Cao Youqian: Master, I've Read Books Too

"It's not that there aren't any, but I'm afraid your little body couldn't withstand the thousand-year cold pool or a place of thousand-year Earth Sha."

Chu Feng spoke with a perfectly serious expression.

When Cao Youqian heard about those two places, his face instantly turned as sour as a bitter melon.

"Master, aren't those places you mentioned a little too brutal?"

Chu Feng smiled. "Only by enduring the bitterest of hardships can one rise above others. Your senior brother went through the same thing."

Cao Youqian turned to look at Xiao Chen, who was standing nearby.

Xiao Chen gave a slight nod. "That's true. When I first cultivated beneath a thousand-zhang waterfall, it was a fate worse than death at the start."

"Hiss..."

Cao Youqian sucked in a cold breath. No wonder his senior brother was so strong-he had actually cultivated in such a brutal way.

Thinking of everything he had experienced these past few days, he gritted his teeth. "I'm willing."

"I was right about you after all."

Chu Feng told Cao Youqian to shut down the formation in the earth fire. "Come on, it's time we headed back. I'll pass the Chaos Body Refining Art on to you while we're at it."

"Master, you want me to refine my body?"

Cao Youqian looked stunned. He truly had never taken that path before.

"That's right."

Chu Feng explained patiently, "You were born with a smaller dantian than others, but your meridians are larger. Your eight extraordinary meridians have long since been packed with pill toxins. If you want to grow stronger in a short time, body refining is your only option.

"After all, your comprehension is average. Even if I taught you a supreme cultivation art, you would have trouble grasping it right away."

Cao Youqian didn't feel the slightest bit upset upon hearing this. Instead, he was somewhat delighted.

So Master really has been thinking about what's best for me, rather than just fobbing me off with some cultivation art.

Master and disciples returned to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute.

Chu Feng handed the Chaos Body Refining Art to Cao Youqian.

"First, read through it. Tomorrow I'll personally guide your cultivation and point out any shortcomings."

"Thank you, Master."

Cao Youqian put the Chaos Body Refining Art into his storage bag as though he had obtained a priceless treasure.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully.

Early the next morning.

For once, Chu Feng got up early.

He went to the main courtyard to wait for Xiao Chen and Cao Youqian.

Before long, the two arrived in the main courtyard.

"We pay our respects to Master."

"Rise."

As Chu Feng spoke, he turned his gaze to Cao Youqian.

"How much of the Five Elements Body Refining Chapter have you read?"

Cao Youqian cupped his hands. "Master, I've finished reading the first chapter. The Chaos Body Refining Technique can only be described in four words: the great Dao is simple."

Chu Feng teased him, "Who would have thought that after reading for just one night, you'd sound a little more refined?"

Cao Youqian said meekly, "Master, I've read plenty of books before. Being a wastrel is just an outward appearance."

"All right, I know."

Chu Feng waved his hand. "Let's go."

The two followed Chu Feng toward the entrance to the earth fire cave on the back mountain.

A short while later, master and disciples arrived at the cave entrance.

Chu Feng was in no hurry to send Cao Youqian in to cultivate. He first had the boy teach him and Xiao Chen how to control the jade pendant.

Then he said, "Take off your storage bag and your robes and all that."

Cao Youqian wrapped his arms around his plump body. "Do I have to go in naked?"

"Don't you still have your underclothes on?"

Chu Feng rolled his eyes at him.

"Master, I have another question,"

Cao Youqian said.

"Speak."

Chu Feng uttered a single word.

"I saw that you wrote in the Five Elements Chapter that I have to cultivate in this earth fire for nine times nine, or eighty-one days. Even if I don't die from exhaustion, I'll starve to death!" Cao Youqian said.

Chu Feng said irritably, "We're refining your body, not refining pills. You only need to cultivate for nine hours a day. That leaves three hours; you just need to do it for eighty-one days in all."

"Phew..."

Cao Youqian let out a long breath of relief. Then he put his storage bag and everything else on the ground and entered the fire cave in his underclothes.

"Ignite!"

Xiao Chen didn't ask any further questions and activated the formation at once.

Boom!

A flame shot out of the fire cave.

Cao Youqian's scream came from inside. "Wah! It's so hot! Senior brother, I wasn't ready yet!"

Chu Feng said calmly, "Cut the chatter and start cultivating."

"Yes!"

After that single word, Cao Youqian didn't dare say anything else.

That burst of flame had burned his underclothes to ashes.

If the spiritual power in his body hadn't automatically protected him, he would have been burned to a crisp.

Following the Body Tempering method in the Five Elements Chapter, he used the earth fire to temper his body. Rather than simply letting it burn him, he protected his flesh with spiritual power while absorbing the fire spiritual Qi from the earth fire and cultivating within it.

Chu Feng took a tea table out of his storage ring and leisurely brewed tea.

Across from him, Xiao Chen sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate.

Besides fighting, cultivators also needed to calm their minds and cultivate.

For the past six months, he had been out fighting. His cultivation had indeed risen very quickly, but his state of mind had failed to keep pace.

If he continued cultivating like that, his heart would be filled with the desire to kill, and inner demons would surely arise when he made a breakthrough.

That was also an important reason he had returned to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute to cultivate in peace.

A short while later, the fragrance of tea filled the air.

Chu Feng's voice sounded by Xiao Chen's ear.

"Don't just cultivate single-mindedly. Have a cup of tea and savor life."

Xiao Chen opened his eyes at once. He didn't know what Master meant by those words, but he stood up anyway. "Master, let me pour the tea."

"Mm."

Chu Feng said nothing more.

Xiao Chen poured two cups of tea, placing one in front of Chu Feng and holding the other in his hands. He blew on it gently twice, then took a sip.

It was only ordinary spiritual tea, but for some reason, the moment it passed his throat, his mind immediately grew calm.

"Master, this tea..."

Chu Feng said, "Don't ask. Savor it with your heart."

During his two and a half years at the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, he hadn't merely been eating his fill and waiting for death. The previous institute head had taught him all sorts of things apart from cultivation.

Besides music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, he knew how to brew tea, cook, and make wine, and he excelled at them all.

When the old institute head was still alive, he had often praised Chu Feng, saying that with such comprehension, he could live an exceptionally comfortable life even if he couldn't cultivate in this lifetime.

Chu Feng had merely smiled at the time. After all, in this world, the fist was the only truth.

These miscellaneous arts could only serve as aids to cultivation.

After one cup of tea,

Xiao Chen felt clearheaded, his heart as still as water. The killing aura and Sha Qi around him had visibly diminished.

He couldn't help exclaiming, "Master, isn't your tea ceremony a little too impressive? You actually brewed an ordinary spiritual tea to have the effects of a top-grade spiritual tea."

Chu Feng smiled. "Have you forgotten what our Miscellaneous Dao Institute used to do?"

Xiao Chen froze for a moment, then realization dawned on him. That was right-the Miscellaneous Dao Institute had previously focused on these miscellaneous arts. Wasn't it perfectly normal for Master to know them?

"Master, do you know all the skills of our Miscellaneous Dao Institute?"