When Zhang Shan mentioned Immortal Cultivation, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
"This... there's really nothing to brag about, it's actually quite a hassle.
"I practice horse stance, walk the plum blossom piles, train punches, and soak in hot springs in my dreams every day.
"It's said that after practicing for a while, once your body is ready, you can perform an advancement ceremony to ascend to Sequence Nine."
Several male classmates nearby suddenly understood.
"No wonder you constantly have wobbly legs, can't walk steadily, and almost fell into the toilet with a weak leg.
"So you've been practicing horse stance in your dreams every day!"
Zhang Shan's face turned red.
"Ahem...
"There are female classmates around, so let's not talk about toilet matters."
The group burst into laughter.
Someone else asked.
"Is ascending to Sequence Nine very difficult?"
"I read online that the existing sequences are all extremely demanding.
"Gu Master sequence requires using your eye sockets to host Gu insects.
"Beast Taming sequence requires feeding parts of your body to Pet Beasts.
"The Alchemist sequence requires learning to distinguish ten thousand kinds of herbs.
"Damn, just thinking about it is scary! Ten thousand kinds of herbs—it must be painful!"
"I saw data earlier showing that ninety-eight percent of Immortal-Related Personnel in the Alchemist path are stuck by these ten thousand herbs and can't advance at all!"
"There's also the Talisman Master path, which, along with the Alchemist path, is known as the two balding paths."
Nearby, Bai Mo heard their conversation and frowned slightly.
People always say remembering ten thousand herbs is hard, but how hard it is, and what makes it hard, Bai Mo never understood.
Because he managed it in just three days, ultimately remembering over thirty thousand kinds.
It's not that he couldn't remember more, but Fox Mountain's herbs and materials only had so many.
This feeling is quite strange, like every math exam where people said the questions were too hard, too unconventional, or required too much calculation... Bai Mo always found it unclear—was it really hard? Were the angles unconventional? Was the calculation too much?
Because for that test, he completed it in half an hour and scored a hundred and fifty.
It's not that he couldn't score higher; the total score of the test paper was only so much.
...
In dreams, Fox Mountain.
The sky was shrouded with dark clouds, and the medicine field foxes were busy.
Bai Mo sat on the sliding bench, surveying the medicine field. He saw that the Cross-eyed Grass Seed planted had started to receive water.
In the medicine field, a chubby red fox hugged a water bucket several times larger than itself and wandered around quickly. The fox wandered, and the bucket swayed. The water spilled out just right to water the seeds.
This method wasn't very energy-efficient, but it's simple!
Bai Mo watched, feeling quite gratified.
He had previously fed his fox disciples herbal concoctions to enhance strength and stamina, and the effects were excellent! If it were an ordinary fox, it likely couldn't even lift such a large bucket of water!
The busy fox disciples in the medicine field felt even happier.
Working hard gave them confidence, making them less afraid of danger!
Seeing their master's figure further boosted their confidence and diminished their fear!
...
Today, Bai Mo only spent half the day researching herbal formulas in the main hall because he had other tasks to attend to.
The fox disciples also had only half a day to labor.
After completing their tasks and filling themselves with food and drink, thousands of fox disciples assembled at the mountain gate plaza!
They kept distance from each other, front and back, left and right, forming neat formations.
If the plaza was too full, some foxes moved to the steps.
If the steps were too distant, some foxes went to the nearby rooftops.
Soon, the entire mountain gate was densely packed with fiery-red foxes, resembling an army in formation.
Bai Mo stood at the topmost altar of the mountain gate, looking at his disciples. No matter how many times he saw it, he found the sight quite spectacular!
He took out a "Loud Pill" and swallowed it, feeling instantly energized and his throat slightly heated.
When he spoke again, his voice was loud, echoing across the plaza!
"Today is a day for practicing punches.
"Everyone, let's start training together.
"Alchemist Fist, first move, Planting Seeds!"
The fox disciples were seen moving uniformly, bending down, and thrusting their paws into the ground.
"Alchemist Fist, second move, Pulling Weeds!"
The fox disciples were seen moving uniformly, standing up, and forcefully waving their paws upward.
"Alchemist Fist, third move, Hugging the Bucket!"
...
The set of punches was somewhat peculiar, but it was not some fraudulent trick; it was the exclusive skill of Sequence Eight of the Alchemist path, [Soup Man], which Bai Mo learned and taught his disciples. Combined with herbal concoctions, it enhanced their physiques with great results! Whether for work or combat, the effects were outstanding!
Foxes and humans are ultimately different, but Bai Mo made appropriate modifications to make the fist techniques more suitable for foxes.
"Alchemist Fist, eighth move, Tear & Bite!"
The fox disciples were seen moving uniformly, opening their mouths, squinting their eyes, and fiercely biting into the air in front of them.
This move, when combined with a special exertion technique, could even bite through bronze!
"Alchemist Fist, ninth move, Tail Whip!"
...
After practicing together, it was time for individual drills.
The fox disciples practiced in pairs or small groups, demonstrating and sparring with each other.
Though punch training was quite exhausting, they were delighted!
Because learning the fist techniques and enhancing their abilities gave them a strong sense of security!
Bai Mo then wandered among the foxes, observing and helping to correct their actions.
"This move is wrong; your front paw is too weak."
"Your footing is unstable, and your force is lacking."
"Think about how you hugged that water bucket?"
"Let me help you adjust your move."
Bai Mo squatted down to help the fox disciple called "White Gloves" modify its move, adjusting its front paw and hind legs.
"See, does the strength come out better now?"
White Gloves squinted happily, its fox mouth widened to its ears!
After learning the moves, it approached its master, rubbing its head against Bai Mo.
Several days passed in the blink of an eye.
At eight-thirty in the evening, after evening self-study ended, the sky was as dark as ink, with rain pouring down.
Bai Mo held an umbrella, rushed out of the school gate, dashed across the road, and darted into a small alley.
Unexpectedly, the rain intensified, transforming the ground into a small river, and his umbrella got heavier, even starting to leak rainwater. His clothes and shoes were drenched, making him quite miserable.
"It would be great if I could use Immortal Technique."
Unfortunately, using Immortal Technique in the current world, if discovered, would cause trouble! After all, it's a society governed by law!
Bai Mo sighed.
"I better find shelter from the rain; I'll return once it stops."
Familiar with the surroundings, he soon found an abandoned bus stop and hid under the shelter, evading the torrential rain.
Sitting on the long bench, he folded his umbrella and finally let out a sigh of relief.
In the pitch-black rainy night, only the distant street lamps cast dim yellow light.
Under this shelter, there were two other people seeking refuge from the rain.
One was a stranger with a hood covering his face, sitting silently at a distance.
And the other was none other than Bai Mo's front-desk classmate, Zhang Shan!
Meeting here was quite unexpected for Zhang Shan, who smiled awkwardly.
Though they were front and back desks, they hadn't spoken much and weren't very familiar.
"You're here to hide from the rain too?"
"Yes, good evening."
After a few awkward pleasantries, the three people under the shelter returned to silence, sitting far apart from each other. Only the sound of the pouring rain echoed throughout the street.