Chapter 78

In the east wing of the small courtyard, steam rose, and the air was filled with a strong medicinal scent.

Chu Li and Xue Ling usually took their baths here.

A wooden tub, as tall as a person, stood in the room, with a stone stove beneath it. Xue Ling, dressed in white, squatted in front of the stove, adding firewood from time to time, her back and buttocks forming a graceful curve.

The firewood burned fiercely, crackling occasionally, and the tub emitted steam, quickly filling the room with the medicinal scent.

This wooden tub was intricately crafted, with an iron plate added to the bottom. The space between the iron plate and the bottom of the tub was filled with a foot of water, which heated the tub using hot water, maintaining the temperature of the medicinal liquid inside, neither too hot nor too cold.

"Zhi..." Chu Li pushed the door open.

He sniffed the air, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "It looks like it's well-cooked. Let's start!"

Xue Ling stood up and walked out.

Chu Li smiled and asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'll go out first," Xue Ling said, blushing. "You need to take off your clothes."

Chu Li found her bashfulness amusing; she couldn't maintain her cold and proud demeanor, her face was too thin-skinned.

Xue Ling quickly turned her head and hurried out, not daring to look at Chu Li.

Chu Li shook his head. Coming from the modern world, he wasn't as sensitive about nudity, but this world was more conservative, even exposing the shoulders was considered significant.

Chu Li took off his clothes and jumped into the wooden tub. He grimaced; it was hot and numbing. The scalding medicinal liquid felt like needles pricking his skin, and the sensation grew more intense.

This was far more effective than a beating, penetrating every pore and every inch of his body.

He activated the Kung Fu of the Vajra Dharma, and the Great Round Mirror Wisdom, clearly seeing the changes in his skin and muscles. Under the combined effect of the medicinal liquid and the Kung Fu, they became increasingly dense and elastic.

Time slowly passed, and the medicinal liquid in the tub remained hot. The firewood under the stove burned out, but the temperature of the medicinal liquid decreased very slowly.

Chu Li's forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat, and impurities seeped out through his pores.

After an unknown amount of time, Chu Li opened his eyes and said, "Xue Ling, come in."

Xue Ling responded from outside the room, "Are you done soaking?"

"Yes, come in."

Xue Ling pushed the door open and lowered her head as she entered. She picked up a wooden bucket from the side and went to the stove, where hot water was already boiling. She scooped the hot water into the bucket, added a bucket of cold water to adjust the temperature, and quickly went out, her face red the entire time.

Chu Li flipped into the bucket of clear water, washed his body, dried off, and put on a blue robe, then left the room and came to a small pavilion.

Xue Ling served tea.

Chu Li played with the white jade teacup, took a sip, and pondered.

The medicinal bath was quite effective, but he found it far from meeting his expectations, with limited impact on the Kung Fu of the Vajra Dharma.

The Kung Fu of the Vajra Dharma had nine levels: skin, flesh, sinew, pulse, bone, marrow, essence, qi, and spirit. The last three levels were extremely mysterious, and almost no one had achieved them. It was said that those who did would become enlightened and achieve an indestructible body, like a vajra.

With his deep cultivation in Buddhism, he progressed quickly and achieved the first level, making his skin exceptionally tough, able to withstand ordinary blades. However, he was stuck at the second level, unable to make his muscles reach the expected level.

Using a stick to hit himself was effective to a certain extent, but beyond that, it was ineffective. The medicinal bath had some effect, but it wasn't enough to achieve the second level.

He sighed, realizing he would have to use the methods of the Great Thunderclap Temple, which involved body cultivation techniques. Unfortunately, the Martial Arts Hall didn't have top-tier body cultivation techniques, and even if they were effective, the results might not be ideal. Moreover, body cultivation techniques had significant drawbacks, and it was best to avoid them if possible.

Xue Ling stood beside him and asked softly, "Was the medicinal bath effective?"

Chu Li nodded. "Next time, don't use the bath. Just boil it into an ointment and apply it to the body to see if it works."

He estimated that the ointment would be more concentrated, and the effect would be better, so he decided to give it a try.

Xue Ling agreed.

As they chatted, Su Ru pushed the door open, her apricot-yellow silk robe fluttering, and she sat down opposite him, bringing a faint fragrance.

"Are you looking for body cultivation techniques?" She pulled out a yellowed, thin book from her sleeve and handed it to Chu Li. "I got this from the young miss's secret library. Take a look."

Chu Li smiled and took it. The cover read "White Tiger Yang Cultivation Diagram" in bold, golden characters, exuding a powerful aura.

"White Tiger Yang Cultivation Diagram..." Chu Li slowly opened it, and his expression changed.

There were six diagrams, each depicting a white tiger in a different posture: crouching on the ground, flying in the air, walking lazily, preparing to pounce, rolling, and sprinting.

Each diagram was vivid, as if a white tiger were right in front of him, exuding a fierce aura. If not for his calm mind, he would have been unable to resist the urge to throw it away upon opening it.

Xue Ling stood behind him, glanced curiously, and immediately turned pale, her body trembling with an instinctive fear and dread rooted in her blood.

After finishing the six diagrams, Chu Li looked up at Su Ru.

Su Ru clapped her hands and laughed. "You're really impressive! You weren't scared!"

Chu Li reviewed the diagrams again, closed his eyes, and visualized them in his mind. He felt a faint power from the vivid diagrams and tried to visualize them.

"Roar..." A tiger's roar echoed in his mind, and a snow-white tiger leaped into his mind, sequentially assuming the six postures, exuding an overwhelming aura.

Su Ru stared at his face.

Seeing the changes in Chu Li's expression, Su Ru knew he had gained something. To understand the subtleties of the White Tiger Yang Cultivation Diagram so quickly was truly remarkable; he was indeed a martial arts prodigy!

Chu Li slowly opened his eyes and found his body tense, filled with abundant energy, influenced by the White Tiger Yang Cultivation Diagram.

Su Ru smiled and asked, "How is it?"

"It's a very profound technique!" Chu Li nodded slowly. "Is it practiced through visualization?"

Su Ru laughed. "You're quite smart... This is the highest-level secret technique, said to be passed down from the ancient White Tiger Cave."

"White Tiger Cave..." Chu Li pondered for a moment, searching his mind, but found no records of the White Tiger Cave. He smiled and said, "Isn't it from the Nanzheng region?"

Based on the name, he judged it to be from a sect in the Nanzheng region.

The Nanzheng region was home to many barbarian tribes, living in deep mountains and forests, each tribe often referred to as a cave. The White Tiger Cave, by its name, should be the name of a tribe in Nanzheng.

"It is from the Nanzheng region," Su Ru nodded lightly. "It has a thousand-year-old tradition, but unfortunately, it was extinguished. No matter how powerful a person is, they can't withstand natural disasters. It's said that a massive rock from the sky fell, and the White Tiger Cave disappeared instantly."

Chu Li nodded slowly.

The martial arts techniques of the barbarian tribes in that region formed a unique system, focusing on body cultivation, making them incredibly strong and fast. However, their martial arts techniques were often broad and lacked finesse, so they didn't have a decisive advantage.

Some people tried to adopt their strengths and make up for their weaknesses to become invincible, but achieving both was not easy. It was like trying to blend day and night, impossible to violate this law.

The Kung Fu of the Vajra Dharma of the Great Thunderclap Temple had traces of the techniques of the southern barbarians. After being studied by the high monks of the Great Thunderclap Temple, it became a unique technique capable of achieving a saintly body.

PS: Thank you all for your encouragement, I'm very grateful and feel reinvigorated!