https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-10-The-Disciple-s-Broken-Engagement/12532636/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-12-Fabricating-a-Cultivation-Manual-Xu-Yan-Understands/12532638/
Chapter 11: Perfection of Copper Bones
Chapter 11: Perfection of Copper Bones (To be continued)
Xu Yan's spirits lifted, and he muttered to himself, "An unattached heart, free from the distractions of women, allows one's cultivation to soar with divine inspiration?"
"Master, I think I understand. Thank you for your guidance!" He bowed respectfully.
"Master, your disciple will now continue my training!"
"Mhm, go ahead." Li Xuan nodded, a hint of doubt in his eyes. "I wonder if my foolish disciple has truly become indifferent to women, focusing solely on his cultivation. What have I done? I shouldn't have blurted out those words!"
Xu Yan arrived at his usual training spot, assuming a sturdy horse-riding stance as his eyes gleamed with determination.
"Master's words ring true; it is through adversity that one finds courage!"
"An unattached heart, free from the distractions of women, allows one's cultivation to soar with divine inspiration... I understand the deeper meaning behind Master's words. He uses 'women' to symbolize all worldly distractions, and for a man of my age, the allure of women is indeed the greatest of distractions!
"If I can overcome this greatest of temptations, then with a heart unburdened by external desires and a clear mind, my insights will naturally improve, and my cultivation will surely accelerate!"
With his qi and blood coursing through his body, Xu Yan began the bone-forging process.
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Xu Yan. "Could Master's words, 'An unattached heart, free from the distractions of women, allows one's cultivation to soar with divine inspiration,' be a subtle hint that I have not truly grasped the essence of his bone-forging technique, which is why my progress has been so slow?"
"To comprehend anew, to focus on the essence, I must cast aside all distractions and maintain a clear mind. I will carefully sense the subtle changes in my qi and blood, seeking to discover the true essence of bone forging... This is the true intent of Master's teachings!"
At that moment, Xu Yan's mind raced with thoughts, and the more he pondered, the more he felt that every word and action of his master was filled with profound meaning.
"Master can only guide me to the door of enlightenment, but the journey within is mine alone. Master is a reclusive genius, and the methods he imparts are unconventional and based on insight. He constantly reminds me to seek my own understanding!"
With these thoughts in mind, Xu Yan began to focus intently on the subtle sensations within his body, carefully sensing the flow of qi and the changes in his bones. Gradually, he entered a state of unity with the world around him, forgetting his own existence.
"Something's not quite right... The circulation of my qi and blood has slowed, and it's not penetrating deeply enough. The tempering process isn't intense enough... I should adjust my technique."
"The bone-forging process has sped up... Indeed, Master was hinting that I hadn't grasped the essence of bone forging!"
"I understand now! This is the true method of bone forging!"
At a certain moment, Xu Yan felt his qi and blood flowing smoothly, and the speed of his bone forging increased significantly, with his qi and blood strengthening alongside the process.
"An unattached heart, free from the distractions of women, allows one's cultivation to soar with divine inspiration. Master's words are true and honest!"
Xu Yan was thrilled.
"At this rate, in five or six days, I'll be able to forge iron bones!
"Golden bones should be achievable, and I'm sure I can match the ancient geniuses of the past!"
Xu Yan was so immersed in his cultivation that he lost track of time, his surroundings, and even himself.
As evening fell, darkness descended upon the village.
Li Xuan looked at Xu Yan, who was still deep in his training, and a flicker of confusion crossed his eyes. How could this kid forget about time? And has he been maintaining that horse-riding stance the entire time? Didn't he take any breaks?
"That's impossible, right? Even if he's used to practicing the stance daily, he shouldn't be able to hold it for so long without getting tired."
"Maybe he took a break when I wasn't paying attention."
Li Xuan was about to call Xu Yan to end his training session and prepare dinner, but then he hesitated.
"My foolish disciple must be feeling down after being rejected for marriage. He's probably using cultivation to distract himself from his sorrow. I won't disturb him. I'll just make dinner for myself tonight."
With a sigh, Li Xuan went to prepare his own dinner.
...
Half a month later...
Ever since Xu Yan's return, Li Xuan had resumed his leisurely life for the past two weeks. Xu Yan took care of everything, leaving him with nothing to worry about.
The chickens were getting plumper, and the chicks had grown noticeably larger.
They had even started keeping a few wild rabbits.
Li Xuan marveled at how Xu Yan, despite the fake cultivation, had picked up so many useful life skills.
For Xu Yan, this period of cultivation felt like he was aided by the heavens themselves. His bone-forging technique, time and again, brought him new insights, and the speed of his tempering continued to increase.
He contemplated deeply on every word of encouragement from Li Xuan, and after some imaginative interpretation and self-supplementation, he would suddenly gain new realizations!
He made slight adjustments to his qi and blood tempering technique, and once again, the speed of his bone tempering increased.
Each time this happened, he would be filled with excitement, and the image of his master in his heart had evolved far beyond that of a simple reclusive genius.
"Master's profundity is truly unfathomable!"
"At Master's level, he has transcended traditional and ordinary teaching methods. He constantly pushes me to enhance my understanding!"
"He guides me to continually grasp the true essence of cultivation and comprehend the 'will' within it!"
"Gardening, cooking, raising chickens, and keeping rabbits... These mundane tasks, seemingly ordinary, serve to relax my mind after cultivation, allowing me to return to a state of being a regular person, rather than constantly tensing up as a martial arts cultivator."
"No wonder Master appears so ordinary; this is what he meant by returning to simplicity and following the natural way..."
"Master's realm is truly lofty!" Xu Yan marveled inwardly, wondering when he would be able to attain his master's level.
"I've already tempered Copper Bones, and I'm one step closer to Golden Bones. In another half a month, I should be able to venture into the realm of Golden Bones?"
"According to Master, the progression from Copper Bones to Golden Bones is a massive leap and transformation. It's not something that can be easily achieved through tempering."
"Once I've completed the Copper Bones stage, I should go back home and see if I can find treasures like the Nine-Leaf Primal Herb to aid in my cultivation!"
Xu Yan made up his mind. After perfecting his Copper Bones, he planned to return home and search for precious herbs that could increase his chances of tempering Golden Bones.
Ten days later...
Xu Yan had achieved perfection with his Copper Bones.
At this moment, as he cultivated, he felt as though he had reached a bottleneck, as if his bone-forging had reached its limit.
He knew he had encountered the Golden Bones bottleneck, and at this stage, it would depend on his innate talent, perseverance, and unwavering determination.
The most important aspect, however, remained his insights and understanding!
"With the aid of precious herbs, the probability of a breakthrough will be higher."
Xu Yan prepared to return home once more in search of treasures to assist in his cultivation.
Li Xuan stood at the doorway, watching Xu Yan cultivating in the distance. He fell into deep thought, feeling that something about Xu Yan seemed a little different lately.
It was as if he had gained a sense of—valiance?
"Could my foolish disciple have actually cultivated something remarkable?"
"No! Impossible! This is all made up! Even if this world truly has qi and blood martial arts, the cultivation methods I taught him are fabricated. How could he possibly cultivate anything?"
"It must be because he's been practicing that horse-riding stance for so long; that's why he looks more sturdy and powerful!"
Xu Yan had been holding that stance for quite some time, and Li Xuan thought it was about right to teach him a new one.
Sticking to a single stance for too long could get monotonous.
He pondered what new horse-riding stance he could teach Xu Yan and recalled the martial arts videos and paintings he had seen in his past life.
"It doesn't have to be exactly the same. I'll adjust the posture slightly and then teach it to my foolish disciple!"
"After all, it's all made up, and he can't really cultivate anything significant. I just need to give him something to hold on to, to keep his belief and continue cultivating. We're still far from the one-year mark."
"It would be best if we could part ways amicably, using the excuse of our lack of master-disciple destiny."
With these thoughts in mind, Li Xuan waved to call Xu Yan over.
(End of Chapter)
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