True Immortal Qianyuan did not hesitate either, casually pointing a finger at the center of Zhong Bai's brow.
In an instant, a ray of spiritual light surged into Zhong Bai's mind, and a body forging art vividly emerged within his consciousness.
This is the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art!
In ancient times, Daoist cultivation was divided into two factions. One faction pursued the transcendence of the physical body, such as the legendary True Lord Erlang Manifesting Sageliness, who achieved sanctification through the flesh.
However, the path of the physical body is extremely difficult to master unless one possesses great perseverance and great opportunity.
The other faction inhales and exhales the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, pursuing the transcendence of the primordial spirit.
Although this body forging cultivation method, the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art, is merely the superficial foundation of physical cultivation, it is more than enough to cleanse your physical body.
When cultivated to perfection, one can possess the strength of ten thousand catties, forge qi and blood into a protective aura, undergo marrow cleansing and bone forging, and become a flawless body.
Zhong Bai felt somewhat bewildered. Could merely a body forging technique be cultivated to such terrifying might?
Then... if he were to cultivate other divine ability arts, hiss!
Seeing the confusion in Zhong Bai's eyes, True Immortal Qianyuan could not help but find it somewhat amusing. Did this kid Zhong Bai really think the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art was like cabbages sold in a market? Did he really think anyone could cultivate it to perfection?
Naive!
Reaching out, he tapped lightly on Zhong Bai's forehead.
Jolted by the pain, Zhong Bai snapped to his senses and hurriedly cast aside all those unrealistic thoughts in his mind.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The path of cultivation relies on the accumulation of day after day. Disciple, you must not indulge in daydreams."
"To tell you the truth, although every newly entered Mount Mao disciple can cultivate the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art, yet..."
"Heh, for the past nearly three hundred years, not a single person has been able to cultivate it to perfection before the Foundation Establishment stage."
"Master, this disciple heeds your teachings!"
Zhong Bai lowered his head, then closed his eyes to begin reviewing the memories of the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art in his mind.
Seeing this, True Immortal Qianyuan did not disturb him. He arrived like a spring breeze, and like an autumn breeze, he departed silently and quietly.
The moonlight hung high in the southeast.
In a courtyard behind the Law Enforcement Hall, sitting upon a straw mat, Zhong Bai officially began his cultivation of the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art after a whole day of contemplation.
As Zhong Bai moved according to the imagery of the cultivation method in his mind, crisp snapping sounds echoed continuously—the result of Zhong Bai's bones shifting and moving.
In less than half the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Zhong Bai was drenched in sweat, his entire body covered in black and blue bruises. Although he had merely performed a few movements, the level of difficulty was simply beyond his imagination.
Fortunately, Zhong Bai gritted his teeth and persisted.
Out of thirty-six postures in total, Zhong Bai was forced to stop at the ninth posture.
There was no help for it; his skin was now dyed a bright crimson, and to continue would mean going too far.
By the time he washed his body clean, it was already the middle of the night.
Barely half a quarter of an hour after lying down, Zhong Bai fell into a deep sleep.
Back in the Law Enforcement Hall, as the figure of True Immortal Qianyuan materialized, a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
"Zhong Bai's natural talent is passable. To be able to cultivate up to the ninth posture on his very first try—it seems that the one called Lin Fengjiao, taken in by Senior Brother Lin of the Talisman Hall, experienced the same."
"And the sect master's personal disciple Shi Jian also cultivated up to the ninth posture back then."
"If he can persevere, the Law Enforcement Hall might just produce a qualified successor..."
With that, True Immortal Qianyuan lapsed into stillness, suspended in the void. With every breath he took in and out, bolts of lightning surged from the Kui Niu Drum inside the main hall!
Purple lightning continuously battered True Immortal Qianyuan, and so the entire night passed.
Early the next morning.
As dawn was about to break, Zhong Bai rolled out of bed.
A day's plan starts in the morning. After waking up, although Zhong Bai felt some soreness throughout his body, it did not affect his cultivation.
Just as he intended to begin practicing, rumbling sounds echoed one after another in his stomach.
At that moment, Zhong Bai's complexion turned somewhat pale, his limbs felt weak, and the sudden wave of hunger left him somewhat dazed.
Yet, on second thought, since ancient times, literature has been poor while martial arts required wealth, and Taoist Sects also placed emphasis on wealth, companions, Dharma, and land.
Tempering the physical body was bound to be a bottomless pit when it came to the consumption of food.
This was evident when True Immortal Qianyuan pushed the door open and entered, carrying a tray piled high with meat dishes in one hand and taking out a delicate jade bottle with the other.
"Disciple, after cultivating the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art for a night, the consumption is by no means small. From now on, you may eat according to your own needs every day."
"Meat as the mainstay, supplemented by medicinal pills. Once you achieve initial success in the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art and most of the impurities in your body are expelled, you can officially begin Qi Condensation."
Hearing his master's arrangements, Zhong Bai could not help but feel a surge of joy.
"Master, this disciple will cultivate diligently and strive for initial success as soon as possible."
Zhong Bai knew that anything he said right now would feel feeble. A teacher for a day is a father for life; for True Immortal Qianyuan to treat him like this after only one day of apprenticeship, it would be a lie to say he was not moved.
"Hmph hmph, disciple, I know what you are thinking in your heart, but there is really no need."
"A hundred years ago, when Master stepped through the gates of Mount Mao, your grand-master—my own master—treated me in the exact same way."
"This can be considered a form of inheritance."
"Passed down from generation to generation, if you must ask what is expected of you, it is simply the hope that you will hold true to your original heart and guard the Law Enforcement Hall well."
"Of course, if you can accomplish what you said yesterday—sweeping away the demons of the Nine Provinces—what does it matter if your master has to do this every single day?"
There was one thing True Immortal Qianyuan did not say: back when he became a disciple of Mount Mao, the reasons were strikingly similar to Zhong Bai's...
Both of them had their parents fall victim to rampaging demons. In fact, True Immortal Qianyuan's family had suffered an even more tragic fate, with a large clan of over a hundred people leaving him as the sole survivor in this world.
"I will strictly obey Master's teachings!"
Sighing, perhaps because recalling his own past experiences had affected his mood, True Immortal Qianyuan's gaze grew somewhat dim and unreadable at that moment.
"Right, remember this regarding your cultivation: balance exertion with rest, and do not blindly push yourself to the limit."
"Otherwise, if you damage your meridians, it will also be very difficult to handle."
"A few years ago, the sect master's disciple was just like that when he first came into contact with the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art."
"In the end, his meridians were damaged, even though he had entered the sect two years earlier than that Lin Fengjiao accepted by the Talisman Hall."
"Yet now they are both at the second layer of Qi Condensation."
"Haste makes waste; you can gauge the limits yourself."
With those words, True Immortal Qianyuan set down the medicinal pills and meat dishes he was holding and turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Zhong Bai.
His gaze was somewhat vacant.
What had he just heard? Lin Fengjiao? Was that the secular name of that man?
At that moment, Zhong Bai was shocked beyond measure, until the hunger in his belly surged in waves once more. Only then did he shake his head and cast all the thoughts in his mind aside.
Ten minutes later, Zhong Bai let out a satisfying burp.
A look of contentment carried a hint of leisure as he parted his lips and looked toward the jade bottle.
The name of the pill and its effects were pasted on the jade bottle.
"Body Tempering Pill, one per day, thirty pills in a bottle..."
Muttering softly under his breath, Zhong Bai felt a sense of curiosity. After all, this was his first time in two lifetimes coming into such close contact with legendary medicinal pills.
He poured one out into the palm of his hand, watching as it shone crystal-clear and emitted a faint, herbal fragrance.
"I wonder what the effects are..."
As he spoke, Zhong Bai swallowed the pill straight into his stomach.
Originally, Zhong Bai felt that since he could take one every day, the effects shouldn't be too terrifying.
Yet he soon regretted it...
The medicinal pill melted the moment it touched his tongue, transforming into a warm current that flooded his limbs and bones. Under the impact of the violent medicinal power, Zhong Bai's complexion rapidly turned flushed red.
"Damn it!"
Having no time to think further, he hastily set down the jade bottle and immediately began to execute the postures of the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art over and over again in the courtyard.
In the blink of an eye, two hours passed.
At this moment, Zhong Bai was panting heavily, large beads of sweat dripping ceaselessly.
Like a frost-bitten eggplant, he was completely devoid of any spirit or energy. At that very moment, Zhong Bai felt as though his entire body was incomparably hollow and drained of strength.
He couldn't even manage to stand steady.
Staggering precariously, he finally had to crawl his way back to the bed inside the small hut...
Before you continue