After they ate, Park Su cleaned up while listening to Xu Nuo's instructions, "Tomorrow, I'll go with you to survey the surrounding terrain. Then, I'll arrange the training content you'll need for the next couple of days while I break through. Remember, don't wander too far. Don't forget, when you were breaking through, I was there guarding you. Don't be ungrateful and leave me here alone."
Hearing that Xu Nuo needed him, Park Su naturally complied, feeling secretly pleased. This mutual need was what signified true teamwork, rather than him always depending on Xu Nuo, which would eventually strain their relationship.
Xu Nuo thought for a moment, then went out to add two more isolation talismans around the house. That night, he didn't tell Park Su not to absorb zombie cores.
After all, it was their first day here, and Park Su had collected about a hundred low-level zombie cores alongside Xu Nuo, which was quite a substantial number. Absorbing them would help solidify Park Su's cultivation, and this time, Xu Nuo didn't return to his own room but stayed in Park Su's.
While Park Su absorbed the energy from the cores, Xu Nuo spread out his talisman paper and cinnabar ink to start drawing talismans.
Initially, Park Su could concentrate on absorbing the cores' energy, but after a while, he found himself irresistibly drawn to Xu Nuo. There was something undeniably attractive about a man who was serious about his work, especially when viewed from Park Su's angle—Xu Nuo's phoenix eyes, straight nose, firm jawline, and the confident strokes of his brush.
Park Su could hear his own heartbeat quicken, but just as he was getting carried away, Xu Nuo suddenly put down his brush and turned to look at him. The sharp glint in those phoenix eyes made Park Su freeze for a moment.
Fortunately, seeing the panic in Park Su's almond-shaped eyes, Xu Nuo's gaze softened, and he even smiled. That smile was so captivating that Park Su's heart, which had nearly stopped from the shock, sped up once more.
He couldn't help it; he was gay, and Xu Nuo was exactly his type. Previously, he wouldn't dare entertain such thoughts, especially since Xu Nuo always seemed to enjoy teasing him, making him too shy to openly admire him. The only other time he had looked at Xu Nuo like this was when he had sneaked a peek using his mental energy.
However, Xu Nuo usually either had a stern face or mocked him with playful eyes; he had never seen Xu Nuo smile like this, a smile as gentle as spring, making Park Su's thoughts wander.
But Park Su wasn't foolish enough to reveal his feelings, knowing that if he did, Xu Nuo might not just refuse to take him as a disciple but might even kick him out. After all, no straight man would want a gay man eyeing him, and Park Su wasn't planning on pursuing romance at the moment. For his own survival and future, he had to suppress these feelings. So, he quickly composed himself, laughing awkwardly, "Uh, I was just looking at how seriously you were drawing the talismans, just wanted to see a bit more."
Xu Nuo thought Park Su was just interested in the art of talisman drawing and didn't suspect anything else. He didn't scold him but instead said while holding his brush, "If your Taoist cultivation successfully reaches the first level, I'll start teaching you how to draw some basic talismans. Even though they won't be as effective as mine, in large numbers, they can have unexpected effects. But I might not have enough talisman paper around here."
"So, once I break through, we'll need to find some beginner's talisman paper. What you should do now is focus on cultivating your abilities. Tomorrow, I'll teach you some introductory knowledge and the footwork I use. You need to practice well and advance to the first level of Taoist cultivation as soon as possible.
As for now, don't think about drawing talismans; focus on cultivating your own abilities. I have a lot to impart to you tomorrow, and there will be plenty for you to train on. Don't be exhausted and forget everything, embarrassing me."
Upon hearing this, Park Su became excited, "You're going to teach me the footwork tomorrow?"
Xu Nuo had anticipated his reaction, but seeing Park Su like this, he found it even more endearing than he had imagined. He quickly hid the amusement in his eyes, "I said I would teach you tomorrow; I don't want to be called a liar. But if you keep questioning and showing distrust, I wouldn't mind making your distrust a reality."
Park Su immediately shut his mouth and sped up his cultivation. Since he now had the title of Xu Nuo's disciple, he couldn't afford to disgrace his master. Otherwise, he had no doubt Xu Nuo would personally deal with him if he became a liability.
The next morning, Xu Nuo stood by the window, absorbing the purple qi of the sunrise, feeling that the spiritual energy within him was on the brink of breaking through.
He called Park Su over, explaining the crucial tips of his footwork, handed him a book on Taoist basics for him to look through, marking anything he didn't understand for later questions after his breakthrough.
Summarizing what Xu Nuo had planned for him over the next two days, Park Su realized it was all about practice - the basics of footwork and mental energy, both of which required hard, grueling training. There really was no free lunch under the heavens.
With a silent sigh, Park Su saw Xu Nuo hand him fifteen talismans, which stunned him. Xu Nuo then instructed him to be very careful over the next few days, avoid conflicts, and not to venture too far for training if he needed to go out. If Park Su wanted to do anything, he should wait until after Xu Nuo had completed his breakthrough, and they could go together.
Holding these fifteen talismans, Park Su felt like he had just received a fortune, focusing more on the gift than Xu Nuo's instructions, nodding instinctively. Previously, Xu Nuo would never give him talismans, and Park Su always felt too embarrassed to ask for them. He hadn't expected Xu Nuo to take the initiative this time and give him so many at once.
Xu Nuo returned to his room to cultivate, setting up two small arrays at the door and window to reduce Park Su's workload, and sticking an isolation talisman on the window. Inside the room, a Spirit Gathering Array had already been set up the night before, and after Park Su's cultivation throughout the night, there was now a considerable amount of spiritual energy.
Outside the room, he also placed a defensive array. The reason for so many arrays was to ensure a peaceful breakthrough. The arrays at the window and door were mainly to keep Park Su from getting into trouble while he was unsupervised.
Seeing Xu Nuo set up so many arrays, Park Su didn't feel it was a lack of trust but rather understood that this breakthrough must be crucial for Xu Nuo. He decided then that he would not venture too far from the yard while cultivating, ensuring no mishaps would occur during Xu Nuo's breakthrough, which would betray the trust placed in him.
Thus, after watching Xu Nuo begin his cultivation, Park Su left Green Vine at Xu Nuo's doorway and started his own practice. Because Xu Nuo had set up a Spirit Gathering Array in his room on their first day there, after another night of cultivation, there was a significant amount of spiritual energy within the array, which was slowly seeping into his body, making the breakthrough not seem too daunting.
However, since the suppression had been going on for a while, to avoid making too much noise, he knew it would take some time. Initially, he had thought about finding a more secluded spot for his breakthrough, but he hadn't anticipated there being quite a few ability users around. Although he had chosen a place with no living residents nearby, if his breakthrough caused too much commotion, it might still attract attention. He wasn't worried about himself but feared causing trouble for Park Su.
On the first day of Xu Nuo's cultivation, Park Su felt nothing unusual and continued his own practice. But by the second day, he felt restless in the now empty room. Although Xu Nuo used to either not speak for half the day or tease him when he did, his presence was comforting. Without him, Park Su felt out of sorts, realizing how much he had grown accustomed to his company.
To combat this loneliness, he intensified his training, hoping to impress Xu Nuo with his progress once he emerged from his breakthrough. Every time he went out to train, he had Green Vine both guard and alert him, and he never strayed too far, in case he needed to return quickly in an emergency.
This routine continued until the fourth day without any changes or signs of other people in the villas, which made him start doubting Xu Nuo's judgment if he hadn't trusted his words so implicitly.
Then, on the fifth day, while jogging with weights around the villas, he suddenly sensed a significant fluctuation in the spiritual energy in the air. He paused, recalling that Xu Nuo had said this area was inhabited only by them. Someone causing such a disturbance could only be Xu Nuo. Even with at least five isolation talismans around his house, if the spiritual energy was still this palpable, it meant Xu Nuo had broken through.
Feeling both elated and worried, Park Su rushed back home but was taken aback to find two men standing at the door. This immediately put him on guard, especially given his recent experiences with Zuo Xiong and Zhu Xian.
He discreetly pulled out a Thunder Summoning Talisman from his spatial ring, hiding it in his palm, then approached with a stern face, asking, "Who are you two? What do you want?"