Chapter 24 Viscera Refinement Perfection (Request for Follow-up Reading)

Ten days later, Xu Yan returned, bringing with him a Jade Ruyi, as well as several jade ornaments.

"Good, good, my disciple truly grasps my heart."

Li Xuan was overjoyed.

This disciple was truly outstanding!

Look at the jade, it's worth a small fortune!

Such beauty!

As for the fierce beasts in the Evil Spirit Forest, since Xu Yan had returned, that naturally meant the issue had been resolved, so Li Xuan did not inquire further.

However, there seemed to be something different about Xu Yan this time he returned.

Exactly what was different, Li Xuan couldn't pinpoint, but he felt a moment of puzzlement and didn't think much of it afterward.

After Xu Yan returned, he resumed his usual cultivation rhythm, but this time, he began Viscera Refinement.

"The viscera are fragile; as Viscera Refinement begins, one must be cautious and patient, never rushing, else it's easy to harm oneself."

Xu Yan, in the midst of Viscera Refinement, directed his internal energy and blood, first nourishing his heart; as the hardening commenced, his heartbeat grew stronger, and with each beat, the energy and blood throughout his body amplified.

"Strive to complete Viscera Refinement within three months."

After Xu Yan had refined his jade bones, his confidence soared; completing Viscera Refinement in three months was rather conservative.

Three days later.

With the hardening, the heart became stronger, and the internal energy and blood had increased by more than half; it was now possible to intensify the refinement without fear of damaging the heart.

However, with the strengthening of his heart, Xu Yan discovered some problems.

"I feel somewhat unbalanced; it's not enough to refine only the heart, I must refine the other viscera as well."

Xu Yan began refining his lungs.

He remembered vividly what his master had told him about Viscera Refinement: the five viscera correspond to the five elements, the flow of energy and blood through the viscera makes them one; when the five elements unite, Viscera Refinement is achieved.

The viscera, after initial hardening and strengthening, meant that Xu Yan's subsequent step was simultaneous refinement of all five viscera, with the energy and blood circulating among them; with each refinement, he could feel his own escalation.

His internal energy and blood were also constantly strengthening.

...

After Xu Yan's return, life went back to normal, and Li Xuan became more at ease.

He was profoundly moved by Xu Yan's determination.

This silly disciple, truly persistent.

"Half of the one-year term has passed; just another half year, and I can be free."

Li Xuan sighed with emotion.

Just another half year, and the master-disciple relationship could be dissolved, then he could hide away in Wu Country.

With the generous gifts Xu Yan gave as tribute, living a life of wealth presented no problems at all; taking two or three beautiful wives would allow him to blissfully pass his days.

After all, judging by the current situation, there were no immensely powerful Martial Arts.

Moreover, even if such techniques existed, if Xu Yan, with his background, couldn't come in contact with them, how could he possibly do so?

The Viscera Refinement proceeded without any ripples, smoothly and effortlessly.

Perhaps it was because he had hardened his jade bones, his foundation in Martial Arts was solid, and the Viscera Refinement was very smooth, steadily advancing.

After over two months of arduous cultivation, Xu Yan was nearing the completion of his Viscera Refinement.

The robustness of his viscera had almost left the state of mere flesh.

At this moment, Xu Yan's strength had improved two to threefold compared to the start of Viscera Refinement.

Especially his energy and blood, they were incredibly powerful, with both quality and quantity having seen tremendous improvements.

Indistinctly, his rich internal energy and blood could at any time burst out of his body, forming a protective barrier.

"I will be able to complete Viscera Refinement within three to five days."

Sensing the changes within himself, Xu Yan was excited beyond measure.

Viscera Refinement complete, the threshold of entry to Martial Arts was now within sight.

"According to Master's words, once Viscera Refinement is perfected, merging the foundational realms of Skin Refinement, Bone Refinement, and Viscera Refinement into one, uniting them within oneself, one can then enter the path of Martial Arts.

"At the moment of Martial Arts entry, muscles and bones thunder, and qi and blood surge like a robust wind."

Immersion in introspection, Xu Yan gave careful consideration to how he might achieve such unity, integrate everything within himself, and step into Martial Arts.

It seemed straightforward and simple, yet achieving integration and unity was not at all easy.

"Skin, bones, viscera are already parts of my body, how to merge and unify them? How to integrate them within myself? They are already my body, already belonging to one self."

Xu Yan was lost in deep thought.

"No, I have realized the wrong direction.

"Master said that it is about 'comprehension', about 'intention', not about form. To integrate and unify, is it about their intent? Or the qi and blood?

"I vaguely have some enlightenment, but it is not enough.

"No rush, once my Viscera Refinement is perfected, I will carefully sense how to merge and unify, how to integrate everything within myself."

Xu Yan calmed his heart and continued his Viscera Refinement.

Three days later, Xu Yan's Viscera Refinement reached perfection.

However, as for how to merge and unify, integrate everything within himself, he was at a loss.

Muscles and bones thundering, qi and blood surging robustly, he could not achieve.

"I feel I am just a little short of entering Martial Arts, just a little short of making my qi and blood surge robustly, yet I always fail to cross the threshold.

"It seems that only because I have not completely controlled myself have I been unable to enter."

Xu Yan carefully pondered over himself, vaguely feeling that he was about to make that entrance.

Only one step away.

Yet, it was this step that seemed impossible to take.

Gripping his fists tightly, as his qi and blood pulsed, a faint layer of qi and blood appeared on his fists, red as fire, intense in sensation but insufficiently condensed, far from a surging state of qi and blood.

Not to mention surrounding his entire body with surging qi and blood.

"Just one step away, no need to be anxious, I will eventually step in.

"What I need to do now is to relax myself, relax from the state of strenuous cultivation, for only with an eased mind can the true essence be easily comprehended."

Xu Yan began to relax himself, reducing his practice time, tending to the chickens, weeding, and planting vegetables, and occasionally riding a horse around.

"What's with this foolish disciple, why has he stopped diligent cultivation? It looks like he's playing around?"

Li Xuan was confused. These past few days, Xu Yan had not been practicing diligently, but seemed to be in a leisurely state.

"He can't be doubting my teachings, can he?"

Li Xuan fell into contemplation.

After secretly observing Xu Yan for two days, he realized that apart from not being as diligent in cultivation as before, the boy was still doing what he should be doing and had not changed in any way.

His attitude towards him was still exceedingly respectful.

Since there was no doubt, Li Xuan let out a sigh of relief, not eager to give Xu Yan a boost or encourage him to increase his cultivation.

"I have a little understanding now."

That day, after dinner, Xu Yan commenced his cultivation.

His relaxation over these past days, along with his bodily awareness, had suddenly brought him to an understanding of how to merge and unify, integrate everything within himself.

His qi and blood circulated from the skin to the bones and then to the viscera, the whole body acting as one, merging and unifying. At that instant, qi and blood were no longer in a state of divergence, but consolidated within the body.

At the moment of integrating and unifying qi and blood within himself, Xu Yan's control over his own qi and blood experienced a tremendous boost as the qi and blood continuously integrated and unified.

Skin Refinement, Bone Refinement, and Viscera Refinement formed a complete cycle, with qi and blood in the body skyrocketing and beginning to break through to the exterior.

His strength also continued to surge violently.

Xu Yan entered a mysterious state, having already forgotten everything around him.

After an unknown amount of time, the qi and blood emerging from his body grew more intense and from a foggy state began to condense, expanding outward.

It wasn't until it reached an area of about three feet from his body that it ceased expanding. The qi and blood began to churn as if undergoing a transformation, continuously becoming more solid.