Breaking Through to Internal Qi

At school, in the training room.

Jiang Ding wielded his sword, with two bottles of pills placed before him.

One was the Essence Refining Marrow Pill, suitable for the Bone Forging Realm. It had a mild nature, was easy to absorb, and had a high success rate in refinement. The other was the Hundred Essences Transform Qi Pill, suitable for the Internal Qi Realm.

Both were classic pills from the Immortal Sect whose patents had expired. The former came six pills to a bottle, while the latter came twelve.

They were produced by Harmony Pharmacy, with the production date and the name of the pill refiner engraved on the bottoms of the bottles.

Most of the Essence Refining Marrow Pills had already been used. He took one every day, and each pill transformed into a large amount of nourishing vital essence in his body. A careless person might even be unable to withstand such potent supplementation.

Naturally, Jiang Ding had no such problem.

The Lesser Mastery Fledgling Eagle Takes Flight Sword Art circulated. As sword light flickered, it hungrily absorbed the vital essence erupting from his stomach, madly strengthening his body and bone marrow.

On the pale blue screen, the little figure's spine had only one or two sections that were not yet at 100%. They visibly jumped from 90%.

98%

99%

100%!

After completing a set of sword moves, Jiang Ding sheathed his sword. His joints cracked, and a warm current emerged from every limb and bone. Like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, it condensed into a thread-thin stream of internal qi that surged into his dantian, then circulated through the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian from there.

Jiang Ding drew his sword. The dantian and meridians began operating instinctively, advancing along the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian before finally flowing into the longsword, coating it in a hazy, slightly scattered white glow.

Whoosh!

With a light swing, the blade cut through the air with a sharp whistle. Its destructive power was more than several times greater than before.

He looked at the panel projected by the array spirit.

[Name: Jiang Ding]

[Student ID:]

[Realm: Initial Internal Qi Realm]

[Last Training Subject: <Sixty-Eighth Set of Fledgling Eagle Takes Flight Sword Art> (Lesser Mastery 5%)]

Beneath the panel was still a pale blue little figure. This time, however, what faintly appeared within it was no longer muscle, bone, and skin, but meridians.

They ran throughout the entire body, based on the twelve primary meridians and guided by the eight extraordinary meridians, spreading in every direction—for a total of 108,222 meridians!

This was the foundation of the Immortal Sect, the terrifying aspect of cultivation methods capable of forming a rudimentary Dao body through acquired cultivation!

For ordinary martial arts manuals, like those cultivated by Gong Caiyu and people from the so-called Dragon-Tiger Martial Hall such as Sky-Flip Monkey, having a thousand meridians would already count as a supreme cultivation method.

That exceeded the limits of martial artists' understanding of the human body's meridians!

It also exceeded the limits of what a martial artist could accomplish alone, without assistance in tempering and nourishing their meridians!

Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, First Branch (1%)

Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, Ninth Branch (2%)

Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, 3,654th Branch (0%)

Fine meridians across the pale blue figure were labeled one by one. They twisted together like dragons and snakes, densely packed enough to make one dizzy just by looking at them.

Beneath the figure, rows upon rows of collapsed text marked information on the fine meridians—108,222 of them in total.

Most people had around 108,000 minor meridians, with the number fluctuating slightly.

At the same time, under the guidance of the array spirit, the little figure began practicing swordsmanship.

Sword Unfurling Form!

The sword left its sheath and traced an arc through the air. Jiang Ding clearly saw that, on top of the original sword moves, there were now changes involving meridian circulation and the mobilization of internal qi. While greatly increasing the power of the sword techniques, they also used internal qi to nourish the minor meridians along its path, allowing them to refine essence into qi more efficiently through the circulation of internal qi.

"The method of mobilizing internal qi and nourishing the meridians seems to contain principles from array theory. The meridians and cultivation method principles from language class..."

Jiang Ding's eyes lit up. At last, he understood the true meaning behind the teachers' repeated words: "The Immortal Dao is a discipline that closely combines study and practice."

As he recalled the knowledge from language, mathematics, geography, biology, and other subjects that he had previously memorized by rote and forced himself to understand, he suddenly felt enlightened.

Clang!

Sword light flashed. Jiang Ding could not help but draw his sword and rise, following the posture of the pale blue little figure. He mobilized the internal force in his dantian to slash diagonally and sweep sideways. The sword shot forth like lightning, and he felt utterly smooth and unrestrained.

At first, his sword moves were still somewhat scattered, and he could not fully control his newly born strength. But after several moves, the sword light condensed into one again.

Three minutes.

After completing one and a half sets of sword moves, his internal force ran dry and shrank back into his dantian, now only the size of a broad bean. Jiang Ding sheathed his sword and breathed slightly heavily.

"Internal qi is too weak. It can only last three minutes..."

Jiang Ding recalled the Internal Qi chapter of the Fledgling Eagle Takes Flight Sword Art.

Meridians did not exist independently. Starting with the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, once the ten largest main and branch meridians of all twelve primary meridians, including the Hand Taiyang Triple Burner Meridian, had been fully tempered, they would form a "microcosmic circulation." The Internal Qi Realm would then be initially stabilized.

Afterward, nourishing and tempering one thousand minor branch meridians of the twelve primary meridians, including the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian and Hand Taiyang Triple Burner Meridian, would allow one to enter minor circulation. The speed and quality of internal qi would both rise greatly, marking Lesser Mastery.

On that foundation, tempering and nourishing one thousand main and branch meridians of the eight extraordinary meridians, such as the Conception and Governing Vessels, would achieve major circulation. Internal qi would circulate without end. That was Major Mastery.

As for final Perfection, it required tempering and nourishing more than eighty-eight thousand meridians!

After swallowing the last Essence Refining Marrow Pill, Jiang Ding continued practicing his sword. He no longer mobilized internal qi, instead using only his fully tempered flesh, muscles, and bones to train his body.

Refining essence into qi.

The vast amount of essence throughout his limbs and bones had nowhere to go, so it automatically transformed into internal qi, slowly replenishing the internal qi in his meridians and dantian.

Using the Essence Refining Marrow Pill in this way, he practiced three more times, then performed another round of the Internal Qi sword art to temper and nourish the still-fragile Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian.

Once the Essence Refining Marrow Pills were gone, he used Hundred Essences Transform Qi Pills instead. Their medicinal effects were over ten times stronger. Massive amounts of essence continuously arose from his stomach, equivalent to swallowing an entire cow, yet with few impurities and easy digestion.

The cycle repeated, and his sword light never ceased.

Two hours later, when the dismissal bell rang, Jiang Ding was drenched from head to toe. Sweat dripped from him, leaving a footprint with every step. His face was pale, and his meridians faintly ached.

"My body is really fragile. I've already reached my limit..."

Jiang Ding's eyes were bright, without the slightest fatigue. He sheathed his sword, showered in the bathroom, changed clothes, and walked back to the classroom.

After two hours of training, six of the largest meridians in his Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian had reached 20% tempering progress.

"It'll take around two weeks to achieve microcosmic circulation, provided that I don't stop taking ginseng and other pills that replenish vital essence. Otherwise, even a month won't be enough."

Jiang Ding calculated silently.

Along the way, he unconsciously sent a trace of internal force into his eyes and ears. It felt as though heaven and earth had been washed clean by clear water, sharper than ever before. He could even hear classmates returning from field training chatting at the school gate.

When he entered the classroom, the class monitor Hua Bing, Wu Tianli, and a few others glanced at Jiang Ding with slight surprise.

The others noticed nothing.

Even though he had only just entered the realm, his control over internal force was not something others could easily detect.

After the routine firearm maintenance and slogan shouting, class monitor Hua Bing reminded them, "The midterm exam is tomorrow. Don't forget, everyone."

"Got it."

The students' expressions turned solemn, and they felt somewhat nervous.

Many who were still in the Body Tempering Realm and were not outstanding in academic subjects revealed faint looks of despair. The gap was simply too vast. They had no hope at all of entering the cultivation department.

They could only consider which university's general department to attend. Most of them could still get into key universities.

"Class dismissed!"

On the bus, he was lucky enough to grab a seat.

Jiang Ding laid his longsword diagonally across his knees, closed his eyes to rest, and mobilized the internal qi that had somewhat recovered in his dantian. It circulated through the ten largest meridians of the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian. Amid faint stinging pain, he used internal qi to soothe them and promote healing.

For healthy humans, meridians were not blocked. They were simply too fragile and narrow to accommodate internal qi.

What martial artists needed to do was continuously temper and nourish them until they ran through the entire body and formed a great circulatory cycle.

This kind of "still practice" was a cultivation secret from the Fledgling Eagle Takes Flight Sword Art taught by the array spirit. It was only one-tenth as efficient as active practice, but it did not consume much energy. Its advantage lay in its endless continuity, accumulating bit by bit.

It was simply too difficult. A moment of carelessness could damage the meridians and cause more loss than gain.

Jiang Ding had already reached Lesser Mastery in his cultivation method, so it was not much of a problem. Still, he only tried it a little. Otherwise, if something unexpected happened, it could also damage his meridians. It was best to cultivate in a safe, quiet room.

To cultivate internal qi naturally while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down—even to cultivate automatically while asleep—required at least Major Mastery in the Young Eagle Takes Flight Formula.

Many Innate martial artists could not achieve that.

Ding!

Jiang Ding opened his eyes and took out his phone.

'Colorful Cloud Pharmaceuticals Finance Department has transferred 3,000 Mortal Coins to your savings card ending in ...5247. After a 5% tax deduction, your balance is 3,052 Mortal Coins.'

Jiang Ding was delighted.

The payment from Colorful Cloud Pharmaceuticals for the Purple Jade Grass had arrived. This was only for preliminary research and testing. Once they confirmed that a certain component of Purple Jade Grass had value, they would further purchase the patent license.

That would be a huge sum of money!

Most importantly, it was completely explainable. It was perfectly reasonable to get lucky and find an unknown mutated plant in a flowerbed by the roadside, right?

After getting off the bus, Jiang Ding found an ATM and withdrew thirty bright red one-hundred-Mortal-Coin bills. He happily counted them once.

And he kept counting as he walked.

Before he knew it, he had reached the bottom of his apartment building. Just as he was about to take the elevator—

"Dingding, long time no see. How have your studies been lately?" A middle-aged man stopped in front of him and asked gently.

Jiang Ding put the money into his pocket and glanced at him.

He was over 1.8 meters tall, with slightly bronze skin, sharply defined features, and a ruggedly handsome face. Forget women his own age—even young girls might not be able to resist him. He was a rare kind of handsome middle-aged man.

He also had a pleasant name: Jiang Chaoyang.

Jiang Ding did not answer. He went around him, entered the elevator, and pressed the close-door button.

"Dingding!"

Jiang Chaoyang hurriedly stepped inside, guilt on his face. "I know you've resented me all these years. Back then, I fought hard for custody of you too, but your mother refused, and the court ultimately awarded custody to her."

After that, he rambled on about many things—how he had no choice, how he wanted to see him but had no time, how he had sent money and gifts many times but Lin Wanqiu had refused them and thrown them out, and so on.

He received no response whatsoever.

Jiang Chaoyang looked at him and found that Jiang Ding had been quiet from beginning to end. It was as though there was no one speaking beside him, only a patch of air.

"You brat..."

Jiang Chaoyang became a little angry.

Ding-dong!

The elevator doors opened, and Jiang Ding walked out on his own.

The elevator and the residential complex were public spaces. Any citizen could use them. What did that have to do with him?

At his door, Jiang Ding shielded the keypad with one hand and entered the password with the other. He pressed his thumb against the fingerprint scanner. The door clicked open, and he walked in with his backpack on.

Jiang Chaoyang frowned slightly but said nothing.

He followed him inside, stepping his right foot across the boundary between the entrance and the room—

Clang!

A flash of chilling light that made his scalp explode flickered past. A sharp sword tip, wrapped in highly condensed internal qi, pressed against his throat, less than a millimeter away.

Jiang Ding looked at him quietly.

He was probably at Major Mastery in the Internal Qi Realm, and he was still cultivating the Young Eagle Takes Flight Formula rather than switching to another internal qi method. It seemed that, even now, as he neared fifty, he had not given up hope of becoming an immortal cultivator.

His combat experience was terribly lacking, and his cultivation level was low as well.

"What are you doing?!" Jiang Chaoyang's body stiffened as he angrily said, "Is this how your mother taught you? Is this something you can joke around with? You've gone wild. You need a beating!"

As he spoke, he reached out to slap Jiang Ding's sword aside.

Sizzle~

As he moved, the internal qi protection around his throat was easily sliced apart. The sword tip truly touched his skin. It was icy cold and faintly painful.

Jiang Chaoyang's body stiffened again. He stared incredulously at the youth before him and at the sword that was unnervingly steady in his hand.

Is he really not afraid of killing me?

"Strangers are not allowed to enter my home without permission," Jiang Ding said slowly.

.