Chapter 116

"Master, have you broken through to the Precelestial Realm?" Lu Qing asked excitedly."Not yet. I have only refined the power of soul force, but I haven't officially stepped into the Precelestial Realm," the old doctor replied. Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Lu Qing wasn't disappointed upon hearing this.

The power of soul force was the crucial step from the Postnatal to the Precelestial Realm.

Master was already a half-step Precelestial, lacking only the soul force.

Now that the most critical element was complete, he was just a step away from the Precelestial Realm. The breakthrough would be natural and unobstructed.

"When will you be able to formally advance to the Precelestial Realm?"

"In a few days. Once I adjust my energy, spirit, and essence to their optimal state, I can attempt to draw qi into my body and take the final step," the old doctor said.

"Master, you previously said it would take at least six months to break through. How has it happened so soon?" Lu Qing asked curiously.

"It was a stroke of luck," the old doctor sighed. "The Precelestial Law you gave me is extraordinarily profound. Coupled with my recent studies of the 'Qing Nang Medical Classic,' I gained a deeper understanding of the relationship between the body's essence and soul force, allowing me to advance this step ahead of time."

Lu Qing fell silent.

He had guessed correctly; his master was indeed a genius in the path of cultivation.

In his youth, he could derive the Health Nourishing Boxing from a fragmented technique.

Now, he could gain insights from medical texts and break through earlier than expected.

It was important to note that his master had no formal teachings in cultivation.

His master’s teacher was merely a wandering doctor with basic martial skills, not a true martial artist.

One could say that his master's path in martial cultivation was almost entirely self-explored.

Yet, despite this, he had now reached the point of refining soul force, just a hair's breadth from the Precelestial Realm.

Although the opportunities provided by the Earth Vein Spirit Liquid were a factor, his master's innate talent in cultivation was undeniable.

Of course, Lu Qing knew that his master likely didn’t view himself as a true martial artist, but rather as a healer with some knowledge of cultivation methods.

However, his master’s impending advancement to the Precelestial Realm was great news for Lu Qing.

Having saved Mrs. Wei and her son, and killing Wang Qingshan and Tong Canglang with Xiao Li, he had greatly offended the Tian Cang Sect.

Although the sect might not discover it, it was still a hidden danger.

Now that his master was finally breaking through, Lu Qing’s confidence was bolstered.

With this in mind, Lu Qing took out a jade slip.

"Master, congratulations on your breakthrough. I don't have anything valuable to give you, so please accept this inheritance jade slip as a token of my gratitude."

Lu Qing presented the jade slip to his master.

"Inheritance jade slip?" The old doctor looked curiously at the jade slip.

"Indeed. An inheritance jade slip can only be made by someone whose soul force has reached a significant level in the Precelestial Realm. This small jade slip can contain a wealth of information.

"Only a cultivator with refined soul force can read the information within. The Precelestial Law I gave you was derived from this jade slip."

"Since an inheritance jade slip requires soul force to read, how did you…" The old doctor was puzzled.

His disciple had not yet refined soul force.

"I had a fortunate encounter in a cave and managed to obtain all the information from within, but it was a one-time opportunity. I can no longer access the jade slip’s information, so it’s of no use to me now. It’s perfect for you, Master."

Lu Qing shared his prepared explanation.

He knew that with his master’s personality, he wouldn’t probe further into the nature of his disciple’s fortunate encounter.

Sure enough, the old doctor didn’t question it.

According to Lu Qing’s description, the cave produced miraculous treasures like the Earth Vein Spirit Liquid. It was reasonable for it to have other extraordinary attributes.

The old doctor took the jade slip and examined it.

Only the purest core of jade could be made into an inheritance jade slip, so this slip was of excellent quality. Even as a simple collectible, it was priceless.

But the old doctor was more interested in the intricate patterns on the slip.

The patterns exuded a unique charm.

After examining it for a while, the old doctor didn’t discern anything profound.

His cultivation level was still too low.

He couldn't yet comprehend the patterns left by Li Weitian, a consummate Precelestial expert.

Following Lu Qing's instructions, the old doctor placed the jade slip against his forehead and cautiously directed his newly refined soul force into it.

His soul force easily entered the jade slip.

Inside the slip, he perceived several small light clusters and directed his soul force towards one of them.

As his soul force touched the light cluster, a large amount of information began to flood into his mind.

Lu Qing watched his master attempt to read the inheritance jade slip and didn’t intervene.

Unless the jade slip was set with a soul force restriction, simply reading its information was not dangerous.

Li Weitian hadn’t set any restrictions when making this slip; any cultivator with soul force could freely read its contents.

The old doctor’s face showed various emotions as he absorbed the jade slip's information.

As he was engrossed, he suddenly felt a bit dizzy. He had pushed his soul force to its limit.

After all, his soul force was still weak, having just been refined. It wasn’t suitable for overuse.

Reluctantly, the old doctor withdrew his mind from the jade slip.

"I didn't expect Senior Li Weitian’s fate to be so tragic," he sighed.

He must have read Li Weitian’s last words in the jade slip.

"Master, have you heard of Senior Li Weitian?" Lu Qing asked.

"Never," the old doctor shook his head. "I’ve traveled far and wide for many years but never heard of this senior’s name."

Lu Qing was unsurprised.

According to his calculations, Li Weitian lived at least seven or eight hundred years ago.

In such a long time, entire dynasties could rise and fall.

It was no surprise that a Precelestial expert would be forgotten.

"Master, I’ll leave this inheritance jade slip with you. When you officially step into the Precelestial Realm, you can practice the techniques within."

The old doctor nodded, saying nothing in refusal.

At this point, the bond between master and disciple surpassed any need for formalities.

"The breakthrough requires three days of closed-door cultivation to adjust my energy, spirit, and essence. After that, I will draw qi into my body and attempt to break through. Remember to come," the old doctor instructed.

"Three days?" Lu Qing was pleasantly surprised. "I will definitely come to guard you, Master!"

Witnessing a breakthrough to the Precelestial Realm would be highly beneficial for Lu Qing.

"Guard me? Do you think someone will harm me?" the old doctor joked.

"You’re right. My words were ill-omened," Lu Qing quickly corrected.

"Alright. I see your qi and blood are harmonious, your tendons and bones strong. I imagine you’re close to achieving the Small Achievement in the Tendons and Bones Realm?" the old doctor observed.

"Master, your eyes are sharp. I came today to ask for leave to focus on breaking through. I didn’t expect to hear about your breakthrough," Lu Qing said.

"Your cultivation speed is astounding. Even the famous martial geniuses in the prefecture likely can’t match you," the old doctor marveled.

His disciple had only recently broken through to the Tendons and Bones Realm and was already nearing a small achievement in the realm.

But he also knew that Lu Qing had taken the Earth Vein Spirit Liquid, greatly enhancing his talent. In terms of martial aptitude, he was no less than those extraordinary geniuses.

"Master will be in seclusion for three days, and I also need to break through to the Small Achievement in the Tendons and Bones Realm. It’s perfect timing," Lu Qing smiled.

...

Coming down from the Halfway House, Lu Qing felt very pleased.

His master's early breakthrough was an unexpected joy for him.

Once his master formally stepped into the Precelestial Realm, coupled with Li Weitian’s inheritance, he would quickly become a formidable Precelestial expert.

By then, his foundation would be even more solid.

Feeling content, Lu Qing returned home.

Inside, Xiao Yan and Xiao Li were playing Gomoku again.

The two little ones seemed to never tire of the game, playing it multiple times daily.

Both were competitive and kept track of wins and losses meticulously.

Thanks to this, their counting skills improved rapidly. They could now count well past a thousand, saving Lu Qing a lot of effort.

Lu Qing had considered introducing them to another game, like Animal Chess, for variety.

But seeing they were still engrossed in Gomoku, he didn’t bother.

Seeing the two engrossed in their game, Lu Qing didn’t disturb them.

He greeted them and then took his battle knife, heading to the Bamboo Forest behind the mountain.

In the following days, Lu Qing devoted himself entirely to cultivation.

On the third morning, he successfully broke through to the Small Achievement in the Tendons and Bones Realm.

In the Bamboo Forest, Lu Qing was practicing boxing.

Not the Health Nourishing Boxing, but a martial art from his master’s study, a qi and blood realm boxing technique.

Recently, as his blade techniques reached a balanced and refined state, Lu Qing hit a bottleneck, with no room for further improvement.

With nothing better to do, he started practicing other martial arts from his master’s collection.

This included the two martial arts he had initially bypassed: the staff technique and the sword technique of the Tendons and Bones Realm.

Knowing Lu Qing’s extraordinary martial aptitude and clear priorities, the old doctor allowed him to take all the manuals.

Using his abilities, Lu Qing quickly learned all the martial arts.

With his current mastery in blade techniques and the aid of his abilities, he quickly reached an advanced level in all of them, including the other two Tendons and Bones Realm techniques.

After some experience, Lu Qing still preferred using a blade, so he had no intention of switching to other weapons.

At that moment, Lu Qing was practicing a boxing technique from his master’s collection.

Named Fierce Tiger Fist, it was a qi and blood realm martial art.

Despite being a qi and blood realm technique, in Lu Qing’s hands, it was incredibly powerful.

With each punch, his tendons and bones resonated like a drawn bow, emitting tremendous force.

The force of his punches roared through the air, as if a fierce tiger was roaring within him, which was quite intimidating.

Such power would leave the creator of the technique speechless, unable to imagine the Fierce Tiger Fist could achieve such momentum.

Roar!

After completing the final move of the Fierce Tiger Fist, Tiger Roar Under Heaven, Lu Qing slowly withdrew his energy.

His qi and blood were like a furnace, turning his sweat into white steam.

"Tendons like bowstrings, bones like the bow body, drawing the bow like a full moon, strength like successive arrows. Being able to throw a hundred punches without losing strength within a breath is a small achievement in the Tendons and Bones Realm."

"The key to a small achievement in the Tendons and Bones Realm lies in the ten words: drawing the bow like a full moon, strength like successive arrows."

"Only by tempering the tendons and bones to a certain level of strength and flexibility, enabling them to exert force without damage, can one reach a small achievement."

"The other day, Tong Canglang could survive my full-strength strike without serious injury. Apart from his armor's extraordinary defense, another reason was his small achievement in the Tendons and Bones Realm, allowing his tendons and bones to act like springs, deflecting most of my force."

Standing in the Bamboo Forest, Lu Qing had various realizations.

His understanding of the Tendons and Bones Realm deepened.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Though his mind held many high-level legacies, broadening his horizons, the path of martial cultivation required steady progress.

Only by truly reaching each level would he gain deeper insights into the inherited knowledge.

"With the help of the Tendon Strengthening Pill, my next goal, the large achievement in the Tendons and Bones Realm, isn't far."

Breaking through to the small achievement, Lu Qing felt pleased but mostly calm.

After gaining many opportunities, his vision expanded, setting higher cultivation goals.

A minor breakthrough in the Tendons and Bones Realm wasn’t enough to excite him.

His sole goal now was to reach the pinnacle of the Internal Organs Realm and strive for the Precelestial Realm.

"Tomorrow, I’ll witness the breakthrough to the Precelestial Realm."

Remembering his agreement with his master, Lu Qing looked forward with anticipation.

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