Under One Person: Starting with the Dual Cultivation of Body and Soul

After sharing some of his thoughts, Li Chang'an concluded: "In other words, the ability to transform Qi is simply the inevitable result of refining one's life through the Triple Reversal of Life technique to a certain degree."

"The so-called 'method of breaking through barriers' is merely a summary of the experiences of our ancestors regarding the trajectory of Qi flow driven by inertia. It is a map drawn up to help future generations avoid detours."

"But this map also has a problem."

"Even if the cultivation method is the same, everyone's constitution, the width of their meridians, their temperament, and their cultivation of life force are different. Therefore, the trajectory of Qi circulation driven by inertia will also be somewhat different."

"It's like twins from the same family, born at the same time, and going to the same school, but their future trajectories will be different. No two people in the world are exactly the same."

"Our predecessors could summarize and come up with a seemingly accessible route to overcome the challenges, but because this route doesn't perfectly align with each person's current inertia, forcing one to overcome the challenges can be risky."

At this point, Li Chang'an asked Lu Jin, "Grandpa, when the San Yi Sect selected talent, were they all chosen from the same mold?"

Lu Jin was engrossed in Li Chang'an's theory when she heard Li Chang'an's question and was immediately stunned, because Li Chang'an had hit the nail on the head.

Back then, the Sanyi Gate branch was very selective in choosing its members.

He still remembered that the two people who took the exam with him in the Lower House were both quite talented.

That boy named Liu Deshui, a child of six or seven years old, could chop up a whole house full of firewood and carry a whole yard of water.

Putting aside his innate talent for cultivation, his sheer perseverance alone is quite remarkable.

But he failed the assessment.

That talented but mischievous child also failed the test.

But he passed!

He used to think he was chosen because of his comprehension, his talent, and his sincerity.

But now, he has a new idea.

Lu Jin pondered for a moment and said, "Is it because people with similar temperaments, practicing the same cultivation method, will also develop similar habits?"

"Maybe!"

Li Chang'an said that he had not experienced the heyday of the Sanyi Sect, so he did not say that it was dead.

But Lu Jin already had the answer in her heart: Li Chang'an was right, at least in the general direction.

In that sense, their previous cultivation at the Sanyi Sect was less about cultivation and more about imitation—imitating everything about their master, but not even imitating it well.

But now, among a group of imitators, an innovator has emerged.

Lu Jin took a deep breath; he was not an inflexible old stubborn.

Back when everyone was still wearing long robes.

He had already grown out his hair into a trendy style and put on a sharp suit.

The same is true now.

Some of the younger generation in the family are still using old-fashioned candybar phones, while he has already started using the new Symbian system phones and even playing Penguin Chat.

Lu Jin has always been very good at accepting new things. He looked at Li Chang'an and asked curiously:

"What's the difference between the Qi transformation ability you gained in this way and the Qi transformation ability I gained through breaking through barriers?"

The reason for this question is that he sensed that Li Chang'an's aura was too powerful. Even though he had only just transformed his skin and flesh into Qi, the feeling he gave him was much stronger than that of Lu Lin, who had successfully transformed her Qi two years ago.

"The difference is..." Li Chang'an stretched out his hand: "Grandpa, take out a knife and try cutting me!"

"Chop you up?" Lu Jin looked at Li Chang'an with astonishment. He had never seen such a request in his entire life.

"Although the master is very angry, he doesn't want to kill you."

Li Chang'an laughed and said, "I'm just showing you some differences in the effects of my Reverse Life Qi Transformation. You can just keep trying to cut me with your knife."

After a pause, remembering that his grandfather was rather reckless, and to avoid any trouble, Li Chang'an added:

"Grandpa, please don't use your Qi or activate the Reverse Life Technique, otherwise I won't be able to stop you. Just use your current strength to cut, use as much force as you want."

Lu Jin said, "You're being too arrogant, kid. With my current cultivation level, even without using the Reverse Life Triple Realm, I could punch through several sandbags with one punch."

"The Qi transformation of reversing life protects oneself more in terms of recovery ability, not invincibility."

"You are not yet able to transform your internal organs and bones with Qi. If I exert even a little force, you will suffer serious injuries."

Even so, since Li Chang'an had made the request, Lu Jin naturally had to grant it.

He tore off his expensive tie and drew several runes on it.

The tie suddenly straightened, its edges gleaming coldly like a sharp sword.

This is also a way of using talismans. You can take a piece of paper, draw a talisman on it, and the paper can be transformed into a sword. The same principle applies to using talismans on ties.

Lu Jin took his tie and twirled it like a sword: "Ready?"

Li Chang'an nodded: "Ready."

The moment he finished speaking, the tie whistled through the air and struck his forearm.

Although Li Chang'an told Lu Jin to use his strength freely, Lu Jin was still worried about hurting Li Chang'an, so he only made a light slash. Even if it was a flesh and blood body, it would only cause a minor superficial injury. Li Chang'an was in a state of Qi transformation at the moment, and he could recover with a thought.

But to his surprise, the feeling of this sword strike was neither the stiffness of cutting flesh nor the ethereal sensation of cutting Qi. Instead, it felt like cutting into an incredibly hard piece of leather, which he couldn't budge at all.

"No, this isn't the effect of reversing the flow of Qi; it shouldn't be this hard. But this kid didn't use any other protective techniques!"

Lu Jin could see this clearly. Unconvinced, he swung his tie at Li Chang'an several more times, making a loud clanging sound, but Li Chang'an remained unharmed.

"I refuse to believe it!"

Lu Jin increased his strength, even sparks flew from his strike, but he still couldn't hurt Li Chang'an in the slightest. He was shocked; this defense was almost as strong as the Golden Light Mantra!

"Grandpa, how is it?" Li Chang'an laughed, "Keep pushing, and don't worry about hurting me. If there's a problem, I'll dodge it myself."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin increased his strength again. He had been holding back his strength earlier because he was worried about hurting Li Chang'an. Seeing how tough Li Chang'an was, he felt relieved.

With increased force, the sound of the blow hitting Li Chang'an became crisper, but it still failed to break through his defenses.

They continued to apply more force, and finally managed to cut a shallow gash in Li Chang'an's body.

However, the opening only lasted for less than a second before a flash of white light appeared, and the Qi transformed into restorative power.

Lu Jin exclaimed in amazement, "Good lad! The force you used just now would have pierced even the Iron Shirt and other external martial arts techniques, yet it only left such a few marks on you. Is this the difference brought about by your method of breaking through to the next level?"

Li Chang'an corrected him, saying, "Grandpa, I have never had the idea of ​​breaking through the barrier."

"Alright, alright, you didn't. You achieved the effect we only get from breaking through barriers without actually breaking through," Lu Jin said. "Besides that, are there any other effects?"