The sky began to brighten, and a ray of morning sunlight pierced through the narrow village pathway, illuminating Xu Yan, who was in the midst of his practice.
As always, Xu Yan got up to practice before dawn. At this moment, he was filled with excitement. With the circulation of his Qi and blood, there was a moment when his skin tightened, producing a cracking sound, much like a steel string tightening in an instant, releasing a burst of sound.
At that moment, his skin seemed to have a flawless, round sensation.
His strength had increased, and there was an immediate improvement in his Qi and blood.
His skin refinement was complete!
"It took me twenty days, but I finally completed skin refinement. Although I'm far from the ancient prodigies, I still belong to the prodigy level! As long as I refine my Golden Bones, I will be no weaker than the ancient prodigies!"
Xu Yan was filled with excitement. He raised his hands, clenched his fists, and felt his own strength.
Even with bare hands, he was almost unafraid of swords and knives!
Facing hundreds of opponents was not a problem!
And this was just the completion of skin refinement, the most fundamental stage of the foundational realm!
"Today, I'll take a break, and tomorrow, I'll start bone refinement!"
Xu Yan finished his practice, shouldered a hoe, and went to tend to the vegetables and feed the chickens, relaxing his mind and preparing for bone refinement tomorrow.
He remembered his master's teachings, emphasizing the importance of a balanced approach to work and rest and the ability to calm his mind.
Li Xuan woke up, washed, and came out of his room, surprised to find that Xu Yan wasn't practicing.
This was the first time since he became Xu Yan's master that Xu Yan hadn't practiced early in the morning.
"What's going on? Did he give up?" Li Xuan wondered. "It's impossible. He was diligently practicing yesterday. Did he suddenly give up?"
From what he had learned about Xu Yan during these days, he knew Xu Yan was a one-track-minded person, and it was unlikely that he would give up suddenly.
Li Xuan went to check on the chicken coop and saw that the chickens had been fed. In the distance, he spotted Xu Yan, busily weeding the vegetable garden. He decided to walk over.
"Master!" Xu Yan respectfully saluted.
"Hmm, not bad. You've diligently tended to the vegetable garden, keeping it neat," Li Xuan said, glancing at the well-maintained garden. He was somewhat surprised because Xu Yan had even done a better job than he had.
"It's all thanks to your excellent guidance, Master," Xu Yan replied with a smile.
"Why did you come to weed the garden so early today?" Li Xuan was inquiring about why Xu Yan hadn't practiced in the morning.
Based on his current observations, Xu Yan didn't seem to have given up.
"Disciple strictly follows Master's teachings to strike a balance between work and rest in preparation for the arduous practice ahead," Xu Yan replied respectfully.
Li Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't a sign of giving up; Xu Yan was just taking a break and relaxing his tense mind before resuming his training to sense his Qi and blood.
A single-minded person like Xu Yan wouldn't easily give up.
With a pleased smile, Li Xuan said, "Your understanding is commendable, my disciple."
Xu Yan was instantly filled with excitement. He thought, "Master must recognize that I endured the hardships of bone refinement and persisted. This is his way of showing approval!"
"Persist! No matter how painful it is, I will persist and never give up!" Xu Yan encouraged himself in his heart.
He continued to refine his bones, and as his Qi and blood continued to seep into his bones, he began to feel a strange sensation. At first, it was very slow, but at a certain moment, his bones seemed to itch and tingle, causing some discomfort.
"Qi and blood are seeping into my bones, and they are being tempered. This feeling is quite different from skin refinement, but it's just the beginning. My goal is Golden Bones. Only by achieving Golden Bones can I stand shoulder to shoulder with the ancient prodigies."
Xu Yan's gaze was resolute. "Although my master doesn't say it explicitly, he must hope that I can achieve Golden Bones. Only by reaching the level of ancient prodigies can I truly become my master's successor!"
The difficulty of achieving Golden Bones was beyond his imagination. Xu Yan realized why so few could accomplish it.
"Master was right; achieving Golden Bones requires talent, perseverance, and endurance. The initial stage of bone refinement is already so challenging. Once I reach Golden Bones and the Qi and blood penetrate deep into the marrow, there will definitely be even more discomfort!"
His entire body felt itchy and tingling, as if ants were crawling all over him. Xu Yan's forehead was covered in sweat, but he gritted his teeth and persevered. He would not give up, no matter how painful it was.
After a long period of time, the sensation of sandpaper rubbing against his bones became stronger and stronger, and Xu Yan felt like he was on the verge of unbearable pain.
Sweat dripped from his forehead.
Li Xuan, sitting under a tree, looked at the time and then at Xu Yan.
"What's wrong with my disciple today? Did he forget the time? It's time to prepare lunch!"
So Li Xuan said, "Alright, it's time to prepare lunch. It's getting late!"
Xu Yan was shaken by his words and immediately stopped his practice. The sensation of sandpaper rubbing against his bones gradually faded.
He thought, "Master must have noticed that I've reached my limit and asked me to take a break."
"Yes, Master!" Xu Yan replied respectfully.