Morning exercises have been a habit of Lu Jian'an since he embarked on the path of cultivation, and it has never been discontinued during these years, through wind and rain.
The practice of martial arts and immortality lies in persistence.
Although he couldn't access real martial arts in his previous life, after being reborn into this world of cultivation, he naturally could learn while combining it with his own improvement to perfect the somewhat knowledgeable Tai Chi and Wing Chun styles.
In this cultivation world where one can ascend and descend to heaven and earth, these martial arts, combined with spiritual power, can unleash powerful forces.
As the morning exercises enter their full swing, the spiritual power in his body follows the twelve major channels and the Ren Shu (Energy Channel) of Yin and Yang, flowing through the secret points, forming a complete circle before converging into the sea of spirit at the Dan Tian (Golden Pavilion) position.
In the realm of immortality, there are eleven stages, first 'refining qi', absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the meridians, breaking through 365 secret points, and then gathering at the Dan Tian to transform it into 'returning to origin' spirit. When the spirit is full and overflowing, one can 'condense a pill' within their belly, then shatter it into a sea to 'restrain the Tao', proceed to ' seated meditation' of oneself, inwardly observing the self. With the establishment of Dao, one becomes a sage.
Then 'unify with the Tao' with oneself, open up the spiritual sea and divine platform, after going through the nine-nine 'transcendence trials', one is as if 'godly presence'. With the power of immortals, controlling the wind over ten thousand miles, with a single thought moving air, one can 'conceal oneself in the heavens and earth', not bound by the five elements of fate wheel. Finally, holding the sun and moon in hand to pluck stars, unrestricted by heaven and earth, and heading towards the 'transcendence' realm of freedom that exists only in legends.
At the age of seven when people of Yunjing Continent start their education, they can determine their innate talents and embark on the path of cultivation. This is because at this age, the vital energy is just beginning to emerge, and children are innocent and easily retain their vital essence, which is beneficial for training in the Qi Cultivation stage.
After thirteen years of cultivation, Lu Jian'an is no longer a novice in the early stage of qi refinement, and has already established the Dao and achieved sainthood.
Closing his eyes to sense the celestial qi, Lu Jian'an still found no signs of poisoning, so he ceased to worry further and began to practice the "Great Enlightenment Meditation Method."
The "Great Enlightenment Meditation Method" is undoubtedly a profound cultivation technique, with the core concept of "independence."
Matter, time, space, energy, life and death, and other concepts can be said to be 'independent', and by meditating on the concept of 'independence' to comprehend its profoundness, one can transform it into their own power, allowing themselves to one day become free from all constraints and truly independent.
It was by applying the contemplation of 'time and space' to himself that Lu Jian'an was able to cross the river of time and escape the fate of being refined into a sword spirit.
Unfortunately, his current strength has not reached the level of boundless and all-penetrating, so returning to two days ago is already the limit.
Thoughts swirling, Lu Jian'an fell into deep contemplation once again. Was the return from the future to the past now a soul's return or a memory's regression?
He didn't ponder over the question for long, for the concept of time and space is too profound, and his current level of realization could not delve too deeply into it. Otherwise, it might lead to spiritual deviation.
Knowing that one's fate is in their own hands is enough.
And now, his future has already undergone change.
From birth to death, in the end, a person's life is just a series of choices. Different choices lead to different outcomes and ultimately result in different futures.
Lu Jian'an is clear that he has been given the opportunity to make a new choice, so he must be fully prepared.
After all, a second crossing of the river of time and space may not be successful……
With his thoughts spreading, Lu Jian'an pondered what he would be like if he could go back to the moment of his first meeting with Zhu Nanzhi.
He felt that his thoughts were excessive.
Even if he could go back to the moment of his first meeting with Zhu Nanzhi, it wouldn't make much difference.
Because the current him knows that Zhu Nanzhi is a beauty worshipper. If he had refused her back then, he would probably have been knocked out and taken away by her, and he would likely have become her lifeline sword spirit that very day.
At that time, he had practiced the "Great Enlightenment Meditation Method," which had significantly depleted his spiritual power. He wasn't sure if he could resist her…
Discarding those distracting thoughts, as he practiced his morning exercises, Lu Jian'an pondered and rehearsed the "Great Enlightenment Meditation Method," simultaneously recovering the soul and spiritual energy he had exhausted. After all, this was an unfinished immortal technique, and he was prepared to perfect it by following the explorations of his predecessors.
If he had almost been refined into a sword spirit, the benefit would be that because of Zhu Nanzhi, he had to cross the boundary of life and death himself, thus enhancing his understanding of these two profound forces.
So at that time, he sincerely thanked Zhu Nanzhi from the bottom of his heart because of her insane thoughts, which had deepened his understanding of the 'Dao' based on the "Great Enlightenment Meditation Method."
Had it not been for her, he really didn't know when he would ever come close to the boundary of life and death.
Unconsciously, Lu Jian'an slightly snapped back to reality as he heard the hurried footsteps approaching. He saw a girl with black circles under her eyes staring at him with the same expression of resentment as always, then turning towards his own lady.
The girl's steps were much lighter than usual, as if she had encountered something good.
In his heart, Lu Jian'an was well aware that Zhu Nanzhi would soon learn the secret of the blood pool from her maid Hanwu.
What will come will come.
Lu Jian'an would not stop Huanyu from doing so, as Zhu Nanzhi had long harbored the intention of refining him into a sword spirit, not only after discovering the blood pool.
Therefore, whether to stop or not makes little difference.
Lu Jian'an closed his eyes again to simulate the "Great Enlightenment Meditation Method." The conversation between master and servant had always been insulated, so he couldn't hear any useful information. It was better to quickly recover his soul energy and spiritual power, and then deduce some clues to break the outcome of being refined into a sword spirit through his contemplation of the past and future.
After experiencing life and death and reversing time, the present Lu Jian'an might be able to deduce some previously unseen fragments of Zhu Nanzhi's future or past, thereby identifying the poison she used, and then treating it effectively, followed by...
Surprise her with a pleasant surprise!
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In the kitchen, Zhu Nanzhi, who had already steamed bao-zi, rubbed her hands with flour, looking satisfied.
"Miss, why are you cooking?"
Hanwu hurriedly ran in and said anxiously, "If you want anything, just tell me, and I'll prepare it for you."
"It's his lord husband who wants to eat." After washing her hands, Zhu Nanzhi walked over to the table by the window and sat down, supporting her chin with her right hand and gazing at Lu Jian'an in the courtyard with a gentle smile.
Hanwu's eyes widened instantly. Didn't that guy never eat breakfast at home?
After the dinner, is Miss going to prepare breakfast for him again?
What is this?
In silence, Hanwu saw the few kiss marks on Zhu Nanzhi's bare shoulders and neck, and her anger immediately flared up again.
How can the Holy Maiden be despoiled by a man from such a backward place?
Zhu Nanzhi, who was wearing only a huazi skirt, whispered softly, "Go and get my painting supplies."
Hanwu hurriedly ran out and brought them back to spread them out on the table. Zhu Nanzhi took a brush and started sketching outside the window looking at Lu Jian'an.
She could see that his martial arts style was light and agile, his punches as swift as shooting stars or chasing the moon. However, she preferred the action poses that Lu Jian'an displayed when he fought. It was visually pleasing to her.
Not to sketch it down would be a waste of nature's bounty!
However, Hanwu standing behind Zhu Nanzhi had a more gloomy expression. Despite the fact that Miss was of the most elite five clans and seven halls of the human race, the Qingmiao Palace, and carrying a pure and undefiled Immaculate Body, the result was...
The Immaculate Body had been repeatedly tarnished by a stinking man from a backward place, and now, as they were about to leave this backward place, how would she explain this to the palace master when she returned?
Moreover, the Holy Maiden's thoughts are also very strange.
It was supposed to be a journey through the mortal world to complete the "Supreme Forgotten Love Dao Sutra," and then inherit the position of the Holy Maiden, gaining fame and power in the Dao Sects, competing at the top of the Daoist road. Instead, she had handed herself over to that silent and taciturn man!
Although the palace master had said things like "to forget emotions, one must first enter emotions," it was clear that Miss had lowered herself to marry him in the mortal world for the sake of refining her heart. So how could she have later allowed herself to be refined physically as well?
Although the palace master had said, "To forget emotions is to be emotionally attached, but emotionally attached without being bound by or constrained by emotions," it was not supposed to be like this every night. What is the difference between this and the women of the Hehe Huaxiang Sect?
Especially after observing her for the past year and a half, Hanwu only felt that Miss was getting more and more entangled. This trend would continue, making it difficult to imagine her completing the "Supreme Forgotten Love Dao Sutra." Instead, she might just lose her Dao heart, descend into a woman who only knows about those things, and lose any chance of attaining immortality.
At this thought, Hanwu couldn't help but send a voice transmission and ask, "Miss, what do you really like about him? What if his name 'Lu An' is fake? I think..."
"Because, your lord is so dashing." Zhu Nanzhi looked at the vivid and lifelike Lu Jian'an depicted on the painting, and her smile seemed to be mixed with a hint of shyness: "His height, appearance, figure, and even...all hit my heart."
As she spoke, Zhu Nanzhi's eyes seemed to glow even brighter, and a delirious laugh escaped her throat: "Ah~I really want to keep my lord husband in my hand all the time, so that he can't escape from my side."
Is it because he's handsome that you fell in love at first sight?
Hanwu didn't notice the abnormal tone in Zhu Nanzhi's voice; she was just thinking 'what should I do, what should I do?' in her mind.
How can Miss 'to forget emotions, first enter emotions, and then transcend the world,' and then carry on the future of the Qingmiao Palace if things continue this way?
Thinking of the past year and a half, the man had been restless only in the matter of defiling Miss, but during other times, he treated her with respect as if they were strangers, not daring to say more than a word. This made Hanwu even more angry.
In daily life, there are no actions that would make Miss dislike or disappointed.
Especially for the 'outside the world' matter, one must take the initiative to 'outside the world' in order to have a perfect Dao heart. Under these circumstances, using a desperate measure to force Miss 'outside the world' is necessary, even if she kills him afterwards.
However, such an 'outside the world' may lead Miss into the path of 'Supreme Inlessness,' which, according to the exploration of the elders of Qingmiao Palace through generations, is far inferior to 'Supreme Forgetting.' It would be a waste of Miss's Immaculate Body.
Hanwu is very anxious!
"Do you know?" Zhu Nanzhi spoke slowly as she painted, "My lord husband woke up this morning and took the initiative to touch my cheek. It was the first time, you know."
The morning wind swept over Zhu Nanzhi's dark blue hair, and her sky-blue eyes were soft as if they could overflow with water: "My lord is gentle for the first time... It makes me not want to let go of him..."
What does she want to do with him?
Hanwu looked at Zhu Nanzhi, who no longer spoke, and bit her lower lip even more urgently.
With this situation going on, how should one save the Holy Maiden from her troubles... huh?
Hanwu suddenly raised her hand and slapped her face heavily, thinking to herself, "How could I forget the evidence I discovered during my secret investigation for several days, which I finally found last night?"
She wanted to report it immediately, but because Miss was preparing breakfast and she saw the lipstick marks on her, she was so angry that she almost fainted.
Over the past year and a half, as the sword attendant of the Holy Maiden, her own spiritual state has been regressing more and more.
Zhu Nanzhi turned and looked at her curiously, "What are you slapping yourself for?"
Hanwu quickly spoke up: "Miss, I've been secretly visiting his clinic at night these past few days..."
"This is the first time, and you're not allowed to go to his clinic anymore," Zhu Nanzhi interrupted her, "I'll go instead!"
Although the original agreement was 'no intimacy,' Zhu Nanzhi, who had breached the agreement of not sharing a room, thought about visiting his clinic for lunch in the afternoon and checking if he had seen any women patients.
But after being turned down once, she promised not to go to the clinic for lunch anymore.
Hanwu's expression stilled as her voice was cut off, and she quickly apologized before continuing, "Miss, he is a demon cultivator!"
Afraid that Zhu Nanzhi might interrupt again, Hanwu continued speaking at lightning speed: "Last night, I secretly saw it. In the inner hall of his clinic, there is a boiling blood pool. It's all blood!"
"So he is definitely a demon cultivator!"
With her words falling, Hanwu looked expectantly at Zhu Nanzhi, hoping that Miss would be so enraged that she would directly eliminate demons and uphold justice, then forget her emotions and achieve the path to immortality!
However, she saw a gradually emerging smile on Zhu Nanzhi's cold face.
"Demons?" Zhu Nanzhi's voice was like flowing water, clear yet carrying an oddly eerie tone: "If that's true, what's the problem?"
Hearing her voice, Hanwu's heart trembled, no way, no way?
Miss, please don't let your values be influenced by appearances. If that happens, not only will it be difficult to achieve the path of Supreme Forgetting, but the palace master might even have to personally clean up the mess!
Zhu Nanzhi put down her brush, with her right hand forming a virtual grip in the air. A long sword of pure white immediately appeared in her hand: "My lord and 'Zhan Ming' seem to have a lot of connections..."
Zhan Ming chose to come to this world place, and I met my lord, this is the best kind of fate."
She embraced the long sword named 'Zhan Ming' into her arms, her face with a faint peach haze pressed against the sword hilt, her eyes gradually curling up, and she whispered softly: "I made up my mind to come to this world through my lord from the first glance..."
The tone of her voice gradually slowed, and Zhu Nanzhi's words, spoken with a strange and joyful expression, brought comfort to Hanwu but also a chilling sense of fear —
"Ah~ Then I have even more reasons to refine my lord into a 'sword spirit', so that he will be dependent on me for life..."
Sword, sword spirit?
Hanwu stared at Zhu Nanzhi in shock, utterly unable to believe that the Holy Maiden had such a chilling intention for that man.
To be together forever, she wants to refine him into a sword spirit... It's so terrifying.
Hanwu opened her mouth, but quickly adjusted her mood. This is a good thing, isn't it?
Although the process of refining a sword spirit can be cruel, the Holy Maiden won't collapse in her Dao heart and still have a chance to compete in the path of immortality!
As for that guy, being the 'Zhan Ming's' soul-sword forever by the Holy Maiden's side is a blessing that he could never have hoped for in his past lifetimes!
Hanwu's thoughts turned rapidly, her words flying out quickly, "If he's to be refined into a sword spirit, he won't agree..."
"So, I've been bearing the feeling of about to faint every second, using my virgin blood as a catalyst and slowly testing him with poisons... I've already paid such a high price. Even if he doesn't agree, he has no choice... He's my Dao, and he can't escape!"
Zhu Nanzhi slightly tilted her head, showing the graceful lines of her neck: "To forget emotions is to have emotions. As long as my lord is by my side, I won't be trapped by emotions."
Hanwu clasped her hands tightly, all her worries swept away: "When do you plan to start?"
"No hurry, I'll persuade my lord first～" After putting away 'Zhan Ming', Zhu Nanzhi smiled lightly, adding a few more strokes to complete another painting of her lord, and then adjusted her tone: "My lord still has a while until his morning exercise ends. I'll take a bath first."
Hanwu blinked, thinking she would confront that guy right now.
But she wouldn't interfere with the Holy Maiden's decision, so she hurried out to prepare some hot water instead.
In the courtyard, listening to Hanwu's hurried footsteps, Lu Jian'an's heartbeat couldn't help but speed up a few beats.
Although there were some changes in today's morning routine compared to the 'rebirth' morning, with Zhu Nanzhi learning about the blood pool in the clinic, she will be even more determined to refine a sword spirit.
Under normal circumstances, upon learning about the blood pool, Zhu Nanzhi would directly advise herself not to go to the clinic... Hope that it won't be due to a butterfly effect that she starts now.
With the scroll in her hand, Zhu Nanzhi stood at the kitchen door and gazed at Lu Jian'an, whose eyes were closed and whose body was moving during morning exercises.
Through the sunlight, the vague outline of his figure could be seen under the loose martial arts clothing... With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, it was very appealing.
He's the perfect candidate for being refined into a sword spirit. That way, I can always hold the sword hilt.
A faint, sickly shadow seems to have enveloped Zhu Nanzhi's cold face.
The morning wind gently blew, and Lu Jian'an felt a shiver run down his spine uncontrollably. Instinctively, he looked towards Zhu Nanzhi, whose skin was blemish-free but still exuded an air of elegance and timeless beauty.
With her long hair shimmering with a hint of turquoise luster to her waist, two slightly disordered silky tendrils gently fell in front of her pale forehead, adding a touch of sweet playfulness. Her fair and classic face had jade-like eyes filled with brimming spring water, a pearly nose, and a coral-colored mouth. Without lipstick, the pair of red lips still glowed with an alluring luster under the sunlight, like a freshwater peach.
A fitted and smooth silk kirtle of pure white accentuated her perfect figure to the fullest. The kirtle was adorned with several lifelike chrysanthemum blossoms stitched with red silk threads, each one coming to life as if it were moving in the light. The shadow at the collar of the kirtle exuded a lethal attraction, shimmering brilliantly in the morning glow, and those blossoms seemed to come alive with each undulation.
Zhu Nanzhi, with her clear and pure aura imbued with a touch of mature allure, seemed to be an ethereal beauty emerging from the misty Yangtze River rain.
In response to Lu Jian'an's gaze, Zhu Nanzhi smiled warmly at him, "My lord, I'll go for a bath first... I didn't wash last night."
Although he was surprised that Zhu Nanzhi didn't directly advise him, Lu Jian'an let out a sigh of relief and nodded at her with a smile.
The poisoned self was still in a defensive position, so he needed to keep his composure and maintain his image.
Zhu Nanzhi walked into the room with a light heart, her steps joyful. Today, her lord had been especially kind to her.
As she was about to enter the room, Zhu Nanzhi leaned against the door frame and gave a playful smile, "My lord, do you want me to bathe slowly? Should we bathe together after your morning exercises?"
Lu Jian'an thought for a moment and replied, "I'll definitely do it next time."
Zhu Nanzhi's eyes lit up: "I'm very much looking forward to it~"
She thought, "Maybe I should try more new experiences first, and then refine my lord into a sword spirit."
Zhu Nanzhi fell into a dilemma.
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