https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-12-Fabricating-a-Cultivation-Manual-Xu-Yan-Understands/12532638/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-14-King-of-Tigers-the-Red-Eyed-Tiger/12532640/
Chapter 13: Enlightenment of the Secret Manual
Chapter 13: Enlightenment of the Secret Manual (To Be Continued)
After enlightenment struck and Xu Yan understood a sentence from the manual, his entire being was invigorated.
"Don't be impatient. The next sentence of the manual will soon be understood as well. It's time to cook now; relax your mind, calm your qi, and focus wholly on cooking.
"Set aside distracting thoughts of cultivation and focus on the present task!"
Xu Yan ended his training session, his steps light and his entire being exuding a different kind of vitality.
At this moment, his thoughts were clear, and he felt a sense of ease, openness, and cheerfulness.
"Master's every word and action holds a deeper meaning. It's only now that I truly understand the true intent behind his words, 'A cultivator without romantic distractions is like a cultivator with divine assistance.'
"I've truly been dull-witted."
Xu Yan sighed inwardly, full of emotion.
...
Li Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly, confused by his foolish disciple's behavior. Today, he seemed to be in high spirits, his steps light and his expression relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He exuded a youthful vigor, a stark contrast to his usual solemn and respectful demeanor.
"Could it be that he's made some progress in his cultivation and is sensing his qi?"
"That's impossible. I made it all up, so how could he actually sense his qi?"
"Never mind. It's good that he's able to relax and feel at ease. At least I don't have to worry about him bottling up his emotions to the point of a mental breakdown."
With this thought, Li Xuan decided to encourage his foolish disciple to loosen up a bit and improve his mental state, lest his prolonged cultivation without results lead to psychological issues.
So, during mealtime, Li Xuan spoke up, "Your state of mind today is quite good. Keep it up, and you will achieve success."
"Yes, Master. I understand!" Xu Yan replied, excited to have his master's acknowledgment. He felt validated that his insights were correct, but he also lamented his own dull-wittedness for only now understanding his master's profound meaning.
"Hmm!" Li Xuan nodded, pleased that his foolish disciple was so obedient.
Two days later...
Xu Yan's mind was suddenly illuminated once more, and he instantly understood the true meaning of another sentence in the manual!
"I understand now! 'Forge a golden body with qi and blood like a dragon' means to condense one's qi and blood into a dragon-like form, coiling it around the body and bones. By constantly circulating and repeating this process, I will surely break through and temper a golden skeleton!"
In that instant, Xu Yan understood the method for tempering a golden skeleton.
"'Calm the mind and observe the self to nurture the true intent, forge a golden body with qi and blood like a dragon.' So that's how it is!"
"Qi and blood are nurtured within the bones, tempering them to the marrow. Outside the bones, the dragon of qi and blood coils around, harmonizing the inner and outer aspects and intertwining them. This is how one can further temper the skeleton and forge a golden body."
Xu Yan's eyes shone with excitement, and he clenched his fists. "Indeed, I needed to re-examine and contemplate the meaning. Even if Master had directly explained it to me, I might have known the method but wouldn't have understood the underlying principle, and thus, I wouldn't have been able to temper and break through."
"Only by self-enlightenment through the manual can one truly grasp its true meaning!"
Taking a deep breath, Xu Yan's qi and blood surged as he began the bone-tempering process.
Calming his mind and entering a state of self-forgetfulness, he carefully observed the flow and circulation of his qi and blood, identifying any deficiencies and flaws.
"The second rib is not perfectly rounded from tempering. There's a defect in the left-hand joint, and both kneecaps have weak spots..."
As Xu Yan examined his qi and blood and calmed his mind to observe himself, he quickly identified the shortcomings of his bone-tempering process.
Although he had already achieved a perfect copper skeleton, the bones throughout his body were not uniformly hardened. Some areas were relatively weaker.
Thus, Xu Yan began the tempering process again, determined to harden every bone in his body to perfection, leaving no weak spots.
Three days later...
Xu Yan finally perfected his copper skeleton, ensuring that every bone was equally strong and that there were no weak or inconsistent spots.
"Now I can truly say that I've achieved a perfect copper skeleton!"
"Next, it's time to temper a golden skeleton. I've understood the method for tempering a golden skeleton, and I'm confident I can do it within a month at most!"
"After tempering my bones, I'll move on to tempering my organs. I must make a breakthrough within a year; otherwise, my talent is too lacking for me to be worthy of being Master's disciple.
Master had warned him to be cautious at the beginning, to not harm his vital organs. They were fragile, and the initial tempering process would undoubtedly be a slow one.
Xu Yan knew he had to make the most of his time, perfecting the tempering of his golden bones before he could even think of progressing further within the year given to him.
Moreover, Xu Yan had a personal goal; his master had given him a year, but he intended to surpass that expectation and enter the next stage of cultivation sooner!
The earlier he progressed, the happier his master would be.
With this thought, Xu Yan continued his bone-refining process. His qi and blood transformed into wispy mists, slowly seeping into his bones. The process was painstakingly slow, and the amount of qi and blood was minimal, but this was just the beginning.
As the qi and blood slowly permeated his bones, a familiar tingling sensation returned.
Xu Yan gritted his teeth, remaining silent and focused, his gaze unwavering.
Finally, his entire skeleton was infused with a trace of qi and blood, which continued to seep deeper, aiming for the marrow.
"Let's begin!"
Xu Yan took a deep breath, and his qi and blood surged throughout his body, transforming into giant dragons that coiled around his bones. The qi and blood rippled, constantly squeezing and rubbing against his skeleton.
The qi and blood that had seeped into his bones continued to permeate further, nourishing his bones. With this internal and external harmony, Xu Yan noticed that his bone-refining process, which had previously stagnated, was now progressing once more.
As the tempering continued, his bones began to take on a faint golden hue.
Golden bones!
Xu Yan could only maintain this state for half an hour before he felt he had reached his limit.
Thus, he ended his training session.
At that moment, he was only aware of his rumbling stomach.
"The consumption of qi and blood during the tempering of golden bones is truly immense!"
Xu Yan was astonished by the extent of the depletion.
"The effects of the supplementary medicines are not sufficient. I need something like a thousand-year-old mountain ginseng or a nine-leaf primordial herb..."
However, the thousand-year-old mountain ginseng and the nine-leaf primordial herb had already been consumed.
"I've only slightly surpassed the limits of a copper body, and I'm far from completing the first tempering of golden bones, yet my body has already become so much stronger.
"If I were to perfect my golden bones, how powerful would I become?"
Xu Yan marveled at his own progress, his heart pounding with excitement.
The cultivation technique passed down by his master was truly extraordinary and profound.
"Master said that golden bones require nine transformations of qi and blood," Xu Yan thought. "I haven't even completed one transformation, yet the strength of my bones has increased by at least thirty percent. If I were to complete just one transformation of qi and blood..."
Xu Yan dared not imagine how powerful that would be.
Golden bones, even when buried underground for tens of thousands of years, would not decay and would retain their golden luster, harder than steel.
This was a testament to their formidable strength.
"Each transformation of qi and blood will undoubtedly get harder. Without precious medicines to aid me, how can I quickly complete them?"
"I must make a trip home to search for precious medicines; it's imperative!"
Xu Yan felt that his innate talent was inferior to that of ancient geniuses. Without the aid of precious medicines, he feared that his bone-refining process would be slow, and he wanted to enter the next stage of cultivation within a year. Thus, he believed that he needed the assistance of precious medicines to achieve this goal.
...
Li Xuan looked at the sumptuous meal on the table and knew that his foolish disciple was planning to return home again.
"I need to remind him to stay low-key and not reveal his true self..."
Li Xuan sighed. "My foolish disciple is obedient at least, so there shouldn't be any problems after I give him a reminder."
"As long as the year is up, I'll be free of this burden."
"Even the fierce tigers and vicious beasts in the Evil Sha Forest have to be dealt with. This foolish disciple of mine has such good luck; he didn't encounter any danger on his way here or back!"
Li Xuan marveled at his disciple's luck, feeling his own lack of fortune. The first time he had ventured out of the village with a group, he was the only one who had made it back alive.
Ever since then, he had never dared to take such risks or gamble with luck, opting instead for safe passages through the Evil Sha Forest.
(End of Chapter)
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