Continuous Breakthroughs

Lunch was stewed pork and cabbage with big steamed buns.

Meng Yuan ate far more than usual today, nearly double. The nourishment absorbed by the Essence Flame had doubled as well, yet its growth had diminished.

It was clear that after the Essence Flame reached completion once, its nature had changed as well. It needed to absorb much more than the first time—perhaps even twice as much—to reach completion a second time.

After lunch, the trainees all looked toward Meng Yuan. Wu Changsheng took the lead and asked Meng Yuan to share his experiences and feelings about Opening Acupoints.

"Train diligently and push yourself to your limits. When practicing the Embracing Stake Nourishing Essence Art, the most important thing is to keep your breathing even and spend more time visualizing your own body." Meng Yuan did not keep anything to himself and shared everything he had concluded.

Though he had relied on the Essence Flame to open his acupoints, when it came to diligent training, only Tie Niu in the entire Training Field could compare with him.

After hearing Meng Yuan's words, everyone began chattering and discussing again.

Meng Yuan did not say much more. He merely rose and said, "Master Nie asked me to oversee everyone, but I've never managed anyone before, and I don't know how. You only need to follow the rules Master Nie set and train on time each day. Whether you slack off is your own business, and whether you work hard is your own business. Of course, I hope everyone can help each other and not bully others."

Having said those pointless words, Meng Yuan got up and left the dining hall.

Meng Yuan was brimming with energy and had no habit of taking afternoon naps, so he headed for the Training Field. The others all followed after him.

Without worrying about what others did, Meng Yuan practiced the Embracing Stake Nourishing Essence Art while pondering Master Nie's words.

According to Master Nie, humans had the Upper, Middle, and Lower Three Heavens, for a total of ninety-nine acupoints.

Once an acupoint was opened, one's spirit and strength increased. At the same time, one could nurture True Qi within the acupoints before storing it in the dantian.

Thus, the more acupoints one opened, the more True Qi one possessed. The outward signs of True Qi were greater force, quicker reactions, and stronger vitality, essence, and spirit.

Of course, acupoints were divided into upper, middle, and lower. He had only just entered the Ninth Rank, so he could not yet store much True Qi. Once he reached the Eighth Rank or Seventh Rank, he would open more and more acupoints and possess ever more True Qi.

Then, by moving True Qi through different acupoints, it could be put to even more marvelous uses. One might even wield fiery force or icy intent through one's fists and palms.

Meng Yuan pondered for a while, then began summing things up again. To open acupoints, one needed to temper the sinews and bones externally, while internally nourishing one's essence and calming one's mind. Movement and stillness, tension and relaxation, yin and yang—only then could one better open the acupoints.

Nurturing True Qi followed the same path as the Embracing Stake Nourishing Essence Art. This step was not difficult. The fast could do it in one or two hours, while the slow needed one or two days.

Meng Yuan relaxed his limbs and emptied his mind, focusing only on visualizing the newly opened acupoint.

Before long, he felt his entire body grow faintly warm, and a hazy sensation came over him.

The feeling was exquisitely beyond words, like soaking in a hot bath, like an afternoon nap in summer. Vast and boundless, like riding the wind through empty space, it made one unable to stop, drunk within it.

After an unknown amount of time, Meng Yuan came back to himself. His thoughts were clear, and his whole body felt light and airy. Opening his eyes, he saw that the sun had shifted slightly westward. Only a little over half an hour had passed.

True Qi had already filled his dantian. This acupoint was located in his head, and what it enhanced was not strength, but reaction speed, vitality and spirit, as well as sight, smell, and hearing.

If one excessively depleted one's essence, vitality, and spirit—for instance, by staying up late, overthinking, or fighting—it would consume True Qi.

Of course, True Qi flowed forth without end. If it was overly depleted, one only needed to sit quietly, visualize and meditate, eat heartily, and sleep soundly to recover.

Feeling the faint warmth in his dantian, Meng Yuan sat down cross-legged and saw that the others had all sat down as well.

Meng Yuan was now everyone's model. They all followed his example, hoping to open their acupoints sooner.

"Practice your own training." Meng Yuan smiled and closed his eyes again.

Visualizing his limbs, organs, sinews, and bones, he sensed only a ball of warm light within his dantian.

His mind moved with his intent. The True Qi coiled there traveled through his meridians to the Baihui acupoint atop his head, then slowly descended.

The body's channels were like riverways. Before long, it could advance no farther, having encountered a blockage.

Meng Yuan was striking at his next acupoint.

Feeling out that blockage carefully, he found that it had clearly loosened long ago. It was the effect of Essence Flame Body Tempering.

Meng Yuan's heart was as still as an ancient well untouched by waves. He merely guided the True Qi slowly, gradually pushing against the blockage.

Once, twice, three times—following the method Master Nie had taught, Meng Yuan struck the blockage in the acupoint with nine light impacts and one heavy one, nine shallow impacts and one deep one.

After an unknown amount of time, the flesh throughout his body trembled faintly. Then the back of his neck grew slightly warm, and Meng Yuan abruptly felt his Blood Qi flow smoothly, bringing a sense of ease.

Sensing it carefully, he knew he had opened another acupoint.

There were sixteen acupoints in the torso, eight in front and eight behind. Now, he had opened one.

This acupoint connected the head and torso. Further down lay the spine and both sides of the spine, followed by the chest.

After sitting quietly for a while, Meng Yuan opened his eyes and realized that night had already fallen.

This attempt to break through an acupoint had taken the entire afternoon.

Meng Yuan looked around and saw the trainees standing not far away, their expressions varied—some confused, some envious.

There was also someone reclining in a lounge chair. It was Nie Yannian.

"Master Nie." Meng Yuan hurriedly got to his feet.

Nie Yannian looked Meng Yuan over. He knew the boy was clever and diligent, with decent talent as well. Entering the ranks in one month had already made him look at him in a new light, but he had not expected him to open another acupoint after only one day.

His progress was even faster than those children from great sects and noble schools who had been immersed in medicinal baths since childhood. Moreover, the boy had a resolute temperament and handled his words and actions steadily. Though he was a step ahead of others, he had not a trace of arrogance. Aside from eating too much and refusing to sleep with a brothel madam, he truly had no faults.

Of course, Nie Yannian could not determine whether this youth would continue to have such smooth sailing in the future. But with the talent and temperament he had displayed so far, he would certainly achieve something.

"Changsheng." Nie Yannian gave a cheeky, ingratiating grin.

"Here." Wu Changsheng immediately stepped forward.

"Take some people and clean out the room beside your dormitory. Let Little Gelder live there alone." Nie Yannian gave the order, then added, "Little Gelder, starting tomorrow, you'll get three extra eggs every morning and evening, and an extra jin of meat at noon."

"Thank you, Master Nie." Meng Yuan sincerely thanked the old pimp. A private room was nothing much, but an extra jin of meat was truly excellent news.

"Go back and rest well. Tomorrow, I'll teach you some new skills." Nie Yannian said no more and simply rose to leave.

The youths he left behind fell silent for a time. They all examined Meng Yuan, though no one knew what they were thinking.

"Senior Brother Meng, I'll go clean your new room!" Only after quite a while did Wu Changsheng speak.

"No rush. Let's eat first, then I'll go with you," Meng Yuan said.

After dinner and after cleaning the new room, Meng Yuan went to the Training Field again. He first performed a set of the Embracing Stake Nourishing Essence Art, then went to lift the Stone Roller.

He could easily lift the two-hundred-jin Stone Roller and carry it for over a hundred paces. Tie Niu had not yet entered the ranks, but he was born strong. After a month of training, he could already lift a three-hundred-jin Stone Roller.

Though Meng Yuan had opened his acupoints and entered the ranks, in terms of pure strength, he was actually still inferior to Tie Niu, who had not entered the ranks.

This was nothing strange. Entering the ranks did not mean one could shed one's mortal body and exchange one's bones. Yet after entering the ranks, one could draw upon True Qi. That was the difference between those who had entered the ranks and those who had not.

And even among those who had entered the ranks, the differences between people remained immense.

Meng Yuan understood it this way: once an acupoint was opened, it was like obtaining a tool. At the lower ranks, it was like gaining a bamboo raft. A strongman and a skinny bamboo pole could both row that raft, but their speeds would differ.

But as one's realm rose, depending on individual aptitude, that bamboo raft might become a Black Awning Boat, a cargo ship, or a Flower Boat. The difference in what they could carry would gradually become apparent.

Of course, that was only a comparison of strength. The amount of True Qi one possessed, one's mastery of using it, and one's practical combat experience were all exceedingly important factors as well.

Thus, though martial arts had ranks, they could not be quantified at all. Even within the same rank, abilities could differ enormously.

The sky was fully dark, and the north wind howled across the Training Field. Meng Yuan shared his training insights with Tie Niu, while all the trainees gathered around to listen closely.

After chatting for a while, Meng Yuan practiced the Embracing Stake Nourishing Essence Art again, nurturing the True Qi in his newly opened acupoints.