"Heaven feeds man with Five Qi, called wind, heat, damp, dryness, and cold."
"The Five Qi enter through the nose, are stored in the heart and lungs, and transform within the five viscera. They give birth to the qi of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, governing the five human forms of joy, anger, sorrow, worry, and fear."
"Among these, the liver belongs to Wood, governs anger, and gives birth to green qi. The heart belongs to Fire, governs joy, and gives birth to red qi. The lungs belong to Metal, govern sorrow, and give birth to white qi. The spleen belongs to Earth, governs worry, and gives birth to yellow qi. The kidneys belong to Water, govern fear, and give birth to black qi."
"When the body does not move, the essence is stabilized and water returns to its origin; when the heart does not stir, the qi is stabilized and fire returns to its origin; when the true nature is still, the soul is stored and wood returns to its origin; when delusional emotion is forgotten, the spirit is subdued and metal returns to its origin; when the four elements are at peace, the intent is settled and earth returns to its origin."
"The key to the Five Qi Towards Origin lies in gathering the body and mind, keeping the heart from wandering outward, and keeping emotions from chasing after things."
"These Five Qi also serve as a protective radiance for the body, able to contain Primordial Qi and ward off a hundred illnesses."
"..."
After silently reciting these contents a few times, Qin Mu looked at the detailed introduction below.
The cultivation method record stated that this was a Sect-Protecting Art taken from an Ancient Sacred Land, the number one cultivation method under heaven!
It could be cultivated whether walking, sitting, or lying down.
While progress was rapid, the foundation was also extremely solid.
It could be cultivated regardless of which Spiritual Root one possessed.
However, the cultivation method record only contained the Qi Induction and Qi Refining chapters, one chapter short of the Foundation Establishment chapter that other methods had.
The complete version of the Sect-Protecting Art contained all nine stages: Qi Induction, Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Nascent Soul, Tribulation Crossing, and Mahayana.
It was clearly stated above that the subsequent chapters were kept in the Imperial Town Demon Division.
Only those who had risen to the official rank of Commander, possessing top-tier merit, could transcribe them.
After reading this last line, Qin Mu could only sigh inwardly.
Among the more than sixty cultivation methods he had gone through, only this one was the most perfect, but the requirements for its continuation were far too high.
The previous sixty-odd methods not only included the Qi Induction, Qi Refining, and Foundation Establishment chapters, but also stated that in order to obtain the subsequent chapters, aside from exchanging merit points, one could also buy them with money.
Yet this method required one to have risen to the rank of Commander and to possess top-tier merit.
Neither of these two requirements was something an ordinary person could achieve.
He shook his head slightly and looked toward the next method.
The entire cultivation method record contained a total of eighteen hundred cultivation methods, some taken from Secret Realms, some from other Sects, and others compiled by highly cultivated individuals of the Imperial Court.
By the time he finished reading through all eighteen hundred methods, the sky had already reached noon.
At this moment, the page reflected in Qin Mu's eyes was still the sixty-seventh page.
He had now read through all eighteen hundred methods, and while it broadened his knowledge, it also made him understand just how precious a superior cultivation method truly was.
Choose a mediocre method, and the later stages would only grow weaker.
As for a lower-tier method, every step of progress would be extremely dangerous.
After much deliberation, Qin Mu finally made up his mind.
"I'll go with this one, and figure out the subsequent chapters slowly later!"
His eyes fixed on the five characters 《Five Qi Towards Origin Art》, and he gritted his teeth and began transcribing.
The content of this method totaled less than a thousand characters. After spending half an hour transcribing it, he stood up and respectfully returned the cultivation method record to the old man in the Black Robe behind the counter at the entrance, then left the Dharma Transmission Pavilion, carrying the method he had transcribed.
Since it was lunchtime, there was no one in the Yamen aside from the Captain on Guard Duty.
After walking out of the Yamen, Qin Mu returned home to eat lunch, rested for a while, then set out to return to the Yamen to look for Qi Shayu.
However, the Banner Lord's figure was nowhere to be seen again.
He could only stay in that Room, which required candlelight to illuminate, carefully reading through the transcribed 《Five Qi Towards Origin Art》.
During this time, the upgrade Prompt Sound, which had rested all morning, would ring in his mind every so often.
"Clang, clang, clang..."
By the time the gong for the end of workday rang, the Ruyi Jingu Bang's Level had already reached level ninety!
"Level ninety already, that fast!"
Qin Mu glanced at the experience acquisition record and saw that the appearance rate of Cold Iron Essence Ore was even higher than the previous night—almost every five or six times, a message of Experience +50 would appear.
Marveling at the other's Fortune, Qin Mu gave a feedback to the other party while keeping the rest of the feedback for himself.
.....
Sensing the familiar coolness emerging from his Weiling Acupoint, Zhang Qianren, who was sitting cross-legged to one side resting through meditation, immediately showed a look of joy, excitement appearing on his aged cheeks.
"It's only been four or five days, and this old man's Gold Spiritual Root has already grown to 9 points!"
"At this rate, in another month or two, this old man's Gold Spiritual Root will surpass the original Fire Spiritual Root and reach mediocre talent!"
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, the fatigue in his body receded like a retreating tide.
"Longevity is right before this old man's eyes—how could this old man rest?!"
"That's for dead men!"
"This old man must increase his Gold Spiritual Root by one more point before dawn tomorrow!"
With this thought, Zhang Qianren stood up with an excited Expression, gripped his iron shovel tightly, and continued digging downward.
The muddy ground, originally as hard as iron, had already been dug by him into a deep pit over a dozen zhang deep.
On the surrounding pit walls, many fist-sized hollows had been carved out.
These were exactly where scattered pieces of Cold Iron Ore had once been embedded.
.....
The night had grown deep;
After dinner, Qin Mu had already burned incense and bathed.
It was now the Yin Shichen （3:00 AM to 4:59 AM）.
Although he had stayed up all of the previous night and had now stayed up again until this hour, he felt not the slightest trace of drowsiness, his heart filled with excitement.
To appear solemn, he put on the official robe of a Clerk, hoping in his heart to borrow a bit of the National Destiny of the Great Yu Dynasty Court, so that his own luck might turn a little better.
After roughly ten-some minutes, at last, a Prompt Sound rang out in Qin Mu's mind.
"Your Ruyi Jingu Bang has increased to level 100. You will receive feedback of Gold Element Spiritual Root +1. You may choose the feedback recipient."
As this upgrade sound rang out, the interface carrying the Ruyi Jingu Bang's information suddenly unfolded on its own before Qin Mu's eyes.
【name: Ruyi Jingu Bang】
【rank: innate supreme treasure】
【Level: LV100】
【Experience: 50/10100】
【Trait: Ruyi （Size as Desired, Changing According to One's Will）】
【weight: 135,000 jin】
（Because the Ruyi Jingu Bang has recovered part of its Spirituality, its weight and size have begun to change. Though it may be as fine as a needle, it carries the strength of ten thousand jun, and all its transformations are entirely determined by its Master's will.）
【transform: 10】
【remarks: Devouring any Metal will provide Experience and weight to the Ruyi Jingu Bang, and when it levels up, it will bring you some feedback.】
【introduction: The Ruyi Jingu Bang is also known as the "Lingyang Rod" or the "Heavenly River Bottom-Fixing Divine Iron," as well as the "Heavenly River Bottom-Fixing Divine Treasure," with a maximum weight of 135,000 jin.
It was originally a Measuring Rod used to gauge the depth of the sea, but later, through a fortunate coincidence, it fused with Primordial Violet Qi and was Promoted to Innate Supreme Treasure, its Power becoming unpredictable and mysterious!
Legend says that when its Power is unleashed, it can measure the Cosmic Sea of Stars and stabilize the Torrent of Spacetime!】
After Qin Mu finished reading this passage, he immediately noticed that the Panel had been updated, with two new attributes added: "weight" and "transform."
At the same time, the Ruyi Jingu Bang sent a message to him.
Upon receiving this message, Qin Mu processed it for a moment and immediately came to a sudden realization.
Prior to this, although the size and weight of the Ruyi Jingu Bang had been determined by the Treasure Holder's will, the "Ruyi" Trait had only been partially unlocked.
No matter how it changed, the weight perceived by the enemy and by the Treasure Holder would always be the same.
But the ability unlocked this time was an enhanced version of the previous one.
The weight perceived by the enemy and by the Treasure Holder would no longer be the same.
In other words, the Ruyi Jingu Bang in the Treasure Holder's hand might look like an Embroidery Needle, and weigh the same as an ordinary embroidery needle, yet when it struck someone else, the force behind it could be ten thousand jin, or even a hundred thousand jin!
And currently, its maximum force was 135,000 jin!
It had truly reached the Power where a graze would wound, and a light tap would kill!
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