Can Beat One-Tenth of Girl Zhuifeng

Flipping open the yellowed book, it seemed as if a gentle breeze passed by.

"Take the Five Beasts as forms, forge the true Spirit Bone."

This single sentence encapsulated the essence of the Five Beasts Body Tempering Technique.

Continuing to turn the pages, An Le began to skim through. The book contained not only written records but also illustrated moves.

The Five Beasts Body Tempering Technique was divided into five parts: Tiger, Deer, Bear, Ape, and Bird. Each beast's intent was further split into different styles, totaling fifty-four forms: Thirteen Tiger Styles, Nine Deer Styles, Nine Bear Styles, Ten Ape Styles, and Thirteen Bird Styles.

Each illustration came with explanations, along with methods for mutual generation and counteraction during practice.

After a full overview, every page's illustrations were vivid and lifelike, perfectly capturing the animals' forms and Divine Intent.

Returning to the first page, he started reading from the beginning. His foundation in martial arts was nearly zero, so naturally, he had to start from scratch.

The first stage of Martial Body Tempering was Opening Qi and Blood.

The blood within the human body flows unceasingly, forming the basis of human strength. This blood circulation is driven by an invisible force of Qi, and this Qi is the body's treasure.

Tempering the body and refining Qi and Blood meant strengthening this Qi's power, granting one immense strength capable of splitting mountains and cracking stones, damming rivers and parting seas!

An Le was utterly absorbed. The Spirit Refinement Method and the Body Tempering Method were entirely different paths, yet there was reason to cultivate both simultaneously. With strong Spiritual power, one could naturally drive the circulation of Qi and Blood, making it easier to open them.

In reality, however, most cultivators first opened Qi and Blood, then sensed its circulation to temper their spirit and enter Samadhi.

This was known as the Inner Vision Samadhi Method, a more orthodox path of simultaneous spirit and body refinement.

Of course, An Le had already succeeded in entering Samadhi, so he didn't need to follow this Inner Vision path. Instead, he needed to use his Spiritual power to reverse-open his Qi and Blood!

"Tiger practitioners, with all four limbs on the ground, lunge forward three times, retreat twice, stretch the waist, tilt the foot and look skyward, then return to crawling, forward and backward, each seven times..."

An Le studied the written annotations, cross-referencing the carved diagrams to gain insight.

Thanks to the Cultivation Genius Dao Fruit, which granted him three strands of Time Qi, An Le's comprehension had improved significantly. Even without the extra boost from Sword Dancer, he found it not too difficult to grasp.

After finishing his study and committing it to memory, An Le began practicing the Tiger Styles of the Five Beasts Body Tempering Technique in his room.

He lowered his body like a crouching tiger, all four limbs on the ground, and slowly corrected his posture according to the diagrams, striving for perfection in every move.

The Thirteen Tiger Styles—An Le practiced them one by one. With the Cultivation Genius Dao Fruit's blessing, his mind was exceptionally clear. Coupled with the faint Spiritual power from Samadhi, he could finely adjust and control the relaxation of his muscles and the angle of his arm movements.

Even the curvature of his ten fingers was precisely controlled!

"Hoo, hss, hoo, hss..."

As he practiced the Tiger Styles, An Le rhythmically exhaled and inhaled through his mouth, similar to a breathing method, but unlike the basic Qi-drawing breath techniques bought from the bookshop. It felt more like imitating a tiger's respiration.

Meanwhile, his muscles, skin, tendons, and bones, stretched by the movements, began to ache and sting to varying degrees.

Before long, he was Drenched in Sweat, soaking his clothes.

An Le panted heavily, having barely finished the Thirteen Tiger Styles. He felt his blood flow quicken, as if Qi was rising inside him, driving the blood's circulation!

The room was too cramped. An Le continued practicing the Tiger Styles tirelessly, using his Spiritual power to correct any mistakes.

Unknowingly, the night grew deep, so thick that even his fingers were invisible.

But inside the room, An Le breathed heavily, his eyes gleaming brightly like moonlight scattering.

After who knows how many rounds of practice, An Le felt a distinct stream of Qi rise within him. His Spiritual power could even control this Qi, pushing his blood to circulate rapidly and generating strength!

"Qi arises, then blood moves!"

"The first stage of Body Tempering, Opening Qi and Blood, is complete!"

In the darkness, An Le let out a pleased, light laugh. Feeling the surge of power within him, he thought he could now take on a tenth of Girl Zhuifeng!

With the Dao Fruit's blessing, cultivation didn't seem so hard anymore.

He lit the lamp.

The room brightened. An Le moved the table and chairs back to their original spots, frowning slightly. "The room's too small. I can't fully stretch out during practice. I need to find a bigger place to stay."

"After finishing my painting work at Lin Manor tomorrow, I'll go to the Estate Agency and look for a larger courtyard."

An Le got up, fetched some water, and took a bath to wash away his fatigue. Then he sat cross-legged on the bed, but instead of sleeping, he picked up a book, lit the lamp, and began to read.

Cultivation was indeed important, but the imperial exams were equally crucial—the key to whether An Le could climb high and see far.

To rank among the Jia Bang Jinshi, studying was indispensable. Diligence in work leads to mastery; neglect leads to ruin. If he failed the exams due to insufficient practice, the regret would be unbearable.

The night was deep, the candle flame flickering.

The youth's voice reciting echoed through the silent darkness, lingering without end.

The next day.

An Le rested for just one hour before getting up. He practiced the Thirteen Tiger Styles a few times in the cramped room until he broke a sweat and felt strength rising within him. Then he tidied up simply, changed into a blue robe, and headed out.

A new day dawned, and An Le felt Refreshed. The Time Qi was ready to be drawn again, and he felt a hint of eagerness.

Amid the greetings from the Shop Assistant and the innkeeper, An Le left the tavern.

Today, a light drizzle was falling from the sky—typical spring weather. But spring rain was as precious as oil, and it felt quite pleasant.

Holding the oil-paper umbrella the innkeeper had given him, An Le strolled down the long street. Lin'an Prefecture's main thoroughfare was bustling with activity; even the spring rain couldn't dampen the pedestrians' enthusiasm for shopping.

Stepping onto the bluestone path, he arrived at the shore of West Lake.

Pines layered in emerald upon the mountain face, the moon dotting the heart of the waves like a single pearl.

Under the spring rain, West Lake was even livelier, the rain adding to its poetic charm. Scholars and poets, holding oil-paper umbrellas, wandered along the embankment, reciting verses or admiring the scenery. Their eyes were fixed on the flower boats on the lake, which sang and played day and night, filled with eager anticipation for a glimpse of the silhouettes within.

An Le followed the crowd, naturally fitting in among these scholars and poets.

He was very familiar with this spot by West Lake, finding his usual place. In truth, he could have chosen to ascend Wanghu Tower. Before, he had no money, but now, carrying ten Primordial Spirit Treasures, he could afford it.

But there was no need. He approached the white jade railing along the lakeside embankment and waited quietly for a moment.

A familiar sound of something cutting through the air reached his ears.

Above the drizzly gray sky, a stunning woman in a white dress and veil came flying on a sword.

The sword light was clear and cold, slicing through the chaotic spring rain.

It was the Flower Queen of the lake, the Female Sword Immortal fallen to the mortal world, Fairy Yun Rou.

An Le stood holding his umbrella, his gaze piercing through the fine rain to fix on this breathtaking woman.

Why had this woman, who had condensed her inner core at eighteen, fallen into the world of dust and wind?

An Le still couldn't figure it out.

But he was grateful to the Female Sword Immortal. It was because of her stunning presence on West Lake that he, An Le, could quietly harvest Time Qi.

With that thought, An Le's mind stirred, and he drew a wisp of Time Qi from Fairy Yun Rou, who was still sword-flying.

Fairy Yun Rou, her face half-hidden by a veil, her eyelashes fluttering, swept her gaze over the crowd nearby and her eyes met An Le's.

It wasn't that she sensed him leeching off her, but rather that she noticed the faintly stirring Qi and Blood within An Le, along with the restrained Spiritual Power spilling from him.

A cultivator, but only at the Opening Qi and Blood stage—quite weak.

The Spiritual Power leaking from him, however, was remarkably condensed, clearly indicating he practiced a rather advanced Spirit Refinement Method. Someone with such a method was undoubtedly of no ordinary status.

She gave An Le a slight nod, then landed on a flower boat. The scholars and poets around An Le thought the fairy was greeting them, and they grew excited, their recitation voices rising in pitch.

An Le was startled, then realized Fairy Yun Rou was acknowledging him. This was the first real interaction between them.

A faint smile curled at the corners of An Le's lips. He nodded in return, and without a sound, he stole another wisp of Time Qi from the fairy.

Unfortunately, both wisps of Time Qi were gray, not gold, and couldn't condense into a Dao Fruit.

Fairy Yun Rou didn't pursue further interaction with An Le. She quickly entered the flower boat and disappeared from sight.

Having harvested his daily quota, An Le didn't linger.

In truth, there were dozens of flower boats on West Lake, and cultivators did visit from time to time. But unlike these idle scholars and poets, they didn't crowd along the embankment, pretending to be romantic.

Within the bustling, extravagant Lin'an Prefecture, there was a place of pleasure specifically for cultivators called "Lin Hua Pavilion." That was where cultivators often frequented, and many of the flower boats on West Lake were actually properties of Lin Hua Pavilion.

Holding his umbrella, An Le walked through the shadowy, crowded streets, heading toward Lin Manor.

But after just a few steps, a shout came from afar.

An Le turned in confusion and saw a familiar figure striding toward him through the bustling crowd.

A saber hung at his waist, and he wore black tight-fitting clothes.

It was Huang Xian, the Captain of the Black Office who had taken him to Lin Manor.

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