Chapter 47: Chapter 47: The Toad Ascends to Heaven; Gathering Qi Like a Mountain
Next day.
As usual, Li Yuan arrived at the unnad little pavilion at the North Gate of the Black Market and stood by Master Li’s side, continuing to listen to his teachings.
The rchants coming and going in the Black Market, the martial artists, outer disciples, and miscellaneous workers, would respectfully call out "Master Li" as they passed by, and then cast a glance at the young man, seemingly wondering what made him worthy of being accepted as Master Li’s disciple.
Master Li suddenly asked, "Being watched by so many people, they have rembered your appearance. How do you feel?"
Li Yuan replied, "They know I am your student. The reason they look at
is to rember .
But what they rember is not ; they only rember Master Li’s student.
In the future, if they encounter a student, they’ll think twice,
either not to offend, or... to completely uproot, leaving no trace."
Master Li chuckled and said, "You truly are an excellent heir to my teachings."
Li Yuan replied with flattery, "You are also an excellent teacher."
Master Li said, "Being my student is actually very safe.
Because although I am stationed here, I’ve always enforced the law but never ddled with interests.
Although I enforce the law, I also know to be lenient; if the water is too clear, there will be no fish, so as long as it doesn’t cross the bottom line of the Blood Saber Sect, I will give whatever convenience I can. Those who should be released, I will release."
As Master Li spoke, he took out a fairly new booklet from his chest and handed it to Li Yuan, saying, "Look at it beside ."
Li Yuan took it, but the cover of the booklet had no writing. As he opened it, he saw a series of posture illustrations, with many tadpole-like red dots indicating key points of force.
Below the illustrations, there was so text, presumably heart skills.
Master Li said, "This booklet is copied by , and the illustrations were drawn by .
In fact, an illustration is very important to a cultivator, as the spirit and essence of the artist get infused within.
If it were drawn by the founder, even with one glance, you could feel the nacing aura.
Practicing thereafter will naturally yield twice the result with half the effort.
Mine, however, is quite different.
It’s just that the founder’s cultivation skill has long been lost.
Whether it was destroyed, lost, or naturally decayed, no one knows.
But according to my master, his master’s master was already using self-copied cultivation skills to teach disciples.
This is also the tradition of the Yanyue Sect.
After achieving success in cultivation, one would copy the master’s martial art once. Later, if there is improvent, they would destroy the original and copy it anew, thus teaching the later disciples.
Firstly, the illustrations drawn by oneself better comprehend the essence;
Secondly, paper is difficult to preserve for long, and it would be destroyed after a few generations."
Li Yuan curiously asked, "Why not engrave it on steles, tals, or bamboo scrolls? That should preserve it longer."
Master Li said, "I heard the founder of the Yanyue Sect was a very proud person. After writing the Soul-Throwing Technique and the Spring and Autumn Blade, he instructed disciples that future teachings must be written only on paper...
If it cannot be passed down, so be it.
Even if it is lost, it is better than being learned by diocrity.
Unfortunately, geniuses in the world are not as many as the founder imagined.
The Yanyue Sect has been getting worse; to my generation... it has already fallen to a lonely state of the Lower Three Grades.
I don’t have the talent of the founder, nor his arrogance. I just want to pass down this cultivation skill."
Li Yuan said, "I will also definitely pass it down."
Master Li nodded with a smile and said, "The booklet is divided into two parts. The first part is the cultivation skill ’Soul-Throwing Technique’. I could only barely rember up to the Lower Three Grades; the original Life Atlas was lost...
I couldn’t draw it back then, and I still can’t draw it now, so... it just got lost."
As he spoke, he let out a long sigh, his face showing so traces of hardship, and his eyes flooded with mories and sorrow. Then he said hoarsely, "But you can look at the lines I drew. Maybe... maybe... you can draw it."
After speaking, he laughed at himself, "Forget it, learn this first.
The second part is the sword skill ’Spring and Autumn Blade’. This dharma gate is paired with the ’Soul-Throwing Technique’, covering from Ninth Grade to Seventh Grade.
Watch it yourself, and won’t ask
anymore."
Li Yuan nodded and said, "I previously learned a cultivation skill. I wonder if there will be any impact?"
Master Li said, "Your muscles and bones are not yet set; everything can be changed. This step is called Blood Exchange.
In the Ninth Grade, during the exchange process, there will be so pain, but nothing serious.
As for the Eighth Grade, pain relief elixirs and so supplents are needed."
Li Yuan curiously asked, "Shadow Blood... are they all different?"
Master Li said, "Of course they are different.
Among these cultivation skills, there are hidden mysteries.
Different cultivation skills produce different Shadow Blood, which eventually leads to different outcos of fate alteration.
Shadow Blood will form conflicts in the body, which is the cause of the pain.
There are many independent practitioners in the social world, but without complete inheritance, they can only stop before Sixth Grade in their lives.
Because Seventh Grade is a watershed.
In Seventh Grade, you have a Shadow Bone.
Your Shadow Blood will be continuously produced by the Shadow Bone.
"You can change your blood, but you cannot change your bones."
Li Yuan: ......
Master Li suddenly asked: "Do you regret it?"
Li Yuan shook his head and said, "To be granted a technique by the teacher, I am grateful beyond words."
Master Li said: "The Blood Saber Sect only has Lower Three Grades of Dharma Gates. The more powerful ones are in the hands of the major force behind them. But to reach that step, you need to endure countless risks and establish nurous rits."
Li Yuan replied: "What the teacher says is true. There are many talents in the world, but very few can live to attain greater power... Seventh Grade, I am already content."
Master Li nodded and said: "Good, very good... However, you should not be content; you still have hope. Because although the Life Atlas of Sixth Grade has no spirit, its form remains.
Perhaps, your calm and unshakable mindset can instead allow you to observe the form to comprehend its spirit."
Li Yuan said: "Yes... the student will strive hard."
"Good, good, good." Master Li said three ’goods’ in succession.
With each look, he was increasingly satisfied with this disciple.
Originally, he was like seeing flowers through the mist, having no choice.
But now it seems this one is simply the perfect inheritor of his mantle.
This disciple has talent, is cautious by nature, and very content. If he can’t pass on Yanyue Sect’s techniques, then it truly would be celestial intent.
...
After a brief exchange between the master and disciple, Li Yuan focused intently on the cultivation skill.
Holding the cultivation skill, he even felt a bit teary-eyed.
Finally...
Finally seeing the cultivation skill.
He skimd through it at first.
Whether it’s Ninth Grade, Eighth Grade, or Seventh Grade; whether it’s a cultivation skill or skills, they are all diagrams and text.
Only by combining the two can one practice them.
And among them, the importance of the diagram is self-evident.
Even at the end of the top section, Li Yuan even saw a strange "Flow Chart," composed of nurous curves, it looked like a river flowing gently.
This was the only diagram without text below it.
"This should be what the teacher referred to as the Life Atlas that has form but no spirit. With just this diagram, can one break through to Sixth Grade and enter a higher life level?" Li Yuan was very curious in his heart.
He stared at it for a while, not feeling the headache from reading high-level information, but also gained nothing.
Flowing water is flowing water, and he is he.
He then returned to the beginning to seriously study the Ninth Grade’s "Soul-Throwing Technique."
The general outline of "Soul-Throwing Technique" is a few lines of poetry that run through the practice of Lower Three Grades.
This poem is:
"The toad ascends to the heavenly tower, Gathering Qi like a mountain.
The great river flows through the wilderness, Throwing the soul when the moon becos a bow."
Compared to the "Willow Return Technique" he previously stumbled upon, this cultivation skill seems to emphasize the Breathing Skill more.
Li Yuan looked at it carefully for a while and understood that the so-called "The toad ascends to the heavenly tower" refers to the posture, where one must curl up as much as possible, like a toad.
And "Gathering Qi like a mountain" refers to inhaling as much air as possible, even compressing and gathering it within the body, as heavy as a mountain peak.
"The great river flows through the wilderness" refers to the relationship between Qi and blood, using Qi to push blood, blood carrying Qi, making the body like wilderness while the Qi and blood surge and ebb like river tides.
"Throwing the soul when the moon becos a bow" refers to exhaling, but it is not the "True Qi" Li Yuan originally thought. This world has no True Qi; the Qi in the "Soul-Throwing Technique" is just a ans to assist blood power. If inhaling is compared to pressing blood, exhaling is the release of power, but this exhale is not at random; it is only done when killing.
Exhale when it’s ti to kill.
Li Yuan read while asking about so details.
Master Li also patiently explained.
At noon, a servant delivered the al, and the two ate together.
After the al, Li Yuan asked: "Teacher, if I want to cultivate, should I cultivate here?"
Master Li said: "You can go to my courtyard to cultivate, just go directly; everyone there knows of your presence."
"Yes..."
...
Imdiately, Master Li inford Li Yuan of his living quarters.
The residence was not far from here, and Li Yuan arrived shortly.
He knocked gently on the door, and the one who opened it was a seductive woman in a vibrant red dress, her figure captivating and voluptuous.
Li Yuan dared not look at the woman and hurriedly bowed his head and politely said: "Mistress... I am Li Yuan, Master Li’s student, and I am here to cultivate the technique."
The woman giggled and said: "I am not the mistress, I am Master Li’s maid, Xi Yan..."
After saying this, she turned around, her slightly plump hips causing the hem of her dress to sway gently. As she walked a few steps, she slightly turned her head and beckoned with a hand, smiling: "Co in, young master."
Li Yuan said: "Aunt Yan, just call
Li Yuan."
The woman paused and then covered her mouth, laughing.
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