Chapter 21: The Qi-Refining Genius

Right there in the gazebo, Fang Cun listened to Master Lan Shuang explaining the wonders of the Qi-Refining methods until dusk fell.

He listened intently, and Master Lan Shuang explained carefully. Though Fang Cun had a reputation as a useless good-for-nothing playboy, he had actually studied the Seven Classics diligently before. Combined with his natural wisdom and strong understanding, both teacher and student felt quite satisfied with the session.

When the initial teachings on cultivation were finished, he saw that dusk was approaching. Master Lan Shuang finally put down the scripture scroll.

After drinking the tea Fang Cun personally poured for him, he stretched slightly and smiled. “The early Qi-Refining methods aren’t hard to learn. The difficulty lies in how to practice. Your talent is quite good. If you’re willing to put in the effort, your progress won’t be too slow. Anyway, early on, you’ll need over a month to nourish your Qi and prepare. There’s no hurry to start. First, contemplate the scripture’s meaning. When I have time, I’ll wait for you here. If you have doubts, you can also come find me in the cave dwelling behind the Flying Waterfall Courtyard. My dwelling is behind the three large willow trees!”

“Thank you, Teacher Lan…”

Fang Cun stood up, deeply grateful. Out of habit, he took out a stack of silver notes…

Holding them out, he suddenly hesitated.

If it were any other Instructor, an offering would be expected. But facing Master Lan Shuang…

“Ho ho, forget such vulgar things!”

Master Lan Shuang understood his intention and waved a hand, smiling. “Just remember, do not disgrace your elder brother’s name…”

Fang Cun was taken aback for a moment. Then, he nodded seriously.

Watching Master Lan Shuang leave, Fang Cun sighed. He could see that this Master Lan Shuang genuinely meant to teach him. However, though the man had instructed him all afternoon and promised he could come seek answers to his troubles, he still hadn’t revealed any intention to accept him as a personal disciple. Fang Cun understood this perfectly. After all, the fate of the Fang Family was still uncertain right now…

The fact that the other was willing to guide him at all was a kindness. He couldn’t ask for more.

When he returned to the Fang Residence by carriage, the whole family was waiting.

It seemed everyone was extremely curious about the Second Young Master Fang’s first day at the Academy.

However, Fang Cun wasn’t in the mood to chat with them. After accompanying Elder Fang and the Lady of the house for dinner, he simply said he was tired and needed to return to his room to rest early. Elder Fang and the Lady naturally didn’t dare delay him, readily agreeing again and again while immediately arranging for lotus seed soup.

Fang Cun firmly stated again that he didn’t want lotus seed soup, didn’t want Fuxinyuan pastries, didn’t want Yunwu Mountain tea, and that he needed to return to his room to review his lessons — no one was to enter his bedroom… including Madam Fang, who particularly liked barging in suddenly using the excuse of delivering tea or snacks… Then Fang Cun finally went back to his bedroom. He had a maidservant stand guard outside, then barred the door from within.

“Qi-Refining… Qi-Refining… Cultivation… Cultivation…”

Sitting at his desk, silent and concentrating for a while, Fang Cun then settled cross-legged on the bed, earnestly reviewing everything he had learned that day.

……

The Qi-Refining method was actually very simple!

All humans possess innate Qi. By nourishing this breath and using it to connect with heaven and earth, drawing Qi into the body, one can cultivate Magical Power. Using this Magical Power to gradually nourish the physical body step by step, one can refine a Treasure Body, achieving wonders beyond the imagination of ordinary mortals.

So, as the saying goes, the most important thing in cultivation is that mouthful of Innate Qi.

The first realm of cultivation is Foundation Establishment!

Foundation Establishment means refining the Treasure Body, hence it’s also known as the Treasured Body Realm.

The very first step towards refining the Treasure Body is Nourishing Qi!

After Nourishing Qi comes Refining Breath. After Refining Breath, one achieves the Treasure Body, transcending the mundane.

This so-called Nourishing Qi is actually about nurturing that mouthful of Innate Qi.

People’s Innate Qi differs, determining the quality of their talent. Besides this innate difference, another important reason is that although every person’s measure of Innate Qi is predetermined, not everyone constantly exists in the best possible condition of their Innate Qi. The most common situation is that people often fall far short of their individual limits.

For instance, someone’s Innate Qi might naturally be 3.13 cun (about the length of one finger-joint). However, if they don’t usually take care to nurture their body – perhaps lacking sufficient nourishment or indulging in wine and sensual pleasures – then their manifested Innate Qi is often less than 3.13 cun. Displaying only 3.07 or even 3.08 cun is quite common. If they’ve suffered a severe illness or committed some wrong deeds that weigh on them, their Innate Qi could be even weaker.

Therefore, the first step in cultivation is nourishing yourself, to bring your Innate Qi to its peak condition.

Take the pills you need to take, undergo the tempering you need to undergo – in short, do whatever it takes to reach your personal limit.

Reflecting on these concepts, Fang Cun quietly sensed his own Innate Qi.

Then, very quickly, Fang Cun laughed softly.

This first step of Qi-Refining, the Nourishing Qi stage, varies from person to person. Some need ten days, half a month, or even several months to adjust their Innate Qi to its best state. Others, living a comfortable life with strong constitutions, might only require two or three days of rest to skip right past this step. For himself, Fang Cun soon had the answer…

He didn’t need to nourish his Qi!

His Innate Qi had already been elevated beyond its limit thanks to Merit.

His current Innate Qi was 3.28 cun. And since it had only been boosted yesterday, he hadn’t had a chance to ruin it yet…

……

Skipping this initial step, Fang Cun then focused his mind on contemplating the second step of Qi-Refining: Refining Breath!

He sat cross-legged on the bed, slowly emptying his mind, feeling for that stream of Innate Qi within his body…

The speed of this step was also related to his natural talent.

The stronger the Innate Qi, the easier it was to calm the mind and sense it.

If the Innate Qi was weak, not only was progress naturally slow, but the person was also more prone to distracting thoughts, making it harder to achieve mental stillness.

Could anyone say Second Young Master Fang’s talent wasn’t good?

3.28 cun! An outstanding result!

The step described by others as taming the noisy heart and galloping thoughts, to calm the spirit? He passed through it easily too…

After sitting on the bed for less than half an hour, he could clearly sense his Innate Qi. The feeling was very strange, like slowly opening his eyes in darkness and seeing a cluster of bright, clear candlelight…

The height of the candle flame: 3.28 cun!

It was the manifestation of his Innate Qi, appearing in his mind’s eye.

……

He simply watched this candle flame quietly, letting himself grow accustomed to this state of internal vision. Time slipped away. He didn’t know how long passed, but when he could clearly see the flame for long stretches without his mind easily wandering, he finally exhaled slowly. Then, following the method described in the Qi-Refining scripture, he began to use his consciousness to guide his breath. Slowly, he started practicing a specific breathing rhythm.

This rhythmic breathing technique was the Qi-Refining method itself. It subtly contained a profound mystery of heaven and earth, and could be mentally guided. At first, this breathing felt very uncomfortable. But he forced himself to endure it. When he adapted to the rhythm, a strange sensation gradually appeared.

With each inhale and exhale, the candle flame in his inner vision – his Innate Qi – would brighten and dim alternately.

Using mouth and nose like openings, it seemed some kind of force within the natural world was stirred by his Innate Qi, slowly flowing into his body.

This energy felt pleasantly cool. Wherever it passed, his entire body felt comfortable and refreshed.

And each wisp of this energy was identical to his Innate Qi: also 3.28 cun!

As he drew this energy into his body, Fang Cun could even slowly guide it to circulate through his body. Wherever it went, the various meridians seemed to be gently opening. He felt a faintly stinging yet profoundly comfortable sensation, very much like the kind of massage he remembered from a previous life – you scream like a dying pig while it’s happening, but afterwards, it feels like your whole body has opened up, every pore screaming ‘comfort’.

“Is this Internal Breath?”

Excitement stirred within Fang Cun. His mind wavered, momentarily losing that sensation.

He knew what that flow of energy was.

Drawing the later-born Qi via the Innate Qi, introducing the Energy of Heaven and Earth into the body, circulating it through the meridians – this was Internal Breath!

Internal Breath could also be called: Acquired Qi!

There were many ways to enhance Internal Breath: he could continue practicing this breathing, ingest natural treasures, take Qi-Refining pills, or even receive transfers from others. But no matter which method was used to improve Internal Breath, it ultimately fell under the broad category of Acquired Qi!

Innate Qi is only that single breath gifted by Heaven and Earth at birth. Everything cultivated afterward is Acquired Qi!

……

“Having gained this strand of Internal Breath, does that mean I count as a Qi Refiner now?”

Fang Cun pondered: “It just took me half the night to reach the second step of cultivation. Seems my aptitude truly is good now…”

After experiencing this first step of cultivation, he finally understood the critical importance of Innate Qi.

The strength of his Innate Qi determined the strength of the Acquired Qi he could draw during each breathing cycle. For the same duration of breathing practice, someone with 3.30 cun of Innate Qi would gain three-tenths more than someone with only 3.00 cun. At first glance, it didn’t seem like much. But one night? How much more then? If both practiced for eight or ten years, how large would the gap between them become?

This gap started widening from the very beginning and only grew bigger over time…

“Cultivating with my 3.28 cun Innate Qi already gives me a clear advantage…”

Fang Cun thought to himself: “Then what if I boosted my Innate Qi further? To 3.33 cun? Or even… higher?”

He felt a thrill at the thought. If he really could keep boosting his Innate Qi—to 4 cun? 4 feet? Or even 4 zhang? (40 feet)

Wouldn’t each breath of his then draw in vast amounts of Internal Breath?

What does the word ‘genius’ mean?

Me!