step by step, measure the vast land with their footprints.
To put it simply, the world is so big, and I want to see it.
Thinking this, Chen An walked amidst the disordered flow of people.
He didn’t know the location of the cafeteria, but he figured that those who were up so early were mostly rushing to have breakfast.
As expected, after walking with the crowd for a few minutes, Chen An spotted a charming, antique-looking building emitting heat.
The building was very new, likely newly completed, and not part of Mount Longhu’s original structures.
Including the Courtyard Four Branch where Chen An lived, the interior construction and layout were all brand new.
The government had indeed planned meticulously for a long time to cultivate them.
If it weren’t for the fact that the Qi Refining method was developed just in time for the college entrance examination, they might have started laying the groundwork for cultivation much earlier.
Chen An walked into the cafeteria. The interior furnishings were no different from those of an ordinary university.
At most, one didn’t need to pay for meals, and the food provided was a specially supplied version.
He walked to the counter and casually ordered a bowl of congee.
A few chopped scallions were sprinkled on the congee, making it white and smooth with a hint of emerald green, which looked quite beautiful.
As he sat down at a table and picked up his spoon, he heard an exclamation from beside him.
It was a young man with a buzz cut.
His eyes were shining, and he was enthusiastically telling his friend about the miraculousness of the white congee.
“Is this the legendary congee cooked with spirit rice? It’s so amazing, drinking it makes my whole body feel warm. Do you think I’m about to evolve?!”
His friend looked at him helplessly. “Silly giant, we’re here to cultivate, not to be Pokémon! That’s called Qi Refining, Qi Refining, do you understand?!”
“And even if you drink ordinary white congee, your whole body would feel warm, wouldn’t it?”
Chen An heard this and chuckled inwardly.
Perhaps, just as he had thought on the road earlier, because he was truly living for himself, even such a mundane daily routine felt incredibly interesting to him.
(End of this chapter)
