Yellow Court Inner Landscape Origin-Returning Technique

After Jiang Ling finished speaking, he rose without waiting for Luo Bin to ask anything and headed deeper into the courtyard.

Two minutes later, Luo Bin followed Jiang Ling to the door of a side room. From outside, he could see that the room was tastefully furnished, with clean floors and a full set of bedding and pillows.

It had clearly been prepared in advance.

Seeing this only deepened Luo Bin's doubts. What kind of magic did someone who could master the Primordial Stance possess, to make the Chen Family treat him so well?

"You'll stay in this room from now on. If you need anything else, just tell one of the maids or servants in the courtyard."

Luo Bin nodded. In the blink of an eye, he spotted several sweet-looking young maids standing outside the reception hall, smiling brightly at them.

Damn this feudalism...

After that, the two of them went to an open space beside the pavilion in the main courtyard. Jiang Ling said, "Your name is Luo Bin?"

"Yes."

"Good. You came here through the Black Sheath Hall's Elite Selection, and the Chen Family took notice of you because you could master the Primordial Stance. It's only natural to feel uneasy at first. After all, rumors of that sort have circulated around the martial world.

"For instance, some wicked arts require someone to practice them first as a sacrificial lamb, to feel out the cultivation method... But you needn't worry."

Jiang Ling paused, then looked at Luo Bin. "The Primordial Stance is an upright, honorable stance technique. It's simply the prerequisite for the Yellow Court Inner Landscape Origin-Returning Technique, one of the Eight Great Miraculous Arts from the previous dynasty.

"What you learned during the Elite Selection was only the most superficial version. You'll need to study it in greater depth from now on..."

Luo Bin understood. The feeling of coming to an abrupt halt while practicing the Primordial Stance that day had matched Jiang Ling's explanation exactly.

He said nervously, "This junior is a nobody. How could I possibly practice such an exalted technique?"

Jiang Ling laughed heartily and waved a hand. "Not everyone can master the Primordial Stance. The Chen Family has plenty of descendants, yet only the eldest young master has just barely reached minor mastery.

"He's still a long way from going to Tianhai and obtaining this Eight Great Miraculous Art."

Luo Bin's heart stirred. "Then..."

He had barely managed to say one word before Jiang Ling cut him off. "The Chen Family's descendants won't be able to obtain this technique. When you go to Tianhai one day and master it, you can bring it back and share it with the Chen Family.

"That's why the Chen Family had you come train under me."

The reason was surprisingly simple, and Luo Bin felt a little relieved. After all, there was no love without reason. Being valued out of the blue for a bit of talent was an uncomfortable feeling.

In his previous life, Luo Bin had read widely. In one story, the protagonist was prized by his master and thought he was about to live a carefree life, roaming the world like an immortal. But as it turned out, his master had only been raising him like a Gu insect.

For now, he quietly tucked that trace of worry away in his heart.

"Thank you, Elder Jiang, for explaining the reason to this junior."

"Don't be so formal. I may be an Attendant of the Chen Family, but I don't have all their cumbersome rules. Just call me Uncle Jiang.

"That old Chen Shuo just passed away, and the Chen Family has a thousand things to deal with. You should focus on training under me. You don't need to wear mourning clothes, either," Jiang Ling instructed.

Luo Bin was somewhat astonished. Elder Jiang clearly held a very high position. The death of the Chen Family's old master hadn't affected things here at all.

"Uncle Jiang."

"Show me the Primordial Stance. Let's see what's so remarkable about a body capable of bearing a 'Miraculous Art' in the future."

Luo Bin immediately assumed the stance, adjusted the rhythm of his breathing and circulation, and began practicing the technique.

After returning from the Elite Selection, he had studied it closely. The technique actually had four steps: first, "Set the Stance"; second, "Raise Yang and Draw in Breath"; third, "Circulate Breath through the Microcosmic Orbit"; and last, "Lower Yin and Exhale."

Once you drew a thread of energy into your body and circulated it through at least five cycles, you could rouse the qi and blood throughout your entire body. In this stance technique alone, you would already surpass countless others.

It was just that most of the gang members on the hall's training ground that day had been stuck at this hurdle.

Feeling Luo Bin's circulation of energy, Jiang Ling noted that it was steady without lacking drive. Before long, Luo Bin had stirred the qi and blood throughout his body until they surged like scalding hot oil.

"Not bad. Your sinews and bones are strong, and you have a solid foundation, but your body is far too depleted. If this goes on, you're likely to suffer hidden injuries."

Jiang Ling began moving around Luo Bin, correcting his movements. He showed him how to engage the muscles throughout his body when assuming a horse stance, and how to guide the flow of energy so it coursed through his entire body.

Set your feet and root yourself; bend your knees and relax your hips; straighten your body and lift your back; hold the ball and set your stance... The list left Luo Bin a little dazed.

I've puzzled over this for so long, and today I finally understand why the Primordial Stance doesn't show up in the technique section of the Crimson Panel...

Turns out I never even learned the basics...

Relying on the slight improvement in his memory from the first time he had used the Crimson Panel to add a point, Luo Bin managed to memorize the details of the practice. Then he couldn't help asking:

"Uncle Jiang, can the Second Young Master and the eldest young miss really not practice the Primordial Stance?"

Jiang Ling patted his lower back, signaling him to tense it. "Chen Jing is only fourteen. His body hasn't finished developing, and he's already lost his virginity, so he can't practice it. As for that girl Manqing... girls can't practice it, either."

"It's that strict?!"

Fortunately, he hadn't broken his virginity-retaining practice. At the thought, Luo Bin's face began to brighten, but then turned somewhat troubled. He glanced sideways at Jiang Ling's old face and saw the latter grinning with shameless amusement.

"Once you reach great mastery in the Primordial Stance, you can indulge yourself however you like. Your foundation will already be solid, so matters between men and women won't make a difference."

A flicker of delight crossed Luo Bin's face. As long as he didn't have to become a eunuch, it was fine. In such chaotic times, who wouldn't want to take a few concubines if they had the strength to do so?

He especially liked the cold-on-the-outside, sweet-on-the-inside type.

What was the point if he could admire them from afar but never touch them?

But Jiang Ling's expression turned stern. He rebuked him quietly, "For now, you need to train properly."

Luo Bin sheepishly reined in his thoughts.

Time passed, minute by minute. Jiang Ling changed the water in his teacup four or five times. Now and then he corrected Luo Bin's technique, and now and then he read the Great New News on the stone table in the pavilion.

It was only after meeting Jiang Ling and experiencing the profound, grueling Primordial Stance that Luo Bin understood why some people were called Great Martial Masters.

The gulf between them and ordinary self-taught fighters was simply too wide. Though he had studied the ins and outs of the Primordial Stance over the past few days, he still hadn't been able to grasp it fully.

But under Jiang Ling's guidance, less than two hours of stance training had taught him enough to keep him going for a long time.

"Huff... huff..."

Gradually, Luo Bin's breathing grew heavier and heavier. Jiang Ling waved a hand, and a group of sweet-looking young maids rushed over to support the boy.

Luo Bin wasn't taking advantage of them. His whole body truly ached, and he could barely stand, so he simply went limp.

Jiang Ling's expression remained as calm as still water. For an old fellow who had lived nearly a hundred years, few things could stir his interest. At most, when he met someone whose temperament suited his, he might show a look of appreciation and excitement.

Luo Bin saw no approval in his eyes.

But none of that mattered, because the Crimson Panel had already changed:

[Luo Bin]

[Realm:]

[Techniques: White Ape Through-Arm Fist (Second Layer, 0/6), Primordial Stance (First Layer, 1/10)]

[Modification Points: 0]

[Spirit Charm: 11]

The Primordial Stance had reached the entry level, and eleven points of Spirit Charm were enough to advance it to the next layer.

What Luo Bin hadn't expected was that this stance technique measured progress in layers. He couldn't help asking, "Uncle Jiang, what does it take to reach great mastery in the Primordial Stance?"

"Reaching the seventh layer counts as great mastery. At present, you're only at the beginning of the first layer," Jiang Ling explained. Then he called to the young maids, "Carry this boy to the tub in the bathhouse at the back. I put some medicinal herbs in it to ease the pain."