Under One Person: Starting with the Dual Cultivation of Body and Soul

Li Chang'an remained in meditation for twenty-four hours. When he woke up, he found Lu Jin still sitting beside him.

Are you hungry?

Lu Jin handed over some bread and milk.

He originally thought that Li Chang'an would stop meditating after a few hours, but he did not expect that he would meditate for 24 hours.

Having strong focus and the ability to endure loneliness is also a kind of talent...

Lu Jin looked at Li Chang'an with eyes full of admiration.

"Grandpa, have you been here the whole time?"

Li Chang'an took the bread and milk and ate heartily. He hadn't eaten for 24 hours. He hadn't felt it when he was in meditation, but after waking up, he realized that his stomach had been growling with hunger for a long time.

"Grandpa said he would protect you," Lu Jin said with a smile.

Although Li Chang'an acted very calmly, he was still worried that the child's curiosity might lead him to recklessly use his Qi and harm himself, so he stayed by his side. As it turned out, he had worried too much.

"How's the observation going?" he asked.

While eating, Li Chang'an said, "I have clearly felt the specific route of Qi circulation. Now I can try circulating Qi through the Small Heavenly Circuit."

"Practicing Qi circulation is no small matter; would you like to take a break?"

"No need, I'm full of energy right now."

Li Chang'an bent his arms, striking a strong pose.

Lu Jin smiled and said, "Meditation is also a form of rest. Since you feel good, you can give it a try."

"But you must remember that the first time you practice Qi circulation, you must do it slowly and carefully feel and experience the various sensations in your body as the Qi flows through your meridians."

Lu Jin patiently gave her instructions.

The "River Turning" technique he's teaching now is just the most basic part of cultivating both body and mind, and it's not very risky. But it's important to cultivate good habits from a young age, since the difficulty and risk of reversing one's birth is far greater than that of the River Turning technique.

"Grandpa, I will be careful."

Li Chang'an nodded, closed his eyes, and assumed the five-heart-facing-the-sky posture.

Lu Jin smiled as he looked at Li Chang'an. Although he had explained the circulation of Qi in the Small Heavenly Circuit very clearly and Li Chang'an understood it, cultivation is always easier said than done. There is a huge difference between understanding and doing.

If cultivating both body and spirit were so easy, then the streets would be full of people who possess both.

Speaking of which, when he first started cultivating, he was stuck at the Jiaji Pass for a period of time.

He went to ask his master, who told him not to rush. The microcosmic orbit of Qi is about the fullness of the innate essence and the firmness of the mind, but the mind is not firm enough and needs further training.

The term "innate" here refers to the primordial Qi.

When a person is born, the primordial energy manifests in the limbs and bones. Over the next ten years or so, the primordial energy continuously nourishes the body, and thus the person begins to grow slowly.

During this process, the innate Qi in the body will be released more and more until it reaches a peak and then begins to decline. This is the process of human growth and aging.

Cultivation requires finding a suitable time. Too early, and the innate Qi is not sufficient to drive the River Chariot, just as a small flow of water cannot drive a waterwheel.

It's too late; the primordial Qi begins to decline, and the same applies.

Generally speaking, this appropriate point is after the age of six, when the baby teeth begin to be replaced, the body's development will reach a small peak, and the body's constitution will begin to become more robust.

If it's not possible at age six, it can be delayed until age twenty-four, at which point the innate Qi in the body will reach its peak.

After that, things start to decline, so if you can't cultivate yourself by the age of 24, you probably won't have another chance.

In Lu Jin's understanding, the vast majority of geniuses among those who have acquired extraordinary abilities begin their cultivation journey around the age of six.

As for the restless mind, it is a manifestation of one's nature.

Even if one's innate constitution is abundant, if one's temperament is not good, and one encounters a small setback during the flow of Qi, one's mind will wander, one's consciousness will be scattered, and one will be unable to concentrate on the Qi, then it will all be in vain.

Lu Jin wasn't worried about whether Li Chang'an's innate constitution was sufficient; those who could quickly obtain Qi were all born with sufficient innate constitution. What he was worried about was whether Li Chang'an's mind was firm.

"If Xiao Chang'an fails to circulate his Qi this time, then we need to add some mental and emotional training for him."

"The best way to temper one's character is to travel and experience things; the more experiences one has, the stronger one's mind becomes."

"As for traveling, he's still young, and seeing too many things might not be a good thing."

"At his age, he's the kind of person who's been pampered and spoiled since childhood, so it's best for him to experience hardship."

"Suffering ranges from the lowest to the highest, with the lowest being physical."

Lu Jin looked at Li Chang'an, already planning in his mind to give him a beating with an iron ruler, an oil hammer, and a chest-breaking exercise. He was determined to make good people out of poverty.

While Lu Jin was weaving a tale of suffering, Li Chang'an's attention was entirely focused on his lower dantian.

In his consciousness, the lower dantian was a void of darkness, but as his thoughts attached themselves to the qi in the dantian, the darkness seemed to be lit by a lamp, and his consciousness shone into it.

Li Chang'an began to guide the Qi within, sending it out from the lower dantian and along the meridians into the coccyx.

Suddenly, he felt a burning sensation in his tailbone, as if it were being roasted by fire, accompanied by a sore and swollen feeling.

He wasn't in a hurry. Before practicing Qi circulation, he had already learned about the sensations that would occur during Qi circulation. These sensations of heat and soreness were normal.

Li Chang'an controlled the Qi to pass through the coccyx and travel upwards along the spine. As the Qi moved, he could also feel a warm sensation moving upwards along the spine.

Because it was his first time circulating Qi, Li Chang'an moved his Qi very slowly. After getting used to the rhythm, he began to increase his speed slightly.

But as he tried to speed up, he discovered that the faster he sped up, the slower he became, as if there was an invisible resistance.

However, this resistance was not significant. Li Chang'an even had a feeling that he could break through it with a strong push.

But he didn't do that. It's like learning to drive. When you're learning to drive for the first time, you should focus on understanding the car and road conditions, not accelerate recklessly.

Li Chang'an recalled his feelings when he was circulating his Qi. When he was slow, he could move at a steady speed, but when he wanted to speed up, he felt some resistance.

With this in mind, he began to slow down his mental manipulation of Qi.

He then discovered that when he didn't try to control it, the Qi moved forward as quickly as a fast horse.

"It turns out that the flow of Qi must be slow on this stretch of road."

"No, it's not slow, it's relaxed."

"Whether you deliberately control the speed or the slowness, there will always be a layer of resistance. The resistance is minimal only when you relax."

"This stretch of road is somewhat like driving downhill."

Li Chang'an noted down this pattern, and then slowly guided his Qi to the Jiaji Pass.

Upon reaching this point, Li Chang'an felt an invisible stagnation, as if he were passing through a thick fog.