Inner Force Born, Dantian Ablaze

At noon atop Emei Golden Summit, the blazing sun was like molten gold hurled down by the White Emperor.

The ten-thousand-step stone stairs shimmered with hazy waves of heat, while the aerial roots hanging from ancient nan trees congealed into amber-colored ribbons in the hot wind.

The sea of clouds faded into a hazy veil, revealing the continuous mountains beneath, as though they had gathered together and lay coiled.

The back mountain.

Though the fierce sun hung high overhead, mountain winds howled across the back mountain, leaving no trace of oppressive heat.

The bell outside the Bamboo Hut occasionally chimed in the gentle breeze.

Inside the Bamboo Hut, Gu Shao'an sat cross-legged on a cushion woven from bamboo strips, his eyes lightly closed. His abdomen rose and fell with each breath, his expression calm, like a meditating monk.

With Gu Shao'an's breathing, the Qi Foundation within his body slowly circulated as well.

Five consecutive days of tireless cultivation had made the Qi Foundation in Gu Shao'an's body, which had once seemed ready to disperse at any moment, considerably more solid.

When paired with his breathing method, the sensation of qi moving through his body had become several times clearer.

However, at that moment, Gu Shao'an suddenly sensed the Qi Foundation circulating within him become stuck at the Qihai Acupoint beneath his navel, unable to move forward.

Yet Gu Shao'an acted as though he felt nothing and continued cultivating with his breathing method.

A quarter of an hour passed.

Then another quarter of an hour.

Only after half an hour had passed did a unique energy begin quietly brewing from Gu Shao'an's Qihai Acupoint.

The instant this energy formed, it impatiently drilled into Gu Shao'an's dantian.

In an instant, Gu Shao'an felt as though his dantian were on fire, and his lower abdomen burned.

Then, that wisp of energy traveled through his meridians. Gu Shao'an's body felt as though he had approached a furnace in the depths of winter, warm from head to toe.

Inner force was born, the dantian blazed, ten thousand pores awakened with spring, and warm yang suffused the body, as though bathed in a spring breeze.

After a long while, that wisp of inner force returned to his dantian and slowly swam within it like a fish.

At the same time, a notification appeared before Gu Shao'an.

First wisp of Original Inner Force condensed. Achievement Points +10.

"Phew~"

After exhaling a breath of stale air and opening his eyes, Gu Shao'an glanced at the notification before him. A trace of delight flashed through his eyes.

"I finally condensed my first wisp of Original Inner Force."

A martial artist's inner force was divided into ordinary inner force and Original Inner Force.

Ordinary inner force could be restored through meditation and breath regulation even after it had been expended.

But once one's Original Inner Force was depleted, it was gone forever.

Original Inner Force also had another name: cultivation.

The deeper one's foundation, the more abundant one's inner force would become, and the greater its power.

Thus, for martial artists, one's foundation was the basis of cultivation and of utmost importance.

Unless faced with a life-or-death crisis, few people were willing to expend their foundation.

Condensing inner force also marked Gu Shao'an's successful entry through the gates of martial arts.

After calming himself slightly, Gu Shao'an walked straight out of the Bamboo Hut.

On the back mountain, Third Senior Sister Bei Jinyi was instructing Zhou Zhiruo in Willow Leaf Swordplay, while Eldest Senior Sister Zhao Jingxuan and Second Senior Sister Ding Minjun had each chosen a spot to cultivate.

Since they were all on the back mountain, how could any of them dare slack off under Miejue's watchful eye?

Over the past few days, apart from going out every morning to pay his respects to Miejue, Gu Shao'an had spent nearly all his time inside his own Bamboo Hut.

Whenever he grew tired from cultivation, he read the books Zhou Zhiruo had brought him.

Now that they saw Gu Shao'an heading toward Miejue's Bamboo Hut, not only Zhou Zhiruo, but even Zhao Jingxuan and the other two cast surprised looks his way.

However, just as Gu Shao'an reached the outside of Miejue's bamboo courtyard, before he could even speak, a figure swiftly leaped out of the Bamboo Hut and landed steadily before him.

Who else could it be but Miejue?

Her gaze fell upon Gu Shao'an. Sensing the faintly surging inner force within him, which had yet to fully settle, Miejue looked somewhat surprised.

"You condensed inner force?"

Perhaps because she was startled, Miejue's voice was slightly louder than usual.

"Little Junior Brother has already cultivated inner force? So quickly?"

Upon hearing Miejue's words, Zhao Jingxuan and the others could not help showing astonishment as they all gathered around.

Facing Miejue's question, Gu Shao'an bowed. "Master truly has discerning eyes. This disciple has only just condensed his first wisp of Original Inner Force."

Hearing Gu Shao'an's reply, Miejue's eyes flickered.

A moment later, when Miejue looked at Gu Shao'an again, a satisfied expression appeared on her face.

The cultivation of internal arts was inherently like the meditation of an ascetic monk.

Especially at the beginning, when condensing the first wisp of inner force, it was all the more dry and tedious, difficult for ordinary people to endure.

Not to mention a youth like Gu Shao'an—even many people in their thirties could not necessarily endure such monotony every day.

Otherwise, there would not be so many martial artists in the world who remained stuck in the Acquired Realm for their entire lives.

To strengthen his own Qi Foundation and condense his first wisp of inner force in only five days was enough to show that Gu Shao'an had not merely been putting on an act these past five days. He had truly calmed his heart and spent every day sitting in quiet cultivation.

To possess such a steady temperament at his age was even more rare in Miejue's eyes.

As the thought passed through her mind, the satisfaction in Miejue's heart deepened as she looked at Gu Shao'an.

"Just as expected of someone similar to senior brother."

Gathering her thoughts, Miejue said, "Since you have already condensed inner force, I shall teach you Emei's supreme internal cultivation method, the Emei Nine Yang Skill."

Hearing Miejue's words, Gu Shao'an was delighted.

The Emei Sect possessed several internal cultivation methods.

But when it came to the strongest, none surpassed the Emei Nine Yang Skill.

It was said that when Shaolin's Grandmaster Jueyuan passed away, he deliriously murmured portions of the Nine Yang Manual's scriptures.

Zhang Sanfeng, Guo Xiang, and Zen Master Wuse each memorized part of it.

Because the three differed in comprehension and martial attainment at the time, their insights were different as well.

Shaolin's Zen Master Wuse attained the greatest height, Guo Xiang, the Emei Sect's founding ancestor, gained the broadest learning, while Zhang Sanfeng, who had yet to found Wudang, had no foundation in martial arts at the time. Precisely because of this, what he learned was instead the purest.

Thus, among Shaolin, Emei, and Wudang, Shaolin's Zen Master Wuse obtained its "height," Founder Guo Xiang obtained its "breadth," and Zhang Sanfeng obtained its "purity."

The martial arts of the three sects each had their strengths, but it could also be said that each had its shortcomings.

But truly speaking, the Emei Nine Yang Skill was the closest to the Nine Yang Manual. Its breadth even approached seventy percent of the Nine Yang Manual's true essence.

Therefore, when cultivated to an advanced level, the Emei Sect's Emei Nine Yang Skill could, like the Nine Yang Divine Skill within the Nine Yang Manual, produce fierce and formidable inner force, generate inner force at an extremely rapid rate, and even heal injuries.

Though it was inferior to the Nine Yang Divine Skill within the Nine Yang Manual, it was still unquestionably a superior internal cultivation method.

Gu Shao'an took a moment to glance at Zhao Jingxuan, Ding Minjun, and the others.

Seeing that their expressions remained unchanged, Gu Shao'an guessed that they had likely cultivated the Emei Nine Yang Skill as well.

For this, Gu Shao'an could not help feeling fortunate that Miejue was not petty or miserly.

If he had encountered certain stingy masters, even if they possessed superior martial arts, they would certainly keep them hidden rather than pass them on to their disciples.

Some sects had even stricter rules. Certain profound internal cultivation methods would only be taught to the next sect leader.

How could they be like Miejue, who taught Gu Shao'an the Nine Yang Divine Skill as soon as he entered the sect?