After kowtowing, Ling Yun stood up and returned home.
The wooden house was small, with two bedrooms and a living room.
Outside the house, the courtyard had a stone table and stools, along with a neatly built trellis hung with grapes and gourds.
A short distance away was a vegetable garden where he grew vegetables. Whatever he couldn't finish, he took to Nuoding City to sell.
Not far beyond the garden, a river wound around the area, making for a beautiful view.
At the stone table, Ling Yun took out the Basic Meditation Method Su Yuntao had given him and was greatly disappointed. It was simple—far too simple.
Step one: Empty your thoughts and concentrate.
Step two: Adjust your breathing and your body's condition.
Step three: Sense your Martial Soul and visualize its appearance.
The following are some little tricks for clearing your mind and focusing your attention.
Note: The intermediate meditation method involves simple routes for circulating Soul Power.
There were fewer than five hundred words in all. The rest was made up of illustrations: six in total, each depicting a little figure meditating.
It was that simple. That blunt.
After reading the note, Ling Yun understood why Su Yuntao had given him the meditation method.
"Forget it! I only wanted to learn what was worthwhile about the local meditation methods. This really has opened my eyes!"
Ling Yun casually set the booklet aside and began cultivating the Yin-Yang Creation Art, the cultivation method that came with the Yin-Yang Mirror.
The technique had no limit; everything depended on the practitioner's comprehension.
It combined movement and stillness, and contained thirty-six diagrams. Practicing according to them could stir the blood and vital energy throughout the body, guiding the forces of yin and yang to temper it from head to toe.
Over the past three years, he had barely reached the fifth diagram. Now, he began today's cultivation.
The first diagram: Five-Hearts-to-Heaven Chart.
Once he had assumed the correct posture, Soul Power drifting through the air poured into him without pause. It had all kinds of attributes, and massaged every cell in his body.
He used his mind to guide the Soul Power through its circulation. The route was clearly shown on the little figure in the diagram, with an explanation beneath it that laid out exactly why to circulate it that way and how many times.
The second diagram: Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg Chart. One foot planted on the ground, the other leg stretched taut, raised straight overhead.
Energy from the void entered his body through the raised foot, washed through him, then flowed into the earth through the other foot.
The third diagram: Mountain-Holding Seal. He assumed a standard horse stance, his hands held as if embracing something. Following the flow of energy shown in the illustration, he formed a vortex between his hands, ideally infusing it with the intent of yin and yang until it became a yin-yang sphere.
This process could stir the yin-yang aura to wash through his meridians, familiarize him with the changes in force, and strengthen his meridians' ability to withstand pressure.
The fourth diagram: Crane Spreading Wings. He touched the ground with his toes, bent his other leg naturally and held it aloft, then spread his hands and moved them up and down. Coordinating his breathing throughout, he stirred the Soul Power in his body and trained his physical coordination.
The fifth diagram: Wave-Treading Chart. He needed to find a pond or river. Following the circulation route in the diagram, he would gather his energy and lighten his body, treading on the water without sinking. This trained his control of Soul Power, bringing it to the point where it obeyed his every whim.
Once mastered, this could also be used to attack. By stamping one foot on the ground and releasing Soul Power through the sole, he could send it surging like wave upon wave, piling up before erupting! Its power was immense.
After practicing the five diagrams, all the cells in his body had come alive. His energy and spirit were brimming, with a marked improvement; he had reached the level needed to practice the sixth diagram.
He began his challenge of the sixth diagram.
The sixth diagram: Blood-Moving Seal. He formed seals with both hands, using ten different hand signs, each of which stirred the Bloodline Power within him. The further he progressed, the more Bloodline Power he could draw upon.
If he couldn't perform all ten signs in one continuous sequence, the process would be interrupted, and he would have to start over from the first diagram.
In less than ten minutes, Ling Yun was drenched in sweat, steam rising from his body and his skin flushed red. The energy and spirit he had built up through the first five diagrams had been greatly depleted, and he no longer had the strength to continue.
He had only completed three hand signs.
If he could complete the sixth diagram, he would finish the practice brimming with energy and spirit. If he couldn't, he would end up in his current state, sore and aching, yet exhilarated.
"Once I master the Blood-Moving Seal, I should be able to challenge myself to get my first thousand-year ring."
Ling Yun felt the changes in his body, his spirits high. After resting for a while, he continued practicing.
Starting from the first diagram.
Time always flew by during cultivation. Before long, the sun had set. After completing one final round, Ling Yun lay sprawled on the ground.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he had recovered a little strength. He got up and made dinner himself, with both meat and vegetables.
Once he had eaten his fill, Ling Yun carefully checked his supplies. The food he had bought on his last trip to Nuoding City would last him another month.
Under the bright moon and sparse stars, Ling Yun practiced the first diagram in bed.
After getting into position, he focused his attention on the shifting black and white in the background of the illustration.
Gradually, he entered a deep sleep.
As he slept, a wisp of black and white tinged his soul. As the colors shifted, his soul grew more substantial.
His body absorbed the Soul Power around him on its own.
The next day, Ling Yun woke feeling refreshed. He could see farther, and his senses had become sharper.
"After awakening my Martial Soul, I seem to be more in tune with the laws of the world. The results of my cultivation have improved quite a bit."
Ling Yun carefully sensed the changes in his body, then began his morning training.
After finishing his morning exercises, he washed up, ate breakfast, and continued cultivating.
Throughout the day, aside from eating and going to the toilet, he spent nearly all his time cultivating.
One day.
Two days.
Three days.
Ten days later.
"Whew! I finally did it!"
Ling Yun's face was full of joy. After ten days of effort, he had finally completed the entire sixth diagram.
At that moment, his energy was more vigorous than ever. His small body brimmed with strength.
He felt like he could punch a Century-Old Bull Soul Beast to death.
His cultivation came to a pause.
Ling Yun gave himself a break. Knowing when to push and when to rest was the true essence of cultivation!
The next day, he gave the house a thorough cleaning. He was especially meticulous, storing anything with sentimental value in a small box.
Three days later, he asked Shi Niu to look after his wooden house and vegetable garden. Then, while Shi Niu wasn't paying attention, he left behind five Silver Soul Coins.
Gold Soul Coins were just too conspicuous!
In Nuoding City, Su Yuntao began compiling his reports. He had visited every village, and this year's Martial Soul Awakening ceremonies had all concluded.
A white-haired old man sat in the main office. His eyes were exceptionally bright, brimming with wisdom. Every wrinkle on his face seemed to tell a story.
"Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo, here are the people with Soul Power among those who awakened their Martial Souls in the villages I was responsible for this year."
"There are twenty-three in total, and six have Soul Power of level three or higher."
Ma Xiunuo took the reports and began looking through them. Dividing his attention, he read as he asked, "Six? That's more than last year! Not bad."
"I also awakened two people with Innate Full Soul Power!"
Su Yuntao's words were startling. Ma Xiunuo's gaze, which had been fixed on the papers, shifted to Su Yuntao. "Innate Full Soul Power! What are their names?"
"Where are they? Why didn't you bring them straight to Spirit Hall?"
Ma Xiunuo was terribly excited. Su Yuntao was far too unreliable. He hadn't even thought to recruit such talent for Spirit Hall.
"Uh... it's a long story! I wanted to bring them to Spirit Hall too..."
"..."
Su Yuntao explained the whole story in detail. After hearing him out, Ma Xiunuo sighed and said, "What a pity!"
"You did well! It's fine if you can build a good relationship with a genius like that."
"You were right to give him the Basic Meditation Method."
Before you continue