Chapter 134: Body Tempering

It is embarrassing to admit, but the last time Master Qingxu performed "Body Tempering" was ten years ago. At that time, his cultivation had been lingering at the final stage of "Tribulation Transcendence." In order to break through his cultivation "bottleneck," he used up his remaining supply of "Spirit Spring" water. Since then, Master Qingxu had never performed "Body Tempering" again, because the primary essential material, "Spirit Spring" water, was extremely scarce and worth a fortune—money could not buy it. He had once attempted to use the "Paper Talisman Dao Technique" to activate some "Spirit Spring" water, but alas, the water, much like "Celestial Uranium Crystals," possessed a highly unique composition that proved impossible to activate by any means.

When Yan Chixia first arrived at Qingxu Temple to begin his training, Master Qingxu had wanted to perform "Body Tempering" for him, but had to abandon the idea due to the lack of "Spirit Spring" water.

"Body Tempering" is a form of exercise that cultivators perform on their own bodies to strengthen their physical constitutions.

The specific method for "Body Tempering" is as follows:
"Spirit Spring" water is placed into a large stone vat or a massive bronze cauldron, and the appropriate medicinal herbs are added. The cultivator then enters the vessel, immersing their body in the mixture of "Spirit Spring" water and herbs. "Spirit Spring" water is truly miraculous; once herbs are mixed into it, it naturally begins to generate heat.

As the temperature of the "Spirit Spring" water gradually rises, the medicinal properties of the various herbs are released. Through the magical interaction of the "Spirit Spring" water, the impurities deposited within the cultivator's body are purged, thereby cleansing the marrow, removing the dross to retain the essence, and enhancing physical constitution.

Only by continuously strengthening their bodies through repeated "Body Tempering" can a cultivator break through their cultivation realm and eventually reach the pinnacle of the cultivation path.

While the process is the same, "Body Tempering" varies from person to person.
If a cultivator's realm is low, their "Body Tempering" time will be very short. Once the "Spirit Spring" water begins to generate heat, its temperature rises incessantly, never stopping until all the medicinal herbs mixed within have been completely dissolved and consumed—a selfless spirit akin to "the spring silkworm spinning silk until death, and the candle turning to ash before its tears dry."

For the "Spirit Spring" water to completely dissolve and consume all the medicinal herbs, it takes at least five hours. By then, the boiling "Spirit Spring" water reaches a white-hot temperature, exceeding a thousand degrees!

Therefore, cultivators with low cultivation realms can endure no more than a quarter of an hour of "Body Tempering" before they are unable to withstand the fiery baptism of the increasingly hot "Spirit Spring" water and are forced to stop.

Conversely, cultivators with high cultivation realms can endure for a long time. The higher a cultivator's realm, the longer they can sustain "Body Tempering," and as a result, the impurities deposited in their bodies are purged more thoroughly.

Standing alone in the living room, Master Qingxu decided to perform "Body Tempering" for Yan Chixia, Bai Xiaoyue, Tu Xiaomeng, and Song Ta'er. Having made up his mind, he stored the precious herbs, the "Sea Soul Garment," the five "Seven-Colored Spirit Stones," and the two white jade bottles resting on the brick floor into his "Storage Space."

Then, Master Qingxu made his way to the alchemy room. After summoning the precious herbs, "Sea Soul Garment," "Seven-Colored Spirit Stones," and the two white jade bottles and placing them into the shelves of the medicine cabinet, he stood there and began to select the herbs needed for "Body Tempering."

Master Qingxu took half a catty each of cinnabar, realgar, calamine, alum, and flower-stamen stone, placed them into an iron mortar, and used an iron pestle to grind them into a fine powder, which he then placed into a wooden bowl. Next, he took a ginseng root, a glossy ganoderma, five saffron flowers, ten stalks of deer-tongue grass, and two snow lotuses, processed them all into fragments, and placed them into another wooden bowl. With a casual wave of his hand, he used the "Remote Retrieval" technique to summon the white jade bottle containing the "Spirit Spring" water from the medicine cabinet, then stored it along with the two wooden bowls of herbs into his "Storage Space."

Master Qingxu then stepped out of the alchemy room and walked directly to the grassy field in front of Qingxu Temple.

At this time, the sky was brightening; the horizon in the east had already revealed a pale, fish-belly white, and the scenery around Qingxu Temple was becoming discernible.

Standing on the grass, Master Qingxu used the "Paper Talisman Dao Technique" to manifest a white jade basin. He then gestured to summon the white jade bottle containing the "Spirit Spring" water from his "Storage Space," took it into his hands, and used his magic power to pour the water into the basin.

Before long, Master Qingxu had filled the white jade basin with "Spirit Spring" water. He then called out:
"Danzi, Mingzi, Congzi, Chizi, stop your cultivation and come to your master."

Upon hearing this, Yan Chixia, Bai Xiaoyue, Tu Xiaomeng, and Song Ta'er immediately ceased their cultivation and gathered before Master Qingxu. Seeing the large white jade basin filled with "Spirit Spring" water, they could not help but feel puzzled.

"Master, what are you doing here? With such a large basin of clear water in front of you, are you planning to raise fish?" Tu Xiaomeng asked, her imagination running wild.

Song Ta'er followed up with high enthusiasm:
"Indeed! Master, if you want to raise fish, I shall go to the stream over there and catch a few goldfish for you..."

"Not so, not so." Before he could finish, Master Qingxu waved his hand. "Congzi, Chizi, do not guess wildly. This white jade basin contains 'Spirit Spring' water. I have placed it here so that you may all undergo 'Body Tempering' together."

Yan Chixia, Bai Xiaoyue, Tu Xiaomeng, and Song Ta'er all knew what "Body Tempering" entailed. Upon hearing that Master Qingxu wanted them to undergo it together, they were filled with joy:

"Oh, that's wonderful! Master, we have been looking forward to this day!"

"Hehehe..." Master Qingxu could not help but laugh. "Look at how happy you are... However, you are rejoicing a bit too early. I fear that before long, some of you will be crying!"

"Hee hee..." Tu Xiaomeng immediately chirped, "That won't happen, Master! We are all very tough!"

"Good!" Master Qingxu nodded. "Danzi, Mingzi, Congzi, Chizi, now remove your outer garments and shoes, then enter the white jade basin and sit together in this 'Spirit Spring' water."

"Yes!" Yan Chixia, Bai Xiaoyue, Tu Xiaomeng, and Song Ta'er replied in unison. They quickly removed their outer garments and shoes, placing them on the grass nearby. Then, dressed in their undergarments, they stepped into the white jade basin, sat in a circle facing one another, and sat happily in the "Spirit Spring" water.

The white jade basin was very large, providing more than enough space for the four of them. Furthermore, the basin was quite deep; as they sat inside, the basin filled with clear, blue water submerged them up to their necks.

The "Spirit Spring" water felt incredibly refreshing. In this warm, flowering season of spring, Yan Chixia, Bai Xiaoyue, Tu Xiaomeng, and Song Ta'er felt extremely comfortable, and radiant smiles bloomed on their faces.

Seeing this, Master Qingxu used his spiritual power to summon the two wooden bowls of herbs from his "Storage Space." Holding one bowl in each hand, he began to sprinkle the herbs into the "Spirit Spring" water...

Seeing this, Yan Chixia, Bai Xiaoyue, Tu Xiaomeng, and Song Ta'er felt their moods grow tense, for they had long heard Master Qingxu say that once herbs were mixed into the "Spirit Spring" water, it would naturally generate heat... At this very moment, none of them knew how long they would be able to endure the "Body Tempering" as the water grew hotter and hotter.