Internal Qi

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Internal Qi
Original Name	内气
Type	Neutral Character (user)
Role	The foundational energy of the martial cultivation system; it empowers martial arts, movement techniques, secret techniques, and breakthroughs. Upon reaching the Grandmaster realm, it combines with blood and vitality and spiritual power to form the higher-quality True Qi. 478 622 691 710
First Appearance	Chapter 77

Power Progression

Documented progression of Fang Han's Internal Qi cultivation.

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Ninth Grade Inner Qi Realm	77	A wisp of pale-white Internal Qi formed in the Sea of Qi Acupoint after Fang Han broke through from the Bone Forging Realm; he gained the Long-lasting Breath Divine Treasury. 77 79
Ninth Grade Mid-Stage	99	The Sea of Qi Acupoint filled completely, and Internal Qi began pressing toward the Guanyuan Aperture. 99
Ninth Grade Late-Stage bottleneck	117	The Guanyuan Aperture became full; Internal Qi could no longer advance past the barrier before the Life Gate Aperture. 117
Eighth Grade Mid-Stage	153	Fang Han wielded mid-stage Eighth Grade Internal Qi while facing Mo Chen in the Seven Sects Competition. 153
Seventh Grade, initial stage	176	Internal Qi circulated through a system formed by seven opened acupoints. 176
Seventh Grade Late-Stage	200	The Fengshi Acupoint reached capacity and Fang Han opened the Dazhui Acupoint. His Internal Qi became darker, more condensed, and more abundant; he also unlocked the Internal Qi Recovery Divine Treasury. 200
Sixth Grade	208	Fang Han opened the Jianliao Acupoint and unlocked Clever Hands. 208
Sixth Grade Mid-Stage	221	Fang Han opened the Danzhong Acupoint, bringing his circulation system to eleven connected acupoints; his dark-teal Internal Qi became nearly blackish azure and viscous like liquid mercury. 221
Sixth Grade Late-Stage	229	His Internal Qi became exceptionally responsive to his will after unlocking the Spirituality Divine Treasury. 229
Fifth Grade breakthrough	249	After filling the Zhangmen Acupoint with assistance from an Earth Spirit Pill, Fang Han opened the Qichong Acupoint and established a thirteen-acupoint circulation system. He unlocked Tide Surge, which temporarily increases Internal Qi output and circulation speed. 248 249
Fifth Grade, early stage	250	Fang Han's high-grade Mystic Wind Art Internal Qi supported the Void-Sundering Nine Swords against Yin Li. 250
Fifth Grade Mid-Stage	256	The Shaohai Acupoint opened, granting the Insight Divine Treasury. 256
Fourth Grade	304	Fang Han's Internal Qi underwent a substantial increase in total volume and refinement; he also gained the Hidden Force Divine Treasury. 304
Fourth Grade Mid-Stage	330	Fang Han filled the Zhubin Acupoint and opened the Taichong Acupoint through repeated assaults with compressed Internal Qi. His seventeen-acupoint circulation system increased his Qi's volume and power, and he unlocked Injury Recovery. 330
Third Grade, early stage	438	Internal Qi accumulated within the Yintang Acupoint after Fang Han entered the Third Rank. 438
Third Grade Mid-Stage	443	The Shenmai Acupoint opened, bringing Fang Han's total to twenty opened acupoints and substantially increasing his Internal Qi's volume and density. 443
Third Grade Late-Stage	490	The Shenmai Acupoint filled completely, and Fang Han opened the Jingming Acupoint, completing a twenty-one-acupoint network. His Internal Qi became denser and more powerful, and the new Divine Treasury enhanced his eyesight. 490
Second Grade, early stage	550	Fang Han assessed himself as having early Second Rank cultivation alongside Grandmaster-level swordsmanship and body-tempering strength. 550
Second Grade Mid-Stage	568	The Earth Granary Acupoint opened as Fang Han's twenty-third acupoint, unlocking the Sound Divine Treasury. 568
Second Grade Late-Stage	593	The Hundred Convergences Acupoint opened; Internal Qi became denser and more abundant than at the mid-stage. 593
First Grade	624	Fang Han broke through to the First Rank, opened the Purple Mansion Acupoint, and gained a Divine Treasury that allows spiritual power to interfere with reality. 624
First Grade Mid-Stage	650	Fang Han opened the Yongquan Acupoint after half a month of concentrated cultivation. His Internal Qi increased in quantity, density, and circulation efficiency, while the new Divine Treasury enhanced natural healing. 650
First Grade Late-Stage	669	Internal Qi accumulated in the Yongquan Acupoint as Fang Han approached the breakthrough to Late First Rank. By the later cultivation assessment, the newly opened Shenque Acupoint was the remaining reservoir to fill. 669 679
First Grade Late-Stage limit	679	Fang Han completely filled the Shenque Acupoint, reaching the limit of Late First Rank. His dark-green Internal Qi had become exceptionally condensed and circulated with a rounded, natural smoothness; his next objective was the Qi Pass. 679
Qi Pass breakthrough / Liquid Internal Qi	683	After fifteen days of repeated assaults on the Qi Pass, all Internal Qi in Fang Han's twenty-seven acupoints transformed into liquid. Each drop possessed at least ten times its previous power. Having already passed the Essence Pass, he still needed to overcome the Spirit Pass before reaching Grandmaster. 683
Grandmaster / True Qi	691	Fang Han had newly advanced to Grandmaster and identified his dark-cyan power as True Qi, formed from the fusion of Internal Qi, blood and vitality, and spiritual power. Its quality and quantity far surpassed his previous energy and could sustain his high-consumption Grandmaster techniques. He later used it when confronting three veteran Grandmasters. 691 701 710
Grandmaster Third Level	737	After more than a month of cultivation supported by 1,024-fold Root Bone Talent Amplification and Starry Ink Jade, Fang Han reached the accumulation threshold and advanced to the Third Level. The Greenwood Poison-Avoidance Scripture's Grandmaster Chapter provided a combat-power increase of more than tenfold with each ordinary layer advancement. 737
Grandmaster Fourth Layer	764	Half a month of sustained cultivation brought Fang Han from the Third Level to the Fourth Layer. His True Qi increased substantially in quantity, and every strand became denser and purer, carrying at least several times its former power. 763 764

Nature and Cultivation

Internal Qi is born when vitality and blood are condensed and compressed to a critical point. Its first manifestation is a minute, mist-like strand that is purer and more potent than ordinary vitality and blood. 77

Cultivators strengthen Internal Qi through circulation arts, then use the accumulated energy to assault hidden acupoints. Opening an acupoint advances a minor stage, expands the body's circulation system, and unlocks a Divine Treasury. 79

Internal Qi changes qualitatively upon entering the middle three ranks: it becomes purer and denser, but each further increase requires substantially more time and resources. 208 At the upper three ranks, condensing each strand becomes slower still because of its improved quality. 529

Upon entering the Grandmaster realm, Internal Qi transforms into True Qi. True Qi possesses far greater quality and quantity, allowing Fang Han to resume sustained cultivation and combat use of techniques that had previously placed an excessive burden on his Internal Qi reserves. 710

Cultivation talent directly affects the efficiency of refining medicinal power into Internal Qi. Raising Fang Han's Root Bone Talent Amplification from thirty-twofold to sixty-fourfold at least doubled his growth rate, and the later increase to 128-fold again produced roughly twice the previous speed. Improvements to his underlying Root Bone through treasures further increased his cultivation efficiency. 198 205 271 553

The purity of Internal Qi also determines its impact force against cultivation bottlenecks. A higher-grade cultivation art therefore improves both combat output and the ability to break barriers, rather than merely accelerating energy accumulation. 407

Acupoints and Divine Treasuries

Divine Treasury	Obtained Through	Effect
Long-lasting Breath	Opening the Sea of Qi Acupoint at Ninth Grade	Greatly improves physical strength and endurance, allowing longer fights and sustained movement. 79
Internal Qi Recovery	Opening the Dazhui Acupoint at Seventh Grade Late-Stage	Greatly accelerates Internal Qi recovery and substantially improves endurance in prolonged combat. 200
Clever Hands	Opening the Jianliao Acupoint at Sixth Grade	Enhances hand dexterity, stability, subtle force control, and precision in intricate martial techniques. 208
Spirituality	Late Sixth Grade	Makes Internal Qi exceptionally obedient and able to travel through minute, complex routes with ease. 229
Tide Surge	Opening the Qichong Acupoint at Fifth Grade	Temporarily boosts Internal Qi output and circulation speed, strengthening martial techniques and explosive power. 249
Insight	Opening the Shaohai Acupoint at Mid Fifth Grade	Sharply improves perception of minute movements and distant disturbances. 256
Hidden Force	Opening an acupoint at Fourth Grade	Allows force to penetrate an opponent's body and directly damage internal organs, providing a difficult-to-defend-against killing method. 304
Injury Recovery	Opening the Taichong Acupoint at Mid Fourth Grade	Improves recovery from wounds and the ability to endure prolonged combat. Its effects later complement the Yongquan Divine Treasury and the Greenwood Poison-Avoidance Scripture. 330 650
Spiritual Perception	After entering Third Grade	Grants the ability to sense surroundings through spiritual power. 478
Enhanced Eyesight	Opening the Jingming Acupoint at Late Third Grade	Allows minute details to be discerned at a distance, aiding observation and tracking. Fang Han expects it to strengthen with cultivation and potentially complement a visual tracking secret technique. 490
Sound	Opening the Earth Granary Acupoint at Mid Second Grade	Enables Internal Qi to be infused into sound for extreme-distance sound projection or sound-based attacks; Fang Han shattered a teacup with a spoken command. 568
Toxin Cleansing	Opening the Shenshu Aperture	Works in conjunction with poison-neutralizing cultivation arts to cleanse toxins from the body. 613
Spiritual Power	Opening the Purple Mansion Acupoint at First Grade	Allows spiritual power to interfere with reality, though Fang Han's newly obtained ability remains limited at first. 624
Enhanced Natural Healing	Opening the Yongquan Acupoint at Mid First Grade	Strengthens the body's natural healing ability. Together with the Taichong Divine Treasury and the Greenwood Poison-Avoidance Scripture's vitality, it allows ordinary injuries to heal within three to five days. 650

Qi Pass and Liquid Internal Qi

The Qi Pass is distinct from the barriers that guard individual acupoints. To attempt it, Fang Han first fills the Shenque Acupoint completely, reaching the limit of Late First Rank, then uses his cultivation art to locate and strike the invisible barrier deep within his meridians. 679 683

Breaking the Qi Pass condenses Internal Qi into actual liquid throughout all twenty-seven opened acupoints. This transformation increases each drop's power by at least tenfold. It remains Internal Qi rather than True Qi: Fang Han has overcome the Essence and Qi Passes at this point, but the Spirit Pass still stands between him and Grandmaster. 683

True Qi and Grandmaster Cultivation

True Qi is the integrated power produced by the union of Internal Qi, blood and vitality, and spiritual power. Fang Han's newly formed True Qi is dark cyan and retains the functions of all three sources: strengthening the body, destroying material objects, and providing Spiritual Perception. It performs these functions more effectively than the separate energies did. Some Grandmasters continue calling it “Internal Qi” out of habit, although the Greenwood Poison-Avoidance Scripture identifies “True Qi” as the more accurate term. 691

The Grandmaster realm has nine layers. Advancement requires accumulating True Qi and then bringing about a further transformation. Under the Greenwood Poison-Avoidance Scripture, Fang Han adopts a new circulation route that begins at the Shenque Acupoint, passes through the Danzhong and Tiantu Acupoints, descends through Yongquan and Taichong, and returns to Shenque. His transition from the previous Internal Qi cycle to this True Qi cycle is smooth. 691

At this stage, Fang Han can draw in heaven and earth origin qi and rapidly convert it into True Qi. His 1,024-fold Root Bone Talent Amplification and Starry Ink Jade greatly accelerate this process. The increase in combat power from a Grandmaster layer breakthrough depends on the grade of the True Qi cultivation art; Fang Han's mid-grade Intent Realm scripture yields more than tenfold growth for ordinary layer advancements, apart from the special early-to-middle and middle-to-late stage transitions. 737

Internal Cultivation Arts

Cultivation Art	Grade	Internal Qi characteristics
Pure Origin Technique	Lower-grade	Produces pale-white, mild, upright Internal Qi. Its low grade limits long-term advancement; lower-grade arts kept Liangshui City's major families from surpassing Seventh Grade. 79
Wind-Following Art	Mid-grade	Produces pale-cyan Internal Qi suited to speed and agility. It improves swift sword arts and movement techniques, has gradual consumption, and offers comparatively weak defense. 95
Thick Earth Art	Mid-grade	Produces steady, heavy earth-attributed Internal Qi, with strong defense and immense power but comparatively limited agility. 95
Crimson Sun Technique	Mid-grade	Produces blazing, ferocious fire-attributed Internal Qi with powerful bursts and sharp offensive force, but imposes a heavy burden on the meridians. 95
Flowing Wave Mental Method	Mid-grade	Produces enduring, resilient water-attributed Internal Qi, supporting prolonged combat and some healing, but with relatively weak attack power. 95
Mystic Wind Art	High-grade	Converts Wind-Following Art Internal Qi into deeper, more condensed dark-teal Internal Qi through a more complex circulation system. 209
Azure Profound Art	Grandmaster-level	Produces refined azure-gold Internal Qi. Its cultivation speed is three times greater than Fang Han's previous art, while its purity improves the force available for breaking bottlenecks. 407
Greenwood Poison-Avoidance Scripture	Mid-grade Intent Realm	Produces dark-green Internal Qi containing plant-like vitality; when circulated deeply, it can automatically dissolve ordinary toxins. Its Grandmaster Chapter cultivates True Qi through a new circulation system and supports progression through the realm's nine layers. 613 622 691

Internal Qi cultivation arts do not have a separate top-tier grade between high-grade and Grandmaster-level. Elder Mo explains that Grandmaster-level internal arts are the next step above high-grade methods, and access to them requires exceptional service and approval from the sect's leadership. This differs from martial techniques such as sword arts and movement arts, which can have a top-tier classification. 272

Switching from the Azure Profound Art to the Greenwood Poison-Avoidance Scripture qualitatively improves Fang Han's Internal Qi. Its higher-grade, vigorous and enduring energy raises his assessed combat strength from barely entering the Three Barriers level to its peak without a simultaneous rank breakthrough. 613 614

Applications

Martial Technique Empowerment

Internal Qi is circulated through prescribed meridians and acupoints to power sword arts, movement techniques, hidden-weapon techniques, and secret techniques. Precise control over its paths and output directly affects a technique's effectiveness. 102 187 253

• Wind-attributed Internal Qi can enhance speed-oriented swordsmanship and footwork. 95
• High-grade and Grandmaster-level arts provide greater purity, density, and combat output than lower-grade methods. 209 407
• Stronger techniques consume Internal Qi more rapidly; Fang Han estimates that his most powerful sword moves can only be sustained for several dozen attacks before depletion becomes decisive. 622
• After advancing to Grandmaster, Fang Han's transformed True Qi provides substantially greater reserves and quality, easing the burden of sustaining high-consumption techniques such as the Great Void Wind God Sword. 710
• Martial technique grade must be matched by sufficient Internal Qi quality and quantity. A lower-three-rank martial artist cannot meet a top-tier sword art's cultivation requirements merely by possessing its manual. Fang Han's Fifth Grade breakthrough makes his own top-tier sword training smoother. 249
• Internal Qi can be coordinated with Wind Momentum to sustain an efficient movement rhythm rather than simply maximizing speed. 176
• At Grandmaster Third Level, even an extremely subtle trace of True Qi, combined with Wind Sword Intent and the Great Void Wind God Sword, produces a strike sharp enough to cut a high-grade weapon as easily as tofu. 737 740

Internal Qi Taking Form

A cultivator who reaches Great Mastery in a mid-grade hidden-weapon technique can compress released Internal Qi into tangible weapons. 153

• Mo Chen formed a three-inch flying knife from condensed Internal Qi, giving it physical offensive power without relying on an actual hidden weapon. 153
• Such constructs can be repeatedly created as long as the user's Internal Qi is not exhausted. 153
• Extreme compression grants the formed weapon exceptional penetrating force. 153

Secret Technique Circulation

Secret techniques use specialized Internal Qi circulation to stimulate particular meridians, conceal one's presence, or heighten sensory abilities. 187 199

• Tracking arts may circulate Internal Qi through meridians near the nasal cavity to detect scents or living auras. 187 570
• Breath-concealment arts suppress scent, aura, vitality, and Internal Qi fluctuations through subtle circulation routes. 199 471
• Improved mental strength enables finer perception and control over Internal Qi, benefiting both cultivation and combat. 253 272
• The Spirit Nose Technique stimulates a key meridian node near the nasal cavity with a thin strand of Internal Qi. Fang Han's successful Beginner-stage cultivation sharpens his sense of smell more than tenfold. 187
• Incorrect or obstructed circulation can defeat concealment by allowing noticeable Internal Qi fluctuations to escape instead of suppressing them. 200
• Fang Han limits Nether Guide to a one-li sensing radius during ordinary travel to maintain vigilance without excessive Internal Qi expenditure. 625
• Shadowveil combines intricate Internal Qi circulation with the Shadow Intent Domain. At Minor Accomplishment, it allows Fang Han to merge with surrounding shadows and approach newly advanced Grandmasters undetected, although he expects veteran Grandmasters to remain capable of perceiving him. 671

Divine Treasury Applications

• The Sound Divine Treasury allows Internal Qi to reinforce sound, enabling long-distance voice transmission and destructive sound attacks. 568
• The Hidden Force Divine Treasury permits force driven by Internal Qi to bypass external defenses and injure internal organs. 304
• The Toxin Cleansing Divine Treasury complements the Greenwood Poison-Avoidance Scripture, increasing Fang Han's resistance to poisons. 613
• At First Grade, Fang Han can employ spiritual power to affect reality directly through the Purple Mansion Acupoint's Divine Treasury. 624
• Tide Surge temporarily raises Internal Qi output and circulation speed, giving Fang Han greater explosive force in his techniques. 249
• The Taichong and Yongquan Divine Treasuries work with the Greenwood Poison-Avoidance Scripture's vitality to accelerate healing, allowing ordinary injuries to recover within three to five days by Mid First Grade. 650

Body Tempering and Recovery

Internal Qi can nourish the body and assist recovery rather than serving only as offensive energy. While recuperating from injuries, Fang Han circulates the Azure Profound Art to nourish his wounds alongside the lingering medicinal power of a Creation Pill. Internal cultivation also provides a way to continue advancing when an injury makes physical martial practice inadvisable. 477 486

• During Beginner-stage Black Tortoise True Art cultivation, Internal Qi follows designated routes in coordination with external postures, nourishing and tempering the sinews, bones, flesh, and blood. 328
• True Qi strengthens the physical body directly; Fang Han's initial test makes his arm tougher and reinforces the tissues between flesh and bone. 691
• The Golden Body Formula uses True Qi to temper the skin, flesh, membranes, tendons, and bones. 740

Spiritual Perception and Item Activation

• True Qi can be mobilized toward the head and transformed into spiritual power for perception. Fang Han's first Grandmaster-stage test reveals surroundings across several miles in minute detail, including insects hidden in trees. 691
• A trace of Internal Qi allows Fang Han to check contribution points through his sect identity token. 264
• True Qi can activate a High-Grade Message Jade Talisman; Zhou Tai infuses a thread of it to read a transmitted message. 729

Cultivation Resources

Resource	Effect on Internal Qi
Blood Vitality Pill	Primarily supports the Four Basic Realms; its effect on Internal Qi cultivation is negligible. 79
Inner Qi Pill	A monthly Inner Qi Realm resource that nearly doubles Fang Han's Internal Qi growth rate. 79
Foundation Cultivation Pill	More effective than Inner Qi Pills and used to rapidly accumulate Internal Qi after joining Azure Profound Sect. 96
True Spirit Pill	A higher-grade cultivation pill used alongside the Mystic Wind Art after reaching the middle three ranks. It can also replenish depleted Internal Qi. 209 325
Earth Spirit Pill	Produces vast, readily refined medicinal power that can be converted into dense Internal Qi. Fang Han also uses it to replenish depleted reserves, although its medicinal power becomes insufficiently substantial after his Grandmaster breakthrough. 248 418 430 691
Heaven Origin Pill	Provides especially abundant medicinal power for rapid Internal Qi accumulation in the upper ranks. Its medicinal power far surpasses that of an Earth Spirit Pill, and Fang Han also uses it to restore Internal Qi after a mission. 490 498
Spirit Resonance Pill	Restores depleted Internal Qi after travel or battle. 478
Spirit-Condensing Pill	Does not directly increase Internal Qi, but strengthens mental power and improves its control and circulation precision. 253
Earth Heart Stone Milk	Improves underlying Root Bone talent, increasing Internal Qi cultivation efficiency when combined with the system's Root Bone Talent Amplification. Fang Han later exchanges for three additional drops, recognizing diminishing benefits beyond three doses. 198 551 553
Starry Ink Jade	Assists cultivation of the Greenwood Poison-Avoidance Scripture, supporting Internal Qi accumulation before Grandmaster and allowing Fang Han's True Qi to continue increasing rapidly even without suitable supporting pills. Its effects remain valuable alongside 1,024-fold Root Bone Talent Amplification. 679 710 737 763
Heaven and Earth Origin Qi	At Grandmaster, Fang Han draws this environmental energy into his body and converts it into True Qi through the Greenwood Poison-Avoidance Scripture. 737

Limitations

• Internal Qi growth halts when an opened acupoint reaches capacity until the next acupoint's barrier is broken. 99 117
• Higher-grade Internal Qi techniques are scarce and controlled by major sects and aristocratic houses; Liangshui City's great families possess only lower-grade methods. 79
• Switching cultivation arts is dangerous because old Internal Qi can clash with unfamiliar meridian routes, potentially causing serious internal injuries. 407
• Powerful martial arts, movement techniques, defensive reinforcement, and secret techniques all consume Internal Qi in combat. Insufficient reserves can leave a martial artist unable to sustain their strongest techniques. 622
• Before Fang Han's advancement to Grandmaster, the immense expenditure of his strongest sword arts restricted him to roughly thirty or forty full-power offensive strikes when movement and defensive reinforcement were also required. 622
• A technique's cultivation requirements can exceed the quality and output of a lower-ranked martial artist's Internal Qi, preventing effective practice even when the manual is available. 249
• Circulation through delicate meridians requires precise understanding and control. Improper Spirit Nose Technique cultivation can damage nasal tissue and olfactory nerves, while failed concealment circulation can expose the user's energy fluctuations. 187 200
• Strong cultivation talent does not remove major barriers entirely. Even with 512-fold Root Bone Talent Amplification, Fang Han needs fifteen days to break the Qi Pass; overcoming it alone does not complete the Grandmaster breakthrough because the Spirit Pass remains. 683
• Internal Qi cannot activate every treasure. Fang Han's attempts to activate the black ring from the Ancient Ruins with Internal Qi and blood both fail; spiritual power is required instead. 478
• Attribute-specific methods have trade-offs: the Wind-Following Art offers comparatively weak defense, the Thick Earth Art sacrifices agility, the Flowing Wave Mental Method has weaker attack power, and the Crimson Sun Technique burdens the meridians. 95
• True Qi's greater reserves do not make it inexhaustible. Travel and fighting three Skyfire Sect Grandmasters leave Fang Han with little True Qi, prompting him to restore it before resting rather than remain vulnerable. 752
• Grandmaster cultivation demands more substantial resources. Shortly after Fang Han's breakthrough, two Earth Spirit Pills are exhausted in under fifteen minutes, and further testing shows that his vast True Qi absorbs their medicinal power almost immediately. 691