Li Wei approaches Lu Huan, who stands holding his sack with both hands. With a gesture, a slight movement of his hand, Li Wei signals to open the sack. Lu Huan, understanding, loosens the knot and opens the mouth of the sack wide. Li Wei reaches in, his hand searching until it finds the manual Dao Feng gifted the previous night. Grasping it firmly, he withdraws his hand from the sack, the manual now in his grasp.
Turning, Li Wei approaches his horse, standing patiently nearby. He mounts in one fluid motion. The horse beneath him, despite its years, stands ready, its posture and energy betraying none of its age. Around him, Dao Feng and Lin Yue mirror his actions, each mounting their own horses with equal grace.
Together, the group set off, the pace steady and unhurried. The scenery unfolds around them, an open plain stretching far into the distance. The land is vast, the horizon a distant line where earth meets the sky. The grass beneath their horses' hooves sways gently, a sea of green that ripples with the breeze.
Li Wei holds the manual and his reins in the other. He opens it to the first page, eyes scanning the text as they ride. The steady rhythm of the horse's gait, a gentle rocking, becomes a backdrop to his focus on the manual.
The plains around them are uninterrupted, a landscape of open space and freedom. The sky above is a clear blue, vast and unending. Clouds drift lazily, their shapes ever-changing as they traverse the expanse above. The sun, high in the sky, bathes the land in light, its warmth felt even as they move.
The ride's monotony blends with the plains' tranquillity as they continue. The sound of hooves against the ground, a constant, rhythmic beat, merges with the whisper of the wind through the grass. It's a symphony of natural sounds, a backdrop to their journey across the open land.
Li Wei's attention alternates between the scenery and the manual. The open plains offer peace with their unobstructed views and endless space. With its promise of knowledge and power, the manual offers a different kind of horizon, one of potential and discovery.
The ride continues, the landscape unchanging yet captivating in its simplicity. The vastness of the plains, the clear sky above, and the gentle sway of the grass create a moment suspended in time, a journey not just across the land but through the pages of a manual that holds secrets yet to be unlocked.
Li Wei, alongside Dao Feng and Lin Yue, maintains a steady pace across the expansive plains, their movements harmonised as if silently agreeing on their direction and speed. The vastness of the open land stretches around them, an endless sea of grass that whispers with the wind. Above, the sky arches, a broad canopy of blue, unmarred by the shadow of any cloud.
Behind them, a modest distance away, the servants trail with the baggage. Their horses keep a consistent pace, mirroring the deliberate speed set by their masters. The sounds of their passage, the soft thuds of hooves on the soft earth, create a rhythmic backdrop to the tranquillity of the plains.
The procession moves as a single entity with two distinct parts: the leaders, focused and undeterred, and the followers, attentive and responsive to the pace dictated by those ahead.
Li Wei turns the pages of the manual titled "Bone Manipulation," each movement deliberate, focusing intently on the content before him. The first page presents a detailed illustration of the human skeleton, with every bone clearly labelled precisely. He studies the diagram, taking in the structure of the spine, femur, and the complex arrangement of bones in the hand.
Progressing to the next page, the text introduces the concept of qi manipulation, detailing how one's internal energy can resonate with the calcium in bones. This resonance is not confined to one's skeletal structure but can extend to others. The spine is identified as the initial focus due to its significance in both physical structure and the flow of qi.
Further reading brings Li Wei to the technique's application. The manual describes initiating bone growth from the practitioner's body, specifically from the fingertips, and extending it outward. This intricate process requires an in-depth visualisation of the target's anatomy to guide the growth accurately.
The subsequent page elaborates on the precision needed for effective manipulation. It stresses the importance of a detailed mental image of the bone's structure for guiding the growth to the correct location within another's body.
As he continues, Li Wei learns how to control the bone once inside the target. The text outlines steps for moving the growth to specific locations, targeting internal organs if desired. This manipulation requires sustained concentration and a deep understanding of human anatomy to navigate the growth without visual aid.
The manual emphasises the technique's complexity and the necessity for precision. It details selecting an appropriate subject, focusing on visualising the bone growth penetrating the skin and moving it to a predetermined location.
Each page Li Wei turns delves deeper into the technique, from the initiation of bone growth to its advanced manipulation within a living body. The instructions are methodical, focusing on the gradual increase in complexity of the tasks performed, from simple skin penetration to the nuanced navigation of bone growth through muscle and organ tissue.
Li Wei focuses on the manual's final section. It outlines the execution of the technique's last step: manipulating bone growth within a target's internal organs. The text details the process, instructing on the precise movement required to shift the bone shard, now embedded deep within the body. This action, controlled and deliberate, targets vital organs, disrupting their function. The manual describes the method without embellishment, focusing on the technical aspects of directing energy to the shard, causing it to move in a manner that results in fatal internal damage. Li Wei absorbs the information, understanding the technique's potential.
[Detected cultivation technique "Bone Manipulation". Embed bone shard into a target can be manipulated from a distance to inflict internal damage.]
[Modification Suggestion: Incomplete technique; user cannot access at this level.]
Li Wei's mind raced as the realisation dawned on him, a spark of clarity piercing through the fog of frustration that had settled over him. "Finally, something," he thinks, a surge of relief washing over him. The fact that the system has provided him with a fragment of the "Bone Manipulation" technique, albeit incomplete, reignites a flicker of hope within him. For so long, he had wrestled with the suspicion that the system was malfunctioning or limited exclusively to basic cultivation insights, leaving him grasping for anything of real substance.
As he dwells on the message, Li Wei's thoughts begin to churn, his innate ability to dissect and analyse complex problems coming to the fore. "I don't even care that it hasn't given me the full technique," he muses, the initial burst of excitement giving way to a more measured, contemplative state. The confirmation that the system isn't entirely inoperative is, in itself, a significant revelation. It suggests a layer of functionality and potential that he had begun to doubt.
"I was starting to think that the system only applied to cultivation techniques, not combat techniques." The distinction blurs as he contemplates the depth and lethality of "Bone Manipulation," a technique straddling the realms of personal enhancement and direct confrontation.
"No, wait," he pauses, a new thread of thought emerging, weaving through his consciousness. "Perhaps I was still right in my initial assumption. Maybe the full technique is indeed a cultivation technique." The puzzle pieces start to align, albeit slowly, each hypothesis building on the last. The system's reluctance—or inability—to divulge the complete technique suddenly frames itself as a clue rather than a frustration.
"I can't see how...," Li Wei trails off in his mind, his thoughts racing ahead. The incomplete offering of the technique, rather than a limitation, could indicate a deliberate gating mechanism within the system. It dawns on him that the system might require a certain level of cultivation or understanding to unlock further secrets. "Could it be that the system is designed to provide information incrementally, based on the user's ability to comprehend and utilise the knowledge effectively?" he hypothesises.
This line of reasoning leads him to a slow yet inevitable conclusion: the full mastery of the "Bone Manipulation" technique likely encompasses far more than just the physical manipulation of people. It could involve a deeper cultivation principle that integrates the physical with the spiritual or energetic realms. The notion that the system might still be operating within the parameters of cultivation techniques, albeit more nuanced and sophisticated than he initially suspected, reshapes his understanding of its potential.
Li Wei's mind settles on this hypothesis, a sense of determination crystallising within him. The realisation that he may need to elevate his own cultivation level to access the deeper layers of the technique presents a new challenge and a clear direction forward. "If the system is indeed calibrated to respond to my cultivation progress, then I must redouble my effort in advancing my cultivation", he concludes, the path ahead suddenly clear.
Closing the manual, Li Wei reflects on the detailed process outlined within its pages. From the initial focus on the spine for manipulation to the advanced techniques of internal navigation and retraction, each step is laid out precisely, emphasising the control required to master Bone Manipulation.
The journey continues, the landscape gradually giving way to signs of habitation. A town emerges on the horizon, its architecture a blend of wood and stone. Homes cluster together, their roofs a patchwork of thatch and tile. Streets wind between buildings, the layout organic, grown from necessity rather than design.
As they approach, the town gates loom ahead, sturdy wood braced with iron. Guards stand watch, their stance relaxed until they notice the approaching riders. Recognition sparks action; they bow, a gesture of respect or perhaps fear, acknowledging the power that Li Wei and his companions represent.
Li Wei whistles softly, catching Lu Huan's attention. Lu Huan looks up immediately, alert to his master's call. "Put this away for later," Li Wei instructs, holding out the manual towards Lu Huan with a nod, indicating the sack from which it had been retrieved.
Lu Huan steps forward, reaching out to take the manual with both hands, a gesture of respect and care for the returned object. "Yes, Master," he responds, his voice steady, reflecting his commitment to serve.
Li Wei guides his horse closer to the town gate, the rhythmic hoofbeats slowing as they approach. The structure looms ahead, its wooden beams aged from seasons of sun and rain, standing as the boundary between the open plains and the contained life within the town walls. The gate, half-open, appears welcoming, yet the presence of guards on either side lends a formality to the entrance.
He notices the shift in the atmosphere as they draw near, the openness of the plains replaced by the anticipation of the enclosed spaces and the bustle of town life. The guards straighten at their approach, their eyes observant, tracking the movement of the small group as they near the town's threshold.