Playing with fantasy beasts in the martial arts world

Chapter 9 Alternative Uses of Work Values
Why didn't you ask Guo Fu before?
It can only be said that prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain...

Once the impression that Guo Fu is unreliable is formed, many questions will be subconsciously avoided.

"I'm not even at the top level yet!" Guo Xiang said with a smile, not discouraged at all. She was not even sixteen years old yet, and she had only started practicing internal energy cultivation a couple of years ago, so she wasn't in a hurry.

Even martial arts families rarely allow their disciples to learn internal energy cultivation at a young age, because the practice of internal energy cultivation is dangerous. Even the most orthodox and peaceful Taoist internal energy cultivation carries the risk of going into qi deviation.

Therefore, the transmission of internal skills usually takes place after the meridians have fully developed and the mind has stabilized. Before that, it mainly involves training the body, stretching muscles and bones, and practicing some fist and weapon skills.

The so-called "virginity skills" in the martial arts world do not only refer to a specific martial arts method or a martial art that requires a virgin to remain a virgin, but also to internal skills that can be practiced in childhood.

Even if the accumulation of internal energy is only moderate, as long as it is effective and one persists, a martial artist who has practiced 'Virgin Boy Skill' will be far ahead of his peers in terms of internal energy.

"Actually, there was no specific level division in the martial arts world before. Who was strong and who was not strong was determined by their reputation in the martial arts world and by their actual combat experience. It was only after the emergence of the Realm Gate that the specific strength and realm division of martial arts practitioners began to emerge."

“My eldest sister has opened up the twelve regular meridians and is currently opening up the eight extraordinary meridians, so she is third-rate. Once all eight extraordinary meridians are opened, she will be second-rate. Once her internal energy can be continuously generated and complete the small circulation, she will be first-rate.” As Guo Xiang spoke, she used a straw to write and draw on the ground with sand to make her expression clearer.

Cha Nan raised a question: "If the twelve regular meridians and eight extraordinary meridians of the human body are blocked, wouldn't a person die? What exactly does 'unblocking the meridians' mean?"

Cha Nan had this question before when he occasionally heard some martial arts practitioners mention "opening up the meridians," but no one could give him a detailed answer. After all, most ordinary martial arts practitioners were truly illiterate. Even if they possessed internal strength, it was mostly due to years of external martial arts training, generating a sense of energy from the outside in. They had not practiced any real internal martial arts techniques, so they only had a superficial understanding of many of the key points.

That's why disciples of prestigious sects are generally much stronger than wandering martial artists, because the former have received systematic education, which means their foundational skills are different.

"The term 'opening up' is just a common expression!" Guo Xiang waved her hand and then explained, "Actually, it means using the internal energy cultivated to nourish the meridians until the meridians and the acupoints connected to them can withstand the impact of at least most of the internal energy bursting out without being damaged."

"If all the meridians and acupoints are fully nourished and can withstand the rapid transfer of internal energy, that is the first-class realm, where internal energy is inexhaustible."

"Ah! Is that so?" Guo Fu's voice suddenly came from the side, startling Guo Xiang.

Cha Nan thought to herself, "As expected." Luckily, she had held back and hadn't asked Guo Fu for advice.

Guo Xiang said, "Elder sister! Mother taught me that 'the way to great achievement is to have one's energy fill the void, to circulate endlessly, and to reach the ultimate goal.' Isn't that exactly what it means?"

Guo Fu turned her head away awkwardly, embarrassed to answer. She had never really understood the meaning of those words.

She was initially annoyed to see Cha Nan and Guo Xiang chatting so intently, so she came over to break the silence.

Now that Guo Xiang was talking about this, she was completely unfamiliar with it, so she could only step back two steps, looking conflicted.

Guo Xiang didn't continue to provoke Guo Fu and dance in her sensitive area. Instead, she looked at Cha Nan thoughtfully.

Judging from the aura emanating from Cha Nan, he should possess considerable internal strength, yet he doesn't understand these basic principles. It's as if he had a fortuitous encounter and gained a wealth of internal strength out of thin air, but he doesn't know how to use it at all.

Such examples are not common in the martial arts world, but similar situations occur every few years. Some are due to accidentally consuming rare flowers and herbs, some are due to a master passing on their skills on their deathbed, and some are due to extraordinary talent, as if God is feeding them.

Whatever it is, at least there's a place to repay kindness!

Thinking of this, Guo Xiang said, "Elder sister! Didn't Mother say that when we go out into the world, we should make our own decisions and not be bound by the rules and regulations of the sect? Could she grant us permission to pass on the 'Azure Wave Heart Sutra' of Peach Blossom Island to those with chivalrous hearts?"

"Huh? Oh... Oh!" Guo Fu looked puzzled. Had their mother, Huang Rong, mentioned this?
Maybe, probably, likely, perhaps... there might be!
Guo Fu wasn't originally this generous, but since Guo Xiang wanted to do something good for Cha Nan, she had no objection!
Therefore, he said, "It seems there is such a thing, Xiang'er... Since that's the case, then you should pass on the Azure Wave Heart Sutra to him in my place!"

Cha Nan was certainly not stupid; she understood Guo Xiang's good intentions and would not refuse at all.

Whether the 'Azure Wave Heart Method' is powerful or not is one thing; the real purpose is to use it as a starting point to understand the methods and approaches of internal energy cultivation.

Seeing this situation, Guo Fu realized that she really couldn't be relied upon!
Even if she could teach better internal energy cultivation techniques, if she taught the wrong ones, the consequences could be dire. It seems Guo Xiang is still the more reliable option.

"This is a good Palu!" Cha Nan looked at Guo Xiang. Such a good Palu, I want it!
This is much more useful than Guo Fu.

Unfortunately, he didn't have any Palo Balls left. Even if he did, the success rate of capturing a humanoid Palo in its normal state would be too low, unless he could get a higher-level Palo Ball.

Next, Guo Xiang drew meridian and acupoint diagrams on the ground with grass stalks while explaining the incantation of the 'Azure Wave Heart Method'. She also deciphered the hidden information in the incantation and wrote it down for Cha Nan.

Most martial arts manuals in the martial arts world have incantations, and these incantations need to be 'deciphered'. Although they are called martial arts manuals, they are more like secret codes for sects. If you don't know the key points, you will definitely go crazy if you practice them.

Therefore, being able to pick up a manual and start practicing is an extremely rare and special case, and it is not universally applicable.

Guo Jing was able to learn the Nine Yin Manual because he practiced the internal energy cultivation method of the Quanzhen Sect and was already proficient in Taoist terminology. The Black Wind Duo, however, practiced it incorrectly, resulting in themselves becoming neither human nor ghost. Zhang Wuji was able to learn the Nine Yang Divine Skill because Zhang Sanfeng had already taught him the Wudang Nine Yang Skill, which originated from the Nine Yang Divine Skill; they were of the same origin.

As for Duan Yu's Beiming Divine Skill, that thing was thrown out by Li Qiushui to harm people, so of course there were no barriers to entry.

However, Duan Yu only learned two acupoints before he was almost burst by the absorbed internal energy. If he hadn't later practiced the Six Meridians Divine Sword, which specifically consumes a large amount of internal energy, and had Kumārajīva's Yi Jin Jing internal energy to help cleanse his body, who knows what his fate would have been.

At this moment, Guo Xiang was explaining the 'Azure Wave Heart Method' to Cha Nan. It seemed that she did not deliberately find a secluded place to teach him. However, she only listened to the oral instructions without showing him the internal energy meridian flow diagram drawn on the ground, as well as the meditation, breathing rhythm, and the corresponding stance training. It was no different from listening to a book written in heaven. Only a master-level being could deduce most of the energy flow routes from the oral instructions.

However, such an existence would not even deign to look at the mere 'Azure Wave Heart Sutra'.

After all, among the internal energy cultivation methods on Peach Blossom Island, the Azure Wave Heart Method is only at the entry level, not even a superior martial art, let alone a supreme skill.

Guo Xiang taught Cha Nan for more than an hour before she had taught him even half of the material.

Seeing that Guo Xiang's eyes were already glazed over and she was getting sleepy, Cha Nan kindly suggested, "Why don't you rest first, and we can teach the rest tomorrow?"

Guo Xiang covered her mouth with her hand, yawned slightly, and shook her head, saying, "Although there is still a lot to learn, I have already taught you the key things. You remember them very quickly, so the rest can be taught in half an hour at most."

"You can try to find the feeling first, don't rush. It took me three days to find the Qi... Big sister! How long did it take you?"

"Huh? Ah! I... I'm about the same! Haha!!" Guo Fu said, yawning in a mock manner.

In fact, she had been practicing for three months without finding the feeling of Qi. Finally, her father, Guo Jing, used his internal energy to guide her and she was able to complete her first Qi circulation. Afterward, he even withdrew a portion of his internal energy into her body to help her cultivate, which stabilized a trace of her own internal energy and gradually made it stronger.

Upon hearing this, Cha Nan listened as Guo Xiang continued to explain the incantation, while simultaneously clearing her mind and trying to find the feeling of qi.

This search... actually gave me a feeling.

A feeling of moisture and surging energy, like the waves of a river or the tides of the sea, came from Guo Fu and then enveloped Cha Nan like a special halo.

Wave after wave, stretching endlessly, as if Cha Nan only needed to reach out and catch it, or open his mouth and inhale, to absorb this energy into his body and convert it into his own internal strength.

"Is this... the effect of water and clouds?"

"No! It's more than that; the bond between companions shouldn't be that strong!"

"And Guo Fu's entry 'cheerleader' can increase work speed by 25%."

"Perhaps this job value, if transferred to the martial arts world, would become the talent and speed for cultivating martial arts!" Cha Nan wondered, but quickly suppressed his distracting thoughts and began to guide the 'water vapor' to convert into internal energy.

(End of this chapter)