Chapter 8: The Path of Cultivation

Lin Fan's Cave Abode was extremely spacious. After turning a few corners, Gao Dakuan and the others brought Zhang Nuo to the entrance of a Stone Chamber. They opened the stone door, and all four of them walked inside.

"Little Junior Brother, this is your room!"

Zhang Nuo looked around and saw that the entire room was extremely simple; apart from a stone bed, there was basically nothing else.

"We practitioners are not like ordinary folk; daily items are of little use to us, so it appears a bit simple, but you will adapt after a long time!"

Seeing Zhang Nuo's expression change slightly, Qu Yuan immediately explained. Since he didn't understand the meaning behind this Second Senior Brother's words, Zhang Nuo could only nod.

"Don't worry, Little Junior Brother! If you have any matters in the future, just come find us!"

Ye Linger, who was to the side, also said happily.

"Wait, I say, ever since Little Junior Brother arrived, you've been so happy you can't even close your mouth. Could it be you've taken a liking to Little Junior Brother?"

Qu Yuan's expression suddenly turned serious as he teased Ye Linger.

"Go away! Before Little Junior Brother came, I was the youngest. Now that we have Little Junior Brother, I can finally be a Senior Sister!"

Once these words were out, Gao Dakuan and Qu Yuan were both stunned for a moment before bursting into loud laughter. Their laughter, however, made Zhang Nuo feel embarrassed.

"Alright! Little Junior Brother is tired today, so let's let him get some good rest. Tomorrow I will teach you the basic cultivation techniques!"

Gao Dakuan did indeed have the demeanor of a Senior Brother. Ye Linger and Qu Yuan said nothing more and turned to leave the Stone Chamber. In the blink of an eye, only Zhang Nuo was left inside the Stone Chamber.

In the quiet, emptiness, and loneliness, everything that happened in Heiniu Village surfaced in his mind again. Zhang Nuo did not want to think about it, but as soon as he closed his eyes, he would see that huge blood pool in the center of the village. The air reeking of blood was something he would never forget in this lifetime.

Thus passed a night. The next day, Gao Dakuan arrived at Zhang Nuo's room very early to formally begin teaching him the basic cultivation techniques.

The primary technique practiced by disciples of the Divine Sword Sect is a book called the "Sword Control Art." This book was created by the founder of the Divine Sword Sect, Deng Tianlin. It mainly records methods for circulating Qi and routes for performing techniques, making it most suitable for disciples who have just entered the sect.

The "Sword Control Art" is divided into nine levels, which correspond to the first realm of cultivation, the Qi Refining Stage. If one cultivates the "Sword Control Art" to the first level, it is equivalent to the first level of the Qi Refining Stage.

Cultivation is divided into several realms: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Deity Transformation, Void Refinement, Dao Integration, and Great Vehicle. Except for the Qi Refining Stage, which has one to nine levels, the other realms are divided into three stages: early, middle, and late. With the improvement of each realm, one's strength and lifespan will increase accordingly. Even within a single realm, there is a world of difference between the early and late stages.

For an entire day, Gao Dakuan taught Zhang Nuo how to circulate his energy. After all, Zhang Nuo was just a child who had never come into contact with cultivation, and his comprehension of some things was still very slow. Fortunately, Gao Dakuan was naturally honest and kind, and he did not get angry. Whenever there was something Zhang Nuo did not understand, he would explain it patiently.

Three days later, Zhang Nuo finally had some understanding of the path of cultivation, but he still could not fully master the most basic method of breathing and meditation.

Regarding this point, Lin Fan never asked. He saw Zhang Nuo's aptitude quite clearly, so he did not force anything upon him.

During these three days, Zhang Nuo would spend most of his time practicing every day, but for some reason, every time he finished practicing, he would feel exceptionally tired and had to sleep to recover.

At first, Zhang Nuo did not care, thinking that cultivation was very arduous and his body could not handle it. But later, seeing that Gao Dakuan and the others could practice for over a dozen hours continuously without feeling exhausted, he began to doubt his own body.

After pondering for a long time, he finally attributed all the blame to the insect cocoon planted in his left arm. However, the cocoon caused no pain or itching in his flesh and showed nothing abnormal, which made Zhang Nuo suspicious again.

Spring passed and autumn came; in the blink of an eye, a year had passed. Zhang Nuo had only cultivated the "Sword Control Art" to the first level. This speed of cultivation could be called a snail's pace, and even Gao Dakuan could not help but shake his head when he saw it.

When Lin Fan first took in Gao Dakuan, he knew his aptitude was not high, yet within a year, Gao Dakuan had cultivated the "Sword Control Art" to the second level. Yet this Little Junior Brother was even slower than him, only rising one level in a year.

Lin Fan naturally knew about Zhang Nuo's cultivation progress over the past year. Through observing Zhang Nuo several times, he discovered a problem: Zhang Nuo's body seemed to be in a constant state of weakness. Although he was young and full of vigor, every time he circulated his energy, he would suffer from a deficiency of Qi and blood within moments and could only collapse to rest.

Although he knew Zhang Nuo's aptitude was poor, Lin Fan had never thought his body would be this frail, even worse than a woman's constitution. With a bitter, helpless shake of his head, Lin Fan felt great sympathy for this newly accepted little disciple.