That was why almost no one else practiced multiple techniques simultaneously—it simply wasn’t worth the effort.
But Jiang Xuan was different. He had the Profession System.
’Because I’m a Clear Heart Swordsman, practicing the One Qi Sword Technique is a much smoother path for me right now.’
’In the future, when I take up the Qi Cultivator profession and practice the Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique, I’ll gain its associated bonuses as well.’
’The unique enhancements from my profession allow me to practice two, or even three, Cultivation Techniques simultaneously without any obstacles.’
’But there’s truth to the saying, "don’t bite off more than you can chew." For me, practicing two Cultivation Techniques at once is my limit. Any more would be a waste of time.’
...
These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Jiang Xuan quickly cleared his mind of all distractions, his consciousness returning to his liver. He focused on the continuous stimulation of the sword qi flow on the organ and the acupoints that grew increasingly distinct under its influence. Then, using the Wood Origin Qi generated by his liver, he combined it with pure Wood Qi to slowly nourish the newly revealed acupoints.
The Wood Element governs Vitality, giving it a natural bonus when nourishing the acupoints of the liver, an organ that also belongs to the Wood Element. Due to this synergistic effect, Jiang Xuan only needed to expend seventy percent of his Magical Power to steadily nourish an acupoint to the Solidification Realm.
Furthermore, after achieving the Unity of Man and Sword, he leveraged the Cyan Glaze Sword’s ability to attract Natural Spiritual Qi, drawing vast amounts of Wood Qi into his body. This abundant Spiritual Qi, combined with his affinity for the Cyan Glaze Sword, allowed him to convert far more Magical Power than usual.
With all these factors combined, before the morning’s training session was even over, Jiang Xuan had already successfully opened three acupoints within his liver.
’In the time I have left this morning, I can open two more acupoints, for a total of five... If I can manage another five this afternoon, that’s ten acupoints in a single day. At that rate, I’ll have thirty in three days, which is exactly enough to earn an ’Excellent’ Evaluation!’
An Excellent Evaluation was within his grasp, and a glimmer of hope appeared in Jiang Xuan’s eyes.
However, his cultivation wasn’t entirely smooth sailing.
The One Qi Sword Technique was, after all, a Slaughter Sword Dao Skill. While its power was incomparably sharp, the process of practicing it could easily damage one’s own foundation.
For instance, Jiang Xuan could feel that his liver was already at its limit. The One Qi Sword Technique used stimulation to reveal the acupoints within the liver, and in the process, he had drawn upon a massive amount of the liver’s Origin Qi. This had taken a huge toll on the organ. Even with Spiritual Qi to replenish it, he could still feel a dull ache in his liver.
’I can’t keep focusing on my liver. It needs to rest.’
With that thought, Jiang Xuan shifted his focus to his heart.
He chose his heart for two reasons. First, the heart is considered the sovereign of all organs, the very root of life, and the master of the Five Viscera; its foundation was exceptionally strong. Second, the heart belongs to the Fire Element. In the cycle of the Five Elements, Wood fuels Fire, so he could use the abundant Wood Qi in his body to help stoke his Heart Fire.
...
With a thought, Jiang Xuan guided all the surging Wood Qi within his body into his heart.
BOOM!
As the Wood Qi infused it, the qi and blood within Jiang Xuan’s heart instantly combusted, erupting into a raging Heart Fire.
The searing flames sent a burning sensation spreading through his meridians, engulfing his body and mind. But the effect was immediate. This method—using Heart Fire to refine Spiritual Qi—was the most violent and direct way possible. In a mere instant, it refined all the Spiritual Qi that had entered his body into pure Magical Power.
Then, this newly condensed Fire Element Magical Power surged toward the acupoints that had been revealed within his heart, beginning the slow process of nourishing them.
With his Mirror of Clarity (Observing Oneself), Jiang Xuan could easily observe the acupoints within his own body.
His heart was a part of him, so of course it was also visible to his Mirror of Clarity (Observing Oneself).
To Jiang Xuan’s amazement, the heart was truly worthy of its title as the sovereign of all organs, the master of the Five Viscera. The acupoints located within it numbered a full nine.
By comparison, his liver had only contained seven.
’The Nine-Orifice Heart Palace and the Seven-Orifice Liver Mansion,’ he mused. ’It fits, both with the numerology of the Five Elements and the heart’s status as the sovereign organ.’