Chapter 7

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"Movement and stillness are the mother of yin and yang; yin does not leave yang, yang does not leave yin; yin and yang complement each other, nourishing the divine; the mind is calm, the body is upright, the will and qi circulate..."

Sū Qǐnián silently recited "The Taiji Song," and with a sudden surge of inspiration, he leaped up and stood in the Turtle-Snake Stance.

This is the foundation of "The Turtle-Snake Art," which contains the profound principles of Wudang Taiji. Although Sū Qǐnián is a beginner, he understands that the Turtle-Snake Stance, which appears simple, is actually profound and complex. The deeper one practices "The Turtle-Snake Art," the more one can appreciate the Daoist essence contained within the stance.

Soon, in front of Sū Qǐnián, an ancient divine turtle tore through the air, as if spanning vast ages. Its mottled shell was pitch black, purer than the darkest ink. Accompanied by the grand chanting of "The Taiji Song," one of its claws extended, larger than a millstone, with the skin on the turtle's palm cracked and as ancient as a centuries-old tree.

The mind-monkey roared, flames raging, the will-horse reared, its mane flying, but they could not resist. The ancient divine turtle's claw descended like a mountain, and the mind-monkey and will-horse, which seemed to shrink, were instantly suppressed and vanished.

Sū Qǐnián's gaze cleared, and when he looked again, the mind-monkey and will-horse, as well as the massive divine turtle, had all disappeared.

Calm and composed, Sū Qǐnián sat down again, controlling his qi and blood, which flowed upward, spiraling and rising, following the first star position locked by "The Mind Control Great Art," and rushed toward the first acupoint.

It really exists!

After a few breaths, Sū Qǐnián's eyes brightened. The qi and blood passed through his spine and entered his brain. Unlike acupoints, when the qi and blood surged and approached the star acupoint, he truly felt a barrier similar to a city wall, and a mysterious desire to break through it, as if there was an irresistible temptation behind the barrier.

Without impulsiveness, Sū Qǐnián suppressed his inner desire, mobilized his qi and blood, and carefully surged forward, eventually colliding with the barrier.

Buzz!

A light tremor, as if from the depths of his soul, shook the barrier, but it only trembled and showed no signs of breaking.

However, with this first attempt, the star acupoint was shaken, and Sū Qǐnián clearly felt a mental shock. His third eye, the Ancestral Aperture, felt warm, as if something was stirring, ready to burst forth.

"This seems to be the initial manifestation of starlight and the movement of the North Star, as described in the scriptures, a sign of the initial birth of mental energy!"

Sū Qǐnián's eyes showed surprise, but he quickly calmed down, focusing his mind. Involving the soul and spirit is extremely dangerous, and such martial arts practice must not be accompanied by strong emotional fluctuations.

In the next moment, Sū Qǐnián chanted, and another surge of qi and blood rose. He used two-tenths of his strength, and the two surges of qi and blood merged into one, rushing toward the star acupoint again.

Clang!

This time, it was like the sound of a bronze bell in an ancient temple, and the barrier trembled even more violently but still did not break.

"One effort, two wane, three exhaust!"

After two attempts, Sū Qǐnián's gaze was determined. He took a deep breath, and his qi and blood surged. Four more surges of qi and blood rose, and six surges merged, like a hundred rivers converging into the sea, crashing against the acupoint.

Boom!

A loud sound, like the opening of the universe, shook Sū Qǐnián's entire body. The Ancestral Aperture felt as if pierced by needles, and a cool stream of energy flowed out. His eyes sparkled, and the world before him changed.

"This is mental energy!"

Sū Qǐnián could hardly believe it, but the cool stream of energy emanating from his Ancestral Aperture was real. Although it was weak, Sū Qǐnián could feel a familiar presence, as if it were his own hands, and he could control it with a thought.

His mind became unprecedentedly clear. In the thatched cottage, he could see even the splinters on the bed, and the cold wind outside made the lake ripple, which he could hear clearly.

Many memories flooded his mind, from the trivial to the significant, and even forgotten things reappeared.

Moreover, many classics, scriptures, and martial arts notes that he could not understand before now became clear, and his thoughts were exceptionally clear.

Hmm?

Sū Qǐnián looked up and, through the broken skylight, gazed at the starry sky. The stars twinkled, and the Milky Way was brilliant. He felt a mysterious sensation, but it was vague. The stars tonight seemed closer and more attractive to him than ever before.

Of course, the initial experience of mental energy could not last long, and soon, Sū Qǐnián's expression changed.

"Bad, the mental energy is pressing on the physical body, squeezing the organs!"

At this moment, Sū Qǐnián's breathing was stagnant, and his chest felt as if it were collapsing, as if two invisible hands were squeezing it. The remaining qi and blood in his body could not stop it and were easily overwhelmed.

Huff!

Sū Qǐnián reached out and grabbed the demon tiger meat and tiger bone soup by the fire, devouring them in a moment.

Rumble!

In the next moment, a powerful surge of blood energy erupted in his body, like a tidal wave, and the six-tenths of qi and blood that had been depleted by the acupoint breakthrough were quickly restored and began to surge.

His sunken chest swelled, returning to its original state, and his entire body turned red, with fine, bloody sweat beads seeping from his pores.

At this moment, Sū Qǐnián understood why "The Mind Control Great Art" emphasized the need to use nourishing herbs during the first acupoint breakthrough. The demon tiger meat and tiger bone soup contained a large amount of blood energy. With his current second level of "The Turtle-Snake Art," the amount of food he consumed was already too much and needed to be digested through practice and meditation. To resist the pressure, he consumed two meals, losing control of the balance. The surge of qi and blood now resisted the pressure and began to rebound.

"Turtle-Snake for ten thousand years!"

Sū Qǐnián suddenly stood up and began to practice the first form of the Turtle-Snake Fist, which he had understood at the first level of "The Turtle-Snake Art." Although he was confident he could perform it easily, he still felt a difference when he executed it.

It was incredibly smooth!

He almost grasped every detail of the first form of the Turtle-Snake Fist, every transition of force, and even the overlooked aspects were clear in his mind.

The air around his fist began to produce a whistling sound.

"Fist sound? Fusion and mastery! I actually achieved fusion and mastery with the first form of the Turtle-Snake Fist!"

Sū Qǐnián was greatly surprised. Martial arts techniques are typically divided into four levels: initial mastery, fusion and mastery, profound understanding, and divine essence. Each level is a vast realm, and the transition between them is difficult. Advancement requires sufficient insight and accumulation, and it takes time and effort.

In the past year, Sū Qǐnián had practiced "The Running Horse Strength" and the Horse Form Fist, which he had only just begun to master. To achieve fusion and mastery was a challenge. Now, practicing "The Turtle-Snake Art," a rare foundation-building technique, he had just understood the first form of the Turtle-Snake Fist and immediately reached the level of fusion and mastery, which was almost unbelievable.

The Turtle-Snake Fist, with its powerful and heavy strikes, consumed the surging qi and blood, and this speed exceeded Sū Qǐnián's expectations, gradually achieving a balance with his mental energy.

Meditation!

Five points toward the sky, the cool stream of energy in his third eye retracted, and after a stick of incense.

Sū Qǐnián slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were bright and lustrous, and after a few breaths, the light gradually faded.

Looking at the slightly dimming charcoal in the fire basin, Sū Qǐnián took a deep breath, feeling the strong and abundant blood energy flowing in his body, which was more robust than before and nearing saturation. His skin was also tougher, a clear sign that the second level of "The Turtle-Snake Art" was approaching perfection.

"Mental energy! It has greatly enhanced my memory, and the Turtle-Snake Fist has made significant progress!"

Sū Qǐnián sighed, and his eyes sparkled: "And my meditation, I have only been in a trance for a stick of incense, with advanced qi and blood and tough skin, which is clearly a sign of deep meditation!"

There are five levels of practice: regulation, deep meditation, turtle breathing, innate, and divine illumination. For martial artists to achieve deep meditation, they often need sufficient accumulation before foundation-building, and most achieve it after developing internal true qi.

In Sū Qǐnián's memory, those who could achieve deep meditation before foundation-building in the capital Chang'an were few, mostly descendants of high-ranking officials and royal relatives, with renowned martial artists in their households and deep family traditions, allowing them to surpass their peers.

Now, Sū Qǐnián was certain that "The Mind Control Great Art" had an extraordinary origin and was not just a simple first-class martial art.

Closing his eyes, the mental energy flowed from his third eye, and within a square yard, even the tiniest details were visible. He tried to focus it into a line and extend it, but it was difficult beyond two yards, and it reached its limit at three yards.

After half an hour, Sū Qǐnián gradually became familiar with some applications of mental energy. Of course, as a beginner, he still had much to learn and needed time to refine his skills. Despite this, the birth of mental energy provided significant assistance to his martial arts journey, and as his mental energy improved, this assistance would continue to grow.

Thinking of this, Sū Qǐnián sighed again: "There are twenty-eight star positions, and each one represents a realm. This 'Mind Control Great Art' has twenty-eight levels, but only fifteen star positions have been derived, and the remaining thirteen levels are like flowers in a mirror and the moon in water."

...

After another half an hour, Sū Qǐnián tried to open the second acupoint of the first star position. Although his qi and blood had advanced and his strength had increased, he could only barely shake the acupoint. The rebound of qi and blood almost injured his internal organs, but fortunately, the mental energy intervened, forcibly controlling the qi and blood, preventing real injury. (Please vote for me every day to boost my ranking, and please add me to your favorites!)