Chapter 4: Health Preservation

Zhang Jian stopped at the doorway of the study, gazing at the countless chaotic charts before him, among which lay ten or so scrolls painted with countless strange runic lines.

Piles of ancient books were haphazardly scattered around!

Even martial practice has become this competitive?

Zhang Jian's expression stiffened slightly, but in an instant he felt a chill run down his back.

Several clangs sounded, accompanied by the dull grinding of the mechanism opening.

Faint dawn light poured down from the skylight.

Yet what met his eyes was a completely opened hidden compartment appearing inside the study, and Zhang Yi entered it without any concealment.

Inside lay piles of white bones.

This uncle seems a bit improper……

Zhang Jian's face was a bit stiff at the moment, yet his demeanor remained calm.

A faint rumble stirred in his heart.

Judging by Zhang Yi's usual conduct and appearance, Zhang Jian easily associated him with heretical practitioners, a great demon.

However, Zhang Yi has never treated him poorly.

He probably wouldn't harbor any ill intentions toward him.

Zhang Yi had been secretly observing Zhang Jian's expression; seeing Zhang Jian only slightly startled, he composed himself and silently nodded.

Zhang Jian is indeed outstanding.

His original thought shifted slightly; his gaze fell on a few hidden compartments, and he spoke offhand.

"Brother Jian, don't underestimate martial artists; practicing martial arts is just like your Confucian Four Books and Five Classics—any classic is worth spending a lifetime to explore!"

"Especially the internal cultivation method is more intricate than external body-training!"

After speaking, Zhang Yi pulled three books from a pile of miscellaneous volumes: a medical text, the 《Pulse Classic》, a treatise titled 《Brief Description of Internal Cultivation Terms》, and finally a Daoist scripture, the 《Classic of Nurturing Yuan and Health Preservation》!

"The Health Preservation Classic…"

Zhang Jian gazed at Zhang Yi with a somewhat strange expression.

To his surprise, Zhang Yi did not give him any heretical-looking texts; instead, they were quite 'orthodox'!

Zhang Jian took the three books, noticing they had developed a patina from handling, indicating they had been read many times.

This discovery gave him an unseen warmth in his heart.

Zhang Yi paid no mind to the heap of bones covered in runic lines nearby, his sinister face breaking into a soft smile: "Give it a try; although the Yuan-Nurturing Health Preservation Classic is mild, its virtue lies in cultivating a gentle internal qi, which is most nourishing."

Mildness and harmony have always been linked to a high tolerance for error.

That is, no matter how much one practices, it won't lead to serious consequences.

Zhang Yi added another point.

"The first step in internal cultivation is to sense qi; developing even a hint of qi power blocks most who attempt the path, yet this sense of qi requires a flash of inspiration, so you need not rush."

"Moreover, you can learn some health-preserving exercises from Jian Yao, such as the Three Yang Stance, combined with quiet cultivation; this will benefit you!"

Jian Yao was one of the three whom Zhang Jian had noticed possessed breath far surpassing the other guests; he excels in swordsmanship and is nicknamed the Hundred Victory Blade.

Zhang Jian's heart jolted; he nodded, scanning Zhang Yi's study's hidden compartment, his gaze landing on the ten-odd strange runic scrolls hanging centrally, and he glanced at the meridian scroll.

Those ten-odd strange runic scrolls were hung in the center, obviously of great importance to Zhang Yi.

After seeing Zhang Jian off, Zhang Yi turned his gaze back to the ten-odd scrolls on the wall of the secret chamber, a gloomy shade crossing his brow.

No matter how he studied, the secrets contained in those ten-odd ancient paintings remained unsolvable.

……

In the fairy realm

The Qingxia Goddess's form plunged directly into a fairy realm made of bitter ice; within a vast ice cavern abode, she saw a massive ice sculpture.

The ice sculpture exuded threads of intense cold, as if freezing all space and time, halting heaven and earth; within the crystal, another graceful figure appeared, yet inside it continuously exhaled a thick stream of black toxic qi, a single glance of which seemed able to make one vomit out their three souls and seven spirits, contaminating the boundless world.

"It has deteriorated to this extent?"

The Qingxia Goddess slightly furrowed her brows.

In her divine vision, these heavenly demon toxins had already approached the immortal's primordial spirit within the crystal; if the primordial spirit were infected, even reincarnation would be difficult.

Her close friend was indeed at the end of her tether.

"Elder Sister Qingxia!"

At that moment, an ethereal voice floated from the massive ice crystal.

Her voice was lively and graceful, like clear spring water flowing, moving the heart.

The Qingxia Goddess solemnly said: "Do not waste words; your elder sister has already procured a merit magical artifact for you—now take it and reincarnate!".

As she waved her hand, a seven-layer golden pagoda flew from her palm, instantly turning into golden light that fell deep into the brow of the Baihua Immortal; the countless terrifying heavenly demon toxins encountering this merit-golden light, amidst the pure, harmonious chime, seemed to cleanse away most of the foul black qi filling the sky, and the myriad chaotic demonic noises abruptly ceased, their voices greatly weakened.

The Soul-Suppressing Pagoda evidently had taken effect.

This inevitably caused the Qingxia Goddess to nod inwardly.

Within the ice crystal, the hitherto unnamed female immortal's true form became much clearer; she felt that the boundless calamity of death had finally cracked a sliver of heavenly light, also bringing a hint of joy; her eyes brightened, and her voice rang out: "Merit magical artifacts have always been precious; to be able to borrow this treasure, I imagine your elder sister paid a great price—Baihua truly does not know how to repay your sister's lifesaving grace!".

"We are sisters bound by fate; why such formality?"

After a brief pause, the Qingxia Goddess added: "However, this merit magical artifact, strictly speaking, is not of my own making; if you refine this treasure, you will inevitably have to make restitution later—have you considered that?".

"That's nothing!", inside the ice crystal, the Baihua Immortal's exquisite, peerless jade countenance broke into a smile, the black qi at her temples seeming to dissipate.

This is good cause yielding good fruit, far easier to resolve than evil cause yielding evil fruit.

After pondering, she spoke again.

"Moreover, the treasures stored in the Hundred Flowers Garden after my reincarnation can be handled by your elder sister!"

"Elder sister need not decline; leaving these idle would only attract others' greed—better to entrust them to you, perhaps they could help you break through and add bricks and tiles to your cultivation!"

The Qingxia Goddess's eyes shifted; the Baihua Immortal had previously been a top-ranking female immortal in the Jade Pond, overseeing the Hundred Flowers, with considerable wealth—this gesture was clearly a case of returning a favor.

Qingxia Shen Nü thought for a moment, and did not refuse either.

Part of the Hundred Flowers Fairy's collection is indeed very beneficial to her.

Furthermore, she will still need to help the Hundred Flowers Fairy return, and then she will have to exert even more effort.

……

The Zhang family—Zhang Jian's body showed an anomaly.

After a simple identification and transmission, Zhang Jian realized that this stage of sensing Qi strength seemed somewhat different.

Under the blazing sun, the sunlight was poisonously fierce.

Zhang Jian stood firm, his eyes bright and alert, recalling the process of sensing Qi from the Classic of Nurturing and Health Preservation.

According to Zhang Yi's teaching, sensing Qi requires balancing movement and stillness, constantly adjusting breathing, combining a certain proportion of exercise to train the inner organs, eventually finding a faint rhythm where the inner organs resonate with breath, and from that rhythm detecting a faint trace of Qi.

This is internal refinement of Qi sensing.

But his condition now feels a bit off.

He practiced breath regulation according to the secret of the Classic of Nurturing Origin and Health Preservation.

It felt as if his whole body was filled with Qi.

There was none of the stiffness and obscurity that Zhang Yi had spoken of.

It was not just Qi, but also a blazing light.

This made Zhang Jian feel a difference.

"Is it because of that fire apricot?"

He hesitated slightly, but still performed the first true breath regulation according to the breathing steps.