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Chapter 425 The Righteous Successor, the Baolong Clan

Jiangbei, Tianxin Village.

The warm afternoon sun shines through the old wooden lattice windows, casting dappled light and shadow on the blue brick floor.

A wisp of sandalwood incense wafted through the air, mingling with the sweet aroma of fruits and vegetables and the scent of cooked meat from the offering table.

On the table directly opposite the entrance, three long incense sticks were inserted into a bronze incense burner, with wisps of smoke rising gently.

The red candles on the candlesticks burned quietly, their light illuminating an entire wall of ebony memorial tablets.

The memorial tablets were arranged in several rows, layer upon layer, each representing a deceased ancestor.

At the highest point in the center is a memorial tablet that is significantly larger.

The inscription above reads in seal script: "The Divine Tablet of Ma Yunteng, the Great Ancestor of the Ma Family, the Master of Tai Chi Chuan".

Below that are a series of memorial tablets, such as "Xianzu Ma Zhenbang" and "Xianzu Ma Chengzong," arranged solemnly.

It seemed to be silently telling the story of this martial arts family's centuries-old heritage.

After offering incense and bowing respectfully, Ma Jianguo turned around and looked at Fang Cheng, who was standing quietly behind him.

“Acheng, there is a profound reason why I chose to teach you the method of visualization today.”

He spoke slowly, his voice sounding particularly calm and steady in the quiet incense hall.

"Ancient books say that after a person dies, their spirit does not perish and will merge with heaven and earth, turning into a kind of imprint."

“My Ma family ancestors practiced martial arts for generations, and their spiritual imprint is particularly fierce. In normal times, these imprints are silent between heaven and earth and are difficult to sense.”

"But today is different."

A glint of cunning flashed in Ma Jianguo's eyes:
"When the five planets align and yin and yang intersect, the magnetic field fluctuations between heaven and earth are exceptionally strong, making it the best time to comprehend the great Dao and purify one's mind."

“When you begin your spiritual practice at this time, your spirit is more likely to resonate with the imprints left by your ancestors. In the unseen realm, they will lend you a helping hand and help you overcome the most dangerous hurdle when you first begin your practice.”

"Thank you for your trouble, Master Ma."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, indicating his understanding.

Although these words sounded mysterious and profound, I could sense the genuine sincerity and expectation in the other person's expression.

"Hey."

Upon hearing this, Ma Jianguo smiled, looking at him with a hint of probing: "Do you still call me Master Ma now?"

Fang Cheng's heart stirred.

Looking at the old man who had imparted so much martial arts knowledge to him and with whom he had a master-disciple relationship, and then at the solemn surroundings, he realized how important it was.

I instantly understood the true meaning behind Ma Jianguo's "profound meaning".

After careful consideration, he straightened his expression, took a half step back, bowed deeply, and clasped his hands in a respectful gesture.
"Master, please accept my bow."

"Okay, okay!"

Ma Jianguo laughed heartily, his voice loud and clear, seemingly unconcerned that Fang Cheng hadn't knelt down to kowtow.

After all, young people these days don't follow old-fashioned ways; as long as the sentiment is there, that's enough.

Fang Cheng was allowed to complete the apprenticeship ceremony in front of the ancestral tablets, and then Ma Jianguo personally helped Fang Cheng up.

"On behalf of our ancestors, I hereby accept you as a disciple. From this day forward, you are the true successor of my Ma-style Tai Chi!"

Fang Cheng straightened his back and looked at the genuine joy on the old man's face, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.

After this solemn ceremony, the relationship between the two subtly changed, from an ordinary teacher and student to a master and disciple who share honor and disgrace and pass on the teachings.

"Acheng, don't worry."

Ma Jianguo stroked his goatee, a satisfied smile spreading across his face:
"Now that you have joined the Ma family and inherited the Tai Chi skills, our ancestors will regard you as family and take extra care of you."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Fang Cheng's face, and he suddenly paused slightly:
"Hmm? Your face is a little flushed, and you're sweating on your forehead?"

"Didn't you bathe, change clothes, fast, and purify your mind as I instructed before you came?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng's lips twitched slightly.

You can't exactly say that you have a huge chunk of undigested monster flesh and blood hidden in your stomach, something that's constantly releasing massive amounts of heat, can you?
Fortunately, he had come prepared and immediately explained:

"It's possible that I've recently reached a critical point in my Qigong practice, and my Dantian Qi is too abundant, causing my Qi and blood to rise to the surface."

Upon hearing this, Ma Jianguo nodded thoughtfully.

Although he had never experienced the feeling of "excessive internal energy," he still adopted the air of a master who knew everything:

"This is a normal phenomenon after the initial formation of the True Essence Cauldron. Your foundation is not yet stable enough. The True Qi in your Dantian is full and will often overflow outwards, which in turn impacts your physical body."

"If you feel unbearably hot, you can hit a sandbag or a wooden stake to actively expend some of your internal energy, which can alleviate the symptoms."

"Of course, if you can endure it by willpower and let your blood and qi repeatedly temper your muscles, bones and skin, it will be of great benefit to your body."

As he spoke, he patted Fang Cheng on the shoulder, his tone encouraging:

"The path of martial arts is extremely arduous, and the cultivation of qigong is even more precarious. However, I believe that with your talent, you can easily overcome these minor problems."

"The visualization method I'm going to teach you today is a superior method of controlling true energy with the spirit. If you can successfully enter the door and practice it together with the breathing method, it will definitely have a miraculous effect on stabilizing your realm and clearing up any abnormalities in your body."

"Disciple understands, thank you for your guidance, Master."

Fang Cheng bowed in response.

"hehe."

Ma Jianguo was in a very good mood, looking at his exceptionally talented and well-behaved apprentice with loving eyes:
“Acheng, with your current abundance of true energy, perhaps in a few years you will be able to reach the realm of ‘inner vision manifesting outwards’ like Senior Li did in his youth…”

At this point, he suddenly seemed to remember something, his brow furrowed, and he immediately shouted loudly towards the outside:

"You little rascal, why does taking a bath feel like you've fallen into a latrine? Hurry up and come here, the auspicious time is almost here!"

"I'm coming!"

A loud, boisterous response came from the courtyard.

Ma Dong-hyuk rushed in wearing slippers, shirtless, with only a towel wrapped around his waist, his body still steaming.

"Old man, what's the rush? I've been locked in this cave for over a week, I'm practically growing mushrooms all over my body, shouldn't I get a good scrubbing?"

Ma Jianguo glared at him:
"You're always so untidy! Go and put your clothes on!"

Fang Cheng sized up Ma Donghe.

It had been a while since I'd seen him, and his physique seemed a bit more refined than before; his previously slightly bulky muscles had become more defined.

His eyes were exceptionally bright, with a glint of light flashing deep within his pupils.

He chuckled, ignoring his father's scolding, and moved closer to Fang Cheng, lowering his voice to say:

"Acheng, why do I feel like you're more like his biological son than I am?"

Fang Cheng smiled slightly but did not reply.

"cough!"

Ma Jianguo coughed loudly, interrupting their private conversation.

After Ma Dong-hyuk got dressed, the worship ceremony officially began.

Ma Jianguo, with a solemn expression, walked to the incense table, holding three lit incense sticks.

First, he bowed deeply three times to the memorial tablet, and then inserted incense into the burner.

He filled three cups with rice wine, raised them above his head with both hands, and muttered in a refined, scholarly tone:

"To our ancestors, the unworthy descendants of the Ma family have come to offer sacrifices today, along with my disciples Fang Cheng and Ma Donghe."

"Fang Cheng is exceptionally talented and resolute, truly a worthy successor to the Ma family's martial arts. Today, he will attempt the visualization method for the first time, a dangerous practice, like walking on thin ice."

"I earnestly pray that my ancestors in heaven will protect my disciple, ensuring his spiritual clarity and preventing him from being corrupted by external demons, and that they will lend him a helping hand so that he may safely overcome this hurdle."

"We are here to express our gratitude to our ancestors for their kindness and virtue."

After saying this, he poured one cup of wine on the ground and respectfully placed the other two cups on the incense table.

Then, he led Fang Cheng and Ma Donghe to pay their respects and offer incense in turn. After the ceremony, the three of them left the incense hall and sat down at the stone table in the courtyard to reminisce and chat.

"Donghe, how was your seclusion training? Are you confident you'll pass the retest?"

Fang Cheng looked at Ma Donghe, whose demeanor had clearly changed, and asked him with concern.

"I think it's alright, but it's just so damn torturous."

Ma Donghe took a big gulp of herbal tea and complained:

"There was no food or drink in that cave, it was as cold as an ice cellar, and at night it was so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. If I hadn't been able to hold on by relying on visualization, I would have gone crazy long ago."

Ma Jianguo snorted:
"This is a cultivation method passed down in my Ma family. It involves fasting and abstaining from water, isolating the five senses, and forcing the body and mind to reach their full potential under extreme conditions, forcibly stealing a sliver of life from the world."

"This method is high-risk but also high-reward. It is a great test of one's mind and body. If you are not careful, you will go astray. If you were not my son, Ma Jianguo, I would not feel comfortable letting you practice it."

Hearing Ma Jianguo's words, Fang Cheng recalled his experience of diving into the deep trench on Yong'an Island and meditating in seclusion.

The two are quite similar in their approach.

"Have you grasped the basics of visualization yet?"

Fang Cheng then asked Ma Donghe, quite curious about his progress.

"Getting started? I'd love to."

Ma Donghe curled his lips: "The old man said that I've only just touched the threshold. Going in and being locked up will temper my character. The main focus is still on refining my true energy and guiding its circulation."

Ma Jianguo remained calm and said:

"With your current level of cultivation, focus on building a solid foundation in Qigong first. Once you can reliably project your true Qi outwards, then we can talk about other things."

Fang Cheng's eyes lit up as he looked at Ma Donghe with some surprise:
"You can project your inner energy externally now?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Donghe immediately shrank back warily.

"What do you want to do? I'm not going to fight you, you monster. My little bit of true energy isn't even enough for you to shatter with one punch."

Seeing his son's pathetic state, Ma Jianguo was both annoyed and amused, so he simply ignored him.

He then turned to Fang Cheng and began to discuss the theme of today's worship ceremony.

"Acheng, next I will teach you the true visualization method. You must remember every word I say."

Seeing Fang Cheng nod solemnly, his expression turned serious, and he slowly began to speak:

"The so-called visualization method is fundamentally different from ordinary sitting meditation."

"Meditation seeks 'stillness,' which is to gather all thoughts and unify the mind and spirit."

"The visualization method seeks the word 'movement,' which is to create an 'inner landscape' in one's own spiritual world from nothing, based on the foundation of entering a state of tranquility, with a strong mental will."

"Open up the interior?"

Fang Cheng's heart stirred slightly, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"good."

Ma Jianguo nodded slightly:
"The practice of visualization, simply put, is the process of creating and perfecting your own inner landscape."

"As for this process, it can be roughly divided into three steps."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip to moisten his throat, and then began his formal explanation:
"The first step is called 'establishing the theme,' which is the most crucial and fundamental step."

"You must establish an eternal and unchanging core in your empty spiritual world. It can be a mountain, a sea, a cauldron, or even a flame."

"But whatever it is, it must be the ultimate manifestation of your spirit and will, the location of your 'Tao,' and the central hub that governs the circulation of true qi throughout your body."

"For us martial artists, it can be summarized in the simplest word: 'martial intent'."

"If the mind cannot be established, the spirit will be scattered. At best, all previous efforts will be wasted; at worst, the mind will be disordered and one will go astray."

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng immediately thought of the spiritual fire burning in the darkness within his mind.

Ma Jianguo put down his teacup and continued:

"The second step is 'shaping the environment'."

"Once you've established your theme, you should use it as the core concept and continuously enrich your inner world."

"Contemplate the sun, moon, stars, wind, rain, thunder, lightning, mountains, rivers, grass, and trees to add laws and details to your spiritual world."

"This process is extremely long and requires painstaking effort, combined with breathing techniques to continuously refine and shape it."

"The more perfect and realistic the inner vision is, the more stable your spirit will be, and the more exquisite your control over your own true energy will be."

"Ugh."

Ma Donghe suddenly sighed and interjected:

"My dad told me to visualize a stove, but I was so hungry in the cave that I started to visualize a grill for kebabs, and I almost ate myself to death."

"Shut up!"

Ma Jianguo glared at his good-for-nothing son, watching him shrink back.

Then he turned back to Fang Cheng and began to teach him more profound methods:
"As for the third step, it is called 'true self'."

"When your inner vision is fully developed, you can visualize a 'self' that is integrated with the core and can govern the inner vision."

"This 'true self' is the absolute master of your spiritual world, the condensation of your lifelong spiritual will, and the embodiment of your martial arts philosophy."

"Only when you reach this stage can you be said to have truly mastered the 'visualization method' to an extraordinary level. In the future, whether you are practicing or fighting enemies, as soon as you have a thought, your 'true self' can deduce all things in your inner vision."

"Ultimately, it will manifest in the external world, that is, reach the realm of 'inner vision manifesting outwards,' and your strength will undergo earth-shattering changes."

The theoretical system taught by Ma Jianguo can be described as complete, orderly, and logically rigorous.

This gave Fang Cheng a sense of sudden enlightenment.

The meditation methods I had previously devised were more like instinctive, unorthodox approaches; when faced with problems, I would resort to violent means to solve them.

Ma Jianguo, on the other hand, drew a clear map for him, leading to a higher level.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng couldn't help but ask:
"Master, since you said that visualization techniques are extremely dangerous, then why is Donghyuk able to practice them now...?"

"This brat is an exception."

Ma Jianguo sighed helplessly:
“His grandfather, who is also my father, went crazy when he was a few years old. He took him to that cave to seclude himself every day, calling it ‘nurturing him from childhood.’”

"I don't know if this kid is exceptionally talented or just lucky, but he's gotten used to it."

"After my father passed away, the kid was left unsupervised, so he only worked sporadically and completely wasted his skills."

"Now, I'm just asking him to pick up what he's lost again."

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng immediately recalled that Ma Donghe had mentioned that the Special Search Team had a psychological test called "Echoes of the Abyss".

Ma Dong-hyuk claimed that he slapped back a ghostly figure that looked like his grandfather inside.

Looking back now, the "seclusion" that the grandfather and grandson went through back then must have been full of stories.

Ma Jianguo shook his head and then began to talk about the origin of the visualization method.

"The 'meaning' of my Ma family's visualization method is the 'Thunder and Fire Cauldron,' which originated from an ancestor five hundred years ago."

"He was originally a Taoist novice at Wudang Mountain. He was of average talent, but he was obsessed with Qigong."

"Despite decades of arduous practice, I have mastered the stance training and breathing techniques, but I still cannot get started with the 'intention' of visualization."

"In the end, he had no choice but to leave the mountain, return to secular life, marry, have children, and return to his hometown to live out the rest of his life."

"However, on a stormy night with thunder and lightning, he saw lightning split the mountain and ignite the earth's fire, and suddenly he had an epiphany."

"So, in the mountains behind the village, imitating the power of thunder and fire, they exhausted their family fortune to dig out a 'water dungeon' that draws water from underground springs."

"He imprisoned himself within it, in utter stillness and darkness, to perceive the fleeting glimmer of life in the flashes of thunder and fire."

"Several months later, he broke through the barrier and not only successfully established the martial intent of the 'Thunderfire Cauldron', but also, a few years later, stepped into the supreme realm of 'Inner Landscape Manifestation'."

"After that, he traveled the world, upholding justice and establishing the Ma Family Tai Chi School. He was summoned by the emperor and appointed as the commander of the imperial guards. As a result, the Ma family became one of the four great families protecting the dragon."

(End of this chapter)