Li Ji'an's previously somewhat dejected mood suddenly lifted.
"Dragon-Tiger Aspect?"
Having spent ten years in the Martial Academy in his previous life, he had a thorough understanding of all information related to the martial Dao in this world.
The martial Dao in this world particularly emphasized bone structure, as it was an experience verified by generations of people over a hundred years.
In addition to superior, medium, and inferior bone structures, there were also better, rare bone structures that had produced Immortal Seeds. These bone structures possessed certain special characteristics and were directly given specific designations.
The "Dragon-Tiger Aspect" mentioned by the bone-reading master was the type of bone structure with the greatest potential in the Immortal Bestowed Dynasty's martial Dao world. For over a hundred years, almost eighty percent of those with such bone structures either became Immortal Seeds or, at the very least, reached the pinnacle of the martial Dao in this world.
"Is this the effect of Marrow Cleansing and bone strengthening that began at eight years old in this life?" Li Ji'an suppressed his inner excitement and pondered carefully.
"From this perspective, my body's Aptitude should not be bad, and with the consistent high-quality Marrow Cleansing and bone strengthening since the age of eight, I have achieved this effect."
The bone-reading master's old face flushed. He no longer distracted himself with other things, tightly closed his eyes, and used both hands to explore almost inch by inch, fearing to miss any detail.
"Ah! How could this be? This... what a waste!"
Suddenly, the old master exclaimed, opening his eyes abruptly.
"Hmm?" Li Ji'an's breathing also hitched instantly.
Can't you, old Senior, stop being so startled? Can't you speak when you have complete certainty?
"May I ask, Senior, my..."
"Young man, were you short on food and clothing, and lacking in oil and salt when you were young?" The bone-reading master stared at Li Ji'an with what seemed like immense heartache, his hands still reluctant to move from Li Ji'an's body.
Li Ji'an nodded silently.
This was also a point he had been struggling with.
"Returning to Youth" could only go back to the age of eight. The body before eight years old was from the days before his Su Hui Awakening. He could change what happened after eight years old, but he couldn't change what happened before eight years old.
And before the age of eight, although his parents loved him dearly, as mountain villagers, they had already exhausted all their strength just to eat their fill. How could they dare to hope for heavy oil, heavy salt, high calcium, and plenty of protein?
"What a pity, what a pity. If you had started supplementing when you were young, without any accidents, there was a high probability you could have developed a 'Dragon-Tiger Aspect.' As it is now, the Foundation is insufficient, and there are ultimately some deficiencies. Moreover, the best time for Marrow Cleansing has already passed. Even if you were to get that Divine Pill for Marrow Cleansing now, it would be too late." The bone-reading master sighed heavily, seeming more heartbroken than Li Ji'an, the person directly involved.
"..." Li Ji'an didn't immediately show emotion, waiting quietly to see if there was anything else he hadn't said.
"However... although not a Dragon-Tiger, it still possesses the aspect of a fierce sparrow. If you don't aim for an Immortal Seed, striving to become a Qi Grandmaster and establishing a martial Dao family can still shake a region." The bone-reading master gave the final result, and the look in his eyes towards Li Ji'an gained a hint of deference, even flattery.
Li Ji'an raised an eyebrow slightly, already very satisfied with this result.
As for the Divine Pill Immortal Treasure for Marrow Cleansing he mentioned... too late?
For me, that's not necessarily true!
Before long, the two, both with superior Heart-Nature evaluations, were personally led to the training ground by the bone-reading master.
The first step after entering the academy was to choose an instructor.
This was a two-way selection.
Apprentices hoped to be taught the martial Dao by experienced instructors.
Instructors also relied on apprentices to earn performance evaluations.
In his previous life, when he came here at thirty, if not for the new Instructor Wu being willing to take him, he probably would have ended up as a self-training apprentice.
"Oh, new people are here. Master Wan, what kind of bone structure? How is their Heart-Nature?"
As soon as the three entered the training ground, several instructors all looked over.
Even Instructor Ma Yuan, the gold-medal instructor who had been indifferent and was still sipping wine under the pavilion, looked over because Instructor Wan personally brought people.
He now only needed to guide one more Martial Examination candidate into the Prefecture City Immortal Seeking Academy to be promoted to chief instructor, receive a ninth-grade official position, and become a true official.
However, among the three cities and eighteen counties, Shangyi County was but a small, insignificant county. Finding a good Immortal Seed who could pass the Martial Examination and rank in the top thirty before the age of fifteen was like searching for a needle in a haystack, not easy at all.
"Hahaha, I've brought you good Immortal Seeds. As for who they ultimately choose, that depends on your performance." Instructor Wan laughed loudly and triumphantly, appearing quite high-profile.
"Hmm? Instructor Wan is praising them as good Immortal Seeds?" The eight instructors were all curious, and ultimately, seven of them quickly came forward to greet them.
Instructor Ma Yuan, the gold-medal instructor, was even more shocked. He hurriedly told the apprentice serving him to quickly put away the wine and dishes from the pavilion so as not to affect his image in the eyes of the newcomers. Then, he tidied himself up seriously and walked over quickly.
"This child has a superior bone structure and superior Heart-Nature," Instructor Wan said, lowering his voice without playing coy.
"Hoo~ As expected, someone praised by Master Wan must be of superior bone structure." The seven instructors looked at Qingyun with eyes like hungry wolves spotting a little white rabbit.
"Young Master, I am an old instructor of our Martial Academy. I have taught in the Martial Academy for twenty years and have rich experience. Two of my disciples have entered the Prefecture City Immortal Seeking Academy. If you join my tutelage, I will certainly pour all my knowledge into helping you enter the Looking-for-Immortals Academy." The experienced instructor immediately began to promote himself.
"I also have considerable experience, and I am in the Bone Forging realm of the three Body Forging stages. Not only can I teach you the basics of skin toughening to prepare for the Martial Examination, but I can also lay the Foundation for Bone Forging from the very beginning, ensuring you walk further on the path of the martial Dao."
...
Except for the first experienced instructor, the other five instructors were relatively a step slower.
It wasn't that they were slow to react, but rather that the Martial Academy hadn't seen an apprentice with such dual superior Aptitude in two years.
Moreover, under normal circumstances, most entering apprentices would seek connections in advance, hoping to join their tutelage. It had been a long time since there was a situation where instructors competed for apprentices.
"Silence! What kind of decorum is this? We, as instructors, impart the Dao, teach, and resolve doubts. How can we be as noisy as a vegetable market? You're demeaning yourselves!" Suddenly, after the six had eagerly scrambled to praise themselves, Instructor Ma Yuan, who had been holding back, reprimanded them in a deep voice.
As Instructor Ma Yuan was the most likely to be promoted to chief instructor, although the other instructors were resentful, they dared not offend him directly.
After Instructor Ma Yuan scanned the six with a rather official demeanor, he nodded with satisfaction, then smiled profoundly at Qingyun: "Young friend, don't be afraid. I am Instructor Ma Yuan, the only gold-medal instructor in Shangyi County's Martial Academy. I have taught for twenty-eight years and personally sent nine people into the Prefecture City Immortal Seeking Academy. Young friend, if you Cultivate with me, I guarantee there will be no accidents in your Martial Examination two years from now. Furthermore, I need to emphasize that I provide special care and additional resource allocation for Geniuses."
"..." Shameless.
The six instructors who had just swallowed their anger due to Instructor Ma Yuan's reprimand were momentarily stunned, and their eyes towards Instructor Ma Yuan became even more disdainful.
Qingyun looked at Instructor Ma Yuan with a blank expression, his attitude no different from how he looked at the previous six instructors. Then he turned to look at Li Ji'an.
Li Ji'an's face, however, showed a hint of an inexplicable smile.
In his previous life, to find a good teacher, he had spent a lot of effort and money on Instructor Ma Yuan.
As a result, he was taken advantage of for free, and not only did Instructor Ma Yuan turn hostile and disavow him, but in similar situations like this, he would also mock and belittle Li Ji'an to elevate himself.
At that time, if Li Ji'an hadn't already experienced enough and possessed a strong will, he might have been utterly mortified and his Dao Heart might have collapsed on the spot.
His righteous demeanor, his self-important attitude, and his constant refrain of "it's for your own good"... especially those piercing words that seemed to be on the side of the Martial Academy and his own position, were still fresh in his memory.
However, fifteen years had passed, and Li Ji'an no longer had the inclination to bother with him. Having lived longer and seen more, there were many such people in the world.