https://www.novelcool.com/chapter/Chapter-11-Perfection-of-Copper-Bones/12532637/
https://www.novelcool.com/chapter/Chapter-13-Enlightenment-of-the-Secret-Manual/12532639/
Chapter 12: Fabricating a Cultivation Manual, Xu Yan Understands
Chapter 12: Fabricating a Cultivation Manual, Xu Yan Understands
Upon seeing his master wave at him, Xu Yan's spirits were instantly lifted, and he eagerly approached.
"Master must have noticed that I'm just a step away from the Golden Bone realm and am now facing a bottleneck. He's going to guide me through this hurdle!"
Excited, Xu Yan stood before Li Xuan and respectfully bowed. "Master!"
"Good. It's commendable that you've maintained your passion and diligently cultivated," Li Xuan nodded, acknowledging his disciple's hard work.
However, he couldn't help but think to himself, "People with less intelligence tend to be stubborn. Even if they don't make much progress, they remain steadfast in their diligence, and that's truly rare!"
"I have to say, this disciple of mine is actually... quite impressive, even if I'm not some grandmaster."
While Xu Yan was a bit simple-minded, not very bright, and easily deceived, his passion and dedication to cultivation were truly admirable.
"You've been cultivating for some time now, and you've been holding that horse stance for a long while as well. Today, I will teach you something more advanced," Li Xuan said in the manner of a strict teacher.
"Thank you, Master!" Xu Yan exclaimed excitedly. He was thrilled that his master had noticed his struggle with the Golden Bone realm and was about to teach him a more advanced tempering technique.
"Pay close attention," Li Xuan said as he shifted his stance. He crouched slightly with one leg forward and the other back, his hands placed one above the other, also in a forward and back position. His left hand was held in front of his lower abdomen, palm facing down, while his right elbow was bent with the palm raised to shoulder height, palm facing up.
After demonstrating the stance, Li Xuan looked at Xu Yan and said, "From now on, this will be your new horse stance. Do you understand?"
Xu Yan imitated the stance, nodding as he said, "Master, I understand!"
Li Xuan relaxed his stance, placing one hand behind his back as he said, "This is the basic posture, and there are two lines of a cultivation manual that go along with it. You should carefully contemplate them, and how much you understand will depend on your own insight."
Simply teaching a new horse stance would be too monotonous, so he might as well make up a cultivation manual to go with it.
With that thought, Li Xuan slowly spoke, "Remember this well: 'Clarify the mind, observe the self, nurture true intent; Qi and blood like dragons forge the golden body.' Contemplate these words deeply, and if you can truly understand this manual, you will grasp its subtleties."
After finishing his explanation, Li Xuan strolled away with his hands behind his back, fully embodying the image of a wise and detached master.
At that moment, Xu Yan was filled with excitement. He murmured to himself, "'Clarify the mind, observe the self, nurture true intent; Qi and blood like dragons forge the golden body'... How profound and extraordinary! I must carefully contemplate these words!"
"This must be the secret to tempering the Golden Bone and even the Jade Bone! If I can understand the profound meaning within, I will definitely be able to temper the Golden Bone!"
Xu Yan was completely immersed in the "cultivation manual," losing himself in its words.
His mind was filled with the manual's phrases, which he repeated and silently recited, hoping to gain some insight from them.
However, even as the night grew deeper, he still couldn't seem to grasp their meaning.
"It's too profound," Xu Yan thought. "I've already achieved a high level of understanding when it comes to bone tempering, and I have a deep comprehension of it. Yet, I still haven't been able to fathom the depth of these words after all this time."
"Just as Master said, if I can understand the manual, I will be able to appreciate its subtleties."
"Xu Yan, you can do it! You will understand the manual and temper the Golden Bone!" Xu Yan encouraged himself.
His gaze was determined, and he showed no signs of discouragement.
It had been less than a day since he received the manual, and it was only natural that he hadn't grasped its profound meaning yet. A few more days of contemplation would surely do the trick.
...
Before going to bed, Li Xuan stepped out to check on Xu Yan and found the foolish young man still standing there, muttering the made-up manual to himself.
"This kid... I hope he hasn't gone crazy," Li Xuan thought. "I hope his mind hasn't taken a turn for the worse."
"It's late. Go get some rest," Li Xuan said.
Xu Yan snapped out of his trance and hastily bowed. "Yes, Master!"
Li Xuan nodded. Although his disciple seemed a bit obsessed, he still listened to his master's words, so Li Xuan wasn't too concerned.
If Xu Yan truly got stuck in a dead end, he could always spend some time guiding him and setting him back on the right path.
With that in mind, Li Xuan returned to his room to sleep.
Xu Yan took a deep breath and thought to himself, "Insight comes with opportunity and inspiration. Forcing it will only push it further away. I almost got lost in my thoughts and disturbed my own mind."
"Thank goodness Master brought me back to my senses!"
"I'll rest, replenish my energy, and calm my mind. Tomorrow is another day."
"The manual is so profound that it can't be understood overnight. I should be able to grasp it in a few more days. My talent isn't that bad!" Xu Yan reasoned with himself before heading off to rest.
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Xu Yan continued his routine of cultivation, tending to his vegetables and weeds, feeding the chickens, taking care of the rabbits, cooking, and so on, without any changes to his schedule.
The only change was in his horse stance.
He remained stuck at the peak of the Copper Bone realm and couldn't seem to break through to the next level.
Each day, as he cultivated, he contemplated the two lines of the "cultivation manual," but he still couldn't fathom their profound meaning.
Three days had passed, and he had gained nothing.
"If I can't even understand these two lines, how can I hope to temper the Golden Bone? How can I even begin?"
"This is just the basic realm's manual. The manuals for the subsequent realms will surely be even more enigmatic. How will I continue my cultivation then?"
"Calm down and don't be impatient! Master always says not to rush, not to aim too high, and to be down-to-earth..." Xu Yan took a moment to calm his mind and quiet his restless qi.
"Master said that having no women in your heart will make your cultivation divine. This is a state of mind, a way to eliminate the greatest distraction for young men with surging blood.
"Master used women as an analogy for the greatest distraction in cultivation, and there must be a deeper meaning to it. He's trying to tell me not to get caught up in distractions.
"What are my distractions?"
Xu Yan's mind began to fill in the blanks, extrapolating a series of profound meanings from the phrase "having no women in your heart will make your cultivation divine." He soon fell into a deep contemplation.
If Li Xuan knew how well Xu Yan could fill in the blanks, he would surely be astonished. "This guy isn't just simple-minded; he has an incredibly active imagination!"
"My distraction... is cultivation. My mind is always focused on cultivation, but is that really a distraction?
"I understand now!"
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Xu Yan, and he understood once more.
"Cultivation is a quest, a belief, a will, but I was only fixated on it, and it became a distraction!
"I should let go of my attachment to cultivation itself and focus on the present, forgetting external things and unnecessary sensations... With no self and no distractions, I can fully immerse myself in the manual and truly understand it..."
In that moment, it was as if a window had opened in Xu Yan's mind, revealing endless insights.
The true meaning of the two lines of the manual seemed to be veiled by a thin layer of mist, and he felt that with just a slight touch, he could tear away the veil and see the true meaning hidden beneath.
"'Clarify the mind, observe the self, nurture true intent'—clarifying the mind is to see oneself clearly, to have a pure and lucid mind; observing the self is to experience and scrutinize the flow of qi and blood, and to observe the subtle changes within; nurturing true intent is to allow the qi and blood to nourish the bones, to permeate the bone marrow, transforming the qi and blood and elevating the bone marrow..."
"I understand now!" Xu Yan's eyes sparkled with excitement, and his face was filled with elation.
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(End of Chapter)
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