Understanding the Cultivation Technique

Xu Yan was exhilarated after comprehending one line of the cultivation technique.

"I must not be impatient. I'll soon comprehend the next line as well. It's time to cook now—relax my mind, calm my spirit, and devote myself wholeheartedly to cooking.

"Cast aside distracting thoughts of cultivation and do what lies before me well!"

Xu Yan ended his cultivation. His steps were light, and his entire bearing seemed different.

His thoughts were clear, and he felt an unexpected ease and comfort, broad-minded and open-hearted.

"Every word and action of Master's carries profound meaning. Only now have I understood the true meaning behind what Master said: 'With no women in the heart, cultivation becomes divinely inspired.'

"In the end, I was still somewhat dull-witted."

Xu Yan sighed inwardly without end.

Li Xuan's gaze held a trace of puzzlement. Why did his foolish disciple look as if something joyous had happened today?

His steps were light, his expression at ease, and his whole person had become spirited. Gone was his usual gloom and excessive deference; he had returned to the carefree vigor a youth ought to possess.

"Could it be that he feels he has made progress in cultivation? That he has sensed his qi and blood?"

"Impossible. I made it all up. How could he really sense qi and blood?"

"Forget it. It's good that he can loosen up and feel more relaxed. At least I won't have to worry about him bottling things up for too long, then suffering a complete mental collapse one day."

After considering it, Li Xuan felt he ought to encourage his foolish disciple to relax more and keep a better mindset, lest he cultivated for too long without gaining anything and ended up with mental problems from suppressing himself.

Thus, while they ate, Li Xuan spoke. "You're in good form today. Keep it up, and you'll achieve something!"

"Yes, Master. This disciple understands!"

Having received his master's approval, Xu Yan was wildly excited. Sure enough, his insight had been correct!

It was just a pity that he had been too dull-witted.

Only now had he comprehended his master's profound intent.

"Mm!"

Li Xuan nodded. This foolish disciple was very receptive to instruction. That was good!

Two days later.

Another flash of inspiration struck Xu Yan's mind, and in an instant, he comprehended the true meaning of another line of the cultivation technique!

"I understand!

"Qi and blood like dragons forge the golden body—it means condensing qi and blood into dragons, coiling them around the body and around the bones, making them travel ceaselessly in endless cycles. That will surely bring a breakthrough and temper Golden Bone!"

At that instant, Xu Yan comprehended the method for tempering Golden Bone.

"'Understand the heart, observe the self, nurture true intent; qi and blood like dragons forge the golden body.' So that was it!

"Qi and blood nourishes the bones, tempering them straight into the marrow. Then, outside the bones, dragons of qi and blood coil around them. When inner and outer come together and entwine with each other, the bones can be tempered even further.

"Until Golden Bone is tempered."

Xu Yan's eyes gleamed with excitement as he clenched his fists. "Sure enough, I needed to comprehend it anew and grasp its intent anew. If Master had explained it directly, then even if I knew it, without comprehending the intent within, I still wouldn't be able to temper myself or break through."

"Only through personal comprehension from the cultivation technique can I understand its true meaning!"

Drawing a deep breath, Xu Yan's qi and blood surged as he began Bone Refining.

He gathered his mind and entered a state where self and world were both forgotten, carefully observing the flow and circulation of his qi and blood, seeking out its shortcomings and flaws.

"The second rib hasn't been tempered smoothly enough. There's a flaw in the tempering of my left hand joints. My knees have weak points..."

As he observed himself with a clear heart and examined his qi and blood, Xu Yan quickly discovered the deficiencies in his Bone Refining.

Though he had already reached the completion of Copper Bone, the bones throughout his body were not uniformly hard. Some areas were always weaker by comparison.

Thus, Xu Yan began tempering himself again, refining every bone in his body into perfect uniformity, without a single weak spot.

Another three days passed.

Xu Yan finally brought Copper Bone to true completion. His entire body was uniform, without the slightest weakness or any discrepancy in strength.

"Only now have I truly achieved Copper Bone completion!"

"Next comes Golden Bone. I've already comprehended the Golden Bone tempering method. I'll definitely be able to temper it!"

"One month. No longer than that. At the latest, I'll temper Golden Bone within one month!"

"After Bone Refining comes Organ Refining. I must enter the path within a year. Otherwise, if my aptitude is too poor, how could I be worthy of becoming Master's disciple?"

Xu Yan's gaze was resolute.

The one-year agreement would pass quickly.

Organ Refining would surely be slower than Bone Refining.

Master had said that one had to be cautious at the beginning of Organ Refining and not injure one's own internal organs.

The internal organs were fragile, so the initial tempering certainly could not be fast.

He had to hurry and temper Golden Bone so he could enter the path of cultivation within one year.

Moreover, Xu Yan had a fire burning in his heart. His master had given him one year, but he could not truly wait until a whole year had passed before entering the path!

The earlier he entered the path, the better. Master would be happier too!

Xu Yan continued Bone Refining. His qi and blood turned into mist-like strands that seeped continuously into his bones. It was slow, and the amount of qi and blood was scant, but this was merely the beginning.

As his qi and blood slowly seeped into his bones, the long-absent numb, itchy sensation returned.

Xu Yan gritted his teeth and said nothing, his gaze remaining firm throughout.

At last, a strand of qi and blood had seeped into every bone in his body, slowly penetrating ever deeper, seeking to enter the bone marrow.

"I can begin!"

Xu Yan took a deep breath. The qi and blood throughout his body surged in an instant, transforming into dragon after dragon that coiled around his bones. His qi and blood shook, endlessly compressing his bones, traveling and grinding against them.

At the same time, the qi and blood that had seeped into his bones continued penetrating deeper, nourishing the bones. With inner and outer working together, Xu Yan finally discovered that his formerly stalled Bone Refining had begun to change.

As the tempering continued, faint threads of golden light appeared upon his bones.

Golden Bone!

After persisting for less than half an hour, Xu Yan felt that he had reached his limit.

So he ended his cultivation.

At that moment, he felt ravenously hungry.

"The consumption of tempering Golden Bone is actually this great!"

Xu Yan was immensely surprised.

"The medicinal effects of those tonics are no longer sufficient, unless it's Thousand-Year Ginseng or Nine-Leaf Spirit Ganoderma..."

However, both the Thousand-Year Ginseng and the Nine-Leaf Spirit Ganoderma had already been eaten.

"I only slightly surpassed the limit of Copper Bone, and I'm still far from completing even the first tempering of Golden Bone, yet I've already become this much stronger.

"If I reached Golden Bone completion, just how powerful would I be?"

Sensing the improvement in himself, Xu Yan was deeply shaken.

The cultivation method his master had taught him was truly incomparably powerful and profoundly mysterious.

"Master said Golden Bone must undergo nine transformations of qi and blood. I haven't even completed one, yet the strength of my bones has increased by at least thirty percent. If I completed one transformation of qi and blood..."

Xu Yan did not dare imagine just how powerful that would be.

Golden Bone could be buried underground for ten thousand years without decaying, remaining brilliantly golden and harder than steel.

That showed just how powerful Golden Bone was.

"This transformation of qi and blood will surely grow harder each time. Without Precious Medicine to assist me, how can I complete it quickly?"

"It's time to return home. Finding Precious Medicine cannot be delayed!"

Xu Yan felt that his talent fell short of the Ancient Prodigies. Without Precious Medicine to aid him, he feared it would be difficult to swiftly complete Bone Refining. If he wanted to enter the path within a year, he had to use Precious Medicine to assist his cultivation.

Li Xuan looked at the lavish spread of dishes on the table and knew that his foolish disciple was going home again.

"I should still remind him to keep a low profile and not reveal himself... This foolish disciple is obedient. After I remind him, there shouldn't be much of a problem."

"Once the one-year deadline arrives, I'll finally be free."

"The tiger Fierce Beast in Evil Fiend Forest needs to be dealt with too. This foolish disciple is truly lucky—he somehow encountered no danger on either trip!"

Li Xuan sighed inwardly. His own luck had been poor. The first time he left the village with a group, he had been the only one to escape back alive.

After that, he had never dared take risks again or gamble on his luck to pass safely through Evil Fiend Forest.

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