Chapter 3, Qi Refining

He is calm and composed, neither anxious nor impatient. His vital energy naturally transforms, a surge of warmth rises like a spring, while a stream of coolness pours down from the Baihui point. At the upper and lower jaws, they condense into golden nectar and jade liquid, producing a mouthful of both clear and sweet "sweet dew." He swallows the sweet dew as his Adam's apple rolls, descending from the twelve-story tower into the lower dantian (Hua Chi point), which is the repository of essence. It primarily refines essence into energy, with an opening above and below. The upper opening connects to the internal kidneys, while the lower opening connects to the external kidneys. The upper opening can reach the brain, primarily replenishing essence and nourishing the brain, while the lower opening connects to the external kidneys, responsible for expelling the body's internal turbid essence. He swallows the sweet dew as his Adam's apple rolls, descending from the twelve-story tower into the lower dantian (Hua Chi point), which is the repository of essence. It primarily refines essence into energy, with an opening above and below. The upper opening connects to the internal kidneys, while the lower opening connects to the external kidneys. The upper opening can reach the brain, primarily replenishing essence and nourishing the brain, while the lower opening connects to the external kidneys, responsible for expelling the body's internal turbid essence.

Li Zhi often heard this remark, and could not help but darken his expression. How could this child be so unlikable

After Qiu Chuji finished speaking, he said to Yin Zhiping: "From now on, your senior brother will teach you the foundational principles. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."

Qiu Chuji felt a sense of liberation from burdens, and with a joyful heart, he strode out confidently. After Qiu Chuji had walked far away.

Yin Zhiping displayed an excited expression: "Of course I know. Our Quanzhen Sect's martial arts are the orthodox of the martial world, and even a few of our senior uncles are rare experts in the Jianghu. " Li Zhichang smiled slightly: "You know that our Quanzhen Sect's martial arts are indeed formidable, but to reach the level of Patriarch Chongyang, one must maintain a youthful body. By the way, you are still in a youthful state, right?" Yin Zhiping's face turned slightly red: "I have a very strict family upbringing, Senior Brother."

Guo Jing, possessing a simple and unpretentious nature along with a heart of a child, practiced his skills with unwavering focus. He received the true transmission of the Quanzhen internal martial arts, aligning perfectly with its essence, which allowed him to establish a profound foundation of internal strength in just two short years

Then Qiu Chuji spoke with great significance: "When I taught your senior brother back then, he was able to grasp everything with just a single explanation. Whatever I said, he understood immediately. Even if there was something he did not comprehend, he would figure it out by himself by browsing through the texts in the Chongyang Palace. Therefore, you should take your senior brother as a model, do you understand?" Yin Zhiping wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and could only nod in agreement. Therefore, you should take your senior brother as a model, do you understand?" Yin Zhiping wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and could only nod in agreement.

Yin Zhiping respectfully addressed Li Zhichang, saying: "I have met Brother Zhichang."

Li Zhichang acted according to the law, fully consuming twelve mouthfuls of sweet dew and circulating through thirty-six cycles of the celestial spheres. When he opened his eyes again, the bright moon like frost fell before the window. At this moment, he felt refreshed and found it difficult to fall asleep. A thought crossed his mind; since his arrival, he had not decided which internal martial art to practice for this rebirth. This time, as he cultivated true energy, he perceived through the insight into his body that true energy could subtly alter the skin and bones, even reaching the internal organs and membranes, invigorating the blood and resolving stasis, as well as unblocking the meridians. Although the effects were extremely subtle, only someone like him, who had mastered control over his body to an extraordinary degree, could perceive it. He sensed that true energy could subtly alter the skin and bones, even reaching the internal organs and membranes, invigorating the blood and resolving stasis, as well as unblocking the meridians. Although the effects were extremely subtle, only someone like him, who had mastered control over his body to an extraordinary degree, could perceive it.

Li Zhichang smiled warmly and said, "Zhiping, I have a manual on the door rules here; you can read it yourself when the time comes. I will only tell you the most important thing: do you know that our Quanzhen Sect's Patriarch Chongyang is the number one master in the world"

Five years later, Li Zhichang was already twelve years old. On this day, Qiu Chuji brought back a disciple to Chongyang Palace, whose common name was Yin Ping, and after entering the sect, he was naturally called Yin Zhiping. Originally, Yin Ping had been following Ma Yu, but since Ma Yu did not wish to take on disciples, he handed him over to Qiu Chuji. After all, Qiu Chuji had not returned to Chongyang Palace for several years.

Li Zhi often admired Yin Zhiping's delicate features. Although only thirteen years old, he was still a graceful and handsome young man. Wearing a robe added an indescribable ethereal quality to him, but unfortunately, he ultimately became a dragon knight

Qiu Chuji held Yin Zhiping's hand and pointed at Li Zhichang, saying: "This is my previous disciple, Li Zhichang. He is one year younger than you. I also have a lay disciple named Yang Kang who is one year younger than you. Since they entered the sect earlier than you, you still have to call them senior brothers. Zhichang entered the sect the earliest, so he is your eldest senior brother"

Yin Zhiping is indeed a young man, lacking composure. Upon hearing Li Zhichang's praise, he felt a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. Clenching his fists, he declared: "Senior brother, I will definitely preserve my purity for you and Master, diligently practice martial arts. I strive to one day promote our sect just like Patriarch Chongyang did."

Li Zhichang said: "That is good. Senior brother, I see that you have an extraordinary physique; you are indeed a natural talent for martial arts. The future responsibility of revitalizing our Quanzhen Sect rests upon your shoulders. You must work hard and not let your master and me down"

Yin Zhiping said: "I kindly ask for your guidance, Senior Brother"

Qiu Chuji was inherently a spiritual practitioner of Daoism. He once said: "The small Daoist energy I possess today is not attained through idle sitting in stillness. Therefore, great efforts in worldly affairs are necessary to cultivate blessings. The sages and virtuous individuals who have attained the Dao all do so through their diligent practice, and the sages naturally align with them..." He was not particularly keen on teaching his disciples to meditate and cultivate energy; rather, he preferred to instruct them to prioritize "saving the world as their foremost duty," embodying a strong sense of chivalry. Li Zhi often practiced according to the verses, initially experiencing fluctuating thoughts that were difficult to settle. Thus, he controlled his breathing rhythm and slowed the flow of his vital energy. Before long, he found himself in a state of emptiness, with no thoughts arising.

After Qiu Chuji completed his apprenticeship with Yin Zhiping, he said to Li Zhichang: "Zhichang, please explain the rules of the sect to Zhiping. From now on, you will also be responsible for teaching him the fundamentals of martial arts."

The martial arts of the Quanzhen Sect are indeed among the finest in the world; however, most of the Seven Disciples of Quanzhen are close friends and acquaintances of Wang Chongyang. When they encountered Wang Chongyang and received his teachings, they were already in middle age, having passed the optimal age for practicing advanced martial arts, making it difficult for them to fully realize the potential of the Quanzhen Sect's skills

Yin Zhiping said weakly: "I agree"

He took a moment to rest, secretly channeling his true energy to the areas that had been injured from the previous strikes. These injuries were extremely subtle; without the ability to perceive oneself, an ordinary person could only rely on applying medicine all over their body to heal. Moreover, in some areas, even the medicinal properties could not penetrate. Therefore, although this skill has been widely passed down since ancient times, no one has been able to master it except for those with extraordinary talent like Li Cunxiao. However, once mastered, this skill results in abundant vital energy and immense power, far surpassing the Golden Bell Shield and Iron Cloth Shirt. After achieving mastery, one embodies both strength and softness, with hardness within softness and softness within hardness, achieving a perfect balance of both, making one invincible in the world

The Seven Disciples of Quanzhen are not adept at teaching their students; they can only impart their superficial understanding of the martial arts within the sect to their disciples. Moreover, the internal skills of Quanzhen are the foundational principles of the Quanzhen Sect, and practicing this profound art requires an undistracted mind to achieve significant accomplishments. Most of the third generation disciples of Quanzhen begin their training at the age of twelve or thirteen, which is the time when their minds are most restless and unruly. How can they possibly subdue the scattered thoughts in their hearts and focus on refining their true energy? As one reaches middle age, their temperament becomes more stable, and their cultivation deepens, naturally aligning them with the essence of Quanzhen's profound skills. Thus, Quanzhen disciples tend to progress more rapidly after reaching middle age than they did before. This gives rise to the saying that the deeper one practices the Quanzhen heart method, the easier it becomes.

Li Zhichang placed a hand on Yin Zhiping's shoulder and said, "Junior Brother Yin, come, come, let me explain the rules of our sect to you in detail."

However, this is because his current cultivation is shallow. In the future, as his cultivation deepens, the efficacy will naturally be enhanced. Moreover, he does not require a significant effect from his internal energy; he only needs to meet the requirements of the specific skill. This skill is the renowned Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training. Taking advantage of the moonlight, Li Zhichang gathers his vital energy in his hands until they burn red and emit heat, then he strikes his entire body in succession. Each area is struck nine times, with speed and force remaining unchanged. After this session, even though Li Zhichang possesses immense mental strength, he inevitably finds it somewhat difficult to continue.