Chapter 16: 16. Benign internal cycle
At this moment, the Kunlun Mirror was cruising through the Sea of Consciousness, feeling even freer and happier as the heavens broadened and the earth expanded.
Lu Li's expression showed surprise, "My Sea of Consciousness... It has indeed enlarged!"
He had harbored this feeling before, but it was not clear at that time, and he dared not be certain.
But now, his Sea of Consciousness had been expanded by 50% by the Kunlun Mirror, which was immediately noticeable at a glance.
The Sea of Consciousness, also known as the pineal gland, was considered since ancient times to be the place where the soul and consciousness were nurtured.
According to the ancient texts of Xia Country, the "Dao Shu," it was called "the cave of a hundred spirits, the jade chamber of soul essence."
An enlarged Sea of Consciousness would surely bring great benefits to one's spirit.
Yesterday, with the help of the Calming Incense, Lu Li had infused a great deal of spirit into the Kunlun Mirror.
The Magic Treasure, nourished in this way, was not only in great condition itself but also incidentally expanded its master's Sea of Consciousness further.
This might be a kind of "self-improvement of living conditions" instinct, but it brought Lu Li tangible benefits.
His spirit strength grew at an incredible rate;
With a strengthened spirit, he could refine the Kunlun Mirror even better;
And as the Kunlun Mirror was in great condition, it diligently expanded the Sea of Consciousness...
Thus, a perfect "benign internal cycle" was formed!
Lu Li was overjoyed, "This means, as long as I can solve the profound mystery of 'sudden insight,' I can rapidly improve my realm!"
With strength, one could protect oneself on Blue Star.
And whether it was his nature or the "family learning," Lu Li wanted to do something about Emperor Chuyun from the Otherworld.
Initially powerless due to a late start, he finally saw a glimmer of dawn!
In the midst of his passionate emotions, he suddenly heard a "squeak;" Xiao Cha's head popped through the window lattice.
"Hey, what time is it? Get up already!"
"I'm coming..."
Lu Li quickly went out.
~~~~~~~~~~
It was about 10:00 in the morning, and the sun was fierce.
Xiao Cha's pretty face was stern, ready to start teaching.
But Wanqing came over with a bowl of food, softly saying, "Martial arts training is tiring, Young Master Lu should eat something before practicing~"
In the bowl was millet porridge and a peeled hard-boiled egg.
Lu Li expressed his thanks and began to eat.
Xiao Cha took this opportunity to explain:
"Martial Arts is a Cultivation Method created by the Great Powers of ancient times, imitating the heavens and the universe. Like Spirit Refining, it has nine realms: Muscle Training, Bone Forging, and Refining Internal Organs are the first three realms!"
The girl only spoke of three realms because for someone in Lu Li's condition, achieving Bone Forging would be considered incredibly fortunate; there was no need to mention the rest.
Lu Li also voiced his doubts, "I have a disability, can I still practice martial arts?"
Xiao Cha confidently replied, "No big issue~ It's not about making you a master. Just need to strengthen the body to help with Spirit Refining Cultivation."
In that case, Lu Li certainly would not miss any opportunity to become stronger.
He gobbled up the food in just a few bites and said, "Then let's start."
"Great buildings rise from the ground; now let's begin the Muscle Training Cultivation!"
Xiao Cha straightened her pretty face and formally said:
"As the saying goes, 'When the bones are aligned, muscles supple, the energy and blood will flow naturally.' Muscle Training is about stretching the big muscles and tendons!
This realm is not magical; to master it is nothing more than being a gymnast.
But this is the foundation of Martial Arts, which must not be taken lightly! Even with your disability, you must give your utmost effort to lay a solid foundation!"
These were heartfelt words, and Lu Li nodded vehemently, "I understand and will not take it lightly!"
"Very good, I'll now teach you 'standing'; watch my movements carefully."
Xiao Cha's hands formed a circle, tiger's mouths facing each other, and then she rounded her arms and flung them.
"This is the 'Dragon Unbinding Stance,' which can translate the upper body's strength into the force of stretching muscles, minimizing the impact of your leg injury."
Xiao Cha had obviously thought ahead about Lu Li's difficulties and had come up with a solution in advance.
She swung her arms vigorously, her beautiful curves in full view, and the sweat on her body evaporated, giving off an enticing hormonal fragrance.
Lu Li felt a little parched and quickly entered a Concentration State, focusing his attention on the movements.
Under the aid of "Bullet Time," he watched for a while and then made the same movements, achieving a likeness of about 70%!
Xiao Cha's delicate voice directed, "Keep your back straight, and tighten your lower abdomen."
"Put more strength inward, increase the amplitude... Yes~ just like that!"
With every piece of advice she gave, Lu Li's movements became more precise, and after a few words, he perfectly executed the "Dragon Unbinding Stance"!
Xiao Cha was very satisfied, yet even more regretful, "What high aptitude! If it weren't for that broken leg, his achievements would be boundless!"
~~~~~~~~~~~
The two of them, one teaching and the other learning, were practicing happily.
But just after half an hour, Xiao Cha called a halt, "That's enough, take a break."
Lu Li was somewhat reluctant to stop.
The "Dragon Unbinding Stance," with its upper body swings, stretched the big muscles and ligaments around the body, especially along the spine.
At first, it was somewhat tiring, but the more he practiced, the more exhilarated he felt! It was like getting an itch scratched, overwhelmingly comfortable~
"Common saying goes, an inch of muscle growth adds ten years to life. Muscle Training is very beneficial, but you can't overdo it."
Xiao Cha gently patted Lu Li's left knee, where there was a slight soreness.
"With only one leg bearing the weight, you must take care to rest more. Don't wear out your body!"
The human body is delicate yet fragile, and overexertion can easily lead to chronic issues.
Lu Li had no choice but to sit down and rest. After half an hour, Xiao Cha allowed him to resume training.
And so, after starting and stopping, three hours passed, and it became noon.
Lu Li practiced until he was drenched in sweat, his weight-bearing left knee sore and intolerable, and the stump of his leg rubbed raw and painful.
Yet for all his efforts, the efficiency of the training was frustratingly low.
The missing leg severely affected his training effectiveness, causing the training to be disjointed and consuming a lot of time for resting.
Rubbing his knee, Lu Li realized that martial arts were a thankless, labor-intensive task for him.
Xiao Cha encouraged from the side, "You're doing very well already, only two or three years until you achieve Bone Forging~ much faster than most people~"
At that moment, Wanqing, who was gathering herbs nearby, looked up and said,
"Young Master Lu, you must be in a lot of pain. Let me help you massage and soothe it."
Hearing this, Xiao Cha intervened at once, "You don't have the strength in your hands, it won't do any good. Let me do it~"
Wanqing hesitated, "Never mind, you..."
Xiao Cha turned a deaf ear, went straight to Lu Li, and said,
"Take off your shirt, I'll loosen up your muscles."
Lu Li had not yet realized the severity of the situation and obediently complied.
Then, Xiao Cha extended her fair, smooth hand and grasped his trapezius muscle firmly!
"Ah~ Hiss!!!"
Her slender hand, like a tiger's pincers, caused Lu Li to cry out in pain.
"What are you yelling for~ man up, don't be so weak~"
Xiao Cha's lips were unrelenting, but her grip lightened suddenly, and it felt much better.
Wanqing reminded, "You've mastered Bone Forging, your hands can exert 500 pounds of force, so please be gentle."
"500 pounds!"
Lu Li was surprised! In other words, this slender girl had the same strength as an Olympic-level weightlifter!
It seemed martial arts were not so simple after all!
At the moment, Xiao Cha used her sturdy fingers like steel rods to ease the muscles around Lu Li's severed leg.
A thought struck Lu Li, and he asked, "In Martial Arts Body Refining, is there a way for people to regrow limbs?"
Both girls were momentarily stunned and spoke in unison, "Of course, the Golden Body Realm makes it possible!"
"Golden Body Realm... Is Emperor Chuyun also in this realm?"
"Mm-hmm, that's the Seventh Realm of Martial Arts, where you can withstand bombs with your flesh and blood, so a broken arm or leg is nothing~"
"Withstand bombs with the flesh..."
Having been blown up by a tank, Lu Li knew full well the power of a bomb.
He stood up and said, "I've rested enough, let's continue practicing. And about Calming Incense, can I use it at night?"
"Of course, it's all up to you."
The two girls looked puzzled, wondering why Lu Li suddenly seemed so urgent.