The Spiritual Pivot of Mortal Cultivation

The morning mist had not yet dissipated over Caixia Mountain.

The mountain wind swept through the forest, carrying the damp chill unique to late autumn, stinging her face like needles. After her near-death experience last night, Bai Xuanxin only closed her eyes and regulated her breathing for a short while in the woodshed. Once the churning feeling in her chest had subsided slightly, she went to the back mountain alone.

There is a mountain spring behind the mountain, cascading down from the cliff, flowing year-round. In the original owner's memory, this place was remote and sparsely populated, with only woodcutting disciples occasionally passing by, making it quite peaceful.

Bai Xuanxin walked to the spring, first took off the single garment that was covered in blood and sweat, and casually threw it on a stone. Then she took a deep breath of the cold air with the scent of pine needles, and stepped into the spring water.

The spring water was bone-chillingly cold.

A chill crept up from his feet, causing his muscles to tense involuntarily, as if his skin and flesh had suddenly shrunk into a ball. The waterfall cascaded down, the water droplets hitting his shoulders, back, chest, and abdomen, causing his pores to close completely, even washing away the lingering drowsiness from the previous night.

Bai Xuanxin gritted her teeth, letting the chill penetrate her body. After a moment, she slowly lowered her head and looked at her current body in the morning light.

The boy's frame was gradually developing; although his shoulders and back were not yet fully muscular, they were well-proportioned and long. The muscles in his arms were not exaggerated, but they were firm without being stiff. His waist and abdomen were flat, his hips were well-defined, and his legs showed the foundation left by years of training. If we were to consider only the potential of a mortal martial arts student, this body was actually quite good, at least far superior to most outer disciples of the same age.

Bai Xuanxin raised her hands again and looked at them.

There were obvious calluses and fine, hard skin on the base of the thumb, the edges of the palm, and between the knuckles—marks left by daily practice of punching and striking. The finger bones were slender, the wrist bones flexible, and the shoulder line was more open than that of an average young man. Touching the shoulder blades, pressing the spine, and testing the knees and ankles, he became increasingly certain: the original owner had not only trained hard, but also had a truly solid foundation.

But it is precisely because of this that it is easier to develop unwarranted arrogance.

Relying on his considerable talent, the original owner of this body attempted to forcibly merge the two basic internal energy techniques of Yin and Yang within the sect before the outer sect competition, creating a new method in hopes of making a name for himself. However, the Yin and Yang clashed, his meridians could not withstand the strain, and he ended up killing himself.

Bai Xuanxin placed her hand on her chest and abdomen, gently stroking along the Ren meridian.

The spot that was hit hardest last night still throbbed with pain. Two faint bluish-red marks were visible beneath the skin; they were so faint that an ordinary person would not notice them unless he examined them closely.

This wasn't a superficial injury, but rather a dark mark left by the stagnation of qi and blood and damage to the meridians after two internal energies collided violently within the body. In the medical terms of before the transmigration, it would be that the local fascia and subcutaneous blood vessels were injured by the violent impact, causing bleeding and stagnation, hence the mixed blue and red discoloration. However, from a purely medical perspective, it would be a disorder of qi and blood, a reversal of yin and yang, and lingering turmoil in the heart.

"They've got some nerve," Bai Xuanxin muttered under her breath, unsure whether she was cursing the original owner of this body or using it to remind herself, "Too bad they didn't survive."

He survived last night by using the principles of the Five Elements to temporarily disperse, divert, and suppress the two streams of internal energy. He used the spleen's earth element to moderate the fire and the kidney's water element to subdue the cold. Ultimately, it was just a hasty, temporary life-saving measure. Now, although those two forces are no longer clashing head-on, they are only temporarily dormant within his meridians and internal organs, like two venomous snakes with their heads held down. If his condition isn't properly addressed soon, he will inevitably cause trouble again.

Bai Xuanxin scooped up a handful of cold spring water and wiped her face, gradually sorting out her current situation in her mind.

The matter of cultivating immortality is not something he should be thinking about right now.

The threshold for "A Mortal's Journey to Immortality" lies in spiritual roots, not in martial arts. Whether he can truly embark on the path of cultivation will ultimately depend on obtaining the "Eternal Spring Skill" and then personally testing it. But until then, mortal martial arts are the only thing he can truly grasp at the moment.

Only by having martial arts skills can one avoid being trampled to death at will.

Only those with martial arts skills have the right to speak within the Seven Mysteries Sect.

Only those with martial arts skills can enter the inner circle, meet high-ranking officials, build connections, and access resources.

Having martial arts skills will give you the right to truly intervene in Han Li and Mo Juren's scheme in the future, instead of just watching from the sidelines.

To put it more bluntly—he can't verify spiritual roots yet; but he can practice and use martial arts, fists, legs, feet, muscles, bones, and flesh right now.

Thinking of this, Bai Xuanxin felt more at ease.

He was never the kind of person who would charge ahead on impulse. For him, the safest path was always the same: do what he could do right now, and then plan for what he should plan for later. Right now, the best thing he could do was to fully utilize the original owner's good martial arts foundation and establish himself in the Seven Mysteries Sect as soon as possible.

After standing under the cold spring for a while, until the chill had completely awakened her, Bai Xuanxin finally stepped out of the spring, wrung out her hair, and changed into another set of relatively clean gray outer disciple robes.

Once the clothes were on, the boy's slender and tall figure became apparent again, but the look in his eyes was completely different from yesterday.

Bai Xuanxin lowered her head, tightened her belt, and strode towards the front of the mountain.

Today he is going to the library.

The Seven Mysteries Sect has been able to establish itself in Jingzhou for many years, so it must have more than just a few fancy moves. The mortal world of martial arts has its own rules. Many martial arts techniques may not be profound or mysterious, but they are certainly methods that predecessors learned by risking their lives for. It's just that due to limitations of knowledge and the times, some aspects may not be clearly explained.

And this is precisely Bai Xuanxin's greatest advantage.

The original owner's martial arts training, in the end, was still about memorizing, practicing, and enduring the routines of the boxing manual.

If you throw a hundred more punches today and kick fifty more times tomorrow, you'll gain strength and become more skilled at your movements; that's considered progress. Most outer disciples in the sect are pretty much the same. Whoever throws the heaviest punches, kicks the fastest, and endures the most hardship is considered more likely to rise to prominence.

But Bai Xuanxin was different.

Before he transmigrated, he studied Traditional Chinese Medicine Internal Medicine. He had seen injuries in clinical practice and worked on mechanisms in the laboratory. His mind was filled not only with "how to execute this move", but also with "why this move can be executed and why it will damage people".

The same punch, in other people's eyes, is nothing more than the shoulder sending the elbow, the elbow sending the wrist, and if it makes a loud sound, it is considered powerful.

But in Bai Xuanxin's eyes, there were several more layers to consider—

Did this punch originate from the sole of the foot, or was it a forceful swing from the arm?

Whether the waist and hips are loosened, and whether the Du meridian is unobstructed;

Whether the muscles and joints around the shoulder well, vertebral pool, and armpit have truly absorbed that force;

Is this force naturally sent out along the meridians and joints, or is it stuck firmly at a certain point and resisted?

If we change the angle or the landing point, wouldn't it be easier, but also more damaging?

The original owner didn't understand these things.

It's not about who's smarter; it's just that Bai Xuanxin's more than ten years of studying in books and hospital rooms before her transmigration were ultimately worthwhile.

The morning mist on Caixia Mountain had thinned considerably under the sunlight. Shouts and cries had already spread throughout the martial arts training ground on the front of the mountain. Looking into the distance, hundreds of gray-clad outer disciples could be seen scattered among them; some were practicing their fists in front of wooden stakes, some were training their strength beside stone locks, and others were walking around the training ground, swinging their arms, and sweeping their legs. The morning chill had not yet dissipated, but sweat was already rising from their brows.

Bai Xuanxin walked slowly, subtly scanning the crowd as she went.

On the left, a disciple practicing Black Tiger Fist was burly and shouted repeatedly as he threw punches, the force of which was not weak. However, Bai Xuanxin only glanced at him a few times before shaking his head inwardly.

Every time this person throws a punch, the force is first applied to his shoulders and back. His shoulder blades rise too early, and his elbows move too straight. Clearly, he only knows how to send the force upwards, but doesn't know how to draw the force out from his waist and hips. Traditional Chinese medicine says that "the waist is the residence of the kidneys and governs the body's rotation." A punch should be powerful, and its root lies in the opening and closing of the waist, hips, and spine, not in the shoulders. Anatomically speaking, most of his power is applied to the anterior deltoid and triceps, while the rotator cuff tendons are forced to withstand the force. He may look powerful in the short term, but in the long run, he'll either experience shoulder pain or numbness in the elbow. In a life-or-death battle, he'll end up losing half his arm first.

Looking further to the right, a disciple practicing the continuous sweeping leg technique was diligently working on a wooden stake, his leg movements swift and agile.

Bai Xuanxin observed for a moment, then frowned slightly. This person focused solely on speed and ruthlessness when sweeping his leg, but his recovery was slow. During the landing and turning, his hips were not open, his knees were not relaxed, and his lower body appeared somewhat stiff. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Gallbladder Meridian of Foot-Shaoyang runs down the hip, while the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming and the Spleen Meridian of Foot-Taiyin govern the muscles of the lower limbs. If the hip bones are not open and the knee joints are not flexible, the force will all be concentrated on the front of the shin and the side of the knee. From a musculoskeletal perspective, this means the anterior edge of the tibia and the ligaments on the side of the knee are subjected to constant lateral force and wear. Today it may only cause soreness and blood stasis, but tomorrow it could become a hidden injury; the harder the training, the faster it deteriorates.

Further away, a shirtless outer sect man carrying a stone weight was full of vigor and had a broad back and good muscles. However, Bai Xuanxin watched him lift the weight three times and knew that this man had become rough.

As soon as the stone lock was lifted, he gritted his teeth and held his breath, veins bulging in his neck, his chest swelling as if it were about to explode. On the surface, it looked fierce, but in reality, it was extremely dangerous. Those who practice strength training emphasize "qi sinking to the dantian," which, simply put, means stabilizing the waist and abdomen before exerting force, allowing breath and power to flow together, rather than forcing a single breath into the chest. In terms of muscles, bones, and internal organs, it means the diaphragm is not working in tandem with the waist and abdomen, relying solely on the chest and ribs for support. Such a person may appear strong in ordinary times, but in actual combat, they cannot be defeated in three or five moves; their qi becomes disordered, and their movements naturally slow down.

Bai Xuanxin looked at these things with no contempt; on the contrary, she became quite serious.

There's a reason why ordinary martial arts have survived in this world. Those fist and foot techniques, grappling, footwork, and body movements are all survival skills that our predecessors tested with their lives. It's just that due to limitations of vision and the times, many aspects could not be fully explained.

Bai Xuanxin, on the other hand, happened to know a little more.

Passing through the training ground, ahead stands a three-story wooden building with slightly upturned eaves, copper bells hanging from the corners, and three ancient characters on the plaque—"Scripture Pavilion."

In front of the pavilion, a one-eyed old man reclined on an old armchair, a pipe in his hand, puffing away incessantly. Amidst the swirling smoke, his one good eye remained half-open, as if indifferent to everything.

Bai Xuanxin knew that these old gatekeepers were usually the hardest to fool.

He stepped forward, bowed, and handed over the waist token with both hands.

"Outer disciple Bai Xuanxin greets Elder Zhang."

The one-eyed old man took the waist token, squinted at it, then looked up and sized up Bai Xuanxin before exhaling a puff of green smoke.

"So it's you, kid. I heard you twisted your breath while practicing martial arts a few days ago and lay in the woodshed for hours, almost dying. What, now that you've survived, you want to go into the Scripture Pavilion and pick out some internal martial arts techniques?"

The old man's words weren't pleasant to hear, but they weren't malicious either; they were more like a casual reminder after he'd seen too many young people with unrealistic ambitions.

Bai Xuanxin remained unmoved and respectfully replied, "Elder, you jest. This disciple nearly lost his life this time, and I know I was too arrogant before. Today, I dare not touch those dangerous internal martial arts again. I only want to choose two external martial arts techniques, one of lightness and movement and the other of grappling and dislocating bones, to sort out my foundation from the beginning."

Upon hearing this, the one-eyed old man paused slightly in the hand holding his pipe.

Among the young disciples, he had seen quite a few who had suffered injuries during training. Some were lucky enough to survive. But most of them were either stubborn or resentful, wishing they could pick up what they hadn't mastered the next day. It was rare to see someone like Bai Xuanxin, who, after suffering a major setback, immediately turned back to rebuild his foundation.

"Not completely stupid." Elder Zhang snorted, tossed the waist token back, and pointed inside with his pipe. "Lightness skills, grappling techniques, and fist techniques are all on the first shelf, section T. You know the rules: you can only copy, not take away. One hour."

"Thank you for your kindness, Elder."

Bai Xuanxin accepted the waist token with both hands, bowed again, and then stepped into the pavilion.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, the respect and lingering fear that should be present on his face as an outer disciple quietly faded away. It wasn't a breach of etiquette, but rather that his spirits suddenly sank, sank very deeply.

The first shelf was overflowing with books, the air thick with the musty smell of paper, camphor wood, and dust. Bai Xuanxin walked straight to the T-shaped bookshelf, his gaze slowly sweeping over the scrolls of boxing manuals, leg techniques, and light-body skills.

"The Stone Tablet Breaker", "The Mountain-Splitting Fist", "The Flying Swallow Technique", "The Seven Star Leg"...

These martial arts names were all incredibly impressive, but Bai Xuanxin only glanced at them before moving on.

He doesn't want those grand, head-on, hard-hitting techniques.

At least not now.

With his current physique, even if he trained his external martial arts and heavy punches to be incredibly powerful, it would only result in him exchanging injuries head-on with others. But Bai Xuanxin never liked to engage in trades where he would inflict heavy damage on both himself and his enemy. For him, the truly useful martial arts techniques shouldn't be the most visually appealing or imposing, but rather the most stable, economical, and lethal.

Finally, he pulled out two old books covered in a thin layer of dust from one corner.

One of the books was the one from the sect known for its unpredictable footwork, "Luo Yan Bu".

The other book is "The Great Capturing Technique," which seems unremarkable and even somewhat ordinary in the eyes of many.

Bai Xuanxin carried two booklets, walked to the table and sat down. She laid out the paper, ground the ink, picked up the brush, and did not rush to write. Instead, she carefully flipped through "Luoyanbu" from beginning to end.

Upon seeing this, their eyes lit up.

"Luo Yanbu" is indeed remarkable.

It doesn't rely on overwhelming internal strength to win; instead, it emphasizes maneuvering in tight spaces, shifting steps and changing positions, and unpredictable feints and real attacks. If mastered, in combat, the difference between people can often be as small as half a step or a full step, instantly altering the outcome of the fight, whether it's victory or defeat, life or death.

Bai Xuanxin read it very slowly.

He not only observes the footwork and its direction, but also how the weight shifts between the heel and the forefoot when the foot lands, how the ankle leverages the force, how the knee joint remains flexible, and how the hip bone smoothly transmits power. Most ordinary disciples would only find this footwork "strange," but in his eyes, these seemingly complex footwork diagrams can actually be broken down into pathways for generating power through the muscles and bones.

The most exquisite aspect of this movement technique lies not in its speed, but in its adaptability.

The first step is to make yourself appear to lose your balance, and then use that moment of almost falling to transform your body into a force for sideways movement and dodging. If any of the three parts—ankle, knee, or hip—falls behind, your footwork will become chaotic.

As Bai Xuanxin read, her gaze fell upon a breathing mantra appended to the back of the book.

The mantra clearly leans towards breath-holding and power generation, suitable for short-range, sudden movements. It's effective if you're only trying to gain the upper hand in a few steps; however, if you're dodging and changing direction repeatedly, your breath will easily become disordered. At best, you'll get a stitch; at worst, your vision will go black, and even the most skillful footwork will become useless.

Upon seeing this, Bai Xuanxin did not rush to pick up her pen to make changes.

Because he knew very well that breathing was different from punches and kicks.

You can first understand the move illustrations;

To figure out exactly where and how much to change the breathing technique, we can't just guess by looking at it. We have to wait until we actually start practicing the steps and then try and adjust it little by little.

So he simply kept this flaw in mind, preparing to focus on verifying it during later practice.

When it was time for "The Great Capturing Hand," the light in Bai Xuanxin's eyes shone even brighter.

This skill isn't particularly profound, but among the thirty-six styles of grappling, many techniques—wrist locks, elbow locks, tendon splits, bone dislocations, and acupoint blockages—reveal the practical strength gained by those who risked their lives. Bai Xuanxin wasn't just observing how it attacked, but also where it struck and why it struck there.

The original text only advocates for a hard twist and bend in the wrist technique. Bai Xuanxin, however, immediately saw that this was too clumsy. Although the wrist is small, it is where the tendons of the forearm converge. The Hand Yangming, Hand Shaoyang, and Hand Taiyang meridians all pass through the wrist, and the areas around Yangxi, Yangchi, and Yanglao are also key points for tendon and meridian circulation. If one only knows how to twist rigidly, it is merely a contest of who has the harder wrist bones; but if one first controls the base of the thumb, then presses down on the ulnar side, and the tiger's mouth loosens, the strength of the entire forearm will dissipate. In terms of tendon and bone structure, it is to first disrupt the opponent's axis of force, and then force the wrist joint to deviate in the most unfavorable direction. In this way, one does not need to use too much force, and it will be very difficult for the opponent to grip the entire hand and exert force.

Turning the page further, you'll find a hand gesture that closes the throat.

The manual describes using the tiger's mouth to lock the throat, compressing the trachea and forcing the person to suffocate.

Bai Xuanxin shook her head slightly after reading it.

This method is too straightforward and too laborious.

In close combat, the neck is indeed vulnerable, but it's also the area most easily protected by instinct. If you're solely focused on choking someone's throat, you'll often have to brace yourself against the opponent's shoulders, arms, and neck muscles. If you get even slightly tense, you'll easily get into a grappling match. But in a life-or-death situation, the worst thing you can do is grappling.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Renying and Futu acupoints are considered vital points for the flow of Qi and blood. Anatomically speaking, these areas are close to the carotid artery, the carotid sinus, and the vagus nerve. While most people know that these areas are dangerous, they may not understand why a single blow can cause dizziness or even fainting.

Bai Xuanxin, however, knew.

In some places, not much force is needed.

If the angle is right and the landing point is accurate, it's much faster and less strenuous than strangling someone by the throat.

Thinking of this, he didn't arbitrarily change the original move in writing, but silently added a layer of usage in his mind:

In actual combat, this move doesn't necessarily have to be a "chokehold".

Furthermore, one can use their stance to feign a strike to the front of the neck while actually striking the side of the neck.

Once he makes a move, he doesn't linger or get bogged down in a fight.

Next came the techniques of elbow strikes, shoulder locks, knee restraints, wrist flips, and bone dislocations. Bai Xuanxin copied them down while silently analyzing them in his mind. He memorized which move was most energy-efficient when landing on the joints, which move was most effective when using acupoints to guide the tendons, and which place that originally required brute force could actually be broken down by simply changing the angle.

He did not belittle his predecessors, nor did he readily dismiss the secret manuals as worthless.

In his view, these martial arts techniques were already a well-established framework. The predecessors were responsible for paving the way, and all he had to do was add a few more refinements to this framework, making it more flexible, more in line with the meridians, and more in line with the human body's structure.

Ultimately, this isn't about tearing everything down and starting over.

It simply refines the original crude and direct "killing move" into something more economical, precise, and ruthless.

An hour is neither a long nor a short time.

By the time Bai Xuanxin finished copying both kung fu manuals, the sun had risen considerably, and the light filtering through the window was much brighter.

He blew the paper dry, carefully folded it, put it in his pocket, and gently placed it back on the shelf before getting up and leaving the house.

"Have you made your choice?" Elder Zhang was still half-reclined in the armchair, too lazy to even open his eyes fully.

"Reporting to Elder, this disciple has finished copying," Bai Xuanxin said, bowing. "Thank you for your assistance, Elder."

The one-eyed old man grunted in response, asked no further questions, and simply waved his pipe, signaling him to leave.

Bai Xuanxin turned and left the pavilion, where she was greeted by bright sunlight.

The morning mist had dissipated, and the mountain vegetation was glistening with dew. The shouts from the distant martial arts arena were even louder than before. Bai Xuanxin stood on the stone steps, raised his hand to press the handwritten copy in his robes, but his expression showed no trace of smugness.

He knew very well that knowing how to train didn't mean his body could train it. What you can understand in your mind, to truly turn into your instincts, you still have to practice again and again, hone it time and time again, until your muscles and bones memorize it, until it becomes a habit, until when you're on the verge of life and death, you don't have time to think, your body will move on its own.

Especially in Shenshou Valley, Mo Juren's situation has already begun to turn.

If he wants to truly get involved in the future, he must not just stop at the stage of "understanding".

Bai Xuanxin looked up towards the back mountain and slowly exhaled.

"First, master the steps of the 'Luoyan Step,' then try to adjust the breath control. As for the 'Great Capturing Hand'..." He narrowed his eyes, his expression gradually darkening. "If Qu Hun is truly like the one in the original story, a lifeless being who knows no pain or fear, then ordinary acupoint striking and pulse taking might not be very useful. We need to master dislocating bones, locking joints, and limiting positions until we are completely incapacitated."

As he spoke, he stepped out.

The steps underfoot were still just ordinary walking, but in the breaths, they were already subtly trying out the rhythm of "Luoyan Steps".

The mountain wind rustled through his sleeves. The boy, dressed in thin grey clothes, gradually steadyed his steps.

The expression in Bai Xuanxin's eyes gradually calmed down.

Starting today, what he needs to do is actually very simple—

First, hone this mortal martial art to the highest level you can.

First, establish a firm foothold within the Seven Mysteries Sect;

Let's wait for the inevitable turn of events, and take it one step at a time.

In the distance, the mountains and forests are deep and secluded, with the faint sound of springs.

Bai Xuanxin composed himself and turned to head towards the deserted, dense forest behind the mountain.

His true path has only just begun.