Chapter 144: Yin-Yang Drink, Guarding Vitality
Chapter 144: Yin-Yang Drink, Guarding Vitality
Almost simultaneously, as Chen Chuan received the approval for his application, Tai Dongwei and the others also received notices from the review committee, delivered by the school, requesting their presence at a designated location for the Infinite Defense Certificate examination within six months.
However, they were taking the Gamma License examination, which wasn't as complex. The examination venue would be decided temporarily based on the time period they chose for the test.
For Tai Dongwei, it didn't matter much. After all, they were there to accompany others during the exam. All they needed to do was wait for the Mutual Aid Society to notify them, go for the test together, and ensure they failed. After all, the Society had already paid them, so they had to get the job done, right?
On the bright side, being chosen to accompany the examinees showed trust in them. One more or one less Infinite Defense Certificate wouldn't bridge the gap between them and the elite disciples. Instead, it could even be more dangerous. As a third-year student, he was well aware of the incident that had occurred two years ago.
"Senior Shen..."
He couldn't help but sigh. He had received help from Shen Zheng in the past, and even after joining the Mutual Aid Society, Shen Zheng never looked down on him. As an orphan, he had truly felt the kindness of others back then.
At that time, he had hoped that Senior Shen could lead everyone to break free from this cage. But even someone like him couldn't achieve such a feat; instead, he fell on the path to success. Sometimes, he wondered if everything would have been different if Senior Shen had made it to Central City.
But that was just wishful thinking.
He chuckled to himself, tossed the notice onto the table, and headed towards the training room.
Meanwhile, in the Nian Mansion, Chen Chuan reviewed all the examination materials. Then, he made a call to Cheng Zitong, saying, "Teacher, I've got the stuff."
Cheng Zitong remained silent for a moment before replying, "Okay, I'll tell you where to go. Head there first, and we'll talk when you arrive." He then provided an address.
As Chen Chuan hung up, Cheng Zitong added, "Just mention my name when you get there."
"Okay," Chen Chuan agreed.
After the call, Chen Chuan returned to fetch a map, studied it briefly, and then rode his bike towards the southern part of the city. Half an hour later, he arrived at the designated location, only to find that it was a tea house on the surface but actually a private training hall.
There were many such venues in the south of the city. Many wealthy martial artists would own one, similar to the training hall of Senior Sister He Nan that they visited previously. These places were semi-open, usually inviting only familiar or known martial artists to exchange skills and enjoy tea and the scenery.
Chen Chuan parked his bike and approached the entrance, mentioning Cheng Zitong's name to the security guard. The security captain said, "You must be Brother Chen. Manager Cheng has informed us. Please come upstairs."
Chen Chuan entered the training hall, changed into slippers, and went upstairs. The interior was designed in an ancient and elegant style, with a natural ambiance and a burning incense burner. He walked towards the river-facing side, where there was a long couch with soft cushions.
He sat down on the couch, which was elevated, offering a view of green bamboo and flowing river water through the round, open-style archway. The gentle breeze blew in, lightly rustling the bamboo leaves and curtains, and the tassels on the curtains fluttered softly, creating a very relaxing atmosphere. Sitting quietly here, he could let his mind wander.
It seemed like only a short while had passed when he heard familiar footsteps approaching. He checked his watch and realized that a quarter of an hour had unknowingly slipped by.
Cheng Zitong entered, carrying a briefcase. Chen Chuan greeted him, "Teacher." Cheng Zitong smiled and said, "How is it? Isn't this place nice?"
"The environment is indeed excellent," Chen Chuan replied.
Cheng Zitong sat on the adjacent couch, leaning against the soft cushion, and adjusted to a comfortable position. He said, "I'll be guiding you here for the next few days. You just need to occasionally return to the school."
Chen Chuan understood his intention and poured a cup of tea for Cheng Zitong, saying, "To cover for the examination, right?"
"We have to be careful," Cheng Zitong said, patting Chen Chuan's knee gently. "No need to rush. I'll be leaving soon. Sit down."
As Chen Chuan sat, Cheng Zitong continued, "The examination will take some time. If you suddenly disappear for a while, it might attract attention, especially since there are many senior students graduating as recommended students this semester. They are particularly observant of potential competitors, even though you're just a first-year student. So, we need to be cautious."
"During this time, you can disappear from time to time and then show up at the company and school. We'll say that I'm giving you special training, and no one will suspect anything. What do you think?"
"The teacher's arrangement is well-thought-out. The student has no objections," Chen Chuan said, taking out his documents and handing them to Cheng Zitong. Cheng Zitong flipped through them, understood the situation, and then asked, "In your estimation, how long before you can proceed with the Second Limit training?"
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and replied, "Probably half a month to a month."
"That's not a long time. Then, I'll guide you here for the Second Limit..." Cheng Zitong patted his knee, "I never thought I, Cheng Zitong, would get to teach a student like you. Some teachers keep their students away from school, saying that the current rules don't suit their students. If that's the case, why send them to Wu Yi in the first place?"
Cheng Zitong took out some documents from his briefcase, "These are some reference materials for before and after the Second Limit. In the old days, learning was through master-disciple transmission. What was missing or excessive, no one knew. Now, we summarize experiences, clarify the context, and document them in texts. The number of successful students is hundreds or thousands of times more than before. Only with numerous martial artists can the martial arts continue to improve. Treating the old secrets as treasures is putting the cart before the horse."
Chen Chuan knew that Cheng Zitong always had complaints about the old-fashioned rules, probably due to his past experiences with such regulations.
He flipped through the documents, which were previous students' notes and insights, all printed materials. Though they looked cheap, their content was invaluable.
Cheng Zitong gathered the documents, took a sip of tea from the desk, and stood up. "I have some matters to attend to at the school, so I'll head back first. If you have any questions, just call me. If I can't answer, write a letter to Old He."
Chen Chuan stood up and said, "I'll send off Teacher."
After seeing Cheng Zitong off, he returned to the training hall and stayed there for the next period.
During this time, his daily training routine involved practicing at the lower training hall, and when he needed a break, he would go upstairs to read, enjoy some tea, and appreciate the distant scenery.
The training hall also offered experienced martial arts practitioners for sparring, but this service came at an additional cost. Chen Chuan didn't feel the need for such sparring sessions; he only needed to find a few students when he visited the school, and sometimes he could even seek out coaches. His skills and strength were generally better than those from outside.
Occasionally, he would take the time to visit the company, clearing up past commissions. As time passed, the people at the school became accustomed to his unique approach.
Over half a month later, by the end of April, Chen Chuan felt that he had almost reached the limit of what he could achieve in the First Limit. At this point, he had only two bone orbs left from Qi Sai.
He could sense that no matter the stimulation, the growth of altered tissues on his tendons and bones had become minuscule.
This didn't mean the altered tissues had stopped growing; instead, they had been constrained by his breathing technique and stance power in a specific direction. But once he released his control, they would rapidly grow in other areas.
Reaching this level indicated that he had achieved a highly skilled control and mastery over the altered tissues within his body. It was like throwing a punch and being able to retract it, but not being able to fully retract it, nor completely stopping it, as that would negate the power of the strike.
Based on the records left by Cheng Zitong, Chen Chuan could sense that this was the unique control of the 'Zhouyuan Technique.' Even if the altered tissues in a specific area became slightly out of control, he could use the altered tissues in other areas to cooperate and restrain them.
This was all written in the 1619 version of the book!
Others were not the same; when it came to stimulating altered tissues, they had to proceed with caution, gradually moving forward. Once they lost control, it was like riding a wild horse, and they could only try to protect themselves, having no choice over where they ended up. One mistake could easily lead to another loss of control and damage to their bodily functions, so extreme caution was always necessary.
To progress to the Second Limit, Chen Chuan needed to change his medication and breathing technique to redirect the altered tissues. Only a higher-level breathing technique could guide the altered tissues to the desired areas when he released his control.
The First Limit, in the terminology of the old era, was known as 'True Essence Seed.' Similarly, the Second Limit had its own term, 'Guarding Vitality!' In simple terms, martial artists were like nurturing a second life, and upon reaching this level, they could significantly enhance their combat prowess.
The focus of this stage was not on consumption but on guarding. Only by guarding and nurturing could they ensure that the second life belonged to themselves.
The first crucial step was 'Building Sinew Bridges, Generating Bone Beams,' allowing the altered tissues to primarily grow altered sinews and bones. The key to the Second Limit, however, was 'Vitalizing Six Viscera, Generating Five Organs!' The altered tissues would spread and transform within the six viscera and five organs, providing martial artists with enhanced energy and a stronger physique.
Even with powerful bones and muscles, the supply of nutrients, the flowing blood, the permeating breath throughout the body, and the activation of each burst of power all required robust internal organs to support them.
This was why those in the First Limit could only exert a limited number of bursts of power in a battle, as their internal organs couldn't withstand more. There were many examples of this among his past opponents.
After reviewing the key points of entering the Second Limit in his mind, Chen Chuan decided not to wait any longer. Today, he would find a way to step into this limit.
He stood up, opened the box that Cheng Zitong had delivered the day before, and took out a viscous liquid that had been carefully mixed. He placed it in front of him.
This substance was called 'Elixir Liquid,' a drug to help martial artists reach the Second Limit.
After drinking it, he could use it to stimulate his internal organs, promoting the growth of altered tissues in those areas. In the old era, this was known as 'Yin-Yang Drink,' implying that one could drink it directly or use it indirectly.
This was also because, in those times, the mixing standards were not high, and they considered it a secret technique passed down through their respective schools, relying solely on personal experience for mastery. Therefore, when drinking it, they had to coordinate with the Heavenly Degree.
The Heavenly Degree had concepts like 'Sixty-Six Cycles' and 'Ninety-Nine Convergence,' which meant that based on different cultivation techniques, one had to choose a special time that suited them and drink the Yin-Yang Drink within a specified time frame.
This wasn't entirely illogical, as the activity levels of the five organs and six viscera varied according to different time periods. If one considered a larger timescale, the Four Seasons Transformation and the rhythm of the starry sky's movement could be calculated and coordinated with, giving one a feeling of following the heavenly will and moving with the flow, providing immense psychological support.
However, this was unnecessary now. The Elixir Liquid was actually a nutrient solution rich in high-energy substances but also containing a portion of toxic substances.
Once consumed, the elixir liquid was first broken down and absorbed by the intestines and stomach, entering the bloodstream and then being transported to every cell in the body. The liver and kidneys would then transform and filter out the toxic substances. Martial artists needed to immediately use their breathing technique and power to stimulate the heart and lungs. Throughout this process, all internal organs would participate, strongly stimulating the altered tissues that had already permeated those areas, causing them to spread and grow under the stimulation of the breathing technique and power.
The difficulty of this stage in the old era was the inability to grasp a reasonable degree. A slight excess could easily lead to overdose, the consequences of which were obvious, while a slight deficiency wouldn't achieve the desired stimulation. Repeated consumption might even allow the body to adapt, causing progress to halt at this stage.
The most crucial aspect was that this liquid was extremely challenging to mix. The various medicinal ingredients were rare and costly, beyond the means of ordinary people. Of course, this was no longer the case; as long as it was within the prescribed dosage range, the academy provided it for free.
Chen Chuan looked at the elixir liquid. Since he had significantly more altered tissues than his peers, he had asked Cheng Zitong to intentionally increase the toxicity when mixing it; otherwise, it wouldn't achieve the desired stimulation. In fact, even a little excess wouldn't matter, as he had a second self, and the damage from an overdose could be endured.
He reached out, took the cup, and drank it all in one go.
(End of Chapter)
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