"Gulp!"
Feeling the terrifying vital energy emanating from his master, Xu Yan's heart quivered, and the excitement and exhilaration of stepping into the gateway of martial arts instantly calmed down.
"I am too weak!
In front of master, I am but an ant, and I have a long road ahead!"
At this moment, Xu Yan felt incredibly insignificant, barely having started on his path, what right did he have to be excited?
What right to be proud?
"Certainly, Master saw my arrogance and chose to reveal a hint of his vital energy, to let me know what true strength is!
I must rid myself of arrogance and impatience, be humble and low-key, and diligently cultivate!"
Xu Yan reigned in his vital energy and approached his master respectfully.
"Master, your disciple has entered the gateway of martial arts!"
Li Xuan stood with one hand behind his back, trembling slightly with excitement, though his expression remained calm, still the epitome of a strict teacher.
"Mm!"
He nodded, revealing a look of satisfaction as he gazed upon his foolish disciple.
"Do you see? This is the vitality at the gateway to the realm, which I reveal to you in your moment of great achievement."
Li Xuan spoke in a subdued tone.
"Master, I will definitely rid myself of arrogance and impatience, and cultivate earnestly!"
Xu Yan said with a face full of shame.
Li Xuan reined in his vital energy and looked at his disciple with satisfaction, "I gave you a year's time, and you have entered the gateway earlier than expected. I am very pleased!"
Sitting down on a chair under the big tree, Xu Yan hurriedly brewed tea for his master, serving by his side with reverence.
"Martial arts have an endless realm, you are just at the beginning; there is a long path ahead. Now I ask you, is your heart firmly set on martial arts?"
Li Xuan asked with a stern expression.
"Master, your disciple's heart is resolute in martial arts!"
Xu Yan knelt with a thud, speaking with conviction.
Inside, he was overwhelmed with excitement, "Master is truly accepting me as a disciple, imparting the supreme martial arts techniques!"
"Good, very good. From today onwards, you are truly my disciple!"
Li Xuan's face showed a look of satisfaction.
Then, he began in a seemingly calm voice, "My dear disciple, you have endured hardships along the way, now think carefully, when did you practice skin refinement, bone refinement, and viscera refinement?"
Li Xuan was genuinely curious how this monstrously talented disciple had managed to successfully cultivate the cultivation techniques he had fabricated.
With Xu Yan's entrance into martial arts and the appearance of the Golden Finger, he directly achieved great success with the cultivation technique, and naturally, he also possessed the processes and Dharma of skin refinement, bone refinement, and viscera refinement in his mind.
These methods of skin refinement, bone refinement, and viscera refinement were evidently Xu Yan's own realizations.
It cannot be said to be unrelated to the arbitrary technique he had fabricated, after all, it was derived from the randomly created cultivation technique, but at the end of the day, what was improvised was simply that: improvised. The actual cultivation methods are grounded in reality.
The two, after all, are quite different.
One could view the improvised cultivation techniques as a set of illusory theories, while Xu Yan had taken these theories and turned them into practical cultivation techniques.
Only by understanding how Xu Yan managed to derive real cultivation methods from the improvised techniques can Li Xuan continue to create subsequent cultivation methods and martial arts realms.
Li Xuan had a feeling that even with improvised cultivation techniques, there needed to be some sort of theory behind them, even if it was illusory. There must be cohesion between realms, with clearly defined levels.
One cannot have the martial arts realm followed by a sudden shift to a realm akin to immortality cultivation.
Such a change would certainly make the techniques impossible to practice.
Li Xuan felt that these insights were likely conveyed by the Golden Finger.
"Yes, Master!"
Xu Yan, upon hearing these words, felt thrilled—it was as if his master was about to enlighten him, and he was about to thoroughly understand the cultivation process and experience the profundity of martial arts.
So, he began to recount his own cultivation experience.
How he had understood the deeper meanings behind his master's words.
Li Xuan listened quietly, nodding from time to time, yet in his heart, a succession of expletives erupted!
This disciple was just too monstrously talented.
His comprehension was simply heaven-defying, and he was exceptionally good at embellishing within his own mind, turning his master's words into yet another layer of deeper meaning!
"Master's cultivation technique you passed on to me is truly profound and extraordinary. I, being obtuse, took a long time to understand. If not for master's guidance, I'm afraid I would have been unable to refine my 'Golden Bone'!"
Xu Yan sighed with emotion.
Li Xuan was bewildered beyond measure, "The cultivation technique I made up... You understood it? Too monstrous... From now on, I'll just make up more cultivation techniques and let the silly Disciple figure them out!"
"Having refined the 'Golden Bone', I was already satisfied; thanks to master's guidance, I persisted, and only then was I able to refine the 'Jade Bone'!"
Xu Yan recalled the pride he'd felt upon refining his 'Golden Bone', preparing to share the joyous news with his master, thinking he was now the equal of the ancient prodigies.
If it weren't for the master's allegory, prompting him to refine the 'Jade Bone', how could he have become so powerful?
With these thoughts, Xu Yan's face showed a tinge of shame.
Continuing in his bewilderment, Li Xuan wondered, "When did I ever guide the silly disciple to refine the 'Jade Bone'?"
With a calm expression, he spoke, "Disciple, how did you come to know that your master was guiding you?"
Xu Yan admitted with embarrassment, "After refining the 'Golden Bone', I planned to share the good news with master. But when master saw me approaching, he dropped the golden sword and toyed with the 'Jade Ruyi'... That's when I knew, master was employing metaphor, encouraging me to persevere toward higher peaks, strengthening my resolve to refine the 'Jade Bone'.
"I almost failed to grasp master's metaphor, for which I am truly ashamed!"
Li Xuan's eyes looked at his disciple differently now, remembering that at the time, he had simply preferred the 'Jade Ruyi', feeling it was more valuable than the golden sword.
It never occurred to him that such a coincidence would lead to his disciple's misunderstanding.
And further, that through some creative speculation, the disciple went on to actually refine the 'Jade Bone'.
Thinking of this, Li Xuan felt his scalp tingle—his disciple's mind was not slow, but rather, it worked all too well!
"Hmm! The fact that you understood your master's metaphor shows your comprehension is passable, and having persevered to refine the 'Jade Bone', you must have suffered quite a bit,"
Li Xuan said with a face full of gratification.
"It is only thanks to master's guidance that I could refine the 'Jade Bone'. If not for master pointing me to hunt the Fire Mane Wolf in the Evil Sha Forest, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to refine the 'Jade Bone'."
Xu Yan looked up at his master with a face full of respectful admiration.
Li Xuan's scalp tingled as he now understood that whether it was regarding the tiger or the so-called Fire Mane Wolf, they were all Xu Yan's doing.
Not the collective effort of Protectors and Hunters.
That ferocious tiger was clearly formidable, and yet Xu Yan managed to hunt it!
What about this Fire Mane Wolf?
"Tell me about your process of hunting the Fire Mane Wolf."
Li Xuan's expression was unflappable, his tone calm, as if he wanted to advise his disciple on the shortcomings of hunting the Fire Mane Wolf.
"Yes, Master!"
Xu Yan responded respectfully and began to describe his battle with the Fire Mane Wolf, how he hunted it, devoured its blood, and then brewed the wolf's flesh into a powerful medicinal tonic.
Only with such aid in his cultivation did he swiftly complete Viscera Refinement and stepped into the world of martial arts!
Li Xuan remained calm on the outside, yet inside he was utterly astonished—the Fire Mane Wolf was that fierce?
It was no ordinary beast.
More astonishing was the fact that Xu Yan fought and killed the Fire Mane Wolf with his bare hands, and used this to refine his 'Jade Bone'!
From Xu Yan's retelling, he could sense how perilous the battle was—a single misstep, and Xu Yan would have become the wolf's prey!
"This foolish disciple is also defying the heavens, so vividly understanding the method of refining the 'Jade Bone', fighting and killing the Fire Mane Wolf!"
Li Xuan inwardly marveled, his foolish disciple was indeed monstrously talented.
"The Fire-Maned Wolf was ultimately a bit beyond your strength," said Master Li Xuan. "Actually, if you had given up, I wouldn't have blamed you. The fact that you could remain resolute and break through the barrier to temper your Jade Bones pleases me greatly."
Li Xuan expressed his recognition of his disciple.
"But, disciple, remember, facing difficulties head-on is indeed commendable for its courage, however, martial artists are not brash fighters without brains. A brash fighter knows only recklessness and cannot last in the long run."
Li Xuan spoke with considered words.
It was imperative to remind his disciple not to take on excessively dangerous challenges!
Otherwise, in the future, his foolish disciple might take his words to heart, become fearless, and foolhardily take on dangerous tasks, potentially losing his life, and that would leave Li Xuan devastated.
Whether one could become invincible depended on this foolish disciple!
He mustn't die midway through his journey!
Given Xu Yan's tendency to overthink and his heaven-defying self-enlightenment, there was no need for Li Xuan to be too direct; it was essential to leave space for Xu Yan to come to his own realizations.
Xu Yan said respectfully, "Master's teachings, my disciple will engrave on my heart!"
Li Xuan's mind raced as he continued to speak carefully, "As cultivators, we value enlightenment and distinguishing between good and bad fortune. One must know when to advance and when to retreat, possess a flexible mind, and have a keen sense to perceive crises...
"One must utilize wisdom well and seize opportunities... Those who only consider short-term gains and losses are no better than brash fighters; conversely, those lacking a courageous and resolute heart are merely mediocre.
"In short, do not be rigid. Understand?"
Xu Yan replied respectfully, "Master, your disciple understands!"
He thought to himself, "Master's profound message is incredibly mysterious. This is the way of martial arts. I perceive that one must counter the enemy flexibly, but also act with courage and decisiveness. These are the apparent meanings.
"My martial arts realm is ultimately too low.
"My experiences are too limited, but I will remember Master's words to be adaptable and not rigid. I understand!"
Li Xuan glanced at his disciple, muttering to himself, wondering if the foolish disciple had really understood his meaning through self-reflection.
He probably did understand, right?
After all, the boy's mind is sharp, not that of a rigid person.
What should be done next?
Continue to impart cultivation methods to Xu Yan?
He hadn't prepared that yet!
Since Xu Yan had managed to succeed in cultivation and Li Xuan had received feedback, he couldn't just haphazardly invent things from now on. The teachings had to be orderly, seemingly profound and powerful.
He hadn't even decided on the martial arts realms.
As for the current beginners' stage of martial arts, it shall be called the Qi-Blood Realm.
After all, he was making it up himself, he could name the realms whatever he wanted.
What should be the next steps in cultivation?
What is the next realm?
Li Xuan needed some time to ponder, ensuring the structure was clear and sounded logical and well-founded.
Fortunately, in his previous life, having been a web-novel writer, making up cultivation settings didn't pose a challenge for him.
It just required some time.
Thus, Li Xuan said, "You've just had a breakthrough, take some time to consolidate it."
"Yes, Master!"
"Martial arts have an endless realm, remember that the entrance is just the beginning of the martial arts path."
Li Xuan, adopting a strict teacher's demeanor, continued, "The entry into martial arts is known as the Qi-Blood Realm. You are merely at the entry level of the Qi-Blood Realm, and when you reach the state of the Qi-Blood that I just demonstrated, that will be the great achievement of the Qi-Blood Realm."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yan felt an intense surge of exhilaration.
"So, the entrance to martial arts is called the Qi-Blood Realm!
"And I have just stepped into the Qi-Blood Realm, the overwhelming power of Master's Qi-Blood earlier, terrifying as it is, represents only the great achievement of the Qi-Blood Realm."
Li Xuan thought about his own strength, which was a hundred times beyond that of others in the same realm; even if Xu Yan cultivated to the great achievement of the Qi-Blood Realm, he would still be far inferior to himself.
```
However, with Qi and blood soaring hundreds of feet into the sky, that is indeed the Great Achievement of the Qi-Blood Realm.
He added, "Of course, the strength of your master is ultimately too high. Even though you have achieved the Great Achievement in the Qi-Blood Realm, you cannot reach this step of mine. A hundred feet of Qi and blood, fierce like flames, easy to ward off evil—that is Great Achievement."
Xu Yan respectfully said, "Disciple understands!"
A hundred feet of Qi and blood, that is the Great Achievement of the Qi-Blood Realm!
To kill an enemy a hundred feet away, what immense strength.
Given the strength of the martial artists in the martial arts realm of Qi Country, Xu Yan was certain he could sweep across the entire realm; even those legendary top masters wouldn't withstand a single punch from him.
He felt that with his current strength, he could probably disregard the Emperor of Qi Country.
However, it was still necessary to keep a low profile—who knew if there were martial arts powerhouses like his master in hiding?
Thus, Xu Yan asked, "Master, what is the strength like in the Martial Arts Realm? In Qi Country where your disciple resides, the martial arts strength is too low. Even the top masters feel like they could be killed with a single breath!"
Li Xuan was surprised inside. Was the martial power in Qi Country this low?
A single breath could kill the top masters in the martial arts realm?
Nevertheless, considering the strength of the Fire Mane Wolves in the Evil Sha Forest, the martial power of this world shouldn't be so weak.
As to whether there was a Martial Arts Realm in this world, Li Xuan, of course, didn't know. Looking at the expectant gaze of Xu Yan, he said, "Once your strength increases, you will naturally come to know it. Don't set your sights too high; if your strength is too weak and you go to a place with many strong people, you'll be nothing more than cannon fodder."
Xu Yan thoughtfully nodded, saying, "What Master says is right!"
Then, he curiously asked again, "Master, what realm are you at?"
Li Xuan smiled mysteriously, slightly looking up to the sky, and softly said, "Realm? That's a matter too far away…"
Xu Yan was startled, a realm too far away?
"Master said, 'Martial Arts Endless Realm.' Does that mean Master is implying he has surpassed all established realms?"
The more Xu Yan thought about it, the more he was inwardly astounded.
No wonder he was the master, a hidden expert who had already transcended the Martial Arts Realm.
"Master, I understand now!"
Xu Yan solemnly declared.
Li Xuan was somewhat confused inside, what had this silly disciple understood?
He stood up, hands behind his back, walking leisurely towards the house, and said, "Disciple, consolidate your strength."
"Yes, Master!"
Li Xuan returned to the house to calm his excited heart and started pondering how to fabricate a cultivation technique.
"Martial arts begin with the Qi-Blood Realm, and cultivation in the Qi-Blood Realm strengthens the Qi and blood. The stronger the Qi and blood, the stronger the physical body, the stronger the strength. But how should one cultivate after the Qi-Blood Realm to make it reasonable?
"Even if it's fabricated, there needs to be a framework, a theoretical basis for the disciple to comprehend on their own.
"Got it!
"Above the Qi-Blood Realm is the Innate Realm, where Qi and blood are refined into Innate True Qi.
"'Innate' meaning to ride the Qi and soar through the skies, traveling hundreds of miles in an instant…
"But how does one cultivate to become Innate?"
After some deep thought, Li Xuan decided the realm following the Qi-Blood Realm would be the Innate Realm!
But then, how to break through the Innate Realm?
What Li Xuan considered was to refine Qi and blood into True Qi, starting by first opening the Dantian Qi Sea…
"To open the Dantian Qi Sea, refine the True Qi, turn the acquired into the Innate… How to open the Dantian?
"Never mind, devise a theory and leave it for the disciple to figure out. There shouldn't be any big problems, right?
"The Conception and Governor Meridians… To open these two channels… It doesn't sound mystical enough. Maybe call it the Great Power of Domain Bridge?
"Yes, that's it, the Great Power of Domain Bridge. Establishing it lays the foundation for controlling the Great Power of Domain…"
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