Ten days later, Xu Yan returned, bringing with him a Jade Ruyi, as well as several jade ornaments.
"Good, good, my disciple truly grasps my heart."
Li Xuan was overjoyed.
This disciple was truly outstanding!
Look at the jade, it's worth a small fortune!
Such beauty!
As for the fierce beasts in the Evil Spirit Forest, since Xu Yan had returned, that naturally meant the issue had been resolved, so Li Xuan did not inquire further.
However, there seemed to be something different about Xu Yan this time he returned.
Exactly what was different, Li Xuan couldn't pinpoint, but he felt a moment of puzzlement and didn't think much of it afterward.
After Xu Yan returned, he resumed his usual cultivation rhythm, but this time, he began Viscera Refinement.
"The viscera are fragile; as Viscera Refinement begins, one must be cautious and patient, never rushing, else it's easy to harm oneself."
Xu Yan, in the midst of Viscera Refinement, directed his internal energy and blood, first nourishing his heart; as the hardening commenced, his heartbeat grew stronger, and with each beat, the energy and blood throughout his body amplified.
"Strive to complete Viscera Refinement within three months."
After Xu Yan had refined his jade bones, his confidence soared; completing Viscera Refinement in three months was rather conservative.
Three days later.
With the hardening, the heart became stronger, and the internal energy and blood had increased by more than half; it was now possible to intensify the refinement without fear of damaging the heart.
However, with the strengthening of his heart, Xu Yan discovered some problems.
"I feel somewhat unbalanced; it's not enough to refine only the heart, I must refine the other viscera as well."
Xu Yan began refining his lungs.
He remembered vividly what his master had told him about Viscera Refinement: the five viscera correspond to the five elements, the flow of energy and blood through the viscera makes them one; when the five elements unite, Viscera Refinement is achieved.
The viscera, after initial hardening and strengthening, meant that Xu Yan's subsequent step was simultaneous refinement of all five viscera, with the energy and blood circulating among them; with each refinement, he could feel his own escalation.
His internal energy and blood were also constantly strengthening.
...
After Xu Yan's return, life went back to normal, and Li Xuan became more at ease.
He was profoundly moved by Xu Yan's determination.
This silly disciple, truly persistent.
"Half of the one-year term has passed; just another half year, and I can be free."
Li Xuan sighed with emotion.
Just another half year, and the master-disciple relationship could be dissolved, then he could hide away in Wu Country.
With the generous gifts Xu Yan gave as tribute, living a life of wealth presented no problems at all; taking two or three beautiful wives would allow him to blissfully pass his days.
After all, judging by the current situation, there were no immensely powerful Martial Arts.
Moreover, even if such techniques existed, if Xu Yan, with his background, couldn't come in contact with them, how could he possibly do so?
The Viscera Refinement proceeded without any ripples, smoothly and effortlessly.
Perhaps it was because he had hardened his jade bones, his foundation in Martial Arts was solid, and the Viscera Refinement was very smooth, steadily advancing.
After over two months of arduous cultivation, Xu Yan was nearing the completion of his Viscera Refinement.
The robustness of his viscera had almost left the state of mere flesh.
At this moment, Xu Yan's strength had improved two to threefold compared to the start of Viscera Refinement.
Especially his energy and blood, they were incredibly powerful, with both quality and quantity having seen tremendous improvements.
Indistinctly, his rich internal energy and blood could at any time burst out of his body, forming a protective barrier.
"I will be able to complete Viscera Refinement within three to five days."
Sensing the changes within himself, Xu Yan was excited beyond measure.
Viscera Refinement complete, the threshold of entry to Martial Arts was now within sight.
"According to Master's words, once Viscera Refinement is perfected, merging the foundational realms of Skin Refinement, Bone Refinement, and Viscera Refinement into one, uniting them within oneself, one can then enter the path of Martial Arts.
"At the moment of Martial Arts entry, muscles and bones thunder, and qi and blood surge like a robust wind."
Immersion in introspection, Xu Yan gave careful consideration to how he might achieve such unity, integrate everything within himself, and step into Martial Arts.
It seemed straightforward and simple, yet achieving integration and unity was not at all easy.
"Skin, bones, viscera are already parts of my body, how to merge and unify them? How to integrate them within myself? They are already my body, already belonging to one self."
Xu Yan was lost in deep thought.
"No, I have realized the wrong direction.
"Master said that it is about 'comprehension', about 'intention', not about form. To integrate and unify, is it about their intent? Or the qi and blood?
"I vaguely have some enlightenment, but it is not enough.
"No rush, once my Viscera Refinement is perfected, I will carefully sense how to merge and unify, how to integrate everything within myself."
Xu Yan calmed his heart and continued his Viscera Refinement.
Three days later, Xu Yan's Viscera Refinement reached perfection.
However, as for how to merge and unify, integrate everything within himself, he was at a loss.
Muscles and bones thundering, qi and blood surging robustly, he could not achieve.
"I feel I am just a little short of entering Martial Arts, just a little short of making my qi and blood surge robustly, yet I always fail to cross the threshold.
"It seems that only because I have not completely controlled myself have I been unable to enter."
Xu Yan carefully pondered over himself, vaguely feeling that he was about to make that entrance.
Only one step away.
Yet, it was this step that seemed impossible to take.
Gripping his fists tightly, as his qi and blood pulsed, a faint layer of qi and blood appeared on his fists, red as fire, intense in sensation but insufficiently condensed, far from a surging state of qi and blood.
Not to mention surrounding his entire body with surging qi and blood.
"Just one step away, no need to be anxious, I will eventually step in.
"What I need to do now is to relax myself, relax from the state of strenuous cultivation, for only with an eased mind can the true essence be easily comprehended."
Xu Yan began to relax himself, reducing his practice time, tending to the chickens, weeding, and planting vegetables, and occasionally riding a horse around.
"What's with this foolish disciple, why has he stopped diligent cultivation? It looks like he's playing around?"
Li Xuan was confused. These past few days, Xu Yan had not been practicing diligently, but seemed to be in a leisurely state.
"He can't be doubting my teachings, can he?"
Li Xuan fell into contemplation.
After secretly observing Xu Yan for two days, he realized that apart from not being as diligent in cultivation as before, the boy was still doing what he should be doing and had not changed in any way.
His attitude towards him was still exceedingly respectful.
Since there was no doubt, Li Xuan let out a sigh of relief, not eager to give Xu Yan a boost or encourage him to increase his cultivation.
"I have a little understanding now."
That day, after dinner, Xu Yan commenced his cultivation.
His relaxation over these past days, along with his bodily awareness, had suddenly brought him to an understanding of how to merge and unify, integrate everything within himself.
His qi and blood circulated from the skin to the bones and then to the viscera, the whole body acting as one, merging and unifying. At that instant, qi and blood were no longer in a state of divergence, but consolidated within the body.
At the moment of integrating and unifying qi and blood within himself, Xu Yan's control over his own qi and blood experienced a tremendous boost as the qi and blood continuously integrated and unified.
Skin Refinement, Bone Refinement, and Viscera Refinement formed a complete cycle, with qi and blood in the body skyrocketing and beginning to break through to the exterior.
His strength also continued to surge violently.
Xu Yan entered a mysterious state, having already forgotten everything around him.
After an unknown amount of time, the qi and blood emerging from his body grew more intense and from a foggy state began to condense, expanding outward.
It wasn't until it reached an area of about three feet from his body that it ceased expanding. The qi and blood began to churn as if undergoing a transformation, continuously becoming more solid.
Xu Yan's blood qi circulated within his body, merging into one, and gathering throughout his being—the gates to Martial Arts had already opened, and at this moment, he was lifting his foot to step through the threshold.
After a night of cultivation and realization, he finally understood how to merge everything into one, how to gather it all within himself.
The three fundamental stages of Skin Refinement, Bone Refinement, and Viscera Refinement, although already completed, did not mean that he had stepped through the gates of Martial Arts.
Only when the three merged into one and gathered within the body, when the physical body underwent a transformation, and blood qi became as round and full as one, bursting forth from the body, fierce as qi, would it be the true entry into Martial Arts.
That would be the real threshold of the Martial Arts realm.
"This is the merging of everything into one, the gathering within oneself; I feel I am being sublimated, becoming stronger."
Xu Yan silently comprehended his body's transformation, his blood qi becoming more and more fiery and robust, extending a zhang outside his body, condensing into qi.
Crack!
At a certain moment, a dull sound came from within his body; and once it started, the sounds continued without end.
His muscles and bones tremored, making a sound like thunder, and with each tremor, his blood qi surged violently, growing more turbulent and causing an even greater sound from his muscles and bones.
"Muscle and Bone Thunder, this is Muscle and Bone Thunder!
"I'm finally going to enter the gate of Martial Arts!
"Muscle and Bone Thunder, blood qi as qi—it's achieved!"
Xu Yan was overwhelmed with excitement; after such a long time of arduous cultivation, this day had finally come when he would step through the gates of Martial Arts.
With every Muscle and Bone Thunder, his blood qi surged, his physical body became stronger, his strength skyrocketed, and his control over his body continued to enhance.
The qi of his blood qi also became fiercer.
Boom!
The sky was turning light; the night had passed.
There were light clouds in the sky, obscuring the sun.
Suddenly in the small mountain village, there were sounds like thunder, urgent, one after the other, each louder than the last.
...
Li Xuan got out of bed and began to wash up when he suddenly heard the sound of thunder.
Confused, he looked up, "Is it thundering? Is it going to rain?"
Stepping out from his house, his eyes suddenly widened, his mouth opened, and he stood completely dumbfounded.
He raised his hand to rub his eyes, then looked again with widened eyes.
Xu Yan stood in the place of cultivation, at this moment his muscles and bones thundering, his blood qi as fierce as qi, enveloping him in its fierce presence; even from a distance, one could feel the immense power contained within.
And the sound of thunder was coming from inside Xu Yan's body.
Li Xuan stood agape, utterly dumbfounded, "I made it up, huh? How did you manage to successfully cultivate it? What kind of monster are you?!"
Initially, when Xu Yan insisted on becoming a disciple, Li Xuan had to make up a cultivation method just to accept the offering, even setting a one-year deadline.
He had thought Xu Yan was an idiot, a fool obsessed with the so-called Martial Arts!
But now!
Was the fool actually me?
Li Xuan's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets in shock. The cultivation technique he had fabricated—Xu Yan had actually cultivated it successfully. What kind of freak was this?
Could it be that those jilted by a fianceé are invariably children blessed by fate?
Muscle and Bone Thunder, blood qi as fierce qi—wasn't that what he had made up?
At this moment, Xu Yan's muscles and bones were thundering, and the sound echoed through the entire small mountain village, that fierce qi enveloping his whole body, containing terrifying power.
"I'm just a swindler, I made it up, and you bloody cultivated it? You've succeeded, so what do I do now?
"Continue making things up?
"What if I'm exposed? Won't I just get punched to death?"
Li Xuan was completely numb.
This Disciple is just too monstrously talented, monstrously talented to the point that it scared him!
Just then, a bundle of golden light emerged in his mind.
A voice echoed in his head, "Your Disciple has successfully made a breakthrough in the Cultivation Technique you invented, and you've achieved a Great Achievement directly in the technique, with your strength a hundredfold greater than others in the same Realm!"
Boom!
In that instant, a surge of blood qi shot up from Li Xuan, like a flame of blood qi, soaring a hundred zhang into the sky.
In Li Xuan's mind appeared the cultivation processes and Dharma of Skin Refinement, Bone Refinement, and Viscera Refinement, his bones as pure as jade, with Spiritual Charm flowing around, his blood qi like raging waves, as boundless as the ocean.
This was precisely the vision Li Xuan had described when he bluffed his way through the Cultivation Methods, saying that upon reaching Great Achievement, blood qi would shoot a hundred zhang into the air, fierce as flames.
"Golden Finger has appeared!"
At this moment, Li Xuan was thrilled beyond measure.
What made him even more ecstatic was that his very bones were flawless like jade, with Spiritual Charm coursing through them.
This was exactly what he had bluffed about—flawless jade bones, an Imperishable Realm.
"Xu Yan, this kid, is just too freakin' talented. Not only did he succeed in cultivation, but he even refined jade bones!"
"I've struck it rich, struck it rich! I must make good use of this monstrous Disciple. Whether I can be invincible or not, it all depends on you now!"
"I'm done for! Had I known he was this monstrous, I should have bluffed a cultivation technique for becoming immortal."
Li Xuan suddenly felt a pang of regret.
If he had known his Disciple was so monstrously talented, he wouldn't have bluffed about Martial Arts techniques; instead, he would have made up techniques for becoming immortal.
"It's okay, it's okay, I've left myself some leeway. This is just the entry-level Realm of Martial Arts, so I can still improvise. Go big, the stronger the better. I must seriously consider the next stages of cultivation and can't just bluff my way through."
"What kind of Golden Finger do I have? Is my Disciple's successful cultivation connected to this Golden Finger?"
The golden light in his mind had long since disappeared as if it never existed.
No matter how Li Xuan called out or searched, there was no trace of it.
Xu Yan is undoubtedly a monster in talent, and if he weren't, how could he have succeeded in cultivation and even refined jade bones?
As to whether his success in cultivation had anything to do with his own Golden Finger, Li Xuan wasn't sure, but no matter what, whether he could continue to grow stronger depended on Xu Yan, his Disciple.
Xu Yan has entered the door of Martial Arts, while Li Xuan directly achieved Great Achievement in the technique, and his strength was a hundredfold greater than others in the same Realm.
That a hundredfold is a hundred times the strength of one who has achieved Great Achievement in a technique!
Li Xuan felt lucky that he hadn't set the bar too low when he bluffed his way through creating the Cultivation Technique. Moreover, this was just the beginning. He could only count himself as having reached Great Achievement in the entry-level Realm.
After all, the technique he bluffed up only included the foundational Realms of Skin Refinement, Bone Refinement, Viscera Refinement, and the entry-level of Martial Arts.
"Stay calm, stay calm, don't get too excited. Keep it stable!
"I am a hidden expert. I can't panic!
"My silly Disciple is coming. Keep fooling him, let him know how powerful his master is.
"Let him know, Martial Arts have no end, that he must continue to cultivate diligently...
"Don't you dare think about women, just immerse yourself in understanding Martial Arts. I must keep fooling him as hard as I can..."
...
Xu Yan's muscles and bones roared like thunder, and his blood qi was vigorous as he finally stepped through the gate of Martial Arts.
He was full of excitement, feeling the strength in his body, the intense blood qi like a flame, capable of burning grass and trees.
"This is Martial Arts!
"I, Xu Yan, have finally entered the door of Martial Arts, finally become a Disciple of my master!
"You all laughed at me for being foolish, huh? Hmph, I'll show you what a Martial Arts powerhouse is!"
Excited, thrilled, Xu Yan was filled with an endless yearning for Martial Arts. Suddenly, he sensed a terrifying momentum rising. A powerful force soared to the skies as if it could destroy the heavens and the earth.
He looked up, and his entire being was stunned!
"Master!"
That terrifying surge of blood qi soared into the sky, fierce as flames, enough to boil the seas. Next to his master's immense blood qi, his own was merely like a small stream compared to a vast ocean.