Invincible Under Heaven

Medicinal Cuisine

Hongyu led Li Xian out of the study.

After walking for a while, she finally turned to Li Xian, "You're practicing martial arts, do you wish to leap over the Dragon Gate?"

"Leap over the Dragon Gate?"

Li Xian looked at her in confusion.

Seeing his reaction, Hongyu realized she'd overthought things.

He had no idea about that so-called "Immortal Seed".

So he just wanted to prove himself?

She then spoke directly, "In martial arts, resources, techniques, talent, and comprehension—all are indispensable. As for resources—there's only one word: eating. Eight Treasures Broth replenishes ki and blood, loosens the meridians, and invigorates muscles and bones. It's the best medicinal cuisine for building a strong body in the early stages."

"Alright. How much does it cost? I'll pay as needed."

"Cost?"

Hongyu shot him an odd look, "Who knows how long you'll last at this? You might just be a flash in the pan—maybe you'll be gone by tomorrow or the day after. I'll keep your expenses on tab for now."

"That's fine."

Li Xian didn't insist.

From their conversation just now, it wasn't hard to tell that Hongyu and Zhou Juechen treated him differently from others.

Since neither of them spoke, he wouldn't ask about it either.

He believed that with time, everything would become clear.

Hongyu brought Li Xian into the courtyard.

Some students who had just finished boxing practice looked over in surprise, "Senior Sister? Is this Scholar Li going to practice martial arts with us too?"

"How rare. A future provincial champion candidate actually wants to abandon literature for the martial path?"

Hongyu ignored them, saying only, "Tang Zhou, Qin Wangchuan, you all should listen and watch as well—reviewing old lessons to gain new insight."

Then she turned to Li Xian, "The Five Elements Method uses Green Jade Fist for tempering the muscles and bones. Just eat more, practice more, nourish yourself more, and one day you'll comprehend the secret of strength and step into the Body Refining stage. Watch carefully."

With that, she began to demonstrate the boxing technique.

Although it was clearly a practice routine rather than a combat application, each punch and kick still radiated a sense of strength and dominance.

However...

After Hongyu finished her demonstration, she noticed that Li Xian's attention was not so much on the form itself, but on her as a person.

Especially that gaze...

It was as if he wanted to see right through her, inside and out.

Being scrutinized like this gave her the illusion of visiting famous martial artists with the hall master a year ago.

"What a fine bone structure."

Li Xian couldn't help but admire in his heart.

Hongyu's body was slender, with straight limbs—a clear sign that she had already refined strength into her bones and muscles.

Not only that, but she'd likely begun to reinforce her internal organs as well.

On Blue Star, one had to reach the internal strength level before it could penetrate muscles and bones—the internal organs would only be nourished step by step after forming the inner core. Although Hongyu didn't have the perfect harmony of a Dan Master, she was still able to internally refine her organs. Truly incredible.

If only he could examine her muscles and bones personally...

"Did you see it clearly?"

Hongyu's voice came.

"I saw it clearly."

Li Xian replied.

"Just once?"

Hongyu was a bit surprised.

"Yes."

Li Xian nodded.

Hongyu recalled that as one of the Four Luminaries of Lijiang, he surely had some unique abilities, exceptional memory included. It wasn't so hard to believe he could memorize the form after one demonstration, "Then go ahead and practice."

She turned to Tang Zhou and Qin Wangchuan, "The Green Jade Fist, as a top-tier body refining and foundational technique, is not only highly effective for mastering force, but once you achieve mastery and control the Vibrating Force, it's especially good for strengthening tendons and bones."

"Yes,"

Tang Zhou and Qin Wangchuan replied in unison, as did the others.

Hongyu acknowledged with a small nod, glancing at Li Xian. She saw that he had already started practicing the fist technique.

And...

As time passed, he really managed to complete the form.

Though there were a lot of mistakes.

As expected.

No one could be truly eidetic.

At best, he performed the routine from start to finish, but whether he did it correctly...

At least he went through the motions.

"You made several mistakes,"

Hongyu began to correct him. "In this punch, the main force should come from your waist, and this kick didn't reach the required force. Also, your footwork was a bit too quick..."

"No, everyone's physique is different. This way works better for me."

Li Xian said, then glanced at Hongyu, "Besides, the first three stages... the first four stages, I've already mastered. Right now, I'm using the Five Elements Method Green Jade Fist to combine training force and muscles with my own understanding of the first three stages, verifying the fourth stage inner organ refinement, and deducing the fifth stage blood and marrow transformation."

"Verifying the fourth stage? Deducing the fifth?"

Hongyu's tone cooled instantly at his reply.

"Yes."

Li Xian answered.

"I see traces of training on you, but I dare say it hasn't even been a month. This much is clear from your muscle and bone condition."

Hongyu continued, scrutinizing him further, "Your reputation as one of Lijiang's Four Luminaries has surely given you considerable poise, but... you're not telling me that, with your undeveloped muscles and bones, you can just skip all the previous stages and go straight to blood and marrow transformation, are you?"

At this point, even her usual goodwill toward the talented couldn't hold back, "If you haven't built up your exterior, how can you reinforce your interior? If your lungs and organs aren't strong, how do you change blood and wash marrow? In martial arts, it's essential to progress step by step. But you—always aiming high, thinking you can leap straight to the peak on sheer intellect? Martial traditions have lasted for thousands of years! If all the realms could really be practiced at once, wouldn't that make generations of masters and sages nothing but fools?"

Li Xian listened to Hongyu's words, a realization dawning in his heart.

Recently, he'd been obsessed with blood and marrow transformation, but always found it out of reach.

Now he understood—his ambition was the biggest problem.

Even if he'd once formed the inner core and was invincible in the world.

Even if he had some measure of genius, and could achieve enlightenment once and forever.

But as "Li Xian," he'd only practiced martial arts for a month!

After one month, with undeveloped bones and untrained organs, how could there be any blood and marrow transformation!?

A tall building rises from the ground.

For him now, laying the foundation and tempering muscles and organs was more important than transforming blood and washing marrow, or reaching perfection, or even realizing the ultimate truths.

Thinking this through, Li Xian nodded, "You're right. I should start with training bones and internal organs."

"As long as you understand. Keep practicing."

Hongyu told him and left.

After she left, Li Xian settled down.

While practicing the fist, he pondered carefully on both the Green Jade Fist and the Myriad Manifestation Infinite Art he'd created in his last life, which synthesized the strengths of a hundred schools.

With his unique enlightenment, he'd condensed ki into a core and nourished his organs on the first day of practicing at the marquis's manor.

Equivalent to the fourth stage of martial arts.

But this body's foundation was far too weak, with nothing supplemented or built up. Now he had to temper bones, transform tendons, and fortify internal organs. At a glance, he looked nothing like a vigorous martial artist—more like a frail scholar.

Using the Green Jade Fist to forge his foundation...

"The Green Jade Fist is bold and unrestrained, tremendously robust. Compared to it, the Myriad Manifestation Infinite Art I once prided myself on almost feels cautious and minute, like a nine-foot-tall brute compared to a delicate maiden. But in terms of subtlety, Green Jade Fist falls far short."

Looking at the rawness of the Green Jade Fist, Li Xian felt as if facing a heretical cultivator.

Such a fierce and unrefined boxing art, so grand and imposing—how could it not harm the body!?

Unless...

"Eight Treasures Broth."

A thought dawned on him.

At that moment, there was a shout from inside, "Soup's ready!"

In the courtyard, Tang Zhou, Qin Wangchuan, and the others, exhausted from practice, instantly became alert.

"It's about time."

"I almost couldn't hold on."

"Soup! Soup!"

They hollered, waving for Li Xian to come along as they hurried toward another courtyard.

Hongyu was waiting, helping a middle-aged man serve bowls of Eight Treasures Broth.

Li Xian took his and sniffed.

He could clearly distinguish ingredients such as ginseng, white atractylodes, poria, angelica, ligusticum chuanxiong, and white peony root.

He sipped, and instantly sensed that the efficacy of these herbs was much stronger than the supplements he'd had on Blue Star!

"This..."

"The foundation of a martial hall lies not only in its techniques and master, but in its supplements. The ones at Longquan Martial Hall all come from the great martial clans, and their effects are extraordinary."

Hongyu noted Li Xian's astonishment and said with some pride, "That's why the great families of Lijiang go to great lengths to send their children here."

"How much does one bowl of Eight Treasures Broth cost?"

Li Xian asked.

"One tael of silver."

This time, Hongyu was direct.

A tael of silver.

That was a steep price.

Li Xian's memories didn't hold much about martial arts, but as a scholar from a poor family, he knew that most families in Lijiang City only made three or four taels a year.

In the countryside or small towns, self-sufficiency reigned—sometimes not even a tael a year.

But on the other hand...

This price was also ridiculously cheap.

The ginseng and white atractylodes in Eight Treasures Broth were at least several decades old—back in his old world, a single serving would have cost millions.

Here, just one tael!

Almost a thousandfold difference!

"There's truth in the saying, 'Poor in literature, rich in martial arts'! If you want to progress in martial arts, at minimum you need a bowl of Eight Treasures Broth every three days—that's ten taels a month! In Lijiang, only those with clans numbering in the hundreds can afford to provide for even one or two children like this. Not for a year or two, but eight or ten years! That's why 'the Wealth Gate' is called the first of the three great gates."

Seeing Li Xian's amazement at the cost, Hongyu explained.

"Martial arts go against fate, but not everyone gets this chance—it takes a family, a whole clan, to support."

Li Xian nodded thoughtfully.

He finally understood why the Green Jade Fist, so fierce and raw, didn't harm the practitioner.

The medicinal supplements were so potent!

Different worlds, different circumstances.

On Blue Star, century-old ginseng was extinct, and martial practice was all about careful calculation.

Here...

A tael of silver could buy Eight Treasures Broth!

He activated the derivative secret technique from the Myriad Manifestation Infinite Art—Whale Swallowing Technique—stimulating digestion, and could clearly feel the medicinal power from the soup transforming into a warm current that seeped into his entire body.

Now, tempering bone, transforming sinews, and reinforcing the organs—all became far easier.

...

At dusk.

Hongyu asked Li Xian, "Will you come again tomorrow?"

"Of course."

Li Xian replied.

"Good! I hope you can persist for three months. I also hope you can truly achieve something in three months!"

Hongyu said.

Li Xian nodded slightly.

He left Longquan Martial Hall and, relying on the original host's memories, headed for a small courtyard on Qingmo Lane, three li from Youlong District, in an ordinary residential area.

This was the small residence Li Xian rented.

It covered less than half an acre—far smaller than the Marquis's mansion—but had a well, and water.

Poor in literature, rich in martial arts!

But even studying wasn't something every family could afford.

The Li family came from Qinghe County and owned a hundred mu of good land and several shops.

When Li Xian came to the prefecture to study at Songfeng Academy, he rented a house and brought along an old servant.

After visiting the Marquis's mansion and falling out with his family, he hadn't returned for two months.

The old servant had also gone home, but the rent was paid for another month, so he could stay for now.

Li Xian took some time to tidy up his bedroom.

The old servant seemed to have left recently—the daily necessities were still there.

Lighting the lamp, Li Xian went through Zhou Juechen's Five Elements Method with great care.

"Internal training for the lungs is much like forming a inner core to nourish the organs. Comparing the two, the Five Elements Fist is faster. But without medicinal support or a famous teacher's guidance, it can easily harm the practitioner..."

After confirming the method of training the organs, he skipped ahead to the blood and marrow transformation chapter, but his eyes stopped at Zhou Juechen's notes on the Perfection stage.

"Flawless Body."

He stared at Zhou Juechen's commentary on this stage.

Especially the phrase "Primordial Unity"...

"How is this so similar to forming an inner core?"