Chapter 30: The Futile Hope for Trial and Training

Most of the information Er Niu gathered came from the capital's academies. After Lu Xiao listened to him for a while, he did not ask any further questions. Understanding the affairs of the capital held no significance for him.

However, Lu Xiao was quite curious about the celestial phenomenon and pressed for more details. In his subsequent responses, Er Niu became somewhat hesitant, his words consistently peppered with phrases like "supposedly," "possibly," and "likely." After all, since Er Niu was merely relaying hearsay, it was only natural that the information was uncertain. Lu Xiao treated it as idle chatter and did not take it to heart.

Er Niu was exhausted from the day and fell asleep early after dinner. Once night fell, it was time for Lu Xiao to begin his dedicated cultivation. He left the Marquis's estate and headed to his usual secluded spot.

As the lunar month of winter had arrived, the weather was turning increasingly cold. As a martial artist at the Stone-Moving Realm, the chill was quite noticeable, yet it no longer felt like the bone-piercing cold he had experienced before he began his training. Now, it was merely a sensation of coolness.

During this period, Lu Xiao intended to focus his efforts on the "Dragon Blood Bathing Technique." The "Gang Qi Heart Method" offered too little in terms of physical enhancement. Even when refined to the third stage, strengthening the physique was not its strong suit. Lu Xiao was well aware of this. His ability to refine all things was about improvement and reinforcement, not creating something out of nothing. In essence, the "Gang Qi Heart Method" provided no inherent physical fortification; any improvement in his physique during its practice was merely a byproduct of reaching a higher realm. To build a solid foundation, relying solely on the "Gang Qi Heart Method" was certainly insufficient.

Having been refined, the "Dragon Blood Bathing Technique" no longer possessed any drawbacks, nor did it pose any harm to his body. It was perfectly suited for tempering his physical form.

In the pitch-black night, Lu Xiao channeled the "Dragon Blood Bathing Technique." The pungent scent of blood still emanated from him, though fortunately, the deepening cold made it harder for the vapor to disperse. Starting from the Hour of the Rat (11 PM) until the Hour of the Tiger (3 AM), Lu Xiao practiced the technique continuously. The deeper he went into his training, the more profound his understanding of the "Dragon Blood Bathing Technique" became.

"Without a dragon's body, one should not read the dragon's manual."

This phrase sounded incredibly imposing, as if the techniques of Dragon King Mountain were reserved only for those chosen by them. In reality, however, as Lu Xiao practiced the technique, he began to glimpse the true reason behind it.

The reason for this phenomenon likely lay in the fact that the ancient sages who created it lacked a deep enough understanding. This led to a "Dragon Blood Bathing Technique" that would injure the body before it could refine it. This terrifying method of cultivation meant that martial artists whose physical constitution was not inherently compatible simply could not touch it. Later practitioners interpreted this as the technique "actively selecting" its disciples, but in truth, it was merely a flaw in the manual. Even those with sufficient physical strength would still suffer significant damage while practicing it. It was a loophole in the technique, not a stroke of genius.

Lu Xiao recalled what Xue Shiwei had said about Dragon King Mountain: its disciples possessed bodies like true dragons, covered in dragon scales. Now, reflecting on it, those "dragon scales" were likely nothing more than scars left by years of training. The dense, layered scars were the result of the body being damaged before it was tempered, the blood energy piercing through the skin and leaving behind a map of trauma.

Although Lu Xiao’s practice of the "Dragon Blood Bathing Technique" also released blood energy, the infinitesimal wounds it caused resulted in negligible harm. It was merely the diffusion of blood energy, not the shedding of blood. The refined version of the "Dragon Blood Bathing Technique" far surpassed the original. When Lu Xiao had first acquired the manual, the title appeared in black text, indicating it was harmful. According to how his ability worked, anyone else with this power would likely see the same black warning.

Around the Hour of the Tiger, Lu Xiao returned to his room to sleep. His recent progress had been quite good, but martial arts cultivation required a combination of talent, resources, and real-world experience; none could be lacking. A martial artist truly could not afford to practice in isolation. While the path did not demand the same level of mental state as literary studies, it was not a journey one could take while wallowing in despondency.

Lu Xiao longed for an opportunity to venture out. If he could travel and experience the world, his state of mind might undergo a transformation. Yet, for him, such an opportunity was a mere fantasy. How could the Marquis's estate ever allow him to leave? Even when he was just an overlooked junior of the estate, he had never been permitted to leave Yonglin City; now, it was even less likely. Lu Xiao did not dwell on this; the fact that he could now resolve the flaws in his techniques was already a great stroke of fortune.

At the Hour of the Dragon (7 AM), despite his exhaustion from the previous day, Er Niu rose early. As the weather grew colder, he needed hot water for washing up. He went to the kitchen to boil some water. Lu Xiao, having spent his nights in focused cultivation and only resting at the Hour of the Tiger, naturally chose to sleep a little longer. Moreover, the servants of the Marquis's estate would inevitably come to cause a ruckus once the time arrived, so he generally slept with a sense of resignation.

Around 8 AM, the shouting outside began as expected. Lu Xiao composed himself and rose from his bed.

"Fourth Young Master, you’ve finally decided to wake up. You really ought to discipline your attendant properly. The Marquis's kitchen is not your private property. There are only so many stoves; they must be reserved for others first. If he comes to snatch them again, and you fail to discipline him, we will have to take matters into our own hands."

Nearby, Er Niu was being held by two servants, his arms pinned like a criminal's. Lu Xiao frowned as he looked at the servant speaking—it was Liu Wang, one of the Head Mistress's men.

"Let him go."

Hearing Lu Xiao speak, the two servants remained motionless, merely glancing sideways at Liu Wang. Liu Wang hesitated for a moment before nodding. Only then did the servants release Er Niu's arms. It seemed the words of Lu Xiao, a member of the Marquis's bloodline, carried less weight than those of a servant.

"I hope you’ll take this as a warning, Fourth Young Master. If this happens again, we will certainly have to teach him a lesson first. We won't be so polite next time."

Liu Wang, the servant, delivered this warning with an air of condescension. Lu Xiao stared at him, and Liu Wang met his gaze without flinching. In terms of status, one was the master and the other the servant, yet Liu Wang felt absolutely no fear.

"Are you trying to lecture me?"

"Liu Wang wouldn't dare. I’m just offering a bit of advice to the Fourth Young Master to avoid unpleasantness later. It’s for your own good. If you were to be punished by the Old Mistress because of this, it would be a loss that outweighs any gain."

With that, Liu Wang turned and left with the other two servants. Er Niu, now free, hurried to Lu Xiao’s side, fearing he might act impulsively. He knew full well the precariousness of Lu Xiao’s position; creating open conflict with the estate’s servants at such a time would only invite more trouble.