Li Xuan had no idea that Xu Yan had already refined the made-up Golden Bone he had invented, and was excitedly coming over to tell him, hoping to receive his praise and approval.
At that moment, Li Xuan was playing with the gifts Xu Yan had given him last time: a Golden Sword and a Jade Ruyi.
The Golden Sword was inlaid with gems and forged entirely from gold. It was worth a fortune.
The Jade Ruyi was carved with auspicious-cloud patterns. It was flawless from end to end, clearly carved from a piece of top-grade jade. In terms of value, it was probably worth even more than the Golden Sword.
"Although this Golden Sword isn't cheap, no matter how I look at it, I feel the Jade Ruyi is more valuable and rarer.
"Just look at the quality of this jade. It's flawless, crystalline and translucent, and has a warm, gentle feel in the hand... Compared to the Golden Sword, I like this Jade Ruyi more.
"If I could put together a pair and use them as a family heirloom, that would be perfect.
"I've already lied about everything else, so I suppose I wouldn't mind tricking him into getting me another Jade Ruyi?"
Li Xuan played with the Jade Ruyi, liking it more and more the longer he looked at it.
He muttered inwardly, thinking that he should have his foolish disciple find him another Jade Ruyi, making a pair to pass down as a family heirloom.
Just then, Xu Yan came over.
"Disciple, you came at just the right time."
Li Xuan pushed the Golden Sword aside, looking somewhat disdainful of it. He toyed with the Jade Ruyi in his hand, his eyes full of affection for it.
"Look at this Jade Ruyi. It's flawless, warm and nourishing. They say that a gentleman cherishes jade, and your master is a man who cherishes jade as well. If this Jade Ruyi could be paired with another, that would be even better."
He looked up at Xu Yan. "Disciple, do you understand?"
He thought to himself: Go find me another Jade Ruyi.
Xu Yan had originally come excitedly to tell his master that he had refined a Golden Bone, one comparable to an Ancient Prodigy.
But then he saw Li Xuan push the Golden Sword aside with some disdain while playing with the Jade Ruyi.
He heard him say that a gentleman cherished jade, and that he hoped to make a pair of Jade Ruyi.
Xu Yan thought that he would find another Jade Ruyi for his master the next time he went home.
But suddenly, his heart gave a jolt. "Wait! Why would Master tell me at this moment that he likes jade?"
"Master's words must carry another meaning...
"I understand now. Master has very high hopes for me and hopes that I can refine a Jade Bone. That's why he used the Jade Ruyi as a metaphor. Compared to the Golden Bone, Master prefers the Jade Bone!
"But Master is afraid I won't be able to handle the difficulty of refining a Jade Bone, so he used the Jade Ruyi to hint at it. If I can't comprehend the deeper meaning behind his words, then Master won't press me any further...
"If that's the case, even though Master won't say it aloud, he'll surely be disappointed in me. If I can't comprehend the hidden meaning in his words, his expectations of me will drop as well. He'll think my comprehension is lacking—that I can't even understand such a simple metaphor!"
Xu Yan instantly filled in the blanks himself. He felt that although his master appeared to be asking for a pair of Jade Ruyi, he was actually urging him to continue refining his bones, not to give up or retreat, and to strive to refine a Jade Bone.
If Li Xuan had known what Xu Yan was imagining, he would certainly have been left dumbfounded: I just wanted a Jade Ruyi, that's all!
After imagining all that, Xu Yan believed he had understood the profound meaning behind his master's words. With a firm gaze, he said, "Master, this disciple understands. I definitely won't disappoint you!"
Li Xuan revealed a satisfied smile. "It's good that you understand. Your master believes in you!"
Xu Yan was deeply moved inside. "Master has such high hopes for me. He wants me to surpass the Ancient Prodigies!"
"What does a Golden Bone amount to? I'm going to refine a Jade Bone!"
Xu Yan no longer mentioned his Golden Bone. His master had already seen through everything; an ordinary Golden Bone simply wasn't worthy of his master's notice!
When Xu Yan cultivated again and tried to continue refining his bones, he discovered that no matter how he circulated his Vital Energy or how he tempered himself, there was no effect at all.
It seemed that the Golden Bone was already his limit.
It was as if an uncrossable heavenly chasm stood in the way, blocking any further improvement.
"Master said that a Jade Bone isn't something that can be refined through talent, willpower, or perseverance alone. Those who can form a Jade Bone either possess great fortune, are darlings of heaven and earth, or have extraordinary comprehension and can sense the Great Dao..."
Xu Yan pondered. "I don't know whether I possess great fortune. Perhaps I don't. As for being a darling of heaven and earth, that's even less likely. Then only one path remains: comprehension...
"Master often speaks of emphasizing intent and enlightenment. He must be telling me to think about it. Perhaps he feels my comprehension is decent and is reminding me where my strengths lie.
"If I want to refine a Jade Bone, I can only rely on my comprehension."
Once he figured that out, those two lines of the cultivation formula appeared in Xu Yan's mind again: "Brighten the heart, observe the self, and nurture true intent; Vital Energy rolls like a dragon, forging the Golden Body."
"I certainly haven't fully comprehended the core of these two lines. If I can comprehend them, will I be able to break through the shackles of the Golden Bone and refine a Jade Bone?"
Xu Yan devoted his entire body and mind to the cultivation formula. His mind was free of distractions, everything cast aside, entering a state where self and world were forgotten as he sought to comprehend its deeper meaning.
"That's right. 'Nurture true intent.' I assumed that nourishing Vital Energy within the bones and bone marrow was what it meant to nurture true intent. But where exactly is 'intent'?
"Nourishing the bone marrow is only the beginning. It hasn't actually nurtured intent."
Suddenly, a flash of insight crossed Xu Yan's mind. He realized that he had misunderstood the phrase "nurture true intent" in the cultivation formula.
He had never nurtured true intent at all.
He did not even understand what "intent" was.
"'Vital Energy rolls like a dragon, forging the Golden Body.' When I refined the Golden Bone, was the Vital Energy I circulated truly like a dragon? It was merely vague and superficial. Without nurturing 'intent,' how could that dragon of Vital Energy be considered a dragon?"
In a daze, Xu Yan felt that he had seemingly touched a barrier.
As long as he broke through this barrier, he would be able to fully comprehend the cultivation formula, break through the shackles of the Golden Bone, and enter the Jade Bone stage.
Yet this barrier remained impossible to break through.
For a time, he grew troubled.
"Should I ask Master for guidance?
"No. Master has already taught me very clearly. 'Intent' can only be comprehended by oneself; it can't be explained directly. I must have overlooked something..."
Over the next three days, whenever Xu Yan cultivated, he continued to comprehend the cultivation formula, always trying to understand "true intent." He was often only the slightest bit away.
Yet he was never able to break through the barrier and comprehend its essence.
Li Xuan looked at his foolish disciple with some confusion. Over the past three days, the foolish disciple seemed somewhat distracted, occasionally staring blankly into space.
"Has he gained nothing for so long, and become lost? Does he feel he can't do it anymore?"
"I still haven't gotten my Jade Ruyi. How can he become dispirited?"
"Let me think about how to make up some profound-sounding nonsense and fool him."
Li Xuan sank into thought.
That day, after they finished eating, Xu Yan was about to clear away the dishes when Li Xuan spoke. "On the path of cultivation, perseverance is indispensable. If you discover that you've encountered a bottleneck and have made no progress no matter what you do, you can relax your mind, empty your thoughts, and comprehend every plant and tree.
"Go and comprehend heaven and earth and nature. Capture the hidden spark of inspiration around you. If you can suddenly attain enlightenment, the gate to the martial path will open.
"Throughout the ages, there have been countless cultivators who made no progress and became trapped at bottlenecks, yet broke through their shackles after suddenly attaining enlightenment."
Li Xuan talked nonsense with his eyes wide open, fooling Xu Yan into comprehending some so-called spark of inspiration, claiming that if he suddenly attained enlightenment, he could step through the gate to the martial path.
Since bitter cultivation wasn't working, he might as well seek sudden enlightenment.
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