The Internal Cultivation System

In a clearing within the Mount Hua Sect, two figures clashed at speed, trading punches and kicks with astonishing force.

"The core of Eagle Claw Stele-Smashing Hand lies in the word 'smash.' Its essence is using four ounces to move a thousand pounds, turning an opponent's strength against them. Above all, it tests your eye: you must seize an enemy's opening, strike like lightning, and slam them into the ground. It's a form of grappling, and falls under the martial training methods of external arts."

Lao Denuo offered pointers as he rapidly exchanged blows with Tian Hao.

He had practiced some external martial arts before and understood them reasonably well. At the very least, instructing a novice like Tian Hao, who had only cultivated for a few years, posed no problem.

He had also read the manual for Eagle Claw Stele-Smashing Hand and gained considerable insight into it.

"Let's stop here for today!"

After practicing for a while, Lao Denuo suddenly leaped back. Shaking out his arms, he praised him. "Junior Brother Hao, your strength keeps growing. In a few more years, I'm afraid I won't be able to spar with you even with internal qi protecting my body."

Tian Hao was tall and powerfully built, with a tiger's back and a bear's waist. Someone like him was ideally suited to external martial arts.

After all, at the same cultivation level, a larger person would certainly possess greater strength.

Tian Hao was tremendously strong. Without the reinforcement of his internal qi, Lao Denuo would never have been able to withstand his blows.

"You're too modest, Senior Brother. Your real skills all lie in your sword. If you actually held a sword, I wouldn't last even one move against you. I can only gain a little advantage when we fight barehanded!"

Smiling, Tian Hao walked to the side and poured two cups of tea that had already been brewed. As he drank, he asked curiously, "Senior Brother, could you explain the cultivation realms of internal arts in detail?"

Although he had joined the Mount Hua Sect three years ago, his aptitude had led him to devote most of his energy to cultivating Embrace Origin Force. He had learned only the basics of internal arts and lacked a detailed understanding.

Not knowing had been fine before, but now that he could receive boosts from other people's innate attributes, he naturally needed to find a way to cultivate internal arts.

"What's gotten you interested in internal arts, Junior Brother?"

Accepting the tea, Lao Denuo asked curiously.

"Jianghu isn't peaceful these days. If I learn more about the properties of internal arts, I won't be caught scrambling when I face an internal arts expert."

Tian Hao brushed the question aside with an excuse, already considering how to persuade his master and mistress to teach him the Mount Hua Heart Method afterward.

The Mount Hua Heart Method might seem like commonplace fare, something every Mount Hua disciple could cultivate, but that did not mean it was a low-level art. Quite the opposite: it was powerful.

A little thought made that obvious. How could an internal cultivation method bearing Mount Hua's name be ordinary?

As the foundation of the sect, the Mount Hua Heart Method suited almost anyone. That universality was formidable, allowing the Mount Hua Sect to train large numbers of lower- and middle-ranking disciples.

The Mount Hua Heart Method had played an indispensable role in making the Mount Hua Sect the foremost of the Five Mountains Sword Sects.

Its potential was not low, either. His mistress, Ning Zhongze, had used it to reach the Houtian Realm, making it one of the martial world's rare arts capable of reaching that realm.

"Jianghu certainly isn't safe these days."

Lao Denuo nodded in wholehearted agreement. He, too, knew that hidden currents were surging through the martial world, with both the righteous and demonic factions actively preparing for war.

A storm was coming!

"Internal cultivation is founded upon the meridians within the body. We have three meridian systems in total: first, the twelve primary meridians; second, the twelve divergent meridians connected to them; and third, the eight extraordinary meridians.

"At the beginning of cultivation, you must first meditate and concentrate your intent. With that intent, you sense and guide the innate qi and acquired qi within your meridians, gathering them in your dantian and refining the acquired qi into internal power.

"Then you use that internal power to steadily expand the twelve primary meridians until all of them have been expanded. This is the initial realm, the Internal Power Realm.

"While expanding your meridians, you must use your intent in conjunction with an internal cultivation method to repeatedly temper and condense your internal power, eventually transforming it into internal breath.

"Internal power enhances our bodies' explosive strength, giving us greater speed and greater force.

"Once the twelve primary meridians have been expanded and your internal power has been refined into internal breath, you can begin expanding the twelve divergent meridians. This is the Inner Breath Realm.

"The key to refining internal breath lies in intent. That is precisely why internal cultivation methods are also called heart methods."

Lao Denuo patiently explained the process of internal cultivation to Tian Hao. None of this was secret, so there was naturally no need to avoid discussing it.

"Can the twelve divergent meridians only be expanded with internal breath?"

Taking advantage of the pause as Lao Denuo drank his tea, Tian Hao asked curiously.

Did it have to be internal breath? Couldn't internal power expand the twelve divergent meridians?

"The twelve divergent meridians are a network branching off from the twelve primary meridians, strengthening the harmony between their yin and yang.

"Compared with the twelve primary meridians, the twelve divergent meridians are much finer and more fragile. Expanding them with internal power can easily injure you. Only the more condensed internal breath will do.

"The purpose of expanding meridians is to widen our meridians and acupoints so that they can carry more internal power and internal breath. Brute force alone won't get you there."

At this point, Lao Denuo's expression grew serious. This was vitally important and allowed no carelessness.

Internal cultivation was already far more dangerous than external cultivation. Practicing external arts incorrectly would, at worst, injure the muscles and bones, which could recover with a period of rest and treatment.

But a mistake in internal cultivation would damage the meridians and, in turn, the internal organs. A mild case could leave one disabled; a severe one could prove fatal.

"So that's how it works!"

Tian Hao nodded in understanding. Although he had never cultivated internal arts, he did know some basic facts.

The human body's meridians were naturally formed and unobstructed to begin with. The talk of opening blocked meridians and acupoints in novels was complete nonsense.

Meridians were bound up with the very essence of human life. The innate qi and acquired qi within them were intimately connected to bodily functions.

If someone's meridians were blocked, they would have died long ago.

For instance, acupoint strikes blocked acupoints. Once an acupoint was struck, various unpleasant symptoms would follow, and severe cases could even threaten one's life.

The essence of internal cultivation was merely to expand the meridians, making them wider and tougher.

The body's original meridians fell far short of what circulating internal energy required. Only by expanding them could one cultivate and fight more efficiently.

It was like a road. A narrow path was enough for someone walking alone, but to accommodate carriages, the road had to be widened and reinforced.

"Internal breath is much stronger than internal power. Not only does it give a greater boost to a martial artist's explosive strength, it can also be channeled into weapons to a limited extent, making them sturdier.

"The next step is to further condense internal breath into internal qi. Internal qi enhances the body even more, and it can also be projected outside the body.

"What people in Jianghu call fist force and palm force is internal qi projected outside the body. Internal qi can also adhere to weapons. For example, I can use my internal qi to sharpen the edge of my longsword."

As he explained, Lao Denuo drew his sword and sliced a corner off the stone table.

Tian Hao bent down to pick up the severed corner and ran his fingers over it. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, astonishing him.

This was stone, after all. In his previous life, not even blades made from hard alloys could have cut stone like this. At most, they could shatter it.

Yet a sword reinforced with internal qi could cut through stone, just like laser cutting or waterjet cutting in his previous life.

This was utterly unscientific!

"After the Inner Qi Realm comes the Houtian Realm, where Master and Mistress stand. It requires further condensing internal qi into true qi, also known as Houtian True Qi."

"Houtian True Qi is even more concentrated. It can even be transformed into Sword-Qi to attack enemies, slicing through iron like mud with far greater power."

"But condensing internal qi into Houtian True Qi is difficult beyond measure. I have no hope of achieving it in this lifetime."

Lao Denuo sighed. He, too, yearned for the Houtian Realm, but unfortunately, his aptitude was insufficient. He had no way to make another breakthrough.

Their eldest senior brother, Linghu Chong, possessed the greatest talent and had a chance of breaking through to the Houtian Realm before thirty.

Unfortunately, Linghu Chong was flighty by nature. Though he had not neglected his internal cultivation, he could hardly be called diligent. Otherwise, he would have broken through to the Houtian Realm already.

To possess such talent yet fail to cherish it was truly lamentable, infuriating, and pitiful!

"Senior Brother, I'd like to try and see whether I can cultivate internal arts."

After digesting Lao Denuo's explanation, Tian Hao revealed his ultimate purpose.

As a veteran Qidian bookworm, he naturally knew there was no future in cultivating only internal or external arts. Cultivating both together was the royal road.

He had lacked the necessary conditions before, but now that his cheat had come online, he naturally had to make up for his lack of internal cultivation.