Upgrading the Compound Bow

He needed to reach the point where he could nourish the great medicine in the middle dantian, gradually transforming it into the "sage," a condensed form of the Innate Primordial Spirit.

The transferred "great medicine" was placed in the middle dantian and continuously observed and nourished with a subtle, innate spiritual intent. This was called Warm Nourishment over a "gentle flame."

It was likened to "a hen brooding over her eggs" and "a dragon nurturing a pearl."

Entering a deeper state of meditation, acquired breathing through the mouth and nose grew increasingly faint, almost imperceptible. Energy metabolism was sustained mainly by the innate "True Breath."

At this point, the practitioner appeared to be deeply asleep or immersed in meditation, but inwardly remained clear and lucid.

After roughly ten months of Warm Nourishment, acquired distracting thoughts faded away completely, and the Innate Primordial Spirit gradually grew stronger and more distinct, laying the foundation for the next stage, Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness.

If he made it through these three stages, he would have essentially completed the practice of [Refining Qi into Spirit].

But exactly how to judge the heat at each step was still something the Avatar would have to work out bit by bit.

Fortunately, he had the Avatar talent.

Otherwise, he could only search the Daoist temples and see whether anyone with an inherited tradition was willing to take him in.

Wang An's own physical condition had by now basically reached two or three times that of an ordinary person.

States such as "Non-Action," "Five Dragons Bearing the Sage," "Great Samadhi," and "True Embryonic Breathing" required special methods to attain.

He could achieve them directly through his current powerful attributes, saving himself training time.

Besides experimenting with the new cultivation method, there was also the choice of his second Innate Mystic Qi.

He needed a Mystic Qi that could increase yang energy and the body's energy.

The easiest to gather was Greater Yang Qi.

But Greater Yang Qi, as an energy of heaven and earth, was simply too violent.

Even with Greater Yin Qi to neutralize it, there was probably still a certain degree of danger.

So he chose Lesser Yang Qi instead. Once his body gradually adapted to the changes between hot and cold, he would gradually gather and refine the more extreme Supreme Yang and the most extreme Extreme Yang Qi.

Gathering and refining qi was itself a form of physical training. The martial artist's auxiliary skill [Repair] could accelerate the body's ability to heal and improve the effects of training.

Like Greater Yin, Lesser Yin, and Extreme Yin, the three types of qi—Lesser Yang, Supreme Yang, and Extreme Yang—had to be gathered and refined during separate periods.

Lesser Yang Qi could only be gathered and refined from six to eight in the morning and four to six in the afternoon.

Over the past few days, Wang An had also observed a great variety of heavenly and earthly qi through his Avatar's outings.

There was the clear qi in the mountain forests, the earthly vein qi in mountain hollows and caves, the water qi between the mountaintops and flowing water, and the cloud qi in the sky.

These forms of qi were actually combinations of the concentrated powers of the five elements. Pure five-element qi, on the other hand, was very difficult to find.

Or perhaps, from his current perspective, he was not yet qualified to see it.

Early the next morning, just as he was preparing to gather and refine Lesser Yang Qi, he heard the noise in the residential complex gradually growing louder.

He thought to himself.

Looks like I should move. This time, I'll choose somewhere quieter.

He also needed to buy a car to get around, since the company's car was needed for exploration.

Today, Wang An wanted to use the club's connections to upgrade his compound bow and greatly increase its draw weight.

So he took the top-of-the-line compound bow straight to Coach Chen, who was still teaching some group classes and instructing newcomers at this hour.

He stood to one side and waited for a while, drawing occasional glances. As Wang An's body had gradually grown stronger,

his skin had taken on a healthy, rosy glow beneath its fair complexion. Just standing there, he gave off a steady, gentle aura.

In fact, Wang An's build had not changed much. The changes were mainly inside his body, and each breath was slow and light.

His eyes were bright and spirited, his bone density had increased, and his body had grown heavier without his muscles becoming prominent.

In his every movement, he was at times as heavy as a mountain, at others as light as a fly.

Only after a class ended did Coach Chen walk over to Wang An and invite him into an office nearby.

Looking at the young man before him, in the prime of youth and as graceful as a jade tree in the wind, Coach Chen clicked his tongue in amazement and often marveled.

He recalled the time he had taught Wang An archery.

He had only given a few lessons on the basic points to remember, and in two or three days Wang An had mastered the act of shooting.

The first time, he hit the target at ten meters. The next day, he scored a ten at twenty meters; on the third, he shot at thirty meters. Later, he scored sevens and eights at fifty or sixty meters. The speed of his progress was jaw-dropping.

At the time, Coach Chen had thought he would produce a world champion. As long as Wang An spent some more time learning the recurve bow, his learning speed would put him at a level where he could basically dominate archery championships.

Unfortunately, when Coach Chen said he wanted to recommend that Wang An learn the recurve bow and compete in international competitions, Wang An politely declined.

He made it clear that he was only interested in hunting with a compound bow and had no intention of competing. Coach Chen often felt it was a pity.

Seeing Wang An like this today, he knew the young man was a Daoist master who had achieved success in cultivation. His features, aura, and every movement carried the stillness and motion of thunder.

Coach Chen had only seen a few Daoist masters with such a bearing in his early years.

So he treated Wang An with a few degrees more respect. Smiling, he spoke.

"Mr. Wang, what brought you here in person?

You could have told me on the phone. As long as it's something I, Chen, can do, just say the word."

Seeing how respectfully Coach Chen was acting, Wang An smiled and said,

"It's nothing urgent. I just wanted to ask you to find out whether there's a way to increase the draw weight of this eighty-pound compound bow.

The current draw weight is too light and doesn't quite suit me."

Hearing a question in his own field, Coach Chen asked with interest,

"Eighty pounds is basically the level of a top-of-the-line compound bow.

If you want to increase the draw weight further, of course that's possible. I know a few manufacturers who can custom-make one for you.

Or they can modify your current one. How many pounds do you need to add?"

Hearing there was a chance, Wang An's eyes lit up, and he said to Coach Chen,

"I'd like a compound bow with a draw weight of at least around two hundred pounds. Of course, it would be even better if this one could be modified."

Coach Chen was startled when Wang An opened with two hundred pounds.

He shook his head with a wry smile and said,

"Mr. Wang, even with the best materials and craftsmanship in the world, it could only reach around a hundred pounds, with an effective range of a hundred meters.

I'm afraid no one could draw the two-hundred-pound compound bow you want, and it can't be made with current technology and manufacturing methods either."

Wang An was a little disappointed. He had thought that with the best materials and craftsmanship, even if it couldn't reach two hundred pounds, it should at least exceed a hundred.

He had only mentioned two hundred pounds to try his luck. For all he knew, it might have been possible.