Achieving physical sainthood starting from Hunyuan Gong

Chapter 89 Breaking Limits, True Qi Generates Spontaneously

Chapter 90 Breaking Limits, True Qi Generates Spontaneously

After a moment of contemplation, Song Shen devoted the next four years to the Hunyuan Gong.

Hunyuan Gong is merely a martial art that uses internal force to temper the body; it cannot cultivate innate true qi. He was fully aware of this.

Four years is neither long nor short. Sixteen years and nine months, with twelve years remaining, it wouldn't be a loss to save it for later. He just wanted to see if this physical body, which had already been tempered to the limit of the acquired realm, could still squeeze out something under the deduction of the Hunyuan Gong.

Consider it a trial run.

Taking drugs.

[Start Simulation]

In the first year, you circulated the Qi and blood circulation route of Hunyuan Gong countless times.

No changes.

You've already mastered the Hunyuan Gong; it's merely a body-tempering technique, and it has given you everything it can. But you always feel that something is still hidden within this body—hidden deep within the crimson-gold bone marrow, between the internal organs where the five energies converge, and beneath that thin, cicada-wing-like skin membrane.

You stop "practicing" and start "observing quietly." You let your qi and blood flow naturally, let your fascia tremble, and let your bones resonate. You do nothing but watch.

[In the second year, you discovered the key point.]

[In the intervals between each flow of Qi and blood, between each heartbeat, between each breath, there is a very subtle thing, not belonging to Qi and blood, that flashes through your body.]

It's not physical strength, not qi and blood, not even any power you recognize. It's so weak that you couldn't have noticed it before. But now, your physical body has reached its peak, and your senses are sharper than ever before. And you have already detected it.

Then, you begin to try to "retain" it. You no longer push your Qi and blood to their limits, but leave a small gap, a "void," so that the wisp of something indescribable has a place to settle.

You tried countless times, and failed countless times. Each failure sent a violent tremor through your body, as if something was resisting. You didn't give up. The advantage of a single, lasting proof is that every failure is not in vain. You increasingly understand the "habits" of that thing—it fears haste, it fears agitation, it fears your deliberate grasping. You can only wait, you can only "let" it come on its own.

[Fourth year. You found the method. You suppressed the circulation of Qi and blood in Hunyuan Gong to the lowest level, adjusting every part of your body to the most "quiet" state. The tremors of the fascia stopped, the creaking of the bones ceased, and the pulsation of the internal organs slowed down. Your body was like a stagnant pool, without any ripples.]

Then, you begin to wait.

One day, two days, one month, two months. Finally, that thing appeared. It slowly rose from the depths of your crimson-gold bone marrow, like a bubble rising from the deep sea. It passed through your internal organs, through your fascia, through your skin, and finally settled in your dantian. It was very small, very weak, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment. But it was indeed a "real thing," not qi and blood, not strength, but something else entirely.

Song Shen opened his eyes.

He looked down at his dantian, slowly raised his right hand, and loosely clenched his fist. A wisp of extremely fine, pale golden thread seeped from his fingertip, like a strand of hair, and floated gently in the air.

It was not qi and blood. It was not strength, not anything he had ever possessed.

Song Shen stared blankly at the wisp of golden true energy before him, his mind completely blank.

Innate true energy? No, it's not. True innate true energy can only be condensed after breaking through a realm. This wisp is too small and too weak; it doesn't possess the power of innate true energy at all.

But it is indeed "true qi"—a wisp of qi that is forcibly "squeezed" out from the body at its peak after birth.

He stared at the golden thread, watching it slowly dissipate from his fingertip.

"What is this?" he muttered to himself, "An advance payment?"

As the golden true energy circulated throughout his body, Song Shen felt as if he were about to ascend to immortality.

My bones felt tingly and numb, making continuous cracking sounds. Mysterious golden energy surged through my limbs and bones, and my internal organs resonated with each other, making my whole body feel as if I were bathing in a hot spring.

"Is this... an innate feeling?"

Song Shenyi exhaled a breath of turbid air.

[Skill and Dao Fruition: Forty-two years and seven months]

【Wind Chasing Blade Technique (65% chance of success)】

[Simulated Wind Chasing Blade Technique]

[Start Simulation: Wind Chasing Blade Technique]

[In the first year, you will disassemble, reassemble, and then disassemble every move of the Wind Chasing Blade Technique. The wind's momentum has reached 65%; beyond that, every step is unknown.]

In the third year, you discover that the essence of the wind lies not in its speed, but in its invisibility. True wind is invisible; you can only feel it. You begin to try to blend the blade into the air, no longer pursuing speed, but rather the disappearance of its "presence."

[In the sixth year, your swordsmanship has surpassed seventy percent. Your blade grows increasingly light, so light that it feels weightless in your hand. When you draw it, there is no longer a whistling sound, only a slight disturbance in the airflow.]

[In the tenth year, a bottleneck appeared. You realized that improving your wind power was no longer a matter of technique, but a matter of "mind." You were too focused on the "sword." The wind never cared what it was. You began to learn to forget the sword, forget your hands, forget your body, leaving only the intention to "cut."]

[In the fifteenth year, your swordsmanship surpassed eighty percent. With a single swing, the candlelight three zhang away was extinguished, yet the blade touched nothing. You finally understood—the ultimate power of the wind lies in controlling it with your will, not in wielding the blade with your hands.]

[In the twenty-second year, you've broken through 85% of the mark. Your blade is getting faster and faster, not in terms of speed, but in terms of "arriving first"—the wind arrives before the blade is even drawn. By the time your opponent sees you draw your sword, they've already been struck.]

[In the twenty-eighth year, your swordsmanship has surpassed ninety percent. You close your eyes, sensing your surroundings solely through the movement of the wind. A leaf falls from above; you draw your sword, the blade piercing the leaf's vein, cleaving it in two, yet without altering its trajectory. The wind remains unbroken, the leaf undisturbed.]

[In the thirty-seventh year, seeing that the momentum was stuck at 92%, you realized that to go further, you needed the fusion of "momentum" and "intention"—the realm of transforming intention, which belongs to the innate. You no longer forced it.]

【Wind Chasing Blade Technique (Adaptability 65% ​​→ 92%)】

[Skill and Path to Success: Five Years and Three Months]

Without hesitation, Song Shen poured the last five years of his life into the Prajna Vajra Palm.

[Prajna Vajra Palm Breaks Limits. Spiral 57%]

All the fruits of the Dao have been exhausted.

Song Shen felt nothing but joy and happiness.

Given time, he will surely roam the vast sky, capturing stars and seizing the moon.

Enter the Tao and ascend to immortality!

Song Shen got up with satisfaction and walked down the hillside. Over the next few days, Song Shen sped through the countryside.

This opportunity is hard-won, so we must give it our all to defeat the monsters!

On the city wall, the people are working hard to repair their city, but the earth dragon has turned upside down, causing a huge disaster.

But their guardian deity was doing its best to withstand all the impact. The city lord was indeed a good official. He opened up all the grain in the treasury and used all his connections to transfer disaster relief grain from the city to aid the disaster victims.

With his younger sister's help, Cao Yang quickly led the city's patrol guards to sweep away criminals and scum from the city, restoring order to the city from the chaos of disaster.

The collapsed houses were rebuilt brick by brick, the blocked streets were cleared, and the silt in the moat was carried away in baskets.

Everyone is busy, and everyone is gritting their teeth and persevering.

However, a certain worry lingered in Li Chan's mind.

Li Chan stood on the city wall, his gray beard and hair fluttering in the wind.

"That kid—I hope he won't get into trouble?" he muttered to himself, his hand unconsciously resting on the hilt of his knife.

Five days had passed since Song Shen entered Green Lake. The last witness said that he drove a small raft into the vast depths of Green Lake, seemingly wanting to reach the end.

He searched for a long time today, but although Old Li was highly skilled in martial arts, his boat handling skills were mediocre, and he was completely unfamiliar with the terrain of Green Lake. After wandering around for a long time, he only saw floating monster corpses and the red-stained water, but did not see Song Shen's shadow.

Cao Yu stood beside him, her face pale. Her gaze remained fixed on the northern lake, unblinking.

"Master, we haven't found it?" Her voice was a little strained.

Li Chan shook his head and remained silent.

Cao Yu pursed his lips into a thin line.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say "I'll go find it," but swallowed the words back.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go, but that she was afraid. She was afraid that if she went, Song Shen might come back and she would miss it again.

"Wait a little longer," Li Chan said. "That kid's got a tough life."

Cao Yu did not answer, but simply gripped the hilt of the knife at his waist.

"Hmm?" Li Chan suddenly frowned. "A boat has returned from the lake."

A large ship slowly sailed in from the depths of Green Lake.

The ship was large, armed with three guns, and its hull was painted with the banners of the Sand Ship Gang.

The ship was crowded with people: the elderly, women, children, and some wounded able-bodied men. They leaned against the ship's railing, waving towards the city walls; some cried, some laughed, and some knelt on the deck, kowtowing.

The people below the city walls stirred: "It's the Sand Boat Gang's boats! They've rescued people!"

As soon as the boat docked, Yue Zhong was the first to jump off the deck. He was soaking wet and had a new scar on his face, but he was full of energy.

He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards the city wall and shouted loudly, "Master Li! Miss Cao! Lord Song has ordered us to bring her back!"

Cao Yu practically jumped off the city wall.

She rushed up to Yue Zhong and immediately asked him the question.

"Where is Song Shen? Where is he?"

Yue Zhong was startled by her imposing manner; there was a chilling murderous intent in her question.

"Lord Song—Lord Song is still in the lake. He told us to go ahead, saying he wanted to wander around some more."

"Wandering around?" Cao Yu's eyes widened in astonishment, utterly bewildered. "He's alone? In the lake?"

Yue Zhong swallowed hard and said in a low voice.

"Miss Cao, there is no need to worry. In my opinion, there is no one in this lake who could kill Song Qingyi."

As he spoke, he composed himself and said with a wry smile, "He cleaved a bone-patterned, demon-faced, armored turtle that approached this ship in two from its shell. Such swordsmanship can only be described as divine."

Thinking about this, I can't help but feel fortunate.

Previously, when the deputy gang leader Tie Long was killed on the spot by Song Shen, he began to collect detailed information about Song Shen's deeds, which almost caused him to fall.

In just one year, this man transformed from a household slave into a master of marrow cleansing and blood purification, capable of dominating the city.

What level of genius is this?

Conservatively speaking, this person could break through the shackles and enter the innate realm within ten years, or perhaps five.

Upon learning all this, Yue Zhong immediately abandoned all actions that clashed with the Cao family and withdrew from the vortex of the struggle between the Cao and Huang families.

In retrospect, it was his years of vigilance in the underworld that saved his life.

Cao Yu gasped, "How could there be such a monster in this lake?"

Li Chan thought for a moment and said, "If it were any other monster, it would definitely be fake, but the Xuanjia Turtle is a possibility. This creature has an extremely long lifespan, and if it is continuously polluted by the demonic substances in the mountains over many years, it will indeed mutate into a demon."

Yue Zhong said generously, "I am deeply grateful that Song Qingyi can forgive past grievances. If there is anything the Cao family can do to help my Shachuan Gang in the future, please feel free to ask. I will remember this kindness."

After saying that, he left.

Li Chan and Cao Yu silently watched the large ship packed with disaster victims, the faces of those who had survived the catastrophe, and the still-bleeding scar on Yue Zhong's face.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the city.

The sandboat gang's boats brought back not only disaster victims, but also Song Shen's heroic deeds on Green Lake—one man, one raft, one sword, clearing out the water monster, slaying the Ghost-faced Black-armored Turtle, and saving hundreds of people.

Those who used to call him a "vicious constable" have now changed their tune.

"Lord Song is strictly enforcing the law! Those sect disciples deserved to be arrested!"

"Exactly! Lord Song is so good to the people, didn't you see how many people he saved?"

"What evil constable? That's our guardian angel!"

In restaurants, teahouses, and on every street corner, the name Song Shen was being circulated.

Cao Yang sat in the yamen, listening to his subordinates' reports, and the corners of his mouth slowly turned up.

"That kid—"

He picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"He really managed to clear his name."

"7

Indeed, ordinary people are that simple.

He gained some new understanding of the ways of being an official.

Cao Yu and Li Shan initially did not believe it, but in the following days, the rumors of one man and one sword resurfaced.

In the vast countryside, Song Shen's tireless figure resembled a street sweeper in the city, seemingly appearing in various locations simultaneously within a few days, cleaning up the mountain monsters corrupted by demonic energy.

In less than ten days, not a single monster could be found in the lake or the countryside.

Cao Yu and Li Shan, the master and disciple, were utterly astonished.

It's not that Song Shen is the only one who truly loves what he does.

When he was a bodyguard, he showed no mercy when facing thieves. After joining the city patrol, countless notorious bandits, gangs, and even江湖人士 (jianghu figures) died at his hands. His ruthless methods and cold-blooded style made him known throughout the city as the "evil constable."

As a result, he immediately transformed into a cleaner after being appointed to the Demon Suppression Division. He not only wiped out the vast Green Lake, but also the scattered mountain monsters around Xinyu City.

"It's a good thing this kid chose this line of work; he'd be a menace if he did anything else."

Li Chan said helplessly.

Cao Yu deeply agreed.

On the other side, Song Shen sat on a nearly rotten stone at the end of a village.

[Essence of Dao Fruit: Twenty-one years]

【Skill and Deeds: Nineteen Years】

Song Shen was a pragmatic person, and he directly devoted the past twenty years to the method of generating golden true energy.

Song Shen poured his 21 years of spiritual essence into the Hunyuan Gong, took drugs, and simulated the process.

[Start Simulation]

[Year One. You attempt to recreate that wisp of golden true energy. Observe quietly, empty your mind, and lower your qi and blood to their lowest level. There is no movement deep within your bone marrow. You are not in a hurry.]

[Ninth year. You tried countless methods—forward, backward, alternating between fast and slow, restarting from a standstill. You gained nothing, but your perception became increasingly acute, and you vaguely grasped the direction: it wasn't something you "trained" into, but rather something that arose from the body's "transition" between stillness and movement.]

[Seventeenth year. You forcefully suppress the moment your Qi and blood begin to ignite, suspending your body between stillness and movement. Your meridians ache terribly, but you can maintain this state for three breaths. There is indeed a faint sensation of Qi in your dantian, insufficient to condense into a thread, but you know one side—]

You're on the right track.

[Year 21. You can consistently deplete your body and capture the sensation of Qi after each depletion. It is still insignificant and cannot condense into a thread, but you can already feel its presence in your dantian.]

You no longer try to "cultivate" true qi, but instead focus on making your body more efficient at "self-producing" this golden substance. You realize that this honed physical body is itself a "reactor" for innate true qi. As long as it operates correctly, it can produce true qi on its own. You don't need to "seek" innate qi; you just need to let your body "generate" it itself.

"Old Li, is your technique even effective?"

Song Shen was helpless. The key point was that even if he asked Old Li, Old Li would be completely lost. Even if Old Li had innate skills, he couldn't solve his problem.

Because even Old Li couldn't cultivate golden true qi.

The most terrifying thing is that the pills are completely exhausted. This is all of Song Shen's savings so far, and they have all been used up.

With a wry smile, Song Shen swallowed the Dao Fruit of the Art and spent ten years elevating the spiraling force of the Prajna Vajra Palm to the Great Perfection.

The children behind me enthusiastically ran over, holding a bowl of herbal tea.

"Big brother, have some tea!"

-

Song Shen drank the tea in one gulp. "Thank you."

He was always very polite.

The peasant woman stepped forward and hugged the child. "Sir, are you leaving already?"

Song Shen laughed and said, "Yes, I'm leaving now. There are no more monsters here."

The villagers were very hardworking. After Song Shen eliminated the monster, they began to work. Although the disaster had struck, they had suffered the least damage. Now they had to work hard, otherwise they would not be able to eat or pay their taxes.

"May we leave our name, sir? We wish to leave a shrine for you in the ancestral hall, and pray that Heaven will bless you with health and happiness."

The villagers were filled with gratitude; their simple and sincere feelings went without saying.

Song Shen shook his head.

"No need for that, I'd be happy to help you. If you encounter any monsters in the future, just report it to the authorities."

The villagers wanted to ask more questions, but Song Shen had already disappeared at the edge of the wilderness.

"When you're busy saving the world, everyone wants to talk to you for hours."

Helpless, Song Shen quickly visited every village he could, acting like a salesman promoting Simmons mattresses. Now everyone in the village was sleeping on the big, soft beds, and nobody needed him anymore.

"Sigh, nothing to do."

Song Shen sat by the river.

There aren't any left, not a single one.

Mountain monsters, water monsters, and even the ferocious beasts that had escaped from the mountains were all gone. He frantically ran around, but there were none left.

If things continue like this, Song Shen suspects that the villagers might easily mistake him for a lunatic.

"It's time to head into the mountains!"