"Disciple, you've just started learning to control your Vital Energy. A chicken is too small—your Vital Energy can envelop it in an instant. How are you supposed to improve your control?
"Go find something bigger to practice on."
Li Xuan spoke earnestly.
"Yes, Master. This disciple understands!"
Xu Yan's eyes lit up.
He threw the charred chicken in his hand onto the ground and excitedly went over to the horse he had ridden there. He rubbed his fists, looking eager to give it a try.
Li Xuan: ...
This disciple really wasn't very bright.
"Disciple, this horse isn't suitable either."
Xu Yan nodded. The horse was too big, and his Vital Energy couldn't envelop it. He should find smaller prey.
"Master, this disciple will go hunting."
Li Xuan was relieved. His disciple had finally gotten the hang of it. It probably wouldn't be long before he could eat some game meat.
Three days later.
Vital Energy surged in Xu Yan's hands, and a scorching aura spread through the air. The aroma of meat rose from his hands.
A wild boar had been roasted through.
Although most of it was charred black, at least half the meat was cooked and edible.
"My control over Vital Energy has improved tremendously!"
Xu Yan was wildly excited.
He raised his hand and struck. A palm force of Vital Energy thundered forth, condensing into a giant python with long horns.
The outlines of its eyes and mouth were already clearly visible.
"Soon. I'm not far from condensing a dragon-shaped palm force."
Xu Yan was wildly excited.
He tossed aside the roasted boar in his hands and continued catching wild boars to practice on.
"I wonder how that foolish disciple is doing with his cultivation?"
Li Xuan sighed inwardly. In the end, he still hadn't gotten to eat any game meat.
Xu Yan had roasted everything into charcoal. How could it still be eaten?
"Your disciple has reached beginner level in roasting meat barehanded, improving his Vital Energy control. Your barehanded roasting technique has reached the acme of perfection, and you have achieved one-hundred-percent control over your Vital Energy."
Suddenly.
Golden light appeared. In an instant, Li Xuan felt as if he had practiced roasting meat barehanded countless times, reaching the acme of perfection.
Moreover, he had achieved one-hundred-percent control over his Vital Energy.
With one-hundred-percent control over his Vital Energy, Li Xuan felt that his use of his own Vital Energy had reached an astonishing level.
Every trace of Vital Energy moved entirely according to his will.
As his control over Vital Energy improved, his strength also rose tremendously.
At that moment, he could completely rein in the Vital Energy around his body without allowing the slightest bit to leak out.
He raised his right hand. Vital Energy burst from his index finger like a flame, sometimes growing larger and sometimes shrinking smaller. Even its heat could be controlled at will.
"So this is one-hundred-percent control over Vital Energy!"
Li Xuan was filled with amazement.
That foolish disciple was pretty capable. He was improving rapidly.
That evening, Xu Yan returned.
He felt that he was not far from condensing a dragon-shaped palm force.
His control over Vital Energy had improved tremendously.
Li Xuan sat in his chair. It was time to show that foolish disciple a thing or two.
"Disciple, come here."
Xu Yan was carrying a freshly slaughtered chicken and was preparing to make dinner.
"Master."
Li Xuan reached out and took the chicken from him. "Disciple, watch closely."
As he spoke, he pressed a finger against the chicken leg.
Vital Energy surged. Before long, the aroma of meat drifted out.
He handed the chicken back to Xu Yan and said, "Tear it open and take a look."
Hearing this, Xu Yan tore open the chicken leg. His eyes immediately widened in shock.
Part of the chicken leg was cooked.
But only the meat within a finger's breadth was cooked. Beyond that distance, the meat was still raw.
"This is one-hundred-percent control over Vital Energy.
"If you can cook the chicken leg while leaving the meat beyond it uncooked, your control over Vital Energy will be sufficient."
After finally showing off in front of his disciple, Li Xuan felt completely refreshed.
Xu Yan was deeply shaken. So this was one-hundred-percent control over Vital Energy?
"Master, this disciple will definitely accomplish it!"
"Mm. Just do your best. There's no need to pursue it deliberately. Don't neglect your cultivation because of this!"
Li Xuan nodded and instructed him.
He was afraid that his foolish disciple would neglect his cultivation in pursuit of one-hundred-percent control over his Vital Energy, causing his cultivation to advance slowly. That would be putting the cart before the horse.
"This disciple understands!"
Li Xuan sighed inwardly. His disciple's talent was truly formidable.
After he had shown Xu Yan that demonstration, Xu Yan spent five days and was already able to roast a chicken leg while leaving the meat beyond it completely unaffected.
Although he hadn't achieved one-hundred-percent control over his Vital Energy, he had reached eighty percent.
That was already extremely impressive.
Xu Yan was decisive as well. He did not deliberately pursue one-hundred-percent control over his Vital Energy and instead turned his attention back to cultivating Dragon Subduing Palm.
On the hillside.
Xu Yan struck out with one palm. A scarlet dragon over a zhang long and as thick as a calf roared forth and slammed into the ground, blasting out a huge pit.
"After cultivating dragon-shaped palm force, its power has more than doubled, but I still feel that something is missing."
Xu Yan furrowed his brows.
Although he had condensed dragon-shaped palm force, it did not possess the awe-inspiring, invincible might he had expected.
He always felt that something was still lacking.
"Dragons possess divine abilities and change according to circumstances—divine abilities are powerful, changing according to the situation. Change means flexibility... I understand now.
"What's lacking is flexibility. My palm force is too rigid right now.
"It lacks vitality!"
Xu Yan once again sank into comprehension, pondering how he could truly reach beginner level.
Over the next few days, Xu Yan devoted himself wholeheartedly to cultivating Dragon Subduing Palm. He did not even comprehend Bagua or practice movement techniques.
Instead, he practiced Dragon Subduing Palm over and over again.
He constantly adjusted himself, cultivating Dragon Subduing Palm according to his comprehension of the incantation.
In this way, another seven days passed.
As Xu Yan practiced Dragon Subduing Palm, he struck out with one palm. A scarlet dragon over a zhang long shook its head and whipped its tail as it thundered forth, about to slam into a tree ahead.
Xu Yan slightly turned his palm. The scarlet dragon suddenly coiled around and passed around the tree trunk. Its tail curled up and smacked against the trunk.
Crack!
The tree was blasted apart by a single strike from the dragon's tail!
The scarlet dragon then plunged into the ground elsewhere, blasting out another huge pit.
"I've finally more or less reached beginner level. The might of this palm is roughly ten times greater than before I cultivated Dragon Subduing Palm!
"This is the strength of Dragon Subduing Palm!"
Xu Yan was immensely invigorated.
He raised both hands. His right hand struck out, and a scarlet, dragon-shaped palm force over a zhang long surged forth. He then followed with a strike from his left hand, sending another dragon-shaped palm force surging out.
He moved both hands, causing the two dragon-shaped palm forces to coil through the air. One coiled around his body in defense while the other suddenly attacked. It seemed to be charging straight at the target's head, but just as it was about to hit, it abruptly raised its head and soared into the sky. Its tail whipped downward, then its head swung back around and struck out with a thunderous boom!
Boom!
The hillside resounded with endless explosions.
The two scarlet, dragon-shaped palm forces flew and coiled through the air, sometimes diving, sometimes plunging into the earth, and sometimes shaking their heads and whipping their tails!
"Dragons possess divine abilities and change according to circumstances. So that's how it is!
"I've finally understood!
"Although it doesn't yet possess the might of a divine ability and I've only comprehended its superficial essence, my realm is still low. Reaching this point already means I've attained beginner level.
"I've finally cultivated Dragon Subduing Palm!"
Xu Yan was incomparably excited.
He had finally comprehended two lines of the Dragon Subduing Palm incantation, although he had only grasped its superficial essence.
But he had still reached beginner level.
If he had cultivated Dragon Subduing Palm when he killed those bandits, would he have needed to rely on brute force?
With a single palm strike, he could have blasted all those bandits to death!
"I need to practice more, until I can use it as I please and move it freely. Besides, I can only summon two dragons right now. I'm still far from minor mastery.
"And its power still isn't fierce enough. The dragons I produce still aren't flexible enough!"
Xu Yan summed up his shortcomings and continued practicing on the hillside. For a time, shattered rocks flew everywhere, grass and trees were destroyed, and huge pits appeared one after another across the ground, densely packed!
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