Eternal Life Begins with Learning

"Qi Blood... is it really that miraculous?"

In his room, Chu Mu sat by the stove, bundled in a thick jacket. As he stared at the volume of True Martial Arts in his hands, the question couldn’t help but resurface in his mind.

Three days had passed since his injured return.

During those three days, aside from visiting Elder Doctor Li to have his medicine changed, Chu Mu spent nearly all his time holed up at home.

With his injuries still unhealed, there was naturally little Chu Mu could do.

His days were spent repeatedly recalling and analyzing the life-or-death battles in the mountains. He also set aside time to go to the Chang Mansion to study reading and writing. The rest of his time, naturally, was devoted to the "Body Refining Technique" in his hands.

In both his past life and his present one, True Martial Arts had been the stuff of legend to him.

The only difference was that in this world, he could confirm True Martial Arts actually existed.

And now, he was holding it in his hands.

What man doesn’t dream of roaming the world with a sword, free and unfettered?

’To hold True Martial Arts in my own hands...’

Even though several days had passed, Chu Mu still couldn’t hide his excitement in unguarded moments.

The Body Refining Technique was a volume of several dozen pages, rich with text and illustrations. Over the past few days, he had practically seared it into his memory. While he couldn’t recite it backward, he certainly knew it by heart.

Thanks to this familiarity, he naturally gained a general understanding of this world’s True Martial Arts.

Unlike his impressions of Martial Arts from his past life, the True Martial Arts of this world, in Chu Mu’s eyes, seemed to be... a gradual process of becoming inhuman!

A Martial Artist first calms the mind and cultivates their temperament, then practices the Pile Skill. With the aid of the Pile Skill, they focus their quieted mind to perceive their Qi Blood.

This is followed by a process of internal supplementation and external training.

Internal supplementation refers to taking medicinal formulas for Qi Nourishing and Essence Replenishing.

External training refers to practicing the Pile Skill to nurture and strengthen one’s Qi Blood, which in turn cleanses and fortifies the body.

The stronger the Qi Blood, the stronger one’s physical constitution becomes. And naturally, the closer one gets to becoming inhuman!

According to the Body Refining Technique, one who reaches Great Success will have a body like iron, impervious to blades and swords. They will possess the strength of a hundred stones and be able to shatter rocks and cleave mountains.

This description was obviously an exaggeration. After all, the strength of a hundred stones was only ten thousand catties. Power like that was enough to shatter boulders, but splitting mountains? Unless you became a human excavator, it was clearly not enough.

But without a doubt, a strength of ten thousand catties far surpassed human physical limits, reaching an inhuman level.

Let alone a body like iron, impervious to blades and swords!

’But... are there no concrete stages?’

A doubt he’d had for a while now resurfaced.

From what he remembered about Martial Arts, there were always clearly defined stages.

Things like "Bright Jin," "An Jin," or stages like "Bone Tempering and Hide Refining."

But he had scoured the entire Body Refining Technique and hadn’t found any clear divisions into stages.

He’d even specifically asked Wu Shuo yesterday but hadn’t received a clear answer.

It seemed to be just an extremely simple, repetitive cycle of nurturing and strengthening one’s Qi Blood.

No stages, no tiers!

After a moment of thought, Chu Mu gave up. He couldn’t figure it out and couldn’t be bothered to dwell on it. The True Martial Arts was in his hands—why overthink it?

’Besides, it’s highly likely I can’t figure it out for the same reason as before: my knowledge is too limited. I just haven’t reached that level yet.’

’Once I do, my perspective will broaden, and it will all make sense.’

’Calming the mind and cultivating my temperament shouldn’t be an issue.’

Chu Mu mused to himself.

According to the description in the book, this was the most crucial step for beginning the Body Refining Technique. Simply put, it meant quieting one’s mind and clearing it of distracting thoughts.

Only then, while practicing the Pile Skill, could one slowly perceive their Qi Blood, try to control it, nurture... and strengthen it, in order to cleanse and fortify the body. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Ever since he came to this world, the existence of Spiritual Radiance had prompted Chu Mu to consciously train his focus. Practicing martial arts and studying with a quiet, clear mind was already part of his daily routine.

So, this most crucial step for beginning the Body Refining Technique presented no real obstacle for him.

’As for perceiving Qi Blood...’

Chu Mu closed his eyes and tried to sense it again, but the result was the same. Other than the faint, stinging pain from his wounds, he felt nothing.

’The Pile Skill...’

Chu Mu glanced down at the volume in his hands. Clearly, he wouldn’t be able to perceive anything without the Pile Skill recorded in the Body Refining Technique.

It was just that in his current condition, practicing the Pile Skill was obviously out of the question.

’I’ll just have to wait...’

Chu Mu sighed. It was agonizing to have True Martial Arts in his hands but be unable to practice it.

Glancing around the room, Chu Mu thought a command, and the familiar Light Curtain Panel materialized in his field of view.

[Name: Chu Mu.]

[Skill:

Basic Blade Technique (Initial Glimpse) 263/500]

[Spiritual Radiance Value: 156.7%]

In just a few days, his Blade Technique had progressed more than halfway through the Initial Glimpse stage... No, to be precise, it had all happened in a single day and night.

This was all clearly thanks to the several life-or-death battles in the mountains.

Chu Mu remembered his Blade Technique Skill Level had already been over 240 when he left the mountain. The additional ten-odd points were naturally the result of his reflection and analysis over the past few days.

’If I practice the Body Refining Technique, my Blade Technique Skill Level should skyrocket...’

Chu Mu considered that Power was currently one of the biggest limitations on his Blade Technique.

Even though his Blade Technique had reached the Initial Glimpse stage and was more than halfway complete, his physical conditioning limited him; he’d never been able to properly control the weight of the Long Saber.

This limitation was magnified immensely during clashes of Power, especially when fighting other people.

If he practiced the Body Refining Technique, his physical fitness would improve and his Power would increase. His control over the blade would naturally soar as well.

’The rewards were immense!’

Chu Mu let out a long breath. One trip into the mountains, one bloody battle after another, the lives of over a hundred Inspectors...

One man’s joy is another man’s sorrow.

And he, Chu Mu, was undoubtedly on the joyful side of that equation.

His personal strength and Blade Technique had improved significantly, and he had obtained a True Martial Arts manual, the Body Refining Technique. Furthermore, his external power and status were bound to rise, thanks to the five heads he’d collected and the favor he’d gained from Wu Shuo after distinguishing himself.

Though he was heavily injured, the rewards far outweighed the price he had paid.

After all, the Inspectors who had lost their lives would merely be compensated with a death benefit, their positions filled by replacements.

In comparison, Chu Mu was undoubtedly the lucky one.

As he mulled things over, Chu Mu removed the thick jacket covering him and carefully rose from his chair.

Heavy snow had fallen on Nanshan Town for days. The snow in the courtyard was now deep enough to cover his ankles, and that was after Xu Yuan had shoveled it just last night.

Chu Mu glanced up at the dim sky, hesitated for a moment, then went back inside to throw on a thick Beast Hide coat before heading out into the wind and snow...

...