"Disciple Xu Yan, greeting Master!"
Overcome with excitement, Xu Yan knelt down with a thump, bowing respectfully.
"Hmm, rise!"
Li Xuan reached out to close the box that contained the gift for accepting a disciple. His face was solemn, projecting the demeanor of a strict master.
He did not wish to deceive others, yet the gift Xu Yan offered was simply too generous.
he would accept the pupil, but as for the cultivation technique?
There wasn't any!
But, no matter, he could just make one up.
Li Xuan reasoned that he was a failed online novel author in his past life, making up a cultivation technique should not be a big deal.
Gaging from the dim-witted look on Xu Yan's face, it seemed unlikely that he could distinguish a genuine cultivation method from a fake one.
And if he fails to achieve the entry-level of cultivation?
It certainly wouldn't be the fault of the cultivation technique, but instead the lack of aptitude.
"Yes, Master!"
Xu Yan stood up excitedly, eyes trained on Li Xuan.
"Master, when will you teach me the cultivation technique?"
Looking at Xu Yan's hopeful eyes, Li Xuan put on a mystic air and slowly said, "I have temporarily accepted you as my disciple, but if you can't achieve the entry-level of cultivation within a year, it means that we are not fated to be master and disciple. From then on, you should not bother me anymore. Understand?"
At this, Xu Yan shivered internally, took a deep breath, and said seriously, "Understand!"
"Rest assured, Master. If I'm unable to cultivate within a year, it would be my own lack of aptitude. I won't blame you, Master, but will give up and not disturb you anymore."
Li Xuan's face was filled with relief. It was great that his disciple had this understanding.
Achieving entry-level of cultivation in a year? More like never in ten, even a hundred years.
Before he could make up a cultivation technique to trick Xu Yan, Li Xuan needed to learn about the martial arts situation of the world!
As Xu Yan assumed he was a recluse who didn't bother with worldly affairs, Li Xuan proceeded to ask straightforward questions.
The less Li Xuan knew about the outside world, the more Xu Yan believed he was a secluded ancient master with unparalleled mastery in martial arts and never aging.
Naturally, he told everything he knew.
After some understanding, Li Xuan had a general knowledge of the outside world.
The small mountain village was located in the Eastern River region of Qi Country, a vigorous country that had been established over a hundred years ago.
There were three countries in the world namely Qi Country, Wu Country, and the Barbarian Kingdom in the north.
From Xu Yan, he learned that the martial arts level of this world was not too advanced, with a lack of earth-shaking power or the ability to traverse through the air. Strong fighters could only perform feats like running up walls, jumping several meters high, and lifting heavy loads.
As for Xu Yan, since childhood, he was obsessed with legendary tales, always dreaming of finding a genuine master and train in an unparalleled cultivation technique.
This obsession had earned him some fame in the Eastern River region, but not in a good way. People often mocked the young master of the Xu Family for being deluded, believing in myths, and seeking non-existent masters to learn their skills.
After learning about the outside world, Li Xuan felt a tad disappointed because he had thought he was in a world of high-level martial arts. But could it just be that Xu Yan did not have access to them?
No matter which case it was, it's currently out of Li Xuan's reach. However, he now had an idea about how to trick Xu Yan with a made-up cultivation technique.
Successful cultivation was impossible. Xu Yan's failure would simply reflect his lack of aptitude, not a problem with Li Xuan's nonexistent cultivation technique.
At this point, Li Xuan began to speak, "The cultivation technique I will impart focuses on the word 'enlightenment'. Whether you can achieve the entry-level depends on your aptitude and talent."
"I will give you one year. If you cannot reach the entry-level in a year, then it just means that it's not meant to be."
As Xu Yan's heart pounded with excitement, he also felt slightly nervous. He was afraid that he would not be able to cultivate successfully. Taking a deep breath, he said reverently, "Please guide me with the cultivation technique, Master. If I cannot attain the entry-level of cultivation, it would be due to my lack of fortune."
Li Xuan leaned back, looking up into the sky, speaking in a slow tone, "The martial arts path is endless, but the beginning of cultivation is nothing more than refining the skin, refining the bone, refining the viscera..."
Xu Yan listened intently, his eyes full of passion, afraid of missing a single word.
Li Xuan recalled the settings he had made for different levels in his online novel. He elaborated on them and organized a relatively complete summary of the cultivation method.
"The beginning of martial arts is to sense the Qi and blood. Only by sensing the Qi and blood can one enter the skin-refinement stage. If one cannot even sense the Qi and blood, then everything else is mere talk..."
"Skin-refinement, as the name suggests, is about tempering your skin. Once the skin-refinement is complete, your skin would be extremely tough and normal blades or swords wouldn't harm it. Even if cut, it would only leave a pale mark..."
If he was going to make it up, he should exaggerate the power of martial arts. After completing the skin-refinement stage, people would be invulnerable to ordinary attacks. That would be impressive, wasn't it?
Seeing Xu Yan's excited expression, Li Xuan knew he had fooled him.
"This is real martial arts! Just at the skin-refinement level, one can already be impervious to blades or swords. If refining bone and viscera are more powerful, aren't they?"
"I, Xu Yan, am finally under the guidance of a true master, learning the real martial arts. Once I attain the entry-level, let's see who dares to laugh at me!"
Xu Yan's eyes were filled with fanaticism, his heart surged with excitement.
"Master, does achieving skin-refinement mean I've reached the entry-level?"
Xu Yan asked eagerly.
"Well..."
Without thinking, Li Xuan was about to nod his head and tell Xu Yan that achieving skin-refinement meant attaining the entry-level of cultivation.
But on second thought, wouldn't that seem too simple?
Since he was fooling around anyway, why not exaggerate even more?
Therefore, he said seriously, "Of course not. Skin-refinement, bone-refinement, and viscera refinement are just the basics of martial arts. They can't even be considered as reaching the entry-level!"
Xu Yan was stunned, "If skin-refinement can already make one impervious to blades and swords, and bone-refinement and viscera-refinement are naturally more powerful, then this is not reaching the entry-level of martial arts? Then, how powerful will one be after attaining the entry-level?"
At this moment, Xu Yan was filled with longing and desire to attain the entry-level of martial arts.
"Master, when will one be considered to have entered the martial arts?"
"The entry-level of martial arts... When your viscera-refinement is complete, your Qi and blood circulate throughout your body, your body undergoes a small metamorphosis, your muscles and bones roar like thunder, and your Qi and blood surge like the sky, then you'll have reached the entry-level."
"Master, what happens after the entry-level of martial arts? What's the small success like, and the big success? How strong can one be?"
"This martial arts... has different stages. After the entry-level, when your Qi and blood can shoot up to the sky, burning intensely like a fire, keeping evil spirits at bay, burning rivers and seas, that will be the great success..."
Li Xuan improvised on the spot.
Xu Yan became more excited as he listened, just when he was about to ask again, Li Xuan waved his hand and interrupted, "Alright, you haven't even reached the entry-level yet, don't ask too much! Don't overreach yourself. Cultivation requires calmness and patience, and impatience is detrimental to cultivation!"
"Yes, Master!"
Xu Yan sobered up with a start, replying respectfully.
"Hmm!"
Li Xuan nodded in satisfaction. It was not that he didn't want to continue talking, but that he hadn't come up with the latter part of the cultivation technique yet.
The skin-refinement, bone-refinement, and viscera-refinement stages that he had made up were absurd enough to trick Xu Yan. He won't be able to cultivate to even skin-refinement in a year, or even in eight to ten years.
Let alone attaining the entry-level.