Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 196 Cultivation in One Room

The secrets of refining spirit into qi are of little significance to those who specialize in the art of magic and have already reached a high level of attainment.

However, for those who practice unorthodox methods and are too old to change their foundation, it may be a whole new world.

At the dinner table, Chu Tianshu didn't rush to discuss this matter.

However, Master Chu and Li Tao mostly chatted about everyday matters.

Their words revealed that they do indeed have a small circle.

Within the circle, most are older generations from the Jianghuai region who have inherited the traditions of unorthodox methods.

With people like Master Chu who help others with feng shui and make a living by the skills passed down through generations, they live quite comfortably.

Some people live a simple life, and the magic they practice is not conducive to making a living; they only use it as a part-time job to maintain their health.

The proportion of those who achieve spiritual enlightenment is much lower than those who achieve it through martial arts practice; theoretically, they should be even rarer talents.

At least within the Special Arrest Division, this is the case.

In reality, almost all the psychics in the Special Police Division have special skills in combat, investigation, or logistics.

Even if they didn't have it originally, as long as someone who has successfully developed their skills is willing to join, the Special Police Division is willing to make initial investments to help them develop their special skills.

In the past, during the older generation's time, domestic and international turmoil was more intense and frequent.

Even after becoming a medium, many people may not receive a suitable new lineage even if they join a metaphysical research association.

These unorthodox practitioners could only make a living through other professions, but they were not giving up and continued to practice minor arts, often stumbling and struggling.

Master Chu initially entered this field using witchcraft and medical techniques, but he struggled to achieve much.

When he went out to make his way in the world, he gradually made friends with such people, and they have known each other for many years.

Later, he switched to Feng Shui and achieved some success. He did not forget these friends, including one or two who, with his help, successfully switched to Feng Shui and entered the field.

That's another story of fate.

After finishing the meal, I watched Li Tao leave.

Master Chu said, "If you really want to recruit them, I'll have to call them and tell them about it."

"It's fine if some people have retired, but there are others who haven't retired yet. I'll talk to them about their salary, career prospects, and the network of contacts our pharmacy provides..."

Master Chu now speaks eloquently and fluently.

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "Didn't Second Grandfather not even bother to cultivate the 'Secret Blessing of the Vertical and Horizontal' before?"

"I thought that asking you to help with things at the pharmacy would soon become a hassle for you, but now it seems like you're enjoying it?"

Upon hearing this, Second Master Chu laughed heartily, patted his belly, and said, "At my age, it's too much trouble to switch to the secret arts of vertical and horizontal communication."

"But helping with recruitment and learning some recruitment jargon doesn't take too much effort."

"And this time, I'm really excited to be able to show off in front of my old friends."

Chu Tianshu chuckled: "My method of cultivating spirit into qi can transform mental power into internal energy, which is definitely more universal than the original unorthodox techniques."

"Moreover, the extent to which it is transformed depends on one's own will. It doesn't mean that after practicing, one cannot retain some mental energy or cast spells."

"But it's best to have a real example of something this good; that will make it easier to persuade them..."

Chu Tianshu drawled out his words and glanced at the old man.

Master Chu understood: "Alright! I'll put in a little more effort and see how long it takes to learn this."

"Don't worry, this is definitely much easier than switching to the Horizontal and Vertical Secret Technique and changing your foundation."

Chu Tianshu chuckled as he explained the key points to his second grandfather, taking out his phone to record the information while speaking, and also writing down the tips from memory.

As evening approached, he sent a copy of the compiled documents to his second grandfather before returning home.

He was too lazy to cook dinner, so he rummaged through his box, found a can of eight-treasure porridge, and ate it while watching TV, which served as his dinner.

After washing up, he quickly drifted off to sleep.

The great river surges, and tigers and wolves lurk everywhere.

The thin mist rising from the river surface forms a net-like pattern, and as it flows, it gathers into clouds and human figures, their movements as if they are practicing martial arts and swordsmanship.

Chu Tianshu stood by the river, one hand behind his back, watching this scene unfold.

The battle with Lord Liuyun that day had taken a toll on his spirit; it wasn't just the last sword strike that nearly caused his soul to leave his body.

In the battle before that, the Lord of Liuyun Palace exerted his divine will to the extreme, which also caused him some injuries.

The alien aura had naturally been driven away by Chu Tianshu long ago.

But this injury itself is also reflected in his dreams.

The scene before him was not an evolution of external evil energy, but rather originated entirely from his own memories.

Therefore, the movements of those humanoid figures were all techniques that Lord Liuyun had demonstrated in battle that day, and there were no further mysteries.

Chu Tianshu, however, still found it fascinating to observe.

There's no need for emergency responses during combat; the current situation allows him to more calmly evaluate his previous actions and consider whether there's room for improvement.

As he seemed to be immersed in the scenery, the wild beasts of the wilderness could no longer restrain themselves and approached him.

Bang! !

Chu Tianshu stomped the python's head into pieces with one foot and waved his left hand.

The wide sleeves caught the charging black wolf, and tossed it, disoriented, into the river.

As his cultivation level increased, these external evils manifested in his dreams, posing almost no threat to him.

For him, the battle in his dream had evolved from an initial escape to a later resistance.

Now, it's become like a game.

At the end of the dream, dozens of ferocious beasts of all shapes and sizes struggled in the river.

Chu Tianshu opened his eyes and glanced at his phone.

It's only six o'clock.

He lay there for a while before slowly getting up, rinsing his mouth, drinking tea, and walking to the storage room on the first floor.

This storage room is located north of Grandpa's bedroom.

Although my grandfather became famous as a witch doctor in his early years, he still knew how to farm. Every year, he would harvest dozens of bags of rice, dry them, and then put them in this room.

When they needed rice, they would take out a bag and go to the hulling shop. Often, the annual yield could last for nearly two years, so they had to sell some of the old rice.

Later, the land was leased to someone else, and the room gradually became empty. Now, Chu Tianshu only buys about thirty jin of rice at a time, so he doesn't need this separate room.

Today, he came here thinking that this small storage room could have another use.

Of all the rooms in the house, excluding the toilet, this room is the smallest.

Chu Tianshu wandered around for a while, then walked to a spot near the south wall, stretched out his left palm, and pressed it down.

A faint layer of blue spread from the wall.

Within seconds, the ceiling and floor were also tinged with a bluish hue.

Chu Tianshu then extended his right hand and flicked his finger.

A wisp of wind flew out, struck the north wall, bounced back, and hit the palm of his right hand.

The "Heavenly Hanging Skill" can be roughly divided into three stages: Submerged Current, Skimming the Sea, and Hanging the Heavens.

Chu Tianshu's internal energy has now reached the level of "Sea-Sweeping" (掠海).

This stage describes the imagery of the Kun transforming into the Peng, attempting to break through the water.

The sea waves are at their strongest at this time, along with fierce storms that whip up the newly sprouted feathers.

Only by overcoming all these obstacles can one soar across the vast ocean.

To put it simply, it tests one's own meridians, whether they can maintain the normal operation of the internal energy pathway under the constant backlash from various internal forces.

Originally, the training method at this stage was simply to sit there, categorize the exercises, and then oscillate the meridians throughout the body in sequence.

But while browsing through the classic texts of the Southern Shaolin Temple, Chu Tianshu gained a new inspiration.

After mastering the Southern Shaolin "Tide Sound Palm Technique," one must find a quiet room about ten feet square.

One palm channeled its energy to protect the room, while the other palm unleashed its power, causing repeated vibrations within the enclosed environment.

This training method involves continuously impacting a fixed direction with palm force to experience the frequency of the palm force's rebound.

It helps to grasp the essence of the ebb and flow of the tide.

Chu Tianshu certainly wouldn't limit himself to palm strikes or counterattacks in a single direction.

After he flicked a wisp of wind towards the wall, his hand gestures kept changing.

The index finger flicks, the sword slashes, the palm thrusts out, and the fist smashes horizontally...

A series of gusts of air-piercing energy struck different parts of the room and bounced back.

Some of them bounced twice before hitting Chu Tianshu.

As he attacked faster and faster, every second, more than a dozen strands of energy would strike back at him.

At this moment, it appeared as if blue ripples were constantly spreading across his entire body.

Under these circumstances, the flow of internal energy within his meridians faced even more challenging tests.

Even with his pure skill and strong physique.

In this way, they maintain a closed environment on one hand and launch attacks in a variety of ways on the other.

More than half an hour later, he gradually felt that his internal energy had been reduced by more than half.

Sweat first appeared on his forehead, then on his nose and neck.

When he was drenched in sweat, Chu Tianshu gently pressed his right hand to the ground to calm the energy in the room.

"Whew...that feels great!"

Chu Tianshu opened the door and came out, grabbing a towel to wipe himself.

"I really enjoyed using this method for morning exercise."

He was sweating so much that he ran upstairs to take a shower, changed into a tank top and shorts, and then threw himself onto the sofa.

The screen of the Youdu Token appeared before his eyes.

The section on martial arts materials now lists a long list, many of which are secret manuals from the Southern Shaolin Temple.

After careful consideration, Chu Tianshu felt that there was no need to use evil spirit materials to deduce those things.

The Heavenly Hanging Divine Skill consumed a great deal of evil spirit materials at the time, and its potential has been fully developed.

There is still considerable potential to be developed.

The main techniques are the Vertical and Horizontal Seal, the Fifteen Deadly Swords, and the Eight Consecutive Forms of the Ruyi Heavenly Demon.

The latter two are techniques used in combat, with distinct characteristics, while their internal cultivation is secondary.

If Chu Tianshu were to use his existing strength and foundation to advance swordsmanship, the nature of the techniques would be very different, and he would not be able to unleash their full potential.

After considering it over the past few days, he decided to use both the spirit of the wounded knife and the spirit of the decayed sword to optimize "Vertical and Horizontal Seal".

In this way, the Zongheng Seal Technique incorporates some elements of those two sword and saber techniques.

The vertical and horizontal seal script and the divine skill of hanging the heavens have long been connected.

With this foundation, Chu Tianshu can further promote swordsmanship in the future, as each step will have a medium, allowing for a seamless process.

"Confirmed simulation."

He closed his eyes, waited a moment, and the revised "Zongheng Jianyin" flooded his mind.

The light outside the window slowly changed direction.

One day closer to the Spring Festival.

In recent years, Chu Tianshu has not prepared much for the Chinese New Year.

It's about doing a thorough cleaning at home, buying couplets, "Fu" characters (福, meaning good fortune), fireworks, firecrackers, and offerings for tomb sweeping after the Lunar New Year.

He finished all the things in half a day, and then spent the next two days at home cultivating himself while waiting for New Year's Eve.

On the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, Chu Tianshu was considering whether to make some dough and fillings himself to prepare steamed buns that night, or to buy some semi-finished products from outside and just make do with them.

Second Grandfather did come looking for us.

"In the past two days, I have called all my old friends, and most of them are inclined to join."

Master Chu said, "However, it's almost the New Year, so we'll definitely meet after the New Year to discuss this in detail."

"I didn't expect that Brother Yao would suddenly call me again just now. He sounded very anxious and said he wanted to invite us to his house today to have a chat."

(End of this chapter)