6: A first-rank martial artist became
It was still dark, but the Lin Family Manor backyard was already full of people.
The bluestone slab that Lin Yunshi had shattered with a single punch the night before had not yet been cleared away; its fragments were scattered across the ground, silently proclaiming a power that transcended the mundane.
The disciples of the Family, from Lin Zhengchu, who was nearly sixty, to the fourth generation teenagers, had all changed into loose Cultivation clothes, their faces alight with uncontrollable excitement and anticipation.
They gathered around Lin Yunshi, asking various questions all at once; the shock of the previous night had not faded, replaced instead by infinite longing for the future.
Lin Qian stood alone by the study window, quietly observing the scene in the courtyard.
The reactions of these people did not surprise him.
“You are celebrating too early.”
He pushed open the door and slowly walked out.
Lin Qian's appearance instantly silenced the noisy backyard. Everyone's attention shifted from Lin Yunshi to this stabilizing anchor of the Family.
“The Dao of Martial Artist is not a dinner party,” Lin Qian’s opening remark was direct. “You only saw the glory of Yunjia shattering stone with one punch, but you haven't considered what must be paid for it.”
“To step through the great gate of the Martial Dao, you must pass at least three tests.”
“The first test is the Stake Stance.” Lin Qian pointed to the open ground in the courtyard. “It means standing still. It tests your endurance, and also your perseverance. For those who have never done it, five minutes is the limit.”
“The second test is recognition. You need to understand every bone, every meridian, and every Acupoints in your body. You need to know how Qi and blood circulate internally, where they originate, and where they converge. Without understanding this, reckless Cultivation will, at best, lead to no progress, and at worst, result in chaotic Qi and blood, leaving you paralyzed.”
“The third test is persistence. Cultivate in the Martial Dao is like sailing against the current; if you don't advance, you retreat. If you Cultivate today but not tomorrow, it's better not to start at all.”
Lin Qian's words were like three basins of cold water poured over everyone's heads.
The previously excited atmosphere cooled considerably.
“Now, does anyone still want to quit?” Lin Qian looked around.
No one spoke.
No one dared to defy the Elder's command. Moreover, that extraordinary power held a fatal attraction for everyone.
“Very good.” Lin Qian nodded. “Yunshi, begin.”
The monotony of Cultivation far exceeded the imagination of everyone in the Lin Family.
When Lin Yunshi instructed them to adopt the most basic Stake Stance of the “Tidal Wave Art,” less than ten minutes later, sweat began to bead on the foreheads of Lin Zhengchu and his three brothers, their legs shaking uncontrollably.
They were all business tycoons accustomed to luxury; they had never endured such hardship.
“Dad, my… my legs won’t listen to me.” The third brother, Lin Zhengye, was the first to give out, plopping down onto the ground and panting heavily.
Where there was one, there were others.
Lin Zhengchu and the other two brothers also collapsed one after another, their faces flushed red.
Seeing this, Lin Yunshi had no choice but to adjust the plan.
“Eldest Uncle, you are older, and your Qi and blood are already beginning to decline. Prolonged Stake Stance is not suitable. Starting today, you will first study the theoretical knowledge of the human meridians and Acupoints.”
She focused her main energy on the younger generations: Lin Yunzhou, Lin Yunjia, and Lin Yangshu, the third and fourth generations.
Although these young people also complained bitterly, they ultimately persevered.
On one hand, the Elder was watching nearby, and on the other, their parents were strictly supervising them.
They all understood that a Martial Artist could disregard firearms, and in the future, even scenes from myths and legends might appear.
Enduring a little hardship now meant seizing the initiative of the entire era.
Lin Qian watched his disciples covered in sweat, but said nothing more.
He walked to an old locust tree in the corner of the courtyard and silently recited in his mind.
“Sign in.”
[Sign-in successful at the Cultivation Ground of the Anqing City Lin Family Manor.]
[Congratulations to the host for receiving the reward: three 'blood-increasing pill'.]
[blood-increasing pill: A Medicinal Pill exclusive to Martial Artist, capable of greatly increasing Qi and blood. For host's personal use only.]
A jade bottle appeared out of thin air in Lin Qian's palm.
He could sense that the quality of today's sign-in reward was much higher than before.
Perhaps it was because dozens of Lin Family disciples were Cultivating simultaneously in the entire Cultivation Ground, triggering greater fluctuations in Qi and blood, thereby influencing the sign-in result.
This was an unexpected gain.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
With Lin Yunshi's careful guidance and the Lin Family's no-expense-spared Medicinal Pill bath assistance, everyone's Cultivation was on the right track.
The older generation, such as Lin Zhengchu and the others, could now barely hold the Stake Stance for half an hour and had a thorough understanding of the human meridians and Acupoints.
The younger generation, however, progressed even faster.
On this day, Lin Yangshu, the eldest grandson of the Lin Family's fourth generation, suddenly trembled all over during a Stake Stance session.
A faint but genuinely existing stream of Qi generated in his Dantian.
“Great-Grandpa, Aunt! I… I sensed Qi and blood!” Lin Yangshu was so excited he was incoherent.
He became the third person in the Lin Family, after Lin Qian and Lin Yunshi, to truly step onto the threshold of the Martial Dao.
This news greatly encouraged the rest of the Lin Family.
Another three months passed.
Lin Qian's Cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds with the accumulation of vast amounts of Medicinal Pill.
On this day, after swallowing a hundred-year Cultivation Qi and blood pill in his study, the total amount of Qi and blood in his body finally broke through a critical point.
One thousand calories!
This was the mark of a Quasi-Martial Artist.
When the total Qi and blood reaches one thousand calories, it is no longer a simple numerical increase, but begins to undergo a qualitative change.
Lin Qian could feel that the Qi and blood inside his body were transforming from an invisible “Qi” into a semi-liquid state.
This process is known as “Qi and Blood Like Mercury.”
Only by compressing and refining all the Qi and blood in the body into this liquid state can one break the limit of a Quasi-Martial Artist and truly advance to a First-Rank Martial Artist.
This is an extremely perilous process; the consumption of Qi and blood recovery multiplies, and the slightest mistake carries the risk of exhausting Qi and blood and dying on the spot.
But for Lin Qian, the least problematic thing was Medicinal Pill.
Time flew by, and only the last half year remained until the complete Spiritual Qi recovery.
Late at night, when everything was quiet.
Lin Qian sat cross-legged in his study, completing the final compression of his Qi and blood.
The moment the last wisp of gaseous Qi and blood was refined into a liquid state and merged into his Dantian, his entire internal body underwent an earth-shattering transformation.
Boom!
An invisible wave of Qi spread out from him as the center.
The books on the shelf moved without wind, rustling loudly.
Lin Qian opened his eyes, and the entire world felt different in his perception.
He could clearly hear the steady breathing of the security guard standing watch at the manor gate a hundred meters away.
He could see the tiny dust particles in the air that were normally undetectable.
First-Rank Martial Artist, achieved.
If he were placed on an ancient battlefield now, he would be a foe capable of taking on thousands, one against a thousand. Ordinary firearms could no longer pose a threat to him.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the study door.
“Grandpa.”
It was Lin Yunshi.
She pushed the door open, and when she saw Lin Qian sitting cross-legged on the ground, she froze in place.