With foundational internal energy established, Ye Wen could finally begin systematically laying a solid groundwork for cultivating more profound internal arts in the future. Although this foundational technique was hailed as basic, mastering it still required guidance from others, as those practicing it generally lacked any prior background in internal energy cultivation and wouldn't know where to start.

Fortunately, Ye Wen had previously practiced some Tuna (breathing/absorption) techniques, already possessing basic internal power within his body, thus saving him the initial stages of developing Qi sensation and brewing nascent internal energy.

Therefore, from the very beginning, Ye Wen launched straight into formal internal energy cultivation. Beyond that, his immediate task was to thoroughly synchronize the meridian pathway connecting his Dantian to the index finger of his right hand, lest after a month of arduous effort sending his internal energy to his fingertip, it would be depleted by friction and losses along the way, ultimately yielding him a useless manual.

Over the subsequent month, Ye Wen cultivated internal energy almost day and night. Immediately after, he would incessantly control his internal energy, cycling it back and forth between his Dantian and his finger. Each such cycle would exhaust the hard-won internal power due to obstructed meridians.

However, he would then resume cultivating the foundational internal energy to restore his strength; basically, once he finished these tasks, the day would be nearly spent.

During these days, he never once ventured out to properly practice swordsmanship, which incurred the displeasure of his junior sister.

Ning Ruxue had initially been pleased to see Ye Wen starting to take the sect seriously, thinking that the blow he suffered had somehow reformed his character. Who knew that as soon as life stabilized slightly, her senior brother seemed to revert to his old ways, hiding in his room all day long and rarely appearing, with the only time she saw him being during meal times.

After a few initial attempts at persuasion, seeing that her senior brother showed no signs of changing, Ning Ruxue resentfully stopped paying him attention. She dedicated herself to practicing the sword daily, occasionally venturing down the mountain to see if there was an opportunity to recruit a disciple or two to bolster the sect's strength.

But unexpectedly, upon learning of her diligent efforts, her senior brother instead ordered her not to leave the mountain casually, nor to bring in new initiates. This infuriated Ning Ruxue to no end; she nearly lost her temper and drew her long sword right there, intending to chop him into ten or eight pieces, considering it a necessary cleansing of the lineage to appease the souls of the ancient masters.

One evening during dinner, Ning Ruxue suppressed her annoyance and tried persuading Ye Wen again: "Senior Brother, our lives have stabilized now, but if we still don't find a way to strengthen the sect, this stable life won't last much longer."

Her meaning was simple: she wanted to convey to her senior brother that if their small Shu Mountain Sect didn't find a way to develop and grow, their re-annexation by others would almost be inevitable.

The two of them now occupied such a large territory, yet lacked formidable martial power for protection. If enemies came knocking again, they would likely suffer further humiliation.

She hoped the recent humiliating memories would spur her senior brother into redoubling his efforts, striving diligently to revitalize the sect, rather than moping in his room, allowing even his original skills to grow rusty.

However, Ning Ruxue was unaware that Ye Wen, despite spending all day secluded, wasn't just focusing on internal energy. From time to time, he would secretly practice some basic punches, kicks, palms, and sword forms within his room. These techniques were, after all, fundamental movements, and the room provided ample space for practice.

Though he scorned the martial arts of the Shushan Sect, he placed great importance on fundamentals, knowing that no matter how exquisite a skill, it relied on those basic components. If the foundation was solid, practicing higher-level techniques later would yield twice the result with half the effort.

Simultaneously, a few days prior, he had accidentally discovered that the Tai Chi he learned in his original timeline actually possessed Qi-nourishing properties.

He had originally assumed the form he learned was merely for physical fitness, mainly for the elderly to keep their joints moving. Although he had heard there existed Tai Chi truly applicable to combat, that was beyond his reach.

He never expected this physical conditioning exercise to have such a miraculous effect. While constantly familiarizing himself with the arm meridians and tirelessly cultivating internal energy, he had harbored some worry.

After all, cultivating internal energy was not something one could rush. If one practiced ceaselessly day and night, the ultimate outcome would likely not be rapid advancement in internal power, but rather Zou Huo Ru Mo (deviation of Qi) or even death.

This was because internal energy cultivation largely inflicted damage upon one’s meridians. Even the gentlest internal arts placed immense strain on the meridians when cultivating wholeheartedly, as the flow of internal power exerted powerful pressure. If this pressure was continuously applied, the final consequence was predictable.

Thus, many martial artists imposed strict schedules on their internal energy practice time. Once they hit this limit, they would cease forced cultivation, as no one wished to ruin their future by damaging their meridians out of eagerness for quick success.

Ye Wen was the same; he proceeded with extreme caution, setting a rigorous schedule once he determined his approximate daily limit for cultivation. If his meridians felt discomfort, he would halt internal energy practice. During this period, the meridian running from his Dantian to his right hand bore the greatest pressure, often forcing him to stop due to discomfort. This situation only began to improve recently.

It was all thanks to the magical effect of Tai Chi. This was an accidental discovery: a few days ago, feeling meridian discomfort, he paused practice and, out of boredom, recalled some things he learned previously. He 'reviewed' them one by one on a whim, and after completing the Tai Chi form, he found that the nearly depleted internal energy had recovered substantially, and his slightly aching meridians felt considerably more comfortable.

What he didn't know was that Tai Chi inherently possessed the function of strengthening the body and clearing the channels (Huo Jin Tong Luo). While performing the forms, his internal energy flowed slowly and unconsciously with every movement. Because the flow was slow, it caused no damage to the meridians; instead, it gently nourished the meridians slightly injured by his hurried cultivation. Furthermore, by providing an alternate form of internal energy training, it slightly enhanced his cultivation level.

This unexpected discovery made him realize his cultivation speed could potentially leap to the next tier. Thus, when Ning Ruxue brought up his slackening that day, he felt no impatience. Instead, he smiled and replied, "Junior Sister need not worry. I have been diligently cultivating martial arts these past few days, not indulging in ease."

"Cultivating?" Ning Ruxue clearly didn't believe him, as she hadn't seen her senior brother practicing swordplay outside.

The Shu Mountain Sect currently possessed only one sword art, the Shushan Sword (now renamed the Shu Mountain Sword Art due to sect affiliations). Other than that, there was nothing else to practice, and certainly no martial art that could be cultivated solely within a room.

The only Tuna breathing technique they had hardly seemed worth anyone focusing on intensely inside a room. Furthermore, she didn't believe Ye Wen had obtained some secret transmission from the late master, as the Shu Mountain Sect's martial arts held few secrets; everyone generally knew what they possessed and what they lacked.

Therefore, regarding Ye Wen’s words, she took it as him trying to placate her.

Noticing Ning Ruxue’s expression, Ye Wen knew she was unconvinced. After a moment of thought, he made up his mind. He reached into his robes and pulled out a slender booklet, then handed it to Ning Ruxue: "This is an internal energy cultivation method that Senior Brother created based on our Tuna Mind Formula during the period I was recovering from my injuries, out of sheer boredom. These past few days, I have been testing whether this method can be successfully practiced. Now that I have basically confirmed its feasibility, I shall impart it to you today."

Giving the foundational internal energy manual to Ning Ruxue was an idea he had long held. After all, the sect couldn't rely solely on him; cultivating an ally was necessary. As for whether Ning Ruxue might become even stronger than him as a result? Heh, he didn't care about that.

"An internal energy cultivation method?" Ning Ruxue was astonished. It was known that although sects were numerous and martial artists were countless in this era, an internal energy cultivation method remained something difficult to encounter for any practitioner.

Yet, here was her senior brother offering one, and claiming to have created it himself… "This thing won't accidentally kill someone while practicing, right?" This was the first thought that crossed Ning Ruxue's mind as she took the booklet.

"Or perhaps he’s just lying to trick me?" Flipping the booklet open, it indeed contained instructions on cultivating internal energy, written in a simple and easily understood manner. For Ning Ruxue, who had never practiced true internal energy, it wasn't obscure. She even compared it to the Tuna chant she originally practiced and found many commonalities. However, this new method required circulating energy through more meridians and involved more complex acupoints. Of course, this was all relative.

After reading it carefully, Ning Ruxue found the method plausible. At the very least, she couldn't discern if the technique was genuine or fake; perhaps only actual practice would tell.

"Is this internal energy method truly self-created?" Even so, she found it hard to believe her senior brother could devise an internal energy technique, even if it was the most rudimentary one.

"Of course."

Having lived in that other world, if there was one skill where people varied greatly, it was the ability to state falsehoods with a straight face—most were master-level practitioners in that regard.

Although Ye Wen had only just graduated from university, he had 'mixed' in society for a period, so this skill had long been honed to perfection. As he spoke these words, not a flicker of change crossed his face. Ning Ruxue, despite her sharpness, was still just a half-grown girl of sixteen, unable to detect any deception.

Seeing her senior brother's firm assertion, Ning Ruxue felt a touch of strangeness but didn't press the matter further. She didn't believe her senior brother would intentionally set a trap for her, so the possibility of this manual causing her sudden death never crossed her mind.

Furthermore, when Ye Wen followed up with detailed explanations about the necessary precautions for practicing this foundational internal art, sharing his own experiences, it completely dispelled her suspicion. Eagerly, she clutched the manual and retreated to her room to begin cultivating, leaving Ye Wen entirely behind.

Ye Wen, however, didn't mind this at all, nor did he care that Ning Ruxue took the foundational manual. He had already memorized the technique completely and practiced it quite fluently.

Moreover, if things went as expected, he would soon be summoning a technique more advanced than the foundational internal art—provided this summoning still yielded an internal energy manual.