These days, Hong Yi has been living in this valley deep in the Western Mountains, playing with tens of thousands of volumes of classics, with a mind to forget all the troubles in the world. The collection of classics and books in the stone room of the valley is richer than that of any wealthy and noble family. Except for the imperial palace's library, almost none can compare. Poor Hong Yi has been studying for more than ten years, borrowing and copying books to read. How could he have encountered such a situation? There is a room full of books for him to read at will. "Did you empty the library of the Great Zen Temple? How did you bring out so many books?" After reading for three days and finally classifying a small half of the books one by one, taking advantage of the leisure break, Hong Yi once again sent his soul out of his body and chatted with the three little white foxes. The three little white foxes, Xiao Sang, Xiao Shu, and Xiao Fei, had a great time chatting with Hong Yi, shouting "Brother" long and short every day. They were more intimate than real siblings. The simplicity and innocence of the foxes made Hong Yi deeply feel it. "There are many books in the Great Zen Temple. We only brought out a small half. But I also heard from my parents. But they were caught by someone on the way when they moved from Zhongzhou." Xiao Shu was very sad when she mentioned her parents. "From Zhongzhou to Yujing, it's a long and arduous journey. A nest of foxes moved here, and the dangers they encountered along the way were not just a little. Especially Xiao Sang, Xiao Shu, and Xiao Fei, they are pure white foxes. The fur on their bodies has no variegation. Such foxes, even just the fur, is worth a hundred gold." Hong Yi was certainly clear in his heart. The pure white fox fur is of very high value in the market. "Heaven has bestowed noble fur on the foxes but not given them the means to protect themselves. Alas, but fortunately, Xiao Sang, Xiao Shu, and Xiao Fei finally have some means to protect themselves. Unlike me, I am powerless. It's time to practice martial arts. For the soul to leave the body and reach the stage of manipulating objects, it's definitely not an overnight thing. According to the records in the Taoist scriptures, for Taoists with a shallow foundation or without advanced methods of training the soul, they cannot reach the realm of manipulating objects throughout their entire lives." In these three days, Hong Yi has read the classics thoroughly and understood many ghost and god matters that scholars "outside the **" do not discuss. The ten levels of soul cultivation are stabilizing the mind, leaving the body, night wandering, day wandering, manipulating objects, manifesting form, possession, seizing the body, thunder tribulation, and attaining the Yang God. Hong Yi also has a rough idea. He can now stabilize his mind and leave his body, but this is only the beginning of his cultivation and not even considered entering the door. After the soul leaves the body, the next step is to wander away from the body. It's like a person leaving the ship and getting into the water, gradually getting familiar with the water. Night wandering also has many restrictions. For example, at the beginning, it can only be done on a dark and windless night. Only after the soul becomes stronger step by step can it gradually wander in the moonlight and night wind. After wandering at night, it's day wandering. However, day wandering is much more dangerous than night wandering. The sunlight is intense, and ordinary souls cannot withstand the baptism of sunlight. It can be said that they die upon seeing the light. Wandering outside the body during the day is like swimming in the sea when strong winds and waves come. This is also the reason why there are generally no ghosts and evil spirits in broad daylight. When the soul can wander during the day and is not afraid of sunlight, it has already become strong to a certain extent. When it becomes strong enough to wander during the day, the soul further grows and can manipulate objects. At such a stage, practitioners can manipulate swords to assassinate or shoot like crossbows. With this, they can protect themselves. Before this, those who cultivate have to rely on fists and kicks to protect themselves. Moreover, the stronger the body, the longer the soul can leave the body. For someone like Hong Yi himself, if the soul leaves the body for a long time, the body will gradually weaken. If it leaves for one or two days, the body will either die of thirst or hunger. If not dead, it will also fall seriously ill. After reading the Taoist scriptures for three days, Hong Yi has understood the art of cultivating immortality to the extent of manipulating objects. As for the later stages of manifesting form, possession, seizing the body, thunder tribulation, and attaining the Yang God, there are no records in the Taoist scriptures. However, it is recorded that many people who cultivate immortality cannot reach the stage of manipulating the soul with their spirits throughout their lives. "There are several initial methods of exercising the muscles and tendons in the 'Military Classic'. I still need to find time to practice. If I can train my body to be strong, the soul can leave the body for a longer time." Hong Yi has made up his mind to start practicing martial arts. The Great Qian Dynasty was founded on martial arts and governed by literature. Literature can lead to official positions, and martial arts can lead to titles. Both are indispensable for Hong Yi, who wants to fight for his mother's dignity. Moreover, both cultivating immortality and practicing martial arts are closely related. After reading the Taoist scriptures for three days, Hong Yi knows that the hand gestures and movements before the soul leaves the body are not useless. They are actually some complex things for exercising the body and breathing methods. They are also used to exercise the body. In the marquis's residence, he had no opportunity to practice martial arts. Now here, there is finally an opportunity. Although practicing martial arts is not such a simple thing, Hong Yi does not want to learn advanced martial arts but wants to train his body to be stronger step by step. Hong Yi knows that he is still young and has enough time. "Take the imperial examination, gain fame, achieve military exploits, and receive titles. These are all things to be done step by step. In short, I must first make my body strong and change the state of being powerless." ...................................... The first heavy snow of the sixtieth year of the Great Qian Dynasty finally fell in a flurry. The snow was very heavy, spreading like goose feathers and pulling cotton wool, in clusters and cakes. The Western Mountains of Yujing City were even more blown by the "white hair wind", and the weather was terrifyingly cold. However, in such weather, there is a special quiet flavor in the deep mountains, old forests, and secluded valleys. It is most suitable for reading, writing, and playing with knowledge. It was cold outside, and water turned into ice, but inside the stone room where the foxes lived in the secluded valley, it was warm. Because several large copper basins of charcoal fire were burning. Cotton curtains were also hung at the entrance of the stone room to block the cold wind. There are several small, fist-sized openings on both sides of the entire stone room, seemingly artificially chiseled. The chiseling was very ingenious, just allowing the light to shine in and allowing ventilation without letting in the wind. Hong Yi was sitting in front of the stone room, studying and contemplating the "Military Classic". On the other side, Xiao Shu, Xiao Sang, and Xiao Fei, the three little white foxes, were busy around a large pottery jar. A chicken fragrance emanated from the pottery jar. They were stewing chicken. The chicken was a fine mountain chicken that ate pine nuts and fruits in the mountains. The stewed fragrance carried the fragrance of pine nuts. This was a wild chicken caught by the foxes in the mountains during the snowfall. They said it was to add a meal for Hong Yi. There were grains, oil, salt, firewood, rice, soy sauce, vinegar and other seasonings stored in the stone room. They were not afraid of the mountains being blocked by heavy snow. After living in the valley for a few days, Hong Yi knew that this group of foxes had completely left the beastly life of eating raw meat and drinking blood. Not only did they read and write, but they also learned human language, human planting, cooking, eating oil and salt, sleeping on the neatly laid beds in the cave, and cleaning and bathing every day. Everything was neatly arranged. There were several smaller rooms at the other end of the stone room. Inside the rooms, some foxes were lying on the ground and sleeping lazily, looking very laid-back. Although there was a nest of foxes, there was not the slightest fishy or foul smell, which did not affect Hong Yi's reading. Old Fox Tu, although in the stone room, remained motionless. Apparently, his soul had left the body and wandered off. In such a heavy snowy day, this old fox, whose cultivation was quite profound, was going out to patrol. One was to guard against hunters coming to hunt in the snow, and the other was to exercise the power of the soul. This old fox has cultivated to the stage of day wandering. "It's very difficult to practice martial arts. There are so many taboos. Without a teacher's guidance and self-exploration, it's very easy to make mistakes." Hong Yi looked and looked, closed the "Military Classic", and a sense of loss welled up in his heart. After reading and contemplating these days, he has roughly understood some principles of martial arts. Cultivating martial arts is not an easy thing. First of all, in terms of diet, there are many particulars. Not to mention that the structure of a person's body is complex and delicate. With a little carelessness, something will go wrong. The first step of training the muscles. In the Military Classic, there are approximately hundreds of methods and dozens of martial arts recorded. It's also unknown which is better or worse, and whether there will be deformity after practicing. And Hong Yi also understands that the "Military Classic" compiled by the Great Qian Dynasty probably has many insubstantial parts. After thinking about it, Hong Yi did not dare to practice randomly. "It seems that the path of martial arts is really difficult to start. No wonder the imperial examination of our Great Qian Dynasty has cancelled the archery and horsemanship skills. Ordinary people, where do they have the opportunity to practice? I still have to wait for Miss Yuan Fei to appear and ask her in detail. A scholar is not ashamed to ask questions." This group of foxes does not know martial arts. Martial arts is the cultivation aimed at the human body. They are foxes and cannot cultivate it. In the Western Mountains. Amidst the chaotic snowfall, a group of people on horseback, with hunting dogs, carrying bows, and wearing luxurious fur capes entered the mountains. This group of people is clearly of extremely high status and wealth among the nobility. This can be seen from the horses they ride. Among these horses, the smallest ones are more than ten feet long and eight feet tall. In the wind and snow, they are breathing out strong white steam, and their eyes are wide open against the wind and snow, without the slightest fear or coldness. Their strong and powerful bodies, slender hooves, and no variegation on their entire bodies, and shiny oily fur all show that these horses are not of ordinary breeds. If it were someone in the Great Qian Dynasty who is good at raising horses, they could tell that these horses are all "Fiery Cloud Horses" from the Fire Luo Country outside the territory. Because their entire bodies are dark red and they run like fiery clouds, they are thus named. These horses do not eat forage. They need to be fed with eggs mixed with soybeans every meal, and there are many particulars. In the Great Qian Dynasty, each of these horses requires three to four grooms to take care of them day and night. They are simply not affordable for ordinary people. But these horses run extremely fast, have strong endurance, can carry people for a thousand miles a day, and are also intelligent and do not abandon their masters. They are treasures that wealthy noblemen, marquises, earls, and barons' families are willing to spend thousands of gold to obtain. Among the group of people entering the mountains, there are two men and two women on horseback. There are also several people wearing thin clothes but not afraid of the cold at all following behind the horses. These people have cold and haughty eyes and walk like the wind, not lagging behind the horses at all. Obviously, these people are all expert guards raised by noblemen's mansions. "Princess, the day before yesterday, I heard news from the palace. Lady Yuan has somehow been promoted to Imperial Noble Consort." Among these four people, one of the teenagers is precisely "Young Duke of Xiaoli", Jing Yuxing. And another woman is Hong Xuejiao. The other pair of men and women are even more noble and graceful. Both men and women are wearing large pure white fox fur capes. When the snow falls on the capes, it automatically rolls off with a gentle shake, as if it were the skin of a lotus leaf that does not absorb water. This woman is the princess of Prince Rong of Yujing City, and the emperor has bestowed the title Yongchun. Princess Yongchun. And that man is extremely tall, with a high nose and hawk-like eyes. Although he is not as elegant as Jing Yuxing, he has an intimidating aura all over his body. This is the son of Prince Cheng, Yang Tong. "I heard the news from the eunuchs in the palace that the emperor casually asked the concubines, saying what is the greatest thing in the world. None of the concubines gave a satisfactory answer. As a result, Lady Yuan said that reason is the greatest, which greatly pleased the emperor's heart and she was promoted to Imperial Noble Consort." Princess Yongchun answered Jing Yuxing's question. Woof, woof, woof Just then, more than ten hunting dogs running in front barked fiercely. At the same time, while barking, these hunting dogs arched their bodies, and their fur stood up straight like that of porcupines. Each of these hunting dogs is as big as a calf, with sharp teeth and fierce looks, as if they were lions. These are "mastiffs". Three or four mastiffs can tear apart a tiger! Now, the four pairs of men and women have come hunting and brought more than ten mastiffs, showing their determination to obtain the prey. "Have they discovered the pure fox den?" Prince Cheng's son Yang Tong waved his hand on the horse and took a long bow in his hand. "Pure foxes have spirituality and may have some means. But this time, they still can't escape from our palms. These mastiffs have the ability to see through ghosts and monsters."

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