The Water Pavilion was quiet. A gentle breeze stirred the calm surface of the pool, causing ripples.
Madam Hua stroked the celadon cup gently.
"The emergence of cultivators dates back to ten thousand years ago. At that time, Qi Practitioners were the most prevalent in the world. People called them immortals. Later, Qi Practitioners entered the mortal world to preach the Dao and developed into the Hundred Schools of Philosophy."
"In that era, the Hundred Schools of Philosophy were fighting for supremacy. However, with the appearance of the Emperor who swept through the six directions, the four seas, and ruled the world, he used martial arts to reach Qi Refinement, he unified the languages and literature, and the rules of cultivation were established. From that moment on, cultivation had order and direction."
Madam Hua said calmly.
She was talking about some secrets that An Le had never heard of before. She even began to trace the origins of cultivation.
"Of course, in the next few thousand years, the path of cultivation continued to develop and multiply, giving birth to many talented people. However, they were ultimately unable to escape the tempering of time. Therefore, cultivation is also a process of pursuing the continuation of life."
"In today's world, you should know that Great Zhao has moved south and the Central Plains is completely occupied by foreign races north of the Blue Wave River. Currently, the number one expert in the world is the Emperor of the Yuan Meng Empire. Looking northwest, he shot a Heavenly Immortal with a bow and shot an arrow that opened the heavenly gate. The immortal was stained with blood."
The number one expert in the world, Emperor Yuan Meng… It was said that he was a peerless expert who had forced Great Zhao to move south just by breaking through.
An Le took a deep breath and was extremely shocked.
"In addition to the number one Emperor Yuan Meng in the world, there was also a wheelchair-bound Imperial Advisor in Dali. He cut open the sky with one finger and attracted the sea of stars beyond the heavens. His charm was peerless. In addition, the father and son of West Liang used martial arts to enter the demonic path and infected the huge country. They sacrificed tens of thousands of people to build the skeleton temple alive and refined a demonic saber. They cut down a rain of blood in the human world and exchanged it for the Yuan Meng Empire's troops to retreat three thousand miles."
Madam Hua took a sip of tea and slowly spoke about the strongest in the world.
Just from her words, one could feel the terrifying oppression. Even though An Le knew that this world was extraordinary, he was still shocked by the strangeness.
Madam Hua glanced at An Le and chuckled. "Of course, Great Zhao isn't weak either. Peerless generals appear frequently, and there's even the Sacred Mountain, the Literary Department, and the Martial Temple which are three factions that have experts who have left the world and are independent. This is also one of the reasons why Emperor Yuan Meng doesn't dare to advance south easily."
This was the clearest understanding of the cultivation powerhouses in the world that An Le had heard so far.
"Young Master An, you became a Provincial Scholar at the age of 18 and participated in the Spring Quarter Examination. Now, you've even stepped into cultivation. Your goal should be to become a scholar on the Imperial Examination List A, right?"
Madam Hua took a sip of tea.
"There's hope, but my cultivation level is very low after all. I can only do my best." An Le said.
Madam Hua nodded. "The Sacred Mountain, the Literary Department, and the Martial Temple are like three mountains that stand tall in Great Zhao. The Sacred Mountain is extraordinary, and the Literary Department and the Martial Temple are constantly competing. They recruit disciples from the List A Scholar rankings. Only by entering List A can you have the chance to enter the Literary Department and the Martial Temple to continue your cultivation."
This was the first time An Le knew. His eyes were filled with splendor, and his heart was indeed filled with ambition.
"The Literary Department and the Martial Temple collect all the cultivation techniques in the world. They are all extraordinary techniques. If Young Master An wants to cultivate a profound technique, you can only enter one of these two."
"And this Literary Department and the Martial Temple can cover the current cultivation system of Great Zhao. The Literary Department can refine the spirit, and the Martial Temple can temper the body."
"The Literary Department's Spirit Refinement naturally cultivates the mind. They grasp the mental power. It is divided into the stages of Meditation, Embryonic Breath, Shedding Mortality, Primordial Spirit, Oblivion, and so on… A powerful mind cultivator can move mountains with a thought, overturn rivers with a thought, and attract thunder from the sky with a thought."
"However, the path of cultivation is not only about Spirit Refinement. Physique is also very important. The Martial Temple's Body Tempering cultivates the physique. The first five realms are Qi Blood Awakening, Spirit Bone Forging, Inner Core Condensation, Mystic Intent, and Connate Realm. As for the realms above this, it's not beneficial for you to know now."
Madam Hua spoke unhurriedly and slowly explained the realms of cultivation to An Le. The doubts that lingered in An Le's heart were easily resolved.
"On the path of cultivation, you can't only cultivate one path. You have to cultivate Spirit Refinement and Body Tempering at the same time. According to your talent, choose your focus. Spirit Refinement can allow you to eliminate your inner demons and prevent filth from touching your body. Body Tempering can allow you to be unharmed in front of the lightning tribulation. Both are very important."
When An Le heard this, his eyes lit up and his heart surged. He couldn't help but pick up his teacup and take a big gulp.
Madam Hua looked at An Le and smiled.
What she said was actually not profound, nor was it secretive. If An Le had stepped into cultivation in his early years, someone would have imparted this knowledge in cultivation.
Therefore, Madam Hua did not intend to use this information to exchange for An Le's painting that she liked.
"Madam Hua, the Literary Department's Spirit Refinement, the Martial Temple's Body Tempering, what about the Sacred Mountain?" An Le pondered for a moment and asked curiously.
"Sacred Mountain…" When Madam Hua heard this, she couldn't help but moisten her lips.
"There are Sacred Teachers on the Sacred Mountain of the Central Plains. Sacred Teachers transcend the world. Other than Sacred Teachers, there are also Mountain Lords on the Sacred Mountain. Every Mountain Lord is an extremely talented person. Being able to enter the Sacred Mountain is the wish of countless cultivators in Great Zhao because those who can enter the Sacred Mountain represent recognized talent."
"Sacred Mountain Lords, be it in Spirit Refinement or Body Tempering, are all top-notch experts."
"But since the founding of Great Zhao, the number of elites who have entered the Sacred Mountain can be counted on one hand."
"There's a saying in the world that Sacred Mountain is not Great Zhao's Sacred Mountain, but the Central Plains' Sacred Mountain."
Madam Hua's gaze was a little ethereal. She turned her head and looked outside Lin'an City. She seemed to see a blurry mountain that was unattainable. It towered into the nine heavens and spanned through the ages.
An Le couldn't help but look forward to it. However, he was still very self-aware. Those who had to enter the Sacred Mountain had extraordinary talent. If not for the help of the Age Qi, it would be difficult for him to even cultivate.
Hence, he had no designs on Sacred Mountain.
However, he really had the intention of making it into the Imperial Examination's List A Scholar Ranking.
Madam Hua retracted her gaze and looked at An Le. She seemed to have thought of something and felt that it was a little ridiculous. She shook her head and did not think about it.
"Zhuifeng, Young Master An is curious about martial arts. Show him what a Body Tempering martial artist is."
Madam Hua looked at Zhuifeng and said.
Lin Zhuifeng grinned and took a step forward without any shyness. The Qi Blood in her body roared under her skin. Her thin body was like a tiger waking up.
The fire stick at her waist slid into her hand.
Lin Zhuifeng looked at An Le and smiled. "Young Master An, watch carefully!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the two ends of the fire stick in Lin Zhuifeng's hand extended naturally, turning into a two-meter-long stick. As she pulled out the stick, it emitted a whistling sound, and waves rose as it swung!
The aura that spread out almost suffocated An Le.
In the end, Lin Zhuifeng struck the rockery with her rod. The rockery was pierced through like soft tofu.
Lin Zhuifeng even playfully flicked the rod, causing it to sway.
"Body Tempering martial artists have powerful physiques. Their strength and speed far exceed ordinary people. Their killing power is extremely strong."
Madam Hua chuckled. "As for Spirit Refinement…"
"This is what it looks like."
Madam Hua raised a finger and pointed at the large pool in the Heavenly Wave Water Pavilion from afar. The water in the pool was actually pulled out invisibly, turning into a water pillar that spewed out, winding in midair like the roar of a python.
This mystical phenomenon impacted An Le's worldview!
Madam Hua retracted her finger, and the python collapsed into a torrential rain. Countless water droplets fell into the pool.
"Spirit Refinement and Body Tempering are roughly like this."
"Young Master An, do you still have any doubts?"
An Le's mouth went dry. Was this Spirit Refinement?
It made one's scalp tingle!
The Martial Dao was domineering, and the Spirit Refinement was ethereal.
In comparison, his neutered version of Zhao Zu's Long Fist was simply like a joke. It was filled with shame when he used it.
"Thank you for clearing my doubts, Madam Hua. I've broadened my horizons."
An Le calmed himself down and thanked her.
Madam Hua shook her head. "These are just simple introductions to cultivation. It's nothing."
"I see that you're very interested in cultivation. How about this? I'll give you a cultivation manual for Spirit Refinement and Body Tempering. How about that?"
When An Le heard this, his entire body trembled and he hurriedly stood up. "Madam Hua, one of my paintings is not worth two precious cultivation manuals…"
However, before An Le could finish speaking, Madam Hua raised her hand and two yellow-skinned books appeared on her snow-white palm. The books were surrounded by wisps of spiritual energy. Clearly, these books were extraordinary. They were definitely not common goods like the enlightenment version of Zhao Zu's Long Fist.
"Young Master An, first of all, your painting has captured my heart and made me recall some things from the past. Although it's sad, I miss it very much. Secondly, I'll give you the cultivation manuals as a form of goodwill. If you can learn the manuals I gave you and become a scholar on the List A rankings, and even have the chance to enter His Majesty's Palace and take the Hall Examination, I'll be honored and gain a good reputation."
Madam Hua smiled and waved her hand, handing two yellow books to An Le.
An Le understood. This was what investment meant.
However, the investment was probably just an additional goal. After all, An Le's cultivation level was too low and he was too old to be enlightened. It was mostly because of the painting that moved Madam Hua.
"Thank you, Madam Hua."
An Le dusted his clothes seriously and cupped his hands.
"Spirit Refinement and Body Tempering are not easy. You can't be too anxious. You've been enlightened late, so cultivate calmly. Don't be anxious. In addition, you can use the time when you are painting for the young masters to look for Zhuifeng or me to ask questions about cultivation. With someone guiding you on the path of cultivation, you can avoid many detours," Madam Hua said slowly.
An Le thanked her again. He took the two books excitedly and looked at them.
The first yellow book was a Body Tempering secret manual. On the cover was the "Five Animals Body Tempering Technique"!
The second volume was a cultivation technique for the mind. It was called the "Sword Waterfall Diagram"!