True Primordial Essence Art was a brutal method of cultivation. Instead of going through each stage, as was normal, it instead jumped straight to the conclusion. It had tempered his skin, muscles, viscera, bones, and even meridians all in one sitting.
As his body was pulled back together, Su Yan felt a warm sensation course through him. The numbness started to fade, replaced by a startling clarity that he had never experienced before. His breathing was calm, and vitality flooded his newly forged body.
As he started to push himself upright, he felt a pair of cool hands hold him in support. He glanced up at the face of Xie Lian, who had a tearful expression on her face. "What?" He asked.
"I—" She stuttered, then shook her head, wiping a teardrop from her cheek. "I was so afraid, thinking that something happened to you."
Su Yan felt moved and put on a tired smile. "Don't worry, I'm fine now."
She reciprocated his smile and sat on her knees. After a few moments, Su Yan regained full mobility and made to stand up. He performed a range of motions and found his body not only more flexible but also sturdier. He could feel the power coursing through his limbs.
"If you're feeling fine, then you should wash yourself." Xie Lian advised. "Your clothes are ruined."
Su Yan glanced down and found his newly purchased clothes now full of blood and impurities. Usually the impurities reeked like pools of waste, but his impurities were mixed with blood and barely smelled worse. He only felt dismay at his spoiled clothing.
"Things like these are a norm in our world," he said, not able to hide his dejected tone. "Anyway, you bundle this mat and leave it in the laundry. There should be a spare in the closet."
Xie Lian nodded and went to work. While Su Yan left for the bathroom, removing his clothing and putting them in the bin. They were marred with thick blood, and cleanup would probably cost more than half its price, which wasn't worth the effort. He used the water-filled tub to remove any crusty stains on his skin. Only his hair proved to be a hassle to clean, as the blood had glued the strands together.
As he washed himself, Su Yan thought about the process he had just gotten through. Somehow the Primordial Essence was able to heal him back to health after bringing him into a near-death state. It seemed to be an intrinsic quality of the energy that he currently lacked any hold over. On the other hand, reaching the peak of a cultivation realm had been a surprise.
Su Yan knew, though, he was far from actually touching upon the peak. His body was pushed to the peak, but it was more like excavating his body's potential without filling the hole. Now he had to realize the full strength of body transformation slowly.
Although he was already stronger than his former self, he had only just begun on the path to greatness.
After he finished washing, Su Yan was greeted with a view of his pristine white skin. Touching it made him realize the softness of it, while he failed to find any blemishes. Contrary to the exterior, his skin was considerably tougher.
Letting his hair down, Su Yan walked out wearing his old clothes. He found Xie Lian right outside waiting for him. The moment she caught his form, she stood there like a starstruck child.
Chuckling Su Yan walked up to her, snapping his fingers. "Are you in there, Xie Lian?"
Her focus broken, Xie Lian's face blushed a deep red. She looked to the side, tucking a lock of stray hair behind her ear. "I was worried about you, so I waited outside."
Su Yan smiled, suppressing any urge to tease her. "I'm fine, as you can see. Though I can tell you have questions, let's talk outside."
After leading her to the main hall, Su Yan found a new mat on the floor. They sat cross-legged opposite each other. Xie Lian was still acting bashfully, which he found cute, but he urged her to ask anything.
In the end, Su Yan decided to tell her about his cultivation of the body-forging method. He didn't go into detail, finding it pertinent to avoid giving any sensitive information. He just gave her some surface-level details and told her not to worry.
Xie Lian clearly didn't appreciate his avoidance of expounding on the matter but chose not to pry into it. Su Yan smiled at that and cupped her hand into his. "I am grateful for the concern you're showing. Thanks."
"Well, we are companions, right?" She smiled.
"Yeah, we are." He nodded.
Afterwards, cultivation began as usual. During that period, Su Yan and Xie Lian tried to hold hands while circulating their Qi together, bringing their spirits into harmony. It marginally sped their cultivation, but the increase was barely worth mentioning.
With the help of his two motes, Su Yan was able to work toward the creation of a third mote. Xie Lian was still far from developing her own, having started her journey this morning. During that period, he made a startling discovery as he observed his meridians.
Before Su Yan's meridians were able to handle a heavy flow of Qi, but after the tempering, he realized his meridians had grown wider and sturdier. They were able to bring forth more of his might while also being capable of shouldering the strain.
Conversely, they were able to induct more Qi from the world into his dantian. This sped his cultivation speed even further.
While he focused on cultivating Qi, he tried to circulate his True Primordial Essence Art and was delighted to find the act probable. He was essentially dual cultivating his Qi and body at the same time. This was the same as killing two birds with one stone.
They had only just begun their cultivation seclusion, and their real dual cultivation was yet to start.