Chapter 2, Three Pages of Golden Text
Chen Qi flipped through page 17 of the He Shan Jing several times before finally following the instructions. He bit into his middle finger, enduring the pain as he drew three blood symbols on the black pouch. Since the blood had dried in the middle, he had to bite again. Even though Chen Qi had endured considerable hardship at the Dazhai of Tianma Mountain, he couldn't help but grimace. However, after drawing these three blood symbols, they proved to be of no use at all, and did not resonate with the magical artifact as described in the He Shan Jing.
Since discovering the incantations on the three pages of the golden book, Chen Qi has been practicing day and night
Chen Qi silently recited the incantations recorded on these three pages of golden scripture seven or eight times, turning them over and over, pondering for a long time, before finally deciding to select the most prestigious one among them, the Supreme Transformation of the Dragon Technique, for his cultivation
Although he is young, having long been entrenched in a den of thieves, he has learned a belly full of tricks. In front of others, he remains unperturbed, as if nothing has ever happened. Among the bandits of Tianma Mountain, no one knows that this Seventh Village Master has had an extraordinary encounter
Chen Qi boasted about himself, and when he couldn't find anything to wipe his hands, he casually grabbed the three pages of golden script that were wedged in the main text of the He Shan Jing. The main text of the He Shan Jing is written on silk paper, and if used to wipe blood, it would smudge the characters and render them illegible. However, these three pages of golden script are soft as cotton cloth, making them perfect for wiping blood
Chen Qiping was adept at flattery, which is why after becoming the seventh leader, he was dispatched by the chief leader to guard the back mountain. The back mountain of Tianma Mountain usually has only a small path, and hardly anyone passes by, making it very tranquil. When not engaged in robbery, it is quite an easy job, and he is able to sneak away for this reason
The heart method of this Iron Bone Gate is an external hard skill, said to be divided into thirteen levels. It involves training from the muscles and organs all the way to the bone marrow, and is also a highly formidable external martial art.
Chen Qi casually shook it open, only to find that the contents recorded on these three pages of golden script were each different, yet all pertained to methods for meditation, energy cultivation, and breath regulation. Each page contained only a few hundred characters, and the methods described were quite simple
Chen Qi wiped his blood on a page of metal, and suddenly, he felt a weakness throughout his body, losing all strength. However, this condition lasted only a moment; Chen Qi thought it was merely his own illusion and did not take it seriously. He steadied himself and was about to put away the He Mountain Classic and the three pages of golden scripture. But when he attempted to wrap the He Mountain Classic and those three pages of golden scripture together to tuck them into his bosom, he was astonished to discover that some characters had actually appeared on the page of golden scripture that he had smeared with his blood.
Indeed! The black cloth pouch used by that person should be the Five Yin Bag mentioned in this page of the He Mountain Classic. However, since that man is dead and no one has utilized this item, it has not been able to exert its power, which is how I managed to acquire it. According to the methods described herein, the Five Yin Bag must be refined using the blood of living beings, specifically to taint the spells of others, and it can also store various magical tools and items for personal use, offering many marvelous applications. I do not have the time to kill so many living beings, but this Five Yin Bag should already be refined. I just need to refine it again, and it should be usable.
Once one has cultivated to the eighth or ninth level, and the vital energy has opened all the body's acupoints, one can then begin to cultivate the five internal organs. The organs are the source of a person's vital energy and blood, and the strength of the muscles derives from the nourishment provided by the five organs. Only by refining the five organs to a state as solid as bronze or iron can one suddenly generate strength with each breath, propelling the entire body’s muscles to unleash even greater power. When the Iron Bone Technique is cultivated to such a level, it is said to possess the strength of nine bulls and two tigers, capable of tearing apart tigers and leopards, with a force exceeding ten thousand pounds. On the battlefield, this makes one an unparalleled and invincible warrior.
Chen Qi led a team down the mountain to rob several times in succession, gradually becoming skilled at it and earning some merit, which gained him the appreciation of the chief bandit. He was even assigned two elderly and weak women to command. Although the combined age of the two women was nearly 120 years, and they were unable to perform even slightly heavy tasks, often failing to wash clothes properly, Chen Qi paid no mind to this. His entire focus was devoted to cultivating the Supreme Transformation of the Dragon Technique.
The three pages of the golden book contain the following incantations: one is titled "The Supreme Transformation of the Dragon"; another is titled "The Sun-Devouring Divine Ape Transformation"; and the last is titled "The Fire Crow Formation"
The Iron Bone skill consists of several levels of mental cultivation, focusing on the transformation of flesh and muscle into sinew. As one progresses, the body becomes increasingly lean, despite the depth of power attained. Upon reaching the sixth or seventh level, one can cultivate true energy from the outside in, claiming to possess the strength of five horses, impervious to blades and spears. When bound by five fierce horses at the head and limbs, a single shout can pull all five horses back in retreat.
As Chen Qi's thoughts turned, he suddenly felt a surge of joy, reflecting: "Of course! It is clear now... These two items must be used in conjunction. This golden thin silk, stained with my blood, will surely reveal the characters... I must first practice this incantation before I can learn the techniques of the He Mountain scripture. It has long been stated in books that to learn the way, one must first cultivate magical power, and only then can one learn spells. The reason I cannot use the He Mountain spells must be due to the lack of magical power. Having learned these breathing techniques and cultivated magical power, I will naturally be able to employ various spells. I, Chen Da, truly have some destiny, which has led to such a fortuitous encounter; I must memorize these incantations first." He gritted his teeth, bit his finger again to draw blood, and smeared the other two pages of the golden text as well. Although he felt a wave of weakness throughout his body, it could not conceal the joy of this Chen Da.
Chen Qi had originally only cultivated the Iron Bone Skill to the second level, barely increasing his strength, which was somewhat greater than that of an ordinary strong man. However, after studying a page from the Golden Book containing the Supreme Transformation into Dragon Technique, his progress in the Iron Bone Skill accelerated rapidly. In just over a month, Chen Qi felt that his second level of the skill was becoming increasingly refined, showing signs of a breakthrough into the third level.
Chen Qi gritted his teeth and drew once more, yet it was still of no use. This left him somewhat disheartened, and he cursed, "He is nothing but a swindler! I foolishly thought he was some kind of expert and even scared myself a little. No wonder this person felt ashamed upon seeing me and collapsed in embarrassment; he must be afraid of suffering my humiliation and dared not sully the hands of me, Chen Da.
As for the heart method beyond the tenth level of Iron Bone Skill, it requires the cultivation of bones. The stronger the five internal organs of the human body, the healthier the muscles, and the greater the strength, the heavier the burden on the bones becomes. If one does not cultivate all the bones to be as hard as metal, the strength will have its limits; when exerting too much force, the body may not be able to support itself. Ordinary people may experience dislocated arms or broken bones from excessive exertion. Those who practice Iron Bone Skill possess strength several times greater than that of ordinary individuals. If they exert too much force, it can rebound upon themselves, causing significant harm; with one misstep, they could shatter all their bones and become disabled. After reaching the tenth level, refining the bone marrow leads to the legendary innate realm, entering the ranks of the top masters in the martial world, possessing boundless strength, with power surpassing ten elephants. Such a person has only emerged once in the hundreds of years of Iron Bone Sect's history, namely the founding ancestor, Iron Bone Old Ancestor.
The Supreme Transformation Dragon Technique is quite profound. After Chen Qi practiced according to the method for two or three hours, he began to feel a subtle response with each breath. A warmth spread throughout his chest and abdomen, and his entire body felt as if he had just taken a refreshing hot bath, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort
Although Chen Qi did not receive guidance from a renowned master and had to explore on his own, making slow progress, the secret formula recorded on that page of golden scripture proved to be remarkably effective. After practicing for over a month, not only did his spirit become more vigorous than before, but his body also gradually grew stronger. The time spent practicing this formula was still short, and he had not yet achieved any significant accomplishments, but the Iron Bone skill taught by the chief of the village advanced rapidly.
It was not until dinner time that Chen Qi ceased his cultivation. The head of the Chen family secretly rejoiced, pondering to himself: "The incantations contained in these three pages of golden scripture are all different. Since I have already practiced this page with remarkable effects, I should not be greedy and attempt to master them all at once. I will set the other two pages aside for now and focus on developing some skills with this page of the Supreme Transformation of the Dragon technique first." With this thought, Chen Qi wore a broad smile and went to the kitchen of the Tianma Mountain stronghold to seek food and drink to satisfy his hunger.
Having cultivated true energy, Chen Qi recalled the He Mountain Classic. He became engrossed in the page of golden text he had chosen for his practice, nearly forgetting about this peculiar scripture in recent days. Chen Qi pondered to himself: "I should be able to practice the spells from this book now, right?"
Chen Qi was inherently intelligent. The three pages of golden scriptures contained only a little over a thousand characters of verses, which were not difficult to memorize. After reciting them seven or eight times, he could recite them fluently. Anyway, when there was nothing going on at the Dazhai of Tianma Mountain, everyone was lazy, and no one came to check whether he was diligently guarding the back mountain. Having memorized the verses from the three pages of golden scriptures so well, Chen Qi thought to try practicing according to the verses contained in one of the pages.
The chief of Tianma Mountain, known as Black Whirlwind, has only cultivated the Iron Bone Skill to the fifth level, yet he is already considered a master. Even so, this chief has traversed the green forest throughout his life, rarely encountering an opponent. He has engaged in murder and arson, living a life of banditry with great enjoyment, which indicates that the Iron Bone Skill is indeed quite formidable.
Chen Qi, however, was unaware that the incantation on the golden pages was an extremely profound technique of Qi refinement, transcending the realm of martial arts; it was a form of Taoist practice, incomparable to the martial skills of the mortal world
Chen Qi found the Supreme Transformation Dragon Technique to be extraordinarily peculiar, which naturally intensified his enthusiasm. He devoted himself to training with tenfold effort, completely forgetting to practice the spells of the He Mountain Dao.
In the blink of an eye, summer has passed and autumn has arrived. With just over a month of time, the weather has gradually become cooler, and the number of merchants has increased compared to previous days. The business at Tianma Mountain has slowly improved, often seeing a good deal every three to five days
Chen Qi was overjoyed by this surge of true energy and hurriedly followed the mental method on the golden page, carefully nurturing it. After half an hour of breathing exercises, he finally concluded his practice. He thought to himself: "The Great Chief taught us that martial arts can be divided into internal and external schools, but ultimately they lead to the same goal. Regardless of the style, they all focus on cultivating a form of true energy. However, the internal school begins with meditation and energy cultivation, making it easier to generate true energy, while the external school starts with strengthening the muscles and bones, which makes it somewhat more challenging to produce true energy. The Iron Bone Skill is an external hard skill that emphasizes the approach from the outside in. To cultivate a form of true energy, one must reach at least the sixth level of the Iron Bone Skill. The formulas on this golden page are remarkably profound; having practiced for just a month or so, I can already generate true energy, seemingly more miraculous than the legendary supreme martial arts that have long been lost in the martial world."
Upon returning to Tianma Village, Chen Qi paid no attention to others and secretly found a secluded spot to begin studying the "He Mountain Classic." He had read quite a bit and was able to comprehend this text. This esteemed leader, Chen, flipped through the classic over ten times, and his eyes brightened when he saw the method for refining the "Five Skandha Bag" on the seventeenth page
On this day, Chen Qi was cultivating energy in his home when he suddenly felt a warmth in his lower abdomen. A stream of warmth surged up his lower back and spine, traveling upward until it slightly paused at the back of his head, then turned cool. It circled around the crown of his head and descended to his brow and the center of his chest, before returning to his dantian. Then, a warm sensation settled in his lower abdomen, as if he were cradling a small warm stove, and it would not dissipate.
Chen Qi initially learned the method of Iron Bone Skill from the Great Village Chief, spending two years to master the first level of the mental technique. The second level took an additional three years and six months to cultivate. Day after day, he practiced tirelessly, enduring countless hardships and suffering, which led to his current achievements. In just over a month, he has made such progress; how could he not be delighted?
He took out the black cloth bag, opened the He Shan Jing, and according to the talisman on page seventeen, he imitated it and drew three blood symbols. As soon as these three blood symbols were drawn, the small warm true energy he had just cultivated flowed from his dantian along his arm and leaked out from his fingertips. Upon receiving Chen Qi's essence blood true energy, the black cloth bag suddenly moved, transforming violently into a black circle that flew onto Chen Qi's arm, firmly imprinting itself there.
Chen Qi had not yet had the opportunity to examine whether the newly refined magical artifact was useful; he only felt an emptiness in his dantian, exhaustion overwhelming him. A wave of drowsiness washed over him, and he leaned against the head of the bed, falling into a deep sleep.