‘Ancestral Dragon Art, it seems father let me see it when I was little?’ Qin Yu looks at the last secret book. It is the thinnest but at the same time is the most valuable. The Ancestral Dragon Art is written on gold paper. The 3 big characters Ancestral, Dragon and Art even make readers feel as if they are under pressure.
After looking at the 68 first-class internal techniques, Qin Yu turns to the 28 external technique secret books.
Iron Sand Palm, Vigorous Diamond Palm, Dragon’s Talons Hand, Iron Cloth Gown, Diamond Cover, Violent Training of the Thirteen Great Protectors, The Conqueror’s Divine Fist …
28 kinds of secret external techniques are all placed in front of Qin Yu.
At first Qin Yu randomly picks up a book then starts to read it slowly. In the secret room, he is totally absorbed in the various precious secret practice books, which took the Qin clan no one knows how many generations to collect…
Chapter 6: The Only Choice
In the secret room, Qin Yu is skimming through the books at will. It takes him only 2 hours to skim through all of the 28 external secret books once.
‘Grandpa Lian was right. Practicing external techniques seems to be very painful.’ The eyebrows on his little face move together tightly.
Having seen the 28 secret books, Qin Yu has some understanding of external practice. Practicing external techniques is to use various methods to strive to make the human body stronger. It means nonstop training, overcoming the maximum fatigue and surpassing the body’s limits unceasingly.
Practicing internal techniques is only to absorb the holy energy of the universe, so during practice there will be no pain, and after practice the practitioner will feel fresh and cool. But practicing external techniques is to discover the body’s limits and to make it go through the hardest training, so it is extremely painful and difficult. This is basically the difference between the 2 ways of practice.
External practice is painful and tiring but the practitioner cannot become a Xiantian expert. Generally, only commoners and poor people, who do not have an advantaged background, will choose to practice external techniques. The real children of powerful families all practice internal techniques, but how about Qin Yu?
He has 68 first-class internal techniques, each of which is extremely outstanding, but can he practice?
‘First I’m going to look at the internal techniques. Even though my dantian is rather weird, maybe I’ll be able to practice some of them.’ Qin Yu decides to try his luck. Filled with hope, he opens a secret book, but he is dumbfounded at the first glance.
Shenting acupoint, Baihui acupoint, Fengchi acupoint, Qimen acupoint … Sanjiao Shou Shaoyang channel, Shou Taiyang channel, Shen Zu Taiyang channel …
‘This…’ Qin Yu’s eyes pop out.
He has read many books and has also heard of these names, but the thing is … he knows the Fengchi acupoint, but does not know its position in the human body. Even though those books have illustrations, they are merely graphic outlines with no more than several channels.
Internal techniques cannot be practiced carelessly. If the energy enters a wrong channel, the practitioner will die.
‘Looks like I need to go to the study and read the books on channels at once. At least I must know where the channels and acupoints are,’ says Qin Yu with an unwilling look on his little face. Then he tidies up the books and goes out of the secret room.
6 days later, Qin Yu enters the secret room again.
‘Ha-ha, this time I’m totally confident. I’m going to try all the 68 books out to see if I can practice any of them.’ Qin Yu’s face is full of excitement. After all, he is only an 8 year old boy who often dreams about becoming an expert.
In the 6 days of studying channels and acupoints, in order to fully understand them, Qin Yu also told the servants of Misty Villa to specifically make him a human-sized wooden statue of a man, and also asked old Dr. Weng Xian, a medical expert with relevant professional knowledge at Misty Villa, to draw clearly all the channels and acupoints onto the statue.
Having used a combination of the books, the wooden statue, and often inquiring of old Dr. Weng Xian, Qin Yu finally prepares to start practicing internal techniques with full confidence.
‘What am I going to practice first? So it’s this one, Comment on the Water Element.’ Qin Yu randomly chooses a secret book as he talks to himself. This Comment on the Water Element was very famous several hundred years ago, but now only few people know about this first-class practice technique.
According to the technique, Qin Yu sits down with legs crossed and starts to practice.
The first step of internal practice is to have the energy feel, that is, to be able to feel an extremely small strand of the universe’s holy energy that one absorbs. In fact, any living ordinary person in the world has been absorbing holy energy unconsciously, but because the amount of it is too small, they basically cannot feel it.
Practice, is to absorb consciously as much as possible.
After 2 hours, Qin Yu has lost his composure and cannot persevere with practice.
‘Energy feel, energy feel, Grandpa Lian said talented people can have the energy feel as soon as they practice. I’ve been practicing for 2 hours, why don’t I have any energy feel?’
After exercising for a while, Qin Yu sits quietly practicing the Comment on the Water Element again.
……
2 days later,
After having breakfast, Qin Yu continues to practice. He is very stubborn. He has always been practicing the same Comment on the Water Element again and again. Actually, to have the energy feel, it does not really matter what internal secret book he uses.
Stubborn,
Qin Yu sits down with crossed legs. He starts to picture energy moving in his channels. Afterwards, Qin Yu stops thinking. His mind is a vague blank. He goes on like that…
Suddenly -- Qin Yu feels an extremely faint stream of energy slowly moving in his body. After more than 2 days of perseverance, he finally succeeds at this moment. But, in an instant, there is a surge of excitement in his heart. That tranquility in his heart and that vague blankness in his mind immediately disappear. And at the same time Qin Yu can no longer feel the energy stream.
‘Be cool, be cool,’ talks Qin Yu to himself. Then he uses the method of the Comment on the Water Element trying to re-enter the state that he achieved just now. After a while, Qin Yu can really feel a faint energy stream in his body again.
At this moment, using the method of the Comment on the Water Element, Qin Yu starts to let the energy flow a Small Round in his channels. As it flows, Qin Yu feels this energy stream more and more clearly. After circulating the energy in a Small Round, Qin Yu wants to make this stream of holy energy merge with his dantian.
But … ‘What is this? My dantian really can’t accumulate internal energy?’ Qin Yu is dumbfounded. He discovers that the holy energy which has just run a Small Round dissipates into the outside world from inside the body. The dantian is empty as before.
‘It looks like Uncle Feng was right. My dantian is different from those of other people. It basically can’t accumulate internal energy. In practicing internal techniques, the internal energy is stored solely in the dantian. Since my dantian can’t store it, what’s the point in keeping practicing?’ At this moment, Qin Yu finally understands.
Even though there are countless different internal energy techniques in the world, they all share one characteristic -- all of the internal energy that is absorbed and transformed is stored at the Qihai acupoint, which also means it is stored in the dantian. If the dantian is unable to accumulate internal energy, then what is the use of practice?
Suddenly, Qin Yu inattentively notices that golden Ancestral Dragon Art book. Among these internal technique books, only this secret book, which is written on gold paper, looks extremely glamorous. Qin Yu reaches out his hand and gets the Ancestral Dragon Art.
The Ancestral Dragon Art is very thin, with only 3 pages. But the writing on the gold
paper is in small characters and the 3 gold pages have a lot of contents.
Qin Yu attempts to practice according to the pithy method of the Ancestral Dragon Art. In a short while, he feels an energy stream in his body. This Ancestral Dragon Art is really fantastic -- the amount of holy energy absorbed is much greater than it was just now. Moreover, the circulation speed of the energy is extremely high. But when Qin Yu channels the internal energy he wants to store into the dantian, the same situation arises.
The dantian seems like a funnel -- all of the internal energy poured into it will be gone, and it is unable to store anything.
Qin Yu looks as if he is at his wits’ end.
Afterwards, he laughs and thinks: ‘Well, it looks like I can’t slack off. I even thought that there wouldn’t be pain and wanted to find a way to practice internal techniques. But this dantian is just like a funnel, draining all the internal energy it has. How can I possibly practice internal techniques?’
However, he looks as if he cares nothing at all.
In fact, he has prepared himself for failure earlier. After all, the first person who said he is unable to do internal practice was Fengyuzi, one of the 3 great Shangxian of the Chu kingdom. When such a person makes an assertion, it is very unlikely to be wrong.
‘External techniques, yeah, from now on, I’m going to practice external techniques with all my power.’ His eyes glitter. After reading those 28 external secret books, he laughs: ‘No one on the Qian Long continent has practiced external techniques to the Xiantian level. Let me be the first to reach the Xiantian level through external practice!’
Qin Yu after all is an 8 year old kid. He still has the disposition of a child as before.
Using external techniques to reach the Xiantian level is truly something that has never been done before. How formidable would a Xiantian level external expert really be? This is an enigma.
……
2 days later, in the morning, in Qin Yu’s study,
Qin Yu is holding a book and reading it quietly. On his sides, there are 2 huge bookcases. At first glance, these 2 large bookcases have at least more than 1000 books of various kinds. Xiao Hei is also sitting around in the study so as not to disturb its little master.
‘Third Prince, 8 external experts have arrived. They are led by Lord Vice-Manager of His Highness’s mansion. He said he brought them here for you to choose an external technique master,’ says a servant respectfully after walking to the outside of the study’s door.
Qin Yu’s eyes immediately brighten. He puts the book down at once. His heart has a burst of excitement. At that time he and Lian Yan already talked about this. Lian Yan also sent a letter to inform the people in the mansion. When East Vanquishing Prince Qin De knew about this, he specifically arranged for some great experts in the army and several great external experts of the 3 Eastern region counties to go to the villa together.
‘They’re finally here after 2 days. Kang An, be quick and lead the way!’
‘Yes.’ Kang An immediately leads the way respectfully. Qin Yu goes out of the study and follows him to the west garden.
Chapter 7: Master Selection
Not far from the hot spring in the west garden there is a training ground. By this time, quite a few people have gathered on it.
‘Uncle Lian, any of these 8 great external experts this time is tiptop. 4 of them are from the army. The other 4 are extraordinarily formidable external experts of the 3 Eastern region counties. You see, that silver-haired old man is the Eagle Claw King. Furthermore…’ The leader of the group this time, Vice-Manager Li of the Prince’s Mansion, briefs Lian Yan on the experts in a somewhat flattering manner.
Lian Yan inattentively nods and casts a glance at the 8 great external experts. His eyes do not stop on such few people as that so-called Eagle Claw King for so long as a second.
In practicing external techniques, whether it is about the fingers, the claws, the legs, or the feet, whichever part that is trained will be different from that of an ordinary person. For example, the fingers of the people who practice claw techniques are fairly thick, as well as having quite a few corns. These few people do not fit Uncle Lian’s ideas in the least.
‘Oh?’ Uncle Lian’s eyes suddenly brighten and stare at the last of the 8 people -- a black-clad cold man.
This man cannot be considered muscular. His muscles are also not developed so much as those of the other people, his hands have no corns whatsoever, etc. Judging by appearances, he basically does not look like an external expert. But Uncle Lian’s eyes are fixed on this black-clad man for as much as 3 seconds.
That black-clad cold man suddenly turns his head and looks Uncle Lian in the eye. A lightning bolt seems to suddenly issue from his eyes.
‘Zhao Yunxing! So it’s you, General Zhao. Who could’ve thought His Highness would be willing to invite you to come? If Xiao Yu can have you as his master, it won’t be difficult for him to become an expert later,’ says Uncle Lian with a smile. He knows Zhao Yunxing very well.
With the same cold expression, Zhao Yunxing says: ‘His Highness said Third Prince can choose whoever he wants to be his master. This depends on Third Prince’s vision. Senior Lian had better not advise him in secret. Otherwise … even if he chooses me, I won’t accept him as my disciple.’
‘I know this, of course. Everything will depend on Xiao Yu’s own selection,’ says Lian Yan laughingly while nodding.
These 8 great external experts are all extremely formidable. Anyone who has practiced external techniques to the level of these 8 people can also be considered an external great-master. Whoever Qin Yu chooses, it will be pretty good nonetheless. But Lian Yan secretly has some expectations in his mind. He hopes that Qin Yu will choose Zhao Yunxing because he knows Zhao Yunxing’s capabilities.
In a short time, footsteps can be heard from the outside. Qin Yu, with a hint of excitement on his face, suddenly arrives in a rush. As soon as he sees the 8 great experts before him, his eyes glitter.
‘Xiao Yu, you can choose 1 of these 8 great external experts to be your master,’ says Lian Yan laughingly.
Qin Yu looks carefully at every one of them. Among the 8 great experts, the one who stands out the most is that man who looks like a bear. That large man’s arms are thick enough to be comparable to Qin Yu’s waist. If he throws a punch, Qin Yu has absolutely no doubt about its power.
Immediately, Qin Yu becomes even more excited.
‘Choose just one? Why can’t I choose all 8?’ Qin Yu turns to Lian Yan and asks doubtfully. His little brow wrinkles.
Lian Yan is astounded. The 8 great experts including that cold man Zhao Yunxing also raise their eyebrows. The corners of their mouths cannot help curving upwards into a faint smile.
‘Ahem,’ coughs Lian Yan. After that he says to Qin Yu earnestly: ‘Xiao Yu, practicing is unlike studying. In studying you can have several teachers. But you can’t learn martial arts like that. For example, if you learned several internal techniques at the same time, you’d become demented and lose your rationality.’
‘But aren’t I going to learn external techniques?’ Qin Yu asks in reply.
‘It would be worse with external techniques. External techniques are about training the body, forcing it to break through its limits unceasingly. Every external expert has his own set of methods, which have been put into practice by countless people and therefore can guarantee that you won’t collapse training your body. But … if you learn from several masters at the same time, those methods will get mixed up. That…’ says Lian Yan with a sigh while shaking his head. It is very obvious what he means.
Moreover, in addition to this reason, there is another reason that is even more important.
‘Among the 8 of us, perhaps no one is willing to share the same disciple with another,’ says a muscular bald man laughingly. The other people also nod with a smile.
These 8 people are all great-master level external experts. Any of them is very aloof and proud. How can they be willing to sh
are one disciple? But even after hearing Qin Yu say that, none of them minds. After all he is still 8 year old.
‘I understand,’ nods Qin Yu repeatedly.
Suddenly, a hint of craftiness flashes in his eyes. Lian Yan’s heart immediately skips a beat. He knows that even though Qin Yu is kind-hearted, he also likes to play pranks. And quite a few of those bodyguards and servants at Misty Villa became the victims of his practical jokes.
‘Uncles, I heard from Grandpa Lian that the 8 of you are external experts and I can choose my master from you. But shouldn’t each of you give me a demonstration right now, so that I’ll make a good choice?’ Qin Yu winks at the 8 great external experts with his big eyes.
Is this not only right? Without seeing their demonstrations, how can he choose?
Stellar Transformations Page 7