Chapter 16

Everything fell silent.

The room was in disarray, with wooden tables and beds destroyed, and pots and pans scattered in the corner. There were many feathers and bloodstains scattered everywhere.

The walls were covered with numerous scratches, as if they had been slashed by countless swords and knives. Even the water jar was broken, but fortunately, the spiritual water inside was almost gone.

The cold-year grass, which had gradually turned silver due to the nourishment from the dishwater, managed to survive. However, the broken tripod used for planting the cold-year grass, which had fallen in the corner, seemed to have a corner broken off.

Qin Xianyu looked at the mess in the room and smiled bitterly. However, the six inches of innate primordial ancestral qi in his ancestral aperture were real. With just a thought, he could follow the cultivation route of the Purple Mansion Primordial Ancestral Qi True Technique and circulate it through his entire body’s meridians.

With true qi in his body, Qin Xianyu felt extremely light, as if he could fly with just a step. His breathing was very orderly, and he could faintly sense his internal organs. When he clenched his hand, he felt a great deal of strength.

Daoist Guanxu sat cross-legged on the ground, slightly opening his eyes, but they were already quite turbid. His head was full of white hair, and his face was covered with wrinkles. He sighed and said, "The old Daoist has cultivated thirteen inches of true qi over a hundred years, but only one inch remains. The rest has all been transferred to your body. You are quite ambitious, managing to retain six inches. It was not in vain for the old Daoist to have such a hard time. However, this true qi is not cultivated by you, so you still need to refine it to use it freely. This step is not difficult."

Qin Xianyu nodded in agreement. He clenched his teeth lightly, looking at the withered old Daoist, his expression low.

"You don’t need to be sad. Having you as my successor is already a great comfort. I believe my junior brother Guanyun can rest in peace." Daoist Guanxu’s voice was slightly lower and weaker: "I originally thought that the thirteen inches of true qi could be enough for you to retain just a thread, but you managed to retain six inches of innate primordial ancestral qi. Among those who have cultivated true qi, you are already a top-notch person."

The old Daoist looked up and said to Qin Xianyu, "Although you cultivate true qi, it is actually similar to the internal strength of martial artists. In terms of cultivation depth, you have already surpassed those young heroes of the past. However, you lack skills and techniques, so you are still insufficient in a real fight."

Qin Xianyu was self-aware. He did not know any techniques or movements, making him like a brute with only strength. He still needed to refine himself.

Daoist Guanxu said, "I have a book here, which is the old Daoist’s notes from traveling the world. It contains various strange stories and insights. If you want to travel the world in the future, you can read it. In it, there are also many records about martial arts, which you can read a bit, but you should still focus on cultivating true qi and not waste your great prospects."

Qin Xianyu bowed his head slightly and said softly, "Disciple understands."

Daoist Guanxu nodded slightly, paused for a moment, and said, "Do you... have any questions?"

Qin Xianyu knew that the old Daoist, having lost his true qi to protect his organs, was already at the end of his life. Even though he had drunk two cups of pure spiritual water from the jade pills, it could only sustain a thread of life. Speaking too much would be very detrimental to his body. Qin Xianyu had many questions in his heart but finally shook his head.

"You can speak your mind," Daoist Guanxu’s eyes showed a hint of satisfaction, "The old Daoist’s life is short, and if I can remove some obstacles for you, it would be a great help. I have already cut off many of my own lifelines to lay the foundation for you. Why would I be attached to these last few days? You can speak your mind, don’t let me have any regrets."

Qin Xianyu clenched his teeth lightly and said, "Disciple still has some confusion about the relationship between cultivating true qi and martial arts."

Daoist Guanxu laughed and said, "In the realm of cultivation, there are three stages: qi sensation, true qi, and external emission of true qi. These correspond to the three stages of martial arts: circulation of blood and qi, internal strength, and external emission of internal strength."

"However, martial arts are easier to see results. Even if you can’t circulate blood and qi, knowing a few techniques can still provide self-defense. For us cultivators, even if we achieve qi sensation, it is not very useful. Only when we cultivate true qi can we be compared to those with internal strength."

"Compared to internal strength, which is fierce and based on blood and qi, it is more powerful but also more likely to harm the body. True qi, on the other hand, focuses on health and longevity. Although it is not as fierce as internal strength, it can strengthen the body, protect the organs, and extend life."

After a pause, Daoist Guanxu looked at Qin Xianyu and said, "Although true qi is not as fierce as internal strength, you are not inferior to ordinary people with internal strength. True qi can protect the organs, strengthen the body, and extend life. With your six inches of true qi, you can live for at least a hundred years."

Qin Xianyu was slightly surprised. People usually live for only a few decades, and living for a hundred years is already considered a long life, let alone exceeding a hundred years.

"Although internal strength is fierce, it can harm the body, and in old age, it can easily lead to death. Only those who have achieved the grandmaster level of external emission of internal strength can use flowers and leaves to injure others. At this level, they focus on health and longevity, but it is not as effective as the true qi of cultivators."

Daoist Guanxu said, "True qi, although not as fierce as internal strength, is gentle and can promote health and longevity. If you cultivate nine inches of true qi, you can achieve external emission of true qi, and you can use flowers and leaves to injure others."

Qin Xianyu was slightly intrigued and hesitated, "What is the realm of external emission of true qi like?"

After saying this, Qin Xianyu secretly looked at the mess in the room, feeling a bit frightened. If he could achieve such abilities, wouldn’t it be no different from divine techniques?

"Based on my experience, when you cultivate nine inches of true qi, you can achieve external emission of true qi. At that time, all 365 acupoints in your body can breathe and exhale, just like your mouth and nose." Daoist Guanxu slowly said, "From then on, dust will not stick to you, and external objects will not invade you. With just a thought, you can emit true qi to clear a one-meter radius around you."

Qin Xianyu was surprised, "Can external emission of true qi resist knives, spears, and arrows?"

Daoist Guanxu laughed, "If someone swings a knife at your face, can you blow it away with a breath?"

Qin Xianyu was speechless.

"External emission of true qi is not very mysterious. All 365 acupoints can breathe. Even if you exert yourself, the force of the emitted true qi is only slightly stronger than a normal person’s full breath, like a gentle breeze, not the legendary protective wind."

Daoist Guanxu looked at the mess in the room and laughed, "This might be a phenomenon during the transmission of skills, or it might be because you took the jade pills and spiritual water. In any case, when I was at my peak, the scene of external emission of true qi was not as shocking as this."

Qin Xianyu was slightly disappointed but did not show it on his face.

"Don’t be disappointed. After all, our main goal is longevity, and divine techniques are secondary. Moreover, if you can achieve such a protective wind today, when you reach a higher level in the future, you might also achieve such a strong protective wind during external emission of true qi."

Daoist Guanxu laughed, "Even if not, with the cultivation of thirteen inches of true qi, you can use flowers and leaves to injure others, and even use a sword to split stones. Such abilities are already considered divine in the eyes of ordinary people, almost as good as the peak of martial arts."

Qin Xianyu, hearing this, became curious and asked, "Since you said that nine inches of true qi can achieve external emission of true qi, why do you have thirteen inches of true qi?"

"I don’t know either. After achieving external emission of true qi, my true qi continued to grow. Later, it reached thirteen inches and filled the ancestral aperture, and then it stopped." Daoist Guanxu shook his head, "Actually, the cultivators I have seen, who have achieved external emission of true qi, have all stopped at nine inches. Even those grandmasters of martial arts who have achieved external emission of internal strength do not have as thick true qi as me."

"Ordinary people stop at nine inches of true qi, but the Purple Mansion Primordial Ancestral Qi True Technique can still grow after achieving external emission of true qi?" Qin Xianyu had a slight understanding, "Maybe this cultivation technique is different from ordinary techniques."

Daoist Guanxu said a lot, perhaps to avoid discouraging Qin Xianyu. He pondered for a moment and said, "Although true qi is not as fierce as internal strength, it can promote health. When you reach the level of external emission of true qi, with thirteen inches of innate primordial ancestral qi, your true qi is thick, and it is actually deeper than the cultivation of those grandmasters of martial arts, making up for the shortcomings between true qi and internal strength. Just like the old Daoist, even grandmasters of martial arts might not be my match."

Qin Xianyu, after being enlightened, said solemnly, "Master can rest assured. Cultivation is for longevity, and the rest is just external force. The external force we gain from cultivating true qi is already comparable to those skilled in martial arts, which is enough to be proud of. Moreover..."

Qin Xianyu paused slightly, his tone changing, "Martial arts, at the grandmaster level, are already at the limit of human potential, and it is difficult to further develop. However, for us cultivators, there is still a path ahead. For example, the protective wind, the Daoist sword, and the jade pills are all extremely divine, indicating that there are even more mysterious realms of immortality above the level of external emission of true qi."

With Qin Xianyu’s calm nature, saying such proud words felt a bit stiff.

Although the old Daoist could tell he was deliberately trying to sound proud to make him happy, he still smiled genuinely, "That’s right. Martial arts are ultimately human skills, and they reach their peak at the grandmaster level. However, we cultivators aim for longevity and immortality, and there is still a path ahead."

Seeing the old Daoist’s smile, which showed his aged and frail state, Qin Xianyu felt a lump in his throat. He wanted to say something to make him happy but didn’t know where to start.

"In recent days, the old Daoist has only had you cultivate that one sword technique and not taught you any sword techniques or movements, because I noticed something peculiar." Daoist Guanxu said in a low voice, "I was afraid that practicing sword techniques would affect the changes of that one sword, making it less pure and losing its charm, so I did not teach you."

"In the later part of the Purple Mansion Primordial Ancestral Qi True Technique, there are the old Daoist’s lifetime insights into cultivation, including talismans, formations, and feng shui environments."

"When you engrave the fire talisman on the Daoist sword in the future, you can refer to the old Daoist’s insights on talismans. Also, the reason I had you only cultivate that one sword is related to these insights on talismans."

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