Chapter 61

After making sure that Jiang Xiaorou was sound asleep, Yi Yun quietly withdrew his hand. While Jiang Xiaorou was sleeping, Yi Yun was not idle. He used the innate purple crystal within his body to absorb the energy from the head of the Chi Lin beast.

The Chi Lin beast was a wild beast. When Yi Yun had just broken through to the Meridian Realm, he absorbed the power of the cold python's wild bone. Due to lack of experience, he exerted all his strength to absorb, which resulted in a significant loss, nearly bursting his meridians.

This time, Yi Yun had learned his lesson. He carefully controlled the total amount of energy entering his body. At this rate, the head of the Chi Lin beast would be enough for Yi Yun to use for a month.

As long as he passed the warrior selection in a month, he would gain new resources.

The night grew deeper, and Yi Yun, who had already absorbed enough energy, quietly left the treehouse.

He moved through the forest like a nimble monkey and soon arrived at an open area.

The sky was clear, with the moon like a silver plate. A young man in a hemp robe sat under an old tree, casually leaning against the gnarled trunk. He turned the pages of an ancient green-skinned book under the moonlight, his expression incredibly focused.

A yellowed leaf slowly detached from the old tree trunk and gently landed between the open pages. The young man simply brushed it away, remaining fully engrossed.

The night was dim, but after reaching the fourth layer of the Meridian Realm, Yi Yun could see as clearly at night as he could during the day.

"Turns out the Nine Heavens Dragon Dance isn't just that one move; there are three other moves. These four moves form a complete set..."

After reading the "Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist" left by Lin Xintong, Yi Yun felt that many things he previously didn't understand gradually became clear.

When Yao Yuan taught the warrior trainees, he likely simplified many techniques because he considered their learning abilities to be poor. For a set of moves, he often only taught the simpler ones.

Now, with the complete "Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist," everything was filled in.

"Oh? Lin Xintong's notes say that although the 'Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist' is exquisite, it is ultimately a basic fist technique. One should not be constrained by the routines of the 'Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist.' If one is fixated on its routines, even if they reach the so-called perfect realm described in the 'Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist,' they will not make any further progress!"

Lin Xintong's words made Yi Yun's heart tremble. He immediately focused on this section of her notes.

Lin Xintong's handwriting was elegant, each small character graceful and beautiful, but the content was grand and majestic, leaving Yi Yun in awe!

In Lin Xintong's notes, the highest realm of the "Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist" could only reach the peak of the Purple Blood stage.

This was the so-called "perfection." Beyond this, there was no further advancement.

Unless one switched to a higher-level cultivation method, which could reach the highest realm, such as the "Taia Sacred Law." If one had the ability to obtain it, they could use it.

However, this would present a problem. The "Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist" and the "Taia Sacred Law" were two completely different systems, with no significant inheritance relationship between them.

The "Taia Sacred Law" was created by the founding emperor of the Taia Divine Kingdom, while the "Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist" was unexpectedly obtained by a later emperor of the Taia Divine Kingdom. They were not part of the same system.

Combining two different systems would inevitably result in areas that could not be perfectly integrated.

This was like a high school student on Earth choosing science and getting into university by studying math, physics, and chemistry, but then switching to history in college. This doesn't mean they can't continue learning; if they have good talent, they can still become a great historian. However, the math, physics, and chemistry they previously studied would be wasted, and no one would ask them to use calculus to study historical civilizations.

Switching cultivation methods presents a similar issue. Once one learns the "Taia Sacred Law," the "Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist" becomes useless, serving only to help Yi Yun advance from the first layer of the Ordinary Blood stage to the peak of the Purple Blood stage.

It's like the high school student studying science, only to get an admission letter to university.

This naturally means a waste of resources. Time is precious for martial artists, who must strive to reach higher realms and not waste their time.

Lin Xintong was someone who fought against fate. She aimed to achieve an almost impossible miracle and could not tolerate such waste.

Lin Xintong's method was to transcend the routines, completely digest and absorb the cultivation methods, and make them her own!

This meant forgetting the techniques, transforming the tangible into the intangible, and forging one's own martial path!

Using one's own martial path as the foundation, one could explore a path to the pinnacle of martial arts, fully digesting and integrating all cultivation methods, whether basic, advanced, or top-tier, into one's own martial path.

This way, there would be no waste.

Yi Yun, seeing such grand insights for the first time, felt enlightened.

Indeed, cultivation methods have limits, but the martial path has no limits!

In ancient China, Mencius said, "To believe in a book entirely is worse than having no book at all." True sages, whether reading basic texts like the "Three-Character Classic" and "Hundred Family Surnames," or more advanced texts like the Four Books and Five Classics, or even the works of various philosophers, could integrate all these classics into their own knowledge and ultimately write brilliant works!

I will be a sage, a sage of the martial path!

Yi Yun made this grand vow and studied Lin Xintong's annotated "Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist" even more diligently.

It must be said that this was an advantage of his background. Lin Xintong, coming from a prominent family, had more exposure and thus had a broader perspective and deeper insights.

Yi Yun had only been practicing martial arts for a little over two months. Even with high intelligence, he could not match Lin Xintong in terms of experience.

Experience is accumulated through continuous learning, and even sages start from babbling infants.

Yi Yun spent an hour carefully reading the "Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist" from beginning to end, gaining a great deal!

"I can't just copy Lin Xintong's insights. Everyone's understanding is different, and many things can only be understood intuitively, not explained. I need to have my own insights."

Of course, he should read others' insights but not just parrot them.

Yi Yun carefully put away the secret manual, leaped up, and landed on a large rock.

His body was now filled with the fire energy of the Chi Lin beast. After breaking through to the fourth layer of the Meridian Realm, Yi Yun's greatest advantage was the ability to flexibly control the energy within his body.

The energy from the Chi Lin beast, which he had absorbed in the treehouse, was stored in his dantian. Now, Yi Yun directed it into his Ren and Du meridians, immediately feeling a surge of heat throughout his body.

The heat flowed along Yi Yun's Ren and Du meridians, circulating again and again. Gradually, his entire body felt hot, as if he had soaked in a hot spring for an hour and drunk a large jar of strong liquor!

Taking advantage of this, Yi Yun began to practice the "Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist"!

The energy of the Chi Lin beast surged into his mind, making Yi Yun feel completely relaxed. His body seemed to move on instinct, no longer under his conscious control.

This state of detached consciousness was the best state for practicing martial arts.

It must be said that although Yi Yun's physical constitution was not strong, his intelligence and wisdom far surpassed those of other children his age. Even the prodigies from prominent families were not a match for Yi Yun, who had lived two lives and had his soul further developed.

To advance from the fourth layer of the Meridian Realm to the fifth layer of the Qi Induction Realm, one needed to not only consume precious medicines but also draw in the elemental energy of heaven and earth!

This step was actually even more difficult!

In the Great Wasteland, martial artists could fly through the air, move mountains, and split rocks. Where did such immense strength come from?

Could a few simple meals and wild vegetables provide such energy? Clearly not!

Using Earth's physics to explain, energy is conserved.

To make a horse run, you must feed it grass. The same applies to martial artists. To make a martial artist move mountains, you must give them the energy to do so!

Therefore, while cultivating the physical body, martial artists must continuously consume various precious materials, beast meat, and wild bones, as the energy needed by their bodies is mainly supplied through diet.

After reaching the Qi Induction Realm, martial artists not only need to supplement energy through diet but also absorb the elemental energy of heaven and earth, relying on the energy of the world to nourish themselves.

At higher realms, martial artists can overturn mountains and seas and shatter rivers and mountains. At this point, the main source of strength is no longer diet but the elemental energy of heaven and earth.

Yi Yun completed two rounds of the "Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist." He felt his body was overheated, covered in sweat. Truly, practicing the "Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist" to its essence was a very energy-consuming task.

The energy Yi Yun had absorbed was used up after two rounds. Afterward, this energy would be absorbed into Yi Yun's physical body, nourishing his flesh...