Chapter 9: The Success of the "Edge Sharpness Formula"
The long night stretched on, with a sparse moon and the stars shining.
Jiang Yuebai sat cross-legged on the bed, gently closing her eyes, her breath steady.
【You began to circulate the energy, drawing out the golden spiritual energy from your dantian, but you went to the wrong acupoint, and the cultivation failed.】
【You started practicing energy circulation again... but you went to the wrong acupoint again, and the cultivation failed.】
【... cultivation failed.】
【... cultivation failed.】
An hour passed quickly, with twenty-three failures. Jiang Yuebai felt sore all over, and her dantian felt empty and contracted, leaving her feeling defeated.
Thinking about Xie Jingshan, who has such high talent and still worked hard, Jiang Yuebai took a deep breath. Who knows, he might have already become proficient in energy circulation and even started learning spells, not to mention the even more formidable Lu Nanzhi.
Jiang Yuebai stabilized her mind and took out the jade slip to place it on her forehead.
In the darkness, she "saw" a transparent figure sitting with hands clasped in a heavenly posture, thumbs facing each other, hands crossed below the lower abdomen.
Golden light emerged from the dantian, lighting up the golden points of each acupoint, flowing in and out of the lungs, converging inside the right arm, and flowing out from the thumb of the right hand, entering the thumb of the left hand. It then traveled upwards from the inside of the left arm until finally returning to the dantian, forming a cycle.
Completing this cycle counted as a successful energy circulation.
Jiang Yuebai carefully compared the cultivation route in the jade slip, familiarizing herself with the acupoints all over her body and summarizing her failures.
The human body has 720 acupoints and 12 meridians. The reason she always failed was that she couldn't accurately identify the acupoints and meridians.
After some thought, Jiang Yuebai found the "Guiding Qi Formula" in which there were detailed illustrations of acupoints and meridians.
Since her talent and comprehension were not high, she decided to use the dumbest method!
Jiang Yuebai took out an embroidery needle, rolled up her sleeves, and pressed the acupoints according to the illustration. For every correct acupoint, she would pierce it with the needle, using pain to help herself remember the positions.
After some busywork, Jiang Yuebai's whole arm and chest were covered in blood spots. Frowning, she put on her clothes and, while the pain hadn't subsided, tried energy circulation again.
The golden spiritual energy flowed from the dantian, as fine as a strand of hair, with extremely weak sensitivity. Jiang Yuebai concentrated all her attention, proceeding carefully.
The long night continued, and the serene moonlight spilled through the window, shining on Jiang Yuebai's focused little face.
【You began to circulate energy using self-infliction because you couldn't find the acupoint accurately. You're fierce, stumbling but still succeeded in cultivating. Mastery of Geng Metal Art +1】
After a complete cycle, Jiang Yuebai's dantian suddenly swelled, and then she "saw" a tiny golden vortex abruptly appearing in the darkness.
The golden light was very faint, shining and turning like sparkling stars, quite beautiful.
Jiang Yuebai quickly checked the cultivation panel.
【Realm】Qi Cultivation Stage 1
【Cultivation Technique】
Geng Metal Art (Unfamiliar: 1/10)
Seeing the proficiency, Jiang Yuebai set her target, she just needed to complete ten cycles to reach proficiency.
After reaching proficiency, she could start learning the "Edge Sharpness Formula," which didn't seem too difficult.
Jiang Yuebai smiled happily and looked out the window. The sky was already turning bright.
Meditation replaced sleep, and she didn't feel tired at all. On the contrary, she felt full of energy.
According to her calculations, if she didn't fail a single time tonight, she could complete three cycles of cultivation, which meant she could reach proficiency in another three to five days.
But for now, she should follow her grandpa's advice and draw in the spiritual energy at sunrise to replenish the consumption of the entire night.
The next morning.
Tao Fengnian was cooking in the kitchen, and Jiang Yuebai followed behind him like a little tail, chirping and telling him about her insights from last night's cultivation.
"Did you really complete a whole cycle of energy circulation?"
Tao Fengnian paused while washing rice, looking at Jiang Yuebai with surprise.
Jiang Yuebai nodded with a smile, "Yes, I saw a small golden vortex. Is it in my dantian?"
Jiang Yuebai tapped her lower abdomen, unable to figure out the exact location of the vortex she saw.
Tao Fengnian moved his lips; the presence of a vortex indicated success.
Tao Fengnian became somewhat absent-minded while washing the rice. At this moment, he genuinely felt grateful to Hong Tao for bringing this child to him.
With her talent and comprehension, as long as she worked hard and her five elements were complete, she would definitely progress in the "Five Elements Returning to the Origin Art" more quickly than him with only four spiritual roots.
The early and middle stages of Qi cultivation were relatively easy and could be achieved in three to five years of hard work. The first two layers of the Linggeng technique were also straightforward. Only the third to fourth layers required long-term practice and comprehension, but there was still hope.
If she passed the three-year assessment and became a Spirit Farming Master, he could request a ten-year longevity pill from the sect for raising her, with a high chance of success!
With ten years of foundation building, he could take another fifty-year longevity pill, and there would still be a chance to reach the Core Formation realm.
In this moment, the dying flame in Tao Fengnian's heart was rekindled. Perhaps he could make one last attempt and strive for three more years.
"Grandpa? Grandpa! The rice has spilled!!"
Jiang Yuebai shouted loudly, quickly snatching the rice bowl from Tao Fengnian's hand and pushing him aside. She carefully picked up each grain of spilled spiritual rice, feeling distressed.
Tao Fengnian wiped his hand on his body and looked at the little girl in front of him, who was not even as tall as the chopping board. He smiled kindly and took out a piece of monster beast meat that he had hidden for a long time.
"Today, we'll stew the meat, and after eating, I'll teach you how to do the horse stance and knife technique."
"Meat! I love it!"
Jiang Yuebai exclaimed with joy, her eyes shining brightly, and she couldn't help but salivate.
As the sun rose in the east, the sky was filled with rosy light.
Jiang Yuebai noticed that Tao Fengnian suddenly became strict with her. During breakfast, he instructed her on proper sitting posture, chewing slowly, not swinging her legs, not clinking the dishes, and not picking through the dishes.
After the meal, he tested her knowledge of characters and recited scriptures, teaching her "Four Essays of Cang Jie" and "Yuexue's Basic Learning." He even took out the Four Treasures of the Study for her to practice ancient seal script and turtle shell script. 1
Then, she practiced the horse stance while holding a book and changed hand gestures in the horse stance to learn spell variations.
After lunch, Tao Fengnian arranged wooden stakes of varying heights in the courtyard, arranged like stars.
He taught her the "Chasing Star Steps" and then a set of "Chopping Firewood Knife Technique."
At night, Jiang Yuebai looked at the steaming rice bowl in front of her, feeling hungry but her arms sore, making it difficult to lift the chopsticks.
Tao Fengnian sat beside her, gently massaging her muscles and bones.
"Tired?"
"Tired, but I feel at ease."
Jiang Yuebai spoke the truth. She feared being denied the chance to learn, just like in front of the sect gate, where they didn't give her any opportunity.
Tao Fengnian nodded approvingly and took out a packet of medicinal herbs.
"After eating, boil some water and soak in this medicinal bath to invigorate your blood. Tomorrow, you won't feel sore anymore. Cultivation may seem difficult, but it's not really. Repeating simple tasks will make you proficient. That's the key."
"Yes, I'll remember."
The next day, after Tao Fengnian finished teaching his lessons, he went out to work. Jiang Yuebai was thirsty for knowledge about the world of cultivation. Even when Tao Fengnian was away, she diligently practiced calligraphy, the horse stance, footwork, knife technique, and hand gestures.
She followed a step-by-step approach, neither arrogant nor impatient, neither rushed nor sluggish.
Autumn brought fragrant orchids, and the spiritual fields gradually became rich with mature spirit grains.
In the spiritual field, the Spirit farmers, along with their respective apprentices, worked diligently, harvesting the heavy spirit grains and bundling them in the fields.
At this time, everyone felt content and joyous.
After paying the sect's share, they could exchange the remaining spirit grains for some spiritual stones and pills. This indicated that their cultivation would improve and that the hope of foundation building was getting closer.
Tao Fengnian had finished harvesting the spirit grains a few days ago. Early in the morning, he wielded the Zhenling hoe to loosen the soil and sowed the winter seeds that had been cultivated with the Red Flame Formula. Then, he spread clouds and rain.
After a light rain, the tender seedlings emerged from the soil, lush and full of vitality.
Tao Fengnian smiled with satisfaction and straightened his back, patting his lower back.
"Old Tao, you work quickly! We have not yet finished the autumn harvesting and you've already finished planting for the winter. How about tasting the newly brewed Red Sakura Fruit Wine? Want a sip?"
Song Peier took off her bamboo hat and lifted a jar of wine, pouring a bowl of pinkish-red fruit wine and handing it to Tao Fengnian.
Tao Fengnian received the bowl, and Song Peier raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Oh, you're in a good mood recently. Are you willing to drink a girl's wine like mine?"
Tao Fengnian took a sip. "It's refreshing."
Song Peier chuckled and looked around, asking, "Didn't that sweet little girl of yours come out to help?"
"She's practicing at home. Your apprentice hasn't come out either," Tao Fengnian replied.
Song Peier raised her eyebrows. "Lu ying just broke through to the first stage of Qi Cultivation yesterday. I let her rest and consolidate today. Tomorrow, she'll start learning the cultivation technique."
"Nineteen days to break through. She's the fastest among our Flower Creek Valley's group of apprentices. In the outer sect, she's considered at an intermediate level. I think she'll be able to learn a basic technique in less than three months and help me with the farm work."
Tao Fengnian remained silent. Three days ago, the little white girl had officially entered the first level of "Geng Metal Art" and started learning the "Edge Sharpness Formula."
Song Peier's eyes flickered, and she leaned closer to ask, "How's your girl doing? No progress yet?"
Tao Fengnian finished the wine in one gulp and handed the bowl back.
"It's almost there."
The "Edge Sharpness Formula" was about to be mastered.
After saying this, Tao Fengnian picked up the hoe and left. Song Peier pouted from behind, "Knowing that your lifespan is almost up, the higher-ups don't even give you a good disciple to accumulate contribution points. What's the point of having one with five spiritual roots?"
TL Note: the Four Treasures of the Study: brush, ink, paper and ink stone
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