Chapter 71: Refining Essence and Transforming Qi (Part 2)

  Xiao Ziyang struck the wall with several more palm strikes, and finally, his fourth strike left a transparent palm print on the courtyard wall. Although the internal energy in his dantian had been depleted somewhat, it was far from being exhausted.

  Splitting Air Palm and Sword Qi are secret techniques that consume a lot of internal energy, they are the ultimate trump cards that even top masters would not use lightly.

  After several afternoons of experimentation and exhausting his internal energy multiple times, Xiao Ziyang finally figured out some characteristics of the internal energy cultivated by "Zi Yu Sheng Yan".

  This inner power is highly compatible with the body, without any risk of going out of control, its usage is extremely powerful and long-lasting, with a very fast recovery speed.

  Xiao Ziyang's palm strike was far more powerful than what was described in the knife spectrum, and the distance it struck was also much farther.

  Xiao Ziyang only exhausted his internal energy for the first time when he chopped out thirteen palms. According to the Jinglong Sword Spectrum, even those with extremely deep internal energy would exhaust their internal energy in just over thirty palms.

  He naturally recovered as before in just a short while after exhausting his inner energy.

  Such a wonderful internal force made Xiao Ziyang click his tongue in wonder, and it was indeed the internal force cultivated by the immortal law.

  According to the records of "Zi Yu Sheng Yan", storing and guiding internal energy is only the first step. Only after the internal energy is full in the dantian, and then inputting the internal energy into the book of "Zi Yu Sheng Yan" will the true cultivation method appear.

  "The Birth of Purple Jade" cultivates internal energy in a way that is vastly different from ordinary qigong methods. It does not involve circulating internal energy through the meridians, but rather refines the body until it is filled with abundant qi and blood, then guides the internal energy out again, repeating this process countless times to fill the dantian with internal energy.

  Xiao Ziyang did not plan to start cultivating the seventh chapter immediately, because from the seventh chapter onwards, several main medicines required for cultivation need to have a fire time of over fifty years.

  In this small county of Nanba, a major production area for medicinal herbs, every year or two there are rumors that someone has become rich and left the county after picking some rare and precious herbs.

  However, this extremely precious medicinal material will be escorted to the headquarters of Shangyuan Huishengtang immediately after receipt, so it is impossible to purchase medicinal materials over 50 years old at Nanba Huishengtang.

  In the mountain village, although there were some medicinal materials that the Chen brothers had seized fifty years ago, the varieties were incomplete and the quantities were far from sufficient.

  The auxiliary medicine required for the seventh chapter of Xiuzhen, which is less than 50 years old, Xiao Ziyang has purchased a lot through Wang Zhanggui of Huishengtang.

  Fifty years or older medicinal materials are qualified to be called heavenly treasures. Huishengtang attaches great importance to such precious medicinal materials. Although Wang Zhanggui is greedy, he does not dare to covet these medicinal materials.

  Furthermore, Xiao Ziyang had once suffered from the bitter consequences of seeking quick success and gains, almost being taken over by his heart demon. This time, he decided to take a steady approach, spending more time practicing the Clear Mind Incantation.

  Xiao Ziyang also planned to practice the Yanbo Swordsmanship, Huajian Step Method, and Qianshi Archery Method recorded in the Wu Jing to improve his self-defense capabilities.

  The three sets of kung fu in Wu Jing are indeed worthy of the creation of martial arts genius Li Mubai, and can be described as vast and profound, with a subtle and unparalleled beauty. The Yanbo Swordsmanship lives up to its name, its invasion is like smoke and fog, leaving no gaps, its advance is like waves, continuous and unbroken.

  The footwork of stepping on flowers is taken from walking in the midst of flowers, with the intention of not getting perfume on one's clothes. It is extremely agile and quick within a small range.

  Qian Shi Arrow Body Method pursues the ultimate straight-line speed in vast spaces.

  Xiao Ziyang had previously been unable to cultivate, but he had pondered the theories in the martial classics countless times, so now that he was cultivating, it was like a fish taking to water.

  The last part of "Zi Yu Sheng Yan" also records a set of "Introspection Methods" that can only be practiced by those who have cultivated the inner energy called "Gui Yuan Qi".

  This is a set of exercises similar to the Turtle Breathing Skill in the martial arts world. After using it, breathing stops, body temperature drops, and at the same time, people cannot move or use internal force. Once internal force is used, the Introspection Method will immediately become ineffective.

  Although he felt that this set of skills was not very effective, Xiao Ziyang still decided to practice it immediately. This is the only skill in "Zi Yu Sheng Yan" that can be used in actual combat.

  He practiced the superior martial arts of Wudangquan with great ease, but when he began to practice the Introspection Method, he encountered enormous difficulties. The route of the Introspection Method was extremely complex, far more so than any other martial art that Xiao Ziyang knew. With his exceptional memory, it took him half a month just to memorize the method. Not to mention actually practicing it.

  It took Xiao Ziyang two whole months to still be unable to grasp this set of extremely abstruse, yet seemingly not very effective techniques. This almost made him give up.

  The method of suppressing his breath was after all a technique in the secret manual for cultivating immortality, and so he tried again and again once he had calmed down.

  During Xiao Ziyang's diligent practice, An Jia sisters decided to try and cultivate the Blood Transformation Sutra.

  The Huaxue Jing is as eerie as most of the evil sect's techniques. At the beginning of its practice, it requires the practitioner to refine a special red blood pill; this was originally nothing, but when Xiao Ziyang saw the formula for this red blood pill, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

  The Chi Blood Pill requires the practitioner to first release several pounds of their own blood, then add the Blood Dissolving Grass to prevent coagulation. The blood is then simmered over low heat, during which dozens of toxic or highly nourishing medicinal herbs are added in a specific sequence and at specific times. Finally, the liquid medicine is slowly dried and ground into pill-sized balls, one of which is ingested before each practice session.

  The route of the Huaxue Jing is extremely dangerous, and if it weren't for the assistance of the Chi Xue Wan, the only outcome of practicing this method would be to die with one's entire body boiling with hot blood.

  Chi Blood Pill can only suppress the cultivator's boiling blood, but cannot eradicate it. Cultivating internal energy in such a painful physical state is a great taboo, and slight carelessness will lead to qi deviation and fire escape.

  According to the records of Huaxue Jing, those who can safely pass the first hurdle in cultivating this method are as rare as one in ten. However, once the first hurdle is cleared, the subsequent cultivation becomes a smooth journey. When refining the Chi Xue Wan, one's own blood is no longer needed, and it can be replaced with the blood of others or even animals, with the blood of martial artists or fierce beasts being the best.

  As a martial artist, he could understand An Jia's sisters' approach of sparing no effort for the sake of profound martial arts. If he didn't have the "Purple Jade Smoke", he probably wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of this top-notch internal skill, no matter how dangerous it was.

  Xiao Ziyang, after careful consideration, copied the first three chapters of "Zi Yu Sheng Yan" and sent them to the An sisters. This manual, in terms of content, is absolutely impossible for anyone to think that it is a cultivation secret book. He wanted to use this method to persuade them to give up practicing Huaxue Jing.

  When Xiao Ziyang handed the first three chapters of "Zi Yu Sheng Yan" to the An sisters, intending to persuade them to give up practicing Huaxue Jing, An Yurong took the manuscript and curiously flipped through a few pages, asking: "Is this your external family skill? It doesn't seem special at all. Why did you bring it to us? You don't want us to practice it, do you? Are you crazy? How can women practice external skills?"