Golden Bone Fails to Catch Master's Eye, I Will Forge Jade Bone

Li Xuan was unaware that Xu Yan had already forged the Golden Bone he had made up and was excitedly coming over to tell him, hoping for praise and recognition.

At this 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 precious gems and made entirely of gold, making it quite valuable.

The Jade Ruyi was carved with auspicious cloud patterns and was flawless throughout. It was clearly carved from top-quality jade, and its value was likely even higher than the Golden Sword.

"Although this Golden Sword is quite valuable, I feel the Jade Ruyi is worth more and is rarer.

"Look at the texture of this jade, flawless and crystal clear. It feels warm and smooth in my hand... Compared to the Golden Sword, I prefer this Jade Ruyi.

"If I could have a pair, it would be perfect as an heirloom.

"Since I've already tricked him, I don't mind tricking him out of another Jade Ruyi, right?"

Li Xuan played with the Jade Ruyi, liking it more the more he looked at it.

He muttered to himself, thinking he should have his foolish disciple find him another Jade Ruyi to make a pair, to be passed down as an heirloom.

Just then, Xu Yan walked over.

"Disciple, you've come at the perfect time."

Li Xuan pushed the Golden Sword aside, seemingly a bit displeased. He played with the Jade Ruyi in his hand, his eyes full of affection for it.

"Look at this Jade Ruyi, flawless and nourishing. As the saying goes, a gentleman loves jade, and I am also a person who loves jade. It would be even better if I had a pair of these Jade Ruyis."

He looked up at Xu Yan and said, "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 forged the Golden Bone, putting him on par with the Ancient Prodigies.

However, upon seeing Li Xuan casually push the Golden Sword aside with a hint of disdain and play with the Jade Ruyi, his excitement waned.

When his Master spoke of a gentleman's love for jade and his wish for a pair of Jade Ruyis, Xu Yan thought, I'll find another Jade Ruyi for Master next time I go home.

But suddenly, his heart skipped a beat: "Wait! Why would Master mention his fondness for jade at this particular moment?"

"Master's words must have a deeper meaning...

"I understand now. Master has high expectations for me and wishes for me to forge the 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 forging the Jade Bone, so he used the Jade Ruyi as an indirect reminder. If I can't grasp the deeper meaning of his words, Master won't push me further...

"In this way, although Master won't say it aloud, he will surely be disappointed in me. If I can't understand the deeper meaning of his words, Master's expectations of me will lower, thinking I lack comprehension and can't even understand such a simple metaphor!"

Xu Yan instantly engaged in a bout of overthinking. He felt that his Master, while outwardly wishing for a pair of Jade Ruyis, was actually urging him to continue bone refining, not to give up or back down, but to strive to forge the Jade Bone.

If Li Xuan knew about Xu Yan's overthinking, he would have been utterly bewildered: I just genuinely want a Jade Ruyi!

After his elaborate overthinking, Xu Yan believed he had grasped the deeper meaning of his Master's words. With a firm gaze, he declared, "Master, your disciple understands. I will not disappoint you!"

Li Xuan smiled with satisfaction. "It's good that you understand. Your Master believes in you!"

Xu Yan was deeply moved. "Master has extremely high expectations for me. He wants me to surpass the Ancient Prodigies!"

"What is a mere Golden Bone? I will forge the Jade Bone!"

Xu Yan no longer mentioned his Golden Bone. His Master had already seen through everything; a mere Golden Bone wouldn't catch his Master's eye!

When he resumed his cultivation, attempting to continue refining his bones, Xu Yan found that no matter how he circulated his Blood Essence or how he tempered it, it had no effect.

It seemed the Golden Bone was his limit.

It was as if an insurmountable chasm blocked further improvement.

"Master said that the Jade Bone cannot be forged through talent, perseverance, or persistence. Those who can achieve the Jade Bone either have great fortune, are darlings of heaven and earth, or possess extraordinary comprehension and can sense the Great Dao..."

Xu Yan pondered, "I don't know if I have great fortune, probably not. Being a darling of heaven and earth is even less likely. So, there's only one path left, and that's comprehension...

"Master often says, 'Emphasize intent, emphasize comprehension.' He must be telling me to focus on my strengths, thinking my comprehension is decent.

"If I want to forge the Jade Bone, I can only rely on my comprehension."

After figuring this out, the two lines of his Cultivation Technique reappeared in Xu Yan's mind: "Calm the heart, observe oneself, nurture True Intent; Blood Essence like a dragon forging a golden body."

"I definitely haven't fully grasped the core of these two lines. If I can comprehend them, will I be able to break through the Golden Bone's limitations and forge the Jade Bone?"

Xu Yan poured his entire being into the Cultivation Technique, his mind free of distractions, casting aside everything, forgetting himself and the world, wanting to comprehend its profound meaning.

"Right, nurturing True Intent. I always thought that circulating Blood Essence within the bones and marrow was nurturing True Intent. But where is the 'intent'?

"Nurturing the bone marrow is merely the entry level; it hasn't nurtured any 'intent'."

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Xu Yan's mind. He realized he had been mistaken about nurturing True Intent in the Cultivation Technique.

He had never truly nurtured any True Intent.

In fact, he didn't even understand what 'intent' was.

"Blood Essence like a dragon forging a golden body. When I forged the Golden Bone, was the Blood Essence I circulated truly like a dragon? That was just a superficial, empty imitation. How can Blood Essence without nurtured 'intent' be called a dragon?"

In a daze, Xu Yan felt as if he had touched a barrier.

As long as he could break through this barrier, he would fully comprehend the Cultivation Technique, break through the Golden Bone's limitations, and enter the Jade Bone stage.

However, this barrier remained impossible to break through.

He became somewhat distressed.

"Should I go ask Master for advice?"

"No, Master already explained it very clearly. 'Intent' can only be comprehended by oneself and cannot be explicitly stated. I must have missed something..."

For the next three days, while cultivating, Xu Yan constantly tried to comprehend the Cultivation Technique, desperately wanting to grasp the "True Intent." He always felt just a little bit short.

He was consistently unable to break through the barrier and grasp its essence.

Li Xuan watched his foolish disciple with some confusion. Over the past three days, his foolish disciple seemed distracted, occasionally lost in thought.

"After so long with no progress, he's feeling lost? Doubting himself?"

"I haven't gotten my Jade Ruyi yet, how can I get discouraged?"

"Let me think... how can I weave some mystical words to trick him?"

Li Xuan fell into deep thought.

One day, after finishing their meal, as Xu Yan was preparing to clear the dishes, Li Xuan spoke up: "In cultivation, persistence is essential. If you encounter a bottleneck and see no progress, you can relax your mind, empty your thoughts, and try to perceive the essence of a blade of grass or a single tree."

"Try to comprehend the natural world, capture the hidden Spiritual Opportunities around you. If you can achieve sudden enlightenment, the doors of the Martial Dao will open."

"Throughout history, there have been countless cultivators who made no progress, stuck at a bottleneck, only to break through their constraints after a moment of sudden enlightenment."

Li Xuan spoke falsehoods, trying to trick Xu Yan into perceiving these so-called Spiritual Opportunities, suggesting that if he could achieve sudden enlightenment, he would enter the Martial Dao.

Since diligent cultivation wasn't working, he'd try sudden enlightenment instead.