Chapter 8: Woodcarving Genius, Inner Energy Divinity

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Third Manager Xu You squinted his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in his gentle gaze.

He watched as the rough form of the 'Four-Armed Bodhisattva with Child Statue' took shape, the lines rough but the overall beauty already evident.

That was... the essence of art!

The expression, posture, and aura... were already palpable!

It was as if a truly benevolent four-armed bodhisattva, holding a child in one arm, eyes lowered, fingers forming the Rebirth Technique, holding the Purifying Jade Bottle, and the Jade Ruyi...

Could this be the work of a mere laborer?

Xu You nodded slightly. As the third manager of the Wood Carving Shop, he had handled countless woodcarvings and had a high level of appreciation for the styles and techniques of many master carvers.

The carving techniques Li Che used in the four-armed bodhisattva contained many elements of the style of four-knife woodcarver Chen Dabao!

His talent... was astonishing!

Li Che hadn't spent any silver to learn woodcarving at the shop, and Chen Dabao certainly wouldn't have been kind enough to teach him.

This meant... everything was self-taught!

By day, he had to move wood and finished statues at the shop, and only had time to carve at night. Yet, he had managed to reach this level with just the time in the evenings!

"The lines and handling still have some flaws, but what's truly remarkable is... the essence! The four-armed bodhisattva that Li Che carved is incredibly rich in essence, as if it were alive... This is a natural talent!"

Chen Dabao smacked his lips, coming to his senses after sensing Third Manager Xu You's arrival, and was pleasantly surprised.

"Indeed, the most important thing in woodcarving is the spirit. Without the spirit, no matter how good the technique, it's just a piece of rotten wood," Xu You nodded in approval.

"He's a good seed, and Li Che's technique isn't bad either. He just lacks the experience of the masters, but he's far superior to the apprentices..."

"It seems our Xu Family is about to produce a true genius."

Xu You's lips curled into a bright smile.

"Our Xu Family Wood Carving Shop is one of the best in Feilei City, not just because of the Xu Family, but because our woodcarvings are rich in spirit, allowing the city's young nobles to refine and extract Divine Essence..."

"Someone with such a natural talent for capturing the essence of woodcarvings, we Xu Family will certainly nurture and cultivate!"

Xu You stood with his hands behind his back, quietly watching Li Che's carving for a while.

From the technique of the carving knife to the deepening of the woodcarving's essence as the carving progressed, Xu You was certain that this was indeed Li Che's work. He had his answer.

Li Che also noticed Xu You's arrival and his evaluation of him.

He was startled. He had already restrained his technique, but it still seemed to be far superior to the apprentices, standing out like a crane among chickens...

His first attempt... lacked experience.

However, from the third manager's reaction, it seemed that becoming a woodcarver was a sure thing!

Four hours passed quietly, marked by the sound of the carving knife tearing through the wood.

Ding—

With a sound like a copper gong shattering!

Second Manager Xu Beihu, sitting in the grand master chair drinking tea, stood up abruptly, his powerful aura surging.

"Time's up! Everyone, stop working!"

"The Evaluation is over!"

"If I see anyone still carving, their spot is canceled, and their results are nullified!"

His domineering voice was rough and intimidating.

All the woodcarving apprentices hastily stopped their work, looking at Xu Beihu with trembling hearts, as silent as cicadas in winter.

Li Che also put down his grinding rod, stopping the polishing of the 'Four-Armed Bodhisattva with Child Statue,' exhaling a long breath, feeling a bit regretful.

With just a little more time, he could have finished the polishing, and the statue would have been complete.

The third and second managers, along with several senior carvers, began evaluating the apprentices' woodcarvings.

The evaluations were not overly strict, but they were fair.

Unless they encountered truly abysmal work, like a rough formless carving after four hours, they would not scold harshly.

Chen Dabao followed the group, squinting his eyes. When they reached Li Che's workstation, he saw the four-armed bodhisattva standing out from the pile of wood shavings, already taking shape and polished to a degree of completion.

Many senior carvers were amazed.

"What a rare sight, a laborer with such skill and level!"

"My apprentices are truly learning like dogs!"

"A good seed, it's a shame he hasn't had formal training in woodcarving for years. He started late, but the essence of this woodcarving... I would believe it was carved by a three-knife master!"

...

Praise never ceased.

Xu You looked at Li Che warmly, his eyes gleaming, and nodded slightly. "Not bad."

Li Che bowed, his expression calm, not losing himself in the praise.

The group continued their evaluation and soon completed the assessment of all the works.

"Li Che, Zhao Xuan, Wang Zhengpin, your woodcarvings stand out in this Evaluation. You will be granted the title of First-Class Woodcarver, with a monthly salary of five taels of silver and a sixty percent commission."

When Xu You announced the three names, the shop erupted in a flurry of whispers.

When the final results were settled, many apprentices were disheartened, some were lost, and some shed tears...

Years of hard study had ultimately failed to pass the Evaluation, and they had even been surpassed by a laborer, causing their morale to waver.

In this small shop, the myriad facets of human nature were on display.

"The three of you, follow us."

Xu You and Xu Beihu put on their fox fur cloaks and glanced at the three successful candidates.

Li Che and the other two apprentices hurriedly followed, entering the snowstorm and walking deeper into the yard.

They passed through a long corridor and arrived at a spacious courtyard, which looked like a flattened training ground, filled with stone pedestals and training stakes covered in snow.

"This is the training area of the outer city Xu Family Wood Carving Shop. Once you become a woodcarver, you are considered one of us. You can enter this area with your 'Jade Talisman Knife,' which represents your First-Class Woodcarver status, to practice martial arts and strengthen your inner energy, preparing to advance to a higher level of woodcarving."

The group stood in the courtyard, braving the snow.

After distributing three jade knives to the three, Xu You stood with his hands behind his back, and Second Manager Xu Beihu began to speak.

"Martial arts instruction will be provided by me. I will come to the outer city for two days each month. If you have any questions about martial arts, you can ask me."

Xu Beihu's voice was like a bell, his aura strong, standing in the snowstorm without a single flake touching him.

The three, including Li Che, hurriedly responded.

"Now, let me explain the way of martial arts to you..."

"Martial arts cultivation is divided into three types: Body Strengthening Technique, Internal Energy Technique, and... Divine Essence Technique."

"You won't have access to the Divine Essence Technique, nor are you qualified to. The Body Strengthening Technique can be practiced by anyone, while the Internal Energy Technique is more dependent on talent and requires time to accumulate."

"I will teach you the Body Strengthening Technique now. As for the Internal Energy Technique, you will have to wait until your body strengthening reaches the Skin Grinding level before I can teach you and let you try."

Xu Beihu said calmly.

He then began to explain the body strengthening techniques, which were essentially hard work and the use of external tools to strengthen the body. The various equipment in the training ground was all designed to serve this purpose.

"Body strengthening techniques include Skin Grinding, Tendon Opening, Bone Tempering, and Blood Replacement. Being able to move the qi and blood within the body to the point where the blood flows like mercury makes one a formidable expert! As for Meridian Unblocking, which is above Blood Replacement, it is rare even in a city."

"Starting with Skin Grinding, every half month, you can receive a bowl of 'Boiling Skin Powder.' If you find it insufficient, you can buy it yourself. A bowl costs one tael of silver and can accelerate your body strengthening process."

...

Xu Beihu taught diligently, and Li Che listened attentively.

This was his first exposure to martial arts in this world, and he dared not be lax. The threat of the Spirit Child Dharma Master loomed over him like a sword, making him vigilant.

Practicing martial arts would enhance his ability to resist the Spirit Child Dharma Master, so he dared not be the slightest bit negligent.

When it was completely dark, Xu Beihu concluded the day's lesson.

Tomorrow, he would stay in the outer city for another day to teach martial arts.

"Disperse. Digest the martial arts knowledge I've taught you, and start practicing Skin Grinding tomorrow."

Xu Beihu said solemnly, waving his hand and turning to leave.

However, Li Che did not leave. He sought out the third manager to inquire about the move.

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(End of Chapter)