Roots and Leaves

"Starting today, I will teach you the martial path."

Time slipped away, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.

The morning sun was just rising, and the snow remained thick. A patch of ground had been cleared in the small courtyard of Qin Fang, where Elder Wu stood with a calm expression.

Qin Fang stood to the side with bright eyes, taking a deep breath: "Yes!"

"You already know that the first three stages of cultivation are 'Bright Force', 'Dark Force', and 'Transformation Force'."

"These three stages are the initial levels of cultivation, also known as the 'Mortal Body Realm' or 'Mortal Martial Realm'. The vast majority of martial artists in this world spend their entire lives stuck within these three stages."

"The core philosophy of these three stages is to temper the physical body and push it to its limits..."

Elder Wu spoke eloquently.

Qin Fang felt a bit dazed listening to this and couldn't help but interrupt: "Master, does that mean... there are other realms beyond these three?"

Since there is a "Mortal Martial Realm"...

Then naturally there must be...

A "Transcendental Martial Realm"?

Elder Wu frowned, stopped his lecture, and looked at Qin Fang.

"You haven't even begun to cultivate, yet you ask so much? The path of cultivation forbids being overly ambitious. Haven't I told you that many times?"

Qin Fang froze, then felt a bit awkward: "Sorry, Master, I... I was just curious..."

Elder Wu snorted in annoyance, but after a pause, he still said: "Naturally, there are. Beyond that, it is called the 'Divine Ability Realm'... But most ordinary martial artists stop at the 'Mortal Body Realm', and many cannot even achieve the first stage, the 'Bright Force Realm'."

"Your talent and foundation are average; only your comprehension is decent... My expectation for you is simply to successfully break through to 'Bright Force' within three years, and I would be satisfied... The Divine Ability Realm?"

As he spoke, he shook his head.

Clearly, he did not hold high hopes for Qin Fang.

Qin Fang stood stunned, then scratched his head... This little old man was fine in every way, but sometimes his words were quite stifling.

"Cultivation is not child's play. The path of cultivation is a chasm at every step; even 'Bright Force' is not as easy to achieve as you imagine."

"Take Wang Long, whom you know. He has cultivated for over a decade, and the Iron Tiger Gang has provided him with massive resources. Yet, in these ten-plus years, he has attempted to break through several times and failed every single one, remaining stuck before the Bright Force... You should realize that the path of martial cultivation is not as simple as you imagine."

Elder Wu warned Qin Fang earnestly.

Hearing Elder Wu's words, Qin Fang's expression tightened.

He had no concept of others.

But Wang Long's physique had truly left a deep impression on him!

...Even with brainstem damage, he could still unleash such terrifying combat power in an instant.

Yet, even with that, he hadn't reached Bright Force...

It was clear that this Bright Force was indeed not easy to cultivate.

"Yes, this disciple is wrong."

Qin Fang took a deep breath, bowed in apology, and began to listen attentively.

Seeing Qin Fang's expression turn solemn, realizing the difficulty of cultivation and no longer being restless, Elder Wu nodded and continued: "Don't underestimate these three Mortal Body stages. If one can cultivate to the Transformation Force by tempering the body and invigorating the blood, they can be considered a dragon among men."

"Let me first tell you the general manifestations of these three stages."

"Integrating the strength of the entire body to unleash a clear, fierce external force—where bones and muscles resonate in movement, fists carry wind, and feet crack stone—is 'Bright Force'."

"When strength shifts from hard to soft, capable of penetrating the surface of an object to strike the interior, nourishing things without a sound, striking across mountains to hit an ox, and injuring people invisibly, that is 'Dark Force'."

"When the mastery of power reaches perfection, combining hardness and softness, turning and flowing as one wishes, with the entire body covered in sensitive energy such that even a fly cannot land, that is 'Transformation Force'."

"Upon reaching the Transformation Force, the body's blood, energy, and spirit are sealed and fortified, significantly slowing the aging process... A peak Transformation Force expert can live up to two hundred years."

Qin Fang's eyes lit up as he listened.

Especially the last sentence: Transformation Force... two hundred years of life?

It made his heart race!

Is this...

The path to immortality?!

"But cultivation is not easy. There are two types of cultivation methods. The first is the 'Root Method'. The second is the 'Leaf Technique'."

"These are the 'Roots and Leaves' of cultivation."

"The distinction between root and leaf... is as the name suggests."

"If you view cultivation as a great tree, the Root Method is the foundation. Only by practicing the 'Root Method' can you truly touch the martial path... and cultivate powers like Bright Force, Dark Force, and Transformation Force."

"Leaf Techniques are arts and skills. They are methods and techniques for channeling power."

"For example, the 'throwing knives' you are currently practicing is a standard 'Leaf Technique'. It is a skill. No matter how profound you practice it, it is still just a technique and provides no help in 'tempering the physical body' itself."

"However, on the path of cultivation, both roots and leaves are extremely important. Without roots, it goes without saying: you are hollow and powerless. No matter how good your skills are, hitting someone will be painless and ineffective. But if you have no leaves, having only the foundation is like a wild ox—full of strength but unable to apply it, and you will be played to death by others."

"Only by cultivating both roots and leaves, using the roots to condense the leaves and the leaves to protect the roots, can one walk the true path."

What Elder Wu said made Qin Fang's eyes light up.

The method of roots and leaves...

Using roots to condense leaves, using leaves to protect roots...

The path of cultivation slowly unfolded before him.

Qin Fang did not know what level of cultivation Elder Wu possessed, but at the very least, his teaching ability was absolutely top-tier.

He first explained the keys to the three realms in simple, profound terms, which was equivalent to laying out a roadmap for Qin Fang's cultivation, ensuring he understood exactly how to take every step forward.

"What I am going to pass on to you today is a low-grade root method: Savage Ox Qi Force."

"Although Savage Ox Qi Force is rudimentary, it is the best method for tempering one's will and grasping the subtlety of 'integrated force.' Once you fully comprehend it, transitioning to any middle or high-grade root method in the future will yield twice the result with half the effort."

Savage Ox Qi Force!

Qin Fang's eyes shone brightly.

"Root methods generally consist of two parts: stance work and breathing."

"By using specific stances and breathing rhythms, you focus on sensing the coordination of your muscles and the surging of your blood and qi, thereby comprehending 'integrated force'."

"Now, I will teach you the stance first."

As Elder Wu spoke, he took off his cotton coat, revealing a tight-fitting training suit underneath. Elder Wu's frame was thin and withered, looking almost skeletal.

Then, Elder Wu exhaled lightly, his feet parallel and slightly wider than his shoulders, standing in an "inverted V" shape with his toes slightly gripping the ground.

His knees were slightly bent, as if sitting yet not sitting, his chest held in and back pulled up—meaning his chest was slightly concave while his back muscles expanded outward to the sides.

His arms were rounded in front of him as if embracing a large tree. His elbows pointed downward, palms facing each other with fingertips a foot apart, palms inward, forming the shape of "ox horns."

His chin was slightly tucked, his crown held high as if a string were gently pulling the top of his head upward. His gaze was fixed straight ahead, his eyes focused.

"This stance is called the Reckless Ox Stance. Standing in a stance is not just about the physical posture; it is even more about the 'intent stance'."

"The so-called intent stance means that during this process, you must visualize yourself as a reckless ox, horns thrusting forward, standing immovable against any impact."

Elder Wu spoke in a deep voice while demonstrating the movements.

Then, his gaze sharpened, and he said slowly, "Next is the breathing. After settling into the stance, use your breath to feel the force within your body."

"Inhale through your nose, slowly, evenly, and deeply. At the same time, use your intent to guide the breath into your dantian, tightening your muscles as you do so, like an ox storing its strength."

"Once you have inhaled fully, hold your breath for a moment. This is the 'storing strength' phase; keep your entire body tense, your spirit highly focused, and feel the surging of blood and qi within you."

"Exhale slowly through your mouth. Note that when exhaling, you must maintain the stance without change, slowly relaxing while using your intent to expel all 'turbid qi' and 'fatigue' from your body..."

After Elder Wu finished explaining the key points in detail, he took a slow, deep breath through his nose.

The next moment, his withered body actually began to slowly "expand," and his rounded arms, like a pair of ox horns, thrust forward.

"Stance work has three levels, corresponding to the early, middle, and late stages of Ming Jin."

"Its external manifestation is the 'simultaneous resonance of tendons and bones'."

"The first level is the drum-like sound of the skin and membranes!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Fang saw that the skin and muscles of Elder Wu's body began to move naturally; the amplitude was small, but the frequency grew higher and higher.

Gradually, Qin Fang heard a series of "thump, thump, thump" sounds.

The sound was like a beating drum, dull and shocking.

Qin Fang was dumbfounded.

...This was not the sound he had seen in martial arts videos from his past life, which came from "stomping the ground" or "slapping the body."

This was a sound truly and genuinely emanating from within the man's own body!

It was as if the master's skin and membranes had been inflated by some force in that instant, forming a great drum.

But it didn't end there. The master's calm voice sounded again: "The second level is the thunderous sound of tendons and bones."

As the master's words fell, the frequency of the vibrations on his body seemed to slow down, yet became more rhythmic. The next moment, a series of crackling bone-popping sounds erupted from within his skeleton. At first, it sounded like bone-cracking, but gradually, the frequency accelerated, turning into a crisp, explosive sound like lightning and thunder.

Qin Fang's eyes widened...

Sounds coming from inside the body?

This...

While he was still in shock, the master's voice rose again: "The third level is the tide of blood and qi."

The next moment, the frequency of his body's vibration changed again. The bone-popping sounds grew faint, but his body seemed to expand just a fraction. Then, a "whoosh, whoosh" sound began to rise, growing louder and louder, making one feel as if they were suddenly standing beside a great river, witnessing surging, monstrous waves.

The drumbeats and thunder did not disappear; they simply merged into the sound of this great river, like a symphony, leaving Qin Fang completely stunned.

Then, in a trance, Qin Fang felt as if he truly saw an old ox standing tall upon the vast, wild earth.

Brutal, steadfast, powerful—it stirred the soul!

Is this...

Martial arts?