After the Great Dao died

The human figures in the painting are twisted like strange pines and rocks, with hunched shoulders and backs, and bent knees and elbows. Every turn is marked with a small note explaining how to regulate the breath, how to exert force, and how to guide the qi with intention to vibrate specific muscles and bones.

Without a foundation built over a hundred days, forcibly practicing this technique can lead to anything from torn tendons to serious damage to internal organs, leaving behind hidden ailments.

Chen Lingxi stared at him for a long time.

The evening clouds hung low outside the window, another snowfall seemed imminent, and the sky was dim, like gray glass.

The room was dark, and the writing gradually blurred, but he felt as if the nine postures had come alive, disassembling and reassembling them one by one in the dim light, and imprinting them into his mind.

"Give it a try."

These three words rose silently from the bottom of his heart, yet they filled him with inexplicable excitement.

He pushed open the door and went out of the house.

The secluded courtyard was empty; although the snow had been swept away, solid ice still clung to the cracks in the stones, and the chill seeped up from the soles of the feet.

Several servants, also dressed in gray-brown short coats, shivered as they passed by the courtyard gate. They caught sight of him standing alone in the courtyard, their eyes filled with the usual numbness and a hint of barely perceptible mockery—this new government slave must have frozen stupid.

I don't know why he has a private house!

Chen Ling ignored him and closed the courtyard gate.

He took off his outer short coat, leaving only a thin old shirt, and slowly closed his eyes.

First, take a deep breath according to the breathing method, letting the air enter through the nose, stop in the throat, sink into the chest and diaphragm, and then into the dantian.

That familiar warmth then flowed through, dispelling the chill from my skin.

Then, he moved according to the starting move of the first move, "Restoring the Mountain's Momentum," which he remembered from memory.

With the right foot firmly planted and the left foot lightly touching the ground, the body slightly turned to the side, the right arm is slowly raised upwards as if embracing a huge object.

The movements were extremely slow, so slow that you could hear the faint "click" sound as your joints extended, and the muscle fibers seemed to be stretched and tightened inch by inch.

Unlike the strange postures of the breathing exercises, the "Mountain-Moving Technique" does not seek a long pause in the breath, but rather the connection between strength and intention!

Simulates holding onto mountains and stepping on solid rocks!

The first variation was completed surprisingly smoothly.

Contrary to expectations, there was no stifling pain. Instead, the warm breath seemed to sense something and spontaneously flowed towards my right arm, causing my muscles and bones to feel slightly hot, as if I were being soaked in warm water.

Chen Lingxi calmed her mind and continued her actions without stopping.

The second transformation involves twisting the body backward and pressing down with the left arm as if pressing down on a raging torrent.

The third transformation is that the spine arches up segment by segment, as if carrying the blue sky on its back;

The fourth transformation: knees crossed and sinking, as stable as an old pine tree with its roots firmly planted...

He completed the nine variations of the move in one go!

When Chen Lingxi finished his stance and stood still, a thin layer of sweat had appeared all over his body.

The sweat, upon encountering the cold air, turned into white vapor that rose up and swirled around his hairline and shoulders.

His breathing was slightly rapid, but his eyes shone brightly.

"Not only was I unharmed, but I felt completely comfortable."

His joints are very comfortable, and his movements are smooth and agile.

Furthermore, a new and vigorous heat surged from the depths of his limbs and bones. At first, it was as weak as a stream, but as he directed his breathing exercises, the heat suddenly became intense!

It was as if there was a furnace inside him that was about to awaken, and now the "Mountain-Moving" movement and the strange breathing together pried open a crack!

Scalding hot breath burst forth, surging and overflowing along the blood vessels and meridians.

This aura is completely different from the gentle, pure energy cultivated through breathing techniques!

As this energy flowed through, a subtle yet distinct tingling and stinging sensation spread through Chen Lingxi's flesh and bones.

He couldn't help but let out a low groan and clench his fists.

This is……

He suddenly recalled the description of the "Iron Body Realm" in the Seven Styles of Ceasefire: "When the Qi and blood are first formed, they flow like mercury, penetrating the skin and membranes, gradually strengthening the flesh and bones. With every move, a strong wind follows."

Strong wind?

He tried to swing his arm, and a sharp "whoosh" sounded as it cut through the air, much more powerful than usual!

"There does seem to be a strong wind accompanying me; have I already entered the Iron Body realm?"

"If you sense it carefully, the vital energy is still flowing through your body, limbs, and bones."

Chen Ling closed her eyes to feel, then suddenly opened them!

Because he discovered that the blood and qi in his body, which had just entered the Iron Body Realm, were now mixed with the "qi" cultivated through the breathing techniques...

They exist simultaneously!

"The reason I completed the hundred-day martial arts foundation building so quietly is because the breathing technique generated [Qi]—let's call it [炁] for now!"

"The Qi seems to have transformed my physical body, even stimulating, transforming, and strengthening what is known as 'Qi and Blood'!"

Within him, two forces coexist, running parallel without conflict.

Qi even nourishes the newly born blood and qi.

"Could it be that the Qi cultivated through breathing techniques and the Qi and blood sought in the foundation building of martial arts are of the same origin?"

"Or perhaps, that Qi is something even more ethereal and unfathomable?"

Chen Lingxi stood blankly in the cold twilight wind, letting the newly generated, fiery blood rush through her body.

Snowflakes began to fall again, landing on his feverish skin and instantly turning into white vapor.

"In any case, this is a good thing."

"That would be perfect."

A glint appeared in his eyes as the incomplete scroll of the Seven Styles of Ceasefire swirled in his mind!

"Seven Techniques to Cease War: Pulling Back Mountains, Dividing Rivers, Collapsing Cities, Stabilizing the Seas, Severing Thoughts, Harmonizing Qi, and Cease War!"

"By drawing the mountain to ignite the furnace, dividing the river to calm the sea, and after the city crumbles and the earth splits, conceal your edge and enter into perfect harmony! This incomplete scroll only records the first four forms. If he can master all four, he can also reach the perfected state of Silver Bone!"

Chen Lingxi's cultivation of the [Mountain-Suppressing Force] technique proceeded without hindrance, so he thought he would try practicing the [River-Dividing Force] technique!

He then began in a horse stance, slowly pushing his right palm outward, as if cutting water with a palm knife.

He tried to regulate his breathing, guiding his qi with his mind, wanting to bring the newly generated qi and blood into the base of his palms and forearms...

However, the newly generated blood and energy seemed too weak. It dispersed throughout his body and was absorbed into his muscles and bones. Before it could even reach his palms and forearms, it had already dissipated completely.

So Chen Ling stopped his attack and did not press the matter further.

"The force of the mountain gathers qi and blood, tempers the body, and makes the skin, muscles, bones, and internal organs of the whole body have iron-like properties! The force of entering the river makes the qi and blood in the whole body surge and even boil!"

If the Qi and blood are insufficient, the prerequisites are not met, and it is naturally impossible to complete the "entering the river" movement.

"One still needs to persist in cultivating the mountain's momentum and accumulating qi and blood."

He stopped thinking about it and instead resumed his practice of the Mountain-Swept Technique. He unleashed all nine variations of the technique, and the wisp of Qi within his body seemed to be helping him refine his physique and generate blood and energy...

Half an hour passed, and Chen Lingxi was finally exhausted, with excruciating pain emanating from the muscle fibers throughout her body.

He endured the pain and returned to the house, his body hunched over, practicing breathing exercises.

Several strange, pure energies were exhaled into his mouth and eventually fell into his dantian, merging with the wisp of qi within it!

And that wisp of Qi flowed through his body.

Chen Lingxi immediately felt the pain lessen and her body was no longer so tired.

"This wisp of Qi... is simply wondrous."

"The incomplete scroll of the Seven Forms of Ceasefire says that after a hundred days of foundation building, one should practice the technique of 'reversing the mountain's momentum. If one can persist for half a quarter of an hour, one is considered to have extraordinary martial arts foundation. With the help of that wisp of Qi, I was able to persist for a full half hour."

Now, I can rely on this wisp of Qi to speed up the recovery process, without even needing medicinal baths or supplements…”

Chen Lingxi felt much more at ease...

"By diligently cultivating oneself, one can lay the foundation for escaping the cage of worldly constraints!"

-

Ten days passed quietly.

In just ten days, Chen Lingxi has changed a lot.

His once slender body, though not exactly robust, had become more solid. His face was still thin, but the dullness had faded, revealing a very faint, warm luster, like a piece of ordinary iron that had just been touched by the first spark of the furnace.

After ten days of practice, Chen Lingxi's breathing became longer and more refined, and the wisp of Qi in his dantian was already as thick as a little finger.

After practicing the Mountain-Turning Technique for ten days, his Qi and blood became increasingly vigorous, and his skin, fascia, bones, and muscles underwent numerous changes.

On this day, Chen Ling washed up and left the hospital, arriving at the back garden.

The north wind swept through the corridors and eaves, lifting the snow curtain in the back garden—the ice patterns on the pond surface were like cracked silk, and the Taihu stone rockery was covered in snow.

The cold wind battered the trees, and the severe frost clung to the orchids in the courtyard; the scene in the garden was extremely beautiful.

Chen Lingxi, wearing the new winter clothes that the West Courtyard had bestowed upon her as a reward for her previous flower arrangement, walked in the back garden.

After ten days of arduous practice, his five senses were greatly enhanced.

If you look closely at this moment, you can clearly see the trajectory of the snowflakes swirling in the air, the patterns of ice crystals forming on the branches, and even the trembling of the tender yellow stamens in the heart of the winter plum blossom in the distance.

He strolled slowly through the garden, his eyes discerning, glancing over the snow-covered holly hedges, the frost-bitten banana leaves, and the tenacious saxifrage growing among the rocks... finally stopping at a sheltered stone wall.

Four kinds of plants grow there.

One of the old vines, gnarled and twisted like iron, climbed up the wall.

Secondly, the withered lotus, though its leaves are broken and its stems are snapped, still sways gently like bells when the wind blows.

Thirdly, the moss, still green, allows snowflakes to fall on it without melting, piling up into extremely fine jade-like sand.

Fourthly, icicles hang more than three feet from the eaves, their surface crystal clear.

"Old vines as bones, withered lotus as spirit, moss as breath, and icicles as crystals—all four elements are present; this should be enough to satisfy Lin Longyue."

Chen Lingxi muttered to herself as she prepared to pluck the old vine.

Suddenly, footsteps broke through the snow!

The footsteps were swift and solid.

"Someone's there!"

Upon hearing the sound, Chen Lingxi's back tensed slightly. Before she could turn around, a strong gust of wind struck the back of her head!

Someone punched him!

That punch came without warning!

Before the fist even landed, a wave of hot, bloody air rushed towards my neck!

Chen Lingxi's blood and qi suddenly surged, and his muscles immediately tensed.

He didn't have time to think about it. He just sensed the direction of the fist wind and his body bent slightly like a tangerine in the wind!

"laugh!"

The force of the punch grazed his right shoulder, tearing his new winter coat in two, the cotton fibers scattering like snowflakes falling from the sky.

Chen Ling spun around and stood firm, then looked up.

Wang Kong, who had delivered medicine to him and Liu Changle a few days ago, stood five steps away. He wore a dark blue silk robe with a black fox fur coat over it, and the piece of Hetian jade on his black velvet cap shone brightly in the snow.

His narrow eyes gleamed with a cold light, but a smile played on his lips: "Oh, no wonder you're one of the only two medicine slaves to have survived."