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”Good, good,” the old man croaked, nodding his head slowly in approval. ”Body forging.”

The old man leaned heavily against his walking stick. He did not seem intimidated by the massive crater, the hollowed-out carcass of the giant elephant, or by the aura that Lin Yuan naturally radiated.

”It is a rare sight indeed,” the old man continued. He then slowly hobbled around the edge of the crater, his eyes inspecting the massive cauldron and the water that had once been boiling beast blood. ”It is incredibly rare for a cultivator of your generation to be tempering their body in such a primal manner. Truly wise.”

Lin Yuan remained perfectly still in the water, his arms resting casually on the rim of the cauldron. He did not speak immediately, rather opting to analyze the newcomer.

Strangely, Lin Yuan could not detect a single ounce of spiritual qi radiating from the old man. To his Divine Sense, the hunched figure registered as a fragile, powerless mortal who had one foot in the grave. Yet, logic dictated that a mere mortal could not survive for even a minute in this region, let alone stroll casually.

”Most of your peers are foolish,” the old man sighed, shaking his head as he continued his slow walk. ”They rely solely on the meager temperament they received during the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment stages. They believe that flushing their meridians with spiritual qi a few times is enough to forge a powerful vessel.”

The old man paused, pointing his stick toward the distant, towering peaks of the mountain. ”They are building grand pavilions on foundations made of loose sand! They refine their souls and expand their dantians, but they neglect the very vessel that houses their power. When the heavenly tribulations finally arrive, or when they are forced to endure the crushing weight of a higher realm, their fragile bodies shatter like damped twigs. To see a youth willingly subject themselves to the fiery crucible of flesh... it brings joy to these old bones.”

As the old man spoke, the small, brown-furred sable resting across his shoulders suddenly twitched its nose.

Without any warning, the creature leaped. The sable moved in a blur, crossing the distance from the crater’s edge to the center of the massive cauldron in a fraction of a second. It landed flawlessly on the rim, its tiny claws making a soft clink against the metal.

Lin Yuan’s eyes tracked the beast effortlessly, though he did not make a single hostile move. He sensed no killing intent from the creature.

The sable darted forward, moving with playful curiosity. It hopped along the rim of the cauldron before launching itself onto Lin Yuan’s shoulder. The tiny beast began moving rapidly around Lin Yuan’s head, sniffing his hair. It made tiny squeaks that sounded almost like excited praises.

”Ah! Come back here, little one,” the old man called out, offering a warm chuckle.

The sable paused, nuzzled Lin Yuan’s cheek once with its nose, and then vanished in another blur, reappearing instantly across the old man’s shoulders.

The old man then offered a respectful bow. ”Please forgive her lack of manners, young master. She is highly sensitive to the aura of raw vitality, and your newly forged body practically radiates it like a blazing furnace. I must apologize for the intrusion.”

The old man straightened up, leaning back on his stick. ”I am but a humble wanderer. You need not be on guard; I am simply a man friendly with the beasts of these area. I hold no malice toward you or your cultivation.”

The old man’s eyes met Lin Yuan’s piercing gaze. ”May I ask for the name of the young dragon who dares to bathe in the blood of behemoths?”

Lin Yuan observed the old man for a moment longer. The explanation made sense. The Nine Provinces were vast, and hidden masters existed in every shadow. Some secluded themselves in grand sects, while others chose to live in absolute harmony with nature, befriending the untamed creatures of the forest. The fact that the sable moved with such terrifying speed confirmed that this ’beast friend’ was accompanied by profound entities.

”Lin Yuan,” he answered calmly.

”Lin Yuan,” the old man repeated slowly. ”A strong name. Fitting for one who walks the path of bodily cultivation.”

The old man turned his gaze away from the cauldron, his eyes locking onto the massive carcass of the giant elephant that lay slumped against the shattered cedar trees.

”You have done exceptionally well today, Lin Yuan,” the old man said, gesturing toward the dead Beast with his walking stick. ”Bathing in its blood was the correct first step. The blood has tempered your skin, thickened your muscle fibers, and mended your skeleton. You have established a flawless exterior. But...”

The old man turned back, a brilliant light briefly flashing in his otherwise cloudy eyes.

”...if you truly wish to walk the path of body cultivation and refine your vessel, you have only scratched the surface.”

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued. His Ten Thousand Ways Return to One Heart Sutra dictated that he must devour and assimilate all aspects of power, but the specific methods of ancient body forging were not entirely detailed in the scripture. He was more than willing to listen to a seasoned denizen of the wilderness.

”Blood is the river of life, yes,” the old man explained, taking a slow step closer to the crater. ”But a river must flow from a source. For a Beast of this terrifying magnitude, its true essence is not suspended in its blood.”

The old man tapped his stick against the ground for emphasis. ”The true essence of its primal strength is trapped deep within its bones. Lin Yuan, you must try extracting and consuming its bone marrow.”

Lin Yuan looked past the cauldron toward the massive hide of the fallen elephant.

”Bone marrow,” Lin Yuan murmured, his heightened comprehension instantly connecting the dots. Blood cleansed and nourished, but the marrow was the factory that generated life itself.

”Exactly,” the old man nodded enthusiastically, the sable on his shoulders chattering in agreement. ”Crack open that massive spine, and the marrow locked inside is the absolute essence of its life force. It is a treasure infinitely more potent than the blood you just bathed in.”

The old man’s voice took on a serious tone, imparting a secret of body cultivation that had been lost to the modern cultivators.

”Extract the marrow and consume it. It will tear you down to your very foundations and rebuild you from the inside out. It will give you a new body altogether.”