Starting with the creation of the Immortal Clan through the compilation of the family genealogy.

Chapter 85 Mortals Can Knock on the Gates of Heaven

"what?!"

Ji Beichuan and Zhang Xianghua jumped up from their chairs almost simultaneously, their movements so fast that they knocked over the wooden stools behind them, making two crisp "clang" sounds.

The two of them, however, paid no attention to anything else, their faces displaying an expression that was a mixture of extreme shock and fervor.

He Wu and He Wen were also wide-eyed and slightly agape, completely speechless.

"Patriarch, you...you're telling the truth?" Zhang Xianghua's voice trembled, his composure, cultivated over half a lifetime, shattered at this moment.

"I, Meng Xihong, never speak falsehoods."

Meng Xihong slowly stood up, offering no further explanation, but his internal energy and blood trembled slightly.

A completely different aura, more powerful, fiery, and filled with pure power, burst forth from his body.

This aura was domineering and primal, like a dormant prehistoric beast opening its eyes!
Ji Beichuan and his three companions felt an overwhelming pressure, like a mountain crashing down on them, causing their breath to catch in their throats. The internal energy within them was suppressed like a stream encountering a vast ocean, almost unable to circulate.

"This...this is..." Ji Beichuan was horrified. He could sense that the essence of this power was far beyond their "Transformation Force".

"This is the Way of Body Refinement!" Meng Xihong said clearly, each word resonating in everyone's ears. "I discovered this in an ancient ruin, where I comprehended the essence of the Way of Body Refinement left by the sages. I extracted its core, discarded its dross, and combined it with the physical characteristics of people in this era to create a completely new method."

"I named it the 'The Classic of the Furnace'!"

"Although the ancient body-refining methods are powerful, they are no longer suitable for modern people. But this 'Furnace Scripture' requires no spiritual root, nor does it need to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; it only cultivates the self!"

"Use your own body as a furnace, your vital energy as fuel, and your will as the fire to forge an unparalleled body. Once you reach mastery, your physical body will be immortal, and moving mountains and filling seas will be no difficult task!"

Meng Xihong's words were like thunderclaps, exploding in the minds of the four people.

No spiritual root required!

Ordinary people can cultivate!

These eight words had a far greater impact on them than any Golden Core cultivator or Nascent Soul expert.

"I...we can learn too?" Ji Beichuan's voice was extremely dry, as if it were being forced out of his throat.

“Of course.” Meng Xihong’s gaze swept over them. “You will be the first pioneers to bring this Body Refinement Dao back to the world, and the future pillars of my Tianyan Sect’s Body Refinement Hall.”

“However,” Meng Xihong’s expression turned serious again, “let me make this clear from the start: the path of body tempering is a hundred times more painful than you can imagine.”

Every training session is an extreme test of both body and will, like being in a furnace, being forged and tempered a thousand times. The slightest carelessness can result in broken bones, severed tendons, or even demonic possession.

He paused, and seeing that the four people's eyes not only did not back down, but instead burned even brighter, he understood and continued, "Moreover, cultivating this method requires a large amount of rare medicinal herbs for medicinal baths to repair and nourish the body, which is extremely expensive."

Upon hearing about the enormous cost, the flame that had just ignited in the eyes of the four men dimmed slightly. They all came from impoverished backgrounds and knew all too well the value of basic necessities, let alone rare medicinal herbs.

Meng Xihong took in their expressions and smiled slightly: "However, since you are the first batch of disciples of my Tianyan Sect's Body Refining Hall, I will take care of all your cultivation needs. There is only one thing you need to do."

"That means you have to be single-minded and practice like crazy!"

Upon hearing this, the last trace of hesitation in the eyes of the four vanished, replaced by overwhelming gratitude and determination.

"I am willing to die for the patriarch! I am willing to be the first to pave the way for the Great Path of Body Refinement!"

Without the slightest hesitation, the two knelt heavily on the ground, their voices hoarse but as firm as iron!
"My brother and I are willing to follow our patriarch through fire and water, without hesitation!" He Wu and He Wen knelt down together.

"Good!" Meng Xihong was filled with pride. "Get up, all of you. From this day forward, you will be the first batch of disciples of the Body Refining Hall of my Tianyan Sect." He paused, looked at the several huge wooden barrels that had been prepared in the courtyard and the mountains of medicinal herbs piled up beside them, and a hint of "pity" flashed in his eyes.

"Since we've already made up our minds, let's not delay any longer. It's getting late, just right for... the first skin tempering."

Upon hearing this, the four men perked up and rubbed their hands together, eager to get started.

However, they had no idea what an "ecstatic" experience awaited them.

As night fell, the Meng family courtyard was brightly lit, yet unusually quiet.

In the center of the courtyard, four huge wooden barrels were lined up in a row, with four large pots next to them, boiling a dark liquid that smelled strongly of medicine.

Bai Muyun stood in front of the pot, her expression focused.

The flames beneath the pot were not ordinary fire, but a piece of azure stone that Meng Xihong had refined. This was a "fire seed talisman" that he had painstakingly crafted over half a day after comprehending the "Nine Revolutions Burning Flame Technique".

He once told Bai Muyun that the higher the level of body refinement, the higher the grade of the spiritual herbs required for the medicinal bath. Ordinary fire simply cannot refine its medicinal properties, and this talisman stone is the key.

In the future, when the "Brightening Furnace Classic" is passed down, the "Fire Seed Stone" will become the supreme foundation that binds it together with the medicinal bath materials.

Bai Muyun only needs to gently guide the fire with her own water and earth spiritual energy to precisely adjust the temperature, and its effect is far beyond that of ordinary fire.

For her, every breath during the past month or so has been torture.

In public, she forced a smile, applauded her eldest son Yanqing's progress in boxing, and quietly accompanied her second son Yanwei as he studied.

But the cautious worry in the children's eyes pierced her heart like a needle.

She could fool herself, but she couldn't fool her own flesh and blood.

It wasn't until Meng Xihong returned and told her about his incredible yet hopeful method to save her son that her heart, which had long since sunk into boundless darkness, finally found a ray of light and began to beat again.

At that moment, as she looked at the boiling liquid in the pot, she saw not medicine, but hope.

On the other side, Ji Beichuan, Zhang Xianghua, He Wu, and He Wen, following Meng Xihong's instructions, had taken off their shirts, revealing their strong or slightly thin bodies, and sat cross-legged.

"Is everything ready?" Meng Xihong stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm.

"Ready, Patriarch!" the four replied in unison, their voices loud and clear, filled with anticipation and excitement.

Ji Beichuan and Zhang Xianghua, in particular, have absolute confidence in their control over their bodies and their willpower.

Isn't it just pain? Who among martial artists hasn't been injured, who hasn't experienced the torment of having their bones broken?
He Wu grinned and patted his muscular chest: "Mr. Meng, just you wait and see! I'm not afraid of pain!"

Although He Wen didn't speak, the firmness in his eyes showed his determination.

“Very good.” Meng Xihong nodded. “The first level of the Body Forging Chapter of the Furnace Classic is Skin Tempering. As the name suggests, it means treating your entire body’s skin as a piece of raw iron and using your own blood and qi to repeatedly temper it until it is as tough as cowhide, impervious to water and fire, and difficult to be harmed by ordinary swords and knives.”

"Now, follow the method I taught you to activate your Qi and blood, starting from your fingertips, and temper them inch by inch."

At Meng Xihong's command, the four immediately closed their eyes, concentrated their minds, and began to practice the profound method.

　Thank you GuaziKe for the monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)