Chapter 11: The Dragon and Snake's Lair for Survival

Chapter 11: The Dragon and Snake's Lair for Survival

After confirming that Ji Jingqiu had memorized the breathing technique, Yang Yan continued to teach him several other stances of the Coiling Dragon Pillar.

"Lower your center of gravity and keep your focus on its flow at all times."

"Don't stop the breathing rhythm—"

"The breathing technique is combined with the stances. Together, they can maximize the circulation of your blood and qi, stimulating cellular activity."

"Mastering the pillar technique and breathing technique involves continuous practice until a strand of 'energy surge' is generated within you. This is what is known as cultivating qi."

"This stage requires frequent stimulation of blood and qi circulation in the body, usually taking from a week to a month. Some genius martial artists can achieve this in just one day."

"What is an energy surge?"

"It's quite noticeable. Once you generate an energy surge, you'll have a clear sensation."

The breathing technique alone was already refreshing, but now, combined with the extremely bizarre and twisted stances, the two together produced a synergistic effect, making Ji Jingqiu feel that life was just like this.

To be honest, Ji Jingqiu had practiced breathing techniques like Taiji Stance in his previous life.

But compared to what he was learning now, they were completely different in style.

After he initially grasped the three stances, he felt like every part of his body no longer belonged to him.

If it weren't for Yang Shi's help in massaging his blood and qi, he wouldn't have been able to last until now.

This was too much of a shortcut...

The morning passed by in the blink of an eye.

It was time for lunch.

Ji Jingqiu's body was sore and aching all over, and his stomach was growling.

Ordinary students were not provided meals by the martial arts academy.

However, Yang Shi and the true disciples needed to eat, so there was a small cafeteria at the back of the academy.

Although it was called a cafeteria, it was just a large round table that could accommodate seven people with some space left.

"Time to eat!" Third Senior Sister Yao Wei brought a bowl of soup and smiled, "Eat quickly, the kitchen is still cooking."

The dishes were served, and with seven people at the table, there were more than twenty dishes, and the kitchen was still preparing more.

"Drink the soup before the meal."

Yang Yan leisurely scooped a bowl of soup and handed it to Ji Jingqiu, who was standing nearby. Then, he instructed Yang Yao and Liu Xi to serve soup to their junior brothers and sisters.

The soup was very light, and it didn't seem to have any oily sheen.

Ji Jingqiu drank it all in one go, and it wasn't as bitter as he had imagined. However, after drinking it, his stomach felt comfortable, and a warm sensation spread from his stomach to his limbs and bones.

"Senior Yang, isn't it necessary to drink the martial secret medicine while practicing the pillar technique? Should I drink it before or after the meal?" Ji Jingqiu asked curiously.

In the information provided by Dao Ye, he had specifically mentioned that the taste of martial secret medicine was indescribable, and it was recommended to drink it all at once.

Yang Yan pointed at the table full of delicious food in front of him and said, "Everything on this table is 'great medicine'. You can eat as much as you like."

Ji Jingqiu was astonished.

Yao Wei, who was sitting nearby, smiled gently and said, "Our academy emphasizes dietary supplements. In his daily life, Master doesn't like high-energy bars and other high-energy foods."

Yang Yan nodded slightly and said, "Those things are only necessary in critical moments. There's no need to rely on them in daily life."

Zhang Xingshan took a sip of the hot soup and was stunned. He exclaimed, "Senior Yang, did you add 'heart remains' to this soup?"

"Haha, Xingshan has a good eye! Not only the soup, but all the dishes have heart remains powder added to them."

Yang Yan laughed heartily and said, "But it's only powder. Otherwise, not only you three who are just starting out in martial arts, but even Third Senior Sister wouldn't be able to withstand the effects of this medicine."

Hearing this, even the usually cool-headed Luo Xi held the bowl and drank the soup carefully, calculating the amount her stomach could handle.

The martial secret medicine taken during the Body Forging Stage primarily serves to activate blood and cultivate qi, making up for the body's deficiencies.

In addition to these effects, long-term consumption of 【Heart Remains】 can also enhance heart power, and its comprehensive benefits far surpass those of ordinary martial secret medicine. It is easier for the human body to absorb, and its side effects are almost non-existent!

This stuff is not meant for the Body Forging Stage; it's the 'main ingredient' for secret medicines used by True Seed and above martial artists!

Even a small amount of powder is far superior to Body Forging Stage secret medicine for beginners like them.

Nowadays, any cultivation resources related to heart power are only getting more expensive, and they are all under federal control!

Senior Yang's true identity was indeed extraordinary. Even her grandfather, the director of the security bureau in Tai'an City, wouldn't be able to afford the luxury of grinding heart remains into powder and adding it to their meals every day.

It is used as the main ingredient, combined with other materials to create secret medicines for consumption.

Ji Jingqiu looked at the table full of dishes, his appetite growing. He had always had a big appetite, and he could eat his way through a street of snacks.

Yang Yan smiled and said, "In martial arts cultivation, being able to eat well is also a kind of talent. Go ahead and start eating."

Everyone began to eat.

After finishing the soup, Ji Jingqiu started to eat.

Each dish was not only visually appealing but also delicious, and after eating them, it felt like a warm current was flowing through his body, as if he were soaking in a hot spring, soothing his sore muscles.

Was this the effect of adding heart remains powder?

Early this morning, he had learned from Dao Ye that many modern martial artists chose to use high-energy nutrition bars to conveniently solve their energy needs.

Aside from taste, high-energy nutrition bars could fulfill all the body's requirements.

However, this clearly did not align with Ji Jingqiu's life philosophy.

Ji Jingqiu chewed slowly and swallowed carefully with each bite, a good habit he had cultivated over the years, but his eating speed was by no means slow.

Sitting next to him, Luo Xi couldn't eat anymore. Her once proud bird-like figure, which she maintained to keep her figure, became a burden at this moment.

She reluctantly put down her chopsticks.

As she lifted her head, she noticed that her senior martial brothers and sisters were all eating with great speed, their chopsticks flying like arrows. Among them, Yang Shi was the fastest, and he devoured a piece of medicinal beef the size of a fist with just a grind of his teeth before swallowing it.

A Fourth Rank Martial Artist, truly terrifying! The next fastest eater was the eldest senior brother, Yang Yao.

Zhang Xingshan and I were about to reach our limits, and we had already put down our bowls and chopsticks.

But Ji Jingqiu...

Luo Xi's pupils trembled.

This guy chewed slowly and swallowed delicately, his refined manner no less impressive than mine. Moreover, despite his seemingly frail appearance, his appetite was bottomless.

Luo Xi's heart skipped a beat as she realized that compared to Zhang Xingshan, Ji Jingqiu was her most formidable competitor.

The choice of the Coiling Dragon Pillar for Yang Shi revealed his intentions.

The Coiling Dragon Pillar was an extremely obscure foundation stance with an incredibly high cultivation difficulty. The process was akin to enduring torture, but in the middle and late stages, cultivation progress would be exceptionally rapid.

Among the senior brothers in the martial arts academy, only Yang Yao practiced the Coiling Dragon Pillar.

And today, Ji Jingqiu had joined them.

Earlier, when Yang Shi sat down, he personally served Ji Jingqiu a bowl of soup, a subtle detail.

Luo Xi's heart was heavy, and she served herself a bowl of soup, slowly sipping it.

On the dining table, empty plates were cleared, and hot dishes were brought out, each with its dedicated attendant, and the cycle continued.

Liu Xi and Yao Wei also put down their bowls and chopsticks.

"Ji Shidi is indeed a martial arts genius. To be able to eat so much right from the start of his cultivation, his appetite surpasses mine!" Liu Xi exclaimed in awe.

The others nodded in agreement.

Yang Yan put down his chopsticks, his eating speed several times faster than the others, finishing before Ji Jingqiu and Yang Yao.

"Haha, a good appetite is a blessing. After the meal, you'll have an hour of rest. During this time, you can try to enter a meditation state or maintain a static stance, which will accelerate the digestion of the heart remains medicine."

After giving these instructions, Yang Yan took the lead and left.

With the teacher gone, the atmosphere at the table became more relaxed.

Ji Jingqiu, who had not yet reached his stomach's limit, made Luo Xi resent her small appetite.

She wanted to pick up her chopsticks and continue eating, but she felt powerless.

Damn it!

When did eating become a sign of martial arts talent? Luo Xi clenched her teeth, her expression determined, and left the dining hall to continue her training.

As she reached the front, she noticed that Zhang Xingshan had already started practicing the static stance, his movements stealthy and unnoticed.

She took a deep breath to calm herself.

That sneaky guy, eating so much...

...

In the dining hall.

Ji Jingqiu put down his chopsticks, burping contentedly.

Perhaps it was due to the morning's martial arts training.

Although his appetite was usually good, this was his strongest performance yet.

Watching the eldest senior brother still eating, Ji Jingqiu felt a sense of respect and admiration. He poured himself a bowl of soup and rinsed his mouth, savoring the taste.

After the meal, he felt warm and relaxed, so comfortable that he wanted to lie down and sleep right there.

A while later, Ji Jingqiu returned to the training ground, found an empty spot, sat down cross-legged, and entered a meditation state after adjusting his mind and body.

His physical body entered deep sleep, while his consciousness immersed itself in the inner world.

After a while, Ji Jingqiu suddenly had an idea.

This pure land was too confined, could he practice the foundation stance here?

He glanced at the limited space of the pure land, and the thought faded.

If he couldn't practice the foundation stance, what about the breathing technique? He could indeed breathe here, although he wasn't sure if it could be considered true breathing.

Let's give it a try.

Ji Jingqiu began to practice the breathing technique, and this time, the circulation of breath was smooth and effortless, without the previous chest tightness and dizziness. Instead, it allowed him to grasp the rhythm and cycles of the breathing technique on a deeper level.

He wondered what this state could be called, but he quickly dismissed the thought.

Rather than overthinking, it was better to practice the breathing technique a few more times.

So Ji Jingqiu closed his eyes and continued to experience the essence of the breathing technique within his inner world.

At some point, the sapling rooted before him began to shed more pure light, enveloping Ji Jingqiu, permeating his body with each breath.

The breathing technique gradually merged with him, becoming a natural habit.

In the external world, as Ji Jingqiu practiced the breathing technique, his sleeping body's breathing frequency synchronized with the rhythm of his inner world.

Initially, his skin turned red, and his body temperature rose significantly.

Then, beneath his skin, it was as if mice were scurrying, and his heart rate soared!

His chest pounded with each beat, as if shaking his entire body, starting from the skin, flesh, and bones, all making cracking sounds, as if a trapped dragon was trying to break free from its fleshly prison...

In an instant, a powerful sense of suffocation and heart palpitations overwhelmed him, his heart feeling heavy and repressed, on the verge of exploding.

Just then, a scorching heat emerged from his chest and abdomen, slowly and resolutely spreading to his limbs and bones, calming everything.

Under the push of this energy surge, the raging dragon had no choice but to bow its head and lie dormant.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end