Many people had to stop midway to heal themselves while observing the competitors around them. As a result, many eyes were focused on a few cultivators.
Among them was Ning Zhuo.
Kong Ran’s face was pale, holding a wooden awl, staring at Ning Zhuo with a look of astonishment.
In his impression, Ning Zhuo was a scion of a great family; he truly didn’t expect the latter to endure and suffer like this.
As his study deepened further, Ning Zhuo’s insights accumulated enough, beginning to see things clearly.
"The Confucian Sect values ’self-restraint,’ and these two techniques are indeed expressions of ’self-restraint.’"
Hanging one’s head from a beam restrains the laziness and slackness of the ’self’ in constant mild suffering. While stabbing the thigh with an awl overcomes the facade of understanding, fear of difficulties, and mental vagueness of the ’self’ in intense sharp pain.
"The sea of learning has no end, suffering is the boat!"
"Pain is not the goal; it is the raft that helps cross the river, the bell and drum that sound the alarm, the whetstone that grinds the mind!"
"Therefore, pain is merely a tool, through which one tempers the will, clears the mind, concentrates the thoughts, and dispels confusion!"
"Consequently, they do not enhance my innate intelligence but use ’pain’ as a catalyst to stimulate, refine, and elevate a cultivator’s potential (willpower, concentration, comprehension, penetration) to a state far beyond the usual limits!"
On the surface, the two are just magic techniques to assist in study, but in essence, they embody the principle of "mind over matter, sharpening the heart through suffering, and gaining clarity through pain."
Ning Zhuo took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.
The study was complete.
He had a deeper understanding and command of hanging from a beam and stabbing the thigh with an awl.
Ning Zhuo rarely took a break to scan his surroundings.
He found that most cultivators had already interrupted their studies, unable to hold on.
Only less than thirty percent were still persisting.
"Time to use these to learn more!" With a trace of excitement, Ning Zhuo began delving into other ancient texts.
This time he chose the "Curved Snake Bouncing Array Collection."
Shamefully, though Ning Zhuo had obtained this book, he never had time for in-depth study, leaving it to collect dust at the bottom of his chest.
The author of this book was White Scale Hermit, a male Snake Demon. Injured and incomplete, he could only use mechanisms as replacements.
The Jade Slip records the various formations arranged on both the mechanism serpent body and the flesh and blood serpent body.
Head hanging from a beam! Awl stabbing the thigh!
Ning Zhuo put all his effort into learning, making impressive progress.
The rope around his hair became tighter and tighter, gradually making creaking sounds. The blood holes on his thighs increased, and blood continued to flow down.
More and more cultivators stopped.
Liu Fushu, sweating profusely from pain, also had to stop.
As for Bai Jiyun, he was quite liberal, among the first to give up. Had Song Taosheng not closed the temple door, he would have left long ago.
"Is the rope and wooden awl he uses really the same as mine?" Kong Ran’s mouth slightly agape, was puzzled and shocked.
Song Taosheng’s gaze was now unrestrained, directly staring at Ning Zhuo, his eyes undisguisedly showing his admiration: "I didn’t expect this kid to endure the hardships of learning! Wen Ruanyu’s recommendation was spot on."
"Such a young man, even without our push, will surely stand out!"
Ning Zhuo was completely immersed, utterly absorbed in the pleasure of learning.
"So exhilarating, this progress truly makes me unable to stop!"
"When I return to the Bluestone Cave Mansion, and use the Ideograph Brush and Luoshu Book Pages again, what a magnificent sight it will be?"
Thinking of this, Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but smile, filled with expectations for the future.
"Isn’t this person a pervert?!" It was precisely this smile of Ning Zhuo’s that defeated the last competing contender who was holding on.
In the end, only Ning Zhuo remained.
Song Taosheng nodded, softly exclaimed, "Good."
In such a situation, there was no need to use any means to control.
He immediately declared, "This big-headed young man, you are the winner of this Xingyun Trial!"
No one objected.
However, Ning Zhuo was too engrossed to hear Song Taosheng’s words.
Slashing and stabbing, his hands didn’t stop, relentlessly puncturing his thighs, making even Song Taosheng’s eye twitch.