Chapter 33: Beiming True Qi

Knowing that this meridian diagram was difficult to cultivate and would easily conflict with his years of ingrained memory, Fang Han became all the more cautious.

After several repeated attempts—

He still managed to complete one full cycle (zhōutiān).

But doing so under the premise of needing complete focus, without the slightest moment of relaxation, meant that reaching the same ease he had with the previous three diagrams was not going to be easy.

Fang Han, however, wasn’t in a rush. He’d grind it out slowly.

After all, he’d already endured so many years in the first life simulation—what’s a little setback now?

And with Cheng Lingsu as his virtuous wife by his side, Fang Han felt truly supported.

He couldn’t just spend the whole day training either. Not only would that exhaust him mentally, but Cheng Lingsu, who constantly kept herself alert to protect him, needed rest too.

So the two of them discussed and decided on a new daily schedule:

Each morning, Fang Han would cultivate the Beiming Divine Skill and run the 36 meridian diagrams, with Cheng Lingsu watching over him, ready to intervene if anything went wrong.

When his mind became fatigued, he would stop immediately.

Cheng Lingsu would sometimes tend to flowers and herbs or pick medicinal plants. Occasionally, Fang Han would join her. Other times, he’d go out to set traps for small game, adding a little variety to their meals.

In the afternoons, they practiced the footwork of Lingbo Weibu together. Since Cheng Lingsu wasn’t very familiar with the Yijing Eight Trigrams, Fang Han would explain it to her one step at a time. And since footwork couldn’t occupy the whole afternoon, the remaining time was used for medical studies—this time, with Cheng Lingsu teaching Fang Han.

Naturally, they also regularly sparred and exchanged martial techniques.

By nightfall, they were both thoroughly exhausted from the day’s activities.

So after dinner and washing up, they would rest.

They were a married couple, after all, intimate interactions were only natural.

Fang Han, despite having several lifetimes’ worth of experience from his life simulations, mentally aged far beyond his years—

—still firmly believed: When it comes to desire, age has nothing to do with it.

What you think is disinterest is just a case of having no strength left to act.

Now that his physical body was in its youthful prime, with strong qi and blood, his needs were not only normal—they were abundant, and his energy, robust.

As for Cheng Lingsu…

She was newlywed, deeply in love with Fang Han, and had come to taste the sweetness, as the saying goes.1

And so, in the serene solitude of Wuliang Mountain, the two of them lived like this for half a year.

Fang Han fully memorized the energy flow routes of all thirty-six meridian diagrams and formed strong habitual recall.

While it couldn’t be said that he had completely forgotten his prior skills, he was now able to avoid confusing the two.

With that foundation, after taking a day to reset, Fang Han finally began cultivating the internal energy method of Beiming Divine Skill in earnest.

Previously, he had only used qi sensations to guide his practice and only practiced the Absorption and Storage diagrams.

But now, he would be cultivating true internal force from scratch!

Beiming Divine Skill had three main components:

Absorption, Storage, and Beaming True Qi!

The first two were how one could absorb and store another person’s inner power, but the third, Beiming True Qi, was the real core.

It was the essence of the internal cultivation method—allowing one not only to generate their own Beiming True Qi, but also to refine and assimilate the absorbed internal force, fully merging it into one’s own.

The reason Fang Han hadn’t practiced Beiming True Qi earlier was simple: he feared that if he developed internal force too soon, it might clash dangerously when running those 36 meridian diagrams.

Qi deviation in such a case could have fatal consequences.

But with only qi sensation and no real internal power, even if a mistake occurred, the consequences wouldn’t be as severe.

Plus, with Cheng Lingsu assisting him at all times, he could ensure absolute safety.

So after careful consideration, he decided not to begin with the core of Beiming Divine Skill.

Instead, he first practiced all 36 meridian diagrams using only qi sensation, until he became proficient enough that there was no confusion with his old Health-Nurturing Inner Skill.

Only then did he return to the beginning and truly begin cultivating the core—Beiming True Qi!

Fang Han sat upright, closed his eyes, and focused his mind, inhaling and exhaling with deliberate rhythm.

Though he had never formally practiced it before, the cultivation method of Beiming True Qi was long etched into his memory.

Now, with a single thought, the qi sensation followed the method and began to flow steadily through his body.

His body was empty of internal power due to his energy dispersal half a year ago, but this was exactly the required state for cultivating Beiming Divine Skill.

After completing one full cycle—

Aa faint wisp of internal energy was finally born from his Shanzhong acupoint! 2

As soon as this energy emerged, Fang Han’s spirit stirred.

He could instantly feel the stark contrast between the internal energy cultivated from Health-Nurturing Inner Skill and Beiming Divine Skill.

It was like heaven and earth—utterly incomparable!

The inner force from Health-Nurturing Inner Skill was mild and unremarkable, almost bland.

But the internal power generated by Beiming Divine Skill—from the very first strand—was not only extraordinarily pure but also carried an inherent mystique.

Fang Han was overjoyed—but quickly restrained his excitement and continued to circulate the energy with focused calm.

Second cycle…

Third cycle…

This session lasted a full five hours.

From dawn until dusk.

That faint thread of Beiming True Qi slowly grew stronger under Fang Han’s cultivation.

At last, he drew his energy back and opened his eyes, his gaze bright and his mind invigorated.

He felt fantastic.

Back when he trained with Health-Nurturing Inner Skill, he could barely last two hours at most—any longer would deplete his mental energy.

But with Beiming Divine Skill, he didn’t feel any mental strain at all—the more he practiced, the more energized he felt.

One couldn’t help but sigh:

A supreme divine skill truly lives up to its name!

“Brother Fang…”

A soft voice called out, pulling Fang Han back to the moment.

Seeing Cheng Lingsu’s joyful yet slightly worried gaze, he couldn’t help but break into a wide grin, pulling her into his arms and laughing heartily.

“Lingsu! I’ve finally mastered the Beiming Divine Skill!”

Though it was only the beginning, he had already passed the most crucial bottleneck in cultivation.

From now on, he would be unhindered.

All that remained was consistent training and comprehension.

It had not been easy…

Counting the time spent in his first life simulation—it had taken decades!

Now, finally, he had fulfilled his wish.

At this moment, Fang Han, rarely seen losing composure, let go completely.

Of course, it was because he was with Lingsu. Had it been anyone else—no matter how thrilled he felt inside—he could’ve kept a straight face.

Cheng Lingsu took his pulse and examined several meridian points on his body.

Only after confirming there were no issues did she fully relax.

She nestled into Fang Han’s embrace, smiling gently.

“That’s wonderful…”

Footnotes

1. 1. 1. 1. 食髓知味 (shí suǐ zhī wèi)– Literally “having tasted marrow, now knows its flavor.” A classical idiom meaning someone has experienced something pleasurable and now craves it more. Often used to suggest someone has developed a liking for something after trying it once. ↩ [https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/21a9.svg]

1. 1. 1. 1. 膻中穴 (shān zhōng xué)– An acupoint located at the center of the chest, along the Ren channel. It’s considered a major point for regulating qi and respiration in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts. ↩ [https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/21a9.svg]