"Master." Xue walked towards Chu Li and called out to him softly.
Chu Li looked at her, "Did everything go well?"
Xue was shocked and her body immediately stiffened. His glare had pierced through her like a cold blade. She felt as if she fell right into a house of ice. Her entire body was frozen in place.
Chu Li felt like something was off. He locked his gaze and waved his hand, "Uh, I'm sorry. They stayed?"
"Yes." Xue let out a breath of relief. Her heart was pounding in her chest. The gaze she felt was far too terrifying.
Chu Li closed the black box, "How many floors did Brother Jiang Kuai pass?"
"He's now a rank six Protector." Xue replied, "His martial arts is really good. Where did you find him, Master?"
Chu Li broke into laughter, "Brother Jiang Kuai is the famous Celestial Monkey of the martial arts world. It's normal for him to reach rank six. Are they satisfied?"
"I think they're quite happy." Xue said, "Especially his wife."
Chu Li nodded, "You'll have to visit them often. Since it's their first time here, they might need the help. One maid might not be enough."
"Understood." Xue replied, "Or should I get two more to help?"
"There's no need." Chu Li said, "Just let them get comfortable by themselves. Go and make yourself busy."
Xue pointed at the black box, "What's that?"
"The bone of the Spirit Tiger." Chu Li smiled, "Don't touch it. You'll probably die."
"Master looked terrifying just now."
"I was battling its ill spiritual energy. You came right on time. Are you still visualizing the Art of White Tiger?"
"Of course!" Xue nodded.
She felt the effect of visualizing the Art of White Tiger and it was great. Her nerves were getting stronger, and she no longer felt out of breath, nor did she have a weak heart all of a sudden. She was now much more consistent in her responsibilities. Most importantly, she felt her inner energy work much faster than before.
Chu Li nodded in satisfaction, "I'll change another piece of art for you."
"Thank you, Master." Xue had a sweet taste of the benefit. She knew that the art was a treasure, people were usually unwilling to show it to others just like that.
Chu Li waved off his hand and Xue went to the kitchen to cook.
——
Ever since Jiang Kuai joined the Public House, Chu Li never showed his face. He sat at the courtyard visualizing the bone of the Spirit Tiger and tried to comprehend the inauspicious power of it, as he strengthened the ferocity of white tiger in the Art of White Tiger.
He felt that the power coming from the void was getting stronger, like a turbulent wave engulfing him.
His body was increasing in power and becoming tougher. He became faster, and the power of the Sentient Menace was also increasing because of the Art of White Tiger. The Infinite Sea of Azure was easily stacked to five layers as well.
Chu Li lamented to himself, how this one piece of bone helped him so much.
He always had an urge to touch the bone, just once, but there was something warning him from his heart. It stopped him from directly touching it, potentially saving him from danger.
He believed in his own intuition and forced himself to subdue the urge. He only visualized it and sensed it in close proximity, never laying his hands on it.
Chu Li helped Xue in her cultivation during his free time. She was improving very quickly.
The biggest drawback of the Crescent Cryptic was that it cultivated relatively slowly. However, under his strong vigor, Crescent Cryptic was easy with no obstacles whatsoever.
With his help, Xue's one day of cultivation was worth as much as one month of her usual cultivation. In one month, she had already broken through her acupuncture points. She completed her acquired mastery and was only one step away from innate mastery.
Xue was a little impatient. She did not reach the key door, unable to find the road to innate mastery.
She knew that Innate Mastery was a metal door, where right out of ten of the people at this stage failed to become Innate Masters. Her qualifications were average, and it was because of Master Chu Li's help that she was able to reach this stage this quickly. If she had relied on herself, she would not have reached this stage, not even in eight or ten years.
She collected her thoughts and calmed herself down. If she continued to grind at it slowly, she was sure to find the key.
In the morning, Chu Li had finished cultivating and sat at the gazebo. He took the teacup that Xue had prepared and pointed at the stone chair to his front, "Sit down. Let's talk, shall we?"
Xue gently sat at where he pointed.
Her snow white gown was spotless, and she looked like a white jade, with fluid eyes as clear as lake water. She gazed at him, full of curiosity. "Master?"
"Are you stuck at the threshold of Innate Mastery?" Chu Li asked."
"...Yes." Xue helplessly answered, "I just can't seem to reach the door no matter what. I don't feel it at all."
She asked Zhao Ying about this, about the phase before one broke into Innate Mastery.
"It's hard to find it when you aren't calm. Chu Li said.
"Then I should I calm my heart?" Xue asked.
Chu Li smiled, "You'll only be calm when you stop thinking about it."
"How is that possible!?" Xue shook her head.
Innate Mastery had been on her mind from dawn to dusk. She had no intentions of giving up, no matter what.
"It'll be very hard to break into Innate Mastery, with a personality like that." Chu Li said.
The more stubborn one was, the harder it was for them to calm their heart. If their heart was not calm enough, they would be unable to reach the key door. They would have been unable to find the road to Innate Mastery.
The reason why Innate Mastery was hard to break into and blocked many aspiring martial artists was not because of their lack of qualification, but also because of their temperament.
Only when one had finally decided to give up on reaching Innate Mastery and stopped being stubborn, their heart would calm down. The degree of calmness needed to be strong as well. Only then would the key door naturally appear.
But if one gave up the moment they were stuck and did not have an urge to even attempt to look for it, they would also not have reached Innate Mastery.
One poured their heart and soul to find it, and gave up just like that. They had completely given up on all hope, as if their opportunity to continue living had vanished. All their hopes and dreams, gone.
This point would be the point where things had reached an extreme. The development into Innate Mastery would have moved in the opposite direction. This was the best timing as one would see the key door at this moment, finally breaking into Innate Mastery.
The harder one sought for it, the deeper the tranquility they will have reached once they give up. It was similar to achieving enlightenment in Buddhism. If one did not seek for it hard enough and simply gave up right away, they would not have reached any depths of tranquility.
The perfect timing was fleeting, however. Only a few people were able to grab onto the string of hope.
This was why one should not tell another how to break into Innate Mastery. If one knew in advance, they would not have experienced both extremes of hope and despair and would have been unable to break into Innate Mastery. That was why Chu Li was unable to just tell her. If he did, it would have only harmed her progress.
In fact, Chu Li was able to conclude the process. Most people broke into Innate Mastery without a clue as to how or why.
Chu Li had a mentality that was different from this world. His Buddhist austerities were very refined, and he kept an eye on obscure heart techniques meticulously. He had already seen through the secret of Innate Mastery.
The reason why Chu Li entered Innate Mastery without much trouble was not because of his mentality, but because of his profound Zen. His ability to stay tranquil was very refined. He only had to search for a while to reach the key door and break into Innate Mastery.
However, with a tough and stubborn personality like Xue's, where she would not give up on it under any circumstances, breaking into Innate Mastery would have just been a pipe dream.
But Chu Li was unable to bring himself to just watch as she blindly wandered around in search of the key door to no avail. If she depended on herself, she would not have reached Innate Mastery. Not even if she took eight or ten years for it.
Xue was not convinced, "Master, does that mean I'll never reach Innate Mastery?"
"If nothing out of the ordinary happens, you're never going to." Chu Li said.
"But why?" Xue asked.
Chu Li smiled.
Xue nipped her red lips, "Master, do you mind helping me?"
Chu Li broke into a hearty laugh.
Xue rolled her eyes at him.
She believed in what Chu Li said. She did not trust herself much. Since he said that she would be unable to break into it, then he must be right. Looking at her expression, it was likely that he would help her.
She might have still cared about her pride and standing in front of anyone else, but with Chu Li, she could not have cared less. She had thrown it all away earlier.
"Okay, I will help you." Chu Li agreed.
It was unexpected, but she was overjoyed.
"Thank you, Master!"
"Let's go to my room."
Chu Li stood and left the gazebo, walking to the west room of the main hall.
Both of them sat on the couch. She sat with her leg crossed. She put both of her hands together and looked solemn.
Chu Li sat right opposite to her. He pressed his thumb in between her brows and did not move an inch.
"Master." Xue walked towards Chu Li and called out to him softly.
Chu Li looked at her, "Did everything go well?"
Xue was shocked and her body immediately stiffened. His glare had pierced through her like a cold blade. She felt as if she fell right into a house of ice. Her entire body was frozen in place.
Chu Li felt like something was off. He locked his gaze and waved his hand, "Uh, I'm sorry. They stayed?"
"Yes." Xue let out a breath of relief. Her heart was pounding in her chest. The gaze she felt was far too terrifying.
Chu Li closed the black box, "How many floors did Brother Jiang Kuai pass?"
"He's now a rank six Protector." Xue replied, "His martial arts is really good. Where did you find him, Master?"
Chu Li broke into laughter, "Brother Jiang Kuai is the famous Celestial Monkey of the martial arts world. It's normal for him to reach rank six. Are they satisfied?"
"I think they're quite happy." Xue said, "Especially his wife."
Chu Li nodded, "You'll have to visit them often. Since it's their first time here, they might need the help. One maid might not be enough."
"Understood." Xue replied, "Or should I get two more to help?"
"There's no need." Chu Li said, "Just let them get comfortable by themselves. Go and make yourself busy."
Xue pointed at the black box, "What's that?"
"The bone of the Spirit Tiger." Chu Li smiled, "Don't touch it. You'll probably die."
"Master looked terrifying just now."
"I was battling its ill spiritual energy. You came right on time. Are you still visualizing the Art of White Tiger?"
"Of course!" Xue nodded.
She felt the effect of visualizing the Art of White Tiger and it was great. Her nerves were getting stronger, and she no longer felt out of breath, nor did she have a weak heart all of a sudden. She was now much more consistent in her responsibilities. Most importantly, she felt her inner energy work much faster than before.
Chu Li nodded in satisfaction, "I'll change another piece of art for you."
"Thank you, Master." Xue had a sweet taste of the benefit. She knew that the art was a treasure, people were usually unwilling to show it to others just like that.
Chu Li waved off his hand and Xue went to the kitchen to cook.
——
Ever since Jiang Kuai joined the Public House, Chu Li never showed his face. He sat at the courtyard visualizing the bone of the Spirit Tiger and tried to comprehend the inauspicious power of it, as he strengthened the ferocity of white tiger in the Art of White Tiger.
He felt that the power coming from the void was getting stronger, like a turbulent wave engulfing him.
His body was increasing in power and becoming tougher. He became faster, and the power of the Sentient Menace was also increasing because of the Art of White Tiger. The Infinite Sea of Azure was easily stacked to five layers as well.
Chu Li lamented to himself, how this one piece of bone helped him so much.
He always had an urge to touch the bone, just once, but there was something warning him from his heart. It stopped him from directly touching it, potentially saving him from danger.
He believed in his own intuition and forced himself to subdue the urge. He only visualized it and sensed it in close proximity, never laying his hands on it.
Chu Li helped Xue in her cultivation during his free time. She was improving very quickly.
The biggest drawback of the Crescent Cryptic was that it cultivated relatively slowly. However, under his strong vigor, Crescent Cryptic was easy with no obstacles whatsoever.
With his help, Xue's one day of cultivation was worth as much as one month of her usual cultivation. In one month, she had already broken through her acupuncture points. She completed her acquired mastery and was only one step away from innate mastery.
Xue was a little impatient. She did not reach the key door, unable to find the road to innate mastery.
She knew that Innate Mastery was a metal door, where right out of ten of the people at this stage failed to become Innate Masters. Her qualifications were average, and it was because of Master Chu Li's help that she was able to reach this stage this quickly. If she had relied on herself, she would not have reached this stage, not even in eight or ten years.
She collected her thoughts and calmed herself down. If she continued to grind at it slowly, she was sure to find the key.
In the morning, Chu Li had finished cultivating and sat at the gazebo. He took the teacup that Xue had prepared and pointed at the stone chair to his front, "Sit down. Let's talk, shall we?"
Xue gently sat at where he pointed.
Her snow white gown was spotless, and she looked like a white jade, with fluid eyes as clear as lake water. She gazed at him, full of curiosity. "Master?"
"Are you stuck at the threshold of Innate Mastery?" Chu Li asked."
"...Yes." Xue helplessly answered, "I just can't seem to reach the door no matter what. I don't feel it at all."
She asked Zhao Ying about this, about the phase before one broke into Innate Mastery.
"It's hard to find it when you aren't calm. Chu Li said.
"Then I should I calm my heart?" Xue asked.
Chu Li smiled, "You'll only be calm when you stop thinking about it."
"How is that possible!?" Xue shook her head.
Innate Mastery had been on her mind from dawn to dusk. She had no intentions of giving up, no matter what.
"It'll be very hard to break into Innate Mastery, with a personality like that." Chu Li said.
The more stubborn one was, the harder it was for them to calm their heart. If their heart was not calm enough, they would be unable to reach the key door. They would have been unable to find the road to Innate Mastery.
The reason why Innate Mastery was hard to break into and blocked many aspiring martial artists was not because of their lack of qualification, but also because of their temperament.
Only when one had finally decided to give up on reaching Innate Mastery and stopped being stubborn, their heart would calm down. The degree of calmness needed to be strong as well. Only then would the key door naturally appear.
But if one gave up the moment they were stuck and did not have an urge to even attempt to look for it, they would also not have reached Innate Mastery.
One poured their heart and soul to find it, and gave up just like that. They had completely given up on all hope, as if their opportunity to continue living had vanished. All their hopes and dreams, gone.
This point would be the point where things had reached an extreme. The development into Innate Mastery would have moved in the opposite direction. This was the best timing as one would see the key door at this moment, finally breaking into Innate Mastery.
The harder one sought for it, the deeper the tranquility they will have reached once they give up. It was similar to achieving enlightenment in Buddhism. If one did not seek for it hard enough and simply gave up right away, they would not have reached any depths of tranquility.
The perfect timing was fleeting, however. Only a few people were able to grab onto the string of hope.
This was why one should not tell another how to break into Innate Mastery. If one knew in advance, they would not have experienced both extremes of hope and despair and would have been unable to break into Innate Mastery. That was why Chu Li was unable to just tell her. If he did, it would have only harmed her progress.
In fact, Chu Li was able to conclude the process. Most people broke into Innate Mastery without a clue as to how or why.
Chu Li had a mentality that was different from this world. His Buddhist austerities were very refined, and he kept an eye on obscure heart techniques meticulously. He had already seen through the secret of Innate Mastery.
The reason why Chu Li entered Innate Mastery without much trouble was not because of his mentality, but because of his profound Zen. His ability to stay tranquil was very refined. He only had to search for a while to reach the key door and break into Innate Mastery.
However, with a tough and stubborn personality like Xue's, where she would not give up on it under any circumstances, breaking into Innate Mastery would have just been a pipe dream.
But Chu Li was unable to bring himself to just watch as she blindly wandered around in search of the key door to no avail. If she depended on herself, she would not have reached Innate Mastery. Not even if she took eight or ten years for it.
Xue was not convinced, "Master, does that mean I'll never reach Innate Mastery?"
"If nothing out of the ordinary happens, you're never going to." Chu Li said.
"But why?" Xue asked.
Chu Li smiled.
Xue nipped her red lips, "Master, do you mind helping me?"
Chu Li broke into a hearty laugh.
Xue rolled her eyes at him.
She believed in what Chu Li said. She did not trust herself much. Since he said that she would be unable to break into it, then he must be right. Looking at her expression, it was likely that he would help her.
She might have still cared about her pride and standing in front of anyone else, but with Chu Li, she could not have cared less. She had thrown it all away earlier.
"Okay, I will help you." Chu Li agreed.
It was unexpected, but she was overjoyed.
"Thank you, Master!"
"Let's go to my room."
Chu Li stood and left the gazebo, walking to the west room of the main hall.
Both of them sat on the couch. She sat with her leg crossed. She put both of her hands together and looked solemn.
Chu Li sat right opposite to her. He pressed his thumb in between her brows and did not move an inch.
