Chapter 17: Kung Fu

Teacher Yan said: "The breathing method taught by the sect before is similar to the exercises. It can also cultivate spiritual power, but it is relatively crude and only suitable for cultivators before the third level of Qi Refining. After the third level of Qi Refining, you have to choose a real exercise to learn. Of course, you can continue to use the breathing method, but the practice will be much slower..."

"This is the list of exercises for the sect's outer disciples to practice. The list lists the name of the exercise, the applicable spiritual roots, the required spiritual stones, the spiritual objects to break through the bottleneck, and the effectiveness of the exercise. Take a look at it yourself."

Teacher Yan handed out the list, and each disciple got a copy, including Mo Hua.

The list was very thin, only a dozen pages, but it densely recorded about dozens of exercises and related matters.

"If you have any questions, you can ask me." Teacher Yan said.

The disciples were silent for a moment, and then one of them raised his hand and asked:

"Sir, are the skills also divided into attributes and grades like spiritual roots?"

Teacher Yan glanced at the disciple and said:

"You are already at the third level of Qi Refining, and you still ask such a simple question. It seems that you didn't listen carefully to Teacher Zhou's class. Go back and copy "The Beginning of Cultivation" and give it to me in three days."

The disciple was struck by lightning, stunned for a moment, and had to lower his head and said, "Yes." But he regretted it in his heart.

I was careless and forgot that it was not Teacher Zhou who was giving the lecture. I asked whatever I thought of...

Teacher Yan looked around and said earnestly:

"Teacher Zhou is old and has a good temper. If he doesn't discipline you more, you may not listen carefully in class. But choosing the skills is of great importance. I will explain it to you again. Listen carefully and don't think it's boring."

The disciples sat up straight one after another.

"The spiritual roots of cultivators are divided into both attributes and grades, and the same applies to the cultivation methods."

"The attributes of spiritual roots are mainly based on the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire and earth. Some are single elements, some are mixed elements, and there are also small and large elements with all five elements. In addition to the five elements, there are also some special spiritual roots that are transformed from the five elements, such as ice spiritual roots, thunder spiritual roots, wind spiritual roots, and yin and yang spiritual roots. These spiritual roots are quite rare and generally difficult to encounter."

"In addition, spiritual roots are divided into nine grades according to their qualifications, from the lowest, lower middle, lower upper, middle lower... all the way to the highest grade, and each grade has a large difference. The higher the grade of the spiritual root, The better the talent for cultivation, the higher the upper limit of spiritual power that can be contained in the sea of ​​qi. "

"The classification of skills is also divided into attributes and nine grades, which is basically the same as spiritual roots. When choosing skills, you should base it on your spiritual roots. You should choose skills of the same attribute as your spiritual roots; and you should choose skills of the same grade as your spiritual roots."

"The attributes of the spiritual roots determine the spiritual power characteristics of the cultivator. The rarer the attribute, the more special the spiritual power of the cultivator; the grade of the spiritual roots determines the talent of the cultivator. The higher the grade, the higher the cultivation talent of the cultivator."

...

"Then the rarer the spiritual roots, the better?" A disciple asked timidly.

"Not necessarily. This is a good thing for disciples with inheritance from large families and sects. But for ordinary cultivators, the rarer the spiritual roots, the fewer skills they can choose. Some even can't find skills to learn, which is not a good thing." Yan Jiaoxi explained.

"What if the attributes of the skills are different from the attributes of the spiritual roots?" A disciple asked.

"Nothing will happen," said Yan, "because you can't practice it. You, a cultivator with gold and water spiritual roots, can't learn the earth and wood system's skills at all."

"Are there no exceptions?"

Yan raised his eyebrows and said, "At least there is no exception in the Taoist records of more than 20,000 years of the Taoist Court. If you encounter it, you can tell me so that I can learn more."

The disciple shrank his head and stopped talking.

"Teacher, does the grade of the skills have to be the same as the grade of the spiritual roots?" Another disciple asked.

Teacher Yan said: "High-grade spiritual roots can practice low-grade techniques, but low-grade spiritual roots cannot practice high-grade techniques."

A disciple wondered: "If the spiritual roots are high-grade, why choose low-grade techniques? Wouldn't the spiritual power you cultivate be less?"

Teacher Yan said: "The higher the grade of the technique, the more spiritual stones you need to practice, and the more precious the natural treasures that can break through the bottleneck. Some natural treasures are simply not affordable for ordinary cultivators. Don't choose a high-grade technique, and then find that you can't afford it halfway through the practice. It will be too late to regret it then."

"What if you have a low-grade spiritual root but learn a high-grade technique?" the disciple asked again.

Teacher Yan said, "According to the "Cultivation Methods and Principles" records, if the level of the method exceeds one's own spiritual roots, after practicing, most cultivators will absorb too much spiritual power, which will damage their Qi Sea. In severe cases, the Qi Sea will collapse, and their cultivation will be completely wasted. Some even go astray and die."

"Some go astray, but does that mean there are also some who don't?" A disciple asked with bright eyes.

Teacher Yan looked at him meaningfully:

"Don't always think that you are the most special one. Others will have problems if they learn it, but you may be fine if you learn it. Some people may have good luck in practicing Taoism, but don't pin your life and death on this ethereal luck and seek death yourself."

Many disciples present had such thoughts, and they were all a little scared when they heard this, and dared not have any other thoughts.

Teacher Yan added: "These are not isolated cases, but countless bloody lessons learned in the development of Taoism for more than 20,000 years. If you don't learn from the experience of your predecessors, you will easily make mistakes. Once a cultivator goes astray, he is often helpless. Some people can turn back, but some people can never turn back." Teacher Yan sighed, looking a little lost. Mo Hua felt that Teacher Yan seemed to be a little worried. But Teacher Yan didn't say anything else, but pointed to the "Tongxianmen Qi Refining External Sect Practice Catalog" and said: "You should follow what I said just now, look for it in it and choose a suitable one. Remember, don't be too ambitious in practicing Taoism, the right one is the best." The disciples lowered their heads and flipped through the practice catalog. Mo Hua knew the general idea and began to look for practice. He was a middle-lower-grade spiritual root, so he could only practice middle-lower-grade practice, but he was a little curious about what the top-grade practice was like. Mo Hua first flipped to the end of the catalog and looked at a few top-grade exercises:

"Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Jue": Upper and lower grade, suitable for cultivation of earth-type spiritual roots, can cultivate spiritual power for 120 cycles, at least 5,000 spiritual stones need to be refined to complete the Qi Refining Period, and natural treasures are required: Xuanhuang grass, bitter water root, Tianxuan stone...

"Soft Water Jue": Upper and lower grade, suitable for cultivation of water-type spiritual roots, can cultivate spiritual power for 130 cycles, at least 5,200 spiritual stones need to be refined to complete the Qi Refining Period, and natural treasures are required: Hundred-year-old rootless water, silver snake blood...

"Five Elements Qigong": Upper and lower grade, suitable for cultivation of gold, wood, water, fire and earth five elements spiritual roots, can cultivate spiritual power for 150 cycles, at least 6,000 spiritual stones need to be refined to complete the Qi Refining Period, and natural treasures are required: Jinyuan stone, molten fire stone, hundred-year-old soil...

...

Mo Hua was amazed.

"It takes at least five or six thousand spirit stones to complete the Qi Refining Stage. This is just the spirit stones for refining, not including the natural treasures that assist cultivation and break through bottlenecks. Some rare natural treasures may cost more than five or six thousand spirit stones..."

Mo Hua worked hard for a month and only earned fifty spirit stones. The consumption of five thousand spirit stones made Mo Hua's scalp numb.

Mo Hua also heard from others that ordinary casual cultivators, even if they have top-grade spiritual roots, can't afford to practice top-grade exercises.

If you must practice, there are generally only two ways.

One is to find a big sect, worship the elders of the sect as a teacher, enter the inner sect, be bound to the sect, and never leave the sect for life.

The second is to find a family to marry into and let the family provide you with cultivation, but the family will ask you to change your family, abandon your name, parents, origin and everything in the past. Although you have a future, you are no longer yourself...

No matter what you choose, it is basically considered as human dependence. Although there is hope for cultivation, you can't help yourself.

No wonder monks often say that fate comes first, luck comes second, and feng shui comes third.

A monk's fate is determined once by his spiritual roots and once by his birth.

It is not easy to change your fate...

Mo Hua sighed deeply.