Chapter 57 - 56: Externally Connecting with Heaven and Earth, Internally Cultivating Roots and Marrow

Chapter 57: Chapter 56: Externally Connecting with Heaven and Earth, Internally Cultivating Roots and Marrow

In the instant of "successful advance," Zheng Jun immediately understood all the previously unfamiliar secrets of the Broken Jade Skill. He felt as if he were swimming in an ocean of knowledge; everything had integrated seamlessly, leaving nothing beyond his comprehension.

Therefore, Zheng Jun did not hesitate. He directly swallowed a Blood Nourishing Pill, assumed the stance of the Pile Skill, and felt the circulation of Qi and Blood within his body.

The Blood Nourishing Pill was most suitable for Blood Refining Martial Artists, but it also had some effect on Martial Artists like Zheng Jun who had just entered Qi Storage. For this first time circulating the Broken Jade Skill, Zheng Jun wanted to use the Blood Nourishing Pill as an aid, allowing him to complete a circulation of the skill more quickly.

Because of the Great Tao Martial Book, he had long achieved Mastery in this Pile Skill. He performed its thirty-six routines one by one until he was drenched in sweat and the effects of the Blood Nourishing Pill dissipated, only then coming to a stop.

Zheng Jun marveled in his heart, "The effects of this Pile Skill are actually more than three times that of the Eagle-Hawk Force! If I take a Blood Nourishing Pill to practice the pile every day, in less than ten days, my Qi and Blood will flow like mercury, strengthening my muscles and bones, and accelerating my absorption of Spiritual Qi!"

He was shocked. This was his first time practicing the martial art, and he hadn’t even incorporated the Breathing Technique yet, yet it yielded such terrifying results. This Broken Jade Skill was truly worthy of being a Top-level Cultivation Technique that even Cai Xun couldn’t bear to part with!

Thinking this, Zheng Jun prepared to combine it with the Breathing Technique for another round.

After achieving Mastery in the Broken Jade Skill through the Great Tao Martial Book, Zheng Jun already understood the greatest difference between the Broken Jade Skill and ordinary Inner Power.

The greatest difference of the Broken Jade Skill lay in the fact that it could utilize its different Spells to transform one’s True Qi into Broken Jade True Qi when executing the skill. Its power was almost identical to that of Gang Qi.

The process of the Qi Storage Realm was simply a process of Circulation Qi Collection. It allowed the Qi of the human body and the natural Qi of heaven and earth to exchange with each other, thereby storing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within one’s Dantian and continuously accumulating it.

Once the True Qi was accumulated to the current limit of the Dantian, one could continuously compress it, refining the True Qi into Gang and making it purer. This continued until all the True Qi was completely converted into Gang Qi. Then, utilizing the Gang Qi to nourish the physical body to achieve "outer connection with heaven and earth, inner refinement of roots and marrow," one would thoroughly enter the Outer Gang Realm.

Therefore, the Qi Storage Realm consisted of two stages: Qi Collection and Refining Gang.

As for the Pile Skill, its Blood Refining function still existed. That was to enhance the interaction speed between the human body itself and the nature of heaven and earth. The more formidable the Qi and Blood, the more terrifying the speed of absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi naturally became.

Zheng Jun was currently in the Qi Collection stage. However, after cultivating the Broken Jade Skill, he could directly activate it if he wished, transforming his unleashed True Qi into Broken Jade True Qi to briefly exhibit the True Qi methods of the Outer Gang Realm!

Of course, this did not mean he was truly comparable to a genuine Outer Gang Martial Artist. After all, their physical strength and other aspects were still vastly different, and he couldn’t use much Gang Qi anyway. Yet even so, this made him a formidable expert within the Qi Storage Realm, enough to awe peers of the same realm and even challenge those above his level.

Just like that, Zheng Jun began to frantically breathe and absorb Spiritual Qi, completely losing track of the time passing outside.

"PHEW!"

As the sky grew dark, Zheng Jun slowly retracted his stance, feeling a warm sensation spread throughout his body. The few hidden minor injuries remaining from his previous practice of the Hard Qi Skill had all completely faded away thanks to the Broken Jade Skill.

After these several two-hour periods of cultivation, Zheng Jun had thoroughly comprehended the cultivation conditions of the Qi Storage Realm. It was vastly superior to his previous numb practice of the Eagle-Hawk Force. However, upon experiencing the formidable aspects of the Broken Jade Skill, Zheng Jun had tasted the sweetness of success and grown somewhat addicted.

After hesitating for a moment, Zheng Jun took out a Pill—a Qi Storage Pill! It was a Pill used by Qi Storage Realm Martial Artists for cultivation. After consuming it, the speed at which one’s limbs and bones absorbed Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi would be massively increased!

Without any hesitation, Zheng Jun popped the Pill directly into his mouth, feeling a layer of heat circulate through all the limbs and bones across his entire body!

"PHEW!"

Zheng Jun was instantly drenched in sweat. He felt a boom erupt in his Dantian, and the sweat seeping from his body vaporized directly like steam!

Boiling Blood Qi surged through his entire body. Zheng Jun felt as if he were a whirlpool in the ocean, desperately absorbing the Spiritual Qi from the surrounding heaven and earth and sucking it all into his body!

He thought in excitement, "If I can do this every day, in less than half a month, I’ll be able to complete Qi Collection and begin Refining Gang!"

When this boiling Blood Qi gradually subsided, Zheng Jun was soaked to the bone, but a radiant and high-spirited light flashed in his eyes! The wondrous uses of this Qi Storage Pill were truly infinite!

[Practicing the Broken Jade Skill, repayment progress +19. Current repayment progress: 19/3000.]

Looking at the panel before him, Zheng Jun calmed his emotions. Then, carrying that Beirong Ceremonial Saber, he prepared to advance his second Martial Art. After all, the Great Tao Martial Book had upgraded, and he could now advance two Martial Arts simultaneously.

After hesitating for a moment, Zheng Jun decided to choose Great Success in the Wave-Treading Blade Technique. Rather than being a "jack of all trades, master of none," it was better to push a decent Saber Technique to Perfection first.

Furthermore, once this Wave-Treading Blade Technique reached Perfection, he might even have a chance to comprehend the legendary Lushui Flood Dragon Slayer Saber Art! Although Zheng Jun didn’t know what this Lushui Flood Dragon Slayer Saber Art was, its name sounded very imposing and quite antique. It was created by the Upper Pillar Duke of the Former Yu Dynasty. That man was a Primordial Pill Martial Saint!

Therefore, Zheng Jun felt it was necessary to first bring the Wave-Treading Blade Technique to Perfection. After all, having a saber in hand without a matching Saber Technique was indeed a bit awkward.

[Advance the "Wave-Treading Saber (Great Success)"? Because you are borrowing the Fruit of the Future, you must practice it a thousand times before it truly belongs to you!]

Looking at the small ink-wash characters that appeared before him, Zheng Jun gave a slight nod. "Advance it!"

Following the advance, Zheng Jun instantly felt his mind clear, as all the subtleties of the Wave-Treading Blade Technique gathered within him. However, what surprised Zheng Jun a little was that the repayment progress wasn’t actually that high. It was about the same as what had been required for his previous advance of Minor Achievement.

He thought to himself, "It seems that advancing the Wave-Treading Saber is indeed a good choice... Once the repayment for the Wave-Treading Saber is completed, I can give the Iron Sand Demon Suppression Skill a try."

Zheng Jun swung the Ceremonial Saber. After casually slashing a couple of times, he suddenly felt something was amiss. A cold and gloomy aura seemed to be lingering around him, causing him to involuntarily frown.

Zheng Jun felt as if someone was watching him. However, he wasn’t entirely certain. After a moment of thought, he calmly sheathed his saber and said slowly, "Since you’ve arrived, friend, why don’t you come out?"

Upon hearing Zheng Jun’s words, a soft knocking sound—KNOCK KNOCK—immediately rang out from the front door of his home.

"Haha! When I arrived, I sensed someone absorbing True Qi inside and realized Zheng San was practicing his martial arts. I didn’t want to disturb you, so I waited outside. I hope you won’t take offense."