Bab 4: Chapter 4 Xu Yan's Self-Imagination

It was still dark when Xu Yan had already assumed the horse stance to cultivate.

"Master said, focus on comprehension and intent rather than form, sense the qi and blood, mobilize it, and temper the skin..."

"The prodigies of ancient times could complete the Skin Refinement in just five days, yet I still haven't sensed the qi and blood. The gap is too wide. Master said I can't be anxious, the more anxious I am, the harder it is to sense qi and blood..."

Xu Yan gathered his thoughts, concentrated on himself, and carefully sensed his own qi and blood.

A streak of dawn broke through the sky.

As the morning sun was about to rise, Xu Yan, who was immersed in sensing qi and blood, suddenly felt a warm stream rise in his chest and abdomen, fine and warm, seemingly flowing with his breath.

"Qi and Blood!"

"I've sensed the qi and blood!"

Xu Yan was overwhelmed with excitement at this moment.

"Calm down, calm down. I must remain composed and not disturb my mind..."

"How to mobilize the qi and blood to temper the skin... How do I do it? Master didn't specify. Should I go ask Master?"

"No! Master said it's all about comprehension and intent. I must hold on to this sensation. If I relax now, it will be hard to sense qi and blood again...

"And besides, if I need to ask Master for detailed instructions on how to mobilize qi and blood, wouldn't that disappoint him? He might think that I lack insight."

Thinking this, Xu Yan immediately dismissed the idea of consulting Li Xuan.

He continued assuming the horse stance, trying over and over to mobilize qi and blood, while recalling some explanations on mobilizing qi and blood that Li Xuan had taught.

All his focus was on himself, immersed in the mobilization of qi and blood. His breathing involuntarily changed with the movement of qi and blood, and gradually a stream of qi and blood spread throughout his body, his skin faintly flushed, as if a warm flow was tempering his skin.

"This should be considered entry into Skin Refinement, right?"

Xu Yan was thrilled. He had finally sensed qi and blood, and successfully mobilized it to temper the skin.

...

Li Xuan yawned, got out of bed, and after washing up, he went out to prepare breakfast.

Living alone in the village, self-sufficiency had long become a habit for him.

As soon as he stepped out, he saw Xu Yan cultivating in the horse stance. His lips twitched. While the disciple was diligent, it was a pity that no amount of hard work was going to be of any use.

The cultivation methods were nonsense he made up; succeeding at cultivation would be ludicrous.

"Wait until he can no longer persevere and comes to ask me. Then I'll just make up some more nonsense to fool him."

Li Xuan shook his head and walked away.

Xu Yan, excited to see his master, was about to tell him that he had sensed the qi and blood.

He had entered the stage of Skin Refinement!

But upon seeing his master shake his head, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"Is Master dissatisfied with me?"

"Of course, with Master's realm, how could he not tell that I've sensed qi and blood and entered the Skin Refinement stage?"

"He must think I'm being hasty, arrogant and complacent, unable to stay composed..."

After convincing himself of this, Xu Yan immediately dropped the idea of telling Li Xuan that he had sensed qi and blood and entered the stage of Skin Refinement.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed his mind and continued to mobilize qi and blood to temper his skin.

"Master is inscrutable. He can see through me with just one glance. I must not be proud or complacent... Why do I need to tell him about my cultivation progress, when Master can see it all at a glance?"

Xu Yan realized clearly that there was no need to deliberately tell Master about his cultivation, as Master could see it for himself at a glance.

Li Xuan caught a chicken in the chicken coop, planning to continue stewing it with Nine-Leaf Ganoderma, a rare treasure of a medicinal herb. After eating the Nine-Leaf Ganoderma chicken soup yesterday, he felt his body had grown stronger.

He took out a knife, ready to slaughter the chicken.

Suddenly he paused, "That's not right, I have a disciple. There's no reason for me as the master to serve the disciple. Shouldn't the disciple be serving the master?"

"Anyway, I've fooled him once. He is now my disciple, so it's only reasonable for him to serve me as his master, right?"

With these thoughts in mind, he picked up a chicken in one hand and a knife in the other, walking towards Xu Yan.

"Disciple, come, kill the chicken, add some Nine-Leaf Ganoderma, and stew it together then go cook," he said.

Xu Yan finished his cultivation practice and took the chicken and knife from Li Xuan's hands, looking somewhat bewildered.

"What's wrong, can't cook?"

Li Xuan noticed him zoning out and frowned.

"Right, Xu Yan, this big fool, is a young master from a wealthy family, how could he possibly know how to cook?"

Despite this, now that he had taken him as a disciple, how could he not make good use of him?

"Disciple, every action, whether sitting or sleeping, eating or drinking, is all part of cultivation. Although you have yet to be initiated and are far from reaching your master's realm, getting familiar with this ahead of time will be beneficial for you," Li Xuan said seriously.

"Master, I'll go right away!"

Xu Yan's expression became serious as he respectfully replied.

"Master's realm is so high. It looks like mundane trivialities, but in fact, this is what a true master looks like, this is the state of a hidden expert!"

The more he thought about it, the more he felt his master was unfathomable. He appeared so normal and did not display any strong aura, but that was the mark of a true hidden expert!

Xu Yan went off to cook.

Li Xuan, not completely at ease, watched him for a while and noticed that although Xu Yan was a bit clumsy with killing the chicken and cooking, under his guidance, the food he made should at least be edible.

So, feeling reassured, he moved a chair under the big tree in front of the house, lay down in the chair, and carefreely waited for the mealtime.

"Being served by a disciple, this kind of life is really nice."

"With Xu Yan's wit, it'll take a short while for him to see through this, but I need to be prepared for an exit plan…"

After the meal.

Xu Yan went back to cultivating.

"This... The speed of skin refinement has increased, and my vitality has strengthened by at least fifty percent..."

"According to this pace, although I can't finish skin refinement in five days, completing it within a month should be no problem."

Xu Yan, feeling the increased rate of skin refinement, was filled with excitement.

"Why has the skin refinement speed suddenly increased so much? Could it be..."

It dawned on him—the Nine-Leaf Ganoderma chicken soup!

Nine-Leaf Ganoderma is a rare and precious medicinal herb, and his Xu Family only had this one treasure. Had he not been the sole heir and dearly loved by his parents, he wouldn't have managed to acquire the Nine-Leaf Ganoderma as a gift for his initiation.

"Master!"

Xu Yan was extremely moved at this moment.

"Master knew that the Nine-Leaf Ganoderma could help with my cultivation, so that's why he let me stew the chicken with it!"

"I must not disappoint Master's painstaking efforts; I must cultivate diligently and strive to be initiated as early as possible!"

Xu Yan, buoyed by his own imagined narrative, felt a reverence for his master as vast as the sun and the moon, deeply moved to the core.

He mobilized his vitality, continuously refining his skin.

With ongoing refinement, Xu Yan felt his body getting stronger, his vitality growing more robust, and his skin becoming tougher. It seemed he had already made initial progress in skin refinement.

"I feel my strength has more than doubled; this is just the beginning of skin refinement. How strong will I be when I reach perfection?"

"I must reach the threshold of Martial Arts within a year!"

Xu Yan's gaze was unyielding.

"The effects of this Nine-Leaf Ganoderma are too good; why do I feel like my strength has increased?"

"Should I keep it all for myself? Forget it, after all, it was a gift from Xu Yan. Let's eat it together; it's better not to be too heartless."

Li Xuan felt the changes in his own body and had a moment where he considered monopolizing the Nine-Leaf Ganoderma.

Ultimately, he wasn't heartless enough and dismissed the thought of keeping it all for himself.

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KIRIM HADIAH

Bab 5: Chapter 5 Skin Refinement Great Achievement (Please Follow)

It had been over half a month since Li Xuan took Xu Yan as his disciple and taught him the improvised cultivation technique.

During this half month, Li Xuan experienced the most comfortable days since his arrival in this world, with a disciple to serve him every day. He didn't need to cook for himself, nor did he need to feed chickens, plant vegetables, and so on.

He spent his days either sleeping or strolling through the village leisurely, or lying on a chair, completely at ease.

Only the last piece of the Nine Leaves Ganoderma remained, and today, it would be stewed and finished.

Li Xuan couldn't help but praise the Nine Leaves Ganoderma for being a rare treasure; its effects were truly fantastic. Over the past half month, he felt a significant change in his body.

His spirit improved, his vision got better, his body became much stronger, and his strength increased as well.

"Stew the thousand-year ginseng tomorrow? Would that be too nourishing?"

Li Xuan lay on the chair, wondering to himself.

"The thousand-year ginseng is different, maybe save it?"

He turned his head to glance at Xu Yan, who was practicing horse stance, and felt somewhat puzzled.

"It's been half a month already, how can he remain so patient? This calmness and composed nature are good, but it's a pity that he's not too bright."

"Well, the calmer he is, the more it benefits me... But it's been half a month, and he hasn't achieved anything in his cultivation, not even a hint of doubt?"

Li Xuan was extremely surprised.

"When we eat, I'll ask him if he has any doubts. I might as well fulfill my duty as a mentor."

"Let me think, how should I make up a story to fool him?"

Li Xuan pondered how to make up a more plausible story, how to comfort Xu Yan, and how to encourage him to persist...

...

"I've finally achieved Great Achievement in Skin Refinement!"

While cultivating, Xu Yan felt a surge of blood and energy throughout his body and his skin tightened, then relaxed, feeling a significant improvement at that moment.

Skin Refinement had reached Great Achievement!

"Master was right; cultivation should not be rushed, and you must balance work with rest."

"Every day I take time to cook, feed the chickens, plant vegetables, and even catch wild game to add to our meals. It seems that I have less time for cultivation, yet through this relaxation and tension, my state of mind is completely different. Cultivation is faster and more effortless!"

"Master's realm is indeed profoundly high!"

Xu Yan was inwardly astounded.

The master is truly a reclusive expert. His every word and gesture, every small piece of advice, brings him immense benefits.

Looking toward Li Xuan, who was lying on a chair, Xu Yan's eyes filled with envy and longing.

"When will I be able to reach the master's realm? It seems so ordinary, so commonplace, yet this is what it means to be a true master.

"Perhaps this is what Master once referred to as 'Returning to Nature,' close to the path of Dao?"

"I shouldn't be overly ambitious. I have to stay grounded, and one day, I will become a strong martial artist like the master!"

Xu Yan encouraged himself with his imaginings.

"In less than twenty days, I have achieved Great Achievement in Skin Refinement, and Perfection is only a step away. In another three to five days, I should be able to complete Skin Refinement and then begin Bone Refinement."

"After I complete Skin Refinement, I'll ask Master about the intricacies of Bone Refinement."

"Master said that the prodigies of ancient times completed Skin Refinement in five days. Though I can't compare with them, completing it in less than a month should still be considered decent, right?"

Xu Yan checked the time; it was time to cook.

So he ceased his practice, caught a chicken from the chicken coop, and prepared to stew it with the last piece of Nine Leaves Ganoderma.

One piece of Nine Leaves Ganoderma each day, and now only the last piece remained.

As he was about to kill the chicken, Xu Yan suddenly had a thought.

"Master said that once Skin Refinement reaches Great Achievement, ordinary people cannot injure one with swords or sabers, why not give it a try? I'll just lightly scratch and see."

Xu Yan held a kitchen knife and gave his arm a scratch.

Being a martial artist who had achieved Great Achievement in Skin Refinement, he certainly wasn't an ordinary person, so when he made that scratch, he didn't use any vitality, nor did he exert much force.

It was just with the strength of an ordinary person.

The blade passed over his arm, leaving only a faint white mark, which quickly recovered as before!

"Is this the defensive power of Skin Refinement at Great Achievement?"

Xu Yan was overjoyed. Although he hadn't exerted much force with this cut, it was still enough to easily dress a chicken, leaving horrific wounds on an ordinary person, with flesh split and bones reached.

And yet, it couldn't leave a single scratch on his skin.

"Indeed, as Master said, after Skin Refinement, ordinary blades can hardly harm one!"

Xu Yan was even more full of anticipation for the following stages of Bone Refinement and Viscera Refinement.

...

"In these past few days, you have managed to stay calm and composed, not arrogant or impetuous, which pleases me," Li Xuan said thoughtfully.

"Master, I understand, I will certainly guard against arrogance and impetuosity and remain focused and calm!" Xu Yan said respectfully.

Inwardly, he was relieved that he had managed to keep his composure, leaving a good impression in his master's heart.

"Having cultivated for so long, Xu Yan seems calm and patient, his heart must be anxious. Comfort him a bit and encourage him to persevere. At this point, all I can do is continue to bluff," Li Xuan muttered to himself before speaking, "The path of cultivation emphasizes persistence, a firm will, and steady, solid progress. Seeking quick success is detrimental; remember that."

"Yes, Master, I will firmly remember your teachings!" Xu Yan nodded solemnly.

But in his mind, he realized, "I have achieved Great Achievement in Skin Refinement. Master must be worried that I will be hasty in seeking quick success and rush into Bone Refinement without a solid foundation."

"Even if I have perfected Skin Refinement, I must become more grounded before starting Bone Refinement. I can't be impatient and leave an impression of rashness with Master," Xu Yan reminded himself inwardly not to become prideful or lose sight of himself due to the increase in strength!

Li Xuan was unaware that his words had led Xu Yan to supplement his own thoughts, and he also didn't know that Xu Yan had not only sensed the vitality but had also achieved Great Achievement in Skin Refinement.

Seeing Xu Yan being so docile, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"This disciple is rather honest, just not that bright. It's lucky he met me. If it were someone else, he probably would have been swindled to ruin!"

"It's a pity that I'm not a reclusive expert. Otherwise, taking on such a respectful and sensible disciple would be quite gratifying."

Li Xuan mused to himself.

Then he spoke again: "I know you must have accumulated some questions about your cultivation by now. I can answer them for you."

Xu Yan's spirits lifted, and he showed a look of excitement.

"Master knows I am about to start Bone Refinement and must have questions about it. He cautioned me not to be hasty, to remain calm, and now will answer my questions. This not only soothes my impatient heart but also lets me understand the matters of Bone Refinement."

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that every word from his master was filled with deep meaning and guidance.

"Master, I have no doubts about the method of Skin Refinement. I would like to ask about Bone Refinement. The vitality seeps into the bones, constantly grinding and tempering them. Is there anything particular about this process?"

"To what extent must Bone Refinement be done to consider it complete?"

...

Xu Yan posed his questions about Bone Refinement, and Li Xuan was taken aback. The excuses he had prepared in advance were all related to sensing vitality and the stage of Skin Refinement.

He hadn't anticipated Xu Yan would actually ask about the method of Bone Refinement, and he had not prepared any bluffs for that!

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KIRIM HADIAH