Chapter 35: The True Qi Nourishing Spirit Technique

In the version of the world Zhang Ji once played in, one of the core skills for building a foundation after joining the Dao Sect was the "True Qi Spirit-Nurturing Technique."

It is a supplementary martial art primarily used to purify the primordial energy (Yuan Qi) within the body and then use that purified essence to nurture one's spirit. The Dao Sect follows the "Yuan Qi School," which prioritizes spiritual cultivation above all else. This is because the circulation and application of Yuan Qi require a powerful spirit to guide it. This master-level martial art serves as the foundation for all of that. It is arguably one of the best elite-tier skills for those following the "Yuan Qi School" combat path.

Without much hesitation, Zhang Ji clicked to select it. Upon doing so, a prompt appeared. It warned him to study it in a secluded place, never to share it, and to delete the information once he had mastered it. Should he leak it, everyone who learned it—including himself—would become an enemy of the Northern Dao Sect and the Martial Arts Association. Zhang Ji curled his lip and clicked confirm. He then began reading it right in front of Li Long.

Li Long glanced over once, then looked away. Although he personally felt that the martial arts world’s rigid sectarianism was an outdated custom, being part of it meant he had to uphold the interests of his own faction.

Zhang Ji read through it quickly. The entire "True Qi Spirit-Nurturing Technique" was written in Daoist terminology, a mixture of classical prose and cryptic jargon that was difficult to understand. Fortunately, there were vernacular annotations in the margins, making it easy for Zhang Ji to follow.

Before long, he had read the entire text. This martial art was not an active technique but a meditative one. Before practicing, one had to enter a state of self-less meditation, casting aside external influences, then carefully sense the Yuan Qi within the body and guide it along the meridians as directed by the technique. By doing so, one could gradually strengthen the spirit. During this process, one could use the "Spirit-Condensing Incense" provided by the Dao Sect to enter the meditative state more quickly. Once proficient, one could replace sleep with meditation, allowing the spirit to recover faster while simultaneously increasing one's spiritual cultivation.

Dao Sect martial arts generally followed this philosophy: all techniques must be integrated into daily life and nature; one should be able to practice while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, rather than practicing through deliberate, forced effort.

Zhang Ji read it twice more, then closed his eyes to attempt the meditation. As soon as he did, his mind was flooded with distracting thoughts. He could not enter the state. His mindset was too restless, and being in the noisy environment of an airplane made it difficult to calm down. After a moment of thought, he triggered the Liminal Space.

In an instant, his consciousness dove into that pitch-black expanse. He did not lose the ability to perceive or control his body. He felt as if his soul had been detached, allowing him to observe his own body from a third-person perspective, with his senses significantly heightened.

Zhang Ji could perceive the tiny specks of Yuan Qi within his body—the energy he had refined through the "Dragon-Form Fist." For now, it was still sparse and thin. With a thought, he moved the Yuan Qi according to the circulation path of the "True Qi Spirit-Nurturing Technique." It obeyed his command with ease, flowing through his meridians. As it circulated, it slowly purified itself. When it flowed near the Niwan Palace (the crown chakra area), a cooling sensation spread through his entire brain, sharpening his spirit.

"It works!"

***

Inside the Northern Dao Sect, Wang Pinghong said to Ma Rui, "Grandmaster, he really did choose the 'True Qi Spirit-Nurturing Technique'."

"He is quite fortunate," Ma Rui said with a smile. He had included the technique as an afterthought; whether Zhang Ji chose it or not was up to him. But now, it seemed Zhang Ji was quite clever. The Diamond Sect’s martial arts relied too heavily on the physical body and lacked spiritual nourishment. During their spar, Ma Rui had noticed that Zhang Ji’s control over his own strength was severely lacking, his technique quite crude. That was why he had added it. If Zhang Ji could master it and fill that spiritual void, one day, he might truly become a figure akin to a terrestrial immortal.

Ma Rui looked into the distance, his thoughts complex. The current martial arts world was a shadow of its former self. To see a resurgence, several epoch-defining geniuses would need to emerge.

***

Before the plane even landed, Zhang Ji had exhausted his Yuan Qi. The "True Qi Spirit-Nurturing Technique" was truly demanding. Zhang Ji felt that until his "Dragon-Form Fist" reached great success, it might not provide enough Yuan Qi to nurture his spirit, let alone replace sleep.

Exiting the meditative state of the Liminal Space, Zhang Ji felt his mind was much sharper, and his body felt significantly lighter. A strong physical body would indeed nourish the spirit in return. However, Zhang Ji’s physical training had progressed too quickly, outstripping his spiritual growth. As a result, his actual control over his own body was quite low. Since obtaining the "Iron Body Technique" crystal, he had even found it difficult to perform the technique of "Whole-Body Force" (Zheng Jin). While the "Dragon-Form Fist" had some spiritual-nurturing effects, they were merely secondary; its primary focus was on integrating force and mobilizing Yuan Qi for combat. Now that he had a technique focused on strengthening the spirit, the benefit was immense.

Upon returning to the sect, Shen Han and the others suggested throwing a celebration banquet for Zhang Ji. He couldn't refuse and went along to eat. Unfortunately, no amount of exotic delicacies could replace his obsession with roast duck rice. Heaven knows that the first time he mustered the courage to kill in this world, it was just for a bowl of roast duck rice. It wasn't just food; it was his fighting spirit and his obsession to become strong.

After the banquet, everyone parted ways. Zhang Ji returned to his room and began training. Once he started, he noticed something strange. It was easier! Whether it was refining Yuan Qi through the "Dragon-Form Fist," or practicing the "Iron Shirt" and "Civet Claw Technique," everything was much easier than before. His body, the "water bottle" holding the energy, had been expanded by the "Iron Body Technique" crystal and had undergone a qualitative change. Although he had withdrawn the crystal into the Liminal Space, the essence of his body remained. His efficiency in refilling that water had greatly increased.

After one session of the "Iron Shirt," he could see the redness in his body fading rapidly. This meant his self-healing ability had improved; he could now practice the "Iron Shirt" without the aid of medicine and without side effects.

More directly, the effect on his "Dragon-Form Fist" was immediate. When he was in the full state of the "Iron Body Technique" crystal, the Yuan Qi refined from one session of the fist technique was comparable to four or five previous sessions. His digestive capacity had also increased significantly; he ended up eating four portions of roast duck rice in the middle of the night just to feel full. Zhang Ji drank a glass of juice and sat in the courtyard to calm his state.

Energy is conserved; the more powerful a martial artist becomes, the more energy they require. However, their digestive capacity increases accordingly. There are even special combat skills designed specifically to improve nutritional efficiency. When Zhang Ji played games in his previous life, he knew of a blue-tier skill called "Gluttony Technique" from an indigenous tribe abroad, which increased the HP and stamina recovered from food. At max level, one portion of food could serve as ten, making a radish provide the benefits of ginseng. Because food was scarce, the tribe relied on this skill to survive and thrive on their island. But that was too far away, and the locals were extremely xenophobic and B-tier experts, so Zhang Ji didn't dwell on it. Yet, within Dongji, there seemed to be something that could assist with recovery that he might now be able to obtain. It just required some preparation.

***

The next day, Zhang Ji was called over by Li Long. The two sparred. Zhang Ji was undoubtedly crushed throughout the entire session. However, unlike his fight with Ma Rui, he felt he had finally caught a glimpse of Li Long's level. If martial arts masters were divided into ranks, he felt Li Long was around the sixth rank, while he was only at the first. As for Ma Rui, he wasn't sure, but it was certainly higher than that.

"As I thought, you have already crossed that threshold," Li Long said.

"It was just luck," Zhang Ji replied. In the current martial arts world, there was a saying that between D-tier and C-tier martial artists, there was a "Master’s Threshold." Crossing this barrier led to a qualitative transformation. Zhang Ji hadn't fully understood this before, but now he had a slight sense of it. If a D-tier martial artist was someone who had broken the limits of the human body in one aspect, then a C-tier was someone who had made a further breakthrough on top of that broken limit—it could even be described as a leap in the level of life.

"There is no luck involved," Li Long shook his head and said. "Your hard-body training has reached a certain level. Now, I will teach you the other four master-level martial arts of the Five-Form Sect. You can attempt to cultivate them simultaneously. These five arts complement each other. If you can find the point where they align with your own body, your speed of concurrent cultivation might even be faster than practicing just one."

With that, Li Long began to teach the other four fist techniques.

"First, the 'Snake-Form Fist.' The body must be flexible; the force-delivery technique should not be rigid, but soft..."

"The 'Crane-Form Fist.' Footwork must be agile, and the output must be clever..."

"The 'Leopard-Form Fist.' Swift and explosive, using the fastest speed to unleash the most powerful force..."

"The 'Tiger-Form Fist.' The punching power must be fierce, the moves heavy and stable, prioritizing imposing momentum..."

The four fist techniques transitioned seamlessly in Li Long's hands, almost as if they were a single style. Zhang Ji faintly sensed that when Li Long performed these, he was channeling a trace of Yuan Qi. Thus, the "Dragon-Form Fist" was also largely contained within them.

Afterward, Zhang Ji began to practice, mimicking Li Long. Breathing, movement patterns, and force-delivery techniques were the most important elements; as long as he remembered these, he would grasp the essence of these arts. As for the auxiliary medicinal formulas, many could be replaced; even without the original effects, they would be close enough. After all, these were not unique, exclusive combat skills, and the requirements and barriers to entry were not particularly high.

Zhang Ji had a strong memory and aptitude. After practicing a few times, he had memorized them all. Though he couldn't switch between the fist styles as seamlessly as Li Long, he could at least practice each one correctly, step by step, without error.