Chapter Two Flushing Channels
Three Parts Return Yuan Qi was created by San Jue the Elder by combining Sky Frost Fist, Cloud Parting Palm, and Wind God Kick into one, and then taking a part of each skill and transform it into an internal strength known as Three Parts Return Yuan.
Back then, Xiong Ba relied on Sky Frost Fist, Cloud Parting Palm and Wind God Kick to shock the world, and utilized Three Parts Return Yuan Qi and Three Parts Divine Point to contend with Feng and Yun, its might was formidable and matchless. If Mud Bodhisattva did not reveal the phrase “success by Feng and Yun, defeat by Feng and Yun,” Xiong Ba’s fighting prowess could very likely have surpassed the likes of Sword Saint and Nameless.
One has to first master the internal exercise methods Sky Frost Qi, Cloud Parting Strength, and Wind God Skill in order to learn Three Parts Return Yuan Qi. It is only then that the three kinds of internal exercise can be transformed and combined into one to become a new, overbearing internal exercise.
Three Parts Return Yuan Qi is divided into nine stratum; each break through into a new stratum is accompanied by a qualitative change in the internal strength such that the internal strength is several folds more profound compared with other internal skill. Back then, Xiong Ba only broke through the seventh stratum and was already able to proclaim dominion over the world, a clear testament to its might.
Ling Xiao recalled a passage written in an ancient record that stated the Three Parts Return Yuan Qi is able to cleanse the marrow and meridians, with similar results as Shaolin Temple’s Marrow Cleansing Scripture, but he doesn’t know whether this was true.
Ling Xiao stilled his mind and adjusted his mental state to optimum level, gradually centralizing his attention until it returned to a state of oneness, and began by silently chanting Sky Frost Qi’s mnemonic in his mind, before changing to Cloud Parting Strength, and then Wind God Skill in turn. After repeatedly chanting the three different internal exercises, he started to incorporate the breathing technique he used during meditation in his previous life.
After more than an hour of meditation, Ling Xiao became rather frustrated because he could not sense any internal strength flow.
According to theory, every person should have internal strength and the only differences being their inherent talent and how much they can gain from cultivation. What’s causing Ling Xiao anxiety is that even if his twelve primary meridians were crippled and he’s turned into an ordinary person, it is still impossible that there isn’t even a trace of internal strength!
Just as Ling Xiao thought of giving up, traces of warm stream begin to surge forth from both feet’s yong quan acupuncture points.
Pleasantly surprised, Ling Xiao regained his composure and concentrated on quickly circulating the Three Parts Return Yuan Qi.
The warm stream underneath the yong quan acupuncture point began to heat up, turning into a roaring hot current, and started flushing upwards like a steady stream, invigorating Ling Xiao’s body and mind.
Unfortunately a good thing doesn’t last; the warm stream only persisted for a minute and then could no longer flow upwards.
No matter how hard Ling Xiao tried, he was unable to direct it to go any further.
Ling Xiao no longer forced the issue, slowly exhaled before revealing a look of satisfaction and thought to himself, “Seem like its working. I just don’t know what the final results are. I hope it doesn’t let me down!”
After that, Ling Xiao jumped out of bed and performed a series of movements with his legs. He discovered that his leg strength seem to have become stronger and said, “As long as sufficient internal strength is accumulated, there shouldn’t be any issues with breaking through the first meridian. With further practice, clearing the twelve primary meridians should be only a matter of time. Heaven really didn’t abandon me!”
From this meditation session, he has now confirmed that Three Parts Return Yuan Qi is actually able to get through his twelve terminated primary meridians. Wild with joy, he thought to himself, would he be able to simultaneously cultivate xuan strength and Three Parts Return Yuan Qi once he successfully cleanses his marrow?
It is probably best to wait till after he has succeeded before entertaining these thoughts again!
And so, two days went by.
Besides preparing food and drinks for Ling Xiao these past few days, Meng Xi Yun would spend an hour or two to chat with him. Ling Xiao became increasing fond of his attentive and considerate mother. Ling Zhan also came to see his son every day, but few words were exchanged while many drinks were shared between the two. With his father looking so gaunt and dispirited as if he had abandoned himself to despair, Ling Xiao almost wanted to pass on Three Parts Return Yuan Qi to him, but ultimately reigned in this urge.
That night, Ling Xiao was meditating as usual. After two days of accumulation, Ling Xiao was already confident that he could successfully clear the first meridian point.
Three kinds of internal exercise was ceaselessly transforming as the warm stream continually well up at the yong quan acupuncture point. The heat dissipating from the warm stream caused strands of white vapor to rise from Ling Xiao’s back, making his figure appear hazy and indistinct.
After building up for half an hour, the warm stream converged and changed into a solid and turbulent current. With a loud roar, the current rushed upwards toward the occlusion that has been blocking the flow the past few days.
“Ah.” Ling Xiao bellowed out loud as beads of sweat poured down his face; the pain, like something boring into his heart, was so excruciating that he wished he was dead.
The first attempt ended up in failure, but it was the boring pain that made him apprehensive.
“Damn, I do not believe that I can’t even get past the first meridian point.” Ling Xiao cursed. With a resolute conviction, he resumed his meditative posture and quickened his breathing as the warm stream condensed once more, and surged violently upwards with a roar.
“Boom.”
“Ah.”
The second failure!
“Boom.”
“Ah.”
The third failure!
When he had reached his eighth attempt, Ling Xiao had already bitten his lips till it bled. His complexion was deathly pale but his handsome face revealed an unyielding expression.
The eighth attempt broke through.
“Bang.”
“Kacha.”
The heatwave rushed forth like a river freed from its fetters, separating into countless fine, warm streams and spreading throughout the whole body. It wasn’t until two minutes have past that the warm stream showed signs of subsiding, most likely having come across the second terminated meridian.
At this moment, Ling Xiao’s naked body is already covered in perspiration as if he had just come out of a steam room, a faint red glow emitting from his entire body.
Ling Xiao jumped out of bed and closed his eyes, feeling at peace and extremely comfortable. He opened his eyes and looked at his tightly clenched fists, a radiant vigor emerging from both of his peach blossom eyes, the whole person looking full of vitality compared to before.
“Haha, I finally succeeded.” Ling Xiao wiped his sweat and laughed out loud, face full of joy, the same emotions as the first time he cultivated internal strength in his previous life. There are just no words that could describe this feeling.
“At this rate, it won’t even take three months for my twelve primary meridians to be completely healed.” Ling Xiao said to himself.
Just at this moment, there came a knock on the door.
“What happened, Xiao’er? Do you feel sick?” Meng Xi Yun’s concerned voice came from outside the door.
Ling Xiao felt warm inside. Without consideration for how he looked, he went over to open the door and directly reassured Meng Xi Yun. “I’m fine, mother.”
Meng Xi Yun looked her son up and down and was unable to see anything wrong. Seeing how thin and pitiful her son looked, she touched her son’s chest and said, “Xiao’er, seeing that you’re so thin, mother will go to the shrine tomorrow and buy some things to nourish your body.”
Ling Xiao’s body slightly trembled at Meng Xi Yun’s touch before quickly regaining composure. He gave a shy smile and said, “Men and women should not so casually touch each other…”
Meng Xi Yun gently covered up her delicate mount as she laughed and said, “You silly child. I gave birth to you. It’s not like mother have not touched you before. Alright, go wash off all that sweat on you and go to bed early.”
“Yes, mother. You should also get some early rest.” Ling Xiao nodded.
Meng Xi Yun glanced at her son with a peculiar expression, full of doubt. Could my son have finally found acceptance? I have not seen Xiao’er laugh since the events of two years ago. Forget about it. As long as my son is safe and sound, I don’t have any other wish. After that, she turned around and left.
Ling Xiao watched as his mother departed, vowing in his heart, “Mother…wait just a little longer. Good days are not far away.”
An uneventful night passed, and the sun gradually rose in the east.
Inside a roughly hundred meter squared courtyard grew several trees and several flower pots with buds just about to bloom. Nearby, there is a stone table and a few stone chairs. It’s a simple environment, but filled with fresh air that makes people’s spirits rise.
Dressed in simple clothes, Ling Xiao was just about to begin his first day of martial arts training in the courtyard.
In the past, he had already practiced all Cloud Parting Palm, Wind God Kick and Sky Frost Fist’s zhaoshi to an extremely adept degree. In theory, it should almost be muscle memory practicing again today. Unfortunately, his body is still too weak, so Ling Xiao did not expect to succeed right away, but chose to practice Bu Jing Yun’s famous movement technique, “Phantom Cloud Step.”
“Phantom Cloud Step,” sometimes appearing like ghost’s afterimage, sometimes like a shuttling cloud, allows unimpeded and elusive passage through a crowd.
Although Ling Xiao has only modest internal strength after opening his first meridian, it was enough to support him exercise his former escaping movement technique.
At present, he’s not much different from ordinary people, so it’s only natural that he has to master an escape technique first. On the off chance that he gets bullied, he can still run away even if he can’t fight!
Based on his comprehension from his previous life, Ling Xiao closed eyes as he slowly walked in a profound and mysterious pattern. At first glance, there didn’t appear to be anything special happening around him, but a second look will reveal that this movement technique possess some bizarre qualities and further observation will cause people to be endlessly amazed. Ling Xiao seems to cross large distances with each stride using the movement technique. Even though he was moving with alarming speed, his whole person appears poised and at ease.
Ling Xiao ran ten laps around the courtyard before exhaustion gradually overwhelmed his body, forcing him to stop and take giant gulps of air.
“It seems that I need to open the twelve primary meridians as soon as possible. This amount of internal strength really is not enough.” Ling Xiao sighed.
After a few minutes of rest, Ling Xiao did not continue practicing the movement technique. Instead, he started practicing Cloud Parting Palm’s first form, “Flowing Water Element Cloud.”
“Flowing Water Element Cloud” is fluid palm style, continuous and unending such as flowing water—its flow unhindered, power formidable. With deep level of internal strength, one can strike out with the palm eighty-one times per minute, creating an impenetrable wall of shadow palms, beating opponents without affording them the opportunity to retaliate.
Ling Xiao had once been able to achieve seventy-two palm strikes in a second, using just this one move to beat a famously talented expert into pulp.
Ling Xiao only practiced for a few minutes before Meng Xi Yun came running from inside the room.
“Xiao’er, you were injured recently and haven’t rested enough. How can you go running around everywhere?” Meng Xi Yun complained. She knew that ever since being crippled two years ago, her son had never stopped practicing, but always without success, yet her son never wanted to face reality. As a mother, watching this had caused her endless heartache and feeling helpless.
“Mother, I have been fine for a while now. Being up and about exercising is also good for the body.” Ling Xiao paused his training and responded.
Meng Xi Yun went over to Ling Xiao’s side and took out a handkerchief to wipe Ling Xiao’s face.
Ling Xiao observed this modest figure in close proximity; her face was beautiful, yet it was hard not to notice the fine lines appearing at the corner of her eyes and the few strands of loose gray hair. A bitter feeling suddenly rose up in his chest.
“Mother, sorry for making your worried.” Images from the past came back in Ling Xiao’s mind of this mother’s meticulous care for “him,” and he couldn’t help but blurt out.
“Silly child…I am your mother.” Meng Xi Yun was very pleased as she responded. Deep inside her heart, she felt that her son’s injury may not have been all bad. Every cloud has a silver lining, and her son has already grown up sensible and mature.
“Hey, quickly come over and take your monthly stipend.” A loathsome voice came from outside the main gate.