Chapter 78

After listening to Zhu Youxiang's introduction of the wonders of the "Mystic Heaven Demon-Slaying True Art," Xu Yan naturally felt a sense of anticipation: according to the tropes of cultivation novels, the story's protagonist would often encounter an ordinary old man on the road who would impart supreme skills. These old men were either former top experts in the world, grandmasters of major sects, or hidden demon lords—anyway, they were all very powerful and influential figures.

Now, following the tropes of cultivation novels, my new master, Zhu Youxiang, shouldn't be an ordinary person, right? In the cultivation world of the Great Ming, she should be a renowned grandmaster or a fearsome and bloodthirsty demoness, to highlight the protagonist's destiny!

Xu Yan asked cautiously, "Xuanyun, uh, I don't understand the rules of your cultivation world, but there's something I want to ask. If it's too forward, please don't be offended?"

Zhu Youxiang raised her delicate eyebrows and smiled, "Sir, please speak your mind."

"Then I'll be forward: Xuanyun, what level of cultivation have you reached?"

Zhu Youxiang laughed, "No wonder you said it was forward. Indeed, in our Great Ming cultivation world, it's a major taboo to inquire about someone's cultivation level if you're not close friends or teacher and student. However, I have no reason to hide anything from you—I am currently at the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment realm."

Xu Yan, still ignorant of the various cultivation realms, asked Zhu Youxiang, "So, Xuanyun, is the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment realm considered high or low in terms of cultivation progress?"

Zhu Youxiang patiently explained to Xu Yan that cultivation was divided into levels and realms. Starting from the lowest level—Enlightenment—cultivators would go through Enlightenment, Early Qi Induction, Middle Qi Induction, Peak Qi Induction, Early Spirit Condensation, Middle Spirit Condensation, Peak Spirit Condensation, Early Qi Practice, Middle Qi Practice, Late Qi Practice, and then Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul realms. According to Zhu Youxiang, introducing realms beyond the Qi Practice stage to Xu Yan was unnecessary, as he probably wouldn't reach them in his lifetime.

"As for whether the middle stage of Foundation Establishment is considered high or low, I can't really say—according to the Great Ming cultivation world, one must reach the Golden Core stage to be called a True Person. I am still far from that goal.

However, for ordinary cultivators, reaching the middle stage of Foundation Establishment is not easy. It can take fifty to sixty years to progress from the blank Enlightenment stage to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment."

Zhu Youxiang smiled, a hint of pride in her voice, "Our sect's cultivation method emphasizes the path of the sword and the way of battle. Although it carries some risks, in terms of cultivation speed, it is much faster than other sects. With my master's care and guidance, and my not-so-bad talent and hard work—"

Although Zhu Youxiang modestly said her talent was "not too bad," Xu Yan could see the self-satisfied smile on her face, a smile that only a prodigy would have. She said with a smile, "Therefore, my cultivation progress is much faster than my fellow disciples. According to the records of our sect, I reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment in just seven years, which is the second-fastest in a thousand years, only behind the founder of our Sword Saint Sect, Xu Haibo!"

"Congratulations, a great achievement indeed!"

Xu Yan didn't really care if Zhu Youxiang was the second-best in a thousand years or the hundredth. He just knew she was boasting about her prowess. He insincerely congratulated her and then asked, "So, Xuanyun, according to the standards of the cultivation world in the Great Ming, does your current middle stage of Foundation Establishment make you a grandmaster?"

Zhu Youxiang's face turned slightly red. She was always proud of her intelligence and rapid cultivation progress, and she wanted to tell Xu Yan that she was a powerful and significant figure in the cultivation world. However, she still had some sense of shame and couldn't bring herself to say such things—according to the cultivation world, to be recognized as a grandmaster, one must at least reach the Nascent Soul stage to be qualified to establish a sect.

According to the cultivation hierarchy, Foundation Establishment, Heart Movement, Golden Core, Nascent Soul... Zhu Youxiang knew that her middle stage of Foundation Establishment was still far from the Nascent Soul stage. Even if the cultivation world lowered its standards, it wouldn't consider a Foundation Establishment cultivator a grandmaster.

This guy really knows how to bring up the sore spots!

Zhu Youxiang answered irritably, "Well, I have been cultivating for a short time, and although my progress is not slow, I haven't yet reached the realm of a True Person or a grandmaster—" She glared at Xu Yan, a bit embarrassed, "Sir, why do you keep asking about this? Do you still intend to learn?"

Xu Yan, though inexperienced with women, could tell from Zhu Youxiang's annoyed expression what "embarrassed anger" looked like. He immediately backed off, raising his hands in surrender, "Master, your disciple knows he was wrong and won't speak out of turn again!"

Zhu Youxiang gave him a glare, "Hmph!"

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The first step in cultivation is to find the sense of qi.

Following Zhu Youxiang's instructions, Xu Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, straightened his back, and relaxed his shoulders, meditating to find the sense of qi within his body. Zhu Youxiang required him to "clear his mind, focus his intention on the dantian, embrace the true and maintain the one, and let his mind be like that of a child in a vast, snowy landscape." However, this simple step was not easy to achieve.

The human mind is a mysterious thing. When Xu Yan meditated, he tried to stop himself from thinking, but his mind kept wandering to various things. He thought of Gong Xueting, Chen Yaoyu, Zheng Qiuyi, and Zhu Youxiang... In short, the unambitious Xu Yan kept thinking about beautiful women. Various thoughts flooded his mind, making it impossible for him to concentrate. After sitting in meditation for two hours, he hadn't even found a trace of qi.

Xu Yan became a bit anxious, worrying, "If I can't find the sense of qi after sitting in meditation for so long, does this mean I lack the talent and aptitude for cultivation?"

Zhu Youxiang understood Xu Yan's concerns but couldn't do much about it. She could only comfort him, "Sir, there's no need to rush. It's difficult for newcomers to pass the qi-sensing meditation stage, and it's all about the cultivator's aptitude. The human mind is naturally uncontrollable, and it's hard to suppress it completely and stop it from wandering.

Meditation and entering a state of tranquility is a process that goes from shallow to deep, ultimately reaching a state of deep meditation. Cultivation sects usually prefer to recruit young boys or children as disciples. Why? Because children are inexperienced, have simple minds, and can easily reach a state of tranquility during meditation. Sir, you are already twenty and have had many experiences, so your mind is naturally more complex. It's natural that it will take longer to find the sense of qi, so there's no need to worry. If you don't succeed in one day, try for two; if not in two days, try for three. We have plenty of time, so there's no need to rush.

Here, I have a small meditation technique to teach you, called 'Listening to the Breath'—'Listening to the Breath' means listening to your own breathing, using the rhythmic sound of your breath to enter a state of deep meditation. The method is to listen inwardly with both ears, blocking out external sounds, and focus on your own breathing.

Sir, when you 'listen' to your breath, the purpose is not to listen but to help you concentrate and maintain tranquility; it's not about fixating on your ears or listening to the sound of your breath. The meaning of 'listening' is to focus your mind. Just follow the path of your breath, listening half-heartedly, and that's correct. As for the speed, depth, and length of your breath, let them change naturally without forcing them, to avoid artificial manipulation, which would be counterproductive. The beauty of this technique lies in the balance between intention and non-intention, which is hard to describe."

Listening to Zhu Youxiang's guidance, Xu Yan put aside his anxiety and calmly sought the sense of qi. He repeatedly read the cultivation manual Zhu Youxiang had written, carefully feeling the vast and empty sensation.

Finally, at midnight, after more than three hours of meditation, Xu Yan found the sense of qi he had been seeking—he felt a warm sensation in his lower dantian, as if a warm furnace was burning inside. Xu Yan cleared his mind, breathing deeply and rhythmically. Following Zhu Youxiang's instructions, he slowly used his mind to cultivate the dantian, using the rhythm of his breath to guide the warmth into his meridians, allowing it to slowly circulate throughout his body.

This meditation lasted for six hours. Following Zhu Youxiang's instructions, Xu Yan used his breath and mind to guide the warm flow through his meridians six times. Feeling a bit tired, he finally ended his practice.

This was the first time Xu Yan had truly felt the presence of qi within his body, the first successful meditation and circulation of qi. Whether due to psychological reasons or the effectiveness of the practice, after finishing, Xu Yan felt refreshed, full of energy, and brimming with vitality in every movement.

Excited by his first successful cultivation, Xu Yan wanted to tell Zhu Youxiang about his experience. However, seeing the time, it was already 3 a.m., and he assumed Zhu Youxiang was asleep, so he didn't want to disturb her.

Just as Xu Yan was thinking this, the bedroom door was knocked on. Xu Yan was startled, immediately realizing that at this hour, it could only be Zhu Youxiang.

He quickly opened the door, and indeed, it was Zhu Youxiang standing there with a smile.

Xu Yan eagerly told Zhu Youxiang, "Xuanyun, do you know, just now I—"

"I already know," Zhu Youxiang smiled gently, "I congratulate you, Sir. You have found the sense of qi in your dantian and meridians. In the cultivation world, this is called Enlightenment! Congratulations on taking the first step on the path of cultivation. Please continue to work hard and make daily progress."

Xu Yan hurriedly thanked her, saying a few polite words like "Thanks to your excellent guidance, Xuanyun." But suddenly, his face stiffened, and after a moment, he asked in a low voice, "Xuanyun, how did you know I had successfully found the sense of qi? How did you come at such an opportune time, at 3 a.m., just as I finished my practice?"

Zhu Youxiang looked at him in surprise, "What's so strange about that? Sir, don't forget, you and I are separated by only a wall. Since I taught you the way of cultivation, I naturally need to pay attention to your practice to prevent any accidents."

Xu Yan was shocked, "Ah, you can know what I'm doing through the wall?"

Zhu Youxiang replied calmly, "I am a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so this is not difficult for me. However, I have no interest in or intention to spy on your daily life. Just now, I suddenly sensed a faint flow of qi nearby, so I started paying attention. That's when I realized you had successfully reached Enlightenment. This is a rare and joyful event, so I came to congratulate you, not realizing it would cause you to misunderstand."

"Oh, I see!"

Zhu Youxiang explained it this way, but Xu Yan still felt a bit uneasy and couldn't fully relax. Now, knowing that he had a "thousand-mile eye" living next to him, even though she firmly stated she had no interest in or intention to spy on ordinary people, Xu Yan still felt uncomfortable. Thinking that his every move could be seen or sensed by Zhu Youxiang, Xu Yan reminded himself to say goodbye to the movies he enjoyed on his computer.

Zhu Youxiang told Xu Yan that since he had successfully found the sense of qi, he could start going out to resume his normal studies and life from the next day. With the sense of qi, Xu Yan could cultivate anytime and anywhere, not just at home. Of course, the effect of cultivating at home would be better, but Zhu Youxiang still suggested that Xu Yan go out and take walks, whether for classes or strolls, instead of staying at home to practice.

Xu Yan found this suggestion strange: didn't ancient books often say that masters would lock themselves in caves to practice for ten years, emerging as invincible? This showed that cultivation required dedication and seclusion to achieve the best results. Why was Zhu Youxiang suggesting he go out and walk around?

Zhu Youxiang couldn't explain the reasoning, but her master had taught her the same way—don't just sit and practice, take time to relax and move around, and the results would be better. So, she taught Xu Yan the same way.

Zhu Youxiang speculated, "Our sect's Sword Saint method emphasizes the path of battle, so cultivation should combine movement and stillness. Focusing solely on stillness might not align with the principles of our method—yes, my master must have thought the same."

Xu Yan welcomed this advice: hiding in a cave to practice for twenty years, emerging as an invincible master, and avenging his enemies might sound exciting in martial arts novels, but if he had to be the protagonist, Xu Yan would politely decline. What kind of era is this? The rapidly changing information age, with so much to see and do. To lock himself away for twenty years to cultivate would be like sentencing himself to prison, and no one would willingly do that.

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The next morning at 7 a.m., Xu Yan woke up and got out of bed on his own.

Last night, Xu Yan and Zhu Youxiang discussed cultivation techniques and tips until 4 a.m., and he had only slept for two hours. However, when he woke up, he felt refreshed and energetic, with no signs of fatigue from lack of sleep. This made Xu Yan marvel at the wonders of cultivation techniques.

After washing up, Xu Yan checked his schedule and found it was Thursday, and he had a statistics class. He quickly gathered his notes and textbooks for class and then sat at the table to read the cultivation manual Zhu Youxiang had written for him.

The cultivation manual written by Zhu Youxiang was not long, only about 5,000 characters, but it was in classical Chinese, making it difficult for Xu Yan to memorize and understand. Fortunately, the manual was only about ten pages long. Xu Yan silently recited it several times, slowly pondering its contents, and he felt his internal qi slowly circulating, proving that Zhu Youxiang was right—once he had entered the path, cultivation could happen anytime.

After reading for an hour, Xu Yan got up, packed his bag, and went out to greet Zhu Youxiang before leaving.

The statistics class was a general course, open to students from various majors in the School of Economics and Trade. A few minutes before class, Xu Yan hurried into the classroom and saw that it was already sparsely filled with students, mostly from other departments, with few familiar faces. Xu Yan let out a slight sigh—although he knew he would eventually have to face his classmates, it was better to delay it if possible. (To be continued)