Chapter 20

Zhang the Blacksmith was undoubtedly the first blacksmith in Leishi Village, just as Gu Xuyao was the top hunter.

Tempering is the most crucial step in forging weapons. If one wants the product to be sharp and resilient, repeated tempering is an essential process, much like the bone marrow in Gu Xuyao's body now.

After being tamed, the primordial energy began the tireless work of tempering. In simple terms, strengthening the tendons and bones involves repeatedly tempering the entire skeletal structure to achieve a transformative effect.

When Gu Xuyao opened his eyes again, it was the morning of a certain day. By then, he had been unconscious for a full fifteen days, longer than the ten days Ling Sanshi had estimated. However, this was not necessarily a bad thing. The longer the tempering process, the more benefits a cultivator would gain. Ling Sanshi estimated that ten days was the average time for ordinary cultivators to wake up after extreme bone tempering. Now, it seemed that Gu Xuyao was even better than the average cultivator.

His throat felt as if it were on fire, which was his first sensation. Although the necessity of food had decreased significantly after reaching the stage of absorbing qi throughout his body, this fifteen-day coma had left his physical body in extreme need of sustenance—after all, he had yet to form a celestial root.

Flipping over, Gu Xuyao grabbed the water jug and drank heartily.

Wiping the water from the corners of his mouth with satisfaction, Gu Xuyao then remembered the events before he fell unconscious.

"It seems my bone tempering is complete..." Being alive was the best proof! At this thought, Gu Xuyao suddenly felt the difference in his physical body, the first sensation being a full and powerful feeling.

Gently clenching his fist, he realized the strength he could now exert was far greater than what he could in the Red Clay Zone.

"I'm about to become a cultivator..."

After a moment of joy, Gu Xuyao remembered that he had already met the requirements for forming a celestial root. Once the celestial root was formed, he would be a true cultivator.

However, Yi Xia was nowhere to be seen in the room, and he had no cultivation techniques in hand, making it impossible to continue his next step of cultivation.

"Preparation room..."

Thinking of this place, Gu Xuyao couldn't help but recall the dirty old man and the incorrect cultivation technique he had given him.

"Regardless, instead of wasting time, I should take the initiative."

The desire to form a celestial root ultimately overcame his concerns. Gu Xuyao pushed open the door and headed towards the preparation room.

However, as soon as the door opened, a strange fragrance wafted into Gu Xuyao's nose.

"Zi Bi..." Recognizing the slender figure and the familiar scent, Gu Xuyao immediately identified the woman waiting at his door. "Why are you here..."

Zi Bi turned around, her beautiful face now back to normal, with all the bruises gone. However, her smile did not return, or rather, did not fully return. "Gu Gu, you're awake? Fifteen days ago, I heard a lot of commotion from your room. Some of my fellow disciples speculated that you were tempering your bones. I was worried about you, so I came to check on you secretly, but you were always unconscious..."

Hearing this, Gu Xuyao felt a warm feeling in his heart, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Zi Bi, thank you for your concern. I was indeed unconscious, but I didn't expect to sleep for fifteen days. In my mind, it felt like just a moment."

Zi Bi smiled in return but seemed a bit uncomfortable.

"Gu Gu, the time you were unconscious seems to be due to extreme cultivation. Why did you choose the path of extreme cultivation? You should know that if you fail, there's no turning back."

"Extreme cultivation?" Gu Xuyao was taken aback. He had never heard of such a thing and didn't know he was undergoing extreme cultivation.

Zi Bi looked surprised at Gu Xuyao's reaction.

"Gu Gu, you don't know what extreme cultivation is? That's too reckless. Wait, the cultivation technique given to you in the preparation room should clearly state this. Why didn't you...?"

Thinking about this, Gu Xuyao felt a deep sense of frustration. Seeing Zi Bi, he recounted the entire story, including Yi Xia.

"I see..." Zi Bi seemed to know a lot about Taiheng Sect. When it came to Yi Xia, she looked thoughtful.

"Zi Bi? Are you okay? You seem a bit uncomfortable. You haven't told me what extreme cultivation is yet."

Gu Xuyao's words interrupted Zi Bi's thoughts. She looked up, smiled awkwardly, and explained what extreme cultivation was. These were basic concepts that would be recorded in the cultivation techniques for absorbing qi throughout the body.

Although what Zi Bi said was common knowledge, Gu Xuyao found it increasingly alarming. He had never known why he faced so many dangerous situations during cultivation. Now, it seemed this was the reason.

"That old man in the preparation room is too despicable, trying to harm me!" Gu Xuyao gritted his teeth. But then he thought, "But why didn't Senior Sister Yi Xia tell me about extreme cultivation? According to reason... Could it be...?" He had some suspicions, but he wasn't sure.

"Gu Gu." There seemed to be some subtle movements around them, but with Gu Xuyao's current abilities, he couldn't detect them. "I need to cultivate. I'll come see you when I have time." Zi Bi seemed to have noticed something, looked panicked, and quickly left.

Gu Xuyao didn't have time to respond as Zi Bi disappeared into the distance. However, after his bone tempering, he could see Zi Bi's movements more clearly. Before, he could only see a few shadows, but now he could clearly see her trajectory as she left.

Zi Bi's behavior today was indeed strange. In fact, she had changed since the last time she stood up for Gu Xuyao.

"Never mind, these things aren't for me to worry about now. The most important thing is to quickly form a celestial root and truly integrate into Taiheng Sect."

With this thought, Gu Xuyao strode towards the teaching hall.

Perhaps because of his successful bone tempering, his pace was much faster. He soon arrived at his destination.

At the red-painted door, the cultivator checking his token looked at Gu Xuyao with a strange expression.

Ignoring it, Gu Xuyao entered the teaching hall and went straight to the preparation room. This time, he didn't knock or announce himself but pushed the door open and walked in.

"Here, take this spirit pill, and you'll reach the stage of absorbing qi throughout your body. Don't mind its appearance; it works!" The room wasn't empty; a young man about Gu Xuyao's age stood in front of the old man. From their conversation, it seemed the young man was seeking a cultivation technique.

The young man was taken aback, laughed nervously, and hesitated. Suddenly, Gu Xuyao darted out from behind him and slapped the old man's hand away.

"Old man, stop fooling around. Do you know that this could cost someone their life?" Gu Xuyao realized he had said the wrong thing. The old man, who managed the preparation room, surely knew the consequences of reckless cultivation.

The sudden appearance of Gu Xuyao stunned both the young man and the old man. However, the old man quickly recovered, and his cloudy eyes flashed with a glint.

"Hey, kid, you're still alive? Hahaha, not bad. Come here, let me see your results." Without a word, the old man's dirty hand grabbed Gu Xuyao's neck, and instantly, Gu Xuyao lost all his strength.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad. It seems you've suffered a lot. Now you're cursing me, but in the future, you'll have to kneel and thank me..." The old man leaned close, and Gu Xuyao could smell the musty odor from him.

This was a very embarrassing situation, especially with someone watching. Gu Xuyao couldn't help but shout, "Let me go! You almost killed me, and I should thank you? Whether to choose extreme cultivation is my decision, not something you can force on me!"

The old man immediately let go, and Gu Xuyao's strength returned. Instinctively, he took a step back, his face full of caution.

The old man didn't seem to mind, just lazily lying down again, ignoring the thick layer of dust on the floor.

Their eyes met, but Gu Xuyao couldn't see the old man's eyes clearly under his messy hair. However, he could feel that the old man was looking at him.

"Um..." After a while, the young man waiting on the side couldn't wait any longer. "I'm here to get the cultivation technique for absorbing qi throughout my body. Senior, can you...?"

The old man, annoyed, pulled out a scroll and a bag of pills from somewhere and casually threw them to the young man.

"Thank you, Senior. I'll take my leave..." The young man bowed and left, glancing at Gu Xuyao as he passed, probably thinking that anyone who dared to argue with a senior in the sect before forming a celestial root must be very bold.

After the young man left the preparation room, the old man slowly spoke. "Kid, you're here to ask me to help you form a celestial root, right?" As he spoke, he rummaged through his messy hair and wiped the dirt on his hand on the floor.

Gu Xuyao couldn't help but frown, but the old man's words reminded him that he still needed help.

"You're right. I was rash earlier. I beg you, Senior, to overlook my rudeness. Gu Xuyao came to Taiheng Sect with the sincere intention of cultivating, so I hope you can help me form a celestial root smoothly. In the future, if you need anything from me, just say it, and I won't refuse."

The old man laughed and lightly tapped the floor, standing up instantly.

"Kid, if you want my help, I'll do it. After all, this is the preparation room, and you're a disciple of Taiheng Sect. However, the speed at which you form your celestial root is up to me. I can teach you a quick method to reach the stage of forming a root, or I can take shortcuts, and you might never form a celestial root in your life! But don't worry, I'm not unreasonable. If you agree to one condition, I'll teach you wholeheartedly." As he spoke, the old man walked up to Gu Xuyao. Despite his unkempt appearance, he was not short, standing almost as tall as Gu Xuyao.

"Senior, please state your condition. As long as I can do it, I won't refuse." Gu Xuyao had expected such a request and didn't say anything, knowing he had to ask for help.