Chapter 7, Cultivation is Difficult

At this moment, the two suddenly realized that Doctor Mo did not wish to take the imperial examination to become a scholar, but rather aspired to live as long as the turtles in the river, enduring for thousands of years

The chance discovery of this matter allowed Han Li to regain some of the confidence he had lost, and in the days that followed, he resumed the arduous cultivation he had practiced before

It has been more than half a year since Han Li officially entered the sect, and the formal entrance examination for registered disciples concluded over two months ago

What puzzled Han Li was that ever since Doctor Mo taught the two of them the incantation, he had completely ignored them, never inquiring about their progress in cultivation or any issues they faced, as if he had entirely forgotten about their existence

Since Han Li learned from others about the disparity in treatment between inner and outer disciples, he completely abandoned the thought of muddling through as an outer disciple for the past six months just to return home. For him at that time, everything else seemed less important compared to the prospect of receiving more silver from the Seven Xuan Sect and having it sent back home, as he had experienced poverty at home and was deeply afraid of it. He understood that every extra piece of silver he received would improve the living conditions of his parents and siblings.

According to Doctor Mo, this unnamed set of incantations is divided into several layers. Han Li and his companion have only obtained the first layer of the cultivation method. This means that as long as the two of them can achieve some progress in the first layer of the incantation within six months, Doctor Mo will consider them to have passed and they will be able to become formal disciples of Doctor Mo, enjoying the same favorable treatment as other inner disciples of the Seven Mysterious Sect.

Running a lap around the colorful Xia Mountain range, which spans over ten miles, followed by forming teams to engage in combat in a sparsely populated forest, and finally having to withstand a series of attacks from those highly skilled senior brothers. All these tests made Han Li involuntarily feel a hint of schadenfreude.

When Han Li thought of the content that the other named disciples had been examined on two months ago, he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy even now

One day, Han Li learned from his fellow cultivator Zhang Tie that since Zhang Tie began practicing this technique, there had been no change whatsoever in his body, not even the slightest effect, and he had not generated even a trace of true qi like Han Li had.

This unexpected discovery nearly caused Han Li to abandon the efforts he had made over the past few months. He believed that his aptitude was too poor and that it would be impossible for him to pass Dr. Mo's examination in the remaining days. He had even prepared himself for the possibility of descending the mountain.

Han Li and Zhang Tie did not participate in these terrifying tests; as Dr. Mo himself stated, it was merely an assessment of their cultivation progress with that set of incantations. However, this stage was not as easy for Han Li as he had imagined. Even now, he still remembers the circumstances of his cultivation at that time very clearly

Those children who did not pass will mostly be categorized into the Gathering Treasure Hall and the Flying Bird Hall. Among them, those with outstanding potential are likely to receive further training, which may allow them to be recruited into the better-paying Outer Blade Hall. Of course, the best treatment in the outer sect is at the Four Seas Hall; however, the Four Seas Hall only accepts renowned figures from the martial arts world. Without any notable skills to showcase, it is simply out of the question, especially for these inexperienced children.

According to this method of practice, after three months of arduous cultivation, Han Li was greatly astonished to find that the speed at which he was cultivating this set of incantations was shockingly slow. Despite exerting tremendous effort, he could only generate a faint stream of cool energy within his body. This energy was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible; without careful introspection, he would not have been able to detect it at all

Han Li slowly gathered the energy flowing through his meridians back to his dantian. This was the seventh great circulation of the day that he had performed. He knew that his body had reached its limit; if he attempted another great circulation, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance that his meridians would rupture again, and he would once more experience the agony of a fate worse than death. The mere thought of the pain from his meridians tearing apart made even the normally bold Han Li break out in a cold sweat.

Only a small portion of the named disciples can formally join the inner sect, while the majority of the disciples who were assessed did not pass this stage. Those who did not succeed had no choice but to carry their bundles down the mountain to become outer sect disciples

However, I heard from other children practicing the "Zhengyang Jin" of the Seven Mysterious Gates that the true energy generated within them is a very distinct, warm flow, while the energy generated within myself is a cool sensation. Moreover, the effects of the two are even more disparate after their operation

No, work harder and crazier than before

Every day, Doctor Mo spent all his time engrossed in a book with a cover bearing three black characters, as if the book truly contained beauty like jade and houses of gold. At first, Han Li and Zhang Tie even thought that Doctor Mo had no intention of continuing his practice of saving lives and was instead preparing to take the imperial examination. Later, after the two learned to read, they recognized that the three characters were "Changsheng Jing," a book discussing how to cultivate oneself, nurture one's character, and prolong life.

After receiving the mantra from Doctor Mo, Han Li no longer went outside and began to cultivate day and night, dedicating all the time he could to this endeavor. Since Doctor Mo did not provide them with any guidance on cultivation, Han Li could only explore on his own, referencing the methods used by other children practicing the basic internal skill "Zhengyang Jin" of the Seven Mysterious Sect, and independently comprehending the cultivation techniques.

Other children, after utilizing the "Zhengyang Jin" vital energy within their bodies, are already able to break small trees as thick as a bowl with a single punch and leap over a height of more than one zhang. In contrast, after Han Li operates his peculiar vital energy, there is hardly any significant change compared to before. The only difference is that his spirit seems much more vigorous than before, and his appetite has improved significantly since ascending the mountain, but what use is that! Watching the other children who ascended the mountain together display their extraordinary abilities before him, Han Li becomes increasingly dejected. The only difference is that his spirit seems much more vigorous than before, and his appetite has improved significantly since ascending the mountain, but what use is that! Watching the other children who ascended the mountain together display their extraordinary abilities before him, Han Li becomes increasingly dejected.

This is probably what several instructors refer to as the true internal energy, Han Li naturally thought to himself

Han Li now dedicates every quarter of an hour to meditation and cultivation. Even while sleeping at night, he maintains a meditative posture, hoping to gain even a slight improvement in his cultivation. However, this frenzied approach only lasted a few days before it came to an end. The reason was his lack of sleep, which prevented him from maintaining the same efficiency in cultivation as during the day.