Zhong Lin slowly stood up, shaking his head that was still a bit sore. However, a smile appeared on his face as he felt the inner breath constantly circulating within him.
"It’s slow, but there’s never a moment when I’m not practicing. As long as there are enough elixirs to support it, I believe my inner breath will soon reach perfection."
He got up and went downstairs, not leaving directly but instead going to the third floor, where he chose two more martial arts techniques to copy.
After mastering the inner breath, the corresponding Qi Refining Martial Techniques were only "Spirit Rhinoceros Sword Finger" and "Dragon Subduing Palm."
Zhong Lin had just selected a Lightweight Body Technique called "Fractal Shadow Transformation" and a swordsmanship technique called "Flying Dragon Slash" from the third layer.
These would just nicely make up for his lack of offensive power.
On the first floor, the black-robed old man was still sitting with his eyes closed, pretending to nap. Feeling Zhong Lin’s arrival, he slowly opened his eyes and looked displeased, "Why did you stay so long?"
"The Heavenly Grade Cultivation Technique is mysterious and unfathomable. I was momentarily greedy and practiced for a while, not realizing the time had passed. Forgive me, Elder." Zhong Lin apologized.
"You’ve chosen two more martial arts techniques?"
The black-robed old man saw the two secret manuals in Zhong Lin’s hands.
"I also want to enhance my skills a bit."
"Be cautious; too much ambition results in poor learning. Your focus should be on the Qi Cultivation Heart Method right now."
"Thank you for the reminder, Elder. I understand."
Seeing Zhong Lin’s insistence, the black-robed elder merely shook his head, saying nothing more.
Well-advised words are difficult to heed for the doomed. You’ll regret it sooner or later.
After bowing, Zhong Lin sat down in a seat nearby and quickly copied the manuals with pen and paper.
By the time he walked out of the Chuan Gong Pavilion, the sun had already set, and Mei Weixuan was waiting at the iron rope bridge, looking quite bored.
"Zhong... Senior Brother, you finally came out. I thought you’d moved in there!"
Zhong Lin glanced around but didn’t see the figure of Yin Daoyan.
"Master Yin has matters to handle and asked me to wait for you here."
After saying this, Zhong Lin took large strides forward.
Mei Weixuan quickly caught up, walking side by side with Zhong Lin.
"Zhong... Senior Brother, you don’t know what I found in the Chuan Gong Pavilion. It’s unexpectedly the legendary ’Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound’ from the Jianghu, a secret technique that can help people quickly refine marrow and change blood. It was said to have appeared in the Jianghu a hundred years ago, causing a bloody storm. Countless people fought for it, and eventually, the secret technique disappeared in the turmoil. I never thought it would be sitting in our Sword Cauldron Sect’s Chuan Gong Pavilion. Heh heh, now it’s my good fortune."
Mei Weixuan was full of excitement.
"By the way, what’s the fifth layer of the Chuan Gong Pavilion like? Did you choose a Heavenly Grade Cultivation Technique? Let me have a look!"
"I’ll show you after I master it. For now, I just want to go back and have a good sleep."
The information flow from the seven Heavenly Grade Cultivation Techniques gave Zhong Lin a splitting headache. He now just wanted to go back and sleep well.
Returning to Spirit Medicine Peak, Zhong Lin didn’t even have dinner before going back to his room to rest. When he woke up again, it was already noon the next day.
The moment Zhong Lin opened his eyes, the long-silent inner breath in his Dantian naturally began to circulate. Each circulation of the cycle converted a portion of the remaining inner breath into Flying Spirit Inner Breath.
"In about three days, I should be able to fully convert all the inner breath. After that, I can continue taking Great Rejuvenation Pills to practice."
Zhong Lin felt the progress within his Dantian with great satisfaction.
Though the amount of Flying Spirit Inner Breath converted was only thirty percent of the original, its power had increased several times over.
In the following days, Zhong Lin didn’t remain idle. Master Yin Daoyan took him first to the Ancestor Master Hall to pay respects to the ancestors. Only after bowing to the ancestors could his name be entered into the roster.
Then he took Zhong Lin to visit the various Elders at different peaks.
It was then that Zhong Lin learned the black-robed old man guarding the Chuan Gong Pavilion that day was one of the nine Great Elders of Sword Cauldron Sect, Chuan Gong Elder Zou Shan. Not only was he responsible for guarding the Chuan Gong Pavilion, but he also explained and clarified teachings to sect disciples on the Sword Testing Platform at the end of every month.
Spirit Medicine Peak, back of Purple Bamboo Forest.
Sitting cross-legged, Zhong Lin slowly opened his eyes, a gleam of divine light flashing across his pupils.
This half-year was the most leisurely time for Zhong Lin. Every day, he meditated and practiced, cultivated his inner breath, studied medical skills, nurtured herbal medicines, and practiced alchemy in the alchemy room.
Counting the time, it had been a full year since Zhong Lin had reincarnated into this world.
Seventeen-year-old Zhong Lin’s temperament had become more ethereal, his appearance seeming more transcendent and refined thanks to his success in Martial Arts. While his face wasn’t particularly handsome, it possessed a kind of perfectly proportioned charm, neither more nor less than necessary, which was just right at the moment.
Zhong Lin’s eyes flashed with Divine Light, a shimmering golden glow emerging, presenting an almost mystical appearance, different from ordinary people.
This was caused by inner breath leaking out, an anomaly that occurred when cultivation reached a certain level beyond control.
This half-year seemed leisurely, but the daily schedule was also full.
Besides studying medical skills, he learned the art of preparing Fourth Grade Elixirs. At this moment, Zhong Lin had already become a Fourth Grade Pill Master, an astonishing figure in the entire Sword Cauldron Sect.
Before Zhong Lin, Sword Cauldron Sect just barely had two Fourth Grade Alchemists: his own Master Yin Daoyan and Elder Lian Shan from Wind Fire Peak.
A seventeen-year-old Fourth Grade Alchemist was a remarkable presence no matter where, mainly because the age was so impressive.
Due to his obsession with alchemy, Zhong Lin’s Martial Arts Cultivation had been somewhat delayed. Now it was barely reaching Qi-breath Perfection, but he could start the next stage of "Meridian Passage."
"The so-called Meridian Passage involves using inner breath to open the body’s twelve meridians: Hand’s Three Yin Meridians, Hand’s Three Yang Meridians, Foot Three Yin Meridians, Foot Three Yang Meridians, Yang Qiao Meridian, Yin Qiao Meridian, Yang Wei Meridian, Yin Wei Meridian, Dai Meridian, Chong Meridian, Ren Meridian, Du Meridian."
"Especially the last governor and conception vessels. Once opened, the inner breath will be unbroken and continuous, with all the meridians communicating freely, leaving no obstructions."
"Therefore, the Meridian Passage Realm is also known as the Twelve Layers. Master is currently at the Ninth Layer."
"However, meridians are incredibly fragile, and one must not proceed hastily. Not only do they need to be opened, but also nurtured and widened, requiring even more caution than when refining organs with Qi-Blood. After all, organ issues can cause Five Labors and Seven Injuries, but if the meridians have problems, it could directly lead to paralysis."
While Zhong Lin was pondering, footsteps approached from afar, and a female sect disciple appeared before him, nervously saying, "Senior Brother Zhong, the Sect Master summons you. Please hurry."
Zhong Lin slowly stood up, "Thank you, Junior Sister."
With the Sect Master summoning, Zhong Lin did not dare delay, quickly heading towards the Main Peak.
Zhong Lin’s speed was quick and steady, each step as if measured, not a trace more or less, the distance precisely accurate.
This was one of Zhong Lin’s achievements over the past half-year, never missing a session at the Chuan Gong Pavilion on the first and fifteenth of each month and having already mastered nearly half of its contents, various martial arts techniques coming to him easily.