A Long Grind to Daoist Monarch-Chapter 152 - 126: My Body, My Spirit; My Temple, My Dwelling_3

Bai Qi paused as he lifted the teacup, showing interest on his face.

After killing Yang Meng, he was supposed to be taken by Ninghai Zen into the Ancestor Hall to become a true direct disciple.

But the instructor went to Fulong Mountain for over a month, delaying this matter.

Above the Five Grand Captures, the so-called three true skills, not even their names were known.

"The inheritance of Tongwen Hall... Master Ning is reluctant to mention it, as his relationship with your Master is somewhat strained.

After that bloody storm ten years ago, he agreed with thirteen families not to step foot in Yihai Prefecture, and it was for this reason.

The four great martial arts practices seem not too disparate, yet each step is a new frontier..."

As if noticing Bai Qi's doubt, Master Li added a few more words:

"Muscle, bone, skin, breath correspond to nurturing, training, striking, and killing.

Martial Dao itself imitates the myriad forms of heaven and earth, birds and beasts, innate divinity, and various natural phenomena, all refined within to capture the essence and true meaning.

Thus, like those formidable practitioners, once the muscle and bone barriers are broken, stepping into the Water and Fire Immortal Robe, a vast gap emerges.

Even I, as a three-practice master, would be beaten to death by Master Ning from ten years ago, a hundred of me would not suffice.

Bai Qi thought of the martial arts masters of Inner City Martial Arts Association in Black River County, and the chasm between them and Ninghai Zen was far beyond a mere three or four levels difference.

"The difference lies in muscle training as Refined Power, bone training as refining form, one nurtures while one trains to lay a solid foundation. But once one crosses into skin training, secret techniques are needed to refine the internal organs!

But this is a barrier that superior martial arts cannot touch, only true skills contain more profound 'form and intent' and 'form and body' to excavate the hidden 'spirit' of the internal organs."

Li Yuan placed his hand on his chest, faintly revealing a tangible halo flickering, like a burning great cauldron:

"Blood energy unites, merges beautifully to connect, the five viscera form the divine form, the six internal organs refine the divine intent, thus achieving the Dao. This is the universal explanation of martial Dao for skin training.

There is a saying among the people that calls eating 'Five Viscera Temple', referring to the five viscera nurturing the 'spirit', eating means offering sacrifices to the flesh, sustaining oneself. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Master Ning once guided me with eight words, 'My body, my spirit, my temple, my residence', which enlightened me."

My body, my spirit, my temple, and my residence?

Bai Qi savored the words, deep in thought.

Muscle is nurturing, bone is training, once the skin barrier is achieved, the combat prowess would become unstoppable?

"Master Ning is the only one known to me to have perfected the Water and Fire Immortal Robe. It's said he combined three true skills into one, cultivating an unprecedented eleven divine beings at Tongwen Hall.

On the day of the breakthrough, he tested a Four Cultivation Grandmaster, who couldn't withstand five moves before being beaten to death."

Li Yuan's eyes were full of admiration; he had witnessed that scene firsthand, golden light enveloping the body, energy like a dragon, soaring a thousand feet high into the sky, suppressing a Four Cultivation Grandmaster until they couldn't breathe, pummeling them to death with bare fists.

This battle made the Seventeenth Lineage utterly terrified, wanting to humble themselves.

"Water and Fire Immortal Robe, indeed like wearing an immortal garment, transcending the mundane. This is what the Daoist Official recognizes as true triple cultivation, not just simply polishing muscle, bone, and skin, merely increasing strength and force."

Bai Qi's doubts gradually dissipated; the vast difference between practitioners after reaching the triple cultivation truly lay in whether they practiced secret techniques.

It was said that when Red Eyebrow attacked the city, the fourth leader Ghost Head Monk once used a Secret Technique from "Celestial Demon Nine Transfigurations" to tempt the Sitting Hall Master of the Inner City Martial Arts Association.

Upon reflection now, it was indeed no small feat.

"Master Li, we've been talking for so long, yet we haven't discussed what the three true skills of Tongwen Hall actually are?"

Bai Qi's eyes flashed with anticipation; on the Five Grand Captures, he was only short of the last element of true intuition, not yet mastered.

It's only a matter of time before he would unify the Five Captures and perfect the art of capturing.

By then, he should start engaging with true skills, stepping into the triple cultivation, to excavate the 'spirit' hidden beneath the skin of the internal organs.

"I am an outsider, how could I know, only that one of them is called "Ten Dragons and Ten Elephants Prison-Suppression Skill."

Li Yuan couldn't help but smile bitterly, the so-called disciple of Ninghai Zen in Tongwen Hall, instead, had to ask him.

Even after not seeing each other for ten years, that Ning Wudi remained his lazy self.

"'Ten Dragons and Ten Elephants Prison-Suppression Skill'? Quite the abrupt shift in theme."

Bai Qi secretly noted it down.

"I know that Master Ning likes peace and dislikes disturbances, which is why all these years I haven't paid him a visit; today it is rare to sit with his disciple, and there are quite a few words to say."

Li Yuan finished his second cup of tea and started to cut to the chase:

"With Zhu Shou Rang gone, the fire kiln is no longer a headache; if there's anything I can assist Bai Qilang with, please speak frankly.

I, Li Mou, will definitely do my utmost, and will not refuse."

Bai Qi raised his brows, jokingly saying:

"I heard Master Li is forging a Divine Soldier..."

Li Yuan slightly startled, nearly crushing the teacup in his hand, then reacted, shaking his head:

"Master Ning did not have a fondness for joking. Forging Divine Soldiers is just empty talk to gild the face.

I have exhausted half of my life's effort, only to forge four pairs of gold, silver, copper, and iron hammers. Just like the triple cultivation Water and Fire Immortal Robe, refining the internal organs, nurturing the divine intent and divine form alike.

Divine Soldiers, bearing the character 'divine', naturally they are exceptional.

They can change celestial phenomena, stir winds and clouds from eight directions, emulate myriad forms, and create methods of divine intent.

They can serve as the 'fundamental map' of Martial Dao, allowing one to comprehend profound true skills... this is what a Divine Soldier truly is, and there are only a few in the world.

I seem just half a step away from becoming a Divine Craftsman, but in reality, for this life's ambition, it remains unreachable."

At the end, Li Yuan felt somewhat disheartened. He left Celestial Water Prefecture and Yihai Prefecture, ultimately settling in Black River County, pouring heart and soul into forging a Divine Soldier, hoping to be content in death.