A month later, Qin Yu was already proficient in using the secret art, "Origin Python Swallowing Star Record." He decided to try running this secret art while consuming medicated meals to see what effects it would produce. The moment he began to circulate the secret art, something miraculous happened. He was pleasantly surprised to find that with the enhancement of the secret art, his absorption of medicinal power reached about three times the original amount. Moreover, this first attempt at cultivation gave him a huge surprise—he successfully broke through to the Hua Jin Initial Stage.
Qin Yu was only 16 years old now, and being able to break through to Hua Jin at this age, even in some medium-level Worlds where National Arts are prevalent, was enough to be considered a talent with above-average potential. What's more, he was in a World like Marvel, which, although high-level, did not emphasize martial arts, had chaotic energy systems, and relatively scarce resources.
However, Qin Yu was still slightly dissatisfied with his current cultivation speed. After all, in the Marvel Universe, there were too many people who, after just mutating or awakening, had strength far exceeding his, someone who had diligently cultivated for several years. He knew that he had to become stronger to survive in this crisis-ridden Marvel World.
Just as Qin Yu was troubled by this, the familiar system prompt sounded in his mind: "No need to worry, the Myriad Worlds Training Ground can provide the host with the most effective cultivation methods and training. This time, we are offering a first-time benefit: for only 100 points, we guarantee you can reach Hua Jin Peak in three months."
Under the system's confident assurance, Qin Yu was moved. He made his first purchase of 100 points and entered the Myriad Worlds Training Ground. Time flew by, and three months later, everything felt like a dream; Qin Yu had truly succeeded in cultivating to Hua Jin Peak.
The reason Qin Yu was able to complete a cultivation progression that would normally take over a decade for others, in just three months, ultimately came down to two key factors.
Firstly, the cultivation of the Striking Force, Dark Force, and Hua Jin stages has extremely high requirements for the cultivator's physical quality. The stronger the physical quality, the faster the cultivation speed. Qin Yu had cultivated the "Easily Strengthening the Body" technique to perfection, which gave him an innate strong advantage in terms of physical quality. His body was like fertile soil, providing a solid foundation for cultivation, capable of better bearing and absorbing various energies during the cultivation process.
Secondly, having masters to spar and train with in combat was something the Myriad Worlds Training Ground could perfectly satisfy. Within the training ground, Qin Yu engaged in fierce battles with powerful opponents. Each collision and exchange of blows gave him a deeper understanding of the application of his own strength and new insights into the essence of National Arts. This practical combat tempering greatly accelerated his cultivation process, allowing him to continuously break through himself in a short period.
It was precisely because of this that Qin Yu was able to successfully break through from a Hua Jin Initial Stage martial artist to Hua Jin Peak within three months.
After completing a set of fierce and sharp Eight Extremities Fist, Qin Yu finished his practice. Feeling the surging power throughout his body, he couldn't help but feel a little lost. He knew that the next realm was Embracing the Dan, but he had no idea how to cultivate it. After all, Li Ning, the teacher who taught him National Arts, was currently only at the Dark Force Peak. Li Ning himself might not even be able to break through to Hua Jin in his lifetime, depending on his fortune, so how could he know the method to break through Embracing the Dan?
"System, do you have a method to break through Embracing the Dan?" Qin Yu urgently asked the system in his mind.
Facing Qin Yu's question, the system prompt sounded again: "Of course, host. The process of breaking through from Hua Jin Peak to the Embracing the Dan Realm is somewhat complex. Forget it, explaining it would be too cumbersome. I'll directly transmit some basic cultivation knowledge into your brain."
Instantly, a large amount of cultivation knowledge flooded into Qin Yu's mind, and he immediately understood many things he had never known before.
The cultivation of National Arts initially involves consuming one's own energy through standing postures, thereby generating internal energy. Subsequently, these internal energies are circulated throughout the body through boxing techniques; this is the Striking Force stage. A martial artist at the Striking Force stage can make the air explode with a single punch, demonstrating astonishing power, with their strongest force capable of erupting up to two thousand catties.
As cultivation deepens, the internal energy gradually strengthens. When the internal energy connects to the cervical spine, opening the two bridges of heaven and Earth, as well as the Ren and Du meridians, the internal energy can penetrate the skin and injure people. At this point, one enters the Dark Force stage. A Dark Force martial artist can unleash a maximum of five thousand catties of strength.
And when the internal energy greatly increases again, becoming able to pass through the internal organs and then form vital blood, the martial artist continuously tempers their body, making it stronger and stronger. Finally, when the internal energy refines through the head, completing a grand circulation, "Spirit" naturally forms, and this is the Hua Jin realm. In this stage, the martial artist's internal organs are clean and tidy, their entire body's tendons and bones are strong, their bone marrow is full, and their strength can extend to the four extremities: teeth, tongue, nails, and hair. Dark Force permeates the entire body, reaching a state of extreme sensitivity, where even a falling feather or a resting fly can be keenly perceived.
In fact, National Arts can be traced back to the Qi Refiners of the pre-Qin period. At that time, they called cultivation "cultivating the Dao," which was essentially not much different from today's National Arts. It was just given the more profound and mysterious name of "immortal cultivation" to sound more impressive. The first step of a Qi Refiner's cultivation was called "refining essence into Qi," which is actually equivalent to the Striking Force and Dark Force stages of National Arts; the second step, "refining Qi into Spirit," is consistent with the Hua Jin stage of National Arts. From this, it can be seen that National Arts is inherently a method of cultivating one's own potential, and it has no direct relationship with the so-called "Age of Dharma Decline." Previously, it was just that he had not mastered the correct method.
To break through to the Embracing the Dan Realm, one must first understand what Embracing the Dan means. Embracing the Dan is about making the body form a furnace-like state, continuously tempering it, to condense the blood marrow and achieve a state of vital blood unity. When the physical body and vital blood become one, the body reaches a state of purity, capable of locking in all of the body's essence, qi, and spirit, preventing their leakage. From this point on, the internal energy within the martial artist's body is, in principle, almost infinite. Because the vital blood locks in the essence, qi, and spirit, the "Spirit" of an Embracing the Dan Realm martial artist will grow rapidly. Through a powerful "Spirit," the martial artist can utilize vital blood more perfectly, thereby breaking the limits of the human body. Not only that, the growth of "Spirit" will also give the martial artist superhuman sensory abilities, allowing them to keenly perceive any external malice. This is the origin of the saying in immortal cultivation, "A golden dan swallowed into the belly, my fate is mine, not heaven's." When a person's perception reaches the realm of "the cicada knows before the autumn wind stirs," they can perceive both natural disasters and man-made calamities in advance. Is this not like mastering one's own destiny and no longer being swayed by the outside world?
Therefore, stepping into the Embracing the Dan Realm first requires achieving vital blood unity, and this requires three prerequisites: powerful internal energy, a strong physique, and the ability to use Spirit to communicate and mobilize vital blood. Basically, martial artists who reach Hua Jin Peak can meet the requirements in terms of internal energy and physique; the only thing often lacking is "Spirit." Unless they are extremely rare martial artists with extraordinary talent, most martial artists can only enhance their "Spirit" through cultivating their mind. The "mind" referred to here does not mean the heart, but rather the "mind-spirit."
In the secular World of Marvel Earth, after Zhang Sanfeng, no one had been able to break through to the Embracing the Dan Realm for several hundred years. Why was this? Was it due to insufficient aptitude? Actually, no, it was because National Arts cultivators had fallen into a misconception. They simply believed that National Arts required seeking breakthroughs between life and death. This idea cannot be said to be entirely wrong, but it is not comprehensive. Life-and-death combat can indeed lead to significant growth of "Spirit," but if one cannot cultivate their mind in a timely manner, the strength of "Spirit" will be like rootless duckweed, seemingly strong but actually fragile.
In addition to life-and-death combat, one also needs to learn to quiet their "Spirit" and reach a state of imperturbability. Only when the "Spirit" is stable will it become strong; otherwise, it will be like flowers in a mirror or the moon in Water, illusory and unreliable. Therefore, after Hua Jin, one must cultivate their mind, otherwise it will be impossible to break through to the Embracing the Dan Realm in one's entire life. Talents like Li Shuwun suffered greatly precisely because they did not pay attention to cultivating their mind.
So, how exactly should one cultivate their mind? Should one emulate Zhang Sanfeng, become a Daoist or a monk, meditate in Daoist temples or Buddhist monasteries, and sever all seven emotions and six desires?
The system's answer was that the key to cultivating the mind lies in understanding one's inner self, not getting easily upset over small matters, and learning to calmly face everything. As for how to specifically cultivate the mind, the system, based on Qin Yu's current situation, provided a plan: In addition to cultivation every day, it is best to learn to relax. Cultivation should inherently be balanced between effort and ease. Qin Yu might as well relax when he needs to; perhaps one day his state of mind will suddenly break through, and the Embracing the Dan Realm will naturally follow.
Qin Yu carefully considered the system's advice. Yes, for the past few years, he had been solely focused on quickly becoming stronger, constantly burying himself in arduous cultivation, and his state of mind definitely did not meet the standard for a breakthrough. Perhaps he really should go out and relax his mind. Since the system said so, Qin Yu decisively changed his daily cultivation plan: three hours of fixed cultivation every morning, after which he would freely arrange his time. Sometimes, he would bring his fishing gear and find a tranquil lakeside to fish, enjoying the leisurely freedom; other times, he would walk into the mountains, stroll through them, and occasionally even have a picnic, experiencing the beauty of nature and allowing his body and mind to fully relax.