Reality is always cruel.
After another three months, Li Ji'an successfully entered the foundational level of "Golden Strength Skill," birthing a strand of Qi and blood, and began refining his skin membrane.
Meanwhile, Qingyun had just barely managed to enter the foundational level of the "Seventy-Two Forms of Pile Skill," and had yet to know when he'd be able to master it fully.
"Four months! It's been four months! Have you... have you truly been diligent?" Ma Yuan's attitude towards Qingyun gradually became less amiable.
Qingyun's face was full of grievance: "I'm sorry, Tutor Ma, I'm just too foolish and clumsy. I... I've really tried my best, perhaps... I really don't have the talent for this. I'm too ashamed to continue being under your tutelage; perhaps it's better to let my father come to take me away?"
"Huff~ Huff~" Ma Yuan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his agitation.
"That's unnecessary, that's unnecessary! Hmm, but knowing shame and then striving for courage, I still believe in you. Just put more effort in; your inherent qualities are excellent. Once you start practicing "Golden Strength Skill," your advantages will explode. By then, even your junior fellow disciple won't be able to catch up with you."
Seeing that Ma Yuan still hadn't given up, Qingyun felt slightly disappointed and had to think of a way to completely extinguish his hopes.
Meanwhile, Wu Cheng constantly kept an eye on Li Ji'an, often inadvertently reminding him not to become complacent or arrogant. Having good comprehension allows faster progress in Pile Skill; in addition, the foundational level of "Golden Strength Skill" is achieved quicker, but the difference in inherent qualities will manifest in the subsequent crafting of Qi and blood's quality and quantity, as well as the speed of Qi and blood refining the skin membrane.
Therefore, he advised against pride and impatience and encouraged continued effort.
Li Ji'an outwardly agreed but still couldn't suppress the excitement within his heart.
The previous life's decade of skin polishing experience made him realize the advantages in comprehension and inherent qualities he had in this life.
Now that he'd just entered the foundational level of "Golden Strength Skill," the crafted Qi and blood inside him was already the same quantity as it was during minor achievement in his previous life, and he can clearly sense that the efficiency of Qi and blood washing over his skin membrane is over three times faster than it was during the same period in his previous life.
"At this rate, when the Qi and blood becomes more abundant, perhaps within a year, I can achieve skin polishing perfection!"
At this moment, he finally truly understood the difference between a genius and a mediocre person.
Six months further passed,
It had been exactly ten months since they entered the academy!
"What? Skin polishing perfected!"
"How is that possible? What's with that kid's inherent quality? It can't possibly be excellent, can it?"
"Ten months, skin polishing perfected? Even excellent inherent quality may not accomplish that, right?"
"Hiss~ Old Wan kept saying Qingyun had excellent inherent quality but never mentioned Li Ji'an. Could it be that two geniuses showed up at once, and perhaps Li Ji'an's inherent quality is even better?"
"Is that really Li the Lame's son? I recall Li the Lame's inherent quality was poor."
...
The news coming from Tutor Wu's students instantly ignited the whole Martial Arts Academy.
Soon, someone dug up the fact that Qingyun had started receiving private tutoring from Ma Yuan half a year ago, yet still hadn't crafted even a strand of Qi and blood.
Suddenly, malicious rumors and gossip began to fly everywhere.
"Tutor Ma ruined a genius!"
"Tutor Wu is the true judge of talents!"
"Qingyun was so diligent, and yet... sigh."
...
Having held back for so long, Ma Yuan finally exploded after being incited by these rumors.
"You truly are as foolish as a pig! No! Even pigs are better than you! Despite possessing such excellent inherent quality, you're not even as good as Li the Lame's son. It's simply a waste of Heaven's gift. What face do you have to live in this world? Get out! Get out of my courtyard!"
That day, Qingyun's wish of having his father, True Man Houde, come finally came true.
Others might not know Qingyun well and be fooled by him, but his father understood him completely. After asking just a few simple questions, he suddenly turned his gaze to Qingyun.
Just as his father revealed a vicious expression intending to uphold justice in front of him, Li Ji'an timely stood up.
"Master, everyone has their own ambitions; if Senior Brother has no interest in Martial Dao, forcing him won't yield any results.
Moreover, he can take over someday, possibly leading Qingxin Hall; this might be a good thing, as incense will continue to burn unceasingly."
As a second-generation Daoist from the Daoist Temple, Qingyun is actually not bad. Being able to stay peacefully in the temple, able to calmly enjoy life, without being overly ambitious or proving himself, already makes him a qualified successor.
His contented mindset, along with Liu Deshan's foundation for him, if no accidents occur in this life, would make him happier than ninety-nine percent of people in the world.
What is the meaning of life?
To live till death within one's capabilities according to their true self.
Of course, for Li Ji'an, who possesses "Rejuvenation," this isn't entirely applicable; there's still some difference because he can avoid true "death."
And this has become one of his purposes, to do everything possible to avoid "being dead."
The second purpose is to never again let himself fall into the kind of despair and suffering he experienced in childhood during his previous life.
Liu Deshan's receptive temperament was consistent, not that he lacked resolution; it's just that there were many things he was too lazy to ponder over.
Finally, Qingyun got his wish, tearfully bidding farewell to Li Ji'an and leaving with Liu Deshan.
Another year later,
Li Ji'an turned fifteen, achieving solid flesh great success!
With two months remaining till the biennial Martial Graduate examination.
In previous Martial Graduate exams, the basic threshold was at solid flesh entry-level; achieving solid flesh minor achievement meant almost certain success, whereas achieving solid flesh great success during the initial exam was a feat achieved only by three people in Shangyi County over a century.
The fame of Li Ji'an as a genius spread almost completely throughout Shangyi County.
Moreover, the eager information seekers compiled countless life stories about him.
The most widely spread was that his father, a resolute and strong-willed man despite his physical disabilities, sought to develop a prodigy for the future, raising a genius, even going to the extent that they concocted detailed accounts including matters Li Ji'an hadn't even thought of.
This made Li Ji'an's previous life's concern before "Rejuvenation" of not being able to flawlessly conceal certain details vanish into smoke.
"The ancients did not deceive me; upon entering the sect, great scholars will naturally argue in favor of me!"
Simultaneously, Tutor Ma's reputation within the Martial Arts Academy collapsed rapidly, while Tutor Wu flourished, receiving numerous accolades.
Two months later, Li Ji'an perfected solid flesh without any surprises, winning first place in Shangyi County's Martial Graduate exam, second in the entire Chong'an Prefecture, spanning three cities and eighteen counties, and successfully entered Chong'an Prefecture's Seeking Immortal Institute.
The fires in Shangyi County blazed for three days without extinguishing.
In this realm's Martial Graduate exam, there is neither combat nor subdivided categories of tests; the only assessment criterion is the extent of body forging, linked with bone age. The younger the bone age and the higher the body forging extent, the higher the rank.
Li Ji'an, at the age of fifteen, achieving solid flesh perfection, set a new record in Shangyi County.
He also brought immeasurable expectations for Shangyi County's Martial Arts Academy.
Should Li Ji'an be taken away by an Immortal Master during the next selection for Immortal Seedlings, both the academy's headmaster and tutors who imparted skills would be directly promoted by three levels.
And even if he doesn't become an Immortal Seedling in the end, his achievement of becoming a Qi Blood Master seems inevitable.
Thus, before heading to Prefecture City Seeking Immortal Institute, the academy rewarded him with a thousand taels of patterned silver, and the headmaster additionally gifted a thousand taels in his personal capacity, while all tutors pooled together another thousand taels as a gift.
Before heading to Prefecture City Seeking Immortal Institute, Li Ji'an returned to Purple Cloud Temple, bidding farewell to old friends and paying respects to his master.
Prefecture City is three hundred miles from Shangyi County; given the transportation convenience here, an ordinary person's journey might very well be a final farewell.
In this life, Li Ji'an at fifteen, in the prime of life, akin to the rising sun, finds himself inevitably with a tinge of sadness as he looks at his senior brother, who has already passed his sixtieth year with greying temples and wilting vitality, for this one departure might truly be the last farewell.
The Observatory Master, representing Purple Cloud Temple, generously gifted three thousand taels in silver notes, urging Li Ji'an to write often, with many hopes expressed for Li Ji'an's future care and guidance.
Upon leaving Purple Cloud Temple again, Li Ji'an felt much more at ease; in this life, the most precarious patch of his "Rejuvenation" from eight to fifteen years was successfully passed in peace, with some groundedness now beyond the six thousand taels of silver notes in his arms, mainly due to his solid flesh perfection's prowess.
Skin polishing perfection, a skin membrane resilient as cowhide, ordinary blades and swords struggle to harm, possesses three hundred pounds of strength, also superior in reactions and speed, even a bout of Turtle Fist would find ordinary three to five robust men not being opponents, already capable of self-preservation.
Solid flesh perfection, rough skin and thick flesh, possessing five hundred pounds of strength, even encountering small groups of mountain bandits or roving bandits, self-preservation is assured, preliminarily equipping one with the capacity to traverse the martial world.