CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55: HALF A YEAR OF BITTER CULTIVATION, SNOW FALLS ON YUN CANG

After Lu Chengfeng went into seclusion, he only allowed Luo Suyi to bring his meals three times a day, not seeing any other outsiders, and did not return to his bedroom at night.

During the day, he swallowed the "Five Qi to Primordial Origin" pills exchanged by Luo Yong with his merits. These pills were refined from various extraordinary treasures harmonized by the five elements and were extremely precious; swallowing one could match a month of arduous practice.

Lu Chengfeng, having gained considerable merits from the beast tide, exchanged for a total of eighteen "Five Qi to Primordial Origin" pills, which could save him more than a year of hard cultivation. Combined with the gifts from the Inner Peak Elder in internal power attainments, the harvest was much greater than others.

Since refining the gifts from Li Guan, the Inner Peak Elder, Lu Chengfeng’s swordsmanship and Body Technique have advanced rapidly; only the progress in inner strength left much to be desired.

Just converting the Jade Wave Internal Power into the Profound Crane Heart Method took more than half a month, with much loss in between, so the Profound Crane Heart Method was only barely cultivated to the tenth layer.

The "Profound Crane Thousand Shadows Ghostly Sword Technique" is composed of the Tongyou Sword Technique, Thousand Shadows Body Technique, and the Profound Crane Heart Method. Swordsmanship, Body Technique, and inner strength complement each other, internally and externally practiced, as a top-notch secret skill.

The Profound Crane Peak Elder, Li Guan, has cultivated this dharma to the twenty-fourth layer, comprehending the Tongyou Sword Intent, achieving Unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, transforming into True Qi, capable of killing invisibly with a single thought.

Lu Chengfeng received his gifts and supposedly should have cultivated sword intent smoothly, without encountering any bottlenecks.

However, to cultivate sword intent, one must refine the Essence, Qi, and Spirit to smooth perfection, external skills reaching pinnacle, thus merging internal and external, allowing Essence, Qi, and Spirit to harmonize and elevate, transforming into Inner Family True Qi, thereby nurturing pure and refined sword intent.

Lu Chengfeng’s Tongyou Sword Technique and Thousand Shadows Body Technique have reached the eighteenth layer, but the Profound Crane Heart Method delayed progress, preventing the immediate cultivation of Tongyou Sword Intent.

"The essence of Inner Cultivation Heart Method is to harmonize the internal Essence, Qi, and Spirit through visualization, supplemented with various treasures beneficial to the body, ensuring one’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit are smooth and flawless, full and overflowing, just then can inner strength arise."

"This is the art of water grinding, related to fate, even receiving gifts, possessing profound cultivation, visualization, and the operation of inner strength must still be practiced step by step."

"Only by cultivating inner strength to the eighteenth layer, achieving perfection of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, can one naturally cultivate sword intent."

Lu Chengfeng also did not rush; given his age, his martial arts attainment was already demonic, yet inner strength cultivation couldn’t be hurried, the more anxious, the more prone to go astray.

He ingests a "Five Qi to Primordial Origin" pill every three days. This pill dissolves upon entry, akin to the legendary nectar, nourishing the five organs, warming the spirit, thus overflowing Essence, and the inner strength rises with the tide.

Lu Chengfeng then visualizes a Profound Crane, this crane is eight feet tall, with wings spanning over twelve feet, covered in profound feathers like cast bronze and wrought iron, flowing with luster, its talons shimmering with icy radiance, capable of tearing metal.

Only the feathers on the crown are white, emitting an aura that envelops its body, resembling the legendary divine bird.

However, the Profound Crane in the visualization lacks eyes.

The art of dotting the eyes signifies the practice of inner strength.

Using one’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit as ink, to dot the eyes in the image, someday, when the Profound Crane opens its eyes, one’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit will become one with it, Crane entering the body, merging with oneself; this is attaining the Eighteen Layers of Perfection, reaching the summit of the mundane.

Martial Artists who cultivate inner strength to this level can be free of illness and disaster, extend their lifespan, with the longest-lived reaching two jiazi before dying naturally.

Lu Chengfeng continued steadily, visualizing the Profound Crane, refining pills, unknowingly letting time pass. Having received gifts from the Inner Peak Elder, his mastery in the Profound Crane Heart Method was already consummate, one portion of pill power resulted in three portions of effect, cultivation progress being exceedingly fast.

Besides cultivating inner strength, during this period, he put aside swordsmanship and Body Technique, day and night pondering sword intent in the gifts. Just slightly sensing each time yielded significant rewards.

When his energy was depleted, he would review the memory fragments of those three, seeking memories beneficial to himself.

Time flowed slowly, unknowingly, six months passed.

During this period, Luo Suyi came to inform him that Lady Qiutong had settled with her little maid Die’Er on the Bixiao Peak. Though the little maid Die’Er quietly complained about Lu Chengfeng never appearing, Lady Qiutong herself never stepped beyond the inner gate, only planting flowers and brewing tea in her yard, content and leisurely.

Lu Chengfeng was unconcerned, this woman merely borrowed his identity seeking protection and stability, while he merely sought gifts. Since the beginning, they hadn’t met nor had any feelings towards each other; mutual peace was naturally best.

However, Li Mo returned from descending the mountain for several months, bringing news that Su Wanqing’s situation in the Su Family was not ideal; her mother was merely a maid and her father treated this concubine’s daughter with indifference. The clan had already decided to marry her off as a concubine to Li Family clan elder from the Central Capital.

The world today remains divided, with the northern states You, Yan, Yun, Liang, and Qing dominated by sect clans, each wielding their own power.

The southern states Xiang, Chu, Wu, Yue, Han, Yang, and Man, excluding the dense jungles and miasma-filled Southern Barbarian State, are ruled by the contest of Chu, Han, and Wu kings.

Only the Central State, vast and populated, hosts numerous renowned sects and clans forming alliances, deterring thieves and petty criminals from invasion; thus, it prospers increasingly.

Of the thirteen states under heaven, Central State is the most esteemed, with its capital considered the Divine Capital, and its citizens proudly originating from there.

The Li Family, a prestigious family in the Divine Capital, and the Su Family sought to align with them by marrying off a concubine daughter to the Li Family clan elder as a concubine, which was normal among prominent clans; such occurrences aren’t uncommon.

When Li Mo returned home, he brought a token, a jade hairpin from Su Wanqing, except this item was broken into two pieces. Seeing this, Lu Chengfeng was silent.

"Second Senior Sister gifts Senior Brother this item, expressing the sentiment ’rather shatter jade than be whole as tiles’." Li Mo said just this, then withdrew; after all, she was a co-sect Senior Sister, how could one bear to see her forced to a tragic end, hence the reminder.

Lu Chengfeng was also speechless, only able to store the broken jade hairpin away, pondering for a long time, then arranged for Li Mo to descend the mountain once more.

Aside from these two matters, Lu Chengfeng disregarded all other trivialities, only cultivating arduously on the mountain. When heavy snow fell, as the coldest month arrived, he finally succeeded in cultivation and emerged.

Six months of cultivation, inner strength progressed through five layers of heaven, equating to seven or eight years of others’ hard work, the gains were substantial.

However, all the "Five Qi to Primordial Origin" pills were consumed completely, the two Cold-Scaled Fire-Tailed Fish all ended up eaten, and the memories of Zhao Changzhen, Xiao Qi, and Li Guan were fully absorbed. Past gains fully digested, continuing seclusion would yield no further benefit, thus he stepped out of the half-year seclusion site.

Upon Lu Chengfeng exiting seclusion, snow and wind were fierce, the north wind howled, especially on the mountain, the cold wind sharp like knives, stinging one’s face.

He wore a thin white robe, hair casually draped, with a faint stubble sprouting on his chin, adding a touch of maturity.

At this moment, he neither shielded his body with inner strength nor utilized Lightweight Technique, allowing snowflakes to drift upon him, falling on his forehead and boots, sounding creaky in the snow.

"The land is vast and white, but cannot conceal the filth of this world!"

Lu Chengfeng stretched out his palm, icy snowflakes melting in his palm, cool and refreshing, just like his gaze upon the vast Yun Cang Mountain Range, bringing an innate coldness.

These past six months, the sect experienced continuous upheaval, even explosive news stirred both internal and external peaks, leading countless sect disciples down the mountain; by now, how many remain within these gates?!