Xu Yan saw his master beckoning and immediately became invigorated with excitement.
"Master must have seen that I am only a step away from Bone Refinement Perfection and have encountered a bottleneck, he's going to guide me through it!"
He approached Li Xuan excitedly and reverently performed a salutation, "Master!"
"Mhm, your enthusiasm and diligent cultivation are commendable!"
Li Xuan nodded at Xu Yan, who was visibly excited, showing approval for his arduous cultivation.
However, he couldn't help thinking to himself, "Those with less nimble minds are so persistent. They may not achieve much in cultivation, but they maintain their diligence. Truly remarkable!"
"I have to say, this disciple of mine... is actually quite good, although I'm no expert!"
Despite Xu Yan's simple-mindedness and susceptibility to deception, his pursuit and commitment to cultivation deserved admiration.
"You've been practicing for a while now, and you've been holding the horse stance for quite some time. Today, your master will teach you something stronger."
Li Xuan spoke with the sternness of a rigorous teacher.
"Thank you, Master!"
Xu Yan was overjoyed. Indeed, Master saw that I had hit a bottleneck with Bone Refinement, and now he's imparting a more powerful technique to me.
"Watch closely!"
With that, Li Xuan stood sideways, bending his knees slightly, his feet one in front of the other, crouching a bit, with one hand above the other, also one in front and one behind; his left hand was positioned in front of his lower abdomen, palm facing down, while his right elbow was bent, raising his palm to shoulder height, palm facing up.
After getting into position, he looked at Xu Yan and asked, "Next, you'll hold this horse stance. Do you understand?"
Xu Yan imitated the stance perfectly and nodded, "Master, I understand!"
Li Xuan withdrew from the posture, resting one hand behind him, and said, "This is the foundational stance, along with a couplet of secret techniques. Comprehend them well. How much you grasp is up to your fortune."
Merely teaching a new stance was too monotonous, so why not make up a couplet as well.
Li Xuan thought this and then slowly said, "Remember this well, the secret is 'Illuminating the heart to nourish true intent, as blood and qi forge the body like a dragon of gold.' Comprehend it thoroughly, and if you grasp the techniques, you will experience their brilliance."
After finishing, Li Xuan walked away leisurely with his hands behind his back, exuding the demeanor of a profound and learned master.
At this moment, Xu Yan's heart was brimming with excitement, muttering, "Illuminating the heart to nourish true intent, as blood and qi forge the body like a dragon of gold... It's truly profound and extraordinary. I must reflect on it deeply!"
"This must be the secret to refining both Bone Refinement and even further Perfection. If I grasp the mysteries within, I will surely be able to achieve Bone Refinement!"
Xu Yan was completely engrossed in the "secret technique," losing himself in it.
The couplet filled his mind as he repeated it, silently reciting it, hoping to uncover some enlightenment.
Yet, even as the night grew deep, he still hadn't grasped any understanding from it.
"It's too Mysterious and Profound. Even though I consider myself to have a high understanding and deep insight into Bone Refinement, I have yet to grasp its profundity in this moment."
"As Master said, if I can fully understand the technique, I will appreciate its wonders."
"Xu Yan, you can do it, you will fully understand the technique, you will refine your bones to gold!"
Xu Yan kept encouraging himself.
His gaze was resolute, without a hint of discouragement.
It was not even a full day yet; comprehending such a profound technique in three to five days would be normal.
...
Before going to bed, Li Xuan stepped out to see Xu Yan, the foolish boy, still standing there, murmuring the made-up technique.
"This silly boy, he hasn't gone mad, has he?"
"I hope he hasn't gone mad for real."
So he called out, "It's late at night, time to go to sleep!"
Xu Yan came out of his daze and hurriedly bowed in greeting, "Yes, Master!"
Li Xuan nodded. His silly disciple might be a bit muddle-headed, but he still listened to his master very well, which meant there was not much of a problem.
If the disciple really hit a dead end, it would just take a bit of persuasion to guide him back on the right track.
Thinking this, Li Xuan went back to his house to sleep.
Xu Yan took a deep breath and thought to himself, "Realizations come with the right moment, with inspiration. Forcing it only pushes it further away, and I almost got trapped, disturbing my own mind."
"Thank Master for enlightening me!"
"Rest, gather strength, restore my spirit, and continue tomorrow."
"This technique is mysterious and profound, not something that can be understood overnight. Three to five days should be enough to comprehend it. My talent, Xu Yan's, is not that bad!"
After figuring it out, Xu Yan went to rest.
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Xu Yan's routine remained the same, cultivating, gardening, weeding, feeding chickens, rearing rabbits, cooking, etc. There was no change in the schedule.
The only change was his stance when practicing the horse stance.
And the fact that he was stuck at the Bone Refinement Perfection stage, unable to progress further.
Every day during cultivation, he pondered over the two lines of the technique but still couldn't grasp the mysterious and profound essence within.
Three days had gone by, and he had gained nothing.
"If I can't even comprehend the two lines of the technique, how can I cultivate my bones to gold? How can I even begin?"
"This is just the foundational technique. The ones that come after must be even more mysterious and unpredictable; how can I continue to cultivate?"
"Stay calm and patient, don't be anxious! Master always says, don't rush, don't aim too high too quickly, stay grounded... I must have missed something."
Xu Yan steadied his heart and calmed his mind.
"Master says, 'With no women in the heart, cultivation has divine help.' This is a state of mind, breaking free from the biggest distractions in the heart... Young men full of vigor are easily attracted by women, which disturbs the mind.
"Master compares women to the greatest distraction in cultivation, which must have deep meaning. It shows Master is warning me not to get lost in distractions.
"What are my distractions?"
Xu Yan extended the idea of "With no women in the heart, cultivation has divine help" in his mind, brainstorming a sequence of profound meanings, and then fell into deep thought.
If Li Xuan knew that Xu Yan was so good at brainstorming, he would definitely exclaim, "This isn't being dull, this is having a mind too damn big!"
"My distraction... is cultivation, constantly thinking about cultivating, but is that really a distraction?
"I've realized!"
A sudden insight struck Xu Yan's mind, and he achieved enlightenment once again.
"Cultivation is a search, a belief, a will, but I was just stuck in obsession, which turned into a distraction!
"I should let go of the obsession with cultivation itself and focus on the present, forgetting all else, forgetting excess perceptions... nothingness, selflessness, immersing my whole being into the technique to grasp it fully..."
At that moment, Xu Yan felt as if a skylight had opened in his mind, and a burst of illumination came forth, with endless realizations emerging.
The true meaning of the two lines of the technique was as if covered by a thin veil, waiting for a light touch to break through and see the concealed truth!
"To nurture the true intent through clear heart and self-inspection, 'clear heart' means self-awareness, clarity of mind, 'self-inspection' is to feel and observe the blood and qi, examining the changes in oneself, and to nurture the true intent... is about the blood and qi nurturing the bones, enriching the marrow, transforming the blood and qi, sublimating the marrow...
"I have comprehended it!"
Xu Yan's eyes were shining, his face full of excitement.
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Xu Yan had an epiphany about a cultivation technique, invigorating him entirely.
"I must not be hasty, the next part of the cultivation technique will also be quickly understood, now it's time to cook, relax the mind, be calm, and fully immerse in cooking.
"Discard any distracting thoughts of cultivation, focus on the present!"
Xu Yan ceased his cultivation, moving with light steps, his whole demeanor transformed.
At this moment, his thoughts were clear, giving him a sense of ease, openness, and cheerfulness.
"Every word and action of the Master is profound, only now do I realize the true meaning of Master's words, 'With no thoughts of women, cultivation becomes divine.'
"I have indeed been a bit dull."
Xu Yan felt a continuous sigh in his heart.
...
Li Xuan looked slightly puzzled, his foolish disciple seemed unusually joyous today?
With buoyant steps and a pleasant demeanor, the whole person seemed revitalized, lacking the usual solemnity and deference, returning to the carefree spirit a young man ought to embody.
"Could it be, he feels he has made progress in his cultivation? Sensing the essence and blood?"
"Impossible, I made it up, how could he actually sense the essence and blood?"
"Never mind, it's good that he relaxes and feels at ease, no need to worry that he would become too pent-up and one day collapse mentally."
Thinking this, Li Xuan felt he should encourage his foolish disciple to relax more and maintain a better mindset, lest he cause himself mental issues after long futile periods of cultivation.
So, at the dinner, Li Xuan spoke up, "Your demeanor is good today, keep it up, and you will achieve something!"
"Yes, Master, disciple understands!"
Xu Yan, thrilled by his Master's approval, was certain his insights were correct!
Unfortunately, he had been too obtuse.
Only now did he truly grasp the depths of his Master's words.
"Hmm!"
Li Xuan nodded, pleased that his foolish disciple was obedient, which was good!
Two days later.
A sudden insight flashed through Xu Yan's mind, instantly understanding the real meaning behind another cultivation technique!
"I've got it!
'The essence and blood like a dragon forging a golden body,' indeed means condensing the essence and blood like a dragon, coiling around the body, around the bones, continually moving, circulating back and forth, surely able to breakthrough and temper a golden skeleton!"
At that moment, Xu Yan grasped the method for tempering golden bones.
"Observing the mind to nurture the true intent, essence and blood like a dragon forging a golden body, so this is it!
"The essence and blood nurture the bones, tempering directly into the marrow, and outside of the bones, the dragon of essence and blood coils, internally and externally intermingling, further enhancing the tempering of bones.
"And thus, forging the golden bones."
Xu Yan's eyes sparked with excitement, fists clenched, "Indeed, it requires rethinking, reinterpreting, if Master had simply pointed it out, though I would have known, without comprehending the significance, tempering and breakthrough would have been impossible."
"Only through self-realization inside the cultivation techniques can the true meaning be grasped!"
Taking a deep breath, with surging essence and blood, Xu Yan began Bone Refinement.
His mind concentrated, entering a state of oblivion to everything else, carefully sensing the flow and operation of the essence and blood, identifying its deficiencies and flaws.
"The second rib isn't tempered smoothly enough, the left wrist joint has defects, both knees show weaknesses..."
As he observed the essence and blood, and observed himself, Xu Yan soon pinpointed the deficiencies in his Bone Refinement.
Though he had perfected Copper Bones, his skeletal structure was not uniformly strong, some parts were relatively weaker.
Thus, Xu Yan began re-tempering, making all his bones as uniformly durable as possible.
Three days later.
Xu Yan finally perfected his Copper Bones to true completion, his entire body uniform, without any weakness or inconsistency.
"Now, I truly have perfected the Copper Bones!"
"Next, it's time to temper the Golden Bones, I have already grasped the technique for tempering Golden Bones, surely I will be able to do it!"
"One month's time, no longer, I must temper the Golden Bones within a month!"
"After Bone Refinement, it is Viscera Refinement. You must reach the entrance level within a year; otherwise, your aptitude is too poor—how can you qualify to be my disciple?"
Xu Yan's gaze was resolute.
In reality, a year passed quickly.
The speed of Viscera Refinement would certainly be slower than Bone Refinement.
The master had said to be careful at the start of Viscera Refinement, to avoid injuring the internal organs.
And since the organs are fragile, the initial tempering would certainly not be fast.
He had to make the most of his time to refine his bones to gold so that he could catch up with the entrance level within a year.
Moreover, Xu Yan had a determination in his heart; the master had given him a year, but he couldn't really wait a full year to reach the entrance level!
The sooner he reached the entrance level, the better—and the master would be happier!
Xu Yan continued to refine his bones, blood and qi transformed into wisps of mist, slowly infiltrating the bones, very slow, and the quantity of blood and qi was also very little, but this was just the beginning.
As the blood and qi slowly seeped into the bones, the long-lost tingling sensation reappeared.
Xu Yan clenched his teeth, said nothing, and his gaze remained resolute.
Finally, a wisp of blood and qi had infiltrated all his bones, slowly seeping inward, seeking to penetrate the marrow.
"Now I can begin!"
Xu Yan took a deep breath, his blood and qi surging instantaneously, transforming into giant dragons, coiling around his bones, the blood and qi vibrated, constantly pressing and rubbing against the bones.
And the blood and qi that had infiltrated the bones continued to seep in and nourish the bones, combining internal and external aspects; Xu Yan finally saw the stagnant Bone Refinement beginning to change.
As he continued to temper, faint traces of gold began to emerge on the bones.
Golden Bones!
He persevered for just half an hour, then Xu Yan felt he had reached his limit.
So he ended his practice.
At this moment, he only felt hungry.
"The consumption of Golden Bone Refinement is so huge!"
Xu Yan was surprised.
"Those medicinal aids aren't sufficient, unless it's Thousand-Year Ginseng or Nine-Leaf Ganoderma..."
But, the Thousand-Year Ginseng and Nine-Leaf Ganoderma had all been eaten.
"I only slightly broke through the limit of Copper Bones; far from completing the first refinement of Golden Bones, yet it increased so much.
"If I were to achieve Perfection in Golden Bones, how powerful would that be?"
Xu Yan felt his own enhancement and was immensely shocked.
The Cultivation Technique passed by the master was truly powerful, incredibly profound.
"The master said, Golden Bones must undergo nine transformations; I haven't even completed one, and the strength of the bones has increased by at least thirty percent. If I complete one transformation..."
Xu Yan couldn't imagine just how strong that would be.
Golden Bones buried underground for ten thousand years would neither decay nor tarnish, still shining brilliantly, even harder than steel.
This showed the might of Golden Bones.
"Every transformation will certainly be more difficult than the last, and without a precious medicine to aid me, how can I complete it quickly?"
"I need to return home to search for precious medicines, delay is not an option!"
Xu Yan knew his talents didn't compare to the prodigies of ancient times; without precious medicines, it might be difficult to quickly complete Bone Refinement, and to reach the entrance level within a year, he definitely needed medicinal aids.
...
Li Xuan looked at the sumptuous meal on the table and knew this foolish disciple was about to return home again.
"I still need to remind him to keep a low profile, not to expose himself... the foolish disciple is obedient, there should be no problems after my warning."
"Once the year is up, I can be relieved."
"The fierce tigers and beasts in the Evil Forest must also be dealt with; this foolish disciple really has good luck, having encountered no danger back and forth!"
Li Xuan secretly lamented his own luck was not good, the first time leaving the village with a group, he was the only one to escape back.
Since then, he dared not venture or gamble on luck and could safely pass through the Evil Forest.
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