The Emperor's Bedside Book, Beneath the Splendor!

[On the other side of these two lines was an accompanying illustration, depicting an ape standing in a stance, lifelike and vividly rendered in every detail.]

[The ape's arms hung down again, its body seeming to sway slowly.]

[Within the ape's chest, there seemed to be another crystalline mass of qi, slowly circulating.]

[Amid the knotted flesh rising from its back, one could vaguely see a "great dragon" spinal column gleaming with a crystalline sheen.]

[And within the flesh surrounding those bones, dense Blood Qi surged without end!]

[With a single glance, you could deeply sense... that this was a precious method for tempering the meridians and reforging the bones.]

[This manual was divided into two volumes. The upper volume recorded in detail twelve breathing methods, including standing stances, walking stances, and sleeping stances. Every breathing method had its own unique features, and the movements and postures were exceedingly exacting, requiring not the slightest deviation. Only through these twelve breathing methods could one temper the meridians, reforge the bones, lay the foundation of martial cultivation, and make it as solid as a boulder.]

[The lower volume contained a matching fist manual, named the Founding Ancestor's Six Sacred Ape Forms. Every form contained the spirit of an ape, balancing hardness and softness, with boundless power.]

[You carefully flipped through it from beginning to end without missing a single detail. There was also a booklet of annotations personally written by Sima Ting. The ink still looked fresh; it had likely been written specifically for you.]

[You were quite moved. A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring—you remembered it in your heart.]

[It detailed the medicinal ingredients needed for cultivation, the food that had to be eaten every day without fail, and the frequency of stance training, ensuring that