White Bone Spirit Refining Observation

"Also, don't tell people from the other villages about me going into the mountains to hunt wolves."

"While you have the chance, you can go into the mountains and gather more wild delicacies and game to help with household expenses."

After hearing Li Beichen's instructions, the village head was even more moved.

"Beichen, I never imagined that even after you'd made it big, you wouldn't forget the village. We're ashamed of ourselves."

"The village treated me well, too. When I was stranded here, you, Village Head, helped me get my household registration and travel permit. That let me settle down in Ram City."

Li Beichen waved his hand, offering no further explanation. Although his main purpose had been to hunt Exotic Beasts for himself, the result was the same for the villagers of Clear Creek Village.

Besides, he didn't need any compensation.

"Let's leave the rest unsaid. Village Head, arrange for the strong men in the village to take the hunting dogs and hurry into the mountains to bring back the wolf carcasses."

"I still need to hurry back to Ram City, so I won't say more."

Li Beichen took his leave of the people of Clear Creek Village.

Then he borrowed an ox cart, loaded the Black Wolf's carcass and the pelts of the other wolves, and covered them with a mat.

He drove the cart straight to Ram City.

Parading this game through the streets, especially the Black Wolf, would do him no good. It would only bring trouble.

Though Li Beichen's strength now meant he didn't fear ordinary Eighth Rank martial artists, fewer troubles were always better.

Having fled Bing Province, Li Beichen had seen too many things happen because someone had revealed that they possessed food.

Never flaunt your wealth.

It was an unshakable truth.

Back at Jinglong District, Li Beichen was alone in the backyard, stripping the Black Wolf's hide and bones.

He scraped every last bit of Exotic Beast Meat from its bones.

Then he preserved it on ice.

He weighed it and found that this Ninth Grade Exotic Beast had yielded him more than eighty pounds of Exotic Beast Meat.

Li Beichen ate a piece.

Its quality and effect were about the same as the Ninth Grade Exotic Beast Meat he'd bought at the Black Market.

All its essence was concentrated in the flesh.

At his current level, he only needed to eat three taels a day to meet his needs.

This would last him a long time.

Even if he broke through to Eighth Rank later, he wouldn't have to worry about his supply of Exotic Beast Meat for a while.

As for the bones, Li Beichen didn't plan to waste them either.

He would use them to make soup.

As for the hide, Li Beichen naturally planned to make it into a fur coat.

He'd had one before, but he'd given it to Meng Juxiang as a gift when becoming his disciple.

Now that he had so many wolf pelts, they were enough to make several coats.

They made excellent gifts.

For example, Senior Brother Zhang Meng had looked after him a great deal, so Li Beichen planned to give him one once it was finished.

By the time he'd finished processing the Exotic Beast Meat, it was already evening.

Li Beichen simmered a pot of rich broth with a few Black Wolf bones, then poured in red oil and sprinkled it with chili and spices.

That night, he made a pot of bone-broth hotpot.

Tripe, fresh meat, kidney slices...

Everything was fresh.

Li Beichen feasted alone, eating until he was drenched in sweat.

These were all parts of an Exotic Beast. Only martial artists who had achieved Grade Entry dared to eat them like this.

Ordinary people couldn't handle such potent nourishment.

In this life, nothing should be wasted—least of all good food.

Early the next morning, Li Beichen went to hire an old scholar who loved studying ancient texts.

From then on, he would set aside time each day to study seal script and classical allusions.

Every day, Li Beichen would slip obscure words from White Bone Spirit Refining Observation into his questions and ask the old scholar to explain them.

Then he would return home and ponder over the White Bone Spirit Refining Observation on the bone fragment.

Half a month later, the panel finally gave a notification.

[Technique: White Bone Spirit Refining Observation - Fragment (Novice Practice)]

[Progress: (0/100)]

[Traits: None]

"At last, I've learned the basics..."

Li Beichen sighed. Ever since he'd awakened the proficiency panel, this was the technique he'd taken the longest to learn.

No wonder it was the rarest kind of spiritual martial art.

Now that he'd learned the basics, Li Beichen wasn't too worried about the rest.

All he had to do was put in the work.

He prepared an extra tuition gift and set it down in front of the old scholar.

"Sir, I don't plan to continue studying literature. This is a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it."

Looking at Li Beichen, the old scholar let out a sigh.

"Li Beichen, you have the finest talent I've ever seen. You can draw inferences from one example and never forget what you've read. In another era... you would surely have been a candidate for the jinshi degree."

"It's just a shame that the Imperial Court is weak in these times. Scholars are useless."

"Ah, well..."

He picked up the red-paper-wrapped tuition gift.

"I didn't want to accept this... but my family truly has run out of food. I'll swallow my pride and take it."

"Please don't say that, sir. It's only a small gesture from your student."

The founding emperor of Great Liang had established the dynasty through military might. Only during Great Liang's most prosperous era, with an army of a million strong arrayed in battle formations, had the court suppressed martial artists and promoted civil officials over military ones.

That period had lasted only a short time.

Which martial artist in the world didn't harbor a blade in his heart and a murderous intent of his own?

They could be suppressed for a time, but never forever.

Ambushes, assassinations, and all manner of other methods had ultimately brought the policy of favoring civil officials over military ones to nothing.

In this world, power lay in oneself. Studying literature was merely a way to serve martial cultivation.

It was hard to imagine a mighty martial artist, one capable of smashing a mountain with a single blow, wholeheartedly obeying the orders of a scholar who couldn't even truss a chicken.

Unless that person possessed wisdom that truly reached to the heavens and penetrated the earth.

But if he really was so brilliant, why wouldn't he practice martial arts?

Even those with physical defects and blocked meridians could cultivate spiritual martial arts.

The world the old scholar hoped for was unlikely ever to exist in this realm.

Watching the old scholar leave, Li Beichen closed the door.

He began his first practice of White Bone Spirit Refining Observation.

According to the instructions on the bone fragment:

A person of decent talent might visualize it once during their first practice.

Someone of excellent talent, three times.

Someone of the highest caliber, five times.

Li Beichen didn't know how many times he would manage.

But he thought he should do fairly well.

The bone fragment also stated that consuming a spiritual Exotic Beast could nourish the spirit and improve one's progress.

He had eaten an entire Black-White Strange Pig, after all.

Li Beichen sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes half-closed.

Following the method of White Bone Spirit Refining Observation, he pictured an incomparable beauty in his mind.

Her hands were soft as young shoots, her skin smooth as cream.

Her waist was slender as a bolt of silk, her teeth like rows of shells.

After picturing such an incomparable beauty, Li Beichen continued with the method of White Bone Spirit Refining Observation.

He silently recited a passage of mental instructions.

In an instant, the beauty seemed to come alive and began walking toward him with graceful steps.

Her clothes fell open halfway.

Her eyes brimmed with tender affection.

She did everything she could to tempt Li Beichen.

But Li Beichen had lived two lifetimes and suffered all kinds of hardships in this one. His will had long since been tempered into something unyielding.

Control himself, master his enemies.

Li Beichen remained clear-headed and continued practicing White Bone Spirit Refining Observation.

Gradually, the beauty faded away, and Li Beichen's first session of cultivation came to an end.

A thread of insight welled up within him.

Li Beichen felt as though his spirit had been wiped clean, becoming sharper and more lively.

On the panel, the progress of White Bone Spirit Refining Observation quietly increased by one.

That day, Li Beichen practiced ten times in all. He stopped only when his spirit was so exhausted that he could no longer summon the beauty in his mind.