Chapter 3, The Most Remarkable Foundation in History

However, at this moment, Xiang Yang could no longer afford to ponder such questions. He turned back and saw that the thatched cottage at the valley entrance was already out of sight. He quickly took off the hemp garment that Cheng Yan had specially made for him before his departure, only to discover a thin layer of black mud on his body, which also emitted a foul odor. There was a cloth bag tightly pressed against his chest, which was still radiating a faint warmth; the location where that breath had disappeared and then reappeared was right there.

It has long been said by great sages that all things in the world possess vital energy. Whether it is beasts or mortals, every action and movement actually consumes this vital energy, with the only difference being the quantity consumed

This is simply a prodigy, Liu Gu is very doubtful whether the founding ancestor of the Floating Jade Sect had such talent as his...

Having reached the shore and put on his clothes, he felt that he was somewhat different on the way back.

Upon arrival, Xiang Yang realized just how magnificent the waterfall was, seemingly cascading down from a height of a thousand zhang. It spanned several zhang in width, and below was a deep pool of water, not much smaller in area than the one at the valley's mouth. However, given the immense volume of water crashing down, it would indeed be a strange matter if both pools could accommodate such a flow.

At this moment, the bright moon hangs high in the sky, and that pebble surprisingly glimmers with tiny starlights under the moonlight. The little golden dragon on the stone shines brilliantly, as if it were about to come to life.

However, it is estimated that he is the first one on this Mountain and Sea Continent to use pig's blood for cleansing the marrow and establishing a foundation

When I came, I didn't pay much attention to that thing in my chest, but at this moment, I found that running made me feel much lighter. Moreover, both my vision and hearing are significantly better than before

He untied the cloth bag, inside was the pebble he had picked up some days ago. That night, he played with it for a long time and vaguely felt that it was something valuable, so he had Cheng use the extra fabric from making clothes to create a cloth bag, which he tied to his chest

... ...

Thus, Xiang Yang's status suddenly advanced in leaps and bounds. Originally, when he entered the valley, he was a servant, then he became Liu Gu's disciple, and now he has unexpectedly become Liu Gu's junior brother and Xiang Xian's master uncle

It is regrettable that Xiang Yang was unable to surprise him this time. For a full half month, he had not even found the energy mentioned in the jade slip, let alone practiced it

Xiang Yang grew up by the banks of the Juqu Ze. He was naturally adept at swimming from a young age, and after reaching maturity, he boldly dove into the depths of the pool. The water was clear, and the moonlight was beautiful, making visibility not much worse than during the day. However, after diving down for over ten zhang, the water remained unfathomably deep. He began to feel a bit of pressure in his chest, realizing that he had nearly reached his limit, and reluctantly had to surface again.

After a little more than half an hour, Xiang Yang patted his round belly and let out a satisfied burp, looking at Liu Gu, who appeared to be in shock, and said: "Master, I am too full, I really can't drink anymore...! I will go out for a walk!"

However, even so, the fact that a nine-year-old has reached the Iron Body realm is already astonishing, and the most crucial point is that he has only been cultivating for four months! This is the first of its kind in the history of the Floating Jade Sect

The Golden Body Hall now has only this little to show for itself, and on ordinary days, it may not even be willing to slaughter a single pig in a year. The supply of pig's blood is limited, and with such a large sea bowl to fill, a single pig can only be divided into about ten portions. Often, after distributing one portion to each person, they must economize and save for an entire year.

It is important to note that even Liu Gu himself, despite having reached the pinnacle of the Copper Body realm, would likely find it somewhat unbearable to consume such a large bowl in one go

Any form of cultivation is inextricably linked to vital energy. Practitioners of physical training and self-cultivation are essentially the same as those who pursue immortality in this regard. The only difference is that cultivators of immortality possess celestial seeds, allowing them to absorb vital energy from the external environment for their own use. In contrast, those who practice physical training and self-cultivation, lacking celestial seeds, can only infuse the vital energy they obtain into their physical bodies, achieving the effect of body refinement, but are unable to utilize the other remarkable benefits of vital energy.

Eight Treasure Soup differs from ordinary food; it is not only edible but also has direct benefits for the cultivation of the Golden Body Technique. If one practices too vigorously and sustains injuries, it can also be used to alleviate the condition.

Having gritted his teeth countless times in secret, he nonetheless maintained a demeanor of a well-behaved child in public, even sweetly addressing Xiang Yang as "Shishu". This led Liu Gu, who initially had a poor impression of him, to alter his views somewhat and take a more earnest approach to teaching him

How could Xiang Xian, who prides himself on being a genius, endure this? Yet he could also see that the current Xiang Yang is the darling of those elders in the valley, no longer the orphan who could be bullied at will as he was in the past

After consuming so much Eight Treasure Soup, although the inexplicable sensation in his chest transformed and alleviated the heat, he now felt extremely uncomfortable and sticky all over. He could only think about rushing to the waterfall for a cool shower, and then finding a secluded corner to examine the sensation in his chest.

Liu Gu was naturally unaware of this reason. Now he is very suspicious, wondering if he had misjudged at that time, or if this fellow's immortal seedlings had already exceeded one foot, which is why the medium-grade Immortal Insight Ointment was ineffective

At this moment, three senior uncles came to the door with a group of old men, what else could he do

This valley is extremely deep, with most of it covered in lush greenery. Fortunately, a small path has been cleared by the side of the pond, which leads all the way to the edge of the waterfall

He steeled himself and used the Immortal's Salve on Xiang Yang once more. Upon looking, he was once again taken aback; this fellow had actually sprouted an Immortal Seed. It wasn't tall, merely about half an inch in height, but who has ever heard of an Immortal Seed being able to grow like this

It must be noted that even Liu Gu himself, after practicing for a lifetime, has only reached the pinnacle of the Copper Body realm

The waterfall seems not far away, but when one actually runs towards it, one realizes it is several miles away. In front of the pool is a small stream with a swift current, and the waterfall is located at the very upper reaches of the stream.

After taking off his clothes completely, Xiang Yang plunged directly into the pool. The water was extremely cold, and at first, it felt somewhat piercing, but soon a wave of warmth spread throughout his body, dispelling the chill entirely

In the blink of an eye, four months have passed, and the miracles that have occurred in Xiang Yang's life have left Liu Gu in awe.

In fact, it is not that Liu Gu and the others are particularly incompetent; during their usual cultivation, although the vital energy they obtain can indeed strengthen their bodies, most of it dissipates directly. After consuming a bowl of eight-treasure porridge, only a tiny fraction of the vital energy remains effective.

Let us not mention the Eight Treasure Porridge from that day. Throughout the thousands of years of the Floating Jade Sect, when have we ever heard of someone who, after just one month of initiation, managed to cultivate the Golden Body Technique to the Iron Body realm? Now, after four months, this young man’s skin has already begun to show a faint copper hue while he is cultivating, and it is evident that the Copper Body realm is not far off.

Xiang Xian was not originally foolish, and being a child with celestial roots, although only an inch in height, he possessed a rare talent among the masses. His progress in cultivating the Golden Body Technique was also rapid. Of course, it could not be compared to Xiang Yang, but after a few months, he had already entered the initial stage, and this speed was significantly better than Liu Gu's own progress.

Xiang Yang marveled, lifting the stone and examining it under the moonlight for quite some time. However, after looking at it from various angles, he could not discern any clues. Ultimately, he placed it back into the cloth bag and hung it around his neck, resolutely deciding that this object would not be shown to anyone.

Xiang Yang was unaware that after consuming that bowl of eight-treasure soup, the energy was transformed through this unknown treasure in his chest, effectively cleansing his marrow and bones in a manner not much inferior to the legendary foundation-building elixir.

This kid is only 9 years old, and he has already consumed a whole bowl in one go, which is equivalent to his usual annual intake...

Under the moonlight, he could even see the branches and leaves of the grass under the shadows of the trees by the roadside, as well as the beetles half-buried in the soil at the roots of the trees. The chirping of insects by his ear was particularly clear; at the moment of their collective chorus, he could even distinguish the distance of each sound.

Liu Gu, the hall master, was actually elected by everyone to handle miscellaneous tasks. There are three others in the valley who are of higher seniority than him, and there are quite a few with higher cultivation levels. It is precisely because he is the youngest and has the lowest cultivation among all the elders, and there is almost no room for improvement, that he was elevated to the position of hall master

However, having the immortal seedling is undoubtedly a good thing, even though it can only be referred to as an immortal bud. Nevertheless, the distinction between having it and not having it is a completely different concept.

In the pond, I washed away all the dirt on my body and casually swam back and forth a few times. I couldn't help but feel a bit curious; where exactly did the water that flowed down from above go? Could it be that there is something marvelous at the bottom of this pond? Don't storytellers often mention that falling off a cliff might lead to unexpected adventures, or that there are hidden realms behind waterfalls?

At this time, the night was already deep, and it seemed that only those elderly people remained in the valley. The vast majority had returned to their thatched cottages, with only a few sitting outside, chatting idly. Upon seeing Xiang Yang rushing by in a hurry, they did not ask many questions, but merely looked on with smiling eyes.

Liu Gu was staring blankly at him, his chin nearly unable to support itself, with a sorrowful expression as he looked at the empty large bowl in front of him, waving his hand

The entire Golden Body Hall trembled, and those elderly individuals who had been idly waiting for death suddenly became inexplicably excited, as if they had been injected with adrenaline. They all gathered around Liu Gu, stating that it was a waste for such a talent to be taught by just one person.

Those seemingly unremarkable fat pigs, by the time of slaughter, have been raised for at least ten years. Over the course of those ten years, one cannot imagine how many medicinal herbs they have consumed. The vitality contained in their blood is not much inferior to that of some ordinary demon beasts. Although compared to those truly exceptional treasures, they are hardly even considered dregs, for the Golden Body Hall, which has fallen to such a state, they remain invaluable treasures.

Since he possesses the immortal seed, it is not a matter of the level of the divine ointment. Could it be that I truly misjudged at that time? ... It shouldn't be ...

During the process of washing the marrow and cutting the bones, the vital energy within the Eight Treasure Soup was directly transformed and stored in his body. Over the past few months, he has merely refined this vital energy through cultivation, which naturally led to rapid progress

Xiang Yang did not expect that in such a short time, Liu Gu would have so many sentiments. Seeing him wave his hand to signal, he happily ran out of the thatched cottage. Although the buildings in this valley were dilapidated, the scenery looked quite good in the afternoon, and he could faintly see a waterfall at the other end of the pond.

Such a bowl, if used sparingly, would be enough for him to enjoy for a year, yet this little fellow in front of me gulped it all down without a care... and the key point is that he seems completely unaffected

Looking at the golden tender sprout above the Xiang Yang immortal seedling, Liu Gu without saying a word took out the most precious jade slip from the Golden Body Hall. Although the ancestor who left this jade slip at that time mentioned that only those with a qualification of three feet and three inches in the immortal seedling could have the hope of ultimate success, since this kid is a monster, who knows he might create a miracle again