MUMA Chapter 4

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T/N: I’m sorry for the late release these past few days, I got a lot of work to do. Thank you for understanding.

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Before dawn, Xu Yan had already assumed a horse stance and was deep into his training.

“Master said, ‘Emphasize enlightenment and intention, not form. Sense your qi and blood, mobilize your qi and blood, refine your skin…'”

“The ancient geniuses completed skin refinement in just five days, and here I am, yet to sense my qi and blood. The gap is too wide. Master said not to be impatient, as impatience hinders the ability to sense qi and blood…”

Xu Yan gathered his focus, concentrating on himself, trying to sense his own qi and blood.

As the sky began to brighten, Xu Yan, who was immersed in sensing qi and blood suddenly felt a warm flow in his chest and abdomen, subtle and soothing, seemingly flowing along with his breath.

“Qi and blood!”

“I’ve sensed my qi and blood!”

At that moment, Xu Yan was overwhelmed with excitement.

“Calm down, stay composed, don’t let your mind waver…”

“How do I mobilize my qi and blood? Master didn’t provide specific instructions. Should I go and ask Master?”

“No, Master said it’s about enlightenment and intention. I must grasp this moment’s feeling. If I slack off, sensing my qi and blood will become even more difficult…”

“Moreover, if I need to ask Master for detailed instructions on how to mobilize my qi and blood, won’t it disappoint him? He might think I have poor aptitude.”

With these thoughts in mind, Xu Yan decided not to ask his Master for guidance and continued to maintain his horse stance while trying to mobilize his qi and blood.

“Master’s abilities are unfathomable. He can easily discern my progress, so there’s no need for me to inform him explicitly.”

As Xu Yan persevered in his training, immersed in mobilizing qi and blood, his breathing unconsciously changed as he mobilized his qi and blood, gradually a flow of qi and blood filled his body, and his skin slightly flushed, as if there was a stream of warmth refining the dermal membrane, he felt his skin tempering gradually.
“I seem to have entered the skin refinement stage, haven’t I?”

Xu Yan was elated; he had successfully sensed his qi and blood and entered the skin refinement stage.

Li Xuan yawned, got up, and prepared to make breakfast. He had been living alone in the village for a while now and had grown accustomed to self-sufficiency.

Outside, he saw Xu Yan diligently practicing his horse stance. Li Xuan couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking that Xu Yan was working hard, even though it wouldn’t yield any real results.

“When he eventually can’t keep up anymore and comes to ask me, I’ll make up some nonsense to satisfy him,” Li Xuan thought.

Li Xuan checked on Xu Yan for a moment and was satisfied that he was still practicing. He then went about his morning routine.

Later, Xu Yan saw Li Xuan and wanted to tell him that he had successfully sensed his qi and blood and entered the skin refinement stage. However, when he saw Li Xuan shaking his head, Xu Yan’s heart sank.

“Does Master disapprove of me?”

“Yes, with Master’s level of cultivation, how could he not see that I’ve sensed my qi and blood and entered the skin refinement stage?”

“It must be that Master feels that I’m arrogant, complacent and unable to remain calm ……”

Xu Yan began to self-doubt, thinking that he might have been too arrogant and impatient.

After a series of self-imagined scenarios, Xu Yan decided not to inform Li Xuan of his progress, believing that his Master must have seen through his flaws.

He took a deep breath and continued to focus on mobilizing his qi and blood and tempering his skin.

Li Xuan went to the chicken coop and caught a chicken. He intended to continue stewing the Nine-Leaf Yuan Mushroom, a rare and precious medicinal herb. After eating the Nine-Leaf Yuan Mushroom chicken soup yesterday, he felt his body had become stronger.

He took out a knife and was about to kill the chicken.

Suddenly, he paused, realizing something: “Wait a minute, I have a disciple now. There’s no reason for me, the master, to serve my disciple. It should be the other way around, with the disciple serving the master, right?”

“Well, I’ve already deceived him. He is my disciple now, so it’s reasonable to have him serve me as his master, isn’t it?” With this thought in mind, holding the chicken in one hand and a knife in the other, Li Xuan walked over to Xu Yan.

“Disciple, come, kill this chicken and add some Nine-Leaf Yuan Mushroom to stew. Then, go prepare the meal.”

Xu Yan stopped his practice, took the chicken and the knife from Li Xuan, looking somewhat bewildered.

“What’s wrong, don’t you know how to cook?”

Li Xuan saw Xu Yan in a daze and furrowed his brows.

“Right, Xu Yan is from a wealthy family. How could he possibly know how to cook?” Li Xuan thought to himself.

Despite this, now that he had taken Xu Yan as his disciple, he felt he should make good use of him.

“Disciple, every action, every moment, sleeping and eating, it’s all part of cultivation. Although you haven’t even started yet and are far from reaching my level, it’s still beneficial for you to get familiar with these aspects in advance.” Li Xuan said solemnly

“Master, I’ll go right away.” Xu Yan’s expression became respectful as he replied.

“Master’s level is just too high. Although it may seem like mundane matters, this is what makes a true master. This is the essence of living a reclusive life!”

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that his master was profound and unfathomable. Despite appearing ordinary and not displaying any signs of a powerful figure, his master was truly a reclusive master.

Xu Yan then went to prepare the meal.

Li Xuan, feeling a bit uneasy, kept an eye on Xu Yan for a while. He noticed that although Xu Yan was somewhat unfamiliar with killing chickens and cooking, with his guidance, the food he prepared should be palatable.

So, he moved a chair and placed it under a tree outside the house, lying on the chair comfortably, waiting for the meal to be ready.

“Having a disciple to serve me, this kind of life isn’t bad at all.”

“With Xu Yan’s intelligence, he won’t figure things out in a short time. But I should be prepared just in case…”

After the meal, Xu Yan continued with his training.

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“I can feel the skin refining process is speeding up, and my qi and blood are strengthening by at least fifty percent…”

“At this rate, even though I won’t achieve skin refinement in five days, completing it within a month should be feasible.”

Xu Yan was excited about his progress.

“Why has my skin refining speed suddenly increased? Could it be…”

He recalled the Nine-Leaf Yuan Mushroom stew!

“Master!”

Xu Yan was deeply moved. He believed that Li Xuan knew the incredible effects of the Nine-Leaf Yuan Mushroom, and that’s why he had made the chicken soup for him.

“I must not disappoint Master’s efforts. I will work diligently and strive to enter the beginner stage as soon as possible!”

Xu Yan’s self-imagination led to a profound respect and determination to make his Master proud.

As he continued to mobilize his qi and blood and temper his skin, Xu Yan felt his body grow stronger, his qi and blood surging, and his skin becoming tougher. He seemed to have officially entered the skin refinement stage.

“I feel like my strength has increased by more than double. And I’ve only just entered the skin refinement stage. How strong will I become when I complete it?”

“I must enter the realm of martial arts within a year!”

Xu Yan was resolute in his goal.

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“The effect of this Nine-Leaf Yuan Mushroom is incredible. Should I keep it all to myself? Well, it was Xu Yan’s gift, so I’ll stew it and eat it together. I shouldn’t be too greedy.”

Li Xuan also felt the changes in his body, and for a moment, he considered keeping the Nine-Leaf Yuan Mushroom for himself. However, he quickly dismissed the idea.

(End of Chapter 4)

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I thought it was all made up, lol. Li Xuan have a serious talk-no-jutsu hidden talent there.

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