In Meditation with his sword, Jiang Xuan channeled the Natural Spiritual Qi (Wood) into his body and initially circulated the Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique.
Because he was constantly maintaining a state of attunement through the Unity of Man and Sword, the Natural Spiritual Qi mistook Jiang Xuan as part of Cyan Glaze, which further accelerated his Refinement speed.
However, halfway through his cultivation, his love for the sword made Jiang Xuan subconsciously switch to circulating the *One Qi Sword Technique*.
WHOOSH!
At Jiang Xuan’s command, the Spiritual Qi circulating within his body first converged into a single stream. Then, like an unsheathed Flying Sword, it shot rapidly through his meridians, performing a Circulation of Heaven and Earth.
This was, in fact, a very risky thing to do.
In this world, there was no rule saying that Spiritual Qi couldn’t harm its wielder.
Gathering Spiritual Qi into the shape of a sword created a current so fierce and a circulation so fast that the slightest mistake could pierce and damage one’s meridians.
This was why Cultivators must never be disturbed during their practice, and it was also one of the reasons the path of a Sword Cultivator was so difficult.
Fortunately, this danger that others would avoid at all costs was utterly trivial to Jiang Xuan.
The boons of being a Clear Heart Swordsman kept his Heart Spirit as clear as a mirror and made him one with the sword. Even the stream of Sword Qi formed from Spiritual Qi within his body was merely an extension of the sword in his hand—a part of himself.
Wherever his Heart Thought directed, the stream of Sword Qi followed. No matter how fast it circulated, there was absolutely no risk of him harming himself.
When the Spiritual Qi was gathered into a sword shape, the efficiency of imbuing it with qi and blood was poor, but the efficiency of imbuing it with spirit and intent increased dramatically.
However, what he was doing now was still not the full extent of the One Qi Sword Technique.
HUM!
As Jiang Xuan’s Heart Thought shifted again, the stream of Sword Qi that had been surging restlessly through his meridians suddenly changed course, flowing directly into his liver.
’The liver corresponds to wood, and Cyan Glaze is also of the wood element. Nurturing the liver with Wood-element Sword Qi will be a perfect match.’
VMMMM—!
As the stream of Sword Qi entered his liver, a vast surge of Wood Qi instantly washed over it, causing a slight, stinging pain. But this very stimulation was the beginning of a transformation.
Under the unique Technique of the *One Qi Sword Technique*, the Spiritual Qi and the liver continuously merged and were tempered. A wisp of pure, wood-element life Origin Qi slowly began to form within the organ.
Moreover, using the ability of his Mirror of Clarity (Observing Oneself), Jiang Xuan could clearly see several gleaming points of light appearing on the surface of his liver where it was being stimulated by the Sword Qi.
Those were the secret acupoints hidden within the Five Viscera, and this was the *One Qi Sword Technique*’s Acupoint Opening Method.
This Cultivation Technique was not merely a set of Slaughter Sword Techniques, but also a complete Qi Cultivation Technique. Its method for opening acupoints was to stimulate the Five Viscera with Sword Qi, forcing the hidden acupoints within the organs to reveal themselves.
His Heart Spirit perfectly clear, Jiang Xuan had long since committed the general principles of this Cultivation Technique to heart:
’The first step in cultivating the *One Qi Sword Technique* is to condense a breath of Primordial Qi. Then, I must refine this qi until it is pure. Only when the qi is pure and untainted can it be merged into the Five Viscera without harming the organs or polluting my origin.’
’The second and third steps of cultivation involve using this Primordial Qi to stimulate the Five Viscera in sequence, nurturing the Origin Qi corresponding to each of the Five Elements.’
’Once the Five Qi reach Perfection, they can be merged in the Unity of Five Qi to form Innate Primordial Qi.’
’During this process, not only will my Sword Qi grow stronger, but the secret acupoints within my Five Viscera will also be opened one by one. The power of the *One Qi Sword Technique* is determined by the number of acupoints opened and how deeply they are activated.’
But even this was not the end of the Cultivation Technique.
’The Five Viscera, the Five Elements, and the human body are all inextricably linked. The lungs, for instance, are considered the root of qi. They are connected to the skin, hair, and nose, are associated with the emotion of grief, are paired with the large intestine, and correspond to the season of autumn.’
’The spleen is the source of qi and blood transformation. It’s connected to the muscles and limbs, its vitality shows in the lips, it opens into the mouth, its emotion is contemplation, and it’s paired with the stomach, corresponding to late summer.’
’The Heart is the sovereign organ...’
Each of the Five Viscera has its own duties, and a change in one affects the entire system. They are connected to every muscle and every meridian. Because of these connections, the acupoints that the *One Qi Sword Technique* could open were not limited to the Five Viscera alone. By following the links between the organs and the rest of the body, it could potentially reach every part of his physical form.
This was the fundamental principle behind the *One Qi Sword Technique’s* method of opening acupoints.
’However, although the Five Viscera are closely connected to the rest of the body, starting from the internal organs to try and reach the skin and muscles adds an extra layer of difficulty.’
’Furthermore, this method uses Sword Qi to stimulate the internal organs, and the slightest mistake can damage their fundamental origin. This is why the *One Qi Sword Technique* is ultimately a lower Grade than the *Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique*.’
’The latter circulates qi in a stable and gentle manner, with no risk of Qi Deviation or demonic possession. It can be practiced by anyone, regardless of their innate constitution, and it progressively opens all the body’s acupoints, making it easy to transition to a High Tier Cultivation Technique later on...’
Overall, the *Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique* was superior to the *One Qi Sword Technique*. However, while the former was good, its strengths lay in its versatility and accessibility—and, at most, its comprehensiveness.
But in terms of compatibility with Jiang Xuan, it was inferior to the *One Qi Sword Technique*. After all, Jiang Xuan was a Clear Heart Swordsman and had even achieved the state of Cyan Glaze Sword and Man Unity. For him, the dangers of the *One Qi Sword Technique* were negligible, while its benefits were fully attainable.
Therefore, Jiang Xuan planned to focus on cultivating the Innate Qi Sword for the foreseeable future.
Of course, this didn’t mean he was abandoning the *Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique*.
For an ordinary person, it was best to focus on a single Cultivation Technique. It wasn’t enough to simply learn it; one had to advance it to a higher Realm. A single Cultivation Technique at a high Realm was far more useful than a hundred Low Tier ones.