Chapter 144: Yin-Yang Elixir, Vital Preservation
Chapter 144: Yin-Yang Elixir, Vital Preservation
Almost simultaneously with Chen Chuan receiving the approval for his application, Tai Dongwei and the others also received a notification from the Review Committee, delivered on behalf of the school, requesting their presence for the Wuji Defense Certificate exam within six months at a designated location.
However, they were taking the Class C exam, which wasn't as complex. The examination venue would be decided temporarily based on the time period they chose for the assessment.
For Tai Dongwei, it didn't matter much. After all, they were just accompanying others for the exam. They were simply waiting for the Mutual Aid Society to notify them, go for the exam, and then find a way to fail it. After all, the Mutual Aid Society had paid them in advance, so they had to get the job done, right?
On the bright side, being allowed to accompany the examinees showed trust in them. One more or one less Wuji Defense Certificate wouldn't narrow the gap between them and the powerhouse disciples; it might 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 also received help from Shen Zheng in the past. Even though he had joined the Mutual Aid Society early on, Shen Zheng didn't look down on him. As an orphan, he had truly felt the kindness of others at that time.
At that time, he had also held a sliver of hope, expecting Shen Zheng to 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 gone to Central City.
But that was just a fantasy.
He chuckled at himself, casually tossed the notification onto the desk, and headed towards the training room.
Meanwhile, in Nian Mansion, after Chen Chuan had reviewed all the exam materials, he made a phone call to Cheng Zitong and said, "Teacher, I've got the stuff."
Cheng Zitong remained silent for a while before responding, "Good. I'll tell you a place, go there first, and we'll talk when you arrive. Remember..." As he spoke, he gave a location.
After Chen Chuan hung up, Cheng Zitong continued, "Just mention my name when you get there."
Chen Chuan replied, "Okay."
After hanging up the phone, he went back, took out a map, and looked it over. Then he rode his bike towards the city's south, and half an hour later, he arrived at the designated location, only to discover that it was a teahouse on the surface, but in reality, it was a private training hall.
There were many such places in the south of the city. Some wealthy martial artists would set up one, like the training hall of Senior Sister Hennan He, which was also semi-open. Usually, only familiar or recognized martial artists were invited to come and exchange techniques, while also enjoying tea and the scenery.
After parking his bike, he approached the entrance and mentioned Cheng Zitong's name to the security guard. The security captain said, "You must be Brother Chen, right? Supervisor Cheng has informed us. Please go upstairs."
Chen Chuan entered the training hall, changed his shoes, and went upstairs. The layout was elegant and charming, filled with natural beauty. There was also an incense burner, and by the river, there was a long couch with soft cushions.
He sat down on the couch, which was located at a higher level. Through the round, open-style archway, he could see green bamboo and flowing river water. The breeze blew in, gently rustling the bamboo leaves and curtains, while the tassels on the curtains fluttered lightly. The entire atmosphere was very relaxing, and sitting here quietly, he could think of nothing at all.
It seemed like only a short while had passed when he heard familiar footsteps approaching. He looked at his watch and realized that, unknowingly, an hour had already gone by.
Cheng Zitong entered, carrying a briefcase, and Chen Chuan greeted him, "Teacher." Cheng Zitong smiled and said, "How is it? Isn't this place nice?"
Chen Chuan replied, "The environment is indeed very good."
Cheng Zitong sat down on the couch beside him, leaning against the soft cushion, and assumed a comfortable position. He said, "For the next few days, I'll be guiding you here. You just need to go back to school occasionally."
Chen Chuan understood his intention and picked up the teapot to pour him a cup of tea, saying, "To cover for the exam, right?"
"We have to be careful," Cheng Zitong said, patting his knee with his hand. "Don't rush. I'll leave soon. You sit."
Once Chen Chuan sat down, Cheng Zitong continued, "The exam will take quite some time. If you suddenly disappear for a while, it will attract attention, especially since there are many senior recommended students in the latter half of the semester, and they pay extra attention to potential competitors. Even though you're just a first-year student, you should still be cautious."
"During this time, you can disappear from time to time, and then show up at the company and school. Just say that I'm giving you special training, and no one will suspect anything. What do you think?"
Chen Chuan said, "I have no objections to the teacher's arrangement." He took out his own set of materials and handed them to Cheng Zitong, who flipped through them and quickly understood the situation. He then asked, "How much longer do you think it will take for you to reach the second limit of training?"
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and replied, "In my estimation, it will take about half a month to a month."
"That's not a long time. I'll guide you here for the second limit," Cheng Zitong said, patting his own knee. "I never thought I, Cheng Zitong, would be able to teach a student like you. Some teachers are still diligently instructing students but never let them go to school, saying that the current rules are not suitable for their students. Then why bother sending students to Wu Yi?"
He took out some materials from his briefcase, "These are some reference materials for before and after reaching the second limit.
In the old days, learning was all about the teacher-student relationship. No one knew what was missing or what was extra. Now, we summarize experiences, clarify the context, and record them in text. The number of successful students is hundreds or even thousands of times more than before. Only with enough martial artists can the martial arts level be improved. Treating the old secrets as treasures is putting the cart before the horse."
Chen Chuan knew that Cheng Zitong always had complaints about this topic, probably because he had suffered a lot from the old-fashioned rules in the past.
He picked up the materials and flipped through them. These were some useful notes and insights left by previous students, all of which were printed and looked inexpensive, but the content was highly valuable.
Cheng Zitong tidied up the materials, picked up the teacup on the table, and stood up. "I have some matters to attend to at the school, so I'll head back first. If you have any questions, feel free to call me. If I can't answer, you can write a letter to He."
Chen Chuan stood up and said, "I'll see the teacher out."
After seeing Cheng Zitong off, he returned and stayed in the training hall.
For the next period, he went to the training hall below for his daily practice and, during his breaks, came upstairs to read, enjoy tea, and admire the distant scenery.
In fact, the training hall could provide experienced fighters as sparring partners, but that would cost extra. He didn't need that; if he needed sparring partners, he could just find a few students when he visited the school, or even ask the coaches, whose skills and judgment were often better than those from outside.
Sometimes, he would also take the opportunity to visit the company and clear up past commissions. Over time, the people at the school became accustomed to his way of doing things.
More than half a month passed like this, and by the end of April, he felt that he had almost reached his limit in the First Limit, and by this time, only two bone beads remained from what he had obtained from Qi Sai.
He could feel that no matter how much he stimulated his muscles and bones, the growth rate of the transmutation organs on them was now barely noticeable.
This didn't mean that the transmutation organs had stopped growing; rather, their growth in a certain direction had been constrained by the Breath Control Technique and Foundation Strength. But once he released that constraint, they would rapidly grow in other directions.
Being able to achieve this level of control meant that he had reached a highly advanced stage in controlling and mastering the transmutation organs within his body. It was like throwing a punch and being able to retract it, but it wasn't a matter of being able to throw and not retract; he couldn't completely stop it either, or else he would lose the power of the punch.
Based on the records left by Cheng Zitong, he could sense that this was the unique control of the "Zhouyuan Technique," which allowed him to slightly stimulate the transmutation organs in one area and then use the transmutation organs in other areas to assist in restraining them.
Others were different; they had to be extremely careful when stimulating the transmutation organs, slowly pushing them 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 went. But doing so might cause another loss of control and damage to the body's functions, so extreme caution was often necessary.
To progress to the Second Limit, he needed to change his medication and breathing technique to redirect the growth of the transmutation organs. Only a higher-level breathing technique could guide them to the desired areas when he released the constraints.
In the old days, the First Limit was known as "Essence Seed," and the Second Limit had a name too: "Vital Preservation"! Simply put, the fighter was cultivating a second life, and upon reaching this level, their combat power would significantly increase.
At this stage, the focus was not on consumption but on preservation. Only by preserving and nurturing this second life could it truly become their own.
The key to this process was "Building the Sinew Bridge and Growing the Bone Beam," allowing the transmutation organs to primarily grow in the sinews and bones. The Second Limit, on the other hand, focused on "Activating the Six Organs and Growing the Five Viscera"! The transmutation organs would spread to and transform the five viscera and six organs, providing the fighter with more abundant energy and a stronger physique.
Even with powerful bones and muscles, the consumption of energy, the flow of blood and qi throughout the body, and the activation of qi power all required strong internal organs to support them.
This was also why those in the First Limit could only exert a limited number of qi powers in a fight, as their internal organs could not withstand any more. There were plenty of examples of this among those he had fought in the past.
After reviewing the key points of entering the Second Limit in his mind, Chen Chuan decided not to wait any longer and to take the step into this limit today.
He stood up, opened a box Cheng Zitong had delivered the previous day, and took out a cup of elixir called "Vitalizing Elixir," which helped fighters enter the Second Limit.
After drinking it, he could use it to stimulate his internal organs, accelerating the growth of transmutation organs there. In the old days, this elixir was called "Yin-Yang Elixir," implying that after drinking it, one would either live or die.
This was because the standards of elixir refinement were not high back then, and they were considered secret techniques passed down through lineages, so people relied on their personal experience to control the process. As a result, they had to consider celestial timing before drinking the elixir.
There was a saying about the cycle of days: "Sixty-Six Cycle, Eighty-One Assembly," which meant that due to the differences in cultivation methods, one had to choose a special day and drink the elixir within a specified time frame.
This wasn't unreasonable, as the activity levels of the five viscera and six organs varied according to different time periods. But if you looked at it on a larger timescale, with the changes of the four seasons and the rhythm of celestial movements, there would be a feeling of following the natural order and seizing the momentum, providing immense psychological support.
Nowadays, this wasn't necessary. The elixir was actually a nutrient liquid rich in high-energy nutrients but also containing some toxic substances.
After drinking it, the elixir was broken down and absorbed by the intestines and stomach, entering the bloodstream and spreading to every cell in the body. The liver and kidneys would then filter out the toxic substances. The fighter needed to immediately use breathing techniques and qi powers to stimulate the power of the heart and lungs. Throughout the process, all internal organs would participate, strongly stimulating the underlying transmutation organs there, causing them to start spreading under the stimulation of the breathing and qi powers.
In the old days, this process was challenging because the standards of elixir refinement were not high, and they were considered secret techniques passed down through lineages, so people relied on their personal experience to control the process. As a result, they had to consider celestial timing before drinking the elixir.
The elixir was very difficult to refine, with rare and expensive medicinal ingredients. It was generally unaffordable, but now it was different; as long as it was within the specified dosage, the academy provided it.
Chen Chuan looked at the cup of elixir. Because he had significantly more transmutation organs than his peers, he had asked Cheng Zitong to add a bit more toxicity when refining it; otherwise, it wouldn't achieve the desired stimulation. In fact, even if it was a little over the limit, it wasn't a problem because he had his second self, and the excessive harm could be endured.
He reached out, picked up the cup, and drank it all in one go.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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