Chapter 9

The strange condition within his body was completely imperceptible to Qin Chao, who continued to practice boxing day after day, time and again.

As time passed, the effects of the ancient Tai Chi were astonishing. Qin Chao even had a clear feeling that his body was growing stronger with each practice of the ancient Tai Chi. This motivated him to practice even more diligently. Gradually, the awkward and inaccurate movements became less frequent, and the ancient Tai Chi movements became smoother and more precise. His breathing and mental focus also became more harmonious, and the health benefits became even more evident.

Qin Chao's mental state continued to improve.

Unintentionally, Dao Yufeng and Qin Le Dao were surprised to find that little Qin Chao was eating more and his complexion had become rosy.

Moreover, little Qin Chao's posture and movements, whether standing or sitting, seemed to have a special grace and elegance, somewhat resembling children like Qin Long and Qin Qi, who had good bone structure and robust health.

What they didn't know was that this was precisely the correct posture of an internal martial art.

Internal martial arts have twenty-four principles, including three points, three grips, three embraces, and so on.

An adult practicing internal martial arts first needs to master these twenty-four principles, which form the foundation and require a great deal of effort. However, infants are born with a naturally perfect body, inherently conforming to these twenty-four principles.

Laozi said, "Can you be like an infant?"

Being like an infant is considered the highest realm in Daoism.

Mastering the twenty-four principles ultimately means achieving the state of a healthy newborn infant.

Qin Chao should have been naturally complete in the twenty-four principles, but due to his weak constitution and three years of illness, he lacked continuous and effective training, leading to a deformed body. Therefore, he needed to re-master the twenty-four principles.

As his body grew stronger and the twenty-four principles were gradually mastered, he naturally developed the true appearance of a healthy child.

...

At the first light of dawn, when everyone in the Qin family village was still asleep, little Qin Chao had already opened his eyes. He quickly got out of bed, put on a thick coat, and ran out of the room with swift and agile movements.

Compared to when he had his bones examined, little Qin Chao now had strong and powerful legs, and he wouldn't fall easily no matter how fast he ran.

In the courtyard behind the Qin family house.

Blades of light flickered, and figures moved swiftly, with the sound of intense combat from the clash of weapons.

It was Qin Le Dao and Dao Yufeng practicing their martial arts.

The Qin family's secret technique was the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Saber, so Qin Le Dao specialized in the saber and never practiced other weapons. Dao Yufeng's family also specialized in saber techniques, so she naturally practiced the saber as well. After they became a couple, their daily conversations, apart from discussing little Qin Chao, mostly revolved around saber techniques. Both were martial arts geniuses with similar skill levels, and they made significant progress through mutual discussions and practice.

At this moment, their saber techniques had reached the pinnacle of their generation, and a breakthrough would elevate them to another level.

The blades of light were like a furnace.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, Qin Le Dao looked towards the side of the courtyard.

"Come out!" Qin Le Dao shouted.

Martial artists have rules; they choose secluded places to practice to avoid distractions and to prevent others from stealing their techniques.

Dao Yufeng also stopped practicing and smiled, looking towards the door on the east side: "Xiao Chao, is it you again?"

"Ah, Dad, Mom, good morning!" Little Qin Chao ran out from behind the door, standing in the corner by the wall, and said with a straight face, "Yeah, ah, continue, continue! Just pretend I'm not here, and even if I see something, I won't understand. I'm just a little kid!"

Qin Le Dao was sweating, as if they were doing something shameful.

"What nonsense." Qin Le Dao glared, "Why are you up so early? What are you doing here?" Dao Yufeng, seeing that Qin Chao was only wearing a thick coat, added anxiously, "Yes, Chao, go back to sleep. It's so early, and it's cold and damp. You have a weak constitution; you'll catch a cold."

"It's fine, Dad, Mom. It's almost summer, and Dali isn't the north. It's not that easy to catch a cold, and besides, my body is very strong."

He knew his body best.

After these days of health maintenance and exercise, Qin Chao could clearly feel his body growing stronger. At this point, a slight change in the environment's temperature was not enough to make him sick.

"Hmph, even if you're strong, you still need to be careful. Your body is fragile, and once you get sick, it's serious!"

"I understand." Qin Chao responded but didn't move.

Qin Le Dao and Dao Yufeng exchanged glances. They were increasingly at a loss and frustrated with Qin Chao. Before the bone examination, he was a well-behaved child, but after that, he completely changed, often using the threat of suicide to defy their orders.

Forcing a child to the point of self-harm, they felt they had failed and could only let Qin Chao do as he pleased.

Now, little Qin Chao didn't want to go back to sleep or put on more clothes, and the weather was indeed warmer, so they had no choice but to let him be.

"Um, continue, I woke up early just to watch you practice. If you don't practice seriously, I'll have come for nothing." Qin Chao spread his small hands and said in a childish voice.

Qin Le Dao and Dao Yufeng were both amused and exasperated by his words.

"Yufeng, let's continue!" Qin Le Dao decided to ignore Qin Chao.

Since Qin Chao discovered that they practiced sabers in the courtyard early in the morning four days ago, he had been coming to the courtyard very early every day to watch them practice, which had happened more than once.

"According to the historical records in 'The History of the Martial World,' the crisis that will destroy our Qin family village is over ten years away, but who can say for sure? I need to understand the Qin family's saber techniques as soon as possible." Qin Chao watched his parents in the courtyard.

"Clang!" "Clang!"

Two blades of light collided instantly. Qin Le Dao used a thick-backed large saber, while Dao Yufeng used a flexible saber made of Burmese steel.

This flexible saber could be bent into a rope. Members of the Dao family usually didn't carry swords or sabers when they went out; they appeared to have empty hands, but the saber was actually wrapped around their waist. When needed, they could suddenly draw it, often catching their opponents off guard.

The flexible saber is a unique weapon, much harder to master than a rigid saber.

Qin Chao knew that the saying "a year for the saber, a month for the staff, a lifetime for the spear" did not apply to the flexible saber. In his view, the flexible saber also required a lifetime of practice, but in terms of power, it was slightly inferior to the spear.

The Dao family specialized in the flexible saber.

Once mastered, the flexible saber technique far exceeded the rigid saber technique of the Qin family. Dao Yufeng and Qin Le Dao were evenly matched, but Dao Yufeng's saber techniques were not as refined as Qin Le Dao's.

As time passed, Qin Chao watched very attentively, not even blinking, occasionally frowning or mimicking his parents' movements.

"This kid..."

Qin Le Dao and Dao Yufeng were speechless.

Martial arts are not easy to learn. Even adults, let alone children, would find it difficult to understand. Even if an adult tried to steal techniques by watching, it would be impossible without years of practice and a foundation in martial arts.

Qin Chao's occasional mimicry, though somewhat lifelike, did not make them think that he had memorized any techniques.