Projection of the Heavens: I prove my immortality through slaughter.

Qinglan City, West Courtyard.

In the stillness of the night, the moonlight, like quicksilver, bathed the courtyard in a cool, clear glow. Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on a stone bench in the courtyard, not contemplating the stars, but instead closing his eyes and focusing his mind, his consciousness sinking into a wondrous space constructed by his divine sense. Here, he was the absolute master, able to deduce the principles of all things without distraction.

Under his powerful spiritual visualization, the crude martial arts manuals ceased to be physical entities, transforming into suspended, three-dimensional diagrams composed of countless points of light, swirling around his body like the trajectories of stars. The blood and qi circulation route of "Raging Bull Strength" resembled a raging, red, furious river; the sword techniques of "Falling Leaf Swordplay" resembled withered leaves swept by the autumn wind, their chaotic paths concealing the rhythm of natural decay; the qi-raising method of "Flying on Grass" was like the light trajectory of a bird skimming the sky; and the incomplete internal energy circulation diagram of "Cotton Palm Technique" was like a broken spider web, incomplete yet still revealing the exquisite structure of its woven energy.

If his previous reading was "reading" text, then at this moment, he was directly interpreting the "energy language" and "fragments of rules" contained behind these martial arts techniques.

His consciousness first focused on the "Raging Bull Strength". Under the analysis of his "Dao Eye", the seemingly barbaric and violent method of qi and blood vibration was stripped away layer by layer, revealing the core essence of "high-frequency vibration" and "instant activation of potential".

Although this method is harmful to the body, its pursuit of instantaneous and extreme bursts of power is similar to the "Shock Technique" or "Boiling Blood Secret Technique" in some ancient body-refining techniques in the cultivation world. However, the latter uses pure spiritual energy to protect the meridians and nourish the body, making the effect stronger and more lasting, with almost no backlash.

"The great way is simple, and all methods originate from the same source. Martial artists in this world are limited by their environment and cognition. Although they have touched the threshold, they have gone astray. It is a pity, but also admirable." With a thought, Lin Xuan felt the pure stellar internal energy in his dantian vibrate slightly at an extremely complex frequency. The frequency and the control were far more than a hundred times that described in "Raging Bull Strength", yet it was precisely controlled at the limit that his current meridians could perfectly withstand.

A warm and powerful sensation instantly spread throughout my body. My muscle fibers felt as if they were being combed and refined by countless invisible and skillful hands. The tingling sensation was accompanied by a strong sense of fullness. The effect was remarkable, yet there was no damage or fatigue whatsoever.

He opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning, and casually picked up a solid old bamboo pole that Manager Feng used to hang clothes. He didn't use much internal force, but with an extremely slight flick of his wrist, he transmitted the stellar internal force containing high-frequency vibrations like ripples.

"Buzz..."

The bamboo pole emitted a low, strange hum, its surface seemingly without any abnormalities, not even a single crack. But when he loosened his grip, the once sturdy bamboo pole slumped to the ground as if all its sinews had been removed, and with a gentle touch, it crumbled into a pile of bamboo fluff whose internal structure had been completely pulverized!

"The force penetrates the body, from the inside out, destroying the root without damaging the surface..." Lin Xuan pondered, the starlight at his fingertips flickering unconsciously. "If this true meaning of 'tremor' is integrated into the Star Finger, turning hardness into softness, it might give rise to a hidden force technique that can strike through mountains and break through the protective qi of internal organs. It would be very effective against those with strong internal strength and excellent hard skills."

His gaze then turned to the "Falling Leaves Sword Technique." Beneath the flashy, impractical moves and dazzling swordplay lay thirteen obvious flaws, as clear as stars in the night sky. But in Lin Xuan's eyes, these flaws were not entirely useless; they were like a mirror, reflecting the common defects and fixed mindsets of lower-level martial arts in this world regarding key points such as "transformation between illusion and reality," "force guidance," and "the exhaustion of old force before the generation of new force."

"The move is dead, but the person is alive. However, there are patterns to follow in a person's thinking. Knowing their weakness allows us to understand their coping habits and limitations in thinking. If I were to use the Star Finger, I would not need to be bound by the changes in their moves. I would only need to perceive the core of their power flow, and use my finger to directly target the pivot of their energy conversion and the node of their internal force operation. No matter how they change, I can break their moves as easily as a butcher dissecting an ox."

He pointed his fingers like a sword, slowly pointing them into the void before him. The starlight at his fingertips flickered with his will, its trajectory sometimes sharp and cunning like an eagle soaring through the sky, sometimes ethereal and unpredictable like a gentle breeze rustling willows. Each finger seemed to have anticipated countless possible sword paths, precisely finding the one unchanging, most vulnerable "fatal flaw" among all variations. This was no longer a simple application of the "Star Finger," but had begun to incorporate a profound understanding of the essence of martial arts "techniques" in this world, transforming into a "Finger of Delusion" more suited to the rules of this world, pointing directly to its origin.

Next is "Flying Over the Grass." This light-body technique emphasizes raising the breath and lightening the body. It has unique advantages in utilizing certain meridians in the legs, such as the Gallbladder Meridian of Foot-Shaoyang and the Liver Meridian of Foot-Jueyin, effectively reducing body weight and increasing leaping speed. However, the internal energy circulation within the meridians involves several unnecessary detours, deflections, and minor obstructions, causing the speed to plateau after reaching a certain level. Furthermore, it consumes a great deal of internal energy during long-distance runs, making it unsustainable.

Lin Xuan used his divine sense to introspect, like the most meticulous craftsman, guiding the stellar internal energy along the optimized route of "Flying on Grass." At the same time, with his profound understanding and macroscopic perspective of energy circulation from the "Star River Qi Refining Technique," he acted like a skilled urban planner, replanning these "roads," eliminating redundant detours, and clearing obstructions, making the flow of internal energy smoother, more efficient, and almost perfect.

With a slight sway, without deliberately employing any movement techniques, he swept across the courtyard as if carried by a gentle breeze. His feet moved with a mysterious rhythm, his toes lightly touching the cool bluestone slabs with barely a sound, and his figure rose from the ground like a feather, silently landing on the courtyard wall. The entire process was fluid and natural, possessing more of the graceful agility and elusive rhythm unique to the top-tier lightness skills of this world than when he simply relied on the wind-controlling techniques of the cultivation world, while consuming nearly half of his internal energy.

"Learn from the strengths of others, take the essence, discard the dross, and make it your own. Although the martial arts of this world are shallow in their pursuit of 'the Way,' they have indeed made unique contributions and have merits in their study of 'techniques' over thousands of years." Lin Xuan stood on the wall, his clothes fluttering slightly in the night breeze, looking down at the sleeping town, and enlightenment welled up in his heart like a spring.

Finally, his attention focused on the incomplete "Cotton Palm Technique." This was a proper Meridian Opening Realm cultivation method, emphasizing internal energy as fluid as water, continuous and unbroken, soft yet firm, adept at using penetrating power to injure the enemy's internal organs and meridians. Although the crucial parts concerning the concentration and explosion of internal energy were missing, the internal energy circulation routes described in the first half, especially the methods for developing and utilizing several minor meridians often considered secondary or even ignored in cultivation methods (such as several collateral branches of the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian, and several hidden meridians without even names), gave Lin Xuan considerable inspiration.

Cultivation techniques, especially supreme methods like the "Star River Qi Refining Technique" that directly point to the Great Dao of the Stars, emphasize constructing a vast Qi circulation route and a bridge between heaven and earth, like the main trunk of a star river, in order to connect with heaven and earth, draw upon boundless spiritual power, and pursue grandeur and magnificence. However, martial arts in this world, unable to directly and efficiently absorb external energy, can only delve into and maximize their own potential. Therefore, they are more profound and persistent in developing and utilizing subtle, seemingly insignificant branch meridians and hidden meridians, attempting to compensate for insufficient energy with techniques.

The meridians recorded in the "Cotton Palm Technique" that are used for the subtle transmission, penetration, and vibration of internal force are precisely the "capillary" network that the Qi Refining stage chapter of the "Star River Qi Refining Technique" did not cover in detail in pursuit of efficiency and power.

"The human body is like a microcosm, full of endless mysteries. The main meridians are as brilliant as a galaxy, while the branch meridians and hidden meridians are like the trajectories of stars, spreading throughout the body, each with its own function, none of which should be neglected. Cultivating only the main meridians can certainly create a mighty torrent, but it lacks finesse; only by cultivating the minor meridians can one achieve mastery as easily as using one's own arm, reaching the pinnacle of subtlety." Lin Xuanfu had a sudden inspiration, like an explorer who had discovered a new continent, and began to try to guide a thread of stellar internal energy, as thin as a spider's web, carefully following the route described in the "Cotton Palm Technique," to open up and nurture those previously neglected subtle meridians.

The initial process was somewhat sluggish and slightly painful, like struggling to move forward in a narrow tunnel. However, with the extremely refined and pure nature of the Starry Sky Inner Force, full of vitality, coupled with Lin Xuan's microscopic level of divine sense control, the entire process, though bumpy, was without any risk.

The moment those crucial, subtle meridians were initially opened up and connected, forming a completely new, more intricate and sophisticated microscopic energy network, Lin Xuan felt a jolt throughout his body! It was as if a subtle barrier that had always existed within his body had been broken!

He felt his control over his internal energy (and even the spiritual energy of his cultivation body) instantly leap to an unprecedented level of subtlety! The stellar internal energy, which could only be used for wide-ranging attacks or in a relatively rudimentary way before, now seemed to have been endowed with sentience, with countless tiny, incredibly obedient "tentacles" and "neurons" appearing, making it more "tamed" and more "agile." Wherever his mind went, his power followed!

He couldn't help but extend his palm, and with a slight thought, his stellar inner force condensed in his hand. This time, it no longer merely formed a dazzling ball of light or a sharp fingertip, but could transform at will into a thin, incredibly solid, shimmering silver membrane, perfectly covering his palm and providing excellent defense; or, his inner force could instantly split into dozens of strands of silver energy, finer than a strand of hair, like living fish, nimbly weaving and entwining between his slender fingers, creating all sorts of mysterious trajectories!

With great interest, he walked to a thick bluestone in the corner of the courtyard, used to support flowerpots. He didn't strike it, but simply pressed a finger lightly against the cool, rough surface. With a thought, a wisp of his inner energy, like mercury, silently and infiltrated the bluestone through his newly developed microscopic network. A moment later, he removed his finger; the surface appeared perfectly intact, without a single mark. But when he lightly flicked it with his fingertip—

With a soft "poof," the entire piece of bluestone shattered, turning into a fine, even layer of blue stone powder! Its internal structure had been instantly shattered into its most primitive particles by the penetrating stellar internal force!

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!" Lin Xuan's eyes flashed with undisguised delight. This exquisite control over power not only greatly enhanced the combat capabilities and adaptability of his projected body in the Tianyuan Realm, allowing him to achieve greater effects with less consumption, but more importantly, this experience and understanding were clearly feeding back into the depths of his cultivation body's consciousness through that mysterious connection!

He clearly sensed that the bottleneck in his main body, which was stuck at the peak of the third level of Qi Refining, in the treehouse in the Azure Mist Mountain Range of the cultivation world, seemed to have loosened slightly due to his understanding of "precise control"! Precise control and understanding of spiritual power is one of the keys to breaking through the bottleneck of the mid-stage of Qi Refining! The slowly rotating starry sky foundation in his main body's dantian also seemed to have become more solid.

All things return to the same source!

Whether pursuing the path of immortality and freedom through cultivation, or focusing on combat and self-discovery through mundane martial arts, both ultimately stem from the exploration and application of the "energy" and "rules" of the universe. From a higher perspective, even the most rudimentary martial arts can reveal glimpses of the wisdom of our predecessors, allowing us to draw parallels and corroborate each other, thereby deepening our understanding of the essence of our own power and filling in the gaps in our knowledge.

At this moment, Lin Xuan's Dao heart became more clear and harmonious, as if a thin layer of dust had been wiped away. He no longer viewed his experience in the Tianyuan Realm merely as a process of seeking refuge, accumulating resources, or simply fulfilling the original owner's wishes, but rather as a profound cultivation of the essence of "power," a valuable experience to solidify his Dao foundation, expand his knowledge, and make up for his shortcomings. Every analysis of martial arts, every application of internal energy, was a questioning and practice of the "Dao."

He looked up at the bright moon hanging high in the night sky, its clear light shining down, as if it could transcend the two worlds and witness eternal life. A calm yet confident smile curved his lips.

In this realm, he is not only cultivating his inner strength and strengthening his projected body, but also sculpting a supreme Dao heart that can see through the appearance of all things, point directly to the source of power, and be able to bear all laws in the future, untouched by dust!

Deep within his consciousness, the invisible threads of cause and effect connecting him to his true self seemed to have become more solid and brighter due to this enlightenment, like a river flowing with the starlight of wisdom, connecting the two worlds and reflecting each other.