Half a Year of Bitter Cultivation

Every word on the panel was as clear as if it had been carved into the void.

Immediately afterward, a stream of information flooded into his mind, informing him of every use of the Martial Dao Space—select a cultivation method or Dou Technique, and the projection would demonstrate it according to the chosen target, explain it, correct errors, and continue until the cultivator had mastered it completely before moving on to the next one.

Without hesitation, Xiao Yan selected the Heaven-Burning Divine Art on the panel.

The Martial Dao Projection moved.

It sat cross-legged in exactly the same posture as Xiao Yan. The circulation route of the meridians within its body clearly emerged in the void like a three-dimensional map. Dou Qi began at the dantian, traveled upward along the Ren Meridian, passed through the Three Gates, and connected the hundred meridians. The opening and closing of every acupoint, the course of every wisp of Dou Qi, were displayed before Xiao Yan in minute detail.

The underlying principles, circulation patterns, and breakthrough points of the Heaven-Burning Divine Art were broken down by the projection into understandable modules in the most intuitive way possible.

Xiao Yan also sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, focused his mind, and began circulating the Heaven-Burning Divine Art anew according to the method displayed by the projection.

The first time, it was sluggish.

Many parts differed from the circulation method he had figured out on his own. Whenever his Dou Qi reached certain acupoints, it instinctively turned according to old habits, forcing him to drag it back.

By the tenth time, it had become somewhat smoother.

The conflict between the new and old circulation methods continued, but it was no longer as fierce as it had been at first.

By the fiftieth time, most of the sluggishness had vanished.

His Dou Qi began forming new habits within his meridians. Every route was like water that had flowed through a riverbed for thousands of years, naturally heading where it was meant to go.

By the hundredth time, the Heaven-Burning Divine Art flowed as smoothly as drifting clouds and running water, without the slightest obstruction.

There was no alternation between day and night in the space, no sense of time passing. There was only the projection's endlessly repeated demonstrations and Xiao Yan's round after round of practice.

A month later, the Heaven-Burning Divine Art had reached Minor Mastery.

Xiao Yan opened his eyes and nodded in satisfaction. His cultivation speed was thirty percent faster than before, his Dou Qi circulated more smoothly through his meridians, and the efficiency of every wisp of Dou Qi had risen by an entire level.

He brought up the panel again, unchecked the Heaven-Burning Divine Art, and selected Eight Extremes Collapse.

The Martial Dao Projection stood and began performing a set of punches in the pitch-black void.

Its fist wind howled, its force building layer by layer.

Every movement of the projection was broken down with absolute clarity—how the muscles exerted force, how Dou Qi circulated, how hidden force rose from the soles of the feet, passed through the waist and hips, and burst out from the fist. The first layer of force exploded the instant it struck the target, while the remaining force did not withdraw but pressed onward, continuing to penetrate the second, third, and all the way to the eighth layer.

More importantly, the projection constantly corrected itself.

After throwing each punch, it would make minute adjustments based on the results of the previous one—the angle of exertion, the amount of Dou Qi released, the timing of the hidden force's detonation—removing every flawed and inefficient aspect of Eight Extremes Collapse one by one.

Xiao Yan followed its example, practicing punch after punch behind the projection.

A month later, Eight Extremes Collapse had reached Minor Mastery.

With one punch, four layers of hidden force surged out like rolling waves. When he struck the void with his palm, four successive explosions actually rang out.

"Good thing I bought six extra Second-Order Magic Cores just to be safe. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been nearly enough time."

Xiao Yan wiped away sweat that did not exist, secretly rejoicing.

He did not switch Dou Techniques and instead continued choosing Eight Extremes Collapse.

This time, his goal was not Minor Mastery, but Major Mastery.

Another two months passed.

Three months, thirty-six thousand punches.

From the initial four layers of hidden force, to five, six, and seven, until the eighth layer of hidden force could finally burst out completely from his fist.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and threw a punch into the void.

Eight layers of hidden force surged out like stacked waves. Explosions erupted one after another in the void. Before the echo of the previous blast could fade, the next had already crushed over it. All eight blasts merged into one, making the entire space hum and tremble.

Eight Extremes Collapse, Major Mastery.

One punch unleashed eight layers of hidden force. Combined with the physical strength of someone comparable to a Dou Master, the power of this punch was enough to heavily injure a Two-Star Dou Master.

Xiao Yan did not stop.

He brought up the panel again and devoted his remaining time to other Dou Techniques.

Lingxi Sword Fingers, Minor Mastery. All ten fingers could become edgeless swords, their finger force piercing through the air without form or shadow. Only those struck would know its sharpness.

Flame-Congealing Sword Art, Minor Mastery. Fire-attributed Dou Qi condensed into a sword. Wherever its blade passed, scorching waves assailed the body; it could burn meridians and sear Dou Qi.

Flame Burst Fist, Minor Mastery. The instant his fist struck out, it detonated Dou Qi and created a second impact, making it far more powerful than ordinary fist-type Dou Techniques.

Five-Flame Heaven-Burning Seal, four seals at the Beginner stage.

This Low Earth Tier Dou Technique was far more difficult to cultivate than the others. The first seal alone took him an entire month just to reach the threshold.

With four seals stacked together, its power was comparable to a High Mystic Tier technique. He was only one step away from the true Earth Tier might of the fifth seal.

The half year bought with six Second-Order Magic Cores, along with the week from that First-Order Magic Core, was completely used up.

In the final seconds of the Martial Dao Space, Xiao Yan brought up the panel and looked over the results of his six months and seven days of cultivation.

[Cultivator: Xiao Yan]

[Cultivation Method: Heaven-Burning Divine Art (Minor Mastery)]

[Dou Techniques: Eight Extremes Collapse (Major Mastery), Suction Palm (Complete Mastery), Lingxi Sword Fingers (Minor Mastery), Five-Flame Heaven-Burning Seal (Four Seals, Beginner), Flame-Congealing Sword Art (Minor Mastery), Explosive Step (Complete Mastery), Flame Burst Fist (Minor Mastery)]

(Note: Dou Technique proficiency: Beginner -> Minor Mastery -> Major Mastery -> Complete Mastery)

Two at Complete Mastery, three at Minor Mastery, one at Major Mastery, and one at the Beginner stage. Every single one was Mystic Tier or above.

If outsiders saw this record, their jaws would likely drop.

For an ordinary cultivator, taking a Mystic Tier Dou Technique from Beginner to Minor Mastery would require at least half a year.

Yet Xiao Yan had used only half a year—half a year within the space, while not even an instant had passed outside—to cultivate seven Dou Techniques and one cultivation method to such a level.

The Martial Dao Projection certainly deserved credit, but this achievement also depended on the powerful Soul Power Xiao Yan had accumulated over two lifetimes.

Strong Soul Power meant high comprehension; high comprehension meant fast learning.

If it had been an ordinary person, given the same time and the same Martial Dao Space, mastering three Dou Techniques to the Beginner stage would already have been impressive.

As for an Earth Tier Dou Technique like Five-Flame Heaven-Burning Seal, they likely would not even be able to touch the threshold of Beginner.

When time ran out, the Martial Dao Space began to collapse.

A crack opened in the void. An invisible force pushed Xiao Yan's soul form out of the dark space and returned it to his physical body.

On the bed, Xiao Yan opened his eyes.

A golden-red gleam flashed through the depths of his pupils before vanishing. He flexed his fingers and felt the unprecedented smoothness of Dou Qi circulating within his body.

The Martial Dao Projection had thoroughly corrected the circulation method of the Heaven-Burning Divine Art. Every wisp of Dou Qi traveled with utmost precision.

Cultivating according to this new circulation route would be thirty percent faster than before.

He closed his eyes and was about to enter a deep cultivation state when the Bone Flame Ring on his right index finger gave a faint tremble.

Inside the ring, Yao Lao opened his eyes.

He had been awakened by the Dou Qi fluctuations emanating from Xiao Yan. His Soul Power silently extended outward, sweeping over the circulation route of the cultivation method within Xiao Yan's body.

Something was wrong.

Yao Lao frowned, his eyes filled with confusion and shock.

Apart from the half-volume fragment in that beast Han Feng's possession, he had only ever given the Flame Mantra to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan had obtained the cultivation method barely half a day ago. By all reason, even reaching the Beginner stage should have been difficult, much less thoroughly understanding its circulation route.

Yet the Flame Mantra circulation route Yao Lao saw at that moment flowed as smoothly as drifting clouds and running water, without a trace of sluggishness. Every step was as precise as that of an experienced veteran who had cultivated it for years.

This was unreasonable.

Could it be that Xiao Yan was some kind of once-in-a-century martial arts genius? Able to remember everything at a glance and comprehend it the moment he started?

Yao Lao shook his head and temporarily suppressed the thought.

His gaze passed through the boundary of the Bone Flame Ring and settled on the boy's quiet profile. Curiosity nearly overflowed from his aged eyes.

Naturally, Xiao Yan had no idea that his cultivation fluctuations had awakened the slumbering Yao Lao.

He closed his eyes, his breathing gradually evening out. Dou Qi flowed quietly through his meridians as his whole body sank into a state of deep cultivation.

Using cultivation in place of sleep was a habit he had developed since the age of four.

This method had no side effects. It would not leave him groggy or weak the next day; instead, cultivation akin to sleep could nourish his meridians and accumulate Dou Qi.

A night passed. His cultivation advanced, his energy was abundant—two benefits in one.