Yamcha, dressed in a white Taoist robe similar to Zhang Lingyu's, moved swiftly through the residential area of the Celestial Master's Mansion. Although his eyes were tightly shut, he seemed to be able to "see" — skillfully avoiding any obstacles before coming into contact with them.
Soon, he arrived at the location of the old Celestial Master.
"Not bad, not bad."
The old Celestial Master nodded repeatedly with a very satisfied look on his face upon seeing Yamcha standing before him.
His talent was extraordinary, picking up anything almost instantly, improving every single day, and most importantly, taking it all very seriously.
Looking at the current Yamcha was like looking at a younger version of himself. Unfortunately... Yamcha wasn't his personally chosen disciple and therefore could not inherit the position of Celestial Master.
In other words — it was not meant to be.
Yamcha stood respectfully in front of the old Celestial Master. His aura had undergone a drastic change compared to a year ago, now eerily similar to how he first appeared before the Master.
An old man and a young one stood there. To outsiders, they would look like two perfectly ordinary people.
However, the old Celestial Master had returned to the origin — the realm of true simplicity — whereas Yamcha was using a trick: tightening and isolating all his qi and presence to the point of near-invisibility.
It looked similar, but the difference was like night and day.
After all, Yamcha was, at best, just a teenager. Even counting the time from his past life, he was still nowhere near the level of the old Celestial Master.
In terms of cultivation level, there was simply no comparison.
But for Yamcha, this shortcut was already good enough.
The old Celestial Master gently stroked his beard and said, "Let me see how your basic techniques are progressing."
"Yes, Master."
Yamcha nodded. A strange energy began to flow through him, almost like it had a life of its own, coursing through his entire body. It was completely different from qi, Nen, Ripple energy, or even Stands.
Qi!
"Heaven and Earth, Mysterious Sect, the root of all Qi; cultivate across all tribulations to attain divine power."
In the next moment, golden light suddenly burst forth from Yamcha's body. It was dazzling but not blinding.
At that moment, Yamcha looked like a radiant little golden figure, shining brightly. Thankfully, it was daytime, or else such a phenomenon would certainly have drawn unwanted attention.
This was one of Taoism's eight great incantations — The Golden Light Mantra.
It's said to be the introductory divine art of the Celestial Master's lineage on Mount Longhu, though in reality, it's a cultivation method that can be practiced continuously for a lifetime.
The golden light represented the righteous energy of life itself.
Simply put, practicing the Golden Light Mantra involved entering a "righteous" state, thereby enhancing one's life force (the light of life). The longer one could stay in this state, the greater the enhancement.
The golden light was the manifestation of this life force. The stronger your life cultivation, the more tangible the golden light would become, making the Golden Light Mantra more powerful — forming a virtuous cycle.
You could say that the Golden Light Mantra was both a cultivation method and a powerful offensive Taoist technique.
A method worth practicing for a lifetime.
And now, this method belonged to Yamcha.
With all that said about the Golden Light Mantra's benefits, there was still one thing Yamcha wasn't satisfied with:
"Too flashy."
"Master, is there really no way to hide the golden light?"
Yamcha had always been trying to find a way to make the golden light transparent.
No matter who sees you glowing like that — wouldn't you be the first target to attack?
Too obvious. Not safe.
Hearing this, the old Celestial Master's once-pleased expression collapsed, almost yanking out a few strands of his beard.
"You, you! So many people dream of reaching your level of Golden Light, and you're actually complaining?"
"Golden Light Mantra! Without golden light, how is it still the Golden Light Mantra?"
If the old Celestial Master had one complaint about his disciple, it was that Yamcha was too cautious — he completely lacked the vitality and boldness that young people were supposed to have.
Don't be fooled by how flamboyant Yamcha was when he first arrived at the Celestial Master's Mansion, spending money like water. That was just another layer of concealment.
This guy was the king of 'stealth mode'.
When your wealth is eye-catching enough, people focus on your money — and ignore the man behind it.
A high-level stealth strategy.
But that's only for now. A few years later, when a certain shameless someone arrives, that'll mark the golden age of 'stealth mode' practitioners. The difference is, that guy will draw attention to his shamelessness — the essence is the same as Yamcha's strategy.
No wonder this is a "senior-blooded shounen" where all the youngsters are cunning veterans and all the real fights are left to the old folks.
"Golden light is only on the surface. As long as the essence remains the Golden Light Mantra, isn't that what matters? Master, you're being superficial."
No sooner had he said this than the old Celestial Master smacked him on the head.
"Don't bring Buddhist logic to a Taoist's face."
When principles weren't involved, the old Celestial Master had a very easygoing nature, which allowed Yamcha to relax in his presence and occasionally engage in conversations like this.
Just as the old Celestial Master was about to continue the discussion, both their expressions suddenly changed.
The golden light vanished, the energy dissipated, and everything returned to an ordinary state.
The old and young man instantly shifted to discussing Taoist classics — one asking, the other answering.
"Grandmaster, honored guest."
A young Taoist boy wearing a hat entered through the courtyard gate. He respectfully relayed a few words to the two before leaving after receiving the old Celestial Master's reply.
No one else knew that the old Celestial Master was secretly training Yamcha. Or rather, only the two of them were aware of their master-disciple relationship.
Even Elder Tian, the Celestial Master's junior who lived in the same residential area, was unaware.
To outsiders, Yamcha was living in the mansion as an honored incense-offering layperson, and the old Celestial Master was merely explaining Taoist teachings to him.
Such behavior wasn't considered excessive by other sects — in fact, they thought Mount Longhu had struck gold.
Because, as the saying goes, money solves 99% of problems in human society.
If someone threw in a billion, not only would sect leaders offer private lectures — most small-to-mid-sized sects might even offer their secret techniques and the leadership position too.
At worst, they'd grumble that Yamcha had "too much money to burn," but deep down, it was pure jealousy.
Why didn't he come to our sect?
Taoist studies? I'll learn them right now and teach you!
Can secret techniques fill your stomach? Can a sect leader's title make you a big shot?
Maybe.
But money definitely can.
There are people who treat money like dirt, sure — but they still have sons, disciples, descendants, relatives.
As long as even one of them lives in this secular world, they will be influenced by money.
That's why the first thing Yamcha does in any new world is secure money.
It saves trouble, legitimizes actions, and brings multiple benefits at once.
Why not?
(End of Chapter)