First Cultivation

Sensing Qi and Blood, as the name implied, merely meant sensing qi and blood.

As for whether this qi and blood could be put to use, that depended on one's own ability and talent.

Warriors with decent cultivation talent could generally spend one or two months after sensing qi and blood to gain initial control over it and enter the stage of accumulating qi and blood.

If it took more than two months to gain control, it went without saying that the person's cultivation talent was poor, and it would be difficult for them to achieve much on the path of martial arts.

Warriors in the qi and blood accumulation stage only needed to do one thing—accumulate qi and blood.

When their qi and blood reached the thickness of a little finger, they could begin attempting a breakthrough into the Blood Strengthening Realm and become a true warrior.

Warriors at this stage could lift between three hundred and fifty to five hundred jin with one hand. They possessed the strength to battle large ferocious beasts such as tigers and brown bears, and at critical moments, they could even burn their qi and blood to increase their strength and turn defeat into victory from the brink of death.

For warriors in the qi and blood accumulation stage, aside from the martial arts they cultivated, their strength depended entirely on the depth of their qi and blood.

A warrior who had only just entered this realm would likely be unable to withstand even a single move from one who had remained in it for a long time.

But against warriors at the Sensing Qi and Blood stage, they could strike with heavy fists and handle them with ease.

The greatest difference between warriors in the qi and blood accumulation stage and those in the Sensing Qi and Blood stage lay in their use of qi and blood. Once they gained initial control over the power of qi and blood, their fists became harder and their strength greater.

With the protection of qi and blood, they could strike hard rock with a bare fist and emerge completely unscathed, without even the slightest scrape.

That was the root reason why warriors in the qi and blood accumulation stage could so easily overpower sensing-stage warriors.

After gaining control of the power of qi and blood, taking on three versions of their former selves alone would be effortless.

When Yang Heng had fought Zhang Meng earlier, Zhang Meng's fists had been as hard as stone, and his strength had been astonishing. That was precisely because he had mastered qi and blood.

If Zhang Meng had not exhausted his stamina through the long chase, then after burning his qi and blood, his strength would not have been so far from its peak. Who lived and who died would truly have been hard to say.

The Vajra Fist Manual recorded the cultivation process from entering martial arts to the Blood Strengthening Realm in great detail. It was clear and easy to understand, so even someone with no foundation in martial arts could readily comprehend it without making mistakes.

The warrior who had compiled this book had truly poured his heart and soul into it. Unfortunately, it had all gone to Yang Heng, while the compiler's own descendants could not enjoy its benefits.

After carefully leafing through it and reading the Vajra Fist Manual more than ten times, Yang Heng had gained a general understanding of cultivation during the martial arts entry stage.

He decided to follow the diagrams and written explanations in the book and begin his first martial arts cultivation.

The Vajra Fist Manual consisted of two parts.

The first part recorded methods for circulating and transforming qi and blood, which Yang Heng had no use for at his current stage.

Yang Heng was presently focused on cultivating the second part.

The second part described methods of combat. It was a means of self-defense, a killing technique, a set of fist techniques that could be used to kill enemies, called Vajra Fist. It was also the core of the entire manual.

It also included a special breathing method. Breathing according to this method while cultivating Vajra Fist would help one sense qi and blood, thereby stepping through the gates of martial arts.

Following the diagrams and text in the manual, Yang Heng began to cultivate.

At first, he stumbled through it. A set of fierce and upright fist techniques became soft and powerless in his hands, his movements disjointed, and his punches incomparably slow, like an old man practicing tai chi at a leisurely pace.

Yang Heng did not care about this. Everything was difficult at the beginning. What beginner was not like this? He only needed to practice a few more times.

Besides, he had no master to teach him and could only feel his way forward alone. It was only natural for his early progress to be slower.

Yang Heng imitated the breathing method recorded in the book and gave it a brief try. Whether because he had practiced for too short a time or had failed to grasp the trick, he did not sense any unusual changes in his body.

As for what the book described—palpitations arising within the body when sensing qi and blood, the sound of trickling water ringing by one's ears, and so on—there was no trace of any of it.

Martial arts cultivation was not an easy matter. Entering the path was difficult, and what came afterward was even harder.

Otherwise, such a vast Qingyang Town would not have produced only three warriors in twenty years.

Yang Heng continued cultivating.

In the blink of an eye, an hour passed.

Huff...

Haa...

After cultivating for an hour, Yang Heng was drenched in sweat, heat steaming from his entire body. His cheeks were flushed red, and he panted heavily, looking utterly exhausted.

Practicing martial arts consumed far more stamina than his usual physical training.

Yang Heng immediately felt aching pain throughout every muscle, as though he had just finished a marathon. He was ravenous, sweating like rain, his stomach growling, and exhaustion beyond words washed over him. He did not even want to move.

Yet he still endured the pain, forced himself upright, and began walking slowly.

It was obvious that every step Yang Heng took made the muscles in his face twitch, as though he were enduring tremendous agony.

As a sports enthusiast, Yang Heng knew very well that after intense exercise, one absolutely could not sit or lie down.

Otherwise, lactic acid would build up in the legs, and when he woke the next day, his thighs would ache unbearably, making it difficult to walk.

In more serious cases, it could obstruct blood circulation and lead to shock.

Walking slowly, on the other hand, could promote blood circulation, ease the muscles, and aid recovery.

It was precisely because Yang Heng understood this that he endured the pain and continued walking slowly.

As he walked, Yang Heng took out the strips of pork he carried with him and began devouring them with gusto.

With the help of the Marrow Cleansing Pearl, the pork strips were converted at great speed into the energy his body needed for Yang Heng to absorb.

Yang Heng was like a parched traveler who had wandered through the desert for days and nights, greedily absorbing every drop of sweet dew to nourish his heart.

Gradually, he felt his strength returning bit by bit.

Though his first cultivation had brought him such hardship, Yang Heng did not regret it.

He understood that no pain, no gain.

If he wanted to obtain great strength, how could he avoid suffering? There was no such bargain under heaven.

Strength earned through sweat was strength he could trust.

Where there was effort, there would be reward.

He had gained quite a lot from this cultivation session.

He had memorized every move of Vajra Fist, as well as methods such as circulating qi and blood. Even if the manual suddenly went missing, he would not worry.

From now on, he only needed to follow the gourd and draw the ladle, continuing to cultivate over the long term. Entering the path would not be difficult.

As for how far he could cultivate, that would depend on his talent.

Talent!

Yang Heng was not worried that his cultivation talent was poor.

With the Marrow Cleansing Pearl in hand, his talent could continue transforming, so he had no need to worry.

Slow cultivation now did not mean his cultivation would remain slow in the future.

Besides, in another half month, the Marrow Cleansing Pearl would be fully charged with energy.

At that time, every aspect of his body would undergo a qualitative breakthrough, shedding his mortal frame and remaking his bones, as though reborn into new life.

Yang Heng looked forward to that day.

In the time it took to burn half an incense stick, two jin of dried pork strips had all gone into Yang Heng's stomach, their contained energy divided between Yang Heng and the Marrow Cleansing Pearl.

By then, Yang Heng's strength had fully recovered. Aside from a slight soreness in his muscles, everything else was normal, and he could continue cultivating.

Yang Heng had wanted to practice a while longer, but when he looked up at the sky, he saw that it was gradually darkening. He knew it was getting late and that he had to return to the apothecary.

If he returned late too often, it was highly likely to arouse suspicion. Yang Heng did not want to take such a risk.

Besides, cultivation could not be rushed. What mattered was persistence.

Tomorrow was a day off, so he would have ample time to cultivate.

With that in mind, Yang Heng tidied up a little, hid the fist manual back in its original place, and headed toward the apothecary.