I manage female characters in all the heavens.

Only by demonstrating value can we acquire more resources.

As long as she can demonstrate talent far surpassing Linghu Chong's, there's no need to worry about the Zixia Divine Skill falling into the hands of outsiders!

Chapter 3 Introduction to Internal Energy Cultivation, the Demeanor of a Veteran

"what?!"

In Yue Buqun's study, a startled cry rang out.

The fine celadon teacup turned to dust in Yue Buqun's hand, and the tea mixed with the porcelain dust dripped down, but he was completely unaware. In a flash, he was in front of his daughter, and his right hand landed on her shoulder like lightning.

A wisp of pure and gentle purple qi carefully probed into Yue Lingshan's meridians, reaching her dantian.

Indeed, I touched a faint trace of internal energy!

Although that newly generated internal energy was as weak as a candle flickering in the wind, it was real and solid, and its foundation was firm, allowing it to move slightly with a thought.

Yue Buqun withdrew his hand, his face displaying a variety of expressions: shock, doubt, ecstasy, worry... all of which eventually turned into amazement and shock.

Theoretically speaking, while it's rare for someone to develop a sense of Qi at the age of 12, it doesn't qualify as being a peerless genius, and it wouldn't be enough to move a major sect leader like Yue Buqun to such an extent.

But it's too strange that this happened to his own daughter.

As her father, he knew Yue Lingshan's aptitude, comprehension, and especially her lazy and indolent attitude towards practicing martial arts all too well.

Convincing him that Yue Lingshan had developed Qi at the age of 12 was more difficult than convincing him that Zuo Lengchan would defect and surrender with courtesy, and honor Yue Buqun as the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance.

However, facts speak louder than words. He personally checked and found that Yue Lingshan had indeed cultivated the first strand of internal energy, and her sense of energy was solid, allowing her to make slight adjustments!

"This..." Yue Buqun was somewhat bewildered and at a loss for what to do.

Previously, Yue Lingshan's progress in martial arts training was entirely within his grasp, with nothing exceeding his understanding.

But now, he can't understand it at all!

After a failed suicide attempt to hang himself, his personality drastically changed, his ambitions became wildly unrestrained, and now he has inexplicably broken through a cultivation bottleneck that had been stuck for six years...

Yue Buqun looked at his daughter with deep eyes. The "Yue Lingshan" in front of him had bright eyes and was full of energy and spirit. She was completely different from the woman who was on her deathbed yesterday and who was spoiled and lazy in the past.

"Could it be... that hanging oneself can bring enlightenment?" An absurd thought flashed through his mind, which even Yue Buqun himself found laughable.

But the thought that he might be the man who could wield a knife against me in the future was something I couldn't shake off.

Suppressing the strange throbbing in his heart, Yue Buqun regained his composure as the sect leader, stroked his beard, nodded, and said in as calm a tone as possible: "Although it was unexpected, it is ultimately a good thing. Now that you have grasped the feeling of Qi, you can put your internal energy cultivation on the agenda."

He pondered for a moment and said, “Starting tomorrow, the stance training at dawn will be temporarily suspended. Every morning and evening, go to your mother’s place, where she will guide you in practicing the Huashan basic internal energy cultivation method. Once you have mastered the practice, you can begin to cultivate on your own.”

Internal energy cultivation is fraught with hidden dangers. Even a slight deviation in the flow of qi can lead to disordered internal energy, or even damage to the meridians, paralysis, or death.

Having a renowned teacher to guide you and correct your mistakes at any time is a luxury that only disciples of prestigious schools can enjoy.

Yue Lingshan, however, was impatient: "There's no time like the present, Father. I'm already here, so why don't you just guide me in cultivation now? What's the point of waiting until tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, how many tomorrows are there? I'm already 12 years old, how many more tomorrows can I have in my life?"

"There's no time to waste! Martial arts training requires seizing every second; not a moment can be wasted. Father, please help me with my cultivation!"

Who knows when the after-school care will end? Hurry up and teach me everything I need to know!

Her gaze was intense, and her urgent, even fanatical eyes startled Yue Buqun once again.

Is this really my daughter who complains of foot pain when standing in a stance, cries out that her hand is about to break when practicing swordsmanship, and seems to want to die when learning a little culture?

Linghu Chong! What exactly did you do to Shan'er?! Yue Buqun roared inwardly, but his face remained expressionless.

"Very well." He finally nodded. "You should calm your mind and focus on your inner energy. Once you are in a meditative state, I will help you practice. Remember, the most important thing in cultivating my Huashan internal energy is to be upright and peaceful. Being agitated and restless is a great taboo."

"Yue Lingshan" immediately sat down cross-legged, looking down at her nose and contemplating her inner thoughts.

Perhaps it was the hidden blessing brought by time travel and superpowers that allowed Yue Lingshan, who used to find it difficult to even sit still for a quarter of an hour, to quickly enter a meditative state of complete absorption after changing drivers.

Distractions fade away, and the mind becomes clear.

Following the Huashan internal energy cultivation method from her memory, she tried to guide the faint internal energy in her dantian to slowly circulate along specific meridians.

One cycle, two cycles...

Yue Buqun focused intently on sensing, his fingertips swirling with purple energy as he probed into "Yue Lingshan's" body, preparing to guide and correct her.

However, as the sensation of true energy entering his body became clearer, Yue Buqun was shocked once again.

"This speed of cultivation... is so fast!"

"The route is precise, without any hesitation! On my first attempt at independent practice, I was able to do it so smoothly and freely, without making the slightest mistake?"

"Shan'er's talent in spiritual understanding is so astonishing! It far surpasses Chong'er's!"

Yue Buqun was shocked and overjoyed – could it be that Heaven has blessed Mount Hua and bestowed upon me such a treasure?

If Shan'er truly possesses such insight, why rely on Linghu Chong, that lazy good-for-nothing, to revive Mount Hua? My Yue family has its own prodigy!

But when he carefully sensed the increase in his internal energy, his boiling blood quickly cooled down.

“After practicing the exercises three times, my Qi only increases by one point… This cultivation efficiency is only average; my natural talent is far from that of a genius.” Yue Buqun sighed inwardly.

Given Yue Lingshan's current Qi cultivation speed, it would take her a full three hundred repetitions to double the meager internal energy she initially cultivated through standing meditation and breathing exercises!

Cultivating internal strength is a process of refining essence into qi, and it should not be excessive. Practicing the exercise 36 times each morning and evening is the best level recognized in the martial arts world.

In other words, it would take Yue Lingshan four or five days to double her initial internal energy.

Linghu Chong accomplished this small goal in just half a day!

"To practice martial arts, both comprehension and innate talent are indispensable."

"Exceptional comprehension, but mediocre talent... What a pity. He may become a respected elder of the sect in the future, but it will be difficult for him to compete with the young talents of this era."

He has the bearing of a seasoned elder, which is not bad.

The Huashan Qi Sect emphasizes using Qi to control the sword. Internal strength is the foundation of all martial arts. However, internal strength grows slowly. No matter how high one's comprehension or how powerful one's moves are, one is like a rootless duckweed with limited strength.

Shan'er, you can't compete with the younger generation. Wait until you're old before you come out of retirement and compete with the other old men and women. You'll be invincible then. I have high hopes for you!

While he was lost in thought, "Yue Lingshan" was immersed in the wonderful feeling of her inner strength increasing.

Her dantian felt warm, and a warm current seemed to wash over her limbs and bones. A sense of power was constantly growing, making her want to roar and throw a punch to shatter this world!

However, just as she was practicing the exercise for what felt like the umpteenth time, the warmth in her dantian suddenly turned into a burning pain.

The vibrant sense of power receded like the tide, replaced by a bone-deep weakness and excruciating pain as if the whole body were falling apart!

"wake up!"

Yue Buqun's low shout, imbued with internal force, resounded in her mind like a thunderclap.

Yue Lingshan let out a muffled groan, slumped out of her meditation state, her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground with a thud, unable to move even a finger, only able to gasp for breath.

Yue Buqun looked down at him, his face stern as iron: "Remember this feeling! Remember this pain! This is the consequence of overexerting your cultivation and depleting your life force!"

"I woke you up today, so you only lost a little energy. You'll learn your lesson. But if no one is watching over you and you continue to push yourself, you'll deplete your essence and blood, weaken your internal organs, and shorten your lifespan! Your whole life will be ruined!"

Every word struck like a hammer blow to Yue Lingshan's heart.

Having personally experienced the pain of falling from the clouds to the mire, she truly understood that Yue Buqun's words were true: martial arts training is by no means child's play.

No matter how good your skills are, you can't get addicted!

Seeing the lingering fear and realization in her eyes, Yue Buqun's expression softened slightly. He helped her to a chair and gave her instructions for what to do next:

"From now on, you shall practice the exercises 36 times each morning and evening, and you shall not add more than that without permission. Every ten days, you may take a medicinal diet once. During the three-day period of supplementation, the number of exercises may be doubled to 72 times."

“Your daily diet will also be adjusted separately. From today onwards, you will eat with your eldest and second eldest brothers.”

The saying "the poor study literature, the rich study martial arts" is not an exaggeration. Cultivating internal strength consumes a great deal of energy and requires sufficient nutrition and even medicinal diets to support it.

Although the Huashan Sect is not what it used to be, it still retains some of its original strengths.

Upon hearing this, Yue Lingshan felt both joy and sorrow.

The good news is the improved treatment and access to resources; the bad news is... I've gotten used to the "pay-to-win" cultivation here, what if I suddenly travel back to the Huashan Sect and lose their support? How will I cultivate then?

Money...

"Clang, clang—!"

The clear sound of a copper bell came from afar, signaling that it was time for breakfast.

Yue Lingshan felt a rumbling in her stomach, but her body remained weak and sore.

Just then, the door was pushed open with a bang, and Linghu Chong strode in with a bright, sunny smile:

"Junior sister, congratulations! You've reached this stage so quickly, you're truly gifted! Are you feeling weak and unable to walk? I understand, I've been there! Come on, let me carry you to dinner!"

As he spoke, he reached out to help.

Yue Lingshan frowned deeply. Without thinking, she used the last bit of strength she had regained to slap the hand away and coldly uttered a single word:

"roll."

Linghu Chong's smile froze on his face, his outstretched hand stopped in mid-air, and he was completely stunned, as if he had been struck by an acupuncture point.

Outside the window, the morning light finally pierced through the clouds and shone on the verdant peaks of Mount Hua.

A new day has begun.

Chapter 4 Yue Lingshan, you deserve to die!

The early morning mist still shrouded Mount Hua, and the faint light had not yet illuminated the world, but it still could not deter some people from getting up early.

Yue Buqun walked through the tranquil Huashan Sect, yawning, passing through layers of buildings, and arrived at the familiar bell tower.

Looking at the sky, he realized it was still early, so he decided to practice the Zixia Divine Skill for a while before ringing the bell.

For so many years, he has always been so diligent, never slacking off for a single day. He has worked tirelessly for ten years to achieve what he has today.

Even with such diligent effort, he remained stuck at the sixth level of the Purple Cloud Divine Skill, unable to make any progress, and the pressure in his heart grew ever stronger.

"Alas, when will someone share the burden of Mount Hua with me..."

Zuo Lengchan was truly a towering figure in the history of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance, leaving him breathless with pressure.

Amidst the anxiety, a slight whistling sound came from the morning breeze, as if someone was practicing swordsmanship.

Yue Buqun's spirits lifted, and he was secretly delighted.