Chapter 1: Learn about the Ascetic

"Ming Xin, Ming De, Ming Yan... the above six people can enter Qianlong Hall for further study. The others can go back tomorrow."

This is the lobby of the Gu family's old house, named Chunhui Hall. The old man who spoke is a clan elder, the head of Chunhui Hall.

There were more than twenty young men and women in the lobby, many of them looking disappointed.

Chunhui Hall is the place used by the Gu family to train young people in the clan.

Every year, a group of qualified young people are selected from the family, gathered together, and taught skills and martial arts.

After one year, those who performed outstandingly could enter Qianlong Hall and become the core disciples, learning the most profound skills of the family.

As for those who are eliminated, they will naturally return to where they came from.

……

"It's all over."

Gu Mingchuan stood at the back of the crowd, looking lonely.

In order to join Chunhuitang, he sold all the land left by his parents and bribed an elder in the clan to get a place.

At the age of seventeen, he practiced martial arts with a group of boys and girls aged fourteen or fifteen.

A year passed, and although his martial arts skills had improved a lot, he was still not as good as those six people, and was not selected to join the Hidden Dragon Hall.

"I have traveled through time for a year and a half, devoted myself to martial arts, and never slacked off for a single day, but the result is... Alas, it's time to wake up from the dream."

Gu Mingchuan sighed inwardly.

He has tried his best over the past year.

Even in my senior year of high school, I didn’t work so hard.

Facts have proved that his talent and understanding are only average. He can't even compare with those in the family who are four or five years younger than him, let alone those of his age.

"never mind."

Gu Mingchuan felt somewhat disheartened.

From now on, it’s time to eat, drink, and sleep. Start by lying down.

When I get back, I will look for that elder and ask him to help me arrange a job so that I can leave this place of trouble and go to a small place to live my own life.

……

The elder of the tribe took the six selected young men away, and the people in the hall were about to disperse.

At this time, another elder came in and said, "Mingchuan, Mingdong, Mingzhong... the others can leave."

He named six people in one breath.

Gu Mingchuan was a little surprised, "There is a sequel?"

What could it be?
He noticed that those who were chosen to stay were all from side branches and were the most diligent in practicing martial arts.

After the others left, one of them suddenly said, "Uncle Thirteen, it's my grandfather's birthday today. My mother repeatedly told me to go back early to wish him a happy birthday."

The elder's eyes flashed with dismay, and he said, "Go ahead," as if shooing away a fly.

The man left in a hurry as if he had been pardoned.

Gu Mingchuan remembered that this man’s grandfather was a manager of the clan and should have known some inside information in advance.

Judging from this person's reaction, it is definitely not a good thing.

The elder coughed lightly and said, "I have always seen the performance of the five of you. You are the most diligent and hardworking. The reason why you were not selected to go to Qianlong Hall is because your qualifications are not as good as others."

Is it just that my qualifications are not as good as others?

Gu Mingchuan sneered a little. The six people who were chosen might not be much more talented than them.

The key is that he has the support of his family, and he has no shortage of pills and medicinal baths, so he naturally makes rapid progress.

Being poor in literature but rich in martial arts is not just a saying.

The five people present now are all from ordinary families and cannot even afford medicinal baths. How can they compare with that group of people?

Not only Gu Mingchuan, the other four also looked dissatisfied.

The elder continued, "Are you very unwilling?"

No one answered.

The winner takes it all. At this time, saying anything unwilling to accept the outcome will only make you a laughing stock.

The elder glanced at the five people, taking their reactions into consideration, and said quietly, "I have a way to help you break free from the shackles of your qualifications and surpass those six people in a very short period of time. However, it will cost you a great price. Are you willing to learn?"

what?
For a moment, the five of them stared at him.

Suddenly, one of them seemed to have thought of something, his face changed, and he said in a trembling voice, "Uncle is talking about... but... ascetic monks?"

Ascetic?
Gu Mingchuan was confused.

what is that?
……

………… "The Ascetic Monk is a school that was once prominent in the East Lin Continent a thousand years ago. It is a modified version of the Buddhist practice."

In Chunhui Hall, the Thirteenth Great Uncle sat cross-legged on a cushion and spoke to the four young people present.

Just now, after that person uttered the three words "ascetic monk", he made an excuse and left.

So, there are only four people left.

"The Buddhist way is very different from the martial arts, the way of gods, and the way of law in my Donglin Continent. The heart of cultivation."

“Buddhism believes that there is infinite power in the human mind.”

"In the end, although Buddhism was destroyed by an emperor a thousand years ago, some of their skills were still passed down."

"After many generations of improvement, we finally have the lineage of ascetics. Only the sects and families with a long history have the heritage of ascetics."

"My Gu family is a branch of the Gu family, one of the nine great families in the world thousands of years ago. The inheritance is so long. That's why we have the inheritance of ascetic monks. The other three families in Minglong Mansion are just nouveau riche. How can they compare with my Gu family?"

Thirteenth Uncle was full of pride when he mentioned the origin of the Gu family.

Gu Mingchuan almost rolled his eyes when he heard this.

No matter how glorious the ancestors of the Gu family were, what does it have to do with the current Gu family?
Among the four major families in Minglong Mansion, the Gu family ranks last.

In the entire Great Chu Dynasty, it is not even considered a third-rate family.

He just wanted the old guy to get to the point.

After boasting about the glory of the Gu family's ancestors, the thirteenth uncle finally talked about the ascetic monks. "Ascetic monks, as the name suggests, are people who practice asceticism."

"In our Gu family, every generation has had people who volunteered to become ascetics. I don't know how many ascetics there are in the family now."

"I don't know what level of cultivation the ascetics have reached."

"These ascetics have been practicing hard in the mountain behind the family and never go out. Even in the family, few people know of their existence."

"They will only take action when it comes to the life and death of the family."

"Over the past thousand years, my Gu family has experienced five times of extinction."

"Every time, the enemy was about to break into the ancestral hall, the ascetic monks of the family took action and killed all the invading enemies."

"In the past thousand years, I don't know how many other families in Minglong Mansion have changed, but the Gu family has remained strong."

"The ascetic monks are the last trump card of our Gu family. As long as they are here, our Gu family will never perish."

……

After hearing this, Gu Mingchuan began to back off.

From what he meant, an ascetic is literally practicing asceticism, locking oneself up, not seeking fame or gain, and living like an ascetic monk...

Wouldn’t that make it a training machine?
In this case, what’s the point even if you become the best in the world?
Gu Mingchuan is just an ordinary person. Practicing martial arts, just like making money in the past, is for a better life, to realize his dreams, and to gain value in life, not just for the sake of practicing martial arts and making money.

At this time, the Thirteenth Great Uncle said solemnly, "If you want to become an ascetic, the first step is to observe the precepts. Set a precept for your heart. As long as you don't violate it in this life, you can draw strength from your heart and make great progress in your cultivation."

"The more you set a rule that is what you desire, the more power it will give back to you in your heart."

"There was once a person who was addicted to alcohol. He vowed never to drink again. Overnight, he broke through two realms. Within a year, he broke through from the Qi realm to the Divine Power realm."

The expressions of the people below were greatly shocked when they heard this.

Someone asked, "What if I break the precepts?"

The Thirteenth Great Uncle said quietly, "Once you break the precepts, your Dao heart will be shattered, your cultivation will regress, and you will never make any further progress."

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of several people changed, revealing fear.

Such consequences are undoubtedly too serious.

No wonder people who practice this mental method are called ascetic monks.

The Thirteenth Great Uncle saw the reactions of the four people and finally said, "After you go back, think about this matter carefully. If there are any of you who are willing to become an ascetic monk, come here to find me in five days..."

Before he could finish his words, one of them stood up and said loudly, "I do!"

The Thirteenth Great Uncle was delighted, but he still said, "Gu Mingchuan, you must think carefully. Once you become an ascetic monk, there is no turning back."

Gu Mingchuan said solemnly, "I have thought it through. To be a member of the Gu family, I am willing to dedicate everything to the family. What is there to be afraid of becoming an ascetic monk?"

"it is good!"

The Thirteenth Uncle slapped his thigh and looked at him with relief, "You are fine."

The other three just stared at him blankly.

Gu Mingchuan was delighted.

This ascetic monk is simply tailor-made for me!

Other ascetics have to give up alcohol, sex, and all other entertainment activities in order to become stronger.

But he doesn't need to. He is a time traveler. When he traveled here, he was forced to give up many hobbies. In this world, there are no games, no short videos, no romantic action movies...

If he sacrifices these, wouldn't he be invincible?
(End of this chapter)