Ever since the Xu Family chose a site and began construction for the Dragon Elephant Martial Arts School, Gu Yiping had been staying in the side rooms of the Xu Mansion's western courtyard.
Every morning at Chen Hour, he would spread out rice paper on the desk by the window and meticulously record martial arts essentials and medicinal cuisine recipes.
The branches and leaves of the old locust tree in the courtyard gradually grew from sparse to lush.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Gu Yiping placed the Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique, the Innate Dragon Elephant Art, seven or eight martial techniques such as the Seven Absolute Sword, Wind Treading Steps, Mad Dragon Fist, and Divine Wind Palm, along with four medicinal cuisine recipes, into a Purple Sandalwood Box and handed it to Xu Mingwei.
"Many thanks, Director Gu."
"This was a transaction we both agreed to."
After exchanging a glance, Xu Mingwei immediately went to the Ancestral Hall and stored everything away.
He roughly flipped through every manual.
The main focus was the four medicinal cuisine recipes.
Three were suitable for Martial Artists below the Innate realm, while the remaining one recorded Innate Medicinal Cuisine, which could assist Innate Martial Artists in cultivation.
Xu Mingwei selected several that suited him and began practicing them whenever he had spare time.
Once he had achieved a little success in the martial techniques, he invited Gu Yiping to spar with him.
The Golden Crow sank westward, and heaven and earth suddenly took on the hue of molten gold.
The green stone bricks of the Training Ground still retained the day's warmth.
Xu Mingwei curled his fingers into a fist and stared at Gu Yiping. Before his fist wind even emerged, the fallen leaves on the ground had begun to whirl.
Gu Yiping stepped into the "Seven Star Steps." His left palm traced an arc as though cradling the moon, while his right palm, carrying the sound of wind and thunder, struck toward Xu Mingwei's chest.
Xu Mingwei neither dodged nor retreated, raising his left arm horizontally like iron.
With a muffled bang, Gu Yiping's palm went numb. He had to take half a step back before steadying himself.
His pupils narrowed slightly as he thought in surprise, What terrifying strength. This no longer resembles the Houtian realm.
Rather than retreating, Xu Mingwei advanced. His body drifted away like willow catkins, and by the time his toes touched the ground, he had already circled to Gu Yiping's side.
His right fist pushed forward evenly. Though the fist wind had yet to arrive, it made the air around them faintly tremble.
Gu Yiping hastily used the defensive stance of the "Mad Dragon Fist," but a vast force surged toward him, jolting his blood and qi into upheaval and making the web between his thumb and forefinger ache faintly.
He had not used Innate True Qi, yet he had never expected to find himself at a disadvantage.
"Young Master Xu, you truly hid yourself well."
"So Director Gu saw through me." Xu Mingwei smiled faintly. Before their exchange, he had known he could not hide it from an Innate Martial Artist.
But opportunities to exchange pointers with an Innate Martial Artist were rare, so he had not cared.
"Not yet twenty years old, yet already Innate."
Gu Yiping let out a long, emotional sigh, traces of old memories surfacing in his eyes.
Back when the Dragon Elephant Sect was at its peak, it could only nurture two or three Innates under twenty years old every ten or twenty years.
Such people could often step into the Grandmaster realm by the age of thirty-five or thirty-six.
They had hope of reaching Grandmaster Perfection before completing a sixty-year cycle.
As for himself, he had only reached the Late-Innate realm in his forties. It would already be fortunate if he could break through to Grandmaster in this lifetime.
Unless he had Grandmaster Medicinal Diet to assist him.
Yet even the Dragon Elephant Sect possessed no such precious medicinal cuisine.
If it did, then those Innates under twenty, so long as they did not perish or suffer grave injuries that left lasting illness at the root, would have a seventy or eighty percent chance of reaching Grandmaster Perfection.
"Just luck."
"On the path of martial arts, there is no such thing as luck. Even with resources to assist you, if one's talent is insufficient, one still cannot make much of oneself."
The Innate realm was an enormous threshold, the beginning of a Martial Artist transcending the ordinary and becoming extraordinary. Those who entered it could contend with immortal cultivators, so naturally not everyone had the fortune to step through.
Even with the Qi Gathering Pills found in the Prefecture City, even after swallowing ten or twenty of them, some people still remained as unyielding as rotten wood.
"Young Master Xu, let us end the spar here. If you have any doubts while cultivating the Innate Dragon Elephant Art, feel free to ask me."
"Thank you, Director Gu."
"By the way, I have a younger brother and sister who are also cultivating the Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique. Could you give them some guidance?"
"I would be willing to take a look."
"There is no need to trouble Director Gu with going anywhere." Xu Mingwei smiled, then immediately instructed a household guard, "Go summon my Fourth Sister and Fifth Brother here."
"Yes, Young Master."
After respectfully saluting, the household guard immediately departed.
A short while later.
Xu Mingshu rode the White Tiger into the courtyard, while Xu Mingxian stood beside her.
"Big Brother, why did you summon us?"
"Father is away. I was afraid you two would grow lazy, so I invited a renowned teacher to instruct you. You must seize this opportunity properly."
"Fourth Sister may be lazy, but I'm not." Xu Mingxian lifted his small face and retorted with great pride.
"This is my Fourth Sister, Xu Mingshu, and my Fifth Brother, Xu Mingxian." Xu Mingwei introduced them with a smile.
Gu Yiping sized up the two of them. As expected of the young lady and young master of a Family.
Though still young, they had already displayed extraordinary talent.
"First, perform the twelve forms of the Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique three times for me."
Xu Mingshu obediently climbed down from the White Tiger's back and patted her. The White Tiger voluntarily walked into a corner and lay down.
Gu Yiping was greatly astonished.
She had tamed an Exotic White Tiger to such an extent? Could it even understand a child's words?
Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian stood side by side, more than ten steps apart.
Then they began moving in unison.
With every form they performed, Gu Yiping recited the essence of its mnemonic verse.
"Young Dragon Awakens the Spine: draw in purple qi as the dragon raises its head; let the tailbone hang to the earth and suppress the eight directions."
"Elephant Trunk Rolls Water: the trunk coils around the Heavenly River for three thousand miles; qi sinks into the dantian and transforms into thunderous sound."
"Fire Dragon Wags its Tail: the tail sweeps with a thousand-pound force and burns away evil filth; feet tread the fire position and refine true fire."
"Dragon Elephant Harmony: dragon rises and elephant descends, fixing heaven and earth; Baihui and Yongquan are pierced by a single thread."
He nodded repeatedly.
From their movements and stances, he could tell they had put in hard work. At the very least, they practiced without interruption day and night, and had done so for years.
Their fist wind howled.
To produce such power, they had unquestionably reached the level of Third-rate Martial Artists.
"What graceful and nimble skills! To possess such cultivation at so young an age—the Xu Family truly spared no effort in nurturing its descendants."
Xu Mingwei merely kept a faint smile on his lips without speaking.
"The Martial Arts Hall has yet to be completed. Since I have been eating and living at the Xu Mansion for free, it is only right that I guide the younger generation."
"Then we will trouble Director Gu." Xu Mingwei nodded slightly.
"Big Brother."
They had only just enjoyed a few peaceful days.
Xu Mingshu ran before Xu Mingwei, her almond eyes curving like crescent moons, as though she wished to plead with him.
Xu Mingwei lowered his eyes to look at her, one corner of his black robe fluttering in the wind that passed through the hall.
The majesty he displayed whenever he put on a stern face was so profound that even the White Tiger would tuck her tail and walk away upon seeing it.
At this moment, Xu Mingwei's brows furrowed slightly. Even though Xu Mingshu had a bellyful of coquettish pleas, she could only swallow them back down.
She was somewhat more willful than the rest of the Xu Family, but she knew how to read the situation. She knew what should be done and what should not be done, and when.
Xu Mingwei was now acting Patriarch.
With Xu Chuan absent, his words were commands. Everyone in the Xu Family had to obey him.
When no one else was around, she could throw a little tantrum. But with outsiders present, she absolutely could not undermine him and diminish the Patriarch's authority.
"Fourth Sister, don't think that just because Father is not keeping watch over you, you can relax."
"Stinky little brother!"
"Then don't you dare take the pastries I bring next time!"
Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian often bickered. Xu Mingwei had long grown accustomed to such scenes.
Gu Yiping watched in silence before finally speaking after a moment.
"The breathing method of the Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique is the key. Only by coordinating it with Dragon Elephant breathing can you bring the twelve forms to their limit. This is also the key to sensing the Power of Heaven and Earth and breaking into the Innate realm."
"Continue practicing now while coordinating your breathing. Your family has obtained the corresponding medicinal cuisine recipes I provided. With their aid, you can speed up the opening of your acupoints."
"How fast?" Xu Mingshu immediately became interested, her eyes seeming ready to burst with light.
Gu Yiping smiled faintly at the clever and adorable little girl before him. "Becoming a First-class Martial Artist at seventeen or eighteen will not be a problem. If your talent is good and you cultivate diligently, reaching the Houtian Peak before twenty will not be a problem either."
"If it really is that fast, wouldn't I be able to catch up to Big Brother's breakthrough speed?"
"Little girl, how could ordinary medicinal cuisine compare with the secret medicinal cuisine developed through the Dragon Elephant Sect's centuries of inherited research?"
"Fine, then I'll practice!"
Gu Yiping stood with his hands behind his back and quietly watched the two of them circulate the breathing method of the Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique, coordinating it with the Dragon Elephant Twelve Forms as they punched.
It was akin to using one's mind for two purposes. Unless one possessed exceptional comprehension, it was difficult to master it perfectly.
That was also why so many people in the Dragon Elephant Sect had been unable to step into the Innate realm back then.
Yet Xu Mingshu formed a circle with her palms as if embracing something in the air. Her breath was long and soft like a spring silkworm spinning silk, and every inhalation made her sleeves billow as though stirred by a breeze.
Her momentum was steady, yet at the juncture where "Dragon Leaps Abyss" changed into "Elephant Stomps Mountain," she would always pause slightly, as if unseen threads were binding her.
Xu Mingxian, however, presented an entirely different sight.
He sat cross-legged like a bell, every joint of his spine connected through. With Gu Yiping's reminder, "Inhale like a dragon diving; exhale like an elephant trumpeting," he actually found his qi on the third breath.
A faint green qi emerged from his Baihui acupoint, while a dragon's chant rolled from his throat with every breath.
Sharp light burst from Gu Yiping's eyes. Stroking his whiskers, he looked toward Xu Mingwei and said, "Fourth Miss and Fifth are both exceptionally gifted."
"It is thanks to Director Gu's guidance." Xu Mingwei said calmly, "When my Xu Family first obtained this Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique, there was no one to guide us, and we stumbled about at the start."
"In today's world, who understands the deepest flavors of the Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique better than Director Gu?"
"Young Master flatters me." Gu Yiping raised a hand and smiled.
"However, although Fourth Miss possesses extraordinary comprehension, Fifth Young Master is even more gifted in the breathing method. Even with my guidance, those who can achieve this in the space of a moment are rare in this world."
"My father also said that Fifth Brother's talent is the greatest among us. His future achievements will surely surpass mine."
Gu Yiping was secretly astonished, and his curiosity about the Xu Family Patriarch deepened further.
In the twilight.
Xu Mingxian had already glimpsed the mystery behind the transitions between the breathing method and the forms.
A sharp light flashed through Gu Yiping's eyes. He nodded repeatedly and murmured in a low voice, "He truly is excellent material."
He even entertained the thought of taking him as a disciple and passing down the Dragon Elephant Sect's Inheritance.
But he immediately recalled the importance the Xu Family placed on Xu Mingxian. They would surely not agree.
He could only temporarily extinguish that wisp of thought.
Time trickled away.
At the place where the crimson sun sank westward, it suddenly seemed to struggle in its death throes.
First, it burst forth with thirty feet of vermilion flame, burning the clouds into curtains of red gold gauze. Then it shrank into a golden pellet no larger than a cherry, swaying as though about to fall atop the blue-black mountain ridge.
At that moment, a flock of crows crossed the sky. When their wingtips skimmed the patches of light, they seemed to carry away a little of the golden radiance.
When the final ray of sunset swept over the Training Ground.
Xu Mingxian suddenly rose to his full height. His left palm traced an arc like a dragon wagging its tail, while his right foot stomped down as though an elephant shook a mountain. The fallen leaves within three feet of him spun by themselves without wind—he had clearly grasped the true essence of Form and Intent Unite.
"Good!"
Gu Yiping applauded in praise, his eyes filled with admiration.
"You've pulled ahead by another step."
Gu Yiping's praise stirred Xu Mingshu's competitive spirit.
"Let's spar. Our record used to be Five-Five. Let's see who is better today."
"Fourth Sister, you're asking for another beating." Xu Mingxian was equally unwilling to yield with his words.
Blazing torches had already been lit around the Training Ground, illuminating the entire field.
"There is no need for you two to spar. Your levels are still too low, and you would learn very little. Why not join forces instead? If either of you can gain even the slightest advantage from me, that person wins."
"What do you say?"
Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian exchanged a glance and answered together, "Good!"
The two stood to Gu Yiping's left and right, and three shadows stretched across the green stone slabs like winding dragons.
In an instant.
Xu Mingshu touched down lightly on her toes like a dragonfly skimming water. Her body suddenly moved in a serpentine path, each step kicking up a wave of dust three inches high.
When Gu Yiping jabbed toward her Shoulder Well acupoint, she suddenly lifted her knee and swung her arm. As her knee collided with his fingers, there was even the faint ring of metal striking iron.
A sharp light flashed through Xu Mingxian's eyes. He suddenly lowered his waist and exerted force, and the green brick beneath him cracked with a crack, splitting into spiderweb-like fissures.
As his right palm pushed out, a dragon's chant rolled in his throat. His left palm traced an arc like an elephant trunk coiling around the sky, and the two streams of force blew the torches thirty feet away to tilt in unison.
Still smiling faintly, Gu Yiping raised his other hand to meet them.
Bang!
The siblings looked into each other's eyes, then abruptly crossed paths and switched positions.
Xu Mingshu's sword fingers shot like a dragon probing the abyss, directly targeting the centerline. Xu Mingxian's palm wind resembled an elephant trunk shaking a tree, sealing off the retreat.
Amid the wild dance of light and shadow, Xu Mingxian's right palm glowed crimson like a hot iron, leaving a scorched mark on Gu Yiping's lapel. Xu Mingshu's sword fingers, meanwhile, were blocked by Gu Yiping's own sword fingers.
The surrounding torches crackled and popped.
Gu Yiping was rather surprised after exchanging moves with them. Both possessed the strength of Third-rate Martial Artists, though in terms of the depth of their inner force, Xu Mingxian was slightly superior.
Xu Mingshu seemed quirky and impish, yet her martial arts forms were orderly and meticulous. Of course, this was partly because she was still young. Xu Mingxian was the same age, outwardly cold and proud, yet he did not follow conventional patterns.
Had he not changed his move at the last moment and unexpectedly attacked Gu Yiping's robe hem, Gu Yiping likely would have blocked him with ease as well.
"Both are seeds of Grandmasters."
"Even without the Dragon Elephant Sect's secret medicinal cuisine to aid them, they have already progressed so far. From now on, they will likely advance a thousand miles in a single leap."
Gu Yiping marveled that at such a young age, she already knew how to hide her true abilities and possessed such scheming insight.
Just like Xu Mingwei, nothing could be discerned from the surface alone; only through an actual exchange of blows could one tell.
Who knew where she had learned those routines.
Second Young Master Xu was also adept at handling every side, with a meticulous mind.
When they had previously discussed the details of the Martial Arts Hall, he had basically been led along by Second Young Master Xu's train of thought.
He had even been grasped at every weak point, leaving him unable to find a single fault.
This girl, meanwhile, possessed keen spiritual awareness and exceptional comprehension.
Everyone in the Xu Family was a freak!
Oh, right. It seemed only Third Young Master, Xu Mingxuan, was somewhat ordinary.
Though that was only in comparison to his brothers.
Compared with the disciples of other prominent Families in the county towns, he was probably more than qualified to serve as a lineage heir.
Gu Yiping had wandered for over a decade, passing through dozens of county towns, and had seen no small share of the world.
"The Xu Family definitely ranks among the upper echelon of the Families in these county towns."
"To raise children like these, I truly want to meet the Father they keep talking about."
After Xu Mingyuan obtained the Dragon Elephant Sect Medicinal Diet Formula, he began purchasing its medicinal herbs in bulk, every one of them over ten years old.
One dose alone cost around ten taels.
The medicinal diet formulas used to assist Innate Martial Artists were even more precious.
Xu Mingwei said there was no need to worry about him for now, and within just a few days, Xu Mingyuan had gathered all the ingredients for the Martial Artist medicinal diet.
Besides that.
The Xu Family also began planting these medicinal herbs in their Medicinal Field.
If they wanted to open a medicine shop, they ultimately needed their own source of medicinal herbs, supplemented by purchases from people living in the mountains and wilderness.
These days, Xu Mingyuan had also been run ragged.
Recruiting workers and opening a blacksmith's shop, carpenter's shop, herbal shop, School, and more.
There was no need to see results immediately.
The point was to lay the groundwork first.
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