Toad Ascends the Heavenly Gate, Gathering Qi as Heavy as a Mountain

The next day.

As usual, Li Yuan came to the Nameless Pavilion by the North Gate of the Black Market. He stood at Lord Li's side and continued listening to his teachings.

When Black Market merchants, martial artists, Outer Perimeter Disciples, and loading laborers passed by, they would first respectfully greet Lord Li, then cast their eyes toward the young man, seemingly wondering why he deserved to be taken in as Lord Li's disciple.

Lord Li suddenly asked, "So many people have seen you and remembered your face. What do you think of that?"

Li Yuan said, "They know I am your student. The reason they look at me is to remember me.

"But what they remember is not truly me, only Lord Li's student.

"If they encounter me in the future, they will first consider it.

"Either they will not offend me, or they will pull out the roots and leave no trace."

Lord Li smiled. "You truly are an excellent inheritor of my legacy."

Li Yuan flatteringly said, "You are also an excellent teacher."

Lord Li said, "Being my student is actually quite safe.

"Though I sit here in command, I have always only enforced the law and never touched profit.

"Though I enforce the law, I also know when to leave room for leniency. Water too pure breeds no fish. So long as one does not touch the Blood Saber Sect's bottom line, I grant the conveniences that should be granted and release those who should be released."

As he spoke, Lord Li took a rather new booklet from his robes and handed it to Li Yuan. "Read it here beside me."

Li Yuan accepted it. There was nothing written on the cover. When he opened it, he saw illustrations of various postures, marked with many tadpole-like red dots. Those were the essentials of exerting force.

Below the illustrations was some text, presumably the mental method.

Lord Li said, "I copied this booklet myself, and I drew the illustrations myself as well.

"In truth, an illustration is extremely important to a cultivator. The artist's essence, qi, and spirit all become part of it.

"If it were drawn by the founding patriarch, then with a single glance, you could feel the killing intent rushing at you.

"Practicing afterward would naturally yield twice the result with half the effort.

"Mine is much poorer.

"It is only that the founding patriarch's cultivation methods were lost long ago.

"Whether they were destroyed, misplaced, or simply decayed with time, no one knows.

"But according to my master, his master's master was already using cultivation methods copied by his own hand to teach disciples.

"This is also the tradition of my Crescent Moon Sect.

"Once one has achieved success in cultivation, one copies one's master's cultivation method. If one later makes further progress, one destroys the original copy and transcribes it again, using it to teach later disciples.

"First, the illustrations one draws oneself make it easier to comprehend their true essence.

"Second, paper cannot be preserved for long. It will be ruined after a few generations."

Li Yuan asked curiously, "Why not carve it onto stone tablets, metal, or bamboo slips? Those should last much longer."

Lord Li said, "I heard that the founding patriarch of the Crescent Moon Sect was a very proud man. After writing down the Soul Exhalation Art and the Spring and Autumn Saber, he instructed his disciples that the teachings could only ever be passed down on paper.

"If they could no longer be passed down, then so be it.

"Even if they were lost, that would be better than letting mediocre people learn them.

"Unfortunately, there were never as many geniuses in the world as the founding patriarch imagined.

"The Crescent Moon Sect declined more and more, and by my generation, it has fallen into the hands of a lone man of the lower three ranks.

"I do not possess the founding patriarch's talent, nor his pride. I only want to pass these cultivation methods down."

Li Yuan said, "I will certainly pass them on as well."

Lord Li smiled and nodded. "The booklet is divided into two parts. The first part is the cultivation method, the Soul Exhalation Art. I only barely remembered the Ninth through Seventh Ranks. The original Life Codex was lost.

"I could not draw it back then, and later I still could not draw it, so it was simply left behind like this."

As he spoke, he let out a long sigh. His face showed traces of age, while memories and sorrow flowed through his eyes. Then he rasped, "But you can study the lines I drew. Perhaps... perhaps you may be able to draw it."

After saying that, he laughed self-mockingly. "Forget it. Learn it like this for now.

"The second part is the saber technique, the Spring and Autumn Saber. This method complements the Soul Exhalation Art and contains the Ninth through Seventh Ranks.

"Read it yourself. You need not ask me again."

Li Yuan nodded, then asked, "This disciple previously learned another cultivation method. Will that have any effect?"

Lord Li said, "Before your tendons and bones are set, everything can be changed. This step is called Shadow Blood Exchange.

"During the Ninth Rank exchange, there will be some pain, but it is nothing serious.

"At the Eighth Rank, pain-relieving pills and certain supplements are required."

Li Yuan asked curiously, "Are all Shadow Bloods different?"

Lord Li said, "Of course they are.

"Every cultivation method contains mysterious intent.

"The Shadow Blood cultivated by different methods is naturally different, and the resulting Change Fate is different as well.

"Shadow Blood will clash within the body. That is the cause of the pain.

"There are many independent martial artists in the martial world, but without a complete inheritance, they can only stop before the Sixth Rank for their entire lives.

"Because the Seventh Rank is a dividing line.

"At the Seventh Rank, you gain Shadow Bone.

"Your Shadow Blood will be endlessly produced by your Shadow Bone.

"You can replace your blood, but you cannot replace your bones."

Li Yuan: ...

Lord Li suddenly asked, "Do you regret it?"

Li Yuan shook his head. "To receive your bestowed method, Teacher, is already more than I could ask for."

Lord Li said, "The Blood Saber Sect only has methods for the lower three ranks as well. Stronger methods are in the hands of the great power behind them. But to rise to that point, you would need to endure endless risks and render many great merits."

Li Yuan said, "Teacher is right. There are many geniuses in this world, but very few can stay alive long enough to obtain greater power. The Seventh Rank is enough for me."

Lord Li nodded. "Good. Very good. But you should not be content yet. You still have hope. Though I have never drawn the spirit of the Sixth Rank Life Codex, its form remains.

"Perhaps your mind, still as standing water and unmoved by anything, can instead perceive the form and comprehend the spirit."

Li Yuan said, "This student will work hard."

"Good, good, good." Lord Li said good three times in a row.

The more he looked at this disciple, the more satisfied he became.

At first, he had been looking at flowers through mist, with no other choice.

But now, this one seemed to be the perfect inheritor of his legacy.

This disciple had talent, a cautious temperament, and knew contentment. If the Crescent Moon Sect's cultivation methods still could not be passed down, then it truly would be Heavenly Intent.

After the brief conversation between master and disciple, Li Yuan focused on reading the cultivation method.

Holding the booklet, he even felt his nose sting.

Finally.

He had finally seen a cultivation method.

He first flipped through it roughly.

Whether Ninth Rank, Eighth Rank, or Seventh Rank; whether cultivation method or skill, all of them consisted of illustrations and text.

Only by combining the two could one cultivate them successfully.

The importance of the illustrations was self-evident.

At the end of the first part, Li Yuan even saw a strange "flowing water illustration." It was made up of countless curved lines and looked like a river flowing softly onward.

It was the only illustration with no text beneath it.

This should be the Life Codex Teacher spoke of, one with form but no spirit. Can this illustration break through to the Sixth Rank and enter a higher level of life? Li Yuan was deeply curious.

He stared at it for a while. He did not feel the headache that came from reading advanced information, but he gained nothing either.

Flowing water was flowing water, and he was himself.

He returned to the earlier pages and carefully studied the Ninth Rank Soul Exhalation Art.

The general principles of the Soul Exhalation Art were a few lines of verse that ran through cultivation of the entire lower three ranks.

The verse read:

Toad ascends the Heavenly Gate, gathering qi as heavy as a mountain.

Great River Flows Through the Wilderness, exhaling the soul, the moon becomes a bow.

Compared to the Willow Return Technique he had previously fumbled his way into, this cultivation method seemed to place greater emphasis on breathing techniques.

After studying it carefully for a while, Li Yuan understood that "Toad ascends the Heavenly Gate" referred to posture. One had to curl up as much as possible, like a toad.

"Gathering qi as heavy as a mountain" meant drawing in as much air as possible, even compressing and gathering it within the body until it became as heavy as a mountain peak.

"Great River Flows Through the Wilderness" meant making this qi interact with the blood, using qi to drive the blood and blood to carry qi. The body was the wilderness, and qi and blood surged and ebbed like river tides.

"Exhaling the soul, the moon becomes a bow" referred to exhaling, but it was not the "true qi" Li Yuan had originally imagined. This world had no true qi. The qi in the Soul Exhalation Art was merely a means of assisting the power of the blood. If inhalation was compared to compressing blood, then exhalation was the release of force. But this exhalation was not done casually. It was only done when killing.

When one exhaled, one killed.

Li Yuan asked about details as he read.

Lord Li answered patiently as well.

At noon, a servant brought them food, and the two ate together.

After the meal, Li Yuan asked, "Teacher, if I wish to cultivate, should I do so here?"

Lord Li said, "Go cultivate in my courtyard. You may go directly. The people in my courtyard already know of your existence."

"Yes."

Lord Li then told him where he lived.

The residence was not far from here, and Li Yuan arrived shortly afterward.

He knocked softly on the door. The one who opened it was a beautiful mature woman wrapped in crimson robes. Her figure was seductive, lush, and enchanting.

Li Yuan did not dare look at the beautiful woman. He hurriedly lowered his head and politely said, "Madam. I am Lord Li's student, Li Yuan. I came here to cultivate the method."

The beautiful woman giggled. "I am not your master's wife. I am Lord Li's maid, Xi Yan."

After saying that, she turned around. Her slightly plump hips made her skirt sway gently as she walked with a graceful sway. After taking two steps, she tilted her head slightly, beckoned to him, and smiled. "Come in, Young Master."

Li Yuan said, "Aunt Yan, just call me Li Yuan."

The beautiful woman froze for a moment, then covered her lips and laughed.