Chapter 207: Senior Brother Ji: "I Know Where the Problem Lies."
Lu Yang: “…Fairy, can’t you wish me well for once?”
“Alright then, I wish you a smooth reduction of your sentence.”
Lu Yang took a deep breath and reluctantly explained, “I’m practicing a technique; I just had a little mishap.”
“What kind of technique are you practicing?” Everlasting Fairy was curious about what kind of technique could land someone in a dungeon.
“Draw a Prison From The Ground.”
“Understood.”
As the two were talking, a large hand suddenly appeared and pulled Lu Yang up from the ground. It was Ji Hongwen.
Just now, Senior Brother Ji watched as Lu Yang burrowed into the ground and built a cell for himself with dirt.Senior Brother Ji was baffled. The spells he taught had nothing in common with what Lu Yang was learning.
Oh, except for the name.
That made it even more absurd!
Meeting Senior Brother Ji’s helpless gaze, Lu Yang blinked innocently.
“Senior Brother Ji, can my Draw a Prison From The Ground technique be salvaged?”
Senior Brother Ji nodded confidently. “The sage advocated for teaching without discrimination. As long as the method is correct, there are no students who can’t be taught. I’m sure I can teach you!”
Lu Yang rejoiced, feeling that Senior Brother Ji was indeed reliable.
“Show me your results again. This time, draw a circle around me so I can see where the problem lies.”
“Alright.”
Recalling his earlier spell-casting state, Lu Yang drew a circle around Senior Brother Ji with his finger.
The circle was perfect, adhering to the principles of pi.
Then Senior Brother Ji felt a weight descend upon him, locking him in the dungeon.
Senior Brother Ji: “…”
He blinked, unable to understand what had happened.
Being at the Nascent Soul stage, if he wanted to resist, Lu Yang naturally couldn’t imprison him, but doing so wouldn’t help him understand how Lu Yang had gotten it wrong.
Senior Brother Ji often substituted for the Fourth Elder in teaching, making him a half-teacher.
As a teacher, he was supposed to teach his students.
Before teaching them, he needed to understand them.
Senior Brother Ji knocked on the earth pillar, finding the dungeon sturdy enough to hold a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator—a viable combat technique.
Yet he still couldn’t comprehend how Lu Yang had mislearned it.
Senior Brother Ji emerged from the dungeon, “Again.”
Lu Yang once more drew a circle around Senior Brother Ji, trapping him back in the dungeon.
Senior Brother Ji popped in and out like a groundhog, repeating the process dozens of times. Just as Lu Yang was about to try again, Senior Brother Ji stopped him.
“I know where the problem lies.” Senior Brother Ji nodded, his gaze profound.
Lu Yang was overjoyed, eagerly asking what the problem was.
“The problem is that I shouldn’t have taught you.”
“Huh?”
Senior Brother Ji sighed inwardly. It wasn’t that he didn’t uphold the sage’s principles, but his own vision was limited—he couldn’t figure it out.
He even doubted that even a sage could teach Lu Yang.
“Barbarian Bone, Meng Jingzhou, remember to practice diligently.”
“Yes.”
After practicing for so long, Meng Jingzhou had gradually grasped the trick to Draw a Prison From The Ground, with a significantly improved success rate, while Barbarian Bone was still just drawing circles without trapping anyone.
After saying this, Senior Brother Ji departed gracefully, leaving the three of them drawing circles.
“You’re doomed, Senior Brother Ji has given up on you,” Meng Jingzhou mocked Lu Yang gleefully.
“Draw a Dungeon!” Enraged and embarrassed, Lu Yang quickly drew a circle around Meng Jingzhou, trapping him in the dungeon.
Meng Jingzhou violently broke free, then drew a circle around Lu Yang, trapping him. “Draw a Prison From The Ground!”
“Draw a Dungeon!”
“Draw a Prison From The Ground!”
“Draw a Dungeon!”
“Draw a Prison From The Ground!”
(TL Note: As per my previous TL note, the original technique is called “画地为牢” (huà dì wéi láo). In Chinese, the word for “dungeon” is 地牢 (dì láo). Which are the second and fourth characters of the idiom “画地为牢.” Individually, “地” means “ground” and “牢” means “prison.” When combined, they form “dungeon.” When he uses the technique, he uses “画地牢” which is Draw a Dungeon instead of “画地为牢” which is Draw a Prison From The Ground)
“Evil creature, you’ve caused endless slaughter and countless wronged souls. Watch as this monk seals you in the dungeon forever!”
“Bald donkey, let’s see who seals whom today. I want to see if you can escape the circle drawn by this demon lord!” (TL Note: Bald donkey is a derogatory term for buddhist monks)
“Hey! Take this!”
“Take this!”
The two practiced their newly learned spell in battle, their proficiency visibly increasing.
Only Barbarian Bone, focused and undistracted, kept drawing circles nearby.
The two fought until they were exhausted, mutually ceasing hostilities.
They sat on the ground, panting heavily. Both parched from shouting spells, they used their remaining magic to conjure water droplets in the air to drink heartily.
“Senior Brother Barbarian, I finally found you.” A figure walked into the bamboo grove, spotting Barbarian Bone.
“Li Haoran?” Lu Yang recognized the newcomer.
“So Senior Brothers Lu and Meng are here too,” Li Haoran greeted them.
“Senior Brother Barbarian, I’ve finished modifying the hammer you asked for.”
“So fast, quickly, let me see.” Excited and eager to see his upgraded weapon, Barbarian Bone urged him.
Li Haoran said no more, retrieving a large iron hammer as tall as a person from his identity token.
The hammer’s head resembled a huge red agate, looking extremely heavy, shining brightly in the sunlight. The handle was pure white, matching Barbarian Bone’s white scholar’s robe perfectly.
“Not bad, not bad.” Barbarian Bone weighed the hammer, swung it twice, creating a whooshing sound, very satisfied.
The important function of playing the “The Sage’s Words” during battle was also retained by Li Haoran.
Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou exchanged odd looks. “Junior Brother Li, are you sure this is an iron hammer?”
“Of course,” Li Haoran nodded naturally.
Meng Jingzhou complained, “Of course my foot! This is clearly a giant lollipop, and Barbarian Bone just licked the hammerhead!”
Li Haoran explained his reasoning for the modification: “Originally, Senior Brother Barbarian wanted to add impact spikes to both ends of the hammer. Considering that Senior Brother Barbarian is a scholar cultivator, I suggested that using an iron hammer to hit people is unrefined and goes against people’s impression of scholar cultivators.”
“And since Senior Brother Barbarian likes to fight with a hammer, I thought of a compromise—to transform the hammer into a giant lollipop shape, making it more approachable. It can be used as a weapon in battle, and eaten during leisure. Carrying a giant lollipop while walking through the streets can attract children’s interest and increase approachability, achieving multiple benefits!”
Indeed, for approachability, no weapon beats a giant lollipop.
Lu Yang: “…”
I can’t believe it, but Li Haoran’s reasoning makes some sense. Have I been influenced by the Everlasting Fairy?
Barbarian Bone added, “Also, Junior Brother Li’s lollipop is twenty percent cheaper than the cafeteria’s.”
Lu Yang suddenly remembered that the cafeteria was also a business of the Hundred Refinements Peak. Li Haoran might be planning to open a lollipop shop in the cafeteria and used Barbarian Bone as a trial.
“This isn’t about the price… Forget it, as long as you’re happy.” Lu Yang gave up trying to reason, unable to resist anymore.
“Hm?” Lu Yang heard someone sending him a message.
“What is it?”
“Senior Sister is back. She wants me to return to Heaven’s Gate Peak.”