A gentle breeze swept across the lake, coming slowly, caressing his face with indescribable freshness, accompanied by faint, crisp, melodious singing that drifted like smoke.
He Nanshan squinted, a smile playing on his lips, seemingly intoxicated by the moment.
Yet, he was pondering in secret: this Fifth Junior Brother possessed a tranquil demeanor, his actions as steady as the Hengshan Mountains—truly formidable.
He recalled his own eagerness upon first receiving the Heavenly Origin Breath Circulation Art; he had been impatient, desperate to begin studying it immediately, unable to afford a moment's delay.
Now, leading him leisurely through the other six courtyards, he had intended to gauge Li Muzhan’s temperament—whether he was calm or restless. Looking at him now, he admitted his own patience fell far short.
An entire hour had passed, yet Li Muzhan showed no sign of impatience; instead, he remained keenly interested, only producing the Heavenly Origin Breath Circulation Art after He Nanshan himself grew restless.
Li Muzhan composed his mind and spirit, slowly opening the booklet.
The first page began with only a few sparse lines: “Circulate Qi; if deep, then accumulate; if accumulated, then extend; if extended, then descend; if descended, then fix; if fixed, then germinate; if germinated, then grow; if grown, then retreat; if retreated, then ascend to Heaven. The essence of Heaven pulses above, the essence of Earth pulses below. Follow it and live; oppose it and die.”
Li Muzhan frowned. It was nonsensical. He recognized the characters, but linked together, they were utterly bewildering. He chewed the phrases repeatedly in his mouth, a faint glimmer of understanding beginning to surface.
He slid the Buddhist beads from his left wrist, holding the booklet with his right hand while using his left to slowly, deliberately count the beads, his expression thoughtful, his gaze drifting from the book to the distant lake.
He Nanshan opened his eyes and chuckled, “Fifth Junior Brother, have you seen those opening lines?”
He continued, “These few lines are the fundamental principle of the Heavenly Origin Breath Circulation Art, truly pearls of wisdom in every character! … It will be difficult for you to grasp it now, Junior Brother; no hurry. You will understand later. It’s like swimming—no matter how clearly it’s explained, you won’t truly know until you enter the water yourself. Look further down for now.”
Li Muzhan nodded lightly, lost in thought.
A scene subtly materialized before his eyes: a seed falling from the sky, burrowing into the earth, beginning to sprout, growing, breaking through the soil, and soaring toward the heavens.
Deep, extend, descend, fix, germinate, grow, retreat—it seemed to mirror that very process.
The unity of Man and Heaven, the singular principle governing all things; their vital energy followed a similar pattern. Could this circulation of Qi truly be a cycle of life and death?
“Come, come, let’s skip this part and turn to the second section; that contains the specific cultivation methods,” He Nanshan interrupted his contemplation, pointing with a chuckle.
Li Muzhan didn't dwell on it, slowly turning the page. This section was much plainer, explaining the breathing technique in simple, easy-to-understand terms—one look and you’d know how to do it. No wonder Commander Jin trusted him with it.
“Do you find it simple?” He Nanshan seemed to read his mind.
Li Muzhan nodded gently. “The Great Dao simplifies things; application is difficult… I imagine there are many subtleties that require the Commander’s personal guidance?”
“Heh heh, Fifth Junior Brother is indeed sharp!” He Nanshan laughed.
He explained, “Don’t be fooled by its simplicity. Inhale deeply, exhale seven-tenths of the breath; this condenses the Yuan essence into Qi. It looks easy, but achieving it truly requires prolonged training.”
Li Muzhan nodded lightly, considering privately that controlling the breath might be difficult for others, but not for him.
His initial entry into Zen meditation began with counting breaths. Now, in deep meditation, he could even halt breathing through his nose and mouth, relying solely on the subtle expansion and contraction of his Dantian, drawing energy in and out through his pores.
Therefore, his control over respiration far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Afterward, He Nanshan meticulously pointed out every critical point, explaining the nuances one by one. Once done, he took his leave, granting Li Muzhan solitude for his practice.
Li Muzhan merely inclined his head and smiled at him, offering no thanks. Only after He Nanshan had returned to the main room did he slowly close his eyes and begin the circulation.
Slowly inhaling, pausing in the Dantian to hold it, and a moment later, slowly exhaling—inhaling ten parts, exhaling seven. It must not be fully expelled; this dictum was the greatest secret, the very essence of the breath technique.
The lake water was crystal clear; fish and water plants below were perfectly visible, along with small, mostly oval stones of various colors, making the water appear even brighter.
The gentle breeze drifted in, carrying the scent of the lake, soothing his lungs with indescribable comfort—fresh and moistening. Li Muzhan felt it was a supreme enjoyment.
With each exhalation and inhalation, his spirit quickly entered a state of stillness. His mental lake cleared, mirroring the bright lake before him; every stray thought appeared distinct and exposed, nowhere to hide.
His spirit was completely focused on his breathing, much like the feeling during his initial Zen practice—there was only one thought: one breath out, seven parts out, ten in.
After an unknown period, his Dantian gradually grew warm, as if a gentle, soothing warmth had generated within it, reminiscent of the hot spring behind Chengjing Temple.
His mind remained perfectly calm; the sensation of heat intensified, yet his concentration on the circulation—ten in, seven out, fine, even, and unbroken like silk spun by a silkworm—never wavered.
Suddenly, the ** point twitched, and the Qi in his Dantian transformed into a stream of heat, shooting straight down, like a flood released from a sluice gate, pouring into the **. However, it abruptly stopped, as if moving from one lake into another; the immense momentum instantly halted.
The scorching internal energy coiled and remained still, like a flame churning within the **.
This mass of heat circulated ceaselessly but could not break free from the **; it was bound by an unseen force.
The opening maxim of the booklet suddenly surfaced in his mind: If deep, then accumulate; if accumulated, then extend; if extended, then descend; if descended, then fix.
At that moment, he achieved sudden, clear enlightenment regarding those lines.
A faint smile touched his lips; this sensation was profoundly familiar—he had experienced it before.
Having cultivated to the threshold of Initial Zen, all one hundred meridians within him were open, and the vital energy circulated spontaneously, connecting the Ren and Du Vessels. Though he hadn't focused on it, he had observed this process.
Now, he experienced it again, but the force breaking through the barrier was the internal energy derived from breath circulation, not the energy that arose spontaneously within his body.
If fixed, then germinate; if germinated, then grow; if grown, then retreat; if retreated, then ascend to Heaven. At this juncture, he fully comprehended these words.
His mind settled back into tranquility, refocusing on the breath circulation. Without haste or agitation, the searing energy from his Dantian continuously poured into the **, causing the ** to swell increasingly, hot and distended, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
After an indeterminate time, the ** point suddenly ached violently. The coiled hot energy soared upward, like a dragon leaping to the Ninth Heaven, rushing straight up past the Weili, Jiaji, and Yuzhen points.
A thunderous boom exploded in his ears, resonating ceaselessly, while golden stars flashed before his eyes, the very earth seeming to shake and heave.
The internal energy shot straight into the Baihui point, circling for a few breaths. The Baihui point felt slightly tight and swollen, then suddenly burst open.
A coolness followed in the Baihui point, as if a single drop of water had fallen from the heavens.
As the drop descended, the internal energy within the Baihui point abruptly grew heavy, as if clouds had transformed into rain, pouring down the Twelve Story Pagoda like a waterfall cascading three thousand feet, finally plunging into the Dantian.
With the injection of this energy, the Dantian rapidly cooled, transforming from scorching heat to a comfortable warmth, neither cold nor hot, but soothing to an extreme—he felt an urge to drift into sleep.
The Dantian felt slightly full, as if after a satisfying meal, and his energy seemed to have expanded considerably.
He understood: his practice of Zen meditation had unknowingly cleared his energy channels, allowing the vital force to complete the Greater Heavenly Cycle so easily. Had the channels not been open, forcing this surge of energy through the barriers and across the towers would have been an arduous task.
At this moment, his entire body felt exquisite, light and buoyant, as if transformed into white clouds, ready to be blown away by the slightest breeze.
A flash of inspiration struck him. He ceased his breath circulation and used his spirit to guide the energy. He separated a small stream of Qi from his Dantian, driving it with his spirit down to the ** point, up past the Three Passes, down through the Lower Towers, tracing a complete cycle along the meridians.
Returning to the Dantian, this small stream of internal energy was vastly different from before—it had strengthened by three to four tenths. The Dantian grew fuller, slightly sore and numb, like an overinflated ball.
He dared not circulate the energy further. He ceased the practice, rose, and paced back and forth along the covered walkway, leafing through the Heavenly Origin Breath Circulation Art.
This booklet was quite thin; apart from the opening maxim, the following two pages contained the essentials of breathing technique, but there was no mention of how to maneuver the internal energy.
With a helpless sigh, Li Muzhan reined in his spirit. This matter could not be rushed; he would simply ask Commander Jin thoroughly tomorrow. As his mind settled back into his body, he became aware of an anomaly.
His feet felt incredibly light, as if walking on cotton. His body felt agile, as if a slight exertion of his legs might send him soaring upward like a white crane.
A surge of power permeated him; he felt capable of shattering a thick, vermilion pillar with a single punch.
He took a deep breath, instantly extinguishing the urge to vent the power. He paced slowly, turning his focus inward to observe and adapt to the changes in his body.
After nearly an hour, he stopped pacing. The restless internal energy finally subsided.
He looked up into the distance, a faint smile appearing on his face. He noticed his vision had sharpened.
Through the gaps in the willow branches, he could clearly see the rain-dragons adorning the eaves of the island pagoda. On one willow tree, an ant was struggling uphill, painstakingly dragging a grain of rice.
His sensory perception had already surpassed the ordinary due to his Zen cultivation, and now, with internal energy, his sight was even keener.
“Hahahaha… Hahahaha… This is fun! Truly fun!” A loud burst of laughter suddenly echoed from afar.
Footsteps approached, and two figures entered the Tian Shu Courtyard. They stopped abruptly, both staring at Li Muzhan, faint glints of sharp energy flickering in their eyes.
“Hey, who are you? What are you doing here? Unnecessary people aren't allowed in here!” A plump, round young man called out loudly.
Li Muzhan recognized the voice from the laughter just moments before.
He wore a blue silk robe, a band tied across his forehead holding a square piece of white jade, and a jade ring on his hand—everything about him exuded wealth.
Fair-skinned and plump, his round face was lined with thick flesh, making him look quite fierce as he glared malevolently at Li Muzhan.
“Brother, may I ask your esteemed name and your purpose for visiting the Tian Shu Courtyard?” Another young man cupped his fists and asked with a smile.
He also wore a blue robe but was tall and slender, his face handsome as jade, with sword-like brows and star-like eyes, radiating imposing heroism. Standing there, he resembled a jade tree poised gracefully in the wind—truly a handsome man.
Li Muzhan admired him inwardly; this young man’s appearance was no less striking than his elder brother’s.
The handsome youth then frowned, looking around him: “Huh, where is Second Senior Brother?”