Training in the Mountains

After walking through the mountains for two days, he still saw nothing but towering, lush forests stretching as far as the eye could see. Chen Fan could not help shaking his head speechlessly. "For that temple to be built in such an isolated place and still be discovered... this treasure must be extraordinary, and those seeking it must be no ordinary people.

Fortunately, all traces of the treasure had now vanished. Those treasure hunters would never imagine it was in my hands." The only greatest uncertainty now was the master the monks had mentioned—the person who had brought him into the temple as a child and raised him. If that person returned, he would surely understand everything. Then Chen Fan might be tracked down through him.

Thinking of this, Chen Fan grew worried again. Even now, he could not recall the slightest thing about his past. Since he could not leave these deep mountains for the time being, and this place seemed extremely remote, no one should find him unless they were specifically targeting that temple. After all, even he himself did not know where he was. He might as well find a place to rest properly and examine the things he had brought from the temple.

Chen Fan came to a clear mountain spring, drank a few mouthfuls, and washed his face. Reflected in the spring water, he saw his appearance clearly for the first time since losing his memory. Fifteen. No wonder that old monk had been reluctant to shave his head. After a brief bout of narcissism, Chen Fan gathered his thoughts, sat cross-legged by the spring, and decided to first look through the martial arts manuals he had found in the training hall.

Judging from what he knew so far and the battle scenes he had seen while unconscious, this world undoubtedly depended on martial strength. He was probably someone who had practiced martial arts since childhood. After all, the monks in the temple had all trained as well. Besides, considering that he had recovered on his own after being poisoned by something that sounded far from ordinary, he had to be a martial artist. He simply did not know what level he had reached.

Filled with curiosity and anticipation, Chen Fan opened the first manual, titled the "Elementary Martial Arts Treatise." Rather than a martial arts manual, it was more like a guide for beginners. But for the current Chen Fan, aside from still being able to read, everything else had to begin from scratch. The book was not long, and he finished it in half a day.

After reading it, he found it astonishing. The book mentioned that in this world, those who practiced martial arts from childhood were everywhere. Beginners were said to practice martial arts, while those who cultivated to relatively profound heights were said to discuss the Dao. Practicing martial arts, discussing the Dao—martial Dao? Why did this description feel so natural to him? Was it because he was learning it for the second time? According to the book, the martial Dao was divided into three major categories and nine great realms: Internal Qi, External Force, and Soaring. Each category was further divided into nine levels.

Internal Qi was easy enough to understand. It meant cultivating internal arts, breathing in and out, merging the Origin Qi of heaven and earth with oneself in some manner, and cultivating Internal Qi. Origin Qi was stored within the body. The higher one's cultivation realm, the more abundant the Origin Qi in one's body and the deeper one's internal strength.

External Force referred to external martial techniques, such as swordsmanship, saber techniques, and staff techniques. External Force required internal strength to drive it, so External Force without internal strength was useless. Yet possessing only internal strength without the corresponding External Force also made it impossible to display one's power. The two complemented and supported each other. The third category, Soaring, was the art of traversing the skies—in other words, the lightness skill spoken of by ordinary martial artists.

Soaring Arts likewise required the support of internal arts and the cultivation of corresponding Soaring techniques. At profound levels, one could fly through the air for several hours without touching the ground, while flight altitude and speed increased along with one's cultivation realm.

Each of the three major categories had nine levels, distinctions established through the endless exploration and summaries of predecessors throughout the ages, based on the effects a cultivation method could allow its practitioner to achieve:

The first three levels of Internal Qi were the Qi Absorption Stage. After cultivating according to an internal arts method, practitioners at this stage could already absorb small amounts of Origin Qi from heaven and earth into their bodies and store it in their dantian. When facing enemies, they could release it through External Force techniques to attack. Internal Qi stored within the body could strengthen a practitioner's physique, prolong life, allow one to survive for many days without food or water by relying on the Origin Qi of heaven and earth, and make one less susceptible to illness.

The fourth through sixth levels were Meridian Opening. Practitioners at this realm could circulate the Origin Qi they had absorbed through their meridians, open all the channels in the human body, and push bodily functions to their utmost limits. At this point, practitioners could abstain from food entirely, no longer needing to eat at all, and their lifespan would increase by more than two hundred years. They could also unleash External Force more freely and with greater power, though they required External Force of an equal realm to release the full might of their internal arts.

The seventh through ninth levels were Spirit Wandering. Upon reaching this realm, practitioners usually lived for several hundred to over a thousand years. They could directly use the Origin Qi of heaven and earth, attack without External Force, though the power depended on the cultivation method, and directly use internal strength to manipulate Origin Qi—fetching objects from afar, transmitting voices across distances, and gaining extraordinarily far-reaching perception. It was even said that those who cultivated to the ninth level could live forever without aging like immortals, and control everything around them as they pleased.

External Force was likewise divided into nine levels. The first three were Mountain Cleaving. At this stage, practitioners could merely exert strength greater than that of ordinary people, but when paired with Internal Qi of the same realm, they could use weapons to cleave open mountain rocks. The middle three levels were Wave Severing. Practitioners at this realm could already control the Origin Qi of heaven and earth, combining it with internal arts of the same realm to carve open a path through the sea, their momentum vast and majestic. The final three levels were Heaven Shattering. As the name implied, this stage possessed the force to shatter heaven and destroy earth, capable of destroying an entire region with a single move. However, those who cultivated to this realm were few and far between, because External Force could only be unleashed with Internal Qi at the same realm.

In this vast world, cultivation methods emerged in endless streams. They were divided into three grades according to the highest realm they could reach. Low-grade methods could only cultivate levels one through three. Mid-grade methods could cultivate anywhere from levels four through six. Only high-grade methods could allow practitioners to cultivate levels seven through nine. To reach the Heaven-Shattering Realm, a practitioner had to cultivate both high-grade External Force and Internal Qi methods, and raise their External Force beyond the seventh level. Yet high-grade methods were rarer than phoenix feathers and qilin horns. They were either controlled by renowned sects and great powers or existed only in legends, impossible to find no matter where one searched. Should a high-grade method ever fall into the world, it would inevitably stir up a bloody storm.

At this point, Chen Fan could not help thinking of the book he had dug out from the Buddha's foot in his pack. Could that be a high-grade cultivation method? However, he did not hurry to read it. This beginner's book mentioned that although there was no rule forbidding one from directly cultivating any high-grade method, most high-grade methods required sufficient foundations, or could only be cultivated from relatively advanced realms onward. Very few high-grade methods could be cultivated from the first level to beyond the seventh. Thus, ordinary people generally began with low-grade methods. Besides, even if his book was a high-grade method, it would only belong to one of the categories of Internal Qi, External Force, or Soaring. Possessing just one category would not bring him much benefit at present.

Soaring was also divided into nine minor levels and three major realms, but the distinctions were relatively vague. Although ready-made Soaring methods existed, in actual cultivation, practitioners could control the Origin Qi of heaven and earth and transform it through Internal Qi to develop Soaring Arts suited to themselves. Many were broadly similar, while many others were utterly beyond the ordinary. For instance, aerial travel included flying directly through the air using one's own cultivation method, or flying by controlling an artifact, such as a sword or shield. Some even controlled fans or zithers, though all such methods fell under artifact flight. Other practitioners flew by controlling beasts. In short, this world contained countless strange and bizarre cultivation methods, all created through one's own comprehension of controlling Origin Qi. Yet every one of them was founded upon Internal Qi.

The first through ninth levels of Soaring were measured entirely by flight altitude and duration. The first three levels were Treading Waves, meaning one could walk upon water without sinking. It did not sound particularly remarkable, but most martial artists remained at this realm. Cultivating Soaring techniques consumed a great deal of internal strength and time. If the same time were spent practicing External Force, the results would be obvious. Moreover, reaching the fourth level of Soaring was extremely difficult. Since most people could only remain at the Treading Waves realm, they might as well spend their remaining time cultivating External Force and Internal Qi, so that they would have the strength to fight their enemies. It made quite a bit of sense. Who would abandon External Force cultivation to specialize in Soaring? Just to flee for their life?

Chen Fan did not see it that way. He felt that Soaring was not only first-rate for escaping, but also looked incredibly cool and dashing when used. More importantly, it could preserve his life. After all, nothing was more important than staying alive. The fourth through sixth levels of Soaring were Mountain Ascending. Practitioners at this realm could easily reach a mountain summit simply by using their technique, and could also leap down from the mountainside. If he possessed such ability right now, he could jump straight down the mountain rather than wandering here in confusion, searching for a way out. Finally, the seventh through ninth levels of Soaring were Cloud Soaring. Practitioners could soar through the skies and continue flying so long as their internal strength did not run dry. That was truly fantastical. Rumor had it that practitioners able to cultivate to Cloud Soaring were even fewer than those who reached Heaven Shattering. Not only were high-grade Soaring methods scarcer still, but creating one's own Soaring Art required comprehending it through one's own Internal Qi method, which took far too much time. Soaring also required Internal Qi of the same realm to support it. Thus, few were willing to give up cultivating External Force to train in Soaring, much less face the difficulty of reaching high realms, which far exceeded that of External Force.

Chen Fan took out the other two books. They were cultivation methods practiced by the temple monks. One was called the "Golden Wheel Scripture," an Internal Qi method, while the other was the "Golden Wheel Staff Technique." They appeared to be ancestral methods passed down within Golden Wheel Temple. Seeing the sky gradually darken, Chen Fan did not hesitate. He picked up the Golden Wheel Scripture and began studying it. There were no lamps here, and he did not want to waste the nighttime. He would first see whether he could learn some Internal Qi cultivation methods. Perhaps he could spend the night cultivating and gaining insight, then uncover the secret in the Buddha's foot tomorrow during daylight.

The Golden Wheel Scripture was a low-grade Internal Qi method, but it could be cultivated to the peak of the third level. If he later obtained a mid-grade method, he could switch cultivation methods relatively easily and smoothly enter the fourth level. But there was no need to think that far ahead. Chen Fan slowly recited the formulas of the Golden Wheel Scripture, contemplated them, and began cultivating. When he followed the method within the Golden Wheel Scripture to draw the Origin Qi of heaven and earth into himself and circulate it through his body, he found the process exceptionally smooth, without the slightest obstruction. It seemed this was indeed the Internal Qi method he had cultivated for a long time. Yet his memories still had not returned, so he could not investigate what realm he had reached.

Whatever. After circulating his body through several Lesser Celestial Circuits according to the first few sections of the Golden Wheel Scripture, he found his vitality, essence, and spirit noticeably improved. The lingering discomfort from the poison had almost completely vanished. Since it was useful, he might as well cultivate through the night and see what happened. Perhaps his memories would recover somewhat as well. Having made up his mind, Chen Fan took out a mouthful of the limited dried provisions in his pack and stuffed it into his mouth. Looks like I'm still a long way from the realm where I can abstain from food.

Afterward, he sat in meditation and entered a tranquil state. As night deepened, he began circulating the Golden Wheel Scripture method he had just comprehended. Internal arts could be cultivated at night, and entering meditation could replace sleep. After being injured, practitioners generally used it to heal their wounds and restore internal strength. Even without injuries, cultivating this way was a means of improving one's Internal Qi cultivation. So long as no one interfered and caused one to suffer qi deviation, there would be no problem. The mountains were silent and deserted at present, so Chen Fan cultivated with peace of mind.