On the first day after Xu Yan left, Li Xuan rose early and went out the door. He did not see that diligently training figure and there was no one to cook food, feed the chickens, or tend to the vegetables; he had to do it all himself.
He simply felt uncomfortable all over.
On the second day after Xu Yan left, Li Xuan began to worry excessively again.
"I hope my foolish disciple hasn't died in the Evil Forest," he thought.
"He has been there twice and returned safely both times; he should be fine this time as well, right?"
On the fifth day after Xu Yan left, Li Xuan went to the hill outside the village, looking in the direction Xu Yan had left. He saw no one coming.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Even if I've been exposed, they wouldn't catch on to me this quickly."
"Will I eventually be found out?"
"Alas, Xu Yan, this silly lad, is a bit slow—born into no ordinary family, surely there must be someone with a working brain, right?"
"If I get found out, wouldn't I be in serious trouble?"
Li Xuan's mind was a mess, filled with worry.
By the tenth day since Xu Yan had left, Li Xuan was back on the hill, vigilant, ready to hide and flee if anything seemed amiss.
"This disciple, he didn't die in the Evil Forest and fail to return home, did he?"
"Or perhaps, he was confined?"
The more he thought, the more his mind was in disarray. Li Xuan cursed under his breath: "Damn it! It's not like I wanted to deceive him; it's his own lack of wit. How can it be blamed on me?"
"I'm really living a pathetic life, how embarrassing!"
Li Xuan sighed. As a transmigrator, he was embarrassingly incompetent!
On the eleventh day, Xu Yan finally returned.
"Master, your disciple has returned!"
Seeing Xu Yan bowing in respect, all by himself, with no crowd appearing to seize him, Li Xuan instantly relaxed.
"Hmm, good to have you back!"
His expression was indifferent, as usual, as if he had always known Xu Yan would return.
"Master, this is a small token of my appreciation."
Xu Yan placed two long boxes on the table.
"You are thoughtful!"
Li Xuan's expression remained calm as he opened one of the boxes.
Inside was a sword, its sheath entirely golden, carved with auspicious clouds and mythical beasts, inlaid with red, white, and blue treasure beads, a total of nine.
What a treasure!
The worth was immeasurable, and Li Xuan was internally thrilled; this foolish disciple was even wealthier than he had imagined.
His face still showed no sign of being affected.
He lifted the precious sword from the box; it was rather heavy.
On both sides of the sheath, nine treasure beads were inlaid, making a total of eighteen treasure beads, the value of these alone was considerable.
Atop the hilt, two larger red treasure beads were inlaid.
Li Xuan slightly drew the sword from its sheath, a flash of gold appeared before his eyes—it was a sword cast entirely of gold!
He sheathed the sword and returned it to the box.
Though his face seemed calm, his heart was actually quivering with excitement.
"I'm rich, this sword could be a family heirloom, making my escape to Wu Country worry-free."
Allowing a trace of admiration to show on his face, he said, "It's good that you have this intention, I am very pleased. Although this sword is mundane, it is not bad to admire for a while."
Xu Yan was immediately overwhelmed with excitement, eagerly saying, "As long as you like it, Master!"
"Master truly is a reclusive expert, to be so unmoved by such a valuable precious sword, seeing it only fit for casual admiration."
Li Xuan felt his admiration for his master rise yet again.
Li Xuan opened the second box, inside was an impeccable Jade Ruyi. His eyes lit up slightly, this Jade Ruyi was clearly a treasure!
"Not bad!"
He nodded, expressing his satisfaction.
"Master, I also brought some precious medicinal herbs."
Xu Yan said as he took down his bundle.
Li Xuan's brow raised slightly, thinking to himself, "Has he also realized, after consuming these rare tonic herbs, that his body has improved? Does he think they are beneficial for cultivation?"
"As usual with these tonic herbs, weigh them as needed."
Li Xuan glanced at them; there were no Nine-Leaf Yuanzhi or Thousand-Year Ginseng, but there were two Five-Leaf Yuanzhi and three Hundred-Year Ginsengs, each also a rare medicinal herb.
"Yes, Master!"
Xu Yan put away the herbs and began tidying up the house, preparing to cook.
Li Xuan was pleased internally, appreciating how sensible his disciple was, getting to work as soon as he returned.
"Hm? What's going on? Why does he look so dejected? Did something happen?"
Suddenly, Li Xuan noticed that although Xu Yan was working, his expression was quite downcast, causing him to feel a thump in his heart. Had someone reminded him during his return home, making him doubt himself?
Or perhaps, has he not sensed any vital energy or entered into Skin Refinement for a long time, faced some setbacks at home, and therefore felt dejected?
"I can't let him continue to be disheartened. We've come this far, not continuing to deceive would be asking for trouble."
"I must lift his spirits!"
Thus, Li Xuan spoke, "Disciple, why are you despondent? Is it something related to your cultivation?"
Xu Yan paused from wiping the table, his voice somewhat discouraged, "Master, it's not about cultivation. It's that I... I was rejected in a marriage proposal during my visit home!"
Huh?
A marriage rejection?
Li Xuan was stunned, muttering to himself, "A marriage rejection? Your name is Xu Yan, not Xiao Yan, so no worries, an underdog triumph isn't likely; truly a sad story!"
"What happened? Why the marriage rejection?"
He asked with a concerned expression toward his disciple.
With a gloomy face, Xu Yan mournfully said, "She said I was not smart enough, and being with me was too embarrassing."
She's right, your brain really doesn't work well!
Li Xuan mumbled internally.
He stood up, patting Xu Yan on the shoulder, feeling he should comfort his disciple regardless.
"As my disciple, her rejecting you shows her lack of discernment."
"You're right, Master, I was thinking the same."
"Did you not shout back, 'Thirty years can change the east and west rivers, do not deceive the young when they are poor'?"
Li Xuan coughed and asked.
Xu Yan gave his master a puzzled look, "Master, I am not poor!"
F*ck!
Li Xuan's brow twitched, and he felt a stab in his heart!
Immediately with a serious face, he said, "Disciple, how are you not poor? Did I say you lack wealth? No! It's the poverty of cultivation level, the poverty of strength, the poverty of Martial Arts knowledge!"
Xu Yan immediately looked ashamed, "Master's admonition is correct. I'm poor, very poor!"
He then added, "But rest assured, Master, I haven't lost my resolve. Although I didn't shout 'do not deceive the young when they are poor', I did tell her, 'Today you mock, insult, and abandon me, one day you will regret it profoundly, and realize you cannot aspire to attain me!'"
Towards the end, Xu Yan lifted his head slightly, his eyes determined!
Li Xuan's lips twitched, mumbling internally, "This kid, why does he feel like a child of destiny? It must be an illusion!"
"Hm, disciple, it's very good that you have such spirit."
Seeing Xu Yan's eyes still held some despondency, Li Xuan added, "This marriage rejection may not be a bad thing for you; remember, it is through setbacks that one becomes courageous."
"None of the legendary heroes of old rose without rising through setbacks."
"On the path of cultivation, understanding is key, clarity of mind brings self-awareness!"
Patting Xu Yan's shoulder seriously, Li Xuan said, "Disciple, there's a saying, 'With no thoughts of women in your heart, your cultivation will seem divine'. Now that you've been rejected in marriage, with no woman in your heart, your mind unburdened, great progress is inevitable!"
Xu Yan's spirit lifted, and he muttered, "With no thought of women, does cultivation become divine?"
"Master, I've had a realization, thank you for your teachings!"
He respectfully performed a bow.
"Master, your disciple will go cultivate now!"
"Mm, go ahead."
Li Xuan nodded, his eyes filled with some doubt, "This foolish disciple of mine, he hasn't really become a man without thoughts of women and only cultivation in mind, has he? This is a travesty, I shouldn't have spoken so idly!"
Xu Yan arrived at the place of cultivation, assuming a firm horse stance, his gaze resolute.
"Master is right, after enduring setbacks, one can forge ahead courageously!"
"With no thoughts of women, does cultivation become divine... I understand Master's deep meaning now, using 'women' to represent all distractions. For a man of my age, women are indeed the greatest distraction!
"As long as I conquer this greatest distraction, then no external thoughts can perturb me, my heart will be clear, and my comprehension of nature will naturally improve, making my cultivation progress much faster!"
His Qi and blood circulated, and he commenced Bone Refinement.
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Xu Yan, "Master said, 'With no thought of women, does cultivation become divine,' is he hinting that my Bone Refinement is so slow because I have yet to grasp its essence?"
"Reconsideration and intentional focus are needed. I must discard distractions and keep my thoughts clear, delicately perceiving changes in my Qi and blood to find the essence of Bone Refinement... That must be Master's deeper meaning!"
At that moment, Xu Yan supplemented his understanding, the more he delved into thought, the more he felt every word and action of his Master was laden with profound significance.
"Master leads the entry into cultivation, but the individual progresses. Master is a hidden sage, his teachings are beyond ordinary understanding, he focuses on insight... always reminding me to deepen my comprehension!"
With such thoughts, Xu Yan started to intricately perceive his own Qi and blood, feeling the changes in his bones, and gradually he entered a state of complete immersion.
"Something is not quite right here… the flow of Qi and blood is slow, not penetrating deeply enough, the refinement isn't strong enough… I should adjust it."
"The speed of Bone Refinement has increased... indeed, Master was reminding me that I hadn't mastered the essence of Bone Refinement!"
"I've understood! This is truly the way of Bone Refinement!"
At a certain moment, Xu Yan felt the flow of his Qi and blood smooth out, the speed of his Bone Refinement greatly increased, and his Qi and blood strengthened along with it.
"With no thoughts of women, does cultivation become divine. Master has truly not deceived me!"
Xu Yan was extremely excited.
"With this pace, in five or six days, I will have refined Iron Bones!"
"Refining Gold Bones should be no problem, I will surely compare with the prodigies of ancient times!"
Xu Yan immersed in cultivation, forgetting both himself and time.
Come evening.
The village had already started to darken.
Li Xuan looked at Xu Yan, who was still cultivating, a flicker of confusion crossed his eyes, has this boy forgotten the time?
And, has he been maintaining the horse stance until now?
Without any rest in between?
"That's impossible, right? Even if he's used to practicing the horse stance every day, he couldn't possibly maintain it for so long without getting tired."
"Perhaps he rested when I wasn't paying attention."
Li Xuan was just about to call Xu Yan to stop and prepare dinner.
But on second thought, "This foolish disciple of mine was heartbroken from being jilted, he's using cultivation to soothe his emotions, I better not disturb him and just cook dinner myself tonight."
With a sigh, Li Xuan went to prepare dinner himself.
...
Half a month later.
Since Xu Yan's return, Li Xuan had resumed his leisurely life this past half-month, not needing to worry about anything as Xu Yan handled all miscellaneous tasks.
The chickens grew steadily fatter, and the chicks also got significantly bigger.
Even he raised a few wild rabbits.
Li Xuan sighed to himself. Although the cultivation was fake, Xu Yan had learned many life skills.
Over the past half month, Xu Yan had cultivated even more diligently.
Li Xuan admired this perseverance. He couldn't bring himself to discourage Xu Yan, so he could only occasionally offer some words of encouragement.
Unbeknownst to him, Xu Yan had already entered the stage of Bone Refinement.
For Xu Yan, this half month of cultivation had truly felt divinely assisted. He had time and again gained insights into Bone Refinement, speeding up his strengthening process.
Every word of encouragement from Li Xuan provoked deep thought. After supplementing these thoughts with his own interpretations, he gained a new understanding!
He made slight adjustments to his method of refining blood and bones, speeding up the process once again.
Every time this happened, he was utterly thrilled. In his heart, Master's image was no longer describable as merely a reclusive expert.
"Master is truly unfathomable!"
"At Master's realm, traditional and ordinary teaching methods are transcended. He is enhancing my ability to perceive at every moment!"
"He allows me to constantly comprehend the true essence of cultivation, understanding its 'intent'!"
"Planting vegetables, cooking, raising chickens, raising rabbits...these seemingly mundane chores actually relax my mind after cultivation, letting me return to the state of an ordinary person, rather than being tightly wound as a Martial Arts cultivator.
"No wonder Master seems like an ordinary person. This must be what Master refers to as 'Returning to Nature, Daoist as nature.'"
"Master's realm is too high!"
Xu Yan sighed in his heart. When would he be able to reach Master's realm?
"I have already refined Copper Bones, and I'm one step closer to Gold Bones. Maybe in another half month, I could step into Gold Bones?"
"According to Master, the transition from Copper Bones to Gold Bones is a massive leap and transformation, not easily achieved."
"After I complete refining Copper Bones, I should return home and see if I can buy treasures like the Nine-leaf Lotus Root."
Xu Yan made up his mind. Once he completed refining Copper Bones, he would go home to see if he could find treasures like the Nine-leaf Lotus Root to increase his chances of refining Gold Bones.
Ten days later.
Xu Yan had perfected his Copper Bones.
At this moment, as he was cultivating, he felt a bottleneck, as if his bone refinement had reached its limit.
He knew he had encountered a Gold Bones bottleneck. At this stage, only talent, perseverance, and persistence could help.
Most importantly, he needed more insight!
"Having a treasure for assistance could increase the probability of a breakthrough."
Xu Yan prepared to go home again in search of a treasure to aid in his cultivation.
Li Xuan stood at the door, watching Xu Yan train in the distance, lost in thought.
For some reason, he felt that Xu Yan had changed somewhat.
Seemingly emanating a more majestic aura?
"Could my foolish disciple actually be achieving something?"
"No! Absolutely impossible. I made up the method myself; even if there really is such a thing as blood and bone Martial Arts in this world, how could something I invented randomly work?"
"It must be because he has been practicing the horse stance for so long, making him look more stable and powerful!"
He had been practicing the horse stance for so long; it was time to let Xu Yan try a different pose.
Constantly maintaining one stance was too monotonous.
Pondering over which new horse stance to teach Xu Yan, Li Xuan recalled the martial arts videos and images he had seen in his previous life.
"It doesn't have to be exactly the same. I'll just adjust the stance a bit, teach it to my foolish disciple!"
"Since it's all made up and nothing will come of it, just continue to instill in my disciple the belief to keep cultivating. There's still time until the year is up."
"Being able to part ways amiably under the pretext of no fate between master and disciple is the best outcome."
Thinking thus, Li Xuan waved Xu Yan over.
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