Starting from iron smelting

Chapter 140 Self-cultivation

Lu Xiuyuan closed his eyes tightly, concentrating on the perception of the flow of the lake water. He seemed to have become a part of the water, and could see through every detail. Every drop of water seemed to have life, whispering in his ears, telling him their stories and secrets.

As time went by, Lu Xiuyuan's breathing became smoother, as if he was in deep sleep. His heartbeat gradually blended into the rhythm of the lake, forming a harmonious and beautiful resonance. At this moment, he and nature were one, indistinguishable from each other.

The demon army on the shore was extremely anxious. They nervously searched everywhere for Lu Xiuyuan's trace. The leaders kept issuing orders, urging their men to speed up the search. The demon soldiers shouted loudly and used various magical powers to try to find the strange smell in the lake.

For a moment, the sky above the lake was filled with demonic energy and flashing lights. Various strange sounds intertwined together, like a grand symphony. However, no matter how hard the demons tried, they could not find even the slightest clue about Lu Xiuyuan.

Some demons began to doubt whether Lu Xiuyuan had already escaped, but more demon soldiers were convinced that he was hiding somewhere in the lake. So, groups of brave scouts were sent into the lake to conduct a carpet search. They kept their eyes wide open, not missing any place where Lu Xiuyuan might be hiding.

However, the lake was unfathomable, with many hidden reefs and swaying water plants. The demon scouts faced many difficulties, but they were not afraid and carried out their mission firmly. However, despite their great efforts, they still gained nothing.

Lu Xiuyuan lurked quietly deep under the lake, using the power of nature to cleverly conceal his breath.

He knew very well how dangerous the situation he was in was. A large number of demons were frantically attacking the lake. Their extremely violent power caused the entire lake to violently roll, and under the lake there was an undercurrent that seemed to drag him into the bottomless pool at any moment. However, Lu Xiuyuan did not panic because of this.

He held his breath and concentrated, silently chanting the Qi Condensation Technique in his mind. This set of skills was a secret technique that he had practiced for many years before mastering. It could completely gather the spiritual energy fluctuations emitted by himself at important moments, making himself seem to blend perfectly with the surrounding environment, and it was extremely difficult for the outside world to detect it.

As the Qi Gathering Technique continued to operate, Lu Xiuyuan clearly felt that his body seemed to have evaporated from the water out of thin air, blending naturally with the surrounding natural elements such as the lake water, rocks, aquatic plants, etc. into a whole.

Above the water, the demon army's attacks became more and more violent, sweeping in like a violent storm. However, Lu Xiuyuan, who was hiding deep in the lake, was safe and sound as if he had not been involved in the incident. He was agile, moving between rocks and cracks, his movements light and smooth, just like an extremely agile fish.

Whenever a monster entered the lake to search, Lu Xiuyuan would use all his skills to conceal his whereabouts. He cleverly used the surrounding environment as a cover, completely restraining his own aura, making himself seem to merge with the bottom of the lake. Although the monsters that entered the lake tried their best to search everywhere, they were ultimately in vain and had to return in disappointment.

Lu Xiuyuan was secretly delighted. It turned out that the spiritual root he possessed was wood, and water could produce wood. This vast lake seemed to be a perfect refuge specially created by God for him! Here, he felt that there seemed to be some kind of subtle and indescribable tacit understanding and connection between him and the lake; the endless water element was quietly nourishing his body, making his cultivation level gradually rise without him noticing.

Not only that, the waves in the lake were like a ferocious beast, rushing towards Lu Xiuyuan with its fangs and claws bared. But he showed no fear and bravely faced these waves of fierce attacks. Every impact of the waves was like a hammer hitting him hard, but he always gritted his teeth and persisted, not flinching.

These huge forces constantly polished Lu Xiuyuan's muscles and bones, making his already solid body even stronger and tougher. As if he had been tempered by thousands of hammers, his muscle lines gradually became clear and full of strength; his bones also became as hard as iron, able to withstand stronger pressure and blows.

In the tense moment of avoiding pursuit, Lu Xiuyuan did not waste his time. On the contrary, he firmly grasped this precious opportunity and practiced hard in the lake. He closed his eyes, concentrating on sensing the subtle fluctuations of the water elements around him, and used a unique method to guide them into his body bit by bit.

As time went by, the pure water elements gathered into a powerful torrent in Lu Xiuyuan's body and merged with his spiritual power. Gradually, he could clearly feel that the spiritual power in his body became more and more full and rich, and the flow became smoother and more free. The most direct effect of this wonderful change was that his cultivation broke through the bottleneck again and successfully entered a new realm, the middle stage of foundation building!

However, he did not get complacent. Lu Xiuyuan knew that he was still facing great danger. The demon army would not give up hunting him down easily, so he had to stay alert at all times to avoid exposing his whereabouts. So, in addition to practicing, he always paid attention to the movements of the outside world, ready to respond to possible crises at any time.

In this way, under the bombardment of the demon army, Lu Xiuyuan spent a thrilling time in the lake with his Qi Condensation Technique and firm will. Not only did he successfully avoid being hunted down, but he also continuously improved his cultivation in the crisis, making him more fully prepared for future battles.

Time passed quickly, and the deafening explosion gradually disappeared in the distance, as if the demon army had given up attacking this place. But Lu Xiuyuan did not take it lightly, because he knew that this catastrophe was not over yet. So he continued to practice in the lake without slacking off, constantly consolidating his foundation, and patiently looking for an opportunity to escape from this water safely.

During these years in the lake, Lu Xiuyuan gained a deeper understanding of the way of cultivation. He truly felt the spirit and vitality contained in the water element, and also understood the mystery of cultivation - that is, to coexist harmoniously with nature and skillfully use the power of heaven and earth to temper and improve oneself. In this way, he not only made a breakthrough in the realm of cultivation, but also experienced a reborn cleansing of his inner world.