Chapter 38 - Bowing in Gratitude to the Master

Chapter 38 - Bowing in Gratitude to the Master.

Upon hearing this, Su Qing was slightly taken aback.

How many years had she been here?

To be honest, Su Qing herself didn't know.

She rarely made a point of counting the days...

On one hand, it was because of her past hibernations; she would lose track after sleeping for so long.

On the other hand, she simply didn't like to...

For a cultivator to always be counting the years as they pass felt a bit strange.

Su Qing could only shake her head honestly and say:

"I don't remember. It must have been twenty or thirty years, I suppose?"

Su Qing could only give a rough estimate.

But she didn't know the exact number.

"Mm... it has been that long."

Bodhi stroked his beard and said:

"I recall you passed another nine lightning tribulations a while ago?"

Su Qing just nodded again.

"Thanks to Master's blessings, I was fortunate enough to pass..."

"Not bad. In just over ten years, you have already passed your second tribulation."

Patriarch Bodhi nodded slightly and said:

"After you pass the nine-times-nine, eighty-one heavenly tribulations, you will be able to enter the realm of an Earthly Immortal."

Although Bodhi had many disciples, those with talent like Su Qing's were extremely rare.

Though he was strict with Su Qing, he was also quite satisfied.

"Nine-times-nine, eighty-one heavenly tribulations?"

Hearing this, Su Qing's scalp couldn't help but tingle.

The previous nine heavenly tribulations had struck her quite hard.

The thought of being struck more than seventy more times...

...made her ache faintly for some unknown reason.

The feeling of being struck by a lightning tribulation... was truly unpleasant.

"Mm, with your talent, you should be able to pass them all within a hundred years!"

Patriarch Bodhi, knowing full well that Su Qing was a bit scared of being struck, said with a faint smile:

"Didn't you seek long life? Only after cultivating to become an Earthly Immortal can you be considered to have achieved it." Read at Novels Haven (novelshaven.com)

Su Qing was slightly stunned upon hearing this...

Perhaps she had indeed lived a peaceful life for too long.

To think she would actually fear the heavenly tribulations.

But, being struck by them really did hurt.

"This disciple was cowardly. I have disappointed Master..."

"You are not to blame... If you feared nothing at all, then I would be worried."

Patriarch Bodhi shook his head slightly and said:

"I have never been disappointed in you... Whatever realm you cultivate to in the future has nothing to do with me. I have merely taught you some matters of cultivation."

"..." Su Qing didn't know what to say, and could only bow in gratitude to her master.

"Your transformation arts, how is your practice of them now?"

Patriarch Bodhi suddenly asked about Su Qing's Seventy-Two Transformations.

Hearing this, Su Qing answered honestly.

Over ten years ago, Su Qing had already completely grasped the Seventy-Two Transformations.

And in these past ten-odd years, she had not slacked in her cultivation.

Naturally, her transformation arts had become proficient.

After she transformed,

besides Leng Xiang, who was contracted to her and shared a mental link,

even Senior Sister Luo, who was closest to her, could not recognize her.

As for the sparrows, there was no need to even mention them...

They almost didn't recognize her when she first took human form, let alone after a transformation.

Now, her Seventy-Two Transformations,

while she wouldn't dare say they were perfectly complete, they were certainly at a stage of great accomplishment.

To reach perfection... that was a matter of accumulated time.

It was not something that could be entirely determined by talent.

Patriarch Bodhi nodded slightly and said:

"This method of avoiding the Three Calamities is the most useful for you. In the future, you will face the Three Calamities once every five hundred years. If you cannot evade them, even being an Earthly Immortal will be in vain. Remember not to neglect the cultivation of these Seventy-Two Transformations in the future..."

Hearing this, Su Qing had a vague feeling in her heart...

She understood something.

But she didn't want to think too much about it.

Master hadn't gotten to that point yet, had he? Read at Novels Haven (novelshaven.com)

"This disciple will certainly not neglect her cultivation."

"That is good, that is good."

"By the way, Master, what are the Three Calamities?"

"They are also the calamities of wind, fire, and lightning."

"The same as during Core Formation?"

"Over a hundred times stronger."

"..."

"Therefore, your master is only telling you to avoid them, not to pass through them."

Patriarch Bodhi said:

"With your transformation arts, you can avoid these Three Calamities."

Hearing this, Su Qing...

...was slightly stunned.

She had only focused on cultivation before.

She had never thought...

...Master had so many magical arts.

Why did he have her choose only the Seventy-Two Transformations and the Thirty-Six Transformations?

So this was the reason.

One could only say that Master was truly a master, indeed far-sighted.

Back then, she only thought it was because these transformation arts were powerful...

...but she never imagined there was this reason as well.

Su Qing bowed her head in salute, once again thanking her master for his grace.

And Bodhi couldn't help but nod slightly as he looked at her.

A moment later, he sighed softly.

"The cultivation technique I passed on to you, you must not neglect it either... cultivate it well."

Hearing this, Su Qing nodded.

"This disciple has never neglected her cultivation."

The technique Bodhi spoke of was naturally the one Su Qing learned when she first became a disciple.

This technique seemed to have no name, and Bodhi had never mentioned one to Su Qing.

She only knew that this technique was different from others'.

However, she hadn't paid too much attention to the matter of the technique. Read at Novels Haven (novelshaven.com)

She just felt that since she was a demon, it was normal that she couldn't cultivate the same techniques as others.

Whatever Patriarch Bodhi taught, she would learn.

Why ask this and that?

Could a master possibly harm his disciple?

"That is good, that is good."

Patriarch Bodhi looked at Su Qing, seeming a bit reluctant, and shook his head slightly, saying:

"In that case, you can graduate."

"Master... but... are you sending this disciple away?"

Su Qing was slightly stunned... She hadn't thought it would be so soon.

"Master... this disciple does not want to graduate."

Patriarch Bodhi shook his head and said, "I have nothing left to teach you here."

"..." Su Qing said, "There are still things this disciple doesn't understand about the Seventy-Two Transformations, and also about the cultivation technique."

"Lies. If you truly didn't understand, you would have pestered your master with questions long ago."

Patriarch Bodhi sighed:

"Don't blame your master for sending you away. Your realm has already far surpassed the other disciples... The rest have already graduated, and you cannot break the rules."

"..." Su Qing was silent.

Patriarch Bodhi shook his head slightly, knowing that Su Qing was also reluctant to leave.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

Patriarch Bodhi flicked his horsetail whisk, choosing not to look at her, and simply said:

"Since you are graduating, your master will gift you a magical art for travel."

"This art is called the 'Somersault Cloud.' Once mastered, one somersault covers one hundred and eight thousand li. Here with your master, it may not be the strongest magical art, but it is the fastest."

"Gifting this to you for travel is quite suitable."

"Master... this disciple will not learn it. This disciple only wants to remain by Master's side to cultivate."

Su Qing was naturally unwilling to part. Bodhi was such a good teacher... and they had spent so many years together. How could she just leave when told to?

Bodhi heard this and said, "A cultivator must understand when to let go. The fate between us as master and disciple has come to an end. It is time to part."

"Master..."

"Listen... I will impart to you the incantation for the Somersault Cloud," Bodhi said, unwilling to say more.

Hearing this... Su Qing could only sigh in her heart, nod, and listen attentively.

Although the incantation for the Somersault Cloud was long, Su Qing understood it as soon as she heard it...

Perhaps it was due to her past accumulation of knowledge. Read at Novels Haven (novelshaven.com)

While she couldn't use it immediately, Su Qing felt that with half a month of practice, she could grasp the basics.

"Have you memorized the incantation?"

"I have," Su Qing nodded slightly.

Patriarch Bodhi closed his eyes and said:

"Alright, go back now. You shall leave the Cave of the Three Stars tomorrow. In the future, whether you cause trouble or do good deeds, do not mention that you are my disciple... and especially do not mention this Cave of the Three Stars to anyone."

"..."

Su Qing didn't know what to say.

She could only nod, once again bowing in gratitude to her master.

Then, she respectfully withdrew...

...and returned to her courtyard.