Someone Shoots the Celestial Being with a Bow, Someone Offers a Living Sacrifice to Build Bones

The waterside pavilion was serene, a gentle breeze rippling the calm surface of the pond into ripples.

Madam Hua caressed the celadon teacup in her hands, rubbing it lightly.

"The emergence of cultivators dates back ten thousand years. Back then, Qi Refiners were prevalent across the land, known among the common folk as immortals. Later, the Qi Refiners descended into the mortal world to spread their teachings, developing into the Hundred Schools of Thought."

"In that era, a hundred schools contended—a great age of strife. But when that emperor unified the six kingdoms, brought the four seas under one rule, and merged martial arts with Qi Refining, standardizing writing and axle lengths, establishing the rules of cultivation, from that moment on, cultivation had order and direction."

Madam Hua spoke calmly.

She was recounting secrets An Le had never heard before, even tracing back to the origins of cultivation.

"Of course, in the thousands of years since, the path of cultivation has continuously developed and branched out, giving birth to countless brilliant talents. But in the end, none could escape the erosion of time. Thus, cultivation is also a process of pursuing the extension of life."

"In the current world, you should know that after the Great Zhao Southern Migration, the Central Land north of the Canglang River has been entirely occupied by foreign tribes. The number one expert under heaven today is none other than the Emperor of the Yuan Meng Empire. Gazing northwest, he drew his bow and shot at a celestial immortal, his arrow piercing the Heavenly Gate wide open, staining the immortal with blood."

The number one expert under heaven, the Yuan Meng Emperor... a peerless powerhouse whose mere breakthrough had forced the Great Zhao to flee south.

Hearing This, An Le took a deep breath, utterly shaken by the tale.

"Aside from the Yuan Meng Emperor, the number one under heaven, the Dali Kingdom also has a Wheelchair National Preceptor. With a single finger, he tore open the sky, drawing down a sea of stars from beyond—a figure of peerless grace. Then there are the father and son of the Xiliang Kingdom, who fell to demonic ways through martial arts, infecting their vast nation. They sacrificed ten thousand people alive to build a Bone Temple, forging a demonic blade that reaped a rain of blood across the mortal world, forcing the Yuan Meng Empire's army to retreat three thousand li."

Madam Hua took a sip of tea, slowly recounting the supreme powers of the world.

Even from her words alone, one could feel the terrifying pressure. Though An Le had long known this world was extraordinary, he was still stunned by its bizarre and wondrous nature.

Madam Hua glanced at An Le and said with a light smile, "Of course, our Great Zhao is Not Weak either. Peerless Military Generals emerge frequently, and within our borders stand the Sacred Mountain, the Literature Academy, and the Martial Temple—three major powers, each with strong figures standing aloof from the world. That is also one reason the Yuan Meng Emperor dares not easily cross south."

This was the clearest picture of the world's cultivation power structure An Le had ever heard.

"Young Master An, you became a Juren scholar at eighteen, came to Lin'an for the Spring Imperial Examination, and have now stepped onto the path of cultivation. Your goal should be to rank among the Jia Bang Jinshi, correct?"

Madam Hua took a light sip of tea.

"I have that hope, but my cultivation is still too low. I can only give my utmost effort."

An Le said.

Madam Hua nodded. "The Sacred Mountain, the Literature Academy, and the Martial Temple stand like three great mountains within Great Zhao. The Sacred Mountain is transcendent, while the Literature Academy and the Martial Temple are locked in endless rivalry. They recruit disciples solely from the Jia Bang Jinshi. Only by ranking among them can you have the chance to enter the Literature Academy or the Martial Temple and continue your cultivation."

This was the first time An Le had heard this. His eyes gleamed with brilliance, and ambition indeed stirred in his heart.

"The Literature Academy and the Martial Temple house all the cultivation methods of the world—extraordinary techniques. If you wish to learn profound methods, Young Master An, you must enter one of the two."

"And these two institutions encompass the current cultivation system of Great Zhao: the Literature Academy cultivates the spirit, while the Martial Temple forges the body."

"The Literature Academy's spirit cultivation naturally means training the mind, wielding Spiritual power. Its stages include Entering Stillness, Embryonic Breathing, Transcending the Mundane, Primordial Spirit, and Sitting in Forgetfulness... A powerful spirit cultivator can move mountains with a single thought, reverse rivers with a single thought, and summon thunder from the heavens with a single thought."

"However, the path of cultivation is not solely about spirit cultivation; the physical body is also crucial. The Martial Temple's body forging trains the physique. Its stages include Opening Qi and Blood, Forging Spiritual Bones, Condensing Inner Elixir, Understanding Profound Intent, and Stepping into Innate—these are the first five realms. After these five come five more, but knowing them now would do you no good."

Madam Hua spoke at a measured pace, slowly revealing the realms of cultivation to An Le, clearing the doubts that had lingered in his mind.

"The path of cultivation cannot focus on only one aspect. You must cultivate both spirit and body, choosing your emphasis based on your talent. Spirit cultivation allows you to sweep away Inner Demons and keep filth from touching you; body forging lets you face thunder tribulations with ease. Both are important."

Hearing this, An Le's eyes gleamed, his heart surging. He couldn't help but pick up his teacup and take a big gulp.

Madam Hua watched An Le and smiled faintly.

What she had said was neither profound nor secret. If An Le had stepped onto the path of cultivation earlier, he would have learned all this in basic cultivation schooling.

Thus, Madam Hua had no intention of using this information to trade for the painting that pleased her so much.

"Madam Hua, the Literature Academy cultivates the spirit, and the Martial Temple forges the body. What about the Sacred Mountain?" An Le pondered for a moment, then asked curiously.

"The Sacred Mountain..." Madam Hua moistened her lips with tea as she heard this.

"On the Central Land Sacred Mountain, there is the Sacred Teacher. The Sacred Teacher stands transcendent above the world. Besides the Sacred Teacher, the Sacred Mountain also has Mountain Lords. Each Mountain Lord is a person of extraordinary talent. Entering the Sacred Mountain is the wish of countless cultivators in Great Zhao, for those who enter represent recognized talent."

"The Sacred Mountain Lords are unmatched in both spirit cultivation and body forging."

"But since the founding of Great Zhao, only a handful of outstanding individuals have entered the Sacred Mountain."

"There is a saying that goes: The Sacred Mountain is not the Sacred Mountain of Great Zhao, but the Sacred Mountain of the Central Land."

Madam Hua's gaze grew somewhat distant. She turned her head to look beyond Lin'an City, as if seeing a vague mountain peak, unattainably high, piercing the nine heavens, standing eternal through the ages.

An Le felt a surge of longing, but he was still self-aware. Those who entered the Sacred Mountain possessed extraordinary talent. Without the aid of Time Qi, he himself could barely even cultivate.

So he held no aspirations for the Sacred Mountain.

However, he did intend to make a push for the Jia Bang Jinshi rank.

Madam Hua withdrew her gaze and fixed it on An Le. Her eyes seemed dazed, as if she had thought of something, then found it somewhat ridiculous. She shook her head and dismissed the thought.

"Zhuifeng, Young Master An is curious about martial arts. Show him what a Body Forging Martial Artist is like."

Madam Hua looked at Lin Zhuifeng and said.

Hearing this, Lin Zhuifeng grinned without any shyness. She Took a Step forward, and her Qi and blood roared beneath her skin. Her slender frame seemed like a waking tiger.

The fire poker at her waist slid into her hand.

Lin Zhuifeng looked at An Le and smiled. "Young Master An, watch closely!"

With those words.

Both ends of the fire poker in Lin Zhuifeng's hand naturally extended into a two-meter-long staff. With a single swing, it burst into a sonic boom, and as it whipped around, waves of wind surged!

The aura radiating from her nearly suffocated An Le.

Finally, Lin Zhuifeng handed out a staff, thrusting it into the rockery. The solid stone structure was pierced through like soft tofu.

She even mischievously twisted the staff, making it wobble up and down.

"A Body Forging Martial Artist has a powerful physique, with strength and speed far beyond ordinary people, granting immense killing power."

Madam Hua chuckled lightly. "As for Spirit Refining..."

"It's like this, like so."

Madam Hua raised a finger and pointed from afar at the large pond in the Tianbo Water Pavilion. The water in the pond was drawn out by an invisible force, surging upward as a water column, coiling through the air like a roaring flood dragon.

Such a miraculous sight shattered An Le's worldview!

Madam Hua withdrew her finger, and the flood dragon burst apart into a torrential rain, countless droplets crashing back into the pond.

"Spirit Refining and Body Forging are roughly like this."

"Young Master An, do you have any more doubts?"

An Le's mouth went dry. So this is Spirit Refining?

It's stunning enough to make one's scalp tingle!

Martial arts were fierce and violent; Spirit Refining was ethereal and elusive.

In comparison, his watered-down Zhao Ancestor Long Fist felt like child's play, so embarrassing to perform.

"Thank you, Madam Hua, for enlightening me. I've truly broadened my horizons."

An Le calmed his emotions and expressed his gratitude.

Madam Hua shook her head. "These are merely simple introductions to cultivation, Not Worth Mentioning."

"I see you have a strong interest in cultivation. How about this—I'll gift you one cultivation manual each for Spirit Refining and Body Forging?"

Hearing This, An Le's entire body trembled, and he quickly stood up. "Madam Hua, a single painting of mine is hardly worth two precious cultivation manuals..."

But before An Le could finish, Madam Hua raised her hand, and on her pale palm appeared two yellow-covered books, wreathed in faint spiritual energy. Clearly, these manuals were no ordinary items—Absolutely Impossible to be common street fare like the beginner's Zhao Ancestor Long Fist.

"Young Master An, first of all, your painting deeply moved me, reminding me of some past events—sad, yet cherished. Secondly, gifting you these cultivation manuals is also an investment. If you can pass the Jia Bang Jinshi exam through what I've given you, or even have the chance to attend His Majesty's Palace Examination, then I'll share in the honor and gain a good reputation."

Madam Hua chuckled lightly and handed the two yellow-covered books to An Le.

An Le understood—this was an investment.

Still, the investment was likely secondary, given An Le's cultivation was far too low and his starting age too old. It was mostly because the painting had touched Madam Hua.

"Then I, this young scholar, thank Madam Hua."

An Le solemnly brushed his sleeves, cupped his hands, and bowed deeply.

"Spirit Refining and Body Forging aren't easy, so don't rush. Since you started late, cultivate with a calm mind and don't be impatient. Also, when you come to paint for the young masters, you can seek advice from Zhuifeng or me on cultivation difficulties. Having guidance on the path of cultivation can save you many detours." Madam Hua said slowly.

An Le thanked her again, took the two books with an excited heart, and looked at them.

The first yellow-covered book was a Body Forging manual, with the title on the cover: "Five Animals Body Tempering Technique"!

The second was a method for refining the mind, named "Sword Waterfall Diagram"!

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