Turtle Breath Body Nourishing Technique

Hall of Bestowing Merit.

"The Ox Demon Great Strength Method has five forms in total: Ox Demon Headbutt, Ox Demon Hoof Stomp, Ox Demon Tail Sweep, Ox Demon Skin Tempering, and Ox Demon Tendon Stretching."

"You have already mastered the first three forms. The latter two are the bronze skin and steel tendons of external cultivation."

"Once you have cultivated Raging Bull Strength to great mastery, you may begin external refinement to temper your skin. When you forge a hide of bronze skin that blades and spears cannot pierce, your cultivation will have borne fruit."

"During this process, do not cultivate any other Jing Power, lest Raging Bull Strength lose its purity and affect your external cultivation."

"Once your External Refinement: Steel Tendons succeeds, you can advance to an elite disciple of the sect..."

Steward Lin Shiyu of the Hall of Bestowing Merit thoroughly explained the external cultivation methods within the Ox Demon Strength Fist to Yang Chan, while also supplementing them with important cultivation knowledge.

Under normal circumstances, the Hall of Bestowing Merit would not directly bestow teachings. Instead, they would wait around half a month for those who comprehended Raging Bull Strength during that time to gather at the Hall of Bestowing Merit, after which they would be taught the final two forms of the Ox Demon Strength Fist together.

Yang Chan had naturally learned of this arrangement from the Hall of Medicine Assessment Office. He had only come to register and receive the specific date for the teaching.

He had not expected Steward Lin to be so kind as to teach him the latter two forms on the spot, which left Yang Chan somewhat surprised.

Though surprised, Yang Chan never took his eyes off Steward Lin, silently memorizing the changes in his movements as he practiced the fist art.

Ox Demon Skin Tempering and Ox Demon Tendon Stretching were not complicated forms, but they contained no shortage of variations.

Ox Demon Skin Tempering had one hundred and forty-four variations, while Ox Demon Tendon Stretching had one hundred and eighty. With every variation, the areas where the flesh was tempered and the tendons and bones were stretched differed. That was the key.

After demonstrating the forms once, Lin Shiyu took out a brand-new manual bearing the words Ox Demon Strength Fist. It was clearly prepared for formal disciples.

"What I just demonstrated were Ox Demon Skin Tempering and Ox Demon Tendon Stretching. Once you have cultivated Raging Bull Strength to great mastery, you may begin training in these two sets of fist forms."

"For now, you may imitate the moves I just practiced, but do not circulate your Jing Power. Your Jing Power has only just been born. If you expend it, nurturing it again will consume considerable time and vital energy, making the loss outweigh the gain."

After finishing his demonstration, Lin Shiyu handed the Ox Demon Strength Fist manual to Yang Chan and spoke.

"Many thanks, Steward Lin. This disciple will practice the moves now. Please trouble yourself to correct me."

Yang Chan replied after hearing this.

Although it was Yang Chan's first time practicing the newly added Ox Demon Skin Tempering and Ox Demon Tendon Stretching of the Ox Demon Strength Fist, he had experience with the previous three forms, so his progress was not slow. The main difficulty lay in their variations.

Under Steward Lin's repeated guidance, Yang Chan finally completed an entire set of Ox Demon Skin Tempering and Ox Demon Tendon Stretching. As Lin Shiyu put it, he only needed to follow the manual for the rest of his practice.

The reason Lin Shiyu had personally instructed him was so that he could quickly get started and leave a deeper impression.

"It is nothing. You are a disciple who comprehended Jing Power before the deadline for clearing out steward disciples. You deserve this reward."

"Your Hall Master Gu of the Medicine Hall even made a wager with several other hall masters over which hall's steward disciple would be the first to comprehend Raging Bull Strength within this one-month period."

"The first person to comprehend Raging Bull Strength may obtain another cultivation method from the Hall of Bestowing Merit."

After briefly explaining the reason, Lin Shiyu could not help but marvel at Yang Chan's luck.

He truly was someone with good fortune rolling in one wave after another.

"Do not be too happy just yet. This cultivation method is a life-nourishing technique, not an art of slaughter. You have only just become a formal disciple. Cultivating Raging Bull Strength alone is enough for you; practicing other killing arts will do you no good."

"A life-nourishing technique, once cultivated successfully, can prolong your life and increase your years. However, it takes a long time, and you may need more than ten years before seeing results. You may try cultivating it in your spare time, but do not spend too much time on it."

Seeing the delight on Yang Chan's face, Lin Shiyu poured a bucket of cold water over him.

In the Hall of Bestowing Merit, disciples basically would not choose techniques like life-nourishing techniques. Only those without ambition, people in their later years who wished to preserve their health and longevity, would cultivate them.

Ambitious disciples who received a life-nourishing technique would rarely spend time practicing it. After all, even after investing a great deal of time, their strength would scarcely improve. They might as well practice a few more sets of the Ox Demon Strength Fist—it would be much faster.

"This disciple understands. Thank you for your instruction, Steward Lin."

Yang Chan nodded. As he lowered his head, delight flashed through his eyes. He had not expected to obtain a life-nourishing technique in the Hall of Bestowing Merit as well.

He was different from others. After cultivating a life-nourishing technique, he could clearly see every improvement.

He understood the benefits of cultivating a life-nourishing technique better than anyone else.

"This Turtle Breath Body Nourishing Technique is relatively upright and mild, and its cultivation method is quite simple. You only need to practice according to what is written, and no problems will arise."

Lin Shiyu took a manual from a nearby bookshelf. Written across the top were the words Turtle Breath Body Nourishing Technique.

"If you cannot read, you may study literacy at the Mongol Academy within the Medicine Hall. This is also one of the benefits afforded to formal disciples of the Qingyuan Sect."

When Lin Shiyu saw Yang Chan open the Turtle Breath Body Nourishing Technique and noticed the strange look in his eyes, he assumed that Yang Chan could not understand it and spoke up.

Unlike the Ox Demon Strength Fist, the Turtle Breath Body Nourishing Technique was mostly text, with many detailed descriptions.

"Thank you for the reminder, Steward Lin. This disciple attended school before coming up the mountain."

One reason Yang Chan had been able to become a steward disciple of the Qingyuan Sect's Medicine Hall was that he had originally been an apprentice herb gatherer and knew more about the Medicine Hall's miscellaneous duties. The second was that he could read, naturally surpassing some others. The third was the hundred-year-old ginseng he had presented.

The Qingyuan Sect selected its steward disciples through layer upon layer of screening. Naturally, they were somewhat better than ordinary people.

"Then that is good. You need not come to the Hall of Bestowing Merit anymore. Go to the Hall of Internal Affairs and collect your daily necessities."

Lin Shiyu waved his hand upon hearing this.

After watching Yang Chan leave, a look of chagrin appeared on Lin Shiyu's face.

He had not realized that Yang Chan was the one whom Hall Master Gu An of the Medicine Hall had helped comprehend Raging Bull Strength. Competition among the halls for formal disciples was perfectly normal, but there were some people no one would compete over—those personally cultivated by a hall.

Yang Chan had received Qi Replenishing Body Nourishing Soup from Hall Master Gu An of the Medicine Hall, so he was naturally regarded as someone personally cultivated by the hall master. Such a person could not be poached.

Moreover, Yang Chan had spent two and a half years before comprehending Jing Power. His talent was surely ordinary, so there was naturally no need to compete for him.

Most importantly, Hall Master Gu An was an extremely petty man. If he learned of this matter, he might very well make things difficult for him. After all, Gu An was also an elder of the Qingyuan Sect, and his status was anything but ordinary.

Good thing Yang Chan did not agree, or the trouble would have been enormous. Still, although this boy's talent is average, he handles himself well and has good luck. Teaching him the Ox Demon Strength Fist separately this time both shows respect to Hall Master Gu An and leaves Yang Chan owing me a favor.

Lin Shiyu thought to himself.