"Look at how pale you've become from fear."
Zhu Qianniang's face remained expressionless, but a hint of mockery gleamed in her emerald eyes.
While evil spirits were indeed dangerous, Gao Xian's reaction seemed exaggerated.
Gao Xian, coming to his senses, felt a bit embarrassed. He wasn't that cowardly; the evil spirit with half a head was clearly a dead man!
Zhou Ye wasn't lying to him after all. No wonder the evil spirit had been eyeing him all along!
Everything made sense.
He couldn't help but ask, "Qianniang, how did you know those two were killed by an evil spirit?"
"After an evil spirit kills, it absorbs essence and blood, turning the body pitch black like charcoal, emitting a strange evil aura. These characteristics are hard to fake and easy to identify."
Zhu Qianniang, unaware of Gao Xian's suspicions, reassured him, "It's alright, this evil spirit isn't that powerful, it can only cause trouble for wandering cultivators.
"Any wandering cultivator with two Yang symbols won't be killed."
She handed Gao Xian a stack of talismans, "Twenty Yang symbols. Stick a few on your doors and windows, and the evil spirit won't dare to come near."
"Thank you, Qianniang."
Gao Xian was touched. Zhu Qianniang was quite kind to him, knowing about the evil spirit and directly buying him talismans for protection.
Zhu Qianniang said seriously, "Feima Ji isn't safe. You should focus on cultivating.
"Alchemy is good, but it's not the right path. To achieve longevity and elevate your cultivation, that's the foundation."
"I diligently study every day," Gao Xian defended.
"You're not practicing correctly."
Zhu Qianniang's facial muscles stiffened, unable to show subtle expressions, but her disapproval was evident in her eyes.
"Huh?" Gao Xian didn't quite understand. His knowledge of cultivation was based on the memories of the original owner, and he wasn't very knowledgeable about cultivation.
He also didn't quite grasp Zhu Qianniang's specific meaning.
Seeing Gao Xian's puzzled expression, Zhu Qianniang realized he didn't understand anything.
This was normal; after all, most cultivators knew the what but not the why. Moreover, Gao Xian's main focus was alchemy.
She explained, "Cultivating Qi is the first layer of Qi cultivation. Condensing Qi in the Dantian is the second layer of Qi cultivation. Guiding spiritual energy to circulate throughout the body, tempering the muscles and bones to form bone orifices, enters the third layer of Qi cultivation.
"Regardless of the cultivation method, from cultivating Qi to Foundation Establishment, it's essentially guiding spiritual energy to cleanse the body, ultimately shedding mortal limitations, condensing a hint of true essence to complete Foundation Establishment.
"The second layer of Qi cultivation strengthens the muscles and bones by guiding Qi. Your muscles and bones are too weak!"
Zhu Qianniang approached Gao Xian from behind, running her fingertips along his spine.
Zhu Qianniang's fingertips were sharp and hard like needles, causing Gao Xian to grimace in pain. He gritted his teeth, refusing to make a sound out of pride.
"The physical body is the foundation of a cultivator's cultivation. Only with a strong body can one progress further on the path of cultivation. You need to take appropriate bone-strengthening pills and practice external techniques.
"Cultivating both internally and externally is the right path..."
Zhu Qianniang, at the ninth level of Qi cultivation, followed the path of body refinement and had a profound understanding of cultivation.
Seeing Gao Xian's physical condition, she knew he lacked proper guidance and was progressing too slowly by following a conventional path.
In the cultivation path, being slow at any step meant being slow at every step.
Especially during the Qi cultivation stage, each step laid the foundation for Foundation Establishment.
Why wandering cultivators found it difficult to establish their foundation was because they took too many detours during Qi cultivation.
Even if they reached the ninth level of Qi cultivation, their physical foundation would be destroyed, making it impossible to establish the foundation.
After examining Gao Xian's bones and muscles, Zhu Qianniang shook her head, "The spine is the most important bone in the human body, also known as the Great Dragon. You must start with the spine in the second layer. With the help of pills and external techniques..."
Zhu Qianniang said, "I have a technique called Iron Dragon Hand, which suits you well."
"Huh? Is this really suitable?"
Gao Xian hesitated. Zhu Qianniang was being too kind to him, which seemed unusual.
Her seriousness made Gao Xian a bit fearful.
Zhu Qianniang was displeased, her gaze becoming sharper, "Iron Dragon Hand is a top-tier body refinement technique. I wouldn't teach it to anyone, no matter how many spirit stones they offer. Are you still unwilling?!"
In the world of cultivation, the most important thing for cultivators is their cultivation techniques. She valued Gao Xian, which was why she made an exception to teach him this secret technique.
Gao Xian wasn't ungrateful. He hurriedly explained, "Qianniang, it's not what you think. I just believe one should work for their rewards. Such an important secret technique makes me feel unworthy."
Understanding Gao Xian's intentions, Zhu Qianniang fell silent before saying, "Your massage technique is exquisite and beneficial to me. You help me, and I help you."
Zhu Qianniang knew very well that she and Gao Xian were just playing around.
However, the last time Gao Xian massaged her, it gave her a strange sensation in her body.
Previously, she had consumed a spiritual fruit called Qingjin Fruit during her cultivation, greatly enhancing her physical strength but also causing her body to undergo changes, gradually losing her normal sensations.
This transformation disrupted her control over her body, making it difficult to integrate body and mind to condense true essence, cutting off her chances of Foundation Establishment.
Through Gao Xian's massage, she saw the possibility of returning to normal and glimpsed a chance at Foundation Establishment, making her pay more attention to Gao Xian.
Gao Xian breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't afraid of Zhu Qianniang having ulterior motives; he was afraid she had none.
Zhu Qianniang was quick-witted and decisive in her actions, with a strong sense of initiative.
She immediately taught Gao Xian the Iron Dragon Hand, a body refinement technique consisting of nine movements, somewhat resembling a martial arts form.
Through these nine movements, the body was tempered from the outside in.
While Iron Dragon Hand seemed simple, executing it correctly was challenging. Every bone and muscle in the body needed to coordinate, while also focusing on breathing techniques and visualization.
Zhu Qianniang led Gao Xian through the movements several times, leaving him with sore muscles, weak limbs, and struggling to keep up.
"You're too weak," Zhu Qianniang commented.
A man couldn't tolerate such criticism. Gao Xian retorted, "I'm not weak!"
"Alright, cultivation must progress gradually."
Zhu Qianniang instructed Gao Xian to rest properly and left for a while.
When Zhu Qianniang returned, she brought a box of pills for Gao Xian.
"Dragon Bone Pills, take one daily."
Zhu Qianniang advised Gao Xian that techniques like Iron Dragon Hand were highly taxing on the body, so practicing once in the morning, afternoon, and evening was sufficient at the beginning.
As his cultivation improved, he could gradually increase the frequency of practice.
"Remember, the spine, the Great Dragon, is crucial. With Iron Dragon Hand, you must first refine the spine, and only when your spine is fully connected to form bone orifices can you truly reach the second layer..."
Zhu Qianniang knew Gao Xian was clueless about body refinement, so she patiently explained the key points of Iron Dragon Hand and also clarified the second layer of Qi cultivation.
Under Zhu Qianniang's guidance, Gao Xian took a Dragon Bone Pill. A surge of heat spread from his stomach throughout his body, penetrating his blood and finally entering his bones. His entire body felt like it was burning, yet strangely comfortable...
Once the medicinal effects of the Dragon Bone Pill were fully absorbed, he felt his muscles filled with strength, completely dispelling his previous fatigue.
Impressed by the potent effects of the Dragon Bone Pill, Gao Xian remarked, "One must rely on pills for advancement."
The original owner had died after consuming a Crimson Blood Pill, so Gao Xian, despite being an alchemist, had an instinctive aversion to pills.
Trying the Dragon Bone Pill today, he realized the benefits of pill consumption!
With his current alchemy skills, he could probably identify the main ingredients of the Dragon Bone Pill. If he had the recipe, he was confident he could refine the pill.
However, such body-refining pills were exclusive formulas. Zhu Qianniang definitely didn't possess the recipe.
To repay Zhu Qianniang, Gao Xian diligently gave her a full-body massage, making her steel-like body turn as soft as mud under his touch.
Zhu Qianniang had a high forehead, deep eyes, a straight nose, full lips, a tall and slender figure with unbeatable long legs, and beautiful wheat-colored skin that seemed to glow.
In Gao Xian's eyes, Zhu Qianniang was a top-tier beauty with a Western style. Despite her muscles being as hard as iron, her face lacked subtle expressions, giving her an exceptionally stern and strong appearance, devoid of feminine charm.
Now, Zhu Qianniang lay relaxed on the bed, her wonderful body exuding a softness that added a touch of femininity to her appearance, making her even more appealing.
However, Gao Xian was a principled person. No matter what he thought, he wouldn't act inappropriately...
(End of the chapter)