I'll write a manual called the Sunflower Manual, and the entire martial arts world will turn in

The moment the thought was uttered, the heat current of the Sunflower Manual that had been stagnating at the location of the spine dragon suddenly unlocked and burst out like a flood breaking through a dam.

Crackling sounds!

A series of crisp sounds came from the spine, like a spring that had been suppressed for a long time suddenly snapping open.

The heat flowed up the spine, into the brain, and then down the spine, passing through the chest and entering the lower abdomen, circulating repeatedly throughout the body.

Wherever the heat flowed, it felt as if the meridians were being washed by scalding magma. The originally narrow meridian channels were forcibly stretched open, and an unprecedented feeling of fullness filled his entire body. Xie An's skin began to turn red, the veins on his forehead bulged, and the beads of sweat that had just seeped out were evaporated as wisps of white steam rose from the top of his head.

"Now!"

With a thought, Xie An's perfectly formed internal energy and the heat from the Sunflower Manual suddenly intertwined. The two forces converged in his dantian, but instead of merging as expected, they repelled each other, like water and fire that cannot coexist.

It felt as if a ball of raging fire had been stuffed into his dantian, causing his internal organs to convulse.

"Before I entered the realm of internal energy, the process of reversing the flow was smooth. Now that I have internal energy myself, I am experiencing a rejection. It turns out that I obtained the internal energy through the enlightenment of others."

He gritted his teeth, activated the Vajra Strength Bright Body Mind Technique, and forcibly squeezed the two forces together.

"combine!"

The internal force, like an iron hammer, struck the ball of heat again and again, trying to mold it into shape. The heat surged left and right, refusing to yield, and each impact sent his blood and qi churning.

A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of Xie An's mouth, but he did not stop; instead, he increased the force.

What he wanted was not a simple fusion, but a qualitative change—a qualitative change from overt strength to covert strength.

Ming Jin is the internal strength that empowers one's body; the force of a punch can shatter rocks and split monuments. However, the internal strength at this level cannot extend beyond the body.

Hidden strength is the force that extends out of the body. When a punch is thrown at someone, it can penetrate their body. It is a skill that is like a needle in cotton, hitting a cow from across a mountain, and injuring people invisibly.

To cross this threshold, one must hone the internal strength to the point of "extreme hardness giving rise to softness," allowing a gentle and enduring hidden strength to emerge from the originally fierce and unparalleled obvious strength.

In martial arts, this process is called "internal strength transforming into softness".

Taking this step is as difficult as climbing to the sky.

In the entire Baiyun County, there are only about a dozen or so well-known masters of internal strength.

Looking across Wuqiao Town, there are even fewer.

For an ordinary martial artist with the Ming Jin skill, it would take five to ten years of meticulous training before there is even a glimmer of hope to break through to the An Jin skill level.

call!

Xie An cleared his mind of distractions and continued to circulate his Vajra Strength Body.

After a period of careful and persistent effort, the two forces finally began to slowly merge. The fierceness of the Ming Jin gradually subsided, the turmoil of the heat flow slowly calmed down, and a faint, almost imperceptible force, finer than a hair, emerged from the point of fusion.

That force wasn't as scorching as Ming Jin; instead, it carried a gentle coolness, like a mountain stream, flowing endlessly.

"Internal strength... this is the threshold for internal strength!?"

Xie An was overjoyed and quickly urged the newly generated energy to circulate through his meridians. It passed through the Tanzhong point relatively smoothly, but when it reached the Yuzhen Pass, it felt like it had hit an invisible wall and couldn't get past it no matter what it did.

He urged it three times, and each time he was bounced back, making his head spin.

"So close...so close..."

Xie An gritted his teeth, mobilized all the remaining power in his dantian, and together with that wisp of newly generated energy, launched a final assault on the Jade Pillow Pass.

"boom!"

It felt as if a thunderclap had exploded inside my body.

The Jade Pillow Pass trembled violently, cracking open with a thin fissure, but ultimately it did not open.

The nascent energy was rebounded and surged wildly through his meridians, causing his blood and qi to churn, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

All the power receded like the tide, and the heat from the Sunflower Manual completely merged into his own internal energy, nourishing his entire body.

His dantian was completely empty; the hidden strength he had painstakingly cultivated had vanished without a trace.

Xie An opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

"It was so close, what a pity."

He looked down at his hands, his fingertips still trembling slightly. The backlash from the impact of the internal force was quite severe; several meridians ached faintly, but there was nothing seriously wrong. He would recover after a few days of rest.

Xie An stood up and walked into the courtyard. The morning breeze caressed his face, its coolness soothing him and dispelling some of the heat in his heart.

"The transition from Ming Jin to An Jin is indeed not something that can be achieved overnight. Senior brother is right, this step requires painstaking effort and cannot be rushed."

He talked to himself calmly, showing no discouragement at the failure.

"At least it proves my thinking is correct. The Sunflower Manual cultivates internal energy, which can be channeled back to help me accelerate my martial arts advancement. It's just that the channeling power isn't strong enough."

"If there's another backflow, it'll definitely work."

With this in mind, Xie An opened the panel and checked the core information.

[Martial Arts Realm: Ming Jin (Perfect: 50/100)]

[Chen Lutang's Sunflower Manual, Level 2: 88/100]

[Liu Yueshan's Sunflower Manual, Level 1: 100/100]

[Zhang Long's Sunflower Manual, Level 1: 99/100]

[Vajra Strength and Bright Body: 88/100]

"Zhang Long is about to complete the first level, at which point I will have another chance to reverse the flow. Although the power of Zhang Long's first level is not as great as Liu Yueshan's, it should be enough for me to break through the hidden force."

"Just one more point away, Zhang Long, you'd better give it your all!"

"The problem is that this Martial Arts Treasury System is too low-level, only level 0. It can only absorb feedback from the top three. Chen Da and Liu Wei were squeezed out, and I wonder how their progress is now."

"If I can upgrade this martial arts treasure trove in the future and receive feedback from ten, a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand people... then all the geniuses of the martial arts world will be my beasts of burden."

"Forget it, let's not think that far ahead for now. Let's focus on developing internal strength first."

Xie An was not flustered at all about breaking through to the Dark Force realm; his intuition told him it would happen in the next few days.

Zhang Long is about to achieve his goal, and he still has about ten pounds of meat from the big green-eyed treasure fish, but he hasn't eaten the bones and tendons yet...

Taking advantage of the early hour, Xie An strolled around the Hundred Herbs Hall.

The Yong Sheng Martial Arts School is now in dire straits. Half of the formal disciples in the middle courtyard's training ground have left, leaving only a dozen or so. The number of apprentices in the front courtyard's training ground is even smaller, less than ten. Moreover, their talent and physical attributes are not very good.

Everyone was listless, their eyes filled with worry about the decline of the martial arts school and uncertainty about their own future.

Xie An offered a few words of comfort, which somewhat cheered up his disciples.

"Uncle-Master, recently the four major martial arts schools in town and the Dragon King Gang have been trying to poach our staff. Rumors are flying everywhere, saying that our Yong Sheng Martial Arts School is doomed." Ah Shui walked over at this moment, his face full of worry.

"Don't worry, Ah Shui. Just focus on your martial arts training."

"Yes."

After dismissing Ah Shui, Xie An found Wei Xiang and asked, "Has your sister-in-law and master not done anything in the past two months?"

Wei Xiang looked helpless: "I don't know what happened either. My master's wife and master had a fight a while ago, and it seemed like it was going very badly. Later, I went to ask my master's wife for advice, but she was ignoring me and seemed to care little about the martial arts school's business."

Xie An was taken aback.

It happened after all...

It's likely that his sister-in-law would have a huge fight with him if she found out Chen Lutang no longer had that thing...

When Xie An spread the Sunflower Manual, he never imagined he would one day become Chen Lutang's junior brother. Now, thinking back, he feels a little guilty. But not much... after all, it was his senior brother's own choice.

We are all adults, and everyone's choices should be respected.

After exchanging pleasantries, Wei Xiang said, "Qingming Festival is in a month. All the martial arts practitioners in town will go to Wuqiao to pay their respects then, so we can only hope for some matches in the arena. I hope the martial arts school will recover. I don't know what's wrong with Master lately; he's become increasingly effeminate and quite cold towards me and the other junior brothers..."

Xie An sighed helplessly.

The Sunflower Manual, when practiced further, changes one's temperament more dramatically with each level of mastery. Ultimately, the practitioner fully accepts their transformation into a woman, resolves their inner conflicts, and achieves great success, much like Uncle Dongfang.

This process is extremely tortuous, involving a process of self-reconciliation. If reconciliation cannot be achieved, it will result in a poor imitation, and could easily lead to spiritual deviation.

Ultimately, martial arts training cultivates one's Daoist heart.

My senior brother has already reached the deep water zone.

Xie An thought to himself that he should chat with his senior brother more often and offer him more comfort and encouragement.

After inquiring about Lin Chong's martial arts, I learned that he had already broken through to the Five Internal Organs Realm.

Lin Chong was very pleased with this result.

He initially didn't expect to be able to reach the Five Organs Realm, and hesitated. Now that he has made up his mind, he has turned misfortune into blessing.

Mai Qiuyan, on the other hand, is quite depressed in the Central Academy's martial arts arena. Her martial arts skills have remained at the Iron Bone Realm, and she has never been able to make any further progress. Perhaps it's because she was kicked out of her family and has been living in poverty at her childhood friend's house, which has caused her to develop an inferiority complex.

When she saw Xie An again, she became timid and submissive, displaying a sense of inferiority in every way, and even dared not look Xie An in the eye.

The ups and downs of life are truly heartbreaking.

Xie An offered a few words of comfort and then left.

Xie Yu, on the other hand, is doing quite well in the backyard of the martial arts school. After several months of adjustment, he exudes a capable and efficient demeanor. Because the martial arts school's business is not good, Xie Yu also took some money and invested in Qiu Lan to open a pastry shop called Bafangzhai outside, which is thriving.

Another half month has passed in the blink of an eye.

The meat, tendons, and bones of the big green-eyed treasure fish were all gone. Xie An also spent several hundred taels of silver to purchase medicinal supplements.

Even so, the progress of achieving perfect Ming Jin is only 70/100. The progress of achieving perfect Vajra Jin Ming Ti is only 93/100.

Breaking through the Dark Force realm seems a long way off.

Xie An had no choice but to practice the Cloud Palace Triple Step, but this misfortune turned into a blessing, as he mastered the second level of this lightness skill, Cloud Chasing Shadow. His figure was as swift as the wind and as fast as lightning; with a light touch of his toes, he could leap several feet away.

Although I can't quite achieve the skill of walking on water with an iron palm, it's still quite impressive.

Even if you encounter an opponent you can't beat, you can run away.

That noon, Xie An was practicing Cloud Chasing Shadow in the courtyard when suddenly the panel moved.

[Zhang Long's Sunflower Manual, Level 1: 100/100]

"I've been waiting for you!"

Xie An's eyes lit up, and he immediately felt a powerful surge of internal heat accumulating along his spine.

He sat cross-legged in the pavilion and then turned on the hot water to pour in.

This heat flow was significantly weaker than Liu Yueshan's, but Xie An's Ming Jin had made considerable progress, and a slight backflow should be possible.

As the fluids were flushed and the fluids were absorbed, changes occurred within the body once again.

A gentle, subtle force instantly arose, then broke through the Jade Pillow Pass, rushing towards the spine and flowing through the limbs and bones.

Before long, the visible energy throughout his body gradually receded and softened, and a subtle transformation began to emerge.

As the last wisp of visible energy receded into a hidden surge, Xie An's five senses and body suddenly tightened, and then he underwent a transformation as if his marrow had been cleansed.

"The hidden strength has been achieved!"

call!

Xie An let out a long sigh of relief, then raised his hand and placed it on the stone table, imitating how Chen Lutang used his hidden strength.

The next moment, Xie An exerted his full strength.