Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

Chapter 68 Transformation of Internal Strength!

That evening, after the turmoil had temporarily subsided, Qin Heng finished his stance training and walked home on Datong Street under the deep twilight of early summer.

The evening breeze caressed his face, carrying the lingering heat of the day. He was dressed casually and comfortably, his steps still steady.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, one could see that the lamps in the courtyard had already been quietly lit. Qin Ting was sitting at the stone table doing needlework, with several embroidered handkerchiefs on the table, their stitches fine and even.

Seeing her younger brother return, Qin Ting put down her needlework, got up, and handed him a bowl of cooled tea: "Xiao Heng, you're back? Have a sip to cool down, it's hot outside."

Qin Heng took the herbal tea, took a sip, and the sweet, cool sensation slid down his throat, instantly dispelling some of his vexation.

"Sister, why are you embroidering so much today?" He glanced at the embroidery on the table and asked casually.

Qin Ting sat down again, picked up her needle and thread, and said with a smile, "I'm just idling around anyway. After moving to Datong Street, my old breakfast shop was rented out, and I haven't been able to make a living for the past few months. I'm thinking of starting a needlework class."

"A needlework class?" Qin Heng finished his cold tea in one gulp, paused for a moment, and looked at Qin Ting.

"Hmm." Qin Ting nodded, her fingertips twirling the silk thread, her tone earnest. "I was thinking of teaching the women in the neighborhood some embroidery and needlework. Firstly, it would help me earn some money to supplement the family income—you know, I can't stand being idle; I feel restless when I'm not. Secondly, it would allow me to meet more girls of good character. You're not getting any younger; it's time to find a suitable girl to settle down with. I don't trust matchmakers; it's better for me to see her with my own eyes than to just randomly pick someone."

Qin Heng was silent for a moment, then smiled helplessly: "Alright, I'll do whatever you say, sister. But don't be too anxious, sister. Right now, my mind is focused on the martial arts exam and practicing martial arts. I'll let things take their natural course when it comes to marriage. If you want to start a needlework class, then start preparing for it. Don't overwork yourself in this heat."

"I know you're busy." Qin Ting looked up at him, her eyes full of concern. "I won't rush you. I'll just keep an eye out for you and make sure we find someone suitable. Don't worry, I won't interfere with your training."

"Okay."

Qin Heng responded, put down the bowl, and went back into the house.

He knew in his heart that his sister was worried about his marriage, and he was also concerned about his sister's marriage. However, he was currently preoccupied with many things and could only keep it to himself for now. He would definitely help his sister find a good husband once things settled down.

The next morning, Qin Heng arrived at the martial arts school early. He had just finished practicing the stance training when Li Yiping called him to the inner courtyard.

The inner courtyard was quiet. Mo Guangren sat at a stone table with a simple wooden box beside him. When he saw him come in, he raised his hand and said, "Come here, Xiao Heng."

Qin Heng cupped his hands and stepped forward, standing respectfully beside the stone table.

Mo Guangren stood up, lightly pressing his fingertips on the man's shoulder, applying slight pressure to feel the flow of internal energy within him. After a moment, he slowly withdrew his hand, his tone calm: "Not bad! The internal energy has already permeated your entire body, reaching a state of perfection. You're just one step away from touching the threshold of Transformation Energy. The energy fundamentals diagram I gave you earlier focused on the condensation of internal energy. Now, to break through, you still need a bit more nourishment from your Qi and blood."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and opened the wooden box. Inside were several sheets of soft paper, on which were placed three small mushroom caps. The caps were dark brown with fine bluish-black veins on the surface. They had a smooth texture and a rich, lingering medicinal fragrance when you got close to them.

"This is Qingwenzhi, a low-grade nourishing medicine. Although it is not as mellow as high-grade Lingzhi, it is the mildest and can nourish blood and qi and invigorate the meridians. You should take it and make good use of it."

He pushed the wooden box in front of Qin Heng, his tone carrying a hint of admonition and expectation: "Xiao Heng, your natural talent is not as good as others. The Transformation Realm is a difficult hurdle in martial arts. It's normal to fail on your first attempt, so don't worry about it. Take this. Remember, take one pill first and decoct it. If you still fail, use the remaining two to nourish your qi and blood. Don't be impatient. Martial arts cultivation is about gradual accumulation, not instant success."

"Disciple will remember Master's teachings!" Qin Heng bowed and accepted the wooden box, carefully putting it away. He felt the abundant and powerful qi and blood in his body and thought to himself, "Even without this, it would have been almost done in the last two days. With this, tonight should be the time for everything to fall into place."

He then bowed again, turned and left the inner courtyard.

As Qin Heng emerged from the inner courtyard, he caught a glimpse of Qin Tianbao, dressed in coarse cloth shorts, diligently sweeping the ground with a broom.

With only one arm to use, his movements were far less agile than an average person's. Each sweep required him to slightly shift his body for leverage, yet he still refused to be perfunctory, sweeping every corner of the courtyard spotless. Several disciples practicing martial arts nearby whispered among themselves, occasionally casting strange glances—some mocking, some pitying, and some simply watching the spectacle. But Qin Tianbao didn't even raise his head, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

I didn't see it; I was too busy with what I was doing.

When Qin Heng passed by, Qin Tianbao suddenly looked up, his gaze extremely complicated. He didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly to Qin Heng before lowering his head again to continue sweeping. His back looked lonely, yet it revealed a stubbornness that he had no choice but to persevere.

Before long, it was noon, the time for the martial arts school disciples to eat.

The martial arts school disciples sat around a table in twos and threes, the sounds of clinking bowls and chopsticks and hushed conversations filling the air. However, everyone subconsciously avoided Qin Tianbao, occupying the empty seats firmly, and no one was willing to sit next to him.

Qin Tianbao held the large, rough porcelain bowl in one arm, stood silently for a moment, ignoring the subtle stares and whispers around him, and walked step by step to Qin Heng's table, where he sat down in silence.

Qin Heng was slightly taken aback by Qin Tianbao's gesture, genuinely surprised that he would sit down next to him. After a moment of silence, he spoke first, his tone calm and even: "You... don't hate me?"

Qin Tianbao lowered his eyes, staring at the coarse rice in the bowl, his fingertips lightly tapping the rim. After a long silence, he slowly spoke in a hoarse voice: "How could I not hate you? I used to be so glorious, but I fell into your hands, my martial arts foundation was destroyed, I lost an arm, and now I'm a cripple, subject to everyone's pointing fingers."

He looked up, his gaze empty, devoid of any hostility, only a detached indifference that seemed to have seen through the world: "What can I do about being hateful? I regret my arrogance and greed every day, but my regret isn't because of the punishment I'm receiving or the cold stares of others. It's just that every time I think of that stubborn, utterly foolish version of myself, I want to go back and have a serious talk with him, to persuade him not to go astray."

"But where can one turn back? That spirited young man is long dead." Qin Tianbao's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. "Only I am trapped in this broken body, forced to accept all the consequences. What repentance and starting anew, those are just empty words from a bunch of scoundrels. I'm too lazy to believe them, and even less inclined to pretend."

His voice deepened, and a bitter look appeared in his eyes: "The night I was crippled, I did think about ending it all. Living and enduring this humiliation is just too boring. But my old mother still depends on me for survival. I can't afford to die, and I dare not die."

"I can only endure it and bear it." He lowered his head again, shoveled a large mouthful of rice into his mouth, and said in a tone as flat as still water, "Of course I still hate you, but I'm too lazy to care anymore. To tell you the truth, I don't care about hatred anymore. As long as I can get through each day like this and stay with my old mother at home, that's enough."

Qin Heng nodded silently, without replying, and quickly ate the rice in his bowl.

Nighttime.

Qin Heng returned to his residence's courtyard, but instead of going inside, he walked straight to the three persimmon trees on the west side and stood there.

The early summer evening breeze, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees, swept by, and the lush green leaves rustled. The events of the past few days flashed through his mind, making his heart even calmer and more serene.

He slowly inhaled and exhaled, the medicinal power of the Qingwenzhi he had taken during the day had already seeped into his muscles and bones along his meridians, nourishing his blood and qi until it was thick and condensed, like mercury and lead.

As night deepened, all was quiet except for the intermittent chirping of crickets at the base of the wall.

Qin Heng closed his eyes slightly, focused his mind inward, and slowly guided his Qi and blood according to the method of the "Fundamental Diagram of Internal Strength". The originally docile and dormant Qi and blood, at this moment, were like dry tinder thrown into a spark, suddenly surging and boiling, rising up the spine segment by segment, emitting fine tremors.

With over a year of solid foundation building, the accumulation of internal strength, and the nurturing of the Azure-Patterned Mushroom, one only needs a thought to achieve perfect success.

Heaven rewards diligence; success is inevitable.

Bajiquan (Great Perfection 1799/1800)

Countless images of days and nights spent toiling away in sweat flashed through his mind, finally solidifying into an unwavering thought: "Breaking through to the next level of internal energy is today!"

He suddenly opened his eyes, a restrained yet intimidating glint flashing in them. His chest and abdomen bulged slightly, and he sank into the night like a mountain swallowing the wind, his breath becoming long and deep, gradually returning to a state of perfect stillness with each breath.

With a swift movement, the Bajiquan stance rose naturally, generating power spontaneously. His punches and kicks were steady and powerful, yet not explosive.

The accumulated strength of Bajiquan, honed through a year of arduous training, was now fully unleashed. Ming Jin and An Jin intertwined, flowing smoothly along the spine, producing a series of subtle yet powerful cracking sounds that resembled rolling thunder or the striking of tendons and bones. These were the sounds of surging blood and merging forces.

His fist movements were fluid and graceful, the Bajiquan techniques flowing effortlessly from his body, combining power with gentleness, and softness with strength. The transitions between these two energies were smooth and seamless, without the slightest hint of deliberate effort. With each rise and fall of his body, he stirred up gusts of wind, disturbing the air currents in the courtyard. The deep green leaves on the persimmon tree on the west side fluttered down, subtly gathered in front of him by the energy emanating from his body, swirling and refusing to disperse.

The two most stubborn passes, Baihui and Yongquan, were now being swept away by a heat wave, sending waves of soreness and stinging pain through them.

Immediately following the excruciating pain, an unprecedented sense of clarity swept through my limbs and bones.

The Baihui point receives the light of heaven, while the Yongquan point takes root in the earth's energy. Between the upper and lower parts, the fierceness of the Ming Jin (manifest strength) and the gentleness of the An Jin (hidden strength) completely converge and merge at the spine, transforming into a new, deep, restrained, and unified force.

In an instant, Qin Heng's spirits lifted, and his six senses became incredibly clear. He could clearly hear the sound of crickets flapping their wings at the base of the wall, the subtle movement of the veins of persimmon leaves unfolding, and even the tremors of the footsteps of the night patrolmen in the distance.

【Bajiquan Stance Exercise (Complete 1/4000)】

With a slight change in his mind, he stopped deliberately exerting his strength and simply raised his hand and waved it lightly.

Without a piercing sound, an invisible force emanated from the air, gently pushing the persimmon leaves swirling in front of him, causing them to drift down slowly, yet never touching the hem of his clothes!

"Power can be exerted everywhere, but not a single feather can be added."

Qin Heng slowly withdrew his hand, exhaled a breath of white air that seemed to be in tangible form, and his gaze fell on the persimmon leaves falling in front of him, his heart calm and composed.

Transformation of internal force, accomplished!

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