Chapter 18: A Heart Set on Moving Mountains and Splitting the Vast Expanse

In the garden, after Lady Lu received the answer she sought, she began to discuss other matters.

“Is Meng Xincheng formally joining Dragon King Mountain?”

Wu Shanlong nodded, a slight smile gracing his face.

“Xincheng is exceptionally gifted. At the end of last month, he already passed the entrance trial for Dragon King Mountain.”

For a martial artist to leap through the Dragon Gate and enter Dragon King Mountain—a top-tier sect that only recruits five disciples every three years—it is no small feat. In Great Xia, regardless of one’s status or influence, entry demands passing this rigorous test. Meng Xincheng’s youthful success at the Dragon Gate only underscores his unparalleled talent. No wonder Wu Shanlong, a member of Dragon King Mountain, was willing to make this trip to help.

“Lu Xiao must feel a bit inferior knowing his younger brother’s strength,” Wu Shanlong joked. “At his age, he’s just beginning his cultivation. The gap between him and Xincheng is truly vast.”

Lady Lu snorted softly at this.

“If he felt inferior, would he still be so stubborn with us? He even wagered with me on whether he could enter the Martial Sect Academy—that alone shows his mindset.”

Wu Shanlong chuckled upon hearing this.

“To be honest, that kind of attitude helps in martial cultivation, but Lu Xiao’s talent is too poor. No matter how good his mindset, it won’t change his fate. I just hope he keeps his promise: if he can’t get into the Martial Sect Academy, he’ll cooperate quietly.”

Lady Lu’s voice grew cold, a flash of anger crossing her face.

“The Lu family has raised him all these years, providing for him in every way. Allowing him to take the Martial Sect Academy’s exam is already a favor. If he dares to back out, I won’t be so forgiving!”

She had never shown Lu Xiao any kindness, and making this bet was already quite generous. To renege on it—how dare he.

As their conversation continued, dusk gradually settled. Wu Shanlong did not linger at the Marquis residence; after bidding farewell, he departed. Lady Lu escorted him out with the First and Second Ladies before turning back to her two daughters-in-law.

“Keep a close watch on him during this time. Under no circumstances should he leave Yonglin City. Lu Xiao is selfish and only considers himself; he won’t care about the trouble he may bring to the Lu family. If he loses hope, he might try to run away. His disappearance would cause serious problems. Make sure the guards and the Marquis residence are vigilant. We women can’t assist on the front lines, so ensuring this is handled well is the best help we can offer.”

Both the First Lady Chen Fangyu and Second Lady He Qing nodded in agreement.

With just over a month until the year’s end—and half a year after that until the Martial Sect Academy’s entrance exam—time was short.

“Everything else stays the same. He should handle his own affairs. As for Jiang Yurou, her ambitions are foolish. Taking the Spiritual Bone was already a big step. Expecting Lu Xiao to cultivate the ‘Dragon Blood Bathing Technique’ to enhance the Spiritual Bone’s value is nonsense. If I were my old self, I’d have destroyed that Spiritual Bone long ago.”

Chen Fangyu and He Qing approved of this decision. They disliked Jiang Yurou, who had entered the Lu family with great fanfare and overshadowed their presence. During their time at the Marquis residence, though Jiang Yurou was also a daughter-in-law, she always acted as if looking down on the First and Second Ladies. Naturally, they resented her. Yet she thrived better at the Meng family, which they couldn’t openly challenge—so they resorted to subtle measures. That very day, they arranged for their subordinates to ensure Jiang Yurou’s children would not gain better advantages than theirs.

At the gathering that day with Wu Shanlong, Lu Xiao received a copy of the “Dragon Blood Bathing Technique.” Many servants thought the old ladies’ attitude toward him had changed. Several planned to be more reserved around Lu Xiao, fearing they might disturb him less.

The First and Second Ladies were mindful of this as well. They needed to clarify matters with the servants that night, lest they misunderstand and think the household truly supported Lu Xiao’s cultivation. To them, it was enough to have Jiang Yurou’s children inherit Lu Xiao’s Spiritual Bone; expecting better quality or more benefits was out of the question. If they could degrade the Spiritual Bone’s quality, they would gladly assist.

For the remainder of the day, Lu Xiao enjoyed relative peace. He did not immediately practice the “Dragon Blood Bathing Technique,” his focus remaining on the “Gang Qi Heart Method.”

He sensed the urgency to advance his martial realm swiftly. Only by raising his level could he hope to enter the Martial Sect Academy. Moreover, as his realm grew, so did his refining abilities. At first, he could only refine items by one rank. After cultivating the “Gang Qi Heart Method” and reaching the Open Body stage, he could refine items an additional rank higher.

From every perspective, improving his martial realm was paramount. Currently, he was still practicing the foundational “Concentration of Gang Qi” section within the “Gang Qi Heart Method.” Refining it to the second rank would transform it entirely—not merely a simple method for strengthening the body. It would be fundamentally different from the initial “Gang Qi Heart Method,” resembling it only in form. This similarity, however, provided a convenient cover.

To outsiders, how far could he possibly advance with the “Gang Qi Heart Method”? Reaching the Open Body stage was considered the limit.

Strictly speaking, the Open Body stage is not a single realm, but for convenience, it’s called Open Body First Stage. This stage means the cultivator has opened their physical body, enabling true martial cultivation to commence.

In other words, only after opening the body can a martial artist begin forging their physique and advancing in martial arts. The next stage, the Stone Moving stage, is the true first realm of martial cultivation. Officially called Stone Moving Second Stage, it marks the formal start of the martial path.

Lu Xiao’s current goal was to break into the Stone Moving stage. Advancing to Stone Moving greatly enhances physical strength—the power to lift a thousand-pound cauldron and the courage to withstand raging torrents. Achieving this stage sets the cultivator far apart from ordinary people. Without it, passing the Martial Sect Academy’s exam would be impossible.

The most direct way to breakthrough to Stone Moving is by using elixirs as an aid. Nowadays, the art of elixirs has advanced, with increasingly refined medicines to assist martial artists.

But Lu Xiao knew how difficult it was to obtain such an elixir. Ultimately, he would likely have to rely on his own means to resolve this.