Chapter 15: Innate Realm

In the following days, Wang Hong once again visited the Library and found a book titled "Henglian Liuhe Gong."

This cultivation technique consisted of nine levels, requiring practitioners to circulate their energy while simultaneously striking their entire body. From the first to the third level, one had to use a wooden stick to strike the body. After advancing to the fourth level, they would switch to an iron stick, and upon reaching the seventh level, it would be replaced with a large iron rod. After each session of striking, one needed to use Medicinal Herbs to soothe tendons, invigorate blood circulation, and strengthen muscles and bones.

In the initial stages, practicing the first to third levels required ordinary Medicinal Herbs, readily available at major pharmacies. However, starting from the fourth level, more precious and aged Chinese herbs were necessary, turning it into a considerable expense. Without space assistance, Wang Hong wouldn't dare to cultivate this technique.

In the subsequent days, Wang Hong tirelessly practiced day and night. When tired from practicing "Thunderous Spear Technique," he would drink Medicinal wine to replenish energy. Then, he would proceed to practice "Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow-Cleansing Technique." If he felt sleepy, he would take a nap in space and then resume practicing "Henglian Liuhe Gong," squeezing in time to read books within space.

Combining the assistance of space provisions and Medicinal cuisine, Wang Hong's progress was rapid. In just three months, he successfully opened the Thrusting Meridian among the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

Two intense years passed in the rigorous cultivation. During this time, Wang Hong transformed into a robust young man. In the first year, he accompanied the team into the mountains dozens of times, finally gathering all the Medicinal Herbs required for practicing "Henglian Liuhe Gong," planting them in space.

The turmoil caused by the arrival of immortals gradually subsided during this period. The main reason was the considerable number of casualties, and those with hot-headed intentions had mostly met their end. The remaining individuals had learned to calm down, mainly due to the Academy's ability to bring reason to these situations. In one instance, over a hundred martial artists in the Acquired Realm came, but the organized formation of Academy students swiftly dealt with them, showcasing the might of Qing Yang Academy.

In these two years, Wang Hong advanced "Henglian Liuhe Gong" to the sixth level. Even if he stood still and allowed others to attack, ordinary Acquired Realm martial artists would find it challenging to harm him, and even a steel knife could only leave a small cut on his skin.

His internal cultivation had also opened all the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, reaching the peak of the Acquired Realm. Now, with a few more years of accumulation and a fortuitous encounter, he could break through the Acquired Realm and reach the legendary Innate Stage.

Over these two years of growth, the first batch of Medicinal Herbs planted in space had matured to a hundred years. The rest, ranging from thirty to eighty years, were flourishing everywhere.

During this time, Wang Hong thoroughly read most of the books in the Library, especially those related to medicine and martial arts. In theoretical terms, he surpassed the Academy instructors.

In a medical book, Wang Hong discovered a formula to enhance his cultivation called "Dragon Tiger Pill." The main ingredients were hundred-year Ginseng and hundred-year Purple Mushroom, supplemented by over ten other Medicinal Herbs to blend their medicinal properties. It was said that taking one pill could enhance one year of cultivation.

Having an abundance of Medicinal Herbs at his disposal, Wang Hong decided to give it a try. He took a hundred-year Ginseng and a hundred-year Purple Mushroom from space, ground them into a fine powder. The juices of the supplementary herbs were extracted through water decoction, then the medicinal liquid was concentrated to a paste. Honey, along with the powdered Ginseng and Purple Mushroom, was added and stirred to create Medicinal pills. After half a day's effort, he produced twenty-five pills the size of pigeon eggs.

Wang Hong immediately swallowed one pill. As the Medicinal pill dissolved in his abdomen, the potent medicinal power transformed into a vigorous internal force, surging through his meridians.

Guiding this internal force downward to his dantian, it flowed through his meridians. With each revolution, the force's violent nature decreased. He then guided it through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, where it was slowly absorbed by the meridians and acupoints.

Meridians and acupoints were like rivers and lakes, and the internal force cultivated by martial artists was like the flowing water in these rivers and lakes. When there was enough internal force, it would accumulate in the acupoints. Only when there was sufficient stored internal force in the acupoints could it flow into the meridians, thereby opening the next segment of the meridians. Once the meridians were open, during combat, martial artists could use the internal force stored in the acupoints to flow into the meridians.

After the complete absorption of the medicinal power of one "Dragon Tiger Pill," it only slightly increased the storage of internal force in the meridians and acupoints. Without hesitation, Wang Hong consumed another Elixir, but even after this, he didn't break through to the Innate Realm. However, Wang Hong dared not take another pill at this point; his entire body's meridians and acupoints were throbbing painfully. Another pill might cause him to burst.

Wang Hong then fetched an iron stick and forcefully struck every inch of his body, starting from the back of his left hand's fingertips. Wang Hong remained unfazed as the iron stick mercilessly struck his body. Some of the internal force in his meridians was jolted into his muscles and bones, where it was absorbed and dissipated.

Wang Hong carefully sensed his body and noticed that the pain in his meridians had slightly eased. Excitedly, he picked up the iron stick again and continued to beat himself. Few in the world could find joy in beating themselves as enthusiastically as he did.

After beating his entire body six times, he filled a large bucket with hot water. Wang Hong poured the medicinal powder he had prepared into it, stirred it a few times, then eagerly jumped in, submerging himself in the water, even soaking his hair with the medicinal solution. After a while, he surfaced, took a breath, and submerged himself again.

In this manner, he took two Elixirs every day, first cultivating internal energy to increase his power and then subjecting himself to a ruthless beating with an iron rod. On the seventh day, "Henglian Liuhe Gong" broke through to the seventh level. The iron rod used for self-beating was replaced with a large iron rod, and the beating increased from six to seven times each session.

On the tenth day, as Wang Hong took the second Elixir and circulated his internal energy, a small portion of it entered his lungs. A cool sensation spread throughout his lungs, circulating a few times before gradually diminishing and about to disappear.

Without hesitation, Wang Hong immediately took another Elixir. As the cultivation technique circulated, another surge of powerful internal energy rushed into his lungs.

This force nurtured and moisturized his lungs repeatedly. After a while, a stream of internal energy flowed out of his lungs, entered the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, and slowly reached the Middle Palace acupoint. It circled there for about fifteen minutes, causing the Middle Palace acupoint to gradually heat up and swell, as if a warm stream was slowly filling it.

Afterward, this warm swelling sensation followed the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian and slowly flowed towards the Cloud Gate acupoint. Once it reached the Cloud Gate acupoint, it stopped moving.

Wang Hong slowly withdrew his cultivation, took a deep breath, and felt the internal energy entering the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian. This meant that he had officially become a cultivator in the Innate Realm, even if it was just opening one acupoint like the Middle Palace.

Wang Hong sniffed the air, detecting the scent of his own sweat and the Medicinal cuisine he made in the kitchen. He could distinguish the aroma of various Medicinal Herbs and seasonings. There was also the smell of various weeds in the courtyard. Wait, how could he still smell the latrine from this far away?

Feeling nauseous, Wang Hong held his breath. In doing so, he discovered that he could control the opening and closing of his pores, allowing for faint breathing through them.

"Could this be the legendary Fetal Breathing?"

After reaching the Innate Stage, as martial artists opened each organ and its meridians, corresponding enhancements occurred in their five senses and corresponding body parts.

Wang Hong opened the Lung Meridian, which enhanced his sense of smell through the nose, enabling him to detect scents several miles away. The lungs govern the skin and hair, improving the functionality of pores. The coveted Fetal Breathing, which many dreamed of, was now easily achievable. If Wang Hong submerged in water and breathed through his skin pores, he could last half an hour without needing to come up for air.

For over ten consecutive days, having taken more than twenty Dragon Tiger Pills, he finally reached the Innate Realm today. In the entire Chu State, with a population of over a billion, there were fewer than a hundred martial artists in the Innate Realm.

An Innate Realm martial artist under the age of twenty was unheard of, at least in the history of Chu State. If news of this were to spread, it would undoubtedly cause a sensation. Wang Hong felt a sense of satisfaction but decided to keep a low profile for now, avoiding unnecessary trouble.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay