Chapter 346: Chapter 140: Qi and Blood Ten Transformations Forge the Furnace! Heaven and Earth Blade Force! (10,000-Word Mega Chapter)_1
“Guiding is meant to ‘lead the breath to harmony, guide the body to suppleness,’ making one’s breath more even and the body more flexible.”
The Guiding Technique is a very ancient health-preserving technique from Ancient Times.
“By ‘leading,’ we refer to breathing, and ‘guiding’ refers to the movement of the body. Guiding means directing the breath into fine, even, deep, and long abdominal breathing. With continuous practice, it can make one’s breath prolonged and smooth, strengthen the body, and prevent all kinds of illnesses.”
Su Changkong read through the whole Guiding Technique and memorized all twelve poses for practice.
Next comes the actual practice!
“Spirit Branch Technique!”
Su Changkong stood with his feet together, hands hanging at his sides; he then moved them through his chest to his head while turning his wrists, and brought his arms back.
“Tiger Arm Technique!”
Still with his feet together, Su Changkong pushed up with his left shoulder and relaxed his right, and then switched, pushing up with his right shoulder and relaxing his left.
“This Guiding Technique… it’s somewhat like calisthenics!”
While practicing the Guiding Technique, Su Changkong thought to himself that it did indeed seem quite straightforward. The various movements and positions of the practice were no different from calisthenics!
These movements were all highly coherent, some requiring flexibility to achieve, and as a martial artist, Su Changkong had no trouble performing even the most difficult ones with ease.
“The Guiding Technique requires not just movement, but also coordination with one’s breathing.”
Su Changkong gradually got into the zone, his breathing becoming finer, more even, deeper, and longer, primarily using his abdomen to breathe.
“The most difficult part of the Guiding Technique is not the breathing or moving the body, but the movement of ‘intention’.”
Su Changkong thought to himself.
The Guiding Technique combines breathing exercises, physical movements, and the movement of intention, working in tandem and refining each other towards the purpose of health preservation!
If it were an ordinary person, they might accomplish the breathing and physical movements at most. As for the so-called movement of intention, it’s esoteric and hard to describe in words; one must rely on their innate ability and comprehension to grasp it.
No wonder the Guiding Technique was lost to time—it is difficult to practice. Even if one does achieve some success, the rewards are not great. Geniuses disdain to practice it, and the average person cannot master it. The effort does not equate to the returns.
Unlike the Turtle Breath Technique, ordinary people could achieve results as long as they were willing to spend time practicing it!
Su Changkong, with a potential value of 33 points, found the highly difficult Guiding Technique not too challenging and quickly grasped the essence of it.
“The so-called movement of intention is to empty one’s mind, allowing thoughts to flow naturally and to naturally align with the ‘leading’ and ‘guiding’.”
Soon, Su Changkong entered a ethereal state where he seemed to forget his own existence, but his breathing and physical movements exuded a natural beauty, perfectly harmonious, as if they were inherently meant to be.
“Do I feel… tired?”
After practicing the Guiding Technique with all twelve routines once, Su Changkong stopped and looked surprised.
With his current physical condition, to feel a trace of fatigue from practicing the Guiding Technique? This delighted Su Changkong more than it surprised him!
Fatigue meant that practicing the Guiding Technique was effective for Su Changkong! It was because it was effective that he felt tired!
Previously, with martial arts like Tai Chi Health Preservation Fist, White Monkey Longevity Fist, and Changchun Technique, Su Changkong never felt a hint of fatigue.
“The Guiding Technique is truly useful for me!”
Su Changkong’s eyes shone. One of the oldest health-preserving arts, it might not be anything mysterious or profound.
Yet, as a reference for many martial artists, the Guiding Technique surely had its unique aspects—it was a series of movements and exercises that everyone knew, that everyone could do, but not everyone could achieve perfection in them!
Feeling fatigue, Su Changkong struck while the iron was hot, continuing to practice the Guiding Technique.
Within just one day, Su Changkong practiced the Guiding Technique from not even entering the door to reaching the first tier!
With the practice of the Guiding Technique, Su Changkong could feel subtle changes in his body, his mind was more agile, his limbs more flexible; although it couldn’t be called a rebirth, there was definitely progress, little by little adding up!
Guiding Technique (3rd tier, Complete Understanding 1%)
And in ten days, Su Changkong had practiced the Guiding Technique to the 3rd tier, and this time, there were changes!
Lifespan: 187 years
Potential Value: 34 points
“Lifespan… my lifespan has increased by two years!”
Su Changkong could hardly contain his elation. Two years extended lifespan and an increase of one point in potential value were tremendous surprises for Su Changkong, whose lifespan had been stagnant for a long time!
One cannot stack health-preserving martial arts upon one another, but if they are of entirely different types, they actually can be effective. The Five Animal Frolics, Turtle Breath Technique, and Guiding Technique are all different types of health-preserving methods, and as such do not interfere with each other. The direction of their practice is different, but all can achieve the goal of health preservation and extending life!
“Good! If I just diligently practice the Guiding Technique, and add on the life extension gained from breaking through to the Qi-Blood Furnace Realm, my lifespan will leap to the next level. My potential value will surely rise dramatically, becoming even more monstrous than it is now. At that time, to what extent will I be able to reach?”
Su Changkong took a deep breath, calming his emotions.
Su Changkong wanted to become stronger! He at least had to make himself stronger than Mo Ying!
When faced with Mo Ying, Su Changkong was helpless. His opponent could imitate his Martial Arts, even his Blade Gang, and although the fight ended in a draw thanks to Hong Zhenxiang’s intervention, Su Changkong understood that if the fight had dragged on, he would have inevitably been the one to lose as a being of flesh and blood.