Physical enlightenment begins with Xingyi Quan

Chapter 94 The Secret (I'll remember the missing word count and make up for it later! Please subscribe, godfathers!)

Chen Jianghe looked down at his hands. The wisp of pale blue qi in his palms had already receded, but the surging power within his body was even more solid than yesterday.

Three days have passed since I entered the Gang Jin stage.

For the past three days, he hasn't rushed out; instead, he's spent his time in this small courtyard getting to know his new body better and better.

Chen Jianghe raised his left hand and slowly clenched his fist.

This punch didn't use any force; it was just a simple fist-clenching motion.

But he could clearly sense that the moment he clenched his fist, the internal energy naturally flowed towards his fist, as if it were ready to burst out of his body at any moment.

This is the biggest difference between Gang Jin and Hua Jin.

When one transforms into "power," the force can penetrate ten steps through the body, but it is still "power" after all; it is the outward release of the power of qi and blood after it has been condensed to its extreme.

"Gang Jin" is "Qi", which is a higher level of power generated after the fusion of Qi and blood with the mind and spirit.

Strength has form, but energy has no form.

Force can be blocked, but qi is hard to defend against.

The difference between Gang Jin (罡劲) and Hua Jin (化劲) is truly like heaven and earth.

Chen Jianghe snapped out of his thoughts, walked to the corner of the courtyard, and picked up the Dingyuan Spear.

He paused slightly as he held the gun in his hand.

Holding this Dingyuan Spear in my hand now, I felt an indescribable lightness.

It's not about the weight, but the feeling of "man and gun as one" is clearer and more natural than before.

It was as if the spear had truly become an extension of his arm.

Chen Jianghe lowered his waist and hips, the tip of his spear pointing diagonally at the ground.

He infused a wisp of qi into the gun.

He didn't use any moves, just a simple straight thrust.

"boom-!!!"

The spear's edge pierced the air with a piercing shriek!

The spear's aura surged three feet, the spear shaft trembled violently, and the air seemed to be torn apart wherever the spear tip passed!

Five zhang away, a blue brick shattered into dust, and the courtyard wall behind it was also plowed with a deep trench by the residual force of the spear!

Chen Jianghe stared at the groove, his gaze slightly narrowed.

The power of this shot is more than twice as strong as when he was at the peak of the Transformation Realm.

"Good marksmanship."

A cheerful female voice came from outside the courtyard gate.

Chen Jianghe looked in the direction of the sound.

Liu Shuling, dressed in a black outfit, stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the fence gate, looking at him with a half-smile.

I don't know how long she's been here.

Chen Jianghe sheathed his gun, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Senior Sister."

Liu Shuling didn't move, still leaning against the door, her gaze sweeping over him before finally settling on his face.

"A breakthrough?"

"Yes."

"When did this happen?"

"Three days ago."

Liu Shuling nodded, then suddenly smiled.

The smile was hearty, carrying a hint of teasing, a touch of admiration, and a complex emotion that was hard to define.

"A year and a half," she said, her voice low but clear. "When you entered Lingmu Academy, you had achieved minor mastery of the Transformation Realm. Now, you have entered the Initial Stage of the罡劲 (Gang Jin) Realm."

She paused, staring at Chen Jianghe: "Jianghe, do you know how long it took me to go from the Lesser Mastery of Transformation Force to the Beginner Level of罡劲 (Gang Jin)?"

Chen Jianghe shook his head.

"Three years." Liu Shuling held up three fingers. "Three years, practicing for eight hours every day without interruption."

And so, I became one of the fastest-cultivating disciples in Lingmu Academy in nearly a hundred years.

"

She withdrew her hand, and her gaze towards Chen Jianghe held a genuine sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and regret): "You've done well, catching up with what took me three years in just a year and a half."

Chen Jianghe remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Senior Sister, you flatter me. This disciple is merely—"

"Come on," Liu Shuling interrupted him, waving her hand. "There's no need for formalities in front of me. Fast is fast, slow is slow. You broke through the Qi Realm in a year and a half, that's a fact, there's nothing to be modest about."

She walked up to Chen Jianghe and patted him on the shoulder.

That palm strike was quite powerful, carrying the robust strength that only a master of the Gang Jin (罡劲) could achieve.

Chen Jianghe remained unmoved.

A hint of surprise flashed in Liu Shuling's eyes, then her smile deepened: "Solid foundation, abundant blood and qi, and solidified internal energy—"

She paused, then leaned closer and lowered her voice: "Chen Jianghe, are you planning to compete with me, the senior sister, for the top spot in the academy in a few years?"

Chen Jianghe was slightly taken aback, then shook his head: "Senior Sister is joking. This disciple has just entered the Gang Jin realm and his foundation is still shallow. How dare I compete with Senior Sister? Senior Sister has been kind to me by helping and protecting me, and I will always remember it. I have no intention of overstepping my bounds."

Liu Shuling looked at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of scrutiny, a smile, and—satisfaction.

"Alright, don't be nervous, I was just kidding." She withdrew her hand and clapped her palms. "I've seen you clearly over the past year. You're not cut out for power struggles."

She paused, then suddenly said seriously, "But you must keep this matter of internal energy in mind."

Chen Jianghe looked up: "Please give me your guidance, Senior Sister."

"The Xingyi Sect has five academies, and each academy has a limited number of disciples with the Gang Jin skill. The Jinshu Academy has the most, with fifteen. The Cangming Academy is next, with eleven. The Yanchen Academy has ten, and the Houtu Academy has eight. Our Lingmu Academy..."

She paused, then looked at Chen Jianghe: "Including you, there are now five people."

Chen Jianghe understood.

Of the hundreds of disciples in Lingmu Academy, only five possessed the Gang Jin (罡劲) strength.

This proportion demonstrates the preciousness of the Gang Jin (罡劲, a type of internal energy).

Liu Shuling continued, "I have achieved the Great Perfection of Gang Jin, while my two junior brothers have achieved the Lesser Perfection of Gang Jin. They have both been practicing for over ten years. There is also a junior sister who just broke through to Gang Jin last year and is currently in seclusion in the medicinal fields on the east side of Hundred Herbs Peak to consolidate her realm."

Chen Jianghe listened quietly.

Liu Shuling looked at him, her gaze becoming more serious: "Jiang He, do you know what Gang Jin means in Xingyi School?"

Chen Jianghe thought for a moment, then slowly said, "Does it mean—to gain entry into the inner circle?"

Liu Shuling nodded, then shook her head: "It's true that one has entered the inner sanctum, but it's not just that. The treatment that a Gangjin disciple enjoys in the sect is worlds apart from that of a Huajin disciple."

She counted on her fingers: "First, resource allocation. Monthly allowances will be tripled, and the fees for pills, medicinal bath materials, and borrowing cultivation techniques will all be halved."

"Secondly, you can apply for an independent courtyard. The upper room you are currently living in is actually still outside the disciples' peak. The real residences for the Gangjin disciples are deep in the bamboo forest on the east side of Baicao Peak."

"Third, they can serve as stewards. The sect's hunting grounds, herb fields, and mines all need people to manage them. Gang Jin disciples can apply to serve as deputy stewards or even stewards, and will receive an extra monthly salary."

She paused, looking at Chen Jianghe: "With your temperament, becoming a steward shouldn't be difficult. I remember there are a few vacancies at the hunting grounds; the salary is quite good, and it won't interfere with your cultivation."

Chen Jianghe nodded and wrote these down one by one.

Liu Shuling stood up and patted her robes: "Alright, we can talk about these things later. Come on, I'll take you to see someone."

Chen Jianghe was taken aback: "Who?"

Liu Shuling had already walked towards the courtyard gate without turning her head: "Master of the Courtyard."

Chen Jianghe remained silent for a moment, then followed.

Deep within Baicaofeng lies Han Shuitian's residence.

This is a very simple courtyard, but it is filled with all kinds of medicinal herbs, and the fragrance of herbs is rich and mixed with the wisps of sandalwood, which is refreshing and pleasant.

Liu Shuling pushed open the half-closed fence gate and led Chen Jianghe through the path, stopping in front of the main hall.

The hall door was wide open.

The room was dimly lit, with only a single lamp on the long table illuminating the elderly figure sitting cross-legged on a futon.

-

Han Shuitian, dressed in a moon-white Taoist robe, with white hair and beard and a gaunt face, was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, breathing deeply and evenly.

Liu Shuling stepped into the hall and bowed with clasped hands, saying, "Headmaster."

Chen Jianghe clasped his hands in greeting: "Disciple Chen Jianghe greets the academy master."

Han Shuitian slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes, weathered by time, fell upon Chen Jianghe, slowly sweeping over him from top to bottom and then from bottom to top.

After a long silence, he spoke, his voice low but clear: "Come here."

Chen Jianghe took three steps forward and stood in front of the table.

Han Shuitian reached out and placed three fingers on his wrist to check his pulse.

A gentle, warm force quietly probed in, carefully investigating.

The entire process lasted approximately one hundred breaths.

Han Shuitian withdrew his hand, and a rare look of surprise flashed in his cloudy old eyes.

He slowly said, "The initial stage of Gang Jin (罡劲) requires a solid foundation, abundant Qi and blood, and solid strength... unlike the power gained through the accumulation of elixirs."

He paused, looked at Chen Jianghe, and his gaze became more scrutinizing: "Five Elements aptitude, in just over a year, from minor mastery of Transformation Force to entry-level entry-level of罡劲. This level of progress is something even geniuses of the Seven Elements or Eight Elements could not match."

Chen Jianghe lowered his eyes: "This disciple has been diligently cultivating without ceasing, and dares not slack off."

Han Shuitian looked at him and suddenly smiled.

That smile carried a hint of relief, a touch of emotion, and a trace of inexplicable contentment.

Han Shuitian shook his head slightly.

"No need to be modest," he said. "Xingyi School has been established for a hundred years and has produced countless geniuses. But in my seventy-three years of life, I have never seen anyone who can break through to the Gang Jin level in just over a year by relying on the Five Elements Root Bone."

He looked at Chen Jianghe, his cloudy old eyes now filled with scrutiny and a hint of curiosity.

"Li Chengyue...." He murmured the name, "He has indeed discovered a promising talent."

He paused, a faint smile playing on his lips, a smile tinged with melancholy: "When that lad left the Xingyi Sect, I saw him off. He stood at the mountain gate, looking back at the mountain for a long time. Then he said to me: 'Uncle-Master Han, this is probably how my life will end. But I will take on a disciple and teach him well, so that he can finish the path I haven't completed.'"

Han Shuitian shook his head and said, "Li Chengyue sent you here to make up for his regrets."

Chen Jianghe was startled.

To make up for regrets?

He recalled his master lying unconscious on the couch, his master's hands that once held a gun, and his master's focused gaze when teaching him standing meditation.

What is Master's regret?

Is it that he can no longer cultivate? Is it that he can no longer regain his inner strength? Or is it... those fellow disciples who died under the hail of blades twenty years ago?

Chen Jianghe remained silent for a moment, then suddenly stepped forward, knelt down, and kowtowed heavily to Han Shuitian.

"Master, I dare to ask you for a favor."

Han Shuitian frowned slightly: "Stand up and speak."

Chen Jianghe did not get up, but remained kneeling on the ground, looking up at Han Shuitian: "This disciple humbly requests the academy master to tell me how to save my master."

His voice was not loud, but every word was earnest, revealing a long-suppressed anxiety.

Han Shuitian remained silent.

He looked at the young man kneeling before him, his cloudy old eyes swirling with complex emotions.

After a long silence, he slowly spoke: "Get up. Whether you kneel or not, I will still speak."

Chen Jianghe stood up as instructed, but remained bowed, his eyes fixed on Han Shuitian.

Han Shuitian slowly closed his eyes.

After a long while, he opened his eyes, a complex light flashing in his old eyes.

"Li Chengyue..." he said in a low voice, "All these years, haven't I been searching for a way to save him?"

He raised his hand and gently adjusted the wick of the lamp on the table.

"The bone-corroding poison, once it enters the body, attaches itself to the bone marrow and merges with the blood and qi. Ordinary detoxification methods will only damage the poisoned person's own foundation. After twenty years of research and reading countless ancient books, I have finally come to one conclusion."

He paused, then said in a low voice, "The poison can be cured, but the person cannot be saved."

Chen Jianghe's pupils contracted slightly.

Han Shuitian looked at him and slowly said, "The pills I have prepared, combined with medicinal baths and acupuncture, can awaken Li Chengyue from his coma. His life can be saved for the time being."

"But one—"

He spoke slowly and deliberately: "The bone-corroding poison has been lingering in his body for twenty years, already eroding his very foundation. Even if he wakes up, his lifespan won't be long."

Chen Jianghe clenched his fists.

"How long?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Han Shuitian paused for a moment: "At most five years, at least three years."

Chen Jianghe's heart sank.

He recalled the way his master taught him boxing, the way his master saved him and his senior brother, and the calm look in his master's eyes before he was seriously injured and fell into a coma.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

Han Shuitian looked at him, a hint of reluctance flashing in his cloudy old eyes.

"Young man, don't blame me for being blunt," he said slowly. "Your master's injuries were already quite serious. Bringing him back to consciousness was the result of my utmost efforts. As for the antidote—"

He paused, then lowered his voice slightly: "I suspect that this poison is related to the Sun Moon Cult."

Chen Jianghe's pupils suddenly contracted.

Sun Moon Cult.

It's the Sun Moon Cult again.

The image of the black wolf's crimson pupils, shimmering like a blood moon, appeared in his mind.

Han Shuitian continued, "The sect investigated the ambush your master suffered back then. But in the end, the trail went cold. All we knew was that the other side had deployed a True Yuan Realm expert and five peak Gang Jin experts, and the plan was meticulous, clearly a kill trap."

"As for who the mastermind is and why they wanted to kill your master—there has never been a definitive answer within the sect."

He looked at Chen Jianghe with a deep gaze: "But I can tell you that there is more to this story than meets the eye."

Chen Jianghe took a deep breath: "May I ask, Master, what is the hidden story?"

Han Shuitian shook his head: "I can't break the rules by telling you."

He paused, looked at Chen Jianghe, and said with a meaningful look in his eyes: "Boy, if you want to find out the truth about this matter and find a way to cure the poison, you must step into the true core of the sect."

"Core?" Chen Jianghe frowned slightly.

"That's right." Han Shuitian nodded. "The Xingyi Sect has been established for a hundred years and has been able to continue to this day, not only because of what is on the surface. There is a group of true core disciples and core elders in the sect who have mastered the sect's deepest secrets, strongest inheritances, and most precious resources."

"Those people are the foundation of Xingyi School."

He looked at Chen Jianghe and said, word by word, "You've now entered the realm of internal energy cultivation, which is quite good among the disciples. But in those people's eyes, it's still not enough."

"If you want to enter the core and access those secrets, you must at least—enter the True Essence realm."

Chen Jianghe remained silent for a long time before slowly clasping his hands in a fist and palm salute: "This disciple will remember the abbot's teachings."

Han Shuitian nodded and took out a jade jar, pushing it in front of him.

"Take this," he said. "Here are the prepared pills. Use them for seven days, and your master should wake up."

Han Shuitian took out a piece of plain paper from under the table. It was covered with dense writing, which was the prescription he had researched over many years.

Chen Jianghe accepted it with both hands and solemnly put it into his pocket.

Then, he knelt down again and kowtowed heavily.

"I will forever remember the academy master's great kindness. If I achieve anything in the future, I will surely repay him handsomely!"

Han Shuitian waved his hand.

"Get up," he said. "No need to thank me. I saved him not for you, nor for him."

He paused, looked out the window, and said in a very low voice, "I just want to know what really happened back then."

Chen Jianghe raised his head and looked at the aged face whose light was dim and uncertain under the dim lamplight.

In those cloudy old eyes, there was only one heavy feeling.

It was as if the discontent of a 73-year-old man was overwhelmed by his own grievances.

"Thank you for your guidance, Dean."

Han Shuitian nodded and said nothing more.

Chen Jianghe held the jade jar, bowed deeply to Han Shuitian, and then turned and left the hall.