Spirit Stones

In the days that followed, Xia Dong didn't rush out. Instead, he shut himself away and thoroughly tested his conclusion from every angle.

He tried forcing himself into the stance when he was utterly exhausted or hungry, and even deliberately disrupted his breathing while running. Without exception, the moment the bell rang in his sea of consciousness, some unseen "law" took control of his body, instantly making subtle adjustments until he returned to the most perfect posture of a white crane.

That wisp of qi within him flowed as smoothly as a fish in water, never once going astray.

After fully understanding the domineering nature of "One Proof Eternal Proof," Xia Dong suppressed the urge to immediately search outside for profound martial arts or demonic forbidden arts.

"A towering building rises from level ground. The foundation of this body is what matters most." He sat quietly on the bed, weighing his options.

Although the only thing he could cultivate for now was the lowly Crane Stance, that didn't mean it would become useless once he reached perfection in it.

"One Proof Eternal Proof" locked in his "comprehension" and "attainment" of this martial art, but it didn't lock in the physical limits of his body.

As long as he had enough energy to fuel it, this flawless stance technique could still temper his qi and blood without end, like an exquisitely precise waterwheel.

The fifty taels of silver and the few fine old ginseng roots the Qin Family had sent were the best fuel he had for now.

The next morning, Xia Dong went to an apothecary and bought a pile of ordinary herbs to promote blood circulation. Then he went to a butcher's shop and ordered fresh meat for every day. Back at his courtyard, he cut off a small piece of one of the old ginseng roots from the Qin Family, combined it with the other herbs, and simmered them in a clay pot for an hour.

When he swallowed the bowl of ginseng broth, thick as ink and reeking of bitterness, less than half a cup of tea later, Xia Dong felt as though he had swallowed a piece of red-hot charcoal.

The medicine's violent potency surged through him in waves of heat, savagely battering his limbs and bones. His skin instantly flushed a frightening red, the veins in his forehead throbbed, and warm liquid seemed ready to spill from his nostrils.

An ordinary apprentice at a martial arts school would have been terrified. At best, the rush of qi and blood to the head would leave them seriously ill; at worst, their meridians would swell until they burst.

But Xia Dong's expression remained calm. Enduring the tearing pressure inside him, he walked over to the Withered Well in the courtyard. He bent his knees, balanced on one foot, and slowly spread his arms like a crane's wings.

Clang.

A distant bell tolled deep within his mind.

The perfect Crane Stance took form.

The medicine's violent, unruly power was like a wild horse gone mad, but in an instant, it was fitted with the strongest, most suitable reins.

Under the circulation of the perfected stance technique, that faint wisp of "qi" became a tireless millstone. Bit by bit, it ground down, absorbed, and digested the old ginseng's medicinal potency, then precisely delivered it into every inch of muscle and every bone.

The medicinal potency was absorbed perfectly.

That was the terrifying digestive power granted by "One Proof Eternal Proof."

For the entire month that followed, Xia Dong's courtyard fell into a dull but efficient routine.

Brew medicine, eat meat, practice the stance.

The fifty taels of silver flowed away like water, exchanged for meat and medicinal herbs. As the days passed, he also gradually devoured the few old ginseng roots the Qin Family had left behind.

With every session of standing practice, his breathing grew deeper and longer than before. His sweat no longer splashed against the green bricks and scattered; it turned into a faint white mist that steamed up from the crown of his head.

As his qi and blood continued to grow stronger, Xia Dong forced the Crane Stance—a health-preserving technique originally meant only to "regulate qi and blood"—into a realm he had never imagined in his previous life.

A month later, on a chilly autumn morning.

Bare-chested in the courtyard, Xia Dong slowly finished his practice and breathed out a long stream of turbid air. The current shot through the cold air like a gray-white sword, reaching more than three feet before slowly dispersing.

He lowered his head and looked at his body. His originally thin, frail scholar's frame had vanished without a trace. In its place was a lean, perfectly proportioned physique with muscles streamlined like a leopard's. Beneath his skin lay a toughness and explosive strength that didn't belong to someone his age.

The "qi" in his body, once no thicker than a strand of hair, had now become a warm little stream, flowing ceaselessly through his limbs and bones. Even when he wasn't deliberately practicing the stance, it constantly nourished his internal organs.

Xia Dong walked to the courtyard wall and casually pried off a hard fragment of green brick.

His expressionless face unchanged, he suddenly clenched his five fingers and exerted his strength.

"Crack!"

A dull thud rang out. Without using any fancy move, he relied solely on the pure finger strength nurtured by his qi and blood to crush a corner off the brick. Rough stone dust sifted down between his fingers.

The health-preserving stance had reached perfection and beyond, elevating his body to this level!

Xia Dong was both surprised and satisfied by his progress.

In the world of his previous life, he could probably compete for a boxing championship at this level.

The key was that he hadn't taken long to get here.

"This world has cultivators, so that must be why I've changed so quickly. Just practicing the Crane Stance has brought such great benefits here. I can't imagine what results the martial secrets and profound immortal arts of this world would bring."

Xia Dong wasn't smug about his physical transformation. If anything, it made him yearn for immortal arts even more.

Did having no Spirit Root really mean he couldn't cultivate immortality?

He didn't believe it.

There had to be a way!

Without the Bronze Ancient Bell, Xia Dong might have accepted his fate. But with the Bronze Ancient Bell, he firmly believed he could find a way.

Besides, he had never been one to give up easily.

And as his qi and blood grew stronger, Xia Dong sensed that there was still more potential to unearth from the Crane Stance.

What lay beyond perfection in the Crane Stance?

Xia Dong felt a little anticipation.

He could even sense that he was only a thin sheet of paper away from breaking past the Crane Stance's "perfection" and entering a new realm.

But that would require more resources.

By now, however, his funds had grown rather tight from practicing martial arts.

Next, he would have to find a way to make money.

The imperial examination system in this world was similar to that of the Ming and Qing dynasties in his previous life, yet it differed in certain details.

For instance, licentiates didn't have to attend prefectural or county schools to study.

More precisely, being a licentiate was more like a mark of status. It came with a few privileges that placed one above ordinary people, but that was all.

Of course, licentiates had plenty of ways to make money.

For example, licentiates could travel more freely than ordinary commoners. And when it came to lawsuits or other local affairs, their status could be quite useful.

After pondering for a long while, Xia Dong was just about to go survey the market and see what sort of business might help him make money quickly.

Then the old steward from the Qin Estate arrived again.

"This is a letter from your young mistress? And she sent me something too?"

Xia Dong was greatly surprised.

The apology gift from last time had already been generous enough. He hadn't expected to receive anything else.

To be honest, although the Qin Family had broken off the engagement, they had shown genuine sincerity.

So Xia Dong hadn't taken the matter to heart at all.

Besides, if the Qin Family hadn't broken off the engagement, given his means, he wouldn't have been able to afford to marry this young lady anyway.

He couldn't exactly become a live-in son-in-law.

After exchanging a few polite pleasantries, Xia Dong saw the old steward out, then opened the letter.

It contained an apology, followed by a hope that Xia Dong would apply himself to the imperial examinations and pass the provincial examination soon. Miss Qin also hoped he would find a respectable young woman and marry quickly, so he could carry on the Xia Family line.

Besides that, Miss Qin mentioned that the gift she had sent was a Spirit Stone. She told him to sleep with it beneath his pillow, as it would help with his studies.

A Spirit Stone?