"USB flash drive…" Song Shuhang's feeling at the moment was roughly the same what the members of the group felt when they found out that he used an induction stove and a hot pot to refine pills.
Medicine Master removed the thumb drive, and threw the small black sword at Song Shuhang, "Come, take the flying sword first. Tomorrow, I'll tell you Great Master Profound Principle's address, find time to send it through express delivery back to him."
Song Shuhang repeated, "…Send it through express delivery back to him?"
"Of course, did you expect me to send it back?" Medicine Master asked rhetorically.
Song Shuhang shouted, "No, what I meant was… aren't flying swords supposed to 'whoosh' back?"
"Haha, how's that possible? It can't fly back. When the flying sword came, it needed energy to do so! When it flew here, Great Master Profound Principle could supply it with that energy. However, when the flying sword makes its way back... Great Master Profound Principle is hundreds of miles from us, he doesn't have the ability to transfer energy from that far away. Also… this flying sword is exclusive to Great Master Profound Principle, only he can use it. Therefore, I can't transmit my energy into it." Medicine Master explained.
"Why is it now of all times that it abides by the law of conservation of energy?" Song Shuhang could not go on without making fun of it, "And, this black flying sword's already been sharpened, right? Sharp blades can't be express-delivered, right? Even if it could be delivered, what if such a precious thing gets lost in the delivery?"
Medicine Master smirked, "Don't worry, I've mailed flying swords tens of times, there's definitely no problem. Great Master Profound Principle's sword is accompanied by a concealment formation—unless its master agrees, no one else can see it. So, this flying sword can only be sensed and seen by the master and two other people—you and I—who've been granted the permission. In other people's eyes, the flying sword is invisible and does not exist. On top of that, the flying sword is extremely light, any large parcel will cover it up. Besides, there's no fear of losing it in delivery; the flying sword has the owner's imprint, so even if it were lost, it could be found at any time. Anyways, take it easy."
"Even if you say so, I still feel weird, using express delivery to send back a flying sword." Song Shuhang carried the flying sword in his hand, feeling conflicted.
"Don't think about it too much. Alright, the thumb drive's seal has been undone. Catch, ❮True Self Meditation Scripture❯ and ❮Basic Buddhist Fist Technique❯." Medicine Master threw the jade-shaped thumb drive to Shuhang.
Just in case, Great Master Profound Principle left a seal on the thumb drive. One must have the correct way to undo the seal. If it's forcibly undone, the thumb drive and the seal will be destroyed together.
After Song Shuhang caught it, sure enough, he saw the thumb drive connector. It really was a thumb drive!
"Cough, before learning the techniques, I must remind you of something. It's different from medicine pills, magical treasures, and so on which are external items; techniques must not be imparted impetuously!" Medicine Master reminded.
Song Shuhang was a newbie who knew absolutely nothing about cultivators, so Medicine Master had to clearly explain some taboos.
"Techniques received from others or sects must not be imparted to others recklessly without obtaining the permission of the original owner first! This is a taboo among cultivators! For example, if you wish to impart these two techniques onto others, you must first receive permission from the owner, Great Master Profound Principle, and give him something of equivalence. Those who receive the techniques from you must also abide by the rules and cannot impart the technique to anyone on their own. It's the same way as I had to receive permission from Great Master Profound Principle before imparting you the two techniques.
If you're found to have privately imparted a technique to a third party, no matter if it's the Nine Provinces Number One Group, or the entire realm of cultivation, no one will ever want to impart their own techniques onto you again." Medicine Master warned again.
Techniques are equivalent to a sect, the basis of cultivators. No one would want their sect's techniques to be spread everywhere, and so private impartment was a definite taboo.
Of course, if you created a technique, you have the freedom to impart it to whoever you want.
Song Shuhang nodded to express that he understood—the techniques that were created toilsomely were private property, and to impart one onto him was already a sign of respect. If he then imparted the technique that belonged to someone else onto a third party, how dishonorable would that be?
Receiving the thumb drive, Song Shuhang couldn't help but get excited.
Taking deep breaths, he switched the computer on and cut off his Internet connection, then cleaned his entire computer of viruses.
He did not have many things installed; killing off viruses took only a little over a minute.
Next, he carefully plugged in the thumb drive into his computer.
Medicine Master stood quietly behind Song Shuhang, nodding with satisfaction. Even if he was excited, Song Shuhang never lost his cool. To maintain this personality would help him along his path of cultivation.
Song Shuhang opened the thumb drive, which contained two folders.
❮Basic Buddhist Fist Technique❯
❮True Self Meditation Scripture❯
He clicked on the folder again to see a total of eighteen images—each image was a photo of a picture scroll.
He clicked, opening the first image.
Although the name was ordinary, that didn't matter as long as it was formidable. Besides, martial art was normally like Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palm—each move, each form will have a fierce name like 'The Dragon is Seen in the Fields', and 'The Divine Dragon Swishes its Tail', so even if the overall name was plain, its moves and forms should have fancier names, right?
He was filled with anticipation and excitement.
Then, he looked at the name of the move.
'Basic Fist Number One'
The characters were in Traditional Chinese.
It's over.
There was no awesome continuation like 'Buddhist Demon Subduing…' it was simply Basic Fist Number One.
Song Shuhang opened the second image, Basic Fist Number Two.
Unwilling to give up, he opened the third image. Basic Fist Number Three.
"…" Alright, Song Shuhang knew he did not need to look at the rest anymore.
Next were 'Basic Fist Number Four' to 'Basic Fist Number Eighteen.'
Medicine Master looked at Song Shuhang clicking through each of the images, bemused, "What are you doing exactly?"
"Looking at the names of the moves." Song Shuhang replied, "Didn't think the names would be so simple..."
"As long as it's practical, the names are just a label to separate the order of the moves." Medicine Master answered in a composed manner.
Makes sense, it's practical. Song Shuhang nodded, but he felt a hint of disappointment inside.
Just imagine, if he and someone else were to rendezvous for a battle at the summit of the Forbidden City.
A light roar from the opponent, soaring into the sky and unsheathing his sword in an elegant form, "Celestial Flying Immortal!"
Then, he sneers and takes a large stride forward, throwing out a right fist, "Basic Fist Number Three!"
He already lost a whole lot on presence.
"Stop mooing about the names. It doesn't have any use, and if you really care, then just change the name in the future for yourself," Medicine Master replied indifferently. "Come, I'll explain to you the first few stages of a cultivator, and the purpose of Foundation Establishment."
Song Shuhang sat up properly, concentrated his attention, and listened earnestly.
"In the path of cultivation, there are countless paths and techniques, and each school and sect has their own way of cultivation. However, no matter if one is a Daoist cultivator, a Buddhist cultivator, a Ghost cultivator, or a Demon cultivator, the first step toward becoming a cultivator is essentially the same—to temper the body, and condense the body's qi and blood energy. This step is Foundation Establishment.
Foundation Establishment's first step is external strengthening through basic fist techniques, leg techniques, sword techniques… and so on, tempering the body to allow it to be in a state where qi and blood are overflowing. Then, internal strengthening through meditation techniques will gather the overflowing qi and blood, and condense it within the Heart Aperture. Normally, without taking medicine pills and only training diligently, it will take roughly a hundred days for the Heart Aperture to be filled with qi and blood, when one will be successful in opening the Heart Aperture. Once the Heart Aperture opens, all the accumulated qi and blood will transform into a sliver of qi and blood energy. This is Foundation Establishment, also known as Opening Aperture.
Once the Heart Aperture opens, one is formally recognized as a cultivator, beyond mortals, known as First Stage Mortality Transcender Realm."