Chapter 92

Qin Shi held the Super Power Bank in one hand while closing his eyes to cultivate his spirit, quickly entering the Thinking Hall created by the 【Deep Sleep】 Achievement Trait.

He had once heard Lao Liang roughly explain the distinctions of the Seven Great Limits of the Flesh.

Each Guan Xu represents the heavy shackles with which a Mortal Body is born.

Only by continuously breaking, being reborn, and transforming can one sublimate the essence of life.

Among them, tendons, bones, skin, and membranes are the perfect sculpting of the physical body.

Legend has it that when these four barriers are all broken, one can reach the "Body's Ultimate Realm".

Becoming a powerful existence akin to an "Ultimate Lifeform".

Qi, Force, and Spirit are likewise so, each representing three different kinds of "Perfect Ultimate Realm".

"The reason the Spirit Gate is hardest to cross lies in 'Dao Nature'. Martial Artists of the Old Era believed that all myriad living beings possess 'Innate Nature'; it is the foundation of a person.

The Spirit Gate requires excavating Innate Nature, comprehending one's own heart; from complex and changing thoughts, emotions, and even desires, finding that one point one most upholds, most cannot abandon — the 'True'; uniting true heart with my heart is entering the Dao, and thus there is Dao Nature.

Lao Liang's original words flowed through Qin Shi's Brain Sea; he raised his eyes to look at the other "self".

"Is this the image condensed from my 'Dao Nature'? Looking at it, it doesn't seem quite right — white hair, black pupils, indifferent eyes, both cool and icy... the temperament is completely unlike me, but it also looks a bit familiar."

He frowned tightly, carefully examining the "Icy Qin Shi" sitting cross-legged on the ground with eyes slightly closed.

Suddenly a Spiritual Light flashed, and a name popped out.

He Lanchan!

Qin Shi had at least watched documentaries and match highlights.

He remembered the appearance of the Stone Buddha He Lanchan to some extent.

"Turns out after all this, this isn't my Dao Nature, it's He Lanchan's Dao Nature!"

Qin Shi didn't know whether to laugh or cry; how did he absorb this Big Shot's "Dao Nature" into himself?

"Grand or minute Xiang Zheng in the Universe can all become pillars supporting the mind; discover it, then accommodate it... so that's what it means."

Qin Shi instantly understood: because of the 【Deep Sleep】 Achievement Trait, the "Qi Rhyme" contained in the *Void Meditation Method* was "discovered" by him and then automatically "accommodated" in his Consciousness Space.

This is what formed an existence similar to "Dao Nature"!

"But does this count as me breaking through the Spirit Gate or not?"

Qin Shi's Thinking Divergent, afraid that He Lanchan, this Top Big Shot who had passed away long ago and gradually become legend, might suddenly resurrect and seize his body.

He steeled his courage, reached out, and poked the cheek of the "Icy Qin Shi".

No reaction whatsoever.

"I'll ask Lao Liang tomorrow, inquire about the Spirit Gate breakthrough process."

Qin Shi tested repeatedly several times and discovered the "Self-Image" condensed from Dao Nature showed no signs of being out of his control.

On the contrary, this "Youth Dao Nature" that vaguely bore seven or eight parts resemblance to He Lanchan.

Was as if connected in heart and mind, Five Senses linked.

Equivalent to another self!

"The Martial Dao Qi Rhyme of the *Void Meditation Method*, accommodated by the mind, condenses Dao Nature."

Qin Shi frowned and thought:

"If 'I' am equivalent to 'He Lanchan', then that is walking one's own path, cultivating one's own method!

It can be called a matter of course, natural and spontaneous."

Letting a figure who once left a legend in the Vast Star Sea, a Vanguard figure of the First Generation Ten Greats.

Idle-grind cultivation and comprehend techniques for me?

"Rounding off, I count as half a Martial God!"

Qin Shi was overjoyed and hurriedly began accepting the Inheritance, comprehending the true Inheritance entrusted within the Golden Qi Rhyme.

He imitated the Dao Nature Avatar's posture, Five Hearts Facing Heaven, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

In the deepest layer of Consciousness, he closed his eyes once more.

As if continuing to sleep within a dream.

Boom boom boom boom boom—

The chaotic darkness was split open; one massive star after another bloomed with radiance, dispersing the incomparably thick Nian Zhan mist.

This is the Spirit illuminating the Brain, the symbol of cognizing the self.

Immediately after, ancient chanting voices, the crisp sounds of bells and chimes striking, the clear and melodious sounds of reading aloud... intersecting with each other, converging into one, continuously reverberating through the soul, as if using clear water to wash cleanse, washing away dust and dirt.

Qin Shi felt truly light and transparent, pores relaxing, as if floating.

It seemed as long as he lightly tiptoed, he could ascend, breaking free of the earth.

"The Martial God Inheritance is actually strong to this degree! Relying merely on Qi Rhyme permeation and Spiritual Resonance, it makes my body and mind comfortable, unable to restrain myself."

Qin Shi marveled; he had learned Hundred Aspects Refining Force with Lao Liang, but had never had such a wondrous experience.

As his Spirit gradually concentrated and his soul became increasingly condensed, he began to seriously comprehend the *Void Meditation Method*.

One Golden Text after another, like dragons and snakes, flashed and flickered, requiring enormous mental effort to remember.

Like a seven- or eight-year-old child lifting a hundreds-of-jin heavy hammer, incomparably difficult.

"Traversing the entirety of Xu Kong, mountains and rivers, the great earth — nothing to rely on, yet what can be relied on is only I; spanning the entirety of long kalpas, past ancient times and present — nothing to base on, yet what can be based on is only the present moment..."

Just a few dozen characters, Qin Shi felt like chewing raw iron, forcibly enduring the pain of biting his teeth, gnawing and savoring bit by bit.

He had never had such a strenuous feeling; his spirit was far from tough enough, his transcendent soul fundamentally unable to support the content conveyed by the *Void Meditation Method*.

A moment later, the Golden Texts collapsed one by one, returning to emptiness.

"My Spiritual Field Power and Qi Life Force are about the same, a rare endowment of Spirit-Flesh Unity, yet I can't even touch the Threshold of this Inheritance.

No wonder Lao Chen was willing to leave the Martial God Inheritance with me, not moved in the slightest... swap in anyone else, they might not understand it even if they got it, might not succeed in learning it even if they understood, might not cultivate fast even if they succeeded, let alone catch up to He Lanchan's footsteps."

Qin Shi panted heavily; even in the Thinking Hall, there is fundamentally no such thing as a "stamina bar", yet he still gave rise to a tremendous sense of fatigue.

It was as if a weak-bodied bookworm who never exercised had run ten thousand meters in anger—unprecedented exhaustion and weariness seized his body, and he wanted nothing more than to lie down and rest, too lazy to even move his fingers.

"In the universe, only I am venerable; only I am fearsome; only I am to be obeyed. Outside me there is none to be venerated, and if there is, it is I who push them up; outside me there is none to be feared, and if there is, it is I who push them up; outside me there is none to be obeyed, and if there is, it is I who push them up…… I am indeed the center of all things and all thoughts…… Why follow the Spirit when I am myself? I am the Spirit……"

Before and after, who knows how long passed, Qin Shi repeatedly drained his spirit, like a mad iron-lifter who, after exhausting his strength, rests briefly then continues training, just to complete his training quota.

Finally, he had memorized the entire text of the "Void Meditation Method" in his heart!

Having come this far, he had already reached his limit.

But to go one layer deeper, to chew on the essence and seize the marrow, was as difficult as ascending to heaven!

The method created by He Lanchan with his life's blood was too profound and unfathomable; every word, every sentence contained immense weight, requiring extremely powerful Xinling cultivation to refine.

"Unless I calm my heart, study day and night, ponder and meditate bitterly, spending three to five years of effort, could I possibly achieve it."

Qin Shi experienced for the first time the weight of words.

The Martial God Path was indeed not easy to walk!

"Fortunately, I'm a cheater."

Qin Shi was not discouraged; he memorized the entire "Void Meditation Method," then gazed at that Dao Nature Avatar:

"I'm counting on you!"

The cold youth who resembled He Lanchan but was actually another Qin Shi suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils reflecting one golden text after another transforming like dragons and snakes.

……

……

"Dad, what did you and Xiao Qin talk about?"

Chen Yun returned home and finally couldn't resist her inner curiosity, asking aloud.

"Elders and juniors just chatting about family matters."

Chen Ruofu sat behind his desk, his back straight as a ramrod, holding a writing brush in his hand:

"I had him share the credit for standing out with you, ensuring you enter the General Affairs Office and get promoted to Senior Inspector."

Chen Yun's facial color changed suddenly, her tone urgent:

"This isn't stealing credit! Xiao Qin turned the tide and resolved the crisis, so why should the credit fall on my head? Dad, how can I face him again!"

Chen Ruofu remained unperturbed, the brush tip not trembling in the slightest:

"Look at what you're saying. Would I, Chen Ruofu, stoop so low as to suppress a student and steal his credit to cultivate my own daughter? In major affairs one must have composure; your temper still needs more tempering."

Chen Yun crossed her arms, silent and speechless, waiting for her father's explanation.

"Alright."

Chen Ruofu wrote with dragons and snakes, completing it in one breath, and said in a deep voice:

"Your little Qin brother has a very sharp eye. Why do you think there are contraband items tainted by an Electronic Demon in the container where Qin Lihao hides things? It's to conceal a Martial Artist's Qi Charm. The Yincheng Qin Family somehow found He Lanchan's 'Void Meditation Method.'

This inheritance was originally the 'teaching material' of the Chanyang Dongjiao Suburban School, lost because of that Military Factory Explosion. The Qin Family found it but didn't learn it themselves; they wanted to give it to me. Tell me, what is Qin Renying's scheme?"

How did Stone Buddha He Lanchan get involved again?

Chen Yun was slightly stunned, pondering for a long while before saying:

"To befriend the Chen Family, so they can enter the Urban Circle and break the deadlock of being trapped in Yincheng?"

Chen Ruofu put down his brush, his spirit and energy slightly relaxed:

"That's just the surface meaning. Since the New Martial Arts faction came to power, they've been promoting the recovery of old martial arts teaching materials, considered a display of victory. He Lanchan is one of the First Generation Ten Greats—'a man's fame, a tree's shadow,' extremely glorious. Obtaining the 'Void Meditation Method' and sealing it away marks the New Martial Arts faction's all-around victory."

Chen Yun's slender brows furrowed slightly. Was the struggle between old and new within the Martial Association already this intense?

"Where there are people, there is the Jianghu—an old saying from the Old Era. Unless one is a Martial God, hanging high in the Star Sea, it's hard to remain uninvolved."

Chen Ruofu dried the ink and said calmly:

"I reckon Qin Renying, on one hand, wants to form a good connection and grant a favor, making it easier for the Qin Family to enter the Urban Circle; on the other hand, he wants to throw this hot potato into my hands, to see if I, Chen Ruofu, am moved or not, and whether I can protect it—consider it a kind of probe."

You old geezers, do you have to think so circuitously?

Chen Yun felt a headache coming on and subconsciously asked:

"What does this have to do with Xiao Qin's credit……"

She stopped mid-sentence, suddenly coming to her senses, and looked sharply at Chen Ruofu:

"Does Xiao Qin know that He Lanchan's inheritance is hidden in that circuit board?"

Chen Ruofu nodded:

"He doesn't know exactly who it is, but should realize it's extraordinary, which is why he thought of embezzling it."

Chen Yun's gaze was sharp, her eyes like knives, piercing her scheming father:

"You threw out the hot potato and conveniently exchanged it for a great merit to get me promoted…… No wonder Uncle Lin calls you 'Military Strategist,' saying he admires your stratagems."

Chen Ruofu did not deny it, spreading out that piece of calligraphy:

"That's your flaw—you always think that exchanging benefits and dealing with human relations is too dirty. We are not Martial Artists devoted solely to cultivation, but officials within the Dongxia system; advancing and retreating, up and down, are all games of strategy."

"I haven't shortchanged Xiao Qin. He's of the Old Martial Arts faction—a transmission leading to the Martial God, how precious? Enough to make countless people scramble for it!"

"Moreover, with He Lanchan's 'Void Meditation Method' in my hands, the Martial Association can make use of it; but if it falls into a high school student's hands, who luckily enters the Entry Level and then walks the Martial God Path, what can that New Martial Arts faction say? Are they unwilling for Dongxia to produce a good seedling?"

Fine, so factional strife is just about who can pin more hats on others.

Chen Yun slandered inwardly, looking at the calligraphy Chen Ruofu had written:

"Dad, how do you ensure Xiao Qin can learn the 'Void Meditation Method'? The Martial God Inheritance has always been the type with the highest threshold. Otherwise, why would Ning Yuanhai's 'Ancient and Modern Myriad Worlds True Scripture' be placed in a museum?"

Chen Ruofu sighed:

"I'm not a Divine Spirit who can bestow blessings on all beings. Secretary Huo investigated Xiao Qin's background—it's fairly simple. His previous Life Force Development results were mediocre, only recently showing talent for Old Martial Arts."

"I can only delay the Martial Association for him. Before Hengzhou opens, I'll reserve three or four months; the rest depends on his own ability."

Three or four months?

Chen Yun shook her head directly. For teaching materials above A-grade, even to fully understand them, let alone master them, one needs to reckon in "months."

What's more, He Lanchan was famously a monster, walking the supremely difficult path of Spirit-Flesh Unity, breaking seven limits with a mortal body, and gathering heart light with his spirit.

How could his method possibly be easy to get started with!

"I know it's rather fanciful. But rather than let the New Martial Arts School take the Martial God Inheritance and shelve it, it's better to leave it in Hengzhou; if a Martial God Seed is cultivated, it can count as selecting talent for the nation."

Chen Ruofu smiled wryly; after He Lanchan passed away in meditation, many had wanted to lay hands on the inheritance he left behind, without exception all failing.

"It's rumored that Qi Wuxiang, who lives in seclusion and never comes out, once left Haizhou and personally viewed He Lanchan's 'Void Meditation Method,' leaving the five-character comment 'No Successors After This.' I don't know if this is true or false."

"Shi Fo's path is indeed the hardest to walk among the old martial arts; if it weren't for your little brother Xiao Qin answering decisively, I might not have had this thought."

Chen Ruofu gazed at those few dozen words that had almost exhausted his mind and spirit—

"Spanning the void, mountains, rivers, and earth, there is nothing to rely on, yet only I can be relied upon; standing through endless kalpas, from ancient times to the present, there is nothing to depend on, yet only the present can be depended upon... The starting point is too high, the intent too profound; indeed it is hard to have successors."

……

……

"So that's how it is! Was that how 'I' thought at first? By my establishing a statement, there is a starting point, abiding in the original position; placing self and others on equal footing, there is no starting point, losing the original position... 'I' am the 'root' of the universe; without me there would be nothing. Not to mention anything else, my heart and qi are indeed one of a kind."

By drawing on the Dao Nature Avatar's ceaseless insights, Qin Shi gradually understood the profound mysteries of the 'Void Meditation Method.'

The Martial God Online Training is really effective!

"Hundred Aspects Tempering Force uses the 'body' to drive 'heart momentum,' while Void Meditation is even more formidable, using 'spirit' to encompass 'all things.'

The former is plundering, the latter is coexistence; fundamentally they differ by a great measure."

The more Qin Shiyue studied, the more he felt He Lanchan was truly a monster among monsters; a normal person can't even use one heart for two purposes, unable to draw a circle with the left hand and a square with the right.

But that Shi Fo could use one heart for ten thousand purposes, maintaining the utmost self while integrating other miscellaneous and complex schools of thought.

"Spirit Gate... his first time breaking a limit, he broke the great limit of the Spirit Gate!"

Qin Shi inexplicably had this guess, and then pondered, relying on He Lanchan's astonishing wisdom, and my hard work.

Breaking the great limit of the Spirit Gate seems not difficult?

He stopped contemplating the 'Void Meditation Method,' and instead consulted the Dao Nature Avatar about breaking the Spirit Gate limit.

That white-haired youth who looked remarkably like He Lanchan was like a search engine, quickly popping up a great deal of information.

【Seeking the attention of the Four Great Pillars of Dongxia...】

【Ruthlessly brushing up their favorability...】

【"Taiyi", "Tianren", "Divine Machine", "True Dragon"...】

【They each have their preferences...】

(Chapter End)