As the days passed, Xu Guang threw himself into arduous Cultivation once again, beginning his training in the Bone Forging Realm. He had to admit that Old Zhao’s assessment was correct: his aptitude was far from ideal. Over the past few days, his progress in cultivating the Bone Forging Chapter had been highly unsatisfactory. Even now, he had yet to grasp the basics and truly begin Bone Forging.
He felt a bit irritable. He had originally planned to try entering the Inner City to find an opportunity to avenge his father once he reached Refining Viscera. He had waited far too long, and this sudden bottleneck in his Cultivation left him deeply unsettled.
In the Immortal Institute, Xu Guang respectfully served tea to Old Zhao, his eyes filled with anticipation.
"Master, it has been a few days since I achieved Skin Grinding Mastery. However, successfully initiating Bone Forging feels like a distant dream. May I ask what I am lacking?"
Xu Guang wouldn’t rely on the Searcher for knowledge he could obtain for free.
Old Zhao held his teacup and took a slow, unhurried sip. He was somewhat surprised that Xu Guang had managed to complete Skin Polishing in just three months, though not overly so. Skin Polishing was fundamentally a process of relying on one’s foundation. For all he knew, this disciple of his had an endless supply of Exotic Beast Meat at home. He had once even seen a peerless genius complete Skin Polishing in a mere ten days.
The speed of Skin Polishing ultimately depended on nourishing the body. This was also why children from prominent families rarely began practicing martial arts before coming of age. After all, nourishing the body was a lengthy process, and the better the foundation, the faster the Skin Polishing.
"The most crucial aspects of a Martial Artist’s aptitude are their meridians and Root Bone," Old Zhao said. "Your Root Bone is merely average, and your meridians are downright inferior. For instance, if other people’s meridians are like mighty rivers, yours are at best a small stream. Qi and blood flow through the meridians. No matter how much qi and blood you possess, if the flow rate is too sluggish, your Bone Forging speed will naturally be slow as well."
Xu Guang fell silent. Now understanding exactly what dictated one’s aptitude, he asked further, "Master, is it possible to widen one’s meridians?"
Old Zhao shook his head slightly. "I have never heard of such a thing. At the very least, within Feiyun City or even the entire Qing State, I haven’t heard of it." He paused, his expression turning solemn. "Practicing martial arts is no trivial matter. Do not run random experiments. It is good to desire progress, but do not aim too high and bite off more than you can chew."
"Thank you for the guidance, Master. I will keep it in mind," Xu Guang replied respectfully.
Stepping away from Master Zhao, Xu Guang stood in the courtyard and frowned. Through their interactions over the past few days, he had gained some understanding of Old Zhao’s background. The man had traveled extensively and could definitely be considered knowledgeable. Furthermore, his Cultivation had reached Refining Viscera, placing him near the very pinnacle of Feiyun City.
If that were the case...
He reasoned that even if the Searcher could find a method, it would likely take a massive amount of time. His greatest fear was that before he could even find a method, he would have already broken through. After all, according to Master Zhao, what a breakthrough required was the right opportunity. He couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of urgency.
"I wonder if there is any Bloodline Power related to meridians among Abnormal People," he thought. "If there is..."
As Xu Guang thought of the Blood Eye’s other function—stealing the Bloodline Power of others—Old Zhao shot him a glance.
"If you truly wish to rapidly enter the Bone Forging Realm, it isn’t completely impossible. Spar with others more often; you might just find an opportunity. Otherwise, I advise you to stick to honest Cultivation and avoid biting off more than you can chew."
Xu Guang showed a respectful expression. "Thank you for the pointer, Master."
***
"Junior Brother Xu, what were you talking to the master about just now?" Xu Sanduo sneaked up beside Xu Guang, nudged him with his elbow, and asked in a low voice. Then, as if discovering a blind spot, he added, "Huh, how come you seem a lot paler?"
Xu Guang shook his head, ignoring the question about his complexion. "Just some matters regarding Cultivation. Senior Brother Xu, how did you enter the Bone Forging Realm?"
Xu Sanduo immediately understood and chuckled. "What’s the rush? For this stage, I heard from the elders in my family that you should just eat and drink as usual, and eventually, things will naturally fall into place. I also got married during this stage.
"In my opinion, instead of spending time overthinking this, you’d be better off earning some money and having your brother-in-law help you look for a few good girls."
Xu Guang was speechless. Both Xu Sanduo and Zhao Yong were already married. Xu Sanduo, in particular, was only five years older than him, yet he had three wives and four children. He had to admit that no matter which world it was, the wealthy were always fortunate.
"Forget it. I’m still young," he replied. Calculating by Earth’s standards, he was only seventeen this year. Let alone getting married, he wasn’t even a legal adult yet.
Xu Sanduo gave a wicked smile. "That’s just because you haven’t tasted the sweetness of it. Later, when the master leaves, how about your big brother takes you out to have some fun?"
Xu Guang continued to shake his head. Seeing his insistence, Xu Sanduo didn’t press the invitation. After all, he wasn’t lacking in that department himself, and the girls in the brothel really weren’t as pretty as his three wives at home.
"By the way, Junior Brother Xu, are you short on money lately? A few days ago, my second uncle discovered a sounder of wild boars in Two-Arm Mountain and plans to take some people there to hunt them. You’ve completed Skin Polishing now, so are you interested? We’ll share one with you when the time comes. Your Fourth Senior Brother is going too."
In this day and age, hunting wasn’t something just anyone could do casually. First, you needed the qualifications of a Hunter. Second, you had to be able to afford the exorbitant mountain-entry tax. Finally, you had to be prepared to hand over half of your catch as a Hunter’s tax when leaving the mountain. Because of this, you had to hunt like your life depended on it every time you went into the mountains; otherwise, you wouldn’t even recoup your costs. Solving this dilemma wasn’t actually difficult. As long as you found Noble People and registered under their names, you could be exempt from the mountain-entry tax and would only need to hand over half your catch upon leaving.
Xu Guang was quite interested in venturing into the mountains. During his last search for unexpected wealth, there was still a sum of money in the mountains he had yet to claim. However, he felt that while his current strength might be sufficient to enter the mountains, he was entirely lacking when it came to Martial Dao Techniques and Weapons. Thus, he tactfully declined.
"Thank you for your kind intentions, Senior Brother Xu. It’s just that my brother-in-law provided some financial help a few days ago, and I have an elderly mother at home to support, so it’s not very convenient for me to follow you into the mountains at the moment. If there’s another opportunity like this next time, I definitely won’t miss it."
Hearing this, Xu Sanduo didn’t say much more. He had a free and easygoing nature; he had merely thought of this as a way to assist his poorer fellow disciples. Since his junior brother was unwilling, he wasn’t going to get angry about it.
"Alright."
"What secrets are you two hiding over here to discuss? Could it be that you’re afraid of us overhearing?"
The speaker was a woman with a graceful figure. Her Cultivation of the Golden Willow Skill was vividly displayed in her physique; she resembled a delicate willow swaying in the wind, with a slender waist narrow enough to be spanned by two hands. This woman was named Susu, widely considered the most alluring girl in the Immortal Institute. She wasn’t from a prominent family, but she was quite resourceful and was pampered in the palms of many senior and junior brothers in the courtyard.
Originally, she had never given Xu Guang the time of day, given his commoner background and impoverished family. However, after learning a few days ago that he had achieved Skin Grinding Mastery, she had become noticeably warmer towards him.
Before Xu Guang or Xu Sanduo could reply, someone nearby chimed in.
"What secrets could they have? Junior Brother Xu, have you sunk so low as to mingle with such inferior filth? You are truly disgracing the Xu Family’s reputation."
Wherever there were people, there was the Martial World. Old Zhao had an eccentric temper and hardly managed the disciples he took in, letting them roam free. Ever since Susu had deliberately approached Xu Guang at the start of the recent term, several senior brothers who fancied her had grown secretly dissatisfied and held a grudge against him.
He had merely reached Skin Grinding Mastery. Could this toad really be lusting after swan meat?
Xu Guang was always a man of few words. Faced with Senior Brother Wang’s mockery, he mostly remained silent, which only made the people around him look down on him even more. If he was still this cowardly after achieving Skin Grinding Mastery, how could he ever accomplish anything in the future?
"Senior Brother Wang is right. Senior Brother Xu, I am also a bit curious. This Xu Guang has an ordinary background and mediocre aptitude, yet you don’t seem to care about his origins," another woman added mockingly.
These individuals had been studying under Old Zhao for several years and had long since formed various cliques. Xu Guang had heard Xu Sanduo mention more than once that Susu, Han Juan, and that Senior Brother Wang who had just spoken all belonged to different circles. He had come to the Immortal Institute to practice martial arts and had absolutely no interest in socializing with cliques.
Moreover, even if he wanted to join them, they wouldn’t accept him. Even Fourth Senior Brother Zhao Yong, who had been in the Bone Forging Realm for three years, was still secretly despised by them because of his background.
Xu Sanduo had always believed in treating others with kindness within the courtyard. Being mocked to his face by these people, yet not wanting to tear away all pretenses, he didn’t know how to respond for a moment.
"We are all fellow disciples, everyone..."
From a distance, Old Zhao shouted loudly, "Are you all that idle? If you’re not going to practice martial arts, then get the hell out of here! What do you take my courtyard for?"
The crowd scattered in an uproar, which managed to bail Xu Sanduo out of his predicament.
"Junior Brother Xu, don’t take their words to heart. Just let it pass like a fart in the wind."
Somewhat surprised by Xu Sanduo’s comfort, Xu Guang felt a bit touched. "Don’t worry, Senior Brother Xu. In my younger years, I was insulted far worse than this."
"Hahaha, you certainly have a free and easygoing spirit."
Xu Guang merely shook his head. That was only because these people were just mocking him and hadn’t threatened his or his family’s lives. As for Ma San, who had threatened him in the past, the grass on his grave must be quite tall by now, right?