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

Li Chang'an steadied his mind, controlled his Qi, and steadily entered the Jiaji Pass.

When the Qi flows through the Jiaji point, that place also begins to heat up, as if a new point of light has been lit on a dark map.

Immediately afterwards, Li Chang'an controlled his Qi to head towards Yuzhen Pass. Then he discovered that the technique of "relaxation" was starting to fail, and his Qi seemed to be stuck in a quagmire, making progress very difficult.

He calmed his mind and quickly stabilized his Qi, controlling it to move slowly and steadily as before, but it still didn't work.

Relaxing didn't work, and going slow didn't work either, so he started trying to speed up.

Then, he discovered that the Qi, which had been stagnant, suddenly began to move, and very quickly.

"It turns out that this section of the road requires rapid flow of Qi, like driving on a highway."

Li Chang'an maintained this momentum and rushed into Yuzhen Pass. The warmth reached his head, and then his Qi stopped moving much.

Having learned from his previous two experiences, Li Chang'an slowed down and tried again, but still found it difficult. He then sped up, but it remained difficult.

After several attempts, Li Chang'an felt a sense of obscurity. He thought of a possibility, and with a sudden impulse, he rushed forward, and the stagnant Qi was instantly released.

Li Chang'an immediately understood: "This hurdle is like climbing a hill; you have to use all your strength."

He maintained this momentum and began to exert force, and his Qi surged forward, heading straight into the Niwan Palace.

In an instant, it was as if some barrier had been smashed open, and a warm feeling rushed straight to the top of his head. Li Chang'an felt his mind clear up, as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining.

Immediately afterwards, he guided the Qi downwards, while simultaneously curling the tip of his tongue back, using the underside of the tongue to fix the upper palate.

The reason for doing this is because there is an acupoint on the upper jaw called Tianchi.

This acupoint connects to the Niwan Palace, where the primordial energy descending from the Niwan Palace needs to be transformed into nectar and ambrosia.

The downward flow of Qi was countless times simpler than the upward flow of Qi. Without Li Chang'an's much guidance, the Qi immediately merged into his saliva, and instantly, the originally ordinary saliva became incredibly sweet.

Is this the nectar of the gods?

Li Chang'an only savored the taste for a moment, but the sweet saliva kept increasing. After reaching a certain point, he didn't even need to swallow it; it just flowed down his throat, through the twelve-story tower, into the Crimson Palace, and then smoothly into his lower dantian.

After completing this cycle, Li Chang'an felt warm and comfortable all over, and his spirits were more vibrant than ever before.

He opened his eyes and looked at Lu Jin: "Grandpa, I've done it, I've completed a small circulation... I've done it!"

"It's done?!"

Lu Jin looked at Li Chang'an with surprise. He knew that Li Chang'an would not be stumped by this challenge, but he did not expect that he would succeed on the first try.

The only person he knew who succeeded in moving the Zhou Tian vessel on his first attempt was that old scoundrel Zhang Zhiwei.

Of course, this kind of thing is quite private, and most people wouldn't talk about it everywhere.

It's just that Zhang Zhiwei is a big mouth; once he starts talking about cultivation, he starts rambling on and on about all his messy affairs.

Although it was an unlucky event like Zhang Zhiwei's, Lu Jin was still very happy that Li Chang'an succeeded in moving the Zhou Tian on his first attempt.

He glanced at his watch and, realizing only a little over fifteen minutes had passed, exclaimed in surprise again:

"A person who is skilled in the rotation of the River Chariot needs about fifteen minutes to circulate Qi through one small cycle. You are already very close to them on your first attempt at circulating Qi. Chang'an, you have great talent. Cultivate well and don't waste this innate foundation."

Li Chang'an was now refreshed and in better condition than ever before, a time when he was making great strides, and immediately assured him:

"Don't worry, sir, I will definitely cultivate more diligently in the future."

"If you can maintain your current mindset, you will surely achieve great things in the future!" Lu Jin said with a smile. "Come, tell your grandfather about your feelings during this Qi circulation."

"As for my feelings, I do have some."

Li Chang'an then shared his experience in circulating qi.

"I've tried it many times and summarized some patterns. When moving from the coccyx to the spine, you need to relax and go slowly; the Qi will then flow more smoothly!"

"When moving from the Jiaji point to the Yuzhen point, you need to be quick; the faster and smoother the Qi flows, the better!"

"When you reach the Niwan Palace from the Jade Pillow Gate, you need to exert force; the more force you exert, the smoother the flow!"

"Once you get past these three hurdles, the road ahead will be much easier. The secret is not to try to control it. Just watch quietly and let the Qi flow down like water. It will then easily return to your dantian..."

Lu Jin listened quietly, seemingly calm, but her eyes widened as she stared at Li Chang'an, remaining silent for a long time.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?"

After Li Chang'an finished speaking, he saw Lu Jin staring at him blankly with wide eyes. He waved his hand in front of Lu Jin and asked cautiously.

Lu Jin snapped out of her daze, slapped Li Chang'an's hand away, and asked in a dry voice:

"Chang'an, what you're saying... are all patterns you discovered while circulating your Qi just now?"

"Yes!" Li Chang'an nodded, "I feel that circulating Qi is like driving a car. This difference should be the difference in road conditions, right? When circulating Qi, it's easy to notice the bumps in the road."

It's easy to see... how could this kid talk about a method of circulating qi as if it were as simple as eating and drinking... Lu Jin looked at Li Chang'an as if he were a monster, and said softly:

"Your summary is spot on; this is indeed a technique for circulating Qi."

"From the coccyx point to the Jiaji point, you must walk slowly and carefully, as gently as a sheep pulling a cart."

"From the Jiaji acupoint to the Yuzhen acupoint, one must run with great strides, as swiftly as a deer pulling a chariot."

"From the Yuzhen acupoint to the Niwan Palace, one must rush with great force, as fiercely as a tiger pulling a chariot."

"Sheep cart, deer cart, tiger cart, so this technique of circulating Qi is called the Three Carts Force."

When Lu Jin explained to Li Chang'an, he still felt a sense of unreality; his junior brother's great-grandson's talent was a bit too strong.

At this moment, Li Chang'an also had some doubts. So this is what the Three Chariots Force is.

He knew some of the plot, in which the three strategists from Chechi Kingdom in Journey to the West—the Sheep Power Immortal, the Deer Power Immortal, and the Tiger Power Immortal—were used to describe the three Chechi powers. However, he hadn't paid close attention to these small details when reading the plot, so his impression of them wasn't deep.

Most importantly, he had never ridden in a tiger-drawn carriage or a deer-drawn carriage, so he didn't think about these things at all when he was practicing Qi circulation.

He was simply concentrating on circulating his Qi and summarizing the patterns within it, but unexpectedly, he stumbled upon the conclusion of the Three Chariots of Power.

This so-called method of spiritual practice, when put into practice, is actually so simple and unadorned.

For the first time, Li Chang'an experienced what it meant to have the greatest truths in the simplest way.