It was no surprise that Wen Hanshan would react that way, after all, every person’s talent differed.
Even if one possessed a spiritual root, not everyone could successfully step onto the path of cultivation.
The very first great barrier that stood before a cultivator was “drawing in spiritual energy.”
To put it plainly, the process involved sensing the energy of heaven and earth, using one’s spiritual root to communicate with it, and finally succeeding in drawing in a single wisp of spiritual energy, this would mark the completion of the “Qi Induction” stage.
Yet, there were always some people clearly born with spiritual roots who were abnormally dull in perception.
They could barely sense the existence of spiritual energy at all, let alone draw it into their bodies.
Another major test was the duration of the meditative trance during this first induction of Qi.
On the Tianming Continent, there was no fixed standard for how long this trance should last. But according to the observations of their predecessors, the longer one could remain in meditation during this process, the greater the potential they often displayed.
Most cultivators with dual spiritual roots could maintain a meditative trance for five days at most, that was already considered outstanding.
But Lou Xingyao had remained in meditation for ten days straight.
That was nearly the same as Wen Hanshan’s record back then.
How could that not please him?
“It’s already been ten days?” Lou Xingyao blinked in surprise. He hadn’t felt any passage of time at all, indeed, the whole process of drawing Qi into his body had felt as brief as the flick of a finger.
No wonder people often said that cultivation knew no years.
Lifting his gaze, he saw Wen Hanshan still seated in the same position as when he had first entered meditation, clearly, the man had guarded him without leaving for ten days.
Lou Xingyao couldn’t help but smile, “Many thanks to Brother Wen for watching over me.”
Only then did he notice how stiff his own face felt, as if something thick were plastered over it, hindering his movements.
He instinctively raised a hand to touch his face, and immediately there came a series of crackling sounds.
Looking down, he was startled to see that his entire body was covered in a layer of dark, muddy crust.
The hardened coating was blackish-brown, and within it were traces of old, congealed blood, mixed with unknown dark filth, giving it a revolting look.
As he moved, the dried crust broke apart and began to crumble off him, piece by piece, filling the air with the foul stench of half-dried rot beneath the surface.
It was said that out of ten physicians, eleven were clean freaks and one of those eleven was twice as bad.
Unfortunately, Lou Xingyao was that “twice as bad” one.
The mere sight of the grime clinging to his skin made him go rigid.
“What… what is this?”
“The residue of blood pushed out when the Meridian Renewal Pill reconnected your veins, along with the impurities your body expelled during the Qi Induction process,” Wen Hanshan’s voice drifted over lazily from several meters away.
Only then did Lou Xingyao realize that Wen Hanshan, who had been beside him before, was now standing quite a distance off, clearly, he had anticipated this very scene.
Suddenly recalling that Qi Induction also had the effect of washing the meridians and cleansing the marrow, Lou Xingyao’s expression twisted with indignation, “Why didn’t you remind me earlier?”
Even from afar, he could see the gleam of amusement in Wen Hanshan’s eyes.
Without giving him the chance to respond, Lou Xingyao leapt up and bolted toward his room, exuding the determination of a man who would not rest until he’d scrubbed himself spotless from head to toe.
When his figure finally disappeared behind the door, Wen Hanshan at last murmured leisurely, “If I’d warned you, how could I have enjoyed such an entertaining sight?”
A hint of mischief gleamed in his eyes.
Naturally, Lou Xingyao who by now had immersed himself completely in a tub of hot water, didn’t see it.
The crusted filth peeled off easily enough; the scabs had long dried, and a little pressure made them fall away in large chunks.
The difficulty lay not in cleaning but in overcoming the mental discomfort it caused him.
When his skin was finally red from the heat and scrubbing, Lou Xingyao climbed out of the bath, pulled on a clean robe and immediately noticed something strange.
His once well-fitting clothes now came up short at the wrists and ankles.
Looking down at himself, he realized with astonishment that his body had changed.
Most noticeably, his height, he’d shot up from just under 1.7 meters to nearly 1.78 meters in one go, a growth of almost ten centimeters.
On the day of his wedding, Lou Xingyao had even overheard one of the maids muttering that his complexion wasn’t as fine as the young servants’.
But now, every trace of dullness and roughness was gone. His skin was smooth, supple, and faintly luminous like polished jade.
If those vain noblewomen from his past life saw this effect, who knew how madly they would chase after it?
Lou Xingyao silently mused as he brushed his fingertips over his forearm.
He could also feel that his strength had increased significantly.
Even when he had first obtained the power of the “Celestial Stars,” he’d noticed some changes in his body. But now those changes were sharper, more pronounced.
He reached for a bronze candlestick on the table and gave it a gentle squeeze.
He hadn’t used much strength at all, yet the thick metal twisted under his fingers.
His vision and hearing had also become sharper, keener.
Feeling the strange, vibrant power flowing through him, Lou Xingyao finally understood why so many yearned for immortality. Who could possibly resist this temptation?
As he thought this, he fetched the moon-white robe Wen Hanshan had thrown him when they’d left the Zhou household.
It used to be a bit too large, but now it fit almost snugly. Among all the garments he had, it looked the most decent.
Without fussing over details, he pushed open the door and stepped out.
Under the pale moonlight, Wen Hanshan was practicing his sword.
Unlike the complex sword forms he had used that morning, this time his movements were simple and foundational, even Lou Xingyao could follow them with his eyes.
Remembering Wen Hanshan’s earlier advice to join him in morning and evening practice, Lou Xingyao quietly chose a corner of the courtyard, sat down cross-legged, and began meditating.
Once again, the first page of The Ten Thousand Heavenly Stars Art appeared in his mind.
Only this time, instead of the Qi Induction formula, it now revealed the method for the Qi Refining stage.
The so-called Qi Refining stage involved using spiritual energy to open the eight extraordinary meridians within the body.
Each meridian opened raised one’s cultivation by a level, until all eight were connected, marking the eighth layer of Qi Refining.
When the spiritual energy could fully circulate through the twelve main meridians and the eight extraordinary ones, forming a complete loop with the dantian, that would signify reaching the ninth layer, at which point one could prepare to build the foundation.
For now, the Foundation Establishment stage was still far away. His immediate task was to open the first of his meridians, the Ren Meridian.
For Lou Xingyao, who had memorized the entire human meridian chart by age three, locating it was hardly a challenge.
He began circulating the Ten Thousand Heavenly Stars Art once again.
This time, his control of the internal Qi was more refined, directing it precisely toward the first acupoint of the Ren Meridian.
Opening a meridian sounded simple enough in words, but doing it was another matter entirely. Even that first acupoint took him considerable effort to breach.
When he finally managed it and opened his eyes, dawn light was already spilling across the horizon.
He had not slept a wink the entire night and yet, he felt no fatigue at all.
Wen Hanshan, still in the courtyard, sheathed his sword at the very moment Lou Xingyao’s eyes opened. He walked over slowly, his gaze sweeping across Lou Xingyao’s form.
Without the concealing charm he had once worn, Lou’s transformation was plain to see.
A faint look of satisfaction rose in Wen Hanshan’s eyes, “One night and you’ve already opened your first meridian. Not bad at all.”
But what pleased him even more was Lou Xingyao’s attitude, he had indeed taken his words to heart.
Wen had sensed him the moment he entered the courtyard the night before, but chose not to interrupt, he wanted to see what Lou would do of his own accord.
The result did not disappoint. Not only had Lou begun meditating unprompted, but he had done so with full focus and steadiness.
Lou Xingyao could naturally hear the deeper meaning in his tone, and smiled softly, “I owe it to your guidance, Brother Wen.”
It wasn’t mere politeness, if not for Wen Hanshan’s sharp rebuke that day, he might not have survived the Meridian Renewal Pill’s power, much less gained his current benefits.
“You and that silver tongue of yours,” Wen said with a faint smile, tapping Lou’s forehead lightly.
But since teaching had been mentioned, Wen Hanshan’s expression turned a little more serious.
“The importance of a cultivation technique, you should understand that well enough. My spiritual root is of thunder, so the sword techniques I practice aren’t suited to you. I had planned to find a proper method for you once your meridians recovered, but I didn’t expect you to enter Qi Induction so soon.”
He paused, searching for the right words before continuing, “When you drew Qi into your body, I saw the movement of the stars respond, it seems your technique is of high grade. Judging from your current progress, it also suits you well. But… is the technique complete?”
It was understandable that Wen Hanshan would ask with such caution.
A person’s cultivation method was an extremely private matter; a well-learned observer could infer one’s weaknesses just from its structure.
Unless there was deep trust, cultivators rarely discussed their techniques even with close companions.
Thus, this question was even more sensitive than asking about one’s wealth.
But Lou Xingyao understood Wen’s concern, he feared that the technique might be incomplete.
In this world’s setting, cultivation techniques were divided into five ranks: Heaven, Earth, Profound, Yellow, and Human.
Heaven-grade was the highest, capable of leading a cultivator all the way to ascension, while Human-grade was the lowest, allowing one to reach only Foundation Establishment at best.
The Tianming Continent was a small world, and most circulating techniques were of the Human grade.
Only a select few possessed Yellow-grade methods.
The rarity of Golden Core cultivators on the continent wasn’t only due to differences in talent but also because most people’s techniques limited them to Foundation Establishment.
Even when a Yellow-grade technique appeared, it was often incomplete. If one failed to repair it, not only would advancement become impossible, but a single misstep could cause the meridians to reverse, leading to Qi deviation and madness.
And that… was exactly what Wen Hanshan feared.
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
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☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Crossing OverChapter 2 · Lu XioaWuChapter 3 · UncleChapter 4 · Substitute MarriageChapter 5 · Travelling Through BookChapter 6 · SpaceChapter 7 · InheritanceChapter 8 · ExplanationChapter 9 · He familyChapter 10 · CompensateChapter 11 · WeddingChapter 12 · LeavingChapter 13 · SuspicionChapter 14 · Change SurnameChapter 14 · Change SurnameChapter 15 · SummaryChapter 16 · Family BusinessChapter 17 · ResettlementChapter 18 · DeterminationChapter 19 · TreatChapter 20 · Enter the TaoChapter 21 · Private TrainingChapter 22 · BreakthroughChapter 23 · ExperienceChapter 24 Part 1 · Questions and AnswersChapter 24 Part 2 · Questions and answersChapter 25 · GiftChapter 25 Part 1 · GiftChapter 26 Part 1 · Sword IntentChapter 26 Part 2 · Sword IntentChapter 27 Part 1 · SelectChapter 27 Part 2 · SelectChapter 28 Part 1 · PastChapter 28 Part 2 · PastChapter 29 Part 1 · ConfessionChapter 29 Part 2 · ConfessionChapter 30 Part 1 · TradeChapter 30 Part 2 · TradeChapter 31 Part 1 · Male LeadChapter 31 Part 2 · Male LeadChapter 32 Part 1 · LuckChapter 32 Part 2 · LuckChapter 33 Part 1 · GuessingChapter 33 Part 2 · GuessingChapter 34 Part 1 · SystemChapter 34 Part 2 · SystemChapter 35 · OpportunityChapter 36 Part 1 · LingquanChapter 36 Part 2 · LingquanChapter 37 Part 1 · Hundred Flowers PartChapter 37 Part 2 · Hundred Flowers PartChapter 38 · Worth itChapter 39 · SaintessChapter 40 · ExperimentChapter 41 · Vampire SystemChapter 42 · NotesChapter 43 · WarningChapter 44 · PlanChapter 45 · Fellow VillagersChapter 46 · AssimilationChapter 47 · IlliterateChapter 48 · Pak WahChapter 49 · Sudden EnlightenmentChapter 50 · Wen ZhiChapter 51 · CarrierChapter 52 · LeavingChapter 53 · Follow UpChapter 54 · OutrageousChapter 55 · OnceChapter 56 · TeasingChapter 57 · Playing aroundChapter 58 · Beast fireChapter 59 · Watching a PlayChapter 60 · Extermination of the entire clanChapter 61 · ChoiceChapter 62 · PossessionChapter 63 · CalculationChapter 64 · GuaranteedChapter 65 · Grand OpeningChapter 66 · Grand OpeningChapter 67 · Protecting one’s ownChapter 68 · Secret RealmChapter 69 · BetrayalChapter 70 · DetailsChapter 71 · FramedChapter 72 · MeetingChapter 73 · KillChapter 74 · MapChapter 75 · FoundationChapter 76 · Strange Phenomenon!Chapter 77 · ExchangeChapter 78 · LetterChapter 79 · ShortcutChapter 80 · God of Slaughter!Chapter 81 · Poison PillChapter 82 · Lou ShuChapter 83 · ProgressChapter 84 · An attemptChapter 85 · Movement and StillnessChapter 86 · Good intentionsChapter 87 · ChangeChapter 88 · Childhood friendChapter 89 · ThoughtsChapter 90 · Old storiesChapter 91 · HeritageChapter 92 · TestChapter 93 · LoverChapter 94 · Heartfelt wishesChapter 95 · MasterChapter 96 · TeachingChapter 97 · IllusionChapter 98 · Mutual RestraintChapter 99 · ObstructionChapter 100 · PalaceChapter 101 · Core TechniqueChapter 102 · OathChapter 103 · Dual cultivationChapter 104 · AccessChapter 105 · VulnerabilityChapter 106 · DensityChapter 107 · WantedChapter 108 · EntrustChapter 109 · RevisitChapter 110 · MonitoringChapter 111 · Secret RealmChapter 112 · NourishChapter 113 · InventoryChapter 114 · Get Rich QuicklyChapter 115 · ElderChapter 116 · Grand FormationChapter 117 · Heaven’s WillChapter 118 · BountyChapter 119 · GainChapter 120 · BlameChapter 121 · ChattingChapter 122 · GuessChapter 123 · Zheng TianChapter 124 · SparringChapter 125 · Sword intentChapter 126 · KenshinChapter 127 · Auditing a classChapter 128 · CoincidenceChapter 129 · ContradictionChapter 130 · RouteChapter 131 · CostChapter 132 · ConfiscatedChapter 133 · Holding a grudgeChapter 134 · SupportChapter 135 · DeteriorationChapter 136 · Unable toChapter 137 · PriceChapter 138 · VariantChapter 139 · Start AnewChapter 140 · ShamelessChapter 141 · Black PotChapter 142 · Benefiting fromChapter 143 · PieChapter 144 · DifferencesChapter 145 · DetoxificationChapter 146 · Current situationChapter 147 · TeasingChapter 148 · IntelligenceChapter 149 · Returned GiftChapter 150 · Old debtChapter 151 · FleshChapter 152 · OpeningChapter 153 · GrudgesChapter 154 · RegretChapter 155 · Gang fightChapter 156 · GentleChapter 157 · ComplaintChapter 158 · ScreamsChapter 159 · GeniusChapter 160 · ConcernChapter 161 · Hidden StoryChapter 162 · StingyChapter 163 · Guilty conscienceChapter 164 Part 1 · StruggleChapter 164 Part 2 · StruggleChapter 165 · Win or LoseChapter 166 · TasteChapter 167 · Shifting The BlameChapter 168 · MoonlightChapter 169 · Past EventChapter 170 · RegretChapter 171 · RetributionChapter 172 · Cause and EffectChapter 173 · BackgroundChapter 174 · FlatteryChapter 175 · HonestChapter 176 · BookkeepingChapter 177 · FarewellChapter 178 · GuidelineChapter 179 · BottleneckChapter 180 · HabitChapter 181 · Casual ChatChapter 182 · Flowing WaterChapter 183 · RumoursChapter 184 · Seeking AdviceChapter 185 · PityChapter 186 · FormationChapter 187 · BasicChapter 188 · Fake TombChapter 189 · BewareChapter 190 · TraceChapter 191 · DiscussChapter 192 · Ancestral preceptsChapter 193 · Loose CultivatorChapter 194 · AllocationChapter 195 · Thank you for your kindnessChapter 196 · ExplanationChapter 197 · ErrorChapter 198 · Culinary skillsChapter 199 · Starry SeaChapter 200 · ComparisonChapter 201 · FrustratedChapter 202 · Don’t watchChapter 203 · LonelinessChapter 204 · NoChapter 205 · Exposing ShortcutsChapter 206 · CraftsmanshipChapter 207 · Bottom LineChapter 208 · StrikeChapter 209 · Ten GoldChapter 210 · Pretentious