Mortal: Li Feiyu, who came from the realm of a supreme being

Martial arts is indeed a path that anyone can theoretically take, but in Li Feiyu's opinion, Xin Ruyin's aptitude for martial arts is really only average.

If she were to experience the trials and tribulations of the martial world and the harsh realities of combat in a real-world setting where martial arts flourish and laws are clearly defined, there might be a slight chance that she would be able to make a significant impact on the world of martial arts.

Unfortunately, this is the cultivation world, which lacks the kind of growth atmosphere that is immersed in martial arts and nurtured through battle.

Therefore, it is questionable whether Xin Ruyin can successfully achieve enlightenment.

Fortunately, she didn't need to pursue the ultimate in martial arts anyway. Li Feiyu also advised cultivators with spiritual roots not to abandon the essential for the trivial and insist on taking this path, which is far more difficult than the path of immortality and has an appallingly low success rate.

Although the martial arts system is powerful, the probability of achieving something is too low, even lower than that of a cultivator in the human realm forming a Nascent Soul.

Moreover, this world has neither the need for imperial power struggles nor dark turmoil, so there is no need to pursue ultimate combat power and hone every realm to perfection, making it unparalleled throughout history.

Those who seek immortality through cultivation should be more pragmatic; simply surviving is enough.

Li Feiyu didn't have high expectations for Xin Ruyin's martial arts; he just needed to use martial arts techniques to suppress the negative effects of the Dragon Roar Body so that she could have the opportunity to establish her foundation.

After successfully establishing the foundation, cultivation will be suspended. After all, the Dragon Roar Body's flare-up is related to cultivation advancement, and at this stage, it's best to procrastinate.

As long as we can stall until Li Feiyu is promoted to location shooting, the next problem won't be a big deal.

As for his cultivation declining for decades... that's a minor matter. By then, Han Li would likely have reached the Core Formation or Nascent Soul stage, so borrowing some Foundation Establishment stage resources from him wouldn't be a problem. If he refuses, let Han Yunshu rob him; I don't believe he can't be dealt with.

Xin Ruyin is a genius of formations, and the Spirit Gathering Formation is a common formation, so she completed the Spirit Gathering Formation that Li Feiyu requested in less than ten days.

Xiao Mei's task was to guard the formation every day and replenish the spirit stones as needed.

Of course, she can also cultivate in the formation at other times.

To Li Feiyu's surprise, Xiao Mei was actually a triple spiritual root... Speaking of which, pseudo spiritual roots seem to be quite rare. He had been in the cultivation world for several years, and even among the Qi Refining cultivators who had resigned themselves to their fate in the Hanging River Valley, there wasn't a single one with a pseudo spiritual root.

After all the calculations, Han Li was probably the only person with a pseudo-spiritual root he had ever seen in his life!

From this perspective, isn't this a kind of excellence?

For a period of time afterward, Li Feiyu continued to purchase storage bags and explore underground spaces. He then retrieved all the items he had obtained from the other floors of the pagoda. Possessing such valuable treasures but being unable to appreciate them properly was truly torturous, which was why Li Feiyu was determined to escape from Huadaowu.

After carefully sorting and classifying the texts, Li Feiyu found that, apart from the ancient classics on the second floor, only the fragments of ancient books on the third floor that were clearly related to formations and restrictions could arouse his interest.

As for the refining materials, semi-finished products, alchemy furnaces, and jade slips that resembled alchemy formulas, Han Yunshu was quite interested and tried them out a few times. Although he was still a bit clumsy, he enjoyed it nonetheless.

Li Feiyu was happy to see this happen, but he didn't expect her to achieve enlightenment through this. Having a hobby to explore was better than sitting in meditation all the time.

The four of them gradually settled down in this secluded underground cave in the Hanging River Valley.

Besides their own cultivation, they also had some free time to do things they enjoyed.

Li Feiyu and Han Yunshu would occasionally return to their ground-level residence for a short stay, but the thin veil between them remained unbroken.

Han Yunshu hesitated, while Li Feiyu observed.

He could clearly sense that Han Yunshu's feelings for him were complex yet pure, a mixture of admiration, loyalty, adoration, and a deep attachment stemming from the realization of his own value—firm and even sacrificial. At first glance, this seemed to be the most solid foundation of their relationship.

But everything in excess is as bad as deficiency.

Li Feiyu sees insufficient "buffering" and "resilience" in this purity.

Her emotions were all directed at the existence of "Li Feiyu", but she did not seem to have really thought deeply about the independent position and value of "Han Yunshu" in this relationship.

This made her emotions like a tree without roots or a castle in the air; though they may be intense for a time, they could not withstand the erosion of time and the changes of the world.

To put it bluntly, Han Yunshu's current relationship is too "brainless" and one-sidedly dependent.

If it's just a short-lived affair, that would be ideal, but what they seek is immortality and freedom, with the future often measured in hundreds or thousands of years.

In this model, the risks are amplified infinitely once a cognitive shock or prolonged period of monotony occurs.

However, Han Yunshu is only in her early twenties and has a lot of room for growth in her character.

We can't let her speculate wildly, nor can we directly instill principles in her.

The best approach is to let her develop a rudimentary sense of self naturally through her experiences, and then provide guidance when the opportunity arises.

……

Time flies, and spring has returned to the Hanging River Valley.

Xin Ruyin suspended her cultivation of immortal techniques and devoted herself to the "Hundred-Day Foundation Building" of martial arts and the research of formations.

Perhaps because she was distracted by studying ancient books, or perhaps because her martial arts aptitude was indeed mediocre, it took her nearly a year to finally complete the connection of 365 major acupoints and achieve the foundation of martial arts.

"I am ashamed. It took me nearly a year to finally succeed in Foundation Establishment. I have disappointed you, senior." Xin Ruyin looked somewhat uneasy when she saw Li Feiyu.

Even though she was a recognized genius in array formations, her "clumsiness" in martial arts still made her feel a sense of inadequacy.

"It's alright." Li Feiyu waved his hand, took out a thin booklet and handed it to her. "I'm not teaching you martial arts because I want you to go very far in it. After Foundation Establishment, the next stage is 'Qi Accumulation and Body Tempering.' You will then study the Qi Accumulation chapter of this 'Mingyu Gong'."

"This technique is of the cold nature, and the true energy it generates will help harmonize and suppress the excessive yang energy in your body. At the same time, the body-strengthening effect of martial arts will also enhance your physical resistance to the Dragon Roar anomaly. Once you have accumulated enough energy to temporarily suppress the anomaly, it will not be difficult to seek the opportunity to establish a foundation for immortality."

"The Mingyu Gong?" Xin Ruyin took the booklet, opened it and looked at it carefully. Before long, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Is it difficult?" Li Feiyu asked.

"It seems... the Qi circulation routes and key points of the mental techniques are quite obscure and complicated." Xin Ruyin lowered her head, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible frustration.

Li Feiyu sighed inwardly. The Mingyu Skill could only be considered a mid-to-low grade martial art among outdoor martial arts, with its limit being around the third level of the outdoor realm.

He chose it for two reasons: first, Li Feiyu himself didn't possess many cold-attribute martial arts techniques; second, considering Xin Ruyin's martial arts talent, it wasn't advisable to choose a technique that was too profound. He only hoped that she could proceed step by step and accumulate qi to its full potential.

However, if the core of the cultivation technique is modified arbitrarily in order to reduce the difficulty of cultivation, there is a concern that it might weaken the effect of the cold true energy and fail to meet the requirements of suppressing the Dragon Roar Body.

Helpless, he had no choice but to patiently explain to Xin Ruyin how to visualize and observe, how true qi flows and changes between specific acupoints, and how to coordinate breathing and exhalation, analyzing each step in detail.

Half a day has passed...

"You...aren't you a genius?" Li Feiyu rubbed his temples, his tone carrying a rare sense of collapse.

Han Li's smooth progress in martial arts with his siblings Han Yunshu almost made him forget that this was the norm for most ordinary martial artists when faced with an unfamiliar manual—racking their brains but still failing to find the right method and making slow progress.

Upon hearing this, Xin Ruyin's already pale cheeks, which had been dulled by her lack of progress in her long practice, flushed red instantly, and a clear sense of grievance and stubbornness flashed in her eyes.

She suffered greatly from the Dragon Roar Body since childhood, but she was never looked down upon for her intelligence, especially in the field of array formations, which she was most proud of.

But now, the Hundred Days Foundation Building has taken a year, and she can't even get the basics of the Qi Accumulation Technique in half a day. Every single thing is like a dull knife cutting into her flesh, slowly eroding her deep-rooted pride.

Li Feiyu's words were not actually excessive; it's just that after explaining it repeatedly, it was inevitable that she would lose control of her emotions.

Seeing Xin Ruyin pursing her lips and stubbornly picking up the cultivation manual again, trying to understand the intricacies from the beginning, Li Feiyu sighed and sat down cross-legged opposite her.

"Give me your hand." He held out his hand.

Xin Ruyin was taken aback and subconsciously tried to pull her hand back into her sleeve.

"Don't move." Li Feiyu's tone was calm but unquestionable. "Concentrate your mind and focus your energy. I will guide your energy through a complete initial cycle. You need to clear your mind of distractions and carefully feel the path and speed of the true energy flow, as well as the key points where the coldness arises."

Upon hearing this, Xin Ruyin blushed even more, whether from shame or from the fact that the man was about to hold her hand.

She hesitated for a moment, then slowly stretched out her hands.

Li Feiyu clasped her hands in his, feeling the warmth of his touch. Xin Ruyin's fingertips trembled slightly as she forcefully suppressed her emotions.

The next moment, a warm yet guiding true energy flowed from Li Feiyu's palm, slowly circulating through the large acupoints that had been opened up around her body.

Initially, things went relatively smoothly, mainly because we were helping her to understand and clarify the main pathways for the circulation of her internal energy.

However, some of the Qi circulation routes in the Mingyu Gong require opening up several major acupoints located on the surface of the body, and may even require temporarily using some of the original fine meridians that have not been completely abandoned, in order to enhance the smoothness and penetration of the cold Qi circulation.

When the true qi flowed to these areas, Xin Ruyin felt as if countless tiny, cool threads were winding along those sensitive and unfamiliar paths, bringing waves of strange, tingling, and chilling sensations.

In a moment of distraction, his mind became slightly divided, and the energy that had just been guided and regulated within his body suddenly became chaotic, with several diverging streams of true energy surging out!

"Ugh!" Xin Ruyin groaned, feeling a tightness in her chest, her blood rushing back, her vision going black, and then she slumped backward.

Li Feiyu reacted quickly, pulling her up with his arm.

The impatience I felt due to the difficulties in teaching vanished instantly when I saw her pale face, furrowed brows, and even a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth, replaced by a sense of helplessness.

"You need to concentrate when practicing martial arts," he said in a deep voice, taking out a pill to nourish your meridians and handing it over.

"Yes..." Xin Ruyin replied weakly, took the pill, swallowed it, and closed her eyes to regulate her breathing.

The color gradually returned to his face, but the feeling of embarrassment and defeat lingered.

Just then, Li Feiyu suddenly sensed something and looked up at the entrance of the training room.

Han Yunshu was standing there at some point, quietly watching the scene inside.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on the arm that Li Feiyu was supporting Xin Ruyin, her eyes flickering almost imperceptibly, but her face remained as calm and expressionless as ever.

"When did you arrive?" Li Feiyu asked calmly, helping Xin Ruyin sit up straight.

"Just arrived." Han Yunshu walked in, her gaze sweeping over Xin Ruyin, who was meditating, before turning to Li Feiyu. "I'd like to try refining weapons, is that alright? I saw some basic techniques in those ancient texts."

"Of course." Li Feiyu nodded. "There are quite a few materials. You can practice with the most common ones first. Don't waste the rare ones."

"Hmm." Han Yunshu responded, glanced at Xin Ruyin again, and then turned and left the training room.

Xin Ruyin recuperated for three days before attempting to practice the Mingyu Gong again.

Perhaps it was the lingering fear from that time when she was injured by improper cultivation, or perhaps she simply didn't know the right method, but her subsequent cultivation was unusually slow and difficult.

Once the first three levels of the Mingyu Gong are mastered, one can accumulate Qi to a high level. However, for each level she breaks through, Li Feiyu needs to personally guide her with his own true Qi to sort out the key paths so that she can barely grasp it and continue cultivating.

Just as Xin Ruyin was taking her first steps in martial arts, her maid Xiao Mei, with the help of the "Spirit Stone Gathering Array" that provided uninterrupted power, made rapid progress in her cultivation. In just two years, she soared from the fourth level of Qi Refining to the ninth level! This terrifying progress even made Li Feiyu take notice.

Indeed, in the path of cultivation, resources are king.

This cultivation method, which disregards cost and directly infuses massive amounts of pure spirit stones and spiritual energy, is indeed just as effective as Han Li's almost limitless drug-fueled approach.

Although their spirit stones are limited, while Han Li's "medicine" can theoretically be produced indefinitely, the effect of using spirit stones to accelerate cultivation speed is equally astonishing, at least in the early stages.

Time flowed quietly within the cave dwelling amidst the distinct rhythms of cultivation and everyone's busy schedules.

However, the situation in the Yue Kingdom was quietly changing amidst the calm.

During this time, besides researching cultivation techniques and teaching Xin Ruyin how to practice, Li Feiyu was also thinking about something else.

That is, how to cultivate the golden core of a demonic cultivator into a golden core with a pure destructive intent that meets the standards for devouring.

Then, through various ancient classics and his past life's cultivation, he actually figured out a solution.

The success rate is very high, but it's a bit inhumane and crosses the moral bottom line of those in the underworld.

This made him hesitate for a moment, but planning and executing plans both have time costs, and he didn't have time to hesitate too much.

Either don't do it at all, or if you do, you can't hesitate or look back.

"The path to enlightenment is paramount; everything else is secondary!"

Ultimately, in order not to cross the line, he decided to temporarily adjust his moral standards.