The palm tip sagged slightly, limbs in a semi-loose, semi-tight state, Chen Ang held his breath as his palms pushed out. The speed wasn't swift, yet exuded a Grandmaster's aura close to Yuelu.
Qu Feiyan, though young, held a considerable tenure in martial arts. Sensing the martial arts aura, she felt a remarkable facet. Observing Chen Ang's boxing style from the rear, she felt a touch of disbelief. It seemed like a layman's set of movements - something only physicians would study, yet in Chen Ang's hands, it exuded the essence of Tai Chi Fist.
Once, she witnessed a master practicing Great Sage and hanging a fist, where the man's movements mimicked those of a monkey. Chen Ang's Five Birds movements, however, seemed to fuse subtly and naturally. It created a sense of fluidity like clouds, with each move appearing effortless.
His boxing method evoked not just animal-like movements but also displayed a powerful impact within the human body. Muscles, firm yet gentle, adhered smoothly to Chen Ang's body, blending into each move, showcasing a harmonious and balanced figure.
It represented a realm and a realization, something hard for Qu Feiyan to articulate. She could only express that witnessing this picture allowed her to envision the perfect state of human body health. From head to toe, each inch wasn't the most dominant on its own, but combined, it epitomized ultimate health, peak perfection.
If there was a slight shortcoming, it was the strength in Chen Ang's eyes, disrupting the feeling of harmony. Yet, compared to the previously undisguised intense gaze, it had improved.
Chen Ang guided the body's internal force through the ordinary Five Birds play, entering a meditative state where the body's internal force flowed more naturally. Rather than forcing the internal force to adhere to optimal operation, he let it flow naturally, following the sequence's Chinese medicine rationality, its movement harmonizing with the body's motion.
This method of qi training, termed 'guidance' by Chinese ancestors, was long employed by Jiang Hu practitioners. The more efficient 'meditation' became the common qi training method in Jiang Hu, but some doctors in Jiang Hu continued exercising this way.
However, Chen Ang favored this method of regulating the body and mind. Though less efficient, it suited the body's natural practice of qi. The cultivated internal force was moderate, peaceful, effectively complementing the body's essence.
In general, meditation could exhaust individuals as it drew internal force from the body's energy, refining it into True Qi, naturally inducing fatigue. This was why traditional Jiang Hu stressed the need for gradual progression, cautioning against hasty advancements due to potential damage to a young person's Essence, Qi, and Blood.
However, the guidance method didn't deplete Essence, Qi, and Spirit; instead, it nourished and benefited them. After a set of punches, not only would internal strength improve, but energy levels would increase, enhancing overall spirit. It was a form of bodybuilding boxing often praised by internal boxers.
"Undoubtedly, internal forces, or rather 'qi,' hold an astonishingly vital status within the human body. My overpowering spirit burdening the body is fading away with the 'qi' adjustment. I sense my body's quick recovery to health. The spirit no longer weighs heavily on the body but, in coordination with 'qi,' nourishes and regulates it."
"Essence, Qi, and Spirit, the three treasures of the human body, the three fundamental elements of humanity, are truly not mere sayings. My current body, supported by 'qi' and 'fineness,' is now withstanding the daily enhancement!"
"Though overclocking pressure isn't an issue, mental power leakage remains, albeit controllable. Though I intended to slow down my cultivation pace, after just one month of spiritual supplementing, I now equate to a third-rate master practicing for thirteen years."
Chen Ang shook his head. It wasn't a favorable situation. Continued at this pace, the rapid development of 'qi' would soon enhance the spirit's speed, possibly resulting in a 30% increase in just six years. At that point, he'd face the issue of Essence, Qi, and Spirit imbalance.
"Sigh." Chen Ang lamented. Others fretted over slow upgrades, but his concern was the opposite - fearing it'd advance too rapidly. He'd be forced to embrace godhood before he was truly ready. By then, devoid of emotions, desires, and self-dilution, he'd become a true emotionless deity.
At that point, what differentiated the present 'Chen Ang' from death?
"Alas." Contemplating this gloomy prospect, Chen Ang couldn't help but sigh. Was the path to enlightenment real or merely a legend? Did becoming a deity signify transcendence? Could one genuinely reach Heavenly Dao through the human body, or was it mere myth?
The internal force within Chen Ang seemed to be akin to his existence, not constantly active, devoid of capacity or fluctuation, unlike typical martial arts energies.
Gazing at the pristine blue sky, Chen Ang was suddenly seized by an urge to reach out and touch it.
His toes altered slightly, as if defying gravity, causing his entire being to gently ascend a foot above the ground. His internal force streamed into his wide sleeves, causing a flickering light as the courtyard below shrank to a mere speck in his vision.
Sensing the wind's drumming caress, his expansive robes fluttered.
Chen Ang rode the wind's currents, floating higher. As if cushioned by the breeze, he felt it gently cradle him. A hint of blue flickered in his eyes as he keenly perceived each wind gust. Manipulating his robes with his internal force, he harnessed the wind's every whim, akin to a vast kite soaring aloft.
His spirit seemed to detach from his body as he drifted through the sky. He surveyed the scene below, rapidly expanding his vision. The horizon loomed closer, and the sensation of weightlessness intensified. As Yan Yan nimbly flitted past him, Chen Ang reached out to grasp it, but only felt the airflow it disturbed.
Observing from below, Qu Feiyan appeared dumbfounded. Staring at Chen Ang in the courtyard, her lips trembled. "This... I haven't woken up, have I? Is this a dream?" she muttered, pinching herself a few times, then doubled over in pain, gazing at the sky pleadingly. "Elder Immortal, please accept me! I'll cook and clean for you! Have mercy, Elder Immortal!"
Squatting on the ground, she implored the sky, "Master, I'm grateful for your teachings!"
"It's futile! I'm just displaying lightness, and it's not something you can learn!" Qu Feiyan saw stars and witnessed Chen Ang slowly descending, floating several yards away before swiftly departing. "I'm heading to the library; entertain yourself!"
Flight had always been a human dream. Holding the "Yongle Dadian" book, Chen Ang sat on the flying raft, his heart still abuzz with excitement. Luckily, this edition was a modernized version of the lost original. Chen Ang immersed himself in its contents.
Recent days had seen him delve deeper into Dao Scripture studies. He spent hours reading and contemplating daily. Concurrently, he debated with Taoist priests invited by Liu Zhengfeng. Presently, few in Taoism could rival his intellect; even a genuine Taoist endeavored to persuade Chen Ang to join the Great.
Considering the tempting 22,977 volumes of the Yongle Ceremony, Chen Ang contemplated it deeply. However, acknowledging the time factor, he resolved to wait for a faster storage device to record these treasures.
A vast array of books and hundreds of martial arts practitioners' insights flooded Chen Ang's senses, sparking countless moments of enlightenment daily. He realized that these invaluable treasures shouldn't linger in obscurity, transitioning from knowledge to wisdom, from accumulation to foundation.
Though he'd elevated the "Purple Dawn Divine Merit," he hadn't actively practiced it. Instead, he incorporated the "Intelligence" symbolized by this skill into his heritage. It evolved into his martial arts, a fusion of common cultivation techniques—combining, guiding, meditating, and forgetting, yet divergent in multifaceted ways.
Had Zhang Sanfeng still lived, he would discern the shadows of his Tai Chi within Chen Ang. Similarly, experts from various martial arts schools could identify their teachings embedded in his practice.
These insights were derived from the Black Tiger Boxing, Rapids Sword, Wudang Entry Sword Method, Inner Strength of the Five Strength Sword Factions, Hong Boxing, Iron Head Work, and other inherited martial arts, merging with profound human accumulation. This propelled Chen Ang towards sagehood, allowing his temperament to encompass a diverse range of Grandmaster styles.
Each day brought deeper insights into the understanding of 'qi,' continually refining his comprehension.