Xu Yan had an epiphany about a cultivation technique, invigorating him entirely.
"I must not be hasty, the next part of the cultivation technique will also be quickly understood, now it's time to cook, relax the mind, be calm, and fully immerse in cooking.
"Discard any distracting thoughts of cultivation, focus on the present!"
Xu Yan ceased his cultivation, moving with light steps, his whole demeanor transformed.
At this moment, his thoughts were clear, giving him a sense of ease, openness, and cheerfulness.
"Every word and action of the Master is profound, only now do I realize the true meaning of Master's words, 'With no thoughts of women, cultivation becomes divine.'
"I have indeed been a bit dull."
Xu Yan felt a continuous sigh in his heart.
...
Li Xuan looked slightly puzzled, his foolish disciple seemed unusually joyous today?
With buoyant steps and a pleasant demeanor, the whole person seemed revitalized, lacking the usual solemnity and deference, returning to the carefree spirit a young man ought to embody.
"Could it be, he feels he has made progress in his cultivation? Sensing the essence and blood?"
"Impossible, I made it up, how could he actually sense the essence and blood?"
"Never mind, it's good that he relaxes and feels at ease, no need to worry that he would become too pent-up and one day collapse mentally."
Thinking this, Li Xuan felt he should encourage his foolish disciple to relax more and maintain a better mindset, lest he cause himself mental issues after long futile periods of cultivation.
So, at the dinner, Li Xuan spoke up, "Your demeanor is good today, keep it up, and you will achieve something!"
"Yes, Master, disciple understands!"
Xu Yan, thrilled by his Master's approval, was certain his insights were correct!
Unfortunately, he had been too obtuse.
Only now did he truly grasp the depths of his Master's words.
"Hmm!"
Li Xuan nodded, pleased that his foolish disciple was obedient, which was good!
Two days later.
A sudden insight flashed through Xu Yan's mind, instantly understanding the real meaning behind another cultivation technique!
"I've got it!
'The essence and blood like a dragon forging a golden body,' indeed means condensing the essence and blood like a dragon, coiling around the body, around the bones, continually moving, circulating back and forth, surely able to breakthrough and temper a golden skeleton!"
At that moment, Xu Yan grasped the method for tempering golden bones.
"Observing the mind to nurture the true intent, essence and blood like a dragon forging a golden body, so this is it!
"The essence and blood nurture the bones, tempering directly into the marrow, and outside of the bones, the dragon of essence and blood coils, internally and externally intermingling, further enhancing the tempering of bones.
"And thus, forging the golden bones."
Xu Yan's eyes sparked with excitement, fists clenched, "Indeed, it requires rethinking, reinterpreting, if Master had simply pointed it out, though I would have known, without comprehending the significance, tempering and breakthrough would have been impossible."
"Only through self-realization inside the cultivation techniques can the true meaning be grasped!"
Taking a deep breath, with surging essence and blood, Xu Yan began Bone Refinement.
His mind concentrated, entering a state of oblivion to everything else, carefully sensing the flow and operation of the essence and blood, identifying its deficiencies and flaws.
"The second rib isn't tempered smoothly enough, the left wrist joint has defects, both knees show weaknesses..."
As he observed the essence and blood, and observed himself, Xu Yan soon pinpointed the deficiencies in his Bone Refinement.
Though he had perfected Copper Bones, his skeletal structure was not uniformly strong, some parts were relatively weaker.
Thus, Xu Yan began re-tempering, making all his bones as uniformly durable as possible.
Three days later.
Xu Yan finally perfected his Copper Bones to true completion, his entire body uniform, without any weakness or inconsistency.
"Now, I truly have perfected the Copper Bones!"
"Next, it's time to temper the Golden Bones, I have already grasped the technique for tempering Golden Bones, surely I will be able to do it!"
"One month's time, no longer, I must temper the Golden Bones within a month!"
"After Bone Refinement, it is Viscera Refinement. You must reach the entrance level within a year; otherwise, your aptitude is too poor—how can you qualify to be my disciple?"
Xu Yan's gaze was resolute.
In reality, a year passed quickly.
The speed of Viscera Refinement would certainly be slower than Bone Refinement.
The master had said to be careful at the start of Viscera Refinement, to avoid injuring the internal organs.
And since the organs are fragile, the initial tempering would certainly not be fast.
He had to make the most of his time to refine his bones to gold so that he could catch up with the entrance level within a year.
Moreover, Xu Yan had a determination in his heart; the master had given him a year, but he couldn't really wait a full year to reach the entrance level!
The sooner he reached the entrance level, the better—and the master would be happier!
Xu Yan continued to refine his bones, blood and qi transformed into wisps of mist, slowly infiltrating the bones, very slow, and the quantity of blood and qi was also very little, but this was just the beginning.
As the blood and qi slowly seeped into the bones, the long-lost tingling sensation reappeared.
Xu Yan clenched his teeth, said nothing, and his gaze remained resolute.
Finally, a wisp of blood and qi had infiltrated all his bones, slowly seeping inward, seeking to penetrate the marrow.
"Now I can begin!"
Xu Yan took a deep breath, his blood and qi surging instantaneously, transforming into giant dragons, coiling around his bones, the blood and qi vibrated, constantly pressing and rubbing against the bones.
And the blood and qi that had infiltrated the bones continued to seep in and nourish the bones, combining internal and external aspects; Xu Yan finally saw the stagnant Bone Refinement beginning to change.
As he continued to temper, faint traces of gold began to emerge on the bones.
Golden Bones!
He persevered for just half an hour, then Xu Yan felt he had reached his limit.
So he ended his practice.
At this moment, he only felt hungry.
"The consumption of Golden Bone Refinement is so huge!"
Xu Yan was surprised.
"Those medicinal aids aren't sufficient, unless it's Thousand-Year Ginseng or Nine-Leaf Ganoderma..."
But, the Thousand-Year Ginseng and Nine-Leaf Ganoderma had all been eaten.
"I only slightly broke through the limit of Copper Bones; far from completing the first refinement of Golden Bones, yet it increased so much.
"If I were to achieve Perfection in Golden Bones, how powerful would that be?"
Xu Yan felt his own enhancement and was immensely shocked.
The Cultivation Technique passed by the master was truly powerful, incredibly profound.
"The master said, Golden Bones must undergo nine transformations; I haven't even completed one, and the strength of the bones has increased by at least thirty percent. If I complete one transformation..."
Xu Yan couldn't imagine just how strong that would be.
Golden Bones buried underground for ten thousand years would neither decay nor tarnish, still shining brilliantly, even harder than steel.
This showed the might of Golden Bones.
"Every transformation will certainly be more difficult than the last, and without a precious medicine to aid me, how can I complete it quickly?"
"I need to return home to search for precious medicines, delay is not an option!"
Xu Yan knew his talents didn't compare to the prodigies of ancient times; without precious medicines, it might be difficult to quickly complete Bone Refinement, and to reach the entrance level within a year, he definitely needed medicinal aids.
...
Li Xuan looked at the sumptuous meal on the table and knew this foolish disciple was about to return home again.
"I still need to remind him to keep a low profile, not to expose himself... the foolish disciple is obedient, there should be no problems after my warning."
"Once the year is up, I can be relieved."
"The fierce tigers and beasts in the Evil Forest must also be dealt with; this foolish disciple really has good luck, having encountered no danger back and forth!"
Li Xuan secretly lamented his own luck was not good, the first time leaving the village with a group, he was the only one to escape back.
Since then, he dared not venture or gamble on luck and could safely pass through the Evil Forest.