Merging three actions marks the beginning, ten actions marks minor success, fifteen actions great success, twenty or more marks minor perfection, and twenty-five or more marks great perfection.
"My goal is to merge three actions within three months."
Su Mu had a clear target. Elder Wang gave him a chance, and he wanted to seize it, striving to climb higher!
A Third Level Martial Artist completes the tempering of all bones except the skull. A Fourth Level Martial Artist begins a new phase, constructing a bridge to connect the inside and outside, linking bones with the internal organs.
The method of visceral refining and the Breathing Technique complement each other. Just relying on the Qi Blood Cultivation Technique to absorb qi and blood is not enough to meet the massive qi and blood needed for visceral refining.
And cultivating the Breathing Technique requires the coordination of the internal organs. Stronger organs, once refined, are more conducive to the application of the Breathing Technique.
All beginnings are difficult, from nothing to something, and breaking through zero is the hardest part.
As night fell, Su Mu left the classroom, his brows furrowed in thought.
Wang Shuheng from the top floor happened to see Su Mu leaving the Forging Academy, his eyes narrowing slightly. He had his pride in weapon forging and was unwilling to compromise.
He was also peculiar, only considering someone as a disciple if he truly appreciated them.
While at the Forging Academy of South China Martial Arts University, he had conducted several tests, with no one passing, so he had never truly accepted a disciple.
Time is relentless, and people age easily.
Wang Shuheng still refused to compromise.
"Aim for the highest, and you'll be in the middle; aim for the middle, and you'll be at the bottom. Su Mu, if you can merge one action in three months and reach entry-level in a year, I will take you as my disciple."
But honestly, Wang Shuheng didn't have high hopes for Su Mu; it was just that Su Mu suited his taste, so he was willing to give him a chance to try.
Wang Shuheng's potential as a Martial Artist wasn't low. Before he became a Martial Artist, he completed Secondary Bone Tempering, but he dedicated his time to inscription research, delaying his martial arts practice.
He initially spent ten months mastering the Breathing Technique. The first action took him nearly eight months, with guidance from senior brothers; otherwise, barely mastering it within a year would have been difficult.
Su Mu knew nothing of this. His mind was currently filled with the Breathing Technique, aiming to master it within three months.
After quickly filling his stomach at the cafeteria, Su Mu returned to the dormitory's underground cultivation room to continue pondering over the Breathing Technique.
After a day and night passed, Su Mu seemed to grasp something, yet gained nothing.
In the blink of an eye, a week passed.
Su Mu's eyes were bloodshot; he felt like his brain had turned to mush. He took a deep breath, feeling a heaviness in his chest and a sense of defeat.
He initially thought that after the Secondary Bone Tempering improved his aptitude, he could probably count as a small genius, and mastering the Breathing Technique shouldn't be difficult.
Reality struck him hard.
"Alas, I've been getting cocky lately. I'm still just an ordinary person."
Needing a change of pace, Su Mu decided to take a walk to clear his mind. The nighttime playground was filled with diverse people: groups of friends exercising, couples, and some clubs holding activities.
Taking deep breaths of fresh air, Su Mu's mood slightly improved.
As he strolled to a certain spot, a tall, vibrant female student with a ponytail approached, "Senior, want to try some meditation?"
Not far away, on the grassy playground, there were five people lying down, sitting, or sprawling, all with eyes closed. They were presumably meditating?
Is there a Meditation Club?
These people looked quite relaxed. Why not give it a try?
"Sure."
"Senior, what should I call you, and which academy are you from?" the female student asked, noticing Su Mu was rather handsome, albeit with somewhat outdated attire.
"Su Miao, Elixir Medicine Academy, third year."
"Oh, so it's Senior Su from the Elixir Medicine Academy. I'm Zhao Meng, a first-year student at the Theoretical Academy."
Zhao Meng led Su Mu to the grass. "Fellow members, this is Senior Su Miao from the Elixir Medicine Academy's third year. Let's warmly welcome him!"
Huh? Wasn't this just to try?
Why did Su Mu feel like he'd boarded a pirate ship?
"Senior Su, take a deep breath now, then relax your body, close your eyes, and imagine a vast blue sea in front of you, with the breeze gently caressing your face..."
"You feel a tickling on your cheeks, and gradually you sense inner peace, with the world quieting down..."
"You have entered the world of meditation..."
Zhao Meng's pleasant voice abruptly stopped. The surrounding people wore strange expressions, as the sound of snoring filled the air; Su Mu had fallen asleep.
"Haha, this Senior Su is quite amusing. He fell asleep during his first meditation?"
"I suspect he came here just to sleep."
Everyone stifled their laughter.
By ten o'clock, Zhao Meng woke Su Mu up. After awakening, Su Mu felt refreshed and, seeing Zhao Meng, remembered what had happened.
"Senior Su, are you coming tomorrow? It starts at eight in the evening."
Zhao Meng acted first, her smile radiant. It's hard to refuse someone with a smiling face, so Su Mu nodded.
"Then, Senior Su, see you tomorrow."
Turning around, a sly glint appeared in Zhao Meng's eyes as she gently exhaled. Finally, she managed to recruit another person. If the club doesn't reach ten members this month, it might be dissolved.
On the way back to the dormitory, Su Mu felt something was off, as if he had boarded a pirate ship.
"But if this is what meditation is, it feels pretty good, quite relaxing."
Professor Wang didn't assign any extra tasks to Su Mu, allowing him to fully immerse himself in cultivation now.
The next night, after a whole day of cultivation, Su Mu arrived at the field.
"Senior Su, you're here early. This time, start with the most relaxed or comfortable posture, but try not to fall asleep again."
Su Mu's face reddened a bit upon having his secret exposed, then he tried a few poses, all of which felt a bit awkward.
"Or maybe the most familiar posture?"
The most familiar?
To Zhao Meng's astonishment, Su Mu adopted a stance from the Qi Blood Cultivation Technique, the thirteenth move, and said, "This one then."
"So Senior Su is a cultivation maniac," Zhao Meng thought to herself.
Zhao Meng began the guidance, and it must be said, Zhao Meng's voice was pleasant and very suitable for leading someone into meditation.
After a day of arduous training, as Su Mu closed his eyes, he saw a spark of light in the darkness. As it expanded, a vast ocean appeared before him, and he quickly entered a wondrous state of selflessness.
"Senior Su does enter meditation quite fast,"
"But hopefully, he won't fall asleep this time."
Zhao Meng leaned in closer, observing him carefully.
"Hey, Zhao Meng!" a female student approached with a smile on her face. "Tsk tsk, what were you planning to do to Senior Su just now?"
Zhao Meng rolled her eyes and shushed her, "Keep it down, Senior Su just entered meditation. I was checking if he was asleep, and he's not this time."
"Senior Su is really interesting, never forgetting to cultivate even while meditating."
In reality, as the evening breeze blew, Su Mu in the meditation world also felt the sea breeze. He spread his arms wide and breathed deeply, intending to completely release the weariness from a day of training.
Having fully immersed himself in the Breathing Technique these days, he subconsciously began to use it at that moment.
Yet, Su Mu himself was entirely unaware of this.
Gradually, everyone from the club arrived. Zhao Meng sat next to Su Mu and skillfully entered her own meditation, briefly furrowing her brow.
In meditation, she vaguely heard an unusual noise, as if something was lurking beneath the calm sea surface.
"What is… going on?"
"It must be an illusion."
Su Mu was once again the last from the club to persist, and it was Zhao Meng who gently woke him up.
"Hmm, is it over?"
Su Mu stretched lazily, feeling a cozy warmth spread through his body, with the day's exhaustion completely vanished. However, he was a bit hungry. "Zhao Meng, want to grab a bite or drink something? My treat."
At the school's commercial street, Su Mu ordered a table full of barbecued skewers, now devouring beef fried rice and meat skewers across from Zhao Meng.
Seeing this, Zhao Meng didn't hold back either; she was indeed hungry. "How can this Senior Su tempt someone with food late at night? These skewers smell too good." She took a deep breath, gathering her emotions.
Let's devour together!
"Not bad, Zhao Meng, you have quite an appetite yourself. Have more. I'll share half of this fried rice with you," Su Mu recalled the foodie from his home.
"But Senior Su, you're even more amazing."
The two devoured the food with a voracious appetite, attracting the attention of nearby tables. Zhao Meng glanced at Su Mu, seeing him unfazed, so she went along with it, lowered her head, and continued eating.
After almost an hour of feasting, Zhao Meng burped several times. Seeing no sign of Su Mu stopping, she couldn't help but feel admiration.
"Senior Su, I'm full now, and thanks for the milk tea. I think I'll head back first."
"No worries. See you tomorrow," Su Mu waved as he continued eating.
As Zhao Meng turned, a peculiar thought popped into her head: she hadn't recruited Su Mu onto a pirate ship, but rather her pirate ship now had a pirate leader.
"I wonder if there'll be late-night snacks tomorrow. Did I eat too much today?"
"Did I scare Senior Su?"
"I should've eaten less earlier, but those lamb skewers were really good."