Cultivating Immortality in Two Realms

Chapter 503 Qi Gong

"A single cannon shot could obliterate miles? Are these Western barbarians perhaps skilled in alchemy? Do they follow the path of alchemists?"

"And what about the local areas? It seems like they only have some martial arts techniques?"

Fang Qing stopped to listen for a few moments, but seeing that the storyteller had already started collecting tips, he patted his empty pockets and quickly left.

……

The preparatory school of St. John's University is located west of Sheng Hai, covering a large area with plane trees planted along the roadside.

Following his predecessor's memories, Fang Qing returned to his dormitory, where he saw his roommate Wei Yuan approaching. Wei Yuan was seventeen years old, with a face full of freckles, but his eyes were very fiery: "How was it last night, Qing-ge?"

Seeing his roommate's winking and grimacing, he was speechless. These two were truly birds of a feather.

"Want to know?" Fang Qing's lips curled into a slight smile: "One silver dollar, and I'll tell you..."

"I think I'll pass. I'll consider it further and go see for myself in a few days..."

Wei Yuan hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and made a decision.

"I'm off today. I'm going to watch the girls from the girls' school next door play tennis. Do you want to come?" After a while, Wei Yuan asked excitedly.

Fang Qing lay on his bed, looked at the gas lamp by the bedside, and waved his hand.

"Okay, I know you're not strong enough, your legs are too weak, I'll go myself."

Wei Yuan climbed out of bed and quickly put on his clothes: "Let me tell you, although those female students look like bean sprouts, there are actually a few who are really good at hiding their talents..."

Fang Qing rolled her eyes, picked up a book from her bedside table, covered her face with it, and waved her hand.

Wei Yuan chuckled and disappeared in a flash.

After a moment, Fang Qing picked up the books from his predecessor's collection, only to find that they weren't textbooks, but a martial arts novel. He was even more speechless: "Never mind..."

He rolled over and got up, changing to a cross-legged sitting position.

To cultivate the Dao of Breath Control, one first needs to have the necessary aptitude, and then one needs to absorb true Qi...

"These people from the Great Zhou seem no different from the Daoist race, but they have no aptitude for cultivation or spiritual roots..."

It seems we still need to start with the extraordinary local forces... martial arts training, perhaps?

Fang Qing flipped through his past life's memories and saw that several martial arts schools had opened nearby, and the owners were said to be very skilled.

After all, Sheng Hai is a port city with many laborers and odd jobs. Sometimes, if you don't learn a few skills, you won't be able to get any work and you'll easily be bullied.

As a result, many martial arts schools have opened, and there is even a so-called "martial arts school street".

"Just now I said something casually. If [Ji Shui]'s talent were still there, Wei Yuan would definitely have obediently sent over a dragon dollar. It seems that my talent has now been reduced to the point where I don't even have the 'sharp tongue' anymore."

However, as long as the metal element of [Ji Water] remains, there shouldn't be a big problem.

"Actually, the most convenient thing is for me to put the metal position of [Ji Shui] into it. I can immediately achieve terrifying supernatural powers comparable to the Golden Lion Demon. At that time, no matter what kind of monsters or demons there are in the world, I can be judged... Well, considering the possibility of throwing meat buns to dogs and never returning, we do need to be more cautious."

Fang Qing rummaged through the schoolbag in front of him and saw that it contained some grammar, Chinese language, arithmetic and the like. He immediately became too lazy to look at it and went to rummage through Wei Yuan's desk instead.

This kid is determined to become a doctor, so he even bought a few medical books.

Since ancient times, medicine and martial arts have been inseparable. Fang Qing looked at the anatomical diagrams and his expression changed slightly.

"Unless the original self agrees, it's virtually impossible to recreate the cultivation system of absorbing qi and nourishing one's nature in this world. However, exploring alternative paths seems quite promising?"

The next day, Fang Qing ignored Wei Yuan's excited expression and went to class to get to know his classmates, matching the various people and customs with his predecessor's memories.

Fortunately, it was already the end of the month, and soon I received a remittance slip from home, which stated that it was my living expenses for the month, a total of five silver dollars.

One silver dollar could be exchanged for four silver jiao, and one silver jiao could be exchanged for twenty-five copper coins. Basically, five copper coins could buy a meat-filled pancake at the school gate, enough to fill your stomach and leave you with a handful of oil.

Fang Qing went to the bank and withdrew five silver dollars. He walked through the main street full of rickshaw pullers and steam cars and came to another martial arts street.

The area is relatively open, and you can see burly men with bare chests everywhere, working up their strength against the stone locks.

He walked slowly and chose a medium-sized one. He saw a line of gold-plated characters on the signboard: "Yangwei Martial Arts Hall".

"Is this young master here to find someone or to become an apprentice?" As soon as he entered the martial arts school, several men came up to greet him. Seeing that Fang Qing was dressed in a student uniform, they were very polite to him.

After all, illiteracy was rampant in ancient times, and being able to recognize a few characters already made one a member of the upper class.

"I'm preparing to become your apprentice, so I came to take a look first." Fang Qing didn't directly say that he wanted to become your apprentice, but only said that he came to take a look.

After all, the martial arts of the Great Zhou Dynasty seemed to be just average; the so-called "Grandmaster" was killed by a few gunshots.

"In that case, we will take you to see Instructor Liao..."

These men separated and led Fang Qing into the martial arts school, where they saw a middle-aged man in a blue jacket, with piercing eyes, a square face, and a mustache. "Master Liao, this is the student who has come to become your disciple..."

The man clasped his hands in a respectful bow and withdrew.

"Student? Which university?" Master Liao glanced at Fang Qing and asked casually.

"St. Covenant University is just a preparatory course..."

Fang Qing said, "Because I am weak and have been bullied, I want to learn martial arts." "Hey, my Yangwei Martial Arts School, my Nian Dong Fist is so powerful that it can defeat anyone within a ten-mile radius, and no one dares to challenge me... The tuition is three silver dollars a month, just go and pay the fee to learn martial arts." Master Liao nodded.

"Doesn't this involve touching bones or something? How do you test aptitude?" Fang Qing seemed somewhat speechless.

"Haha... As long as you have all four limbs intact and no disabilities, you can learn our martial arts! As for aptitude? Being born with a large frame, eating more than others, running faster than others... these are all aptitudes, which cannot be seen at this time. We martial artists still let actual combat speak for itself. The way of martial arts is about horizontal and vertical. Horizontal leads to death, vertical leads to fame and fortune."

For some reason, Master Liao felt more inclined to talk to this student.

"If one achieves mastery of martial arts, can one block bullets with their bare body?" Fang Qing asked curiously.

"Impossible!" Master Liao shook his head repeatedly: "Have you been reading too many novels and picture books? Even a grandmaster wouldn't dare to catch a bullet bare-handed. When faced with foreign guns and cannons, you still have to run. In our martial arts, the initial stage is to train strength, gradually stretching tendons and bones, and learning 'integrated strength'... When you can condense your strength into one force, you've entered the path... After that comes 'training internal energy,' from the light to the dark, from the dark to the transformation. Transforming internal energy is what makes a grandmaster... As for the mysterious 'training of spirit,' in all these years, I've only heard of one person, Zhen Tianqing."

"Train strength, train power, train spirit." Fang Qing couldn't help but feel disappointed upon hearing this. This martial art was already somewhat extraordinary, but it was still far from the extraordinary system he had imagined.

"Excuse me, I'll go back and think about it. Goodbye!" He bowed and walked out of Yangwei Martial Arts Hall.

"Hey, if you think the tuition is too expensive, I can reduce it for you, or you can study for seven days for one dollar first, and we'll talk about it after you finish."

Master Liao called out a few times, but seeing that Fang Qing didn't stop, he chuckled and casually picked up the bowler hat beside him, putting it on his head: "Strange, how come I unknowingly said so much to this student today?"

"Alright, alright, I have nothing to do today, let's go to that Western restaurant to relax..."

My eloquence seems to have lingered; at least it makes it easier for me to persuade people…

Fang Qing walked out of the street lined with martial arts schools. He had already inquired about the fees and specialties of several schools, planning to compare them back home and choose the one with the best value for money, so he could at least get started...

Upon arriving outside, they came across another clinic, from which wafted a slightly bitter herbal aroma.

"Yes, there's also the way of the physician; medicine and martial arts have been inseparable since ancient times."

He didn't think his actions were anything like humble.

As the embodiment of the golden nature of a Golden Elixir True Lord, who possesses the most abundant humanity, facing a completely new world, humbly learning its essence is what a true seeker of the Dao should do.

Those true lords who once abdicated, with an unwavering determination, endured long periods of darkness and solitude, all for the sake of a sliver of hope for advancement.

If they see hope, they will probably be even more humble and subservient than themselves.

"Hmm, I should also check if any of my former True Lords have ever been here."

However, Fang Qing was inclined to believe no.

Because there is more than one way to travel to outer space.

Or rather, it would be incredible that two departing True Lords could be on the same path in the outer heavens, where there is no concept of void!

Several months later.

"Fang Qing... I think you've changed." Wei Yuan looked at Fang Qing, who was flipping through an ancient medical book called "Di Yuan Nei Jing," and said with a look of melancholy, "We used to be inseparable brothers who always came in last place in exams. How come you secretly worked hard... and got ahead of me?"

His roommate has undergone a complete transformation in the past few months. Not only have his grades improved dramatically, but he also spends all his time in the St. John's University library. Moreover, he has reportedly saved up money to attend a martial arts school and has also developed an interest in ancient medicine.

"I just suddenly had a breakthrough and started to enjoy learning. Learning makes me happy," Fang Qing replied with a slight smile, seemingly unconcerned.

People are their own beings and should not be subject to the evaluation systems of others.

He decided to do it, and so he did.

As for the drastic change in temperament, and being regarded as a demon or something?

Haha... People are already so tired from studying and working, who would be so free? Just because he became "diligent," people immediately thought of him being possessed?

Moreover, novels in this world haven't reached the point where protagonists frequently transmigrate... it's impossible for such a connection to be made.

"I...sigh, final exams are coming up soon, I need to study too."

Although Wei Yuan's family was better off than Fang Qing's, he had a shrewish mother. If he did poorly on the exam, he would inevitably be beaten. It was rare for him to be motivated to work hard at this time.

Fang Qing didn't think much of this person, so he silently put down the ancient book in his hand, sat cross-legged on the bed, and assumed a five-pointed-to-the-sky posture.

The more one practices the martial arts of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the more disappointed one becomes. Being confined to the strength of the physical body and flesh and blood will ultimately have its limits.

"After much work, the extraordinary martial arts I envisioned have finally taken shape. Through ancient medical knowledge, I know that although people in this world do not have spiritual apertures or spiritual roots, they do have twelve regular meridians and eight extraordinary meridians. Therefore, we can start from there and cultivate a breath of 'True Qi'!"

"So, this entirely new path should be called Qigong? Or perhaps 'Qi Gong'?"

"But the crucial question remains: where does this first breath of 'true qi' come from?"