The old monk finished speaking and commanded, "Bukong, take Zhanran to the hermitage for settling." "Yes, Master," the small, thin novice replied, rising up solemnly, "Senior Brother Zhanran, please follow me!"

He held a perfectly serious little face, an adorable sight, and Li Muchen couldn't help but chuckle, "Indeed, I must trouble Junior Brother Bukong!"

He turned, bowed to the old monk with palms pressed together, and followed Bukong out of the main hall towards the eastern wing rooms.

Pushing open the door, the room inside was spotlessly clean, furnished simply with only a couch and a table. The white sheet on the couch was immaculate, and a large character, "" (Stillness), was inscribed on the south-facing wall.

Bukong said, "Senior Brother Zhanran, this is our hermitage; guests stay here."

"Very good, thank you, Junior Brother Bukong," Li Muchen nodded, smiling. "Junior Brother Bukong, are there only the three of you at Hanshan Temple?"

"Yes." Bukong nodded solemnly.

Li Muchen shook his head and smiled. This novice, Bukong, possessed such a serious demeanor, like a miniature elder. His speech was also steady; truly mature beyond his years.

Master Yinming slowly entered, chuckling, "Zhanran, first regulate your breath for a while, then we shall begin. It will be time to recruit soldiers in another two months... Without your Qinggong (Lightness Skill), it will take you a month to reach the Northwest."

Li Muchen replied, "Disciple does not need to regulate his breath; let us start directly!"

"Hmm, that will do as well." Master Yinming nodded and smiled. "I will transmit a mantra to you. Follow it precisely, and it can empty your Dantian. Once your internal energy has completely dispersed, you can then activate the Jingang Buhuai Shengong (Vajra Indestructible Divine Art)."

"Yes." Li Muchen acknowledged. Master Yinming sent the two novices away and closed the door, then sat down on the couch and softly recited the mantra.

The sound was faint, audible only to Li Muchen.

It was about three to four hundred characters long. After finishing, Master Yinming asked, "Zhanran, have you memorized it?"

Li Muchen nodded, recited it back softly, and then asked about a few confusing points. Master Yinming smiled and patiently clarified each one, looking satisfied.

Master Yinming then inquired, "In the martial world, as far as this old monk knows, there is only one method to disperse internal energy: destroying the Dantian. There is no other way! ... Before cultivating, Zhenqi (True Qi) is scattered and erratic. After cultivating the mental method, a seed forms in the Dantian, possessing suction, causing the Zhenqi to converge without one's awareness."

Li Muchen frowned, pondering for a moment, then slowly nodded, finding reason in the statement.

Master Yinming stated, "This mantra is for dissolving this very seed."

Li Muchen’s brow twitched. "Master, does that mean that after crippling one's internal energy, it can be cultivated again?"

"Precisely!" Master Yinming nodded and smiled. "However, once you practice the military martial arts, you must never practice the civilian martial arts again, unless you cripple your martial arts a second time."

Li Muchen gave a wry smile. "Master, if I cannot practice the martial arts of the Canghai Sword Sect, what kind of disciple of the Canghai Sword Sect am I?"

The old monk shook his head. "Zhanran, you are a monastic, yet you cling to this so tightly. If you do not use the martial arts of the Canghai Sword Sect, does that mean you are not a member of the Canghai Sword Sect?"

"Yes, this disciple has learned his lesson!" Li Muchen pressed his palms together in salute.

Li Muchen spoke no more, closed his eyes, and began to act according to the mantra. Slowly, the Dantian felt numb, soft, and indescribably comfortable, like being irrigated with warm water.

Subsequently, the internal energy flowed out turbulently, entering the meridians. Continuing to circulate according to the mantra, the internal energy began to change, starting to overflow from the outer edges of the meridians, spreading throughout the entire body, from inside out, permeating every pore.

The old monk, Master Yinming, stared intently at him. Seeing his fine mustache bristles rise and his monk's robe billow slightly, he clapped his palms out, his hand impressions enveloping Li Muchen like a vast sky.

Pang! Pang! sounds echoed ceaselessly. He struck Li Muchen's body continuously with his palms, moving as fast as lightning; one could see only the afterimages of his hands, the hands themselves indistinguishable.

Li Muchen’s eyes remained half-closed, his expression tranquil, as if in a deep sleep. The constant pang pang striking sounds felt like a massage.

After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Master Yinming suddenly withdrew his hands. The pervasive hand impressions vanished. He stepped back, wiping the dense beads of sweat from his bald head.

Li Muchen slowly opened his eyes; the light in them was dim, no longer possessing its former brilliance.

"How is it?" the old monk quickly inquired.

Li Muchen nodded. "It has dispersed!"

"Amitabha..." The old monk pressed his palms together and recited a Buddhist invocation. "This method truly works! ... Excellent! Excellent!"

Li Muchen started, then managed a bitter smile. "So, even Master was not entirely certain."

The old monk laughed. "This is the result of a century of painstaking research by this old monk and Benefactor Lan. No one has ever tested it before."

He continued, "You should rest now. Without the protection of your internal energy, you will feel unaccustomed. Take it slowly."

"Yes, thank you, Master." Li Muchen saluted with his palms pressed together.

The old monk took his wrist and observed it carefully for a long while, nodding. "Not a trace of internal energy remains. Very good, very good!"

He rose, pulled open the door, and slowly departed.

Li Muchen immediately began internal observation. The Dantian was empty. The lake water that was once there had not a single drop remaining; only a relic, shimmering like a crystal bead, floated motionless in the air.

Just moments ago, he had been secretly sweating, wondering if the relic might vanish, causing him to worry for nothing. When he focused his spiritual energy, the relic was as steady as a rock.

He let out a soft sigh, feeling a touch of reluctance. With the internal energy dispersed, to restore it meant starting slowly, step by step, from the first layer of the Canghai Divine Art.

It seemed he would not be able to practice the Canghai Divine Art in the future either. He felt quite unwilling; having reached the sixth layer of the Canghai Divine Art, to have it cease halfway before reaching the pinnacle was a pity.

He felt he had faintly touched the edge of that final layer; given a little more time, he was sure he could comprehend it and reach the seventh layer. Alas, it was too late now; there would be no more chances.

While his mind was preoccupied with these lamentations, another part of his mind unconsciously circulated the Tianyuan Tuna Shu (Heavenly Origin Breathing Technique). He suddenly froze.

He saw wisps and threads of Yuanqi (Primal Qi) drifting into his Dantian, entering through the pores of his body, gathering into a mass. This mass slowly encircled the crystal sphere, and in an instant, like hot vapor meeting cold iron, it directly condensed into a liquid bead.

Li Muchen was startled and immediately focused. With the four aspects of his mind united, all his mental power concentrated on circulating the Tianyuan Tuna Shu. The speed increased fourfold. Threads and ribbons of Yuanqi drifted in, touched the relic, and transformed into lake water.

When he opened his eyes again, the internal energy had reformed into a small tide, perhaps one-tenth of what it was before. The recovery speed was astonishingly fast, thanks to his four 'Heart Seeds,' which amplified the power of the Tianyuan Tuna Shu.

He found it strange. According to Master Yinming, scattering the internal energy seed meant a drop in cultivation level, requiring one to cultivate from scratch. It should first manifest as mist, and only as the level of the mental method rose would it slowly condense back into lake water.

His current state resembled having exerted all strength and exhausted all internal energy. While recovery should be slow, it maintained the original level; he wasn't starting over.

Was there a flaw in Master Yinming's mantra, or was the root cause his relic? After thinking for a while, his intuition told him the origin lay with the relic.

He got off the couch and paced back and forth, his thoughts racing like lightning. He wondered if the existence of the relic was a blessing or a curse. If he cultivated military martial arts, would the relic become an obstruction?

After some consideration, he pushed open the door and went out to find Master Yinming. He informed the master that his internal energy had dispersed, but when he began cultivating the mental method again, his level had not dropped.

As for the relic, he omitted mentioning it, following his intuition.

Master Yinming frowned in thought. He reached out to check Li Muchen’s right wrist, shaking his head, unable to fathom the situation after much pondering. Li Muchen circulated the dispersal mantra once more, and all internal energy vanished. Master Yinming examined him again but detected no internal energy.

Under these circumstances, the only conclusion seemed to be that the dispersal mantra was flawed.

The two sat on their respective prayer cushions, lost in deep thought, trying to find a solution.

Time passed rapidly in their contemplation. When they finally looked up, the sky had darkened, and dusk was creeping in.

Master Yinming said gently, "Bujing, Bukong, go down the mountain once. Go to Jiangcheng and invite the Governor to be our guest for a few days."

The short, plump young monk trotted in and said loudly, "Master, right now? ... It's too late; he’ll surely be at places of ill repute! I can’t go into those places!"

Master Yinming smiled, "Go then!"

"Got it!" Bujing responded crisply. Bukong, with his small face set solemnly, nodded. The two tucked up their robes and struggled across the threshold, running down the mountain.

Master Yinming smiled faintly. "I have an acquaintance beyond the monastery walls—the Governor of Jiangcheng. He is a master of military arts; I invite him to come and take a look for us."

Master Yinming continued, "There is a test for joining the army. Military experts use internal energy to probe. First, they check the physical body for robustness, and second, they check the internal energy; martial world mental methods can hide from nothing."

Li Muchen suddenly understood, laughing, "If this Governor cannot detect any internal energy in me, does that mean the dispersal mantra is successful?"

"Precisely." Master Yinming smiled faintly. "If you can pass his test, then there is no issue."

Half an hour later, the sky had become completely dark. Li Muchen rose and lit an oil lamp. A loud burst of laughter suddenly rang out: "Haha... Master must have been missing Old Hu!"

Following the laughter, a tall, powerfully built figure appeared in the main hall. The oil lamp flickered, and his eyes were like lightning, his imposing aura nearly palpable, pressing down on the air. Li Muchen involuntarily caught his breath.

He was secretly astonished; even though his internal energy was gone, this man's aura was astonishing enough. Master Yinming rose and bowed with palms pressed together, smiling. "Benefactor Hu, forgive the intrusion." The burly man laughed heartily. "Master, why be so polite? Shall we play a few more rounds?"

Li Muchen sized him up: his figure was imposing, powerfully built like a bear, with a lion-like nose and broad mouth, radiating fierce majesty. With every glance, he resembled a male lion.

Master Yinming shook his head and pointed at Li Muchen. "This is the disciple this old monk has recently taken in. His monastic name is Mingkong. I intend for him to join the army and serve the Great Yan."

"Him—?" The burly man turned and appraised him, two cold beams of light seeming to strike Li Muchen. Li Muchen’s heart was calm as water. He pressed his palms together in salute. "Mingkong greets Benefactor Hu."

The burly man looked him up and down, then suddenly reached out and placed his hand on Li Muchen’s back. A scorching heat surged inward like a fiery dragon, causing pain and swelling in the meridians wherever it passed.

The rolling fireball turned a few circles in the Dantian, coiled briefly, and then retreated. In the blink of an eye, it burrowed back into the man’s body, moving in and out with startling fluidity, as if possessing a life of its own.

Although Li Muchen’s internal energy was gone, his inner vision remained. He clearly saw the movement of this man's internal energy and was deeply impressed. Internal energy is easy to project but difficult to control; the ease with which this man wielded it was truly astonishing, and the energy itself was incredibly domineering.