Xu Yan's Diligent Cultivation

"Hold your horse stance steady. Adjust your breathing, calm your mind and still your spirit, focus your intent on your dantian, and sense your own vital energy..."

Xu Yan assumed a horse stance. Under Li Xuan's guidance, he adjusted his breathing and sensed where his vital energy lay.

As Li Xuan instructed him, he said, "My cultivation method lies in the word 'comprehension,' in the word 'intent.' It does not lie in form. You must calm your mind and still your spirit, forget both self and surroundings, and carefully comprehend it—seek out the 'intent' within..."

He was making it all up anyway, and he had no moves to teach. He could hardly teach Xu Yan radio calisthenics, could he? That would be far too embarrassing.

So he could only have Xu Yan hold a horse stance and sense his own vital energy.

As for whether he could sense it, that was a matter of talent.

It was not a problem with the cultivation method his master had taught him.

"Whether you can sense vital energy depends entirely on your comprehension—on whether you can glimpse the 'intent' within. Once you sense your vital energy, try to mobilize it and temper the skin across your body, entering the Skin Tempering stage..."

Li Xuan gave Xu Yan cultivation instructions with a perfectly serious expression.

"This is the foundation of martial arts. As the saying goes, a master leads you through the door, but cultivation depends on the individual. Cultivate well, comprehend well. Rest when you are tired, balance work and rest, and do not rush."

"The more impatient you are, the harder it will be to sense vital energy. Do you understand?"

Xu Yan respectfully replied, "Yes, Master. This disciple understands!"

"Good. Cultivate well!"

Li Xuan left with his hands clasped behind his back, happily putting away Xu Yan's gifts for becoming his disciple.

"The Nine-Leaf Spirit Ganoderma is a Precious Medicine. I'll stew some and see how it tastes!"

Thinking this, Li Xuan took out a small knife and carefully sliced off a piece of the Nine-Leaf Spirit Ganoderma. He went to the chicken coop, caught and slaughtered a chicken, then lit a fire and stewed it together with the ganoderma.

"With my disciple cultivating here, I ought to feed him. He brought such generous gifts, after all. If I did not even provide meals, that would be a bit too black-hearted."

Li Xuan muttered to himself.

While cooking, he went to check on Xu Yan. Xu Yan was still holding his horse stance, though he swayed unsteadily and seemed about to collapse.

After a while, Xu Yan could no longer hold on and began to rest.

This was already his third break.

"I'll fool him for as long as I can. It's not that I wanted to deceive you—you came knocking on my door yourself."

Li Xuan shook his head and ignored him. He would not be exposed anytime soon.

Moreover, Xu Yan's arrival had shown Li Xuan a chance to leave the little village. Perhaps he could cross Evil Fiend Forest safely.

He had already planned his escape route. Once he left the little village, he would settle down in Wu Kingdom.

He would stay far from Qi Kingdom and far from Donghe Commandery. Even if Xu Yan discovered he had been deceived, he would have no way to use his status and background against him!

Xu Yan once more assumed a horse stance, calming his mind and stilling his spirit as he tried to sense his vital energy.

"Vital energy exists within the body and circulates throughout it. How am I supposed to sense it? How do I mobilize it? Master said comprehension and intent matter, not form..."

Xu Yan continued sensing his vital energy. Yet apart from making his legs ache from the horse stance, he felt not the slightest trace of this so-called vital energy.

"Do not be discouraged. It has only been a short while. If I persist, I will surely gain something!"

Xu Yan encouraged himself inwardly. His gaze was resolute as he continued holding the horse stance and sensing his vital energy.

The chicken soup was ready.

Li Xuan glanced over and saw Xu Yan still holding his horse stance. He did not disturb him and began eating by himself.

"Nine-Leaf Spirit Ganoderma, a Precious Medicine rare in this world. They say eating it prevents all illness, keeps hair black instead of white, and extends one's life by twenty years... I wonder if that is exaggerated!"

After eating his fill, Li Xuan did not know whether it was merely psychological, but he felt far more energetic. His entire body seemed lighter.

"There's a little left. I'll let Xu Yan have it."

Muttering that, he got up and walked over to Xu Yan.

"How is it going?"

Xu Yan withdrew from his horse stance and said with some dejection, "Master, I still haven't sensed my vital energy."

"It is all right. The martial path values persistence and an unwavering will!"

Li Xuan comforted him.

He found it amusing inwardly. Of course you can't sense vital energy. I made it all up. If you actually sensed it, wouldn't that make you a monster?

"You still have a year. You must be hungry now. Go eat."

At those words, Xu Yan suddenly felt the hunger in his belly and said gratefully, "Thank you, Master!"

"This is chicken soup stewed with Nine-Leaf Spirit Ganoderma. Eat it. It is a fairly nourishing medicinal meal."

"Yes, Master!"

Xu Yan was deeply moved. The Nine-Leaf Spirit Ganoderma had been his gift for becoming a disciple, yet his master had taken it out and stewed soup for him. His master truly did not care about the gift. Just as his master had said, it was fate that he had come here!

As he ate and drank the chicken soup, Xu Yan asked, "Master, how long does it generally take to sense vital energy and begin cultivation?"

"That varies from person to person."

"Master, how long did the fastest person take to get started?"

How long had it taken to get started?

Li Xuan rolled his eyes inwardly. With the cultivation method he had fabricated, one could forget about getting started even in a lifetime.

"If I set the standard for getting started too low, and he fails to cultivate anything, will he become suspicious? I need to set the standard for prodigies a little higher."

Thinking this, Li Xuan said, "An Ancient Prodigy could complete Skin Tempering in five days, Bone Refining in ten days, Organ Tempering in fifteen days, then achieve Bone and Muscle Thunderous Roar and Vital Energy like Steel Aura, successfully entering the path."

"About a month in total."

Xu Yan's eyes widened in shock.

Skin Tempering could be completed in five days?

One could enter the path in a month?

Was this what counted as a prodigy in Master's eyes?

"Can I complete Skin Tempering in five days? I may not even be able to sense vital energy today. I probably cannot complete Skin Tempering in five days. Does that mean my talent is not good enough?"

Xu Yan immediately grew anxious.

Li Xuan had been watching Xu Yan's expression all along. It was good that he felt pressure, so he added, "Of course, those are Ancient Prodigies, one in ten thousand. You need not be anxious. As long as you can enter the path within a year, that will count as passing in my eyes."

"So, in Master's eyes, entering the path within a year only counts as passing!"

Xu Yan's gaze hardened. He solemnly declared, "Rest assured, Master. This disciple will definitely enter the path within a year and never let down your painstaking efforts!"

Li Xuan patted him on the shoulder, looking gratified as he said, "With such awareness, it was not in vain that I made an exception and accepted you as my disciple!"

Xu Yan was instantly moved beyond measure.

At the same time, the sense of urgency in his heart grew even stronger. He quickly finished his meal, rose to his feet, and said, "Master, I am going to cultivate!"

"I must cultivate diligently. I absolutely cannot disappoint Master's painstaking efforts!"

Xu Yan's resolve hardened as he strode away, resuming his horse stance to sense vital energy.

"This foolish boy!"

Li Xuan shook his head and sighed. He did not want to deceive him.

But now, there was no turning back.

From the moment he accepted the gift for becoming a disciple and fabricated a cultivation method to teach Xu Yan, Li Xuan knew there was no way back. He could only walk this road into darkness.

Night had fallen.

Before going to sleep, Li Xuan stepped outside for a look. Xu Yan was still holding his horse stance and cultivating. He truly was diligent.

Li Xuan felt a little sorry for him, afraid he might exhaust himself, so he said, "Cultivation requires a balance between work and rest. Exhausting yourself will instead damage your foundation. When it is time to rest, you must rest!"

"Master, I understand!"

Xu Yan replied respectfully.

Li Xuan shook his head, closed the door, and returned to his room to sleep.

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