He obtained the God of All Laws from human skin.

Chapter 130 New Professional Information, Cultivation Realms

Afterwards, Qin Chuan chatted with Hu Daoren for a few more minutes, mostly about trivial pleasantries. The master and disciple were polite to each other on the surface, but each had their own agenda.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, followed by someone knocking on the door of the side room and saying in a low voice, "Master Hu, the gang leader requests your presence; he has important matters to discuss."

Upon hearing this, Master Hu's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. He then stood up, dusted off the hem of his robe, and waved to Qin Chuan, "Alright, you can go back now. Just keep what we said today in mind."

Qin Chuan stood up and bowed respectfully, saying, "This disciple takes his leave."

After leaving the Iron Hand Gang headquarters, and until the main gate was completely obscured by the rooftops at the street corner, Qin Chuan slowed his pace slightly. Reflecting on the day, he realized it had truly been quite eventful: Song Hai's rebellion, the gang's internal strife, Hu Daoren's intervention, and finally, the old Taoist priest's offer to take him as a disciple...

Each and every one happened so fast that there wasn't time to think about it carefully.

As he walked back, he mentally went over the whole thing again.

There's no doubt that the old Taoist priest had designs on me. He examined my bones, interrogated me, and even offered to pass on his cultivation methods, being overly solicitous.

However, despite his scheming, the Taoist priest wouldn't act rashly until everything about him was fully understood.

To the old Taoist priest, he was now an unsolved mystery, and the mystery should be safe for the time being until the answer was revealed.

As for leaving Qinghe County and going far away, Qin Chuan had considered it.

But he suppressed the thought after it only lingered in his mind for a moment.

The old Taoist priest could sense the techniques he used and follow the trail to the side room. His methods were unpredictable and far beyond those of ordinary martial artists.

They might have already used tricks on him, waiting for him to reveal his escape route.

If he were to run away rashly, it would be tantamount to admitting that he was hiding a secret.

If that old Taoist priest really turns hostile then, with his current abilities, he probably won't be a match for him.

So rather than risk escaping, it's better to stay put under the old fox's nose for now and continue this charade.

To be honest, Qin Chuan was also very curious about the methods the old Taoist priest used.

That is a power completely different from martial arts, similar to the methods of immortal cultivators in ancient tales of the strange and supernatural.

Cultivating immortality—which young man hasn't dreamt of wandering the North Sea in the morning and the Cangwu Mountain in the evening?

If he can truly learn it, even just the basics, it will be a completely new path for him.

As for how much secret the old Taoist priest has kept and how many tricks up his sleeve, that's a matter for later. Right now, let's get the key to getting in first.

Moreover, Qin Chuan believed that becoming this old Taoist's apprentice might not be entirely a bad thing; this identity offered a lot of room for maneuver.

The next day, Qin Chuan followed the instructions given by the Taoist priest the day before and went to that side room.

The side room door was ajar. Pushing it open, a faint scent of sandalwood wafted out.

Hu Daoren was sitting cross-legged on a futon, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing long and steady, the rise and fall of his chest almost imperceptible.

Hearing footsteps, Hu Daoren slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on Qin Chuan. He nodded slightly and pointed to a futon that had been prepared opposite him: "You've arrived? Please sit down."

Qin Chuan sat down cross-legged as instructed, his back straight, his hands neatly placed on his knees, looking respectful and attentive.

Master Hu sized him up, but didn't speak immediately. Instead, he asked, "Good disciple, now that you've entered the path of cultivation, let me ask you, how much do you know about cultivating inner energy and nurturing true nature?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Chuan shook his head: "I have been living in the streets since childhood and have never been exposed to anything about cultivation. I know nothing about it."

In terms of martial arts, I know a little about realms like Blood Condensation and Bone Forging.

Hu Daoren stroked his goatee, not surprised that Qin Chuan knew nothing about him.

Most cultivators distance themselves from worldly affairs, not out of self-righteousness, but because it is a necessity inherent in cultivation itself.

Where mortals live, the air is thick with filth, and the smoke, grime, and desires of the world mingle together, making it difficult to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth—like trying to scoop clear water from muddy soup, a waste of effort.

Therefore, those who cultivate the Tao often choose to build their huts in secluded valleys and places rich in spiritual energy, far away from the hustle and bustle of the world, seeking a peaceful place and a pure and genuine life.

However, not all cultivators seek to escape the world. Some choose an unconventional path, venturing into the mortal realm not out of a desire for worldly pleasures, but because they need the seven emotions and six desires of this bustling world to temper their Dao heart, thus breaking through bottlenecks and reaching a higher realm of cultivation.

Of course, there are also those evil cultivators who have gone astray, seeking out malevolent energy and vengeful spirits in the shadows of the mortal world, using the essence of living people and the blood of wronged ghosts as materials, taking a shortcut that harms others for their own benefit.

Although this path is extremely vicious, its advantage lies in its speed. It does not require years of arduous training. As long as one is ruthless enough and bold enough, one can develop a set of insidious skills through various evil methods.

Hu Daoren was one of them. In the past, he practiced the orthodox cultivation method at Qingyang Temple, meditating and refining his qi, breathing in the essence of the sun and moon. However, he was of mediocre talent and made slow progress. If he continued like this, he would have no hope of breaking through to the next level. Therefore, he went down the mountain, hoping to use some unorthodox methods to find a different path.

Seeing that Qin Chuan was unaware, Master Hu explained, "Martial arts and cultivation may sound like they're separated by a wall, but in reality, their foundations are interconnected. Martial arts cultivate the body, strengthening muscles and bones, and condensing internal energy; it trains the physical form. Cultivation nourishes the qi, breathing in and out spiritual energy, circulating it throughout the body; it nourishes the inner essence. One works from the outside in, the other from the inside out; if both paths are taken to their extremes, they can be said to lead to the same destination."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master." Qin Chuan cupped his hands, indicating that he already understood.

Master Hu continued, "The path of cultivation, from bottom to top, is divided into three major realms: refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and refining spirit into emptiness. You have not yet entered the gate, so you only need to know the names of these three realms. What I want to explain to you in detail today is the first step, refining essence into qi."

"Refining essence into qi, as the name suggests, is the process of transforming one's own essence and blood into spiritual energy, which is then condensed into a true qi in the dantian. This major realm is further divided into four smaller stages: sensing qi, guiding qi, accumulating qi, and foundation building. Sensing qi is the initial threshold, requiring one to eliminate distracting thoughts, calm the mind, and sense the existence of a wisp of spiritual energy in the void. This step depends entirely on talent; some can sense it within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, while others sit in meditation for three years without finding the way. It took me a whole month to capture the first wisp of spiritual energy in my dantian, while your ancestor, True Man Qingyang, only took three days."

"After sensing the Qi comes guiding it. Using one's own will as a guide, the sensed wisp of spiritual Qi is directed into the meridians, circulating through the body and eventually stored in the dantian. This step is the dividing line between cultivators and mortals. Only by being able to guide Qi into the body can one truly step into the threshold of cultivation. At this stage, one can learn the most basic techniques, but most of them are just ordinary and have little power, not even comparable to the sharpness of swords."

"After Qi Induction comes Qi Accumulation. At this stage, the dantian is filled with spiritual energy. Although it is not obvious, it can nourish the five internal organs, bone marrow, and meridians, polishing the foundation of the body to be perfectly round and transparent. At this stage, the cultivator can go three to five days without drinking or eating and will not feel hungry or thirsty. The strength is long and the spirit is complete and the energy is abundant, far beyond the Qi Induction stage. Of course, only when you reach the Qi Accumulation stage can you be considered to have entered the inner sanctum of cultivation. You can learn real magic techniques such as controlling fire and manipulating objects, all of which are in this stage."

"As for Foundation Establishment, it's the final step in Refining Essence into Qi, the crucial juncture for a carp leaping over the dragon gate. It uses all the spiritual energy accumulated in the dantian as a foundation to forge a Dao foundation within the body. Once Foundation Establishment is successful, one can advance to the Refining Qi into Spirit realm, extending lifespan by decades, becoming immune to all diseases, and unaffected by heat or cold. Only upon reaching this realm can one truly shed the mortal body and embark on the path of cultivation." After hearing this explanation, Qin Chuan naturally became curious and asked, "What realm is Master at now?"

Upon hearing this, Master Hu stroked his goatee. Although his expression was somewhat nonchalant, his tone revealed a hint of self-satisfaction: "Although I am currently at the Qi Condensation Realm, I am also preparing for the Foundation Establishment Realm."

These words were spoken casually, but the self-satisfied tone was unmistakable. Qin Chuan saw this and a hint of admiration appeared on his face. He cupped his hands and said, "So Master has reached such a level. This disciple was truly blind to your greatness."

"6

Master Hu hummed in satisfaction and waved his hand, saying, "There's no need for that. Now that you've entered the Qingyang Temple, cultivate diligently, and you might very well reach my level in the future."

Master Hu set aside his whisk and, ceasing further idle chatter, suppressed the smugness on his face. He gestured for Qin Chuan to sit properly on the futon before slowly speaking, "The technique I will impart to you today is called 'Qingyang Yin'. The name 'Qingyang' is taken from the Daoist title of our sect's founding patriarch, Qingyang Zhenren, and also carries the meaning of 'Qingqi like a sheep, continuous and subtle, effortless to use.'"

Hearing this, Qin Chuan quickly straightened his posture, held his breath, and focused his attention.

Master Hu paused for a moment, then recited a passage of incantation word by word.

The mantra was only a hundred or so words long and the language was simple and archaic. It did not talk about how to practice breathing exercises, but rather how to calm the mind, close the eyes and lips, lightly touch the upper palate with the tip of the tongue, and let the mind start from the Baihui acupoint on the top of the head, sinking inch by inch down, passing the center of the eyebrows, the throat, the Tanzhong acupoint, and finally settling into the Dantian three inches below the navel.

Each step is accompanied by a mantra, and each mantra corresponds to a key point in the body, progressing from Baihui (GV20) to Dantian (CV6), from top to bottom, like flowing water, layer by layer.

After reading it aloud, he broke it down sentence by sentence, repeatedly emphasizing several places where mistakes were easy to make, when to use mental focus to nurture the energy, and when to empty one's mind and remain still. When he got to the important points, he even reached out and pressed a few key points on Qin Chuan's body.

After giving his instructions, Master Hu closed his eyes and let Qin Chuan try it himself, while he stood guard by his side.

Qin Chuan closed his eyes as instructed, slowed his breathing, and followed the incantation of "Qing Yang Yin" to slowly lower his mind from the top of his head.

At first, I couldn't feel anything, only that my dantian felt empty and dissipated as soon as I had a thought.

He was not impatient and tried several times. After about a quarter of an hour, he finally felt a faint heat in the void.

At the same time, a message appeared on the system panel: [New job information obtained: Aura Master]

[Entry Requirements: Beginner level of "Qingyang Yin" and absorb a wisp of spiritual energy into the body]

Qin Chuan looked at the panel and felt a slight chill in his heart. It seemed that the feeling he had just experienced was not an illusion.

However, although I could already sense that intense heat.

However, he did not choose to try to refine or absorb it, and remained as if he had not perceived it.

He sat there for almost half an hour.

Qin Chuan opened his eyes, his expression like that of someone who had tried earnestly but gained nothing, with a hint of regret, a hint of confusion, and a little bit of embarrassment.

He looked at the Taoist priest, shook his head slightly, and said with just the right amount of disappointment in his tone, "Master, I am ashamed. I've been sitting for almost half an hour and haven't felt anything. Is it because my aptitude is too poor and I'm not suited to walk this path?"

Upon hearing this, Master Hu did not show any disappointment. Instead, he stroked his beard and nodded slowly, as if he had expected this outcome.

He comforted you calmly, "It's alright. Do you think sensing spiritual energy is easy? If everyone could sense it by sitting still for half an hour, then everyone on the street would have become a cultivator long ago. It's normal that you can't sense it on your first try. If you could really succeed on your first try, that would be a rare thing."

In fact, Master Hu had more to say. Normally, he should have taken Qin Chuan to a mountainous area outside Qinghe County, where there was abundant spiritual energy, and let him sit there and sense it.

Outside the city, the vegetation is lush, mountains and rivers meet, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is several times richer than inside the city, so the success rate of the first time sensing the energy will be much higher.

In this city, the streets are filled with foul air, a mix of people and people, and stagnant smoke. The spiritual energy has been scattered and fragmented, making it extremely difficult to sense any spiritual energy in the city.

The purpose of Hu Daoren's actions was simple: to deliberately cause Qin Chuan to fail, so that he would experience setbacks and realize that the path was more difficult than he had imagined. Then, when Qin Chuan needed help, Hu Daoren would offer a helping hand and bestow favors, thus making him easier to control.

Qin Chuan nodded, indicating that he understood. Then, like a boy whose curiosity had been piqued, he asked in a questioning tone, "Master, may I ask what it feels like to sense spiritual energy? I'd like to have a better understanding so that I won't miss the opportunity if I don't recognize it later."

Master Hu stroked his beard and replied, "When spiritual energy enters the body, it feels gentle and nourishing. It's like spring water flowing over a stone surface, neither too hot nor too cold, neither too fast nor too slow, seeping into the meridians in a continuous and dense manner, making the whole body feel comfortable wherever it passes. If you sense this kind of energy, then you've found the right path."

Qin Chuan nodded, as if he had carefully memorized what he had said, and then asked casually, "What if what I sense isn't a warm and moist feeling? For example—a feeling of coldness, or perhaps a burning heat, that's uncomfortable?"

Upon hearing this, Master Hu's expression turned slightly serious. He looked at Qin Chuan and sized him up: "If what you sense is not a gentle and nourishing feeling, then it means you've sensed it wrong. The turbid energy, miasma, yin energy, and evil energy in this world are all similar to spiritual energy. If you can't distinguish them clearly and mistakenly introduce these things into your body, it will not only be useless but also harmful. In severe cases, it's not impossible to suffer from qi deviation."

After saying that, he looked at Qin Chuan and asked, "What you sensed just now, was it not empty?"

Qin Chuan shook his head: "No, it's empty, there's nothing there. I just sensed the cold spiritual energy in Master's body earlier, which is why I had this question."

Master Hu looked at him for a moment, then nodded without pressing further. "You were able to think of this beforehand, which shows you're thoughtful. That's all for today. Go back and practice for half an hour each morning and evening without fail."

"When you can capture the first wisp of spiritual energy in your dantian, you will have stepped into the threshold of Qi sensing. I estimate that with your aptitude, you should be able to achieve some success in a few months to a year."

He paused, then added, "However, given your innate bloodline talent, your cultivation might progress even faster than I anticipated."

]>