20: Chapter 20 "Lingbo Weibu" (a martial arts technique)

Speaking of the Bei Ming, one cannot help but associate it with Zhuangzi's "Wandering at Ease".

"In the Northern Ocean, there is a fish, and its name is Kun. The Kun is so large, one does not know how many thousands of li it spans; it transforms into a bird, and its name is Peng. The back of the Peng, one does not know how many thousands of li it spans."

In "Wandering at Ease," Zhuangzi does not mention the size of the Northern Ocean, but uses the size of the Kunpeng to vividly depict the vastness of the Northern Ocean.

The Internal Skill Cultivation Technique named after the Northern Ocean has characteristics of Internal Energy that resemble the Northern Ocean itself.

Its depth is unknowable, its breadth is unknowable!

After all, "Wandering at Ease" also mentions:

"If water is not deep, it lacks the power to support a large boat. If you pour a cup of water into a depression on the floor, a mustard seed can serve as a boat; place a cup there and it will stick, for the water is shallow and the boat is large."

Therefore, when Lu Siye opened the "Bei Ming Divine Art (Volume One)," the first sentence that met his eyes was:

"The core tenet of this sect's Cultivation Technique is to accumulate Internal Energy. Treat the Dantian as the Northern Ocean; it carries all boats, large and small, contains all fish, large and small, and allows all the martial arts of the world to be used by me!"

"All the martial arts of the world can be used by me"—what incredible arrogance!

Lu Siye felt his blood boil just reading it; he almost wanted to transmigrate into a Wuxia world, defeat all the heroes under heaven, and achieve the position of leader of the Martial Forest!

However, that was just wishful thinking. There were too many supernatural powers in this world. Even with a divine skill in hand, he still had to be cautious.

Lu Siye spent a few hours carefully memorizing every word and every meridian route map of the "Bei Ming Divine Art (Volume One)" deep into his mind.

After memorizing it, Lu Siye prepared to start his first attempt at Cultivating an Internal Skill.

Originally, the first step to learning the "Bei Ming Divine Art" required dispersing all previous Internal Energy.

However, Lu Siye had no Internal Energy in his body, so this first step was unnecessary.

He kept all the key points of the Cultivation Technique in mind, focused his heart and mind, and began to follow the circulation route of the Cultivation Technique, attempting his first circulation.

As the Cultivation Technique circulated, Lu Siye felt himself gradually transforming into a swimming fish.

He swam forward with all his might from a small stream, then entered a wide river. After swimming for who knows how long, he finally arrived at the end of the river.

That was a vast, boundless black and white heavenly pool. The black and white pool water rotated slowly, just like a Taiji diagram.

Subsequently, his vision began to detach from that swimming fish, as if his Soul had left his body; he slowly, gradually rose higher.

His speed became faster and faster. In an instant, his consciousness returned smoothly.

Lu Siye opened his eyes. He felt it—within his Dantian, a faint, inconspicuous warm current was swimming about.

"Is that the Origin True Qi of the Bei Ming!"

Lu Siye understood in his heart. After refining the Origin True Qi, he could continue to Cultivate, or absorb other energies to increase his Internal Energy.

He set his gaze on the Evil Spirit mirror beside him, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Let's use you to test the waters first!"

Lu Siye went to the mirror, placed his palm on it, steadied his mind, and began to operate the "Bei Ming Divine Art."

A subtle suction force transmitted from his Dantian to his palm, beginning to attract the Yin Qi remaining in the mirror.

Wisps of Yin Qi were extracted by Lu Siye into his palm. As they passed through his Meridians, they were gradually refined into Yin-soft Bei Ming Internal Energy, and then flowed into his Dantian.

With the addition of Internal Energy, the suction force generated in the Dantian grew slightly stronger, and the Yin Qi within the Ghost Spirit in the mirror began to leave its body under the pull of the suction.

The more Yin Qi absorbed, the more Internal Energy was refined.

And the more Internal Energy in the Dantian, the greater the suction force generated, and the more Yin Qi was absorbed.

This was a positive feedback loop.

In less than half an hour, the Ghost Spirit's Yin Qi production could no longer keep up with the consumption. The first crack appeared on its bones, and more and more Yin Qi leaked out from the cracks.

Gradually, the cracks began to spread until, in the end, every inch of the Ghost Spirit's bones was covered in cracks. After a muffled sound, it exploded with a bang, turning into nothingness.

At the same time, the Evil Spirit mirror followed suit, turning into fine fragments that scattered on the ground.

Lu Siye was startled by the shattering mirror, slowly opened his eyes, and looked at the fragments on the ground with some heartache.

"I had originally planned to use it for fishing enforcement, but I didn't expect my enterprise to collapse halfway."

But if it's gone, it's gone. He would just have to be more diligent in the future and go find ghosts himself.

This time, that Ghost Spirit had contributed a significant amount of Yin Qi to him. His Dantian was no longer empty as it had been before.

Instead, there was a small mass of Internal Energy constantly rotating around the Origin True Qi of the Bei Ming.

Lu Siye moved his mind and opened the System panel.

Host: Lu Siye

Fear Value: 1161

Total Power: 165 years (External Skill: 155 years; Internal Skill: 10 years)

Martial Arts Techniques: "Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art" (Level 3); "Body Forging Art"; "Five Tigers Soul-Severing Saber Technique" (Proficient); "Bei Ming Divine Art" (Entry Level)

Special Items: evil-exorcising fruit knife; blazing blood saber +1; "Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art"; "Five Tigers Soul-Severing Saber Technique"

The System thoughtfully marked the years of his Internal Skill for him.

Lu Siye estimated that 10 years of Internal Skill was probably the minimum strength of a Night Patrol Envoy.

The path of accumulating Internal Energy is long and arduous!

Putting the "Bei Ming Divine Art (Volume One)" into the System Space, Lu Siye picked up the "Lingbo Microsteps."

He painfully spent 1000 Fear Value to upgrade the "Lingbo Microsteps" to "Lingbo Microsteps (Volume One)."

Actually, when it came to Lingbo Microsteps, the first thing Lu Siye thought of was the elegant and ethereal line from the "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" written by Cao Zhi of the Wei State during the Three Kingdoms period:

"As if floating like light clouds veiling the moon, fluttering like the wind returning to snow."

This sentence perfectly interpreted the characteristics of Lingbo Microsteps when executed.

Lu Siye opened the pages and carefully memorized all the key points of the "Lingbo Microsteps (Volume One)."

The book introduced that the "Lingbo Microsteps (Volume One)" only contained introductory techniques. When practiced to the entry level:

Cliffs and precipices could be walked upon as if they were flat ground.

Seeing this sentence, Lu Siye had already imagined the scene in his mind.

Moreover, Lingbo Microsteps was not just a simple light movement skill; it simultaneously took into account both light movement and Internal Skill.

Lingbo Microsteps is based on the I Ching's sixty-four hexagrams. Every step taken is accompanied by the circulation of Internal Qi within the body.

When the footwork completes a full cycle, the Internal Qi also completes a full cycle, and the Internal Energy increases accordingly.

After memorizing all the key points, Lu Siye moved the living room table to the side, cleared enough space to practice, and began to Cultivate the "Lingbo Microsteps."

Ever since he ate the dragon spirit tiger gall pill gifted by the System, he was fast at Cultivating any martial art.

In less than half an hour, he could complete a full cycle.

The Internal Energy also increased by a sliver, just as written in the Cultivation Technique, although it was not very obvious.

Practice makes perfect.

As the number of Cultivation sessions increased, the time Lu Siye needed to complete a full cycle became shorter and shorter.

Gradually, Lu Siye's entire figure could no longer be seen in the living room; only trails of afterimages could be seen.

The extremely fast speed drove the surrounding air, a whistling wind sounded in the living room, and the curtains by the balcony were blown into a rustling frenzy.