Some Doubts Before Breaking Through

To break through from the Aperture Opening Realm to the True Qi Condensation Realm, one had to pass three stages.

The first was to have sufficiently profound Inner Breath.

The second was to illuminate and open the seventy-two key acupoints that connected the inside and outside of the body.

The third was to comprehend a kind of intent.

True Qi Condensation meant refining the false into the true, condensing Inner Force into True Qi.

One's Inner Breath would undergo a kind of sublimation during this process, rising from a tangible yet formless state into one that was both tangible and visible. Its power and intensity would increase geometrically.

Only sufficiently profound Inner Breath could allow one's Inner Force to meet the basic requirements for transforming into True Qi.

Only by illuminating enough key acupoints, unlocking more of the body's potential, and improving one's physical constitution could one avoid injuring oneself while condensing Inner Force into True Qi. After completing True Qi Condensation, one could also swiftly achieve True Qi Emission and wound enemies from afar.

Comprehending a kind of intent allowed one to mobilize one's Mental Strength—that was, one's spiritual power.

Only then could one ensure the successful sublimation of Inner Force into True Qi and maintain sufficient control over it to avoid harming oneself.

Forcing a breakthrough without meeting these three conditions would most likely result in Cultivation Deviation.

Lin Lin's Inner Breath was already sufficiently profound. His somewhat majestic Inner Force circulated abundantly through the meridians and acupoints throughout his body.

He had already opened enough acupoints, and his Sword Intent had reached an unfathomable level.

Moreover, once the Hundred Flowers True Qi Inner Power Cultivation Method was cultivated to its peak and perfected state, its final portion explained how to sublimate Inner Force into True Qi. Lin Lin did not even need to find a method for breaking through himself.

Logically speaking, with Lin Lin's current accumulation and condition, he could break through to the True Qi Condensation Realm at any time.

Yet he did not break through immediately.

Because there were still some doubts in Lin Lin's heart.

Lin Lin had not thought much about these doubts before, but now that he was personally facing an imminent breakthrough into the True Qi Condensation Realm, he had no choice but to pay attention to them.

That evening, when he returned home from the Cold Iron Mine for dinner, Lin Lin took the opportunity, while both of his parents happened to be home, to voice his confusion.

"Father, Mother, according to the martial arts common knowledge I received before, cultivation in the Aperture Opening Realm is considered complete once one has illuminated and opened at least seventy-two acupoints. The remaining acupoints can be cultivated after breaking through to a higher realm, and doing so will yield twice the result with half the effort."

"Yet martial arts common knowledge also emphasizes the importance of one's foundation. Only with a stable foundation can one reach higher martial arts realms. If one cultivates according to that idea, then one should nourish and illuminate all the many acupoints throughout the body before considering a breakthrough into True Qi Condensation."

"Aren't these two statements somewhat contradictory?"

"What is the difference between breaking through to True Qi Condensation first and then returning to open acupoints, versus nourishing all the acupoints first and then breaking through to True Qi Condensation?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue and Zhang Fei exchanged a glance, and both saw bewilderment in the other's eyes.

They had never considered this question before. They had simply opened nearly enough acupoints and then directly entered True Qi Condensation. How could they know the difference?

"Little Lin, your father doesn't know whether breaking through to True Qi Condensation first or opening acupoints first affects one's ultimate martial arts achievements. But breaking through to True Qi Condensation first will definitely increase one's combat strength faster than opening acupoints first."

"Once you have True Qi, you can nourish the acupoints already opened in your body to a higher level. The combat strength gained from that is far greater than what you would gain from opening new acupoints."

"If the increase in combat strength gained from opening one acupoint is defined as one, then after True Qi Condensation, using the same amount of power to nourish an acupoint that has already been opened will increase combat strength by at least thirty, perhaps even fifty."

"And that is only if you have mastered the method for nourishing and opening the corresponding acupoint."

"If you have not learned a martial art that records the method of nourishing a particular acupoint, and you forcibly use clumsy methods to nourish and open a brand-new acupoint, not only might you suffer Cultivation Deviation, but the power consumed could instead be used to nourish acupoints you have already opened. The difference in combat strength gained would be at least a hundredfold, perhaps even several hundredfold."

"Your father has only opened one hundred and ninety-three acupoints so far, and that is already enough for the circulation and use of nearly all my martial arts. Unless I cultivate my existing acupoints until there is no further progress to be made, I probably will not consider opening new ones."

"In this chaotic and dangerous martial world, only by surviving first can one consider anything else."

"I imagine the sect gave these two nearly contradictory pieces of martial arts common knowledge for precisely this reason."

Lin Yue told Lin Lin what he knew, even extending his hand for Lin Lin to feel his pulse and sense how True Qi circulated within his body.

After breaking through to True Qi Condensation, True Qi was a more advanced form of power than Inner Force.

For the body, this power, extracted from food yet more condensed and pure, was a form of high-grade energy that was easier to absorb.

Not only could it nourish the brain and increase Mental Strength, but using it to nourish acupoints, meridians, flesh, blood, and internal organs throughout the body would also improve their strength more quickly. It truly yielded twice the result with half the effort.

And in these chaotic times, rapidly increasing one's combat strength was clearly the higher-priority choice.

Zhang Fei, standing beside them, nodded in agreement with her husband's view.

"I understand."

Lin Lin said that he understood, but the doubts in his heart had not been dispelled.

The next day was not the fifth day of the cycle, yet Lin Lin went to visit the Elder of Teaching Skills.

Students could still seek out the Elder of Teaching Skills to ask questions outside of regular days. However, unlike attending the free lecture every fifth day, visiting him ordinarily required one thousand Sect Contribution Points.

Thus, few people normally sought the Elder of Teaching Skills to resolve their doubts.

Lin Lin suspected that this was a threshold deliberately set by the Elder of Teaching Skills to avoid being disturbed too often.

Of course, there was no evidence for that suspicion.

Although Lin Lin still owed a large amount of Sect Contribution, he was not stingy about spending Sect Contribution Points to resolve his doubts.

Inside the Skill Transmission Hall, Ji Yun sat in the seat of honor and listened as Lin Lin below recounted his question, along with the information he had received from his parents the previous night.

Stroking the long white beard on his chin, Ji Yun smiled. "What your father and mother said is indeed correct, Little Lin. The reason the sect provides nearly opposite pieces of martial arts common knowledge regarding breakthroughs into True Qi Condensation is for the sake of the many disciples in this vast Hundred Flowers Valley."

"Only by staying alive does one have the chance to continue growing stronger."

After first commenting on the matter of martial arts common knowledge, Ji Yun continued, "As for the difference you asked about between breaking through to True Qi Condensation first and opening acupoints first, perhaps you can draw some answers from this old man's demonstration."

As he spoke, Ji Yun rose from behind the table and walked over to stand before Lin Lin.

He opened his left hand and held it out before Lin Lin.

Then he asked, "Little Lin, what do you see?"