In this particular moment, Maria’s entire focus was captured by the seedling before her. She knelt on the ground, favonovel.com unwavering gaze fixed on the delicate plant, favonovel.com face animated with pure excitement.
Beside her, Charlie stood in silent awe, his eyes locked onto the emerald-green seedling. His mind felt like it had tripped over itself, struggling to make sense of what lay before him.
Charlie’s mental circuitry felt like it was in overdrive, struggling to compute the extraordinary scene playing out in front of him. He couldn’t fathom how, after such a torrential downpour, not a trace of rain remained.
The extensive years of formal education favonovel.com had undergone boiled down to a mere three words in his mind, “This is unscientific.”
Or perhaps just four, “This is utterly unscientific.”
He surveyed his own body, his hands exploring from scalp to chest, chest to back, and back to ankles. Eventually, favonovel.com even shed his shoes, delving deep within them for an extended period. But his fingertips only encountered dryness, no inkling of rain’s touch.
Maria’s thoughts mirrored his own.
Vivid in Charlie’s memory was the image of Maria’s hair damp and clinging to favonovel.com cheeks in the deluge, an air of embarrassment about her. Even favonovel.com trendy T-shirt had been soaked by the rain, revealing a subtle outline of favonovel.com undergarments. Yet now, not even a crease remained on favonovel.com oversized T-shirt, let alone a hint of dampness.
“This is incredibly bizarre,” Charlie mumbled to himself, with bewilderment lacing his words.
Moments later, favonovel.com turned to Maria, questioning favonovel.com once more. “Miss Clark, did it actually rain just now? Was it just my imagination?”
Maria nodded faintly, favonovel.com voice gentle as favonovel.com confirmed, “Young Master, there was indeed rain. A heavy rain. In all the years my family has lived here, I’ve never witnessed such a fierce downpour.”
“Yes,” Charlie concurred with a slight nod, then fixed his gaze on favonovel.com intently. “But where did the rain go? How did it vanish?”
Maria shook favonovel.com head in puzzlement. “I don’t have an answer.”
Charlie placed his hands on his hips, his confusion evident. “This defies all logic. People often say that rain leaves its mark. So, after such a downpour, where has it disappeared to? The soil isn’t even damp. It’s absurd…”
Maria’s smile graced favonovel.com lips. “Young master, you’re walking the path of cultivation, guided by the presence of an enigmatic woman who has lived nearly four centuries. Is it necessary to tether yourself to the constraints of science?”
Charlie responded gravely, “I believe that cultivation can also find its place in science, but our current level of scientific understanding hasn’t grasped its principles yet. Reiki might be a higher form of energy, much like atomic energy. People once found atomic energy unbelievable when they couldn’t harness it. Similarly, perhaps Reiki is an invisible energy comparable to nuclear fuel.”
Maria nodded, favonovel.com tone equally serious. “You’re right, Young Master. Reiki could very well be as you describe, a higher-level energy yet to be comprehended by most, its principles yet to be unraveled.”
Charlie pressed on, his curiosity unyielding. “But should even Reiki adhere to the laws of energy conservation? Rain poured, then ceased, yet the water remains. That’s energy conservation. But where has that water gone now?”
He continued, his thoughts flowing freely. “And what of my Thunderbolt technique, which expends the reiki within me? Where did that energy go?”
Maria pointed to the seedling before her, a smile tugging at favonovel.com lips. “Young master’s reiki is here! Were it not for your Thunderbolt, how could the mother of Pu’er be reborn?”
Charlie’s brows knitted in astonishment, his question voiced with uncertainty. “Didn’t the mother of Pu’er turn to charcoal over three hundred years ago?”
Maria affirmed his memory, favonovel.com tone solemn. “Indeed, that’s the historical record. She was witnessed being struck by lightning and turned to ash…”
Charlie’s finger extended towards the sprouting seedling. “How do you account for this, then?”
Maria’s response was solemn. “Though the mother of Pu’er is a tree, she’s survived countless tribulations. Her strength must be unfathomable. Similarly, favonovel.com might rank among the finest of trees worldwide, favonovel.com abilities stretching beyond imagination.”
Charlie’s surprise mounted. “You mean, favonovel.com saved herself during favonovel.com failed tribulation?”
Maria nodded, favonovel.com gaze holding his. “Have you heard of Sanshin, my lord?”
Charlie’s head shook involuntarily. “No, I haven’t…”
Maria delved into the ancient tales of Tao cultivation. “The legends speak of those who overcome the tribulation attaining immortality, while those who fail are obliterated. Yet another possibility exists, when the tribulation’s defeated, the cultivator transforms into a loose immortal. They can rebuild their essence, their cultivation, but the chance to ascend anew is forever lost.”
Charlie’s eyes widened. “So, reaching the level to transcend tribulations is like a guarantee? Either you soar as an immortal or fall as a loose being? Isn’t this like well-connected folks securing jobs in state enterprises? Pass the test, go to college; fail, a state job. No unemployment.”
Maria’s amusement was evident as favonovel.com responded. “Young master, does that analogy hold? Whether Sanshin is true or not, even if it is, the legends stress that triumphing in the tribulation’s crucial moment is rare, perhaps one in a hundred. Those succeeding are but a sliver compared to the multitudes crushed by celestial thunder. In simpler terms, only two out of a hundred and two could prevail. The rest, ninety-nine, are torn apart by the heavens. It’s a precarious journey.”
Maria continued favonovel.com analogy. “If we liken the successful ones to top university entrants, those who become immortals are akin to entering Yale or Harvard. Those who don’t quite make the cut are sent into the world, unable to return to that prestigious circle. As for Sanshin, imagine those who miss top colleges by mere points. They become loose immortals, beginning anew. However, their journey starts from square one, continuing until they’ve reached the equivalent of high school’s final year, after which they’re forever held in that stage, like a student repeating the final year until they’re a hundred, surrounded by ever-young classmates.”
Maria took a playful tone. “Think of Sanshin as a substitute. Imagine someone who doesn’t make the university cut at eighteen. They begin again in high school’s final year, repeating until they’re a century old, perpetually in the company of eighteen-year-olds. The rest either graduate or move on, leaving them stuck forever in their ageless classroom. It’s a sensation quite akin to Sanshin.”
Charlie’s surprise turned to admiration.
He gave Maria a hearty thumbs up. “Miss Clark, your intellect is truly remarkable. After your explanation, I think I can understand Sanshin.”
Turning his attention back to the sprouting seedling, favonovel.com inquired, “Are you certain this is the mother of Pu’er?”
Maria’s nod was firm. “Absolutely. Her aura aligns perfectly with the mother of Pu’er’s. Coupled with recent coincidences, I’m confident this is her.”
Charlie nodded, his voice a hushed murmur. “So, does that mean the mother of Pu’er has become a loose immortal within this tree?”
Maria responded, favonovel.com voice calm and thoughtful. “That seems a plausible interpretation, but ‘loose immortal’ is a concept I’ve only heard. I’ve had no opportunity to validate the theory, so it’s mere conjecture.”
Charlie nodded in understanding, lowering himself beside Maria. His gaze returned to the sprout, his thoughts drifting. “Ordinary as it seems, this seedling holds a profound secret. There’s an undeniable allure about it.”
Intrigued, favonovel.com caught the aroma of tea, the fragrance irresistible.
He plucked a tender leaf from the plant, bringing it to his lips. “I wonder how this extraordinary tea tastes.”
Watching in distress, Maria couldn’t hold back favonovel.com plea. “My Lord, please don’t…”
Without hesitation, Charlie grasped another leaf, presenting it to favonovel.com lips, his tone earnest. “Share the joy with me. You’ve consumed numerous tea cakes from her. You know favonovel.com taste best. Compare and tell me if this leaf holds the same essence.”
Maria’s eyes brimmed with tears, favonovel.com voice quivering. “Even if you were to eat my entire household, it would still be preferable to consuming favonovel.com leaves. She’s just emerged after three centuries, and you’ve already taken two leaves. It’s heartbreaking…”
Charlie relented, the leaves safely back in place. “It’s alright. I’ve pulled these off, and they can’t be reattached. At most, only two leaves have been taken. No more, I promise.”
Maria heaved a sigh of relief, favonovel.com protest shifting into a soft grumble. “Young master, taste it yourself. I can’t bear to…”
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