The horizon was turning light, and a ray of morning sun pierced through the narrow passageways of the village, shining upon Xu Yan, who was cultivating.
As always, Xu Yan rose to cultivate before dawn, and at this moment, he was tremendously excited. As the circulation of his blood quickened, his skin stretched taut at a certain moment, emitting booming sounds like steel strings snapping tight instantly.
His skin immediately felt perfectly seamless.
His strength grew stronger, and his vitality surged instantly.
Skin Refinement reached Perfection!
"Twenty days, it took me twenty days to finally complete Skin Refinement. Although I am far from the ancient prodigies, I too belong to the level of prodigy!"
"As long as I refine the golden bones, I will not be weaker than those ancient prodigies!"
Xu Yan was extremely excited, raising his hands, fists clenched tight, feeling the power within himself.
Even barehanded, he was almost fearless against swords and sabers!
Facing a hundred foes alone was merely a trivial matter!
And this was merely the completion of Skin Refinement, the very basic stage of the foundational level!
"Today I'll consolidate, and tomorrow I'll start Bone Refinement!"
Xu Yan finished his cultivation, picked up a hoe to plant vegetables, and feed the chickens, relaxing his mind to prepare for tomorrow's Bone Refinement.
He remembered his master's teachings always to combine work and rest, to keep his composure!
Li Xuan finished washing up and came out of his house, surprised to find that Xu Yan was not cultivating!
This was the first time since becoming his apprentice that Xu Yan hadn't been cultivating early in the morning!
"What's going on, has he given up?"
"That can't be, he was still cultivating diligently yesterday. Did he suddenly give up?"
From what he knew of Xu Yan these past few days, he was a stubborn man and not particularly bright, so it wasn't likely he'd suddenly quit.
Li Xuan went to the hen house to look, and having just fed the chickens, he saw Xu Yan from afar, weeding the vegetable garden.
So he walked over.
"Master!"
Xu Yan greeted respectfully.
"Hmm, not bad, being able to stay composed and keep the vegetable garden neat and tidy..."
Li Xuan glanced at the garden, somewhat surprised, the weeds were all cleared, and the vegetables were thriving, doing even better than when he tended them himself!
"It's all thanks to Master's excellent guidance!"
Xu Yan replied with a simple smile.
"Why are you weeding the garden so early today?"
Li Xuan came to inquire why he wasn't cultivating this morning.
It seemed that Xu Yan didn't look like someone who had given up.
"Disciple follows Master's teachings, combining work and rest, consolidating for the upcoming diligent cultivation."
Xu Yan replied respectfully.
Li Xuan breathed a sigh of relief; indeed, he hadn't given up but was relaxing his mind before continuing his cultivation and sensing his blood flow.
A stubborn man, how could he easily give up?
Thus, with a relieved smile, he said, "I am comforted to see your realization!"
Xu Yan was instantly thrilled and thought to himself, "Indeed, it was the right choice not to rush into Bone Refinement right after completing Skin Refinement, to steady and relax my tense spirit; that's the proper way to cultivate!"
"Maintain a good mentality, stay humble and composed, and success will surely follow!"
Li Xuan encouraged him and then left.
Walking around the village, ever since the last old villager died, the houses in the village had started to fall into disrepair.
He had converted several houses into chicken coops, and the rest had already become overgrown with weeds.
"How did Xu Yan manage to cross the Evil Spirit Forest? Was it by luck, just happening to avoid fierce tigers and beasts?"
"I cannot always be trapped in this village, I must find a way to leave. Xu Yan is the key..."
Li Xuan pondered in his heart.
"As a transmigrator, it's quite tragic that I can't even leave the beginner's village!"
Li Xuan sighed.
...
The next day.
It was not yet dawn when Xu Yan rose to cultivate.
"Qi and blood permeate the bones, refining the bones... Similar to Skin Refinement, but not too different. My goal is the Golden Bone, only by achieving Golden Bone can I stand shoulder to shoulder with the ancient prodigies."
Xu Yan's gaze was firm,
"Master may not say it, but he definitely hopes that I can refine the Golden Bone, only by standing shoulder to shoulder with the ancient prodigies can I be worthy to be Master's successor!"
"As for the Jade Bone, master said it's not something that can be achieved simply through perseverance and talent... I will do my best, and if I can achieve Jade Bone, I will surely surpass the ancient prodigies!"
The difficulty of Jade Bone is too great, and it isn't something that talent and perseverance alone can achieve, so Xu Yan's primary goal is to refine into Golden Bone!
Xu Yan circulated his qi and blood, beginning to permeate his bones. Initially, it was very slow, and at one moment, he felt an itching sensation like ants biting, somewhat uncomfortable!
"The qi and blood have penetrated the bones, now in the process of refining, to have such a sensation!"
Xu Yan clenched his teeth and persisted.
"No wonder Master said that to refine into Golden Bone, one needs talent, perseverance, and willpower. Just starting Bone Refinement is like this, once it reaches Golden Bone level, penetrating into the marrow, it will surely be even more unbearable!"
With an itching sensation in his bones as if ants were climbing, sweat appeared on Xu Yan's forehead. However, he gritted his teeth and persevered, his gaze firm, determined to endure no matter how uncomfortable it got.
Fortunately, as the qi and blood continued to permeate, after overcoming the initial stage, the sensation of ants climbing began to diminish.
Following that was a feeling of tempering throughout the bones, similar to tempering the skin, but much more difficult.
The progress of qi and blood permeating and tempering the bones was very slow, always remaining on the surface of the bones and unable to penetrate deeper.
At this moment, Xu Yan realized the difficulty of Bone Refinement was beyond imagination.
No wonder those who could refine into Golden Bone were so rare.
Li Xuan came out from the house and immediately noticed Xu Yan cultivating. He couldn't help but nod his head as expected of someone so stubborn, not easily giving up.
Maintaining a good attitude!
Out of the corner of his eye, Xu Yan saw his master nodding and instantly felt inspired.
"Master must be recognizing and approving my perseverance in enduring the pain of Bone Refinement!"
"Persevere! Persevere! No matter the pain, I must continue, never giving up!"
Xu Yan encouraged himself internally.
Continuing the tempering of his bones, as more and more qi and blood covered the bones, continuously refining them, the sensation of ants climbing ceased.
However, a feeling as if sand was grinding appeared.
Sweat beaded on Xu Yan's forehead, but he gritted his teeth and kept silent, continuing to persevere.
Time passed unknowingly, and the sensation of sand grinding against his bones grew increasingly intense - Xu Yan felt like he could barely endure it any longer.
Sweat continuously dripped from his forehead.
Lying in a chair under a tree, Li Xuan looked up at the time, then at Xu Yan.
"It's almost time for lunch. What's the matter with this disciple today, forgetting the time? It's time to cook!"
So Li Xuan spoke up, "Alright, go cook. It's getting late!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Yan's heart shook and he began to gather his qi, the sensation of sand grinding against the bones gradually disappearing.
At that moment, his heart was deeply moved: "Master must have seen that I had reached my limit, so he let me relax a bit."
"Yes, Master!"
Xu Yan finished his cultivation and respectfully responded.
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"Mm."
Li Xuan nodded, feeling it necessary to admonish his disciple. How could he forget to cook?
A mind entirely focused on cultivation was unacceptable.
"Combine work and rest; do not overdo your cultivation—do you understand?"
Li Xuan spoke with a stern face.
Upon hearing this, Xu Yan showed a face full of shame, "Yes, Master, your disciple will certainly bear it in mind!"
He felt deeply moved, "Master is worried about me blindly persevering, which could hurt my body. That's right, although persistence is important, one must also progress steadily. I've only just started Bone Refinement, and if I were to blindly persevere, it could easily lead to problems!"
"You must understand that there is a method to persistence. Balancing effort and relaxation is essential to cultivate more efficiently and to gain deeper insights!"
Li Xuan instructed earnestly.
"Disciple understands, I definitely won't make this mistake again!"
Xu Yan respectfully replied.
"Indeed, blindly persisting can lead to trouble. You must relax your mind appropriately, or else you become like a string, too tightly, too long stretched, and liable to snap!"
Xu Yan had a sudden revelation.
"Go on!"
Li Xuan waved his hand, sending Xu Yan off to cook.
"This disciple, he does listen to teachings, but unfortunately, I am not truly a great master, and the cultivation methods are merely fabricated; persistence is of no use!"
He sighed inwardly, but since he had already deceived, he could only continue to bluff.
...
After Xu Yan entered the Realm of Bone Refinement, whenever his vital energy further permeated his bones at the beginning of grinding them, he felt as if sand were scraping against the bones.
However, Xu Yan did not continue to blindly persevere; as soon as he could barely hold on, he would cease his efforts and go do something else to relax his mind.
Five days later.
In the midst of cultivation, Xu Yan felt a shock of vital energy move through his body, his bones trembling as the blood energy poured into them, giving a sensation of newfound smoothness.
He felt an overall sensation of growing stronger, and his vital energy improved.
"I've finally made an entry into Bone Refinement."
Xu Yan was overjoyed. After five days of diligent practice, he had completed the first phase of Bone Refinement.
The subsequent phases would now flow smoother and he would no longer experience those painful sensations of ants biting or sand scraping.
Only when reaching the initial stage of Iron Bone would he feel the pain again.
"I am currently at the entry stage of Iron Bone, but now that I've started, the refining process up to Copper Bone will be easier."
Xu Yan was exhilarated. As long as the refining process was painless, he could endure longer and spend more time on cultivation.
"It's been almost a month since I left. Now that I have entered Bone Refinement, my strength is such that I can fearlessly face a hundred men unarmed."
"It's time to go back, to prepare a proper token of respect for my Master as the gifts for my apprenticeship have all been spent on cultivation materials. I should buy some rare medicinal herbs and prepare another gift for him."
Xu Yan felt that though his Master did not care about the apprenticeship gifts, he, as the disciple, should not disregard the rituals of respecting his Master.
"Given my Master's realm, rare treasures certainly wouldn't catch his eyes; after all, what ordinary people consider precious is merely mundane. What should I prepare for my Master?"
Xu Yan fell into deep thought.
Suddenly he slapped his forehead, "How foolish of me! Master doesn't care about rare treasures. All I need to bring is my sincerity. Items like gold or jade, just to decorate Master's house, he would probably appreciate those."
Having realized this, Xu Yan felt much relieved.
"Go catch a wild hare, fish a trout from the creek, and prepare a hearty meal for Master before I leave."
Xu Yan ceased his cultivation and left the village to gather ingredients.
```
...
Looking at the lavish dinner table, Li Xuan wore a look of contentment, "This disciple is not bad!"
The food was becoming more and more delicious, and there were many more dishes.
"Master, it has been almost a month since I came out, I want to go home for a visit."
After dinner, Xu Yan spoke up.
Li Xuan's heart skipped a beat, "Once this kid goes back and starts talking about becoming a disciple, won't I be exposed? His brain doesn't function well, surely his parents aren't the same, right?"
But if he didn't allow Xu Yan to go home, it would seem unreasonable, and it might even arouse Xu Yan's suspicions.
After a moment's reflection, Li Xuan spoke, "Going home for a visit is fine, but I must remind you, before you are initiated into the ways of cultivation, you must not reveal it to anyone, including your parents, do you understand?"
"Yes, Master, the disciple will never mention anything related to cultivation to anyone!"
Xu Yan was taken aback and immediately made a solemn promise.
"The master likes peace, prefers to keep a low profile and does not like to show off. Although I have accepted you as a disciple, you must not mention the master before you are initiated, I hope you understand!"
Li Xuan said sternly.
"Yes, Master, before I am initiated, I will not mention you at all!"
Xu Yan promised respectfully.
"If I fail to be initiated, it indicates a lack of affinity with the Master. If the Master made an exception by accepting me as a disciple and I failed to be initiated, it would tarnish the Master's reputation. As a disciple, I must prioritize protecting the master's reputation!"
Xu Yan felt a bit ashamed in his heart, recognizing his own lack of talent.
If he couldn't be initiated, tarnishing the master's fame, wouldn't it invite people to mock the Master?
As a disciple, one must prioritize the honor and reputation of the master!
Li Xuan's original intention was to avoid exposing himself prematurely and being discovered, hence he cautioned Xu Yan neither to mention himself nor to discuss anything related to cultivation.
Unbeknownst to him, Xu Yan had made his own assumptions.
"I naturally trust you, you should head back early and be careful on the way."
Li Xuan's expression softened a bit and he reminded again, "The journey involves crossing the thirty-mile Evil Spirit Forest, which harbors fierce tigers and wild beasts; you need to be extra cautious not to get hurt."
The Evil Spirit Forest was too dangerous, and Xu Yan alone might struggle to survive if he encountered fierce tigers and wild beasts.
Li Xuan could only offer a reminder, as to whether Xu Yan could make it through safely, it all depended on his luck.
"Yes, Master!"
Xu Yan knelt down with a thump, respectfully bowed his head three times, and said, "Master, whether it takes six or seven days or eleven or twelve days, I will surely return to take care of you!"
"You have my appreciation!"
Seeing how respectful and reverential Xu Yan was, full of filial piety, Li Xuan's heart was somewhat moved.
"This deceit... How did it manage to evolve into genuine feelings? Sigh, truly, I'm just not cut out to be a con artist, this has all been forced upon me!"
Li Xuan felt helpless inside.
He really didn't want to deceive anyone, it was all Xu Yan's fault for not using his brain and insisting on being deceived, not to mention the overly generous gifts he gave for becoming a disciple!
Xu Yan left.
Li Xuan stood on the hillside at the edge of the village, watching Xu Yan's receding figure, his expression complex.
"Hopefully, he makes it through the Evil Spirit Forest safely, this foolish boy... Sigh!"
He sighed deeply, and not until Xu Yan's figure disappeared from view did Li Xuan return to his dwelling.
Lying on the chair under the big tree, he suddenly felt rather... lonely!
"Damn!"
"Getting used to having a disciple around to serve me, and now suddenly being all alone again, it just doesn't feel good!"
Li Xuan slapped his face, unable to help but curse.
```
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