Chapter 163: Chapter 125: Mystic Barrier!
The cold chilled the air, and frost whitened the windowsill.
Chen Ku donned the Zhangge Transformation and experienced the ability of Spiritual Introspection.
He closed his eyes.
Suddenly, he felt as if he had opened a "Heavenly Eye" within his body. At this moment, he could see the internal structure of his body with incredible clarity.
It was as though he was performing a spiritual dissection on himself.
He started with the skin, moving inward to clearly see the flesh, bones, and sinews beneath.
It was as if Chen Ku was undergoing Spiritual Projection, using a god’s-eye view to inspect his body’s internal construction, every part’s internal makeup...
This is Spiritual Introspection, clearer than the medical instruments of my previous life.
Chen Ku had previously acquired the Bait Mouse’s transformative ability, which made his belly transparent and allowed him to see his internal organs, but that was nothing compared to true Spiritual Introspection.
The so-called Spiritual Introspection seems to involve scanning oneself with one’s own spiritual power. If that’s the case, even though I haven’t reached the Mystic Barrier Realm yet, acquiring the Spiritual Introspection ability must mean I’ve been blessed with a surge of spiritual power from the Mystic Barrier Realm...
Chen Ku vaguely understood the essence of Spiritual Introspection.
From the teachings of his master, Yang Luochen, he had come to roughly understand the truth of the Mystic Barrier Realm—it was the key to unlocking the human brain’s latent potential.
The brain is the seat of the spirit, and unlocking this treasure trove could initiate some unimaginable potential of the human body.
Therefore, after opening the Mystic Barrier, one could not only introspect spiritually but also achieve micro-manipulation of the body’s internal muscles, thereby acquiring unimaginable abilities.
At this moment, using Spiritual Introspection, Chen Ku reviewed his body from limbs to internal organs and surprisingly found some minor hidden injuries in his spleen and stomach.
He was slightly shocked. In daily life, I’ve never felt discomfort in my spleen or stomach, always believing I was in good health. I didn’t expect that under Spiritual Introspection, I’d actually see these minor flaws. Could these be side effects from my martial arts practice or from consuming potent medicines?
He silently analyzed.
Logically, with the various abilities from the super-evolutionary Flower Fox Mink, such as enhanced digestion and detoxification, he shouldn’t have such problems.
Yet, the problem with his digestive system did exist, small yet real.
This suggested that although the Flower Fox Mink’s abilities to detoxify and digest were present, they were not infallible.
Even water can wear through stone.
Let alone the fragile human body.
As the old saying goes, ’Humans consume all sorts of grains; it’s impossible to never fall ill.’ Everyone has minor issues; no one is perfectly healthy. This is especially true for Martial Practitioners who rigorously temper their bodies; developing some hidden injuries is quite normal. The question is how to heal and eradicate these potential problems.
Chen Ku couldn’t help but recall his master Yang Luochen’s teachings regarding the cultivation of the Everlasting Youth Classic. Yang Luochen had mentioned that when Martial Practitioners reach the Fourth Realm, the Meridian-Opening Realm, they can live up to 120 years. This is because, at that stage, Martial Practitioners have sufficient mastery over their bodies to repair all minor damage, maintaining themselves in peak condition without leaking Vital Energy, thus enabling them to live longer.
Based on this theory, the fundamental point of martial arts practice is "Health Cultivation"—adjusting one’s state to its absolute best before pursuing further evolution.
Previously, without Spiritual Introspection, I hadn’t spotted the issue with my spleen and stomach. Now that I have, although this minor hidden flaw doesn’t affect my normal life or actions, nor does it seem to react when I fight, it’s often such breaches that lead to a dam’s collapse. Minor ailments can develop into serious diseases over time; accumulation of damage leads to illness. It seems I need to pay attention to nurturing my digestive health from now on.
Chen Ku grew cautious, yet he also felt he had gained an earlier advantage.
After all, most Martial Practitioners only start noticing these minor bodily issues and begin addressing them after reaching the Mystic Barrier Realm, or even later in the Third Realm (Jade Skin) or the Fourth Realm (Meridian-Opening). If he started Health Cultivation early, he would build a better foundation than others, winning at the starting line.
He placed the issue of his gastrointestinal health as a top priority for the future.
Only then did Chen Ku begin exploring his brain.
Observing the brain spiritually.
Instantly, he perceived his body’s most complex and mysterious organ. It looked like a labyrinth, with its many intricate and winding parts clearly visible.
According to the ’Inner Qi Rushing to the Brain’ method described in the Mystic Barrier Chapter of the Everlasting Youth Classic, to channel Inner Qi to the brain, it must first circulate around the Girdle Vessel, then pass through the throat chakra, travel along the neck, and finally surge into the Jade Pillow Acupoint at the back of the head. That is where the Life-and-Death Mystical Pass is located, a pass with three distinct thresholds.
Chen Ku recalled the Qi Pathway for Inner Qi Rushing to the Brain outlined in the Everlasting Youth Classic; it presented a complete Qi circulation route. This pathway was the most precious route among Medicine King Hall’s foundational Cultivation Techniques.
Different families, sects, and guilds all had their own distinct routes for channeling Inner Qi to the brain. Some started at the Conception Vessel and entered through the Baihui Acupoint. Others began at the Governing Vessel and entered through the Heavenly Pillar Acupoint at the back of the head. Different starting points and entry locations naturally resulted in varying paths to reach the brain’s Mystic Barrier.
However, Yang Luochen had told Chen Ku that Medicine King Hall’s route for Inner Qi Rushing to the Brain began at the Girdle Vessel and entered the brain through the Baihui Acupoint at the back of the head. This route was considered safer and more reliable compared to those of other sects and guilds in Baojiao County.
This was also a characteristic feature of Medicine King Hall’s Cultivation Techniques. With Health Cultivation as its foundation and a deep respect for life, it was aptly named the ’Everlasting Youth Classic’.
Exhaling slowly, Chen Ku began to mobilize the Inner Qi throughout his body.
Instantly, his muscles began to tremble. Beneath his skin, Inner Qi formed into little pockets, resembling small mice scurrying underneath.
He needed to locate the Girdle Vessel first. This was because the meridians of the human body are notoriously difficult to detect. Even if a body were dissected, the specific locations of the meridians could not be easily found.
Only when Inner Qi rushes to the brain, nourishing it, and the Life-and-Death Mystical Pass is opened, thereby unleashing the brain’s spiritual potential, can one use Spiritual Introspection to locate one’s own meridians.
This presented a problem. Martial Practitioners at Inner Qi Perfection must first channel Qi through the meridians to the brain to open the Life-and-Death Mystical Pass. Only then can they achieve Spiritual Introspection and subsequently find their meridians...
This seemed like a paradox.
In other words, without Spiritual Introspection, Inner Qi Martial Artists theoretically shouldn’t be able to find their meridians. So how could they channel Qi through meridians to the brain?
Chen Ku reviewed the contents of the Mystic Barrier Chapter and the solutions proposed therein, marveling at the ingenuity of the ancients.
Indeed, the meridians are difficult to see.
However, the ancients, through experience, could identify and mark the entry points of major meridians, passing this knowledge down to posterity. Such a mark is called an ’Acupoint’.
There are two such Acupoints on the human body around the waist, known as the ’Girdle Vessel Acupoints’—one on the left and one on the right. These are the entry Acupoints to the Girdle Vessel channel.
The term ’Acupoint’ (xuédào), literally means ’cavity/hole’ (xué) and ’path/tunnel’ (dào). It implies an entrance on one side and an exit on the Other Shore. The road in between is the meridian.
However, locating Acupoints requires precise measurement. The Girdle Vessel Acupoints, for instance, are found at the intersection of a vertical line dropping from the free end of the eleventh rib and the horizontal line level with the navel, specifically one point eight inches below the Zhangmen Acupoint of the Liver Meridian. To find the ’Zhangmen Acupoint,’ one must again use other reference Acupoints for measurement.
In essence, the system of meridians and Acupoints throughout the human body constitutes a profound field of study.
Then, he began to guide his Inner Qi into the Girdle Vessel.
He already possessed the ability of Spiritual Introspection. This made locating the Girdle Vessel Acupoints and entering the Girdle Vessel much easier for him than for others. Soon, he found the Acupoints, and his Inner Qi surged into what felt like a warm river.
The Girdle Vessel is located in the waist, encircling it like a belt, hence its name.
All of Chen Ku’s Inner Qi revolved around his waist once.
He maneuvered his Inner Qi through the Girdle Vessel, completing one Cycle. Suddenly, he felt that the Inner Qi, having passed through this loop, seemed to have been nurtured, becoming more harmonious and serene.
It was as if a person, about to enter a porcelain shop wielding a sharp weapon, had the weapon’s edges blunted beforehand to protect the fragile contents—in this case, his vulnerable brain.
Merely completing this single Cycle of circulating Inner Qi through the Girdle Vessel took until the next day had dawned.
And that was only one meridian, one Cycle.
I’ve only circulated through one meridian, and it took an entire night! That’s far too slow. It’s said that reaching the Fourth Realm, Meridian-Opening, requires opening and expanding all the major and minor meridians throughout the body. This is like upgrading the body’s Qi and blood pathways to ’highways,’ allowing Inner Qi to flow unimpeded like a torrential river. This not only allows for rapid Qi recovery but also constantly nurtures the Inner Qi...
Chen Ku briefly let his thoughts wander.
Then he controlled the Inner Qi to exit the Girdle Vessel, heading toward his upper body and passing through his throat.
While passing through the throat, he kept his mouth shut tight, not daring to let any Qi escape.
Focusing intently, he guided the ball of Inner Qi around his neck. As it reached his nape, it ascended in an instant to the Jade Pillow Acupoint, where it gathered.
The entire process felt like performing surgery on himself internally, using a Spiritual Attitude to control the Inner Qi.
The Jade Pillow Acupoint is located at the occipital bone—the bone at the back of the head that rests on a pillow during sleep.
Entering through the Jade Pillow Acupoint, with Inner Qi Rushing to the Brain, was the method prescribed by Medicine King Hall.
At that moment, if anyone could have seen Chen Ku, they would have witnessed a large bulge forming at the Jade Pillow Acupoint on his occipital bone, as if he had been struck there with a stick.
I’ve reached the Jade Pillow Acupoint! Now, I must charge in! Beyond it lies the Life-and-Death Mystical Pass!
Chen Ku knew this was the most dangerous move. One mistake, and his second chance at life would end prematurely.
Therefore, he slowly released the Inner Qi into his brain, all the while cautiously using Spiritual Introspection to observe the Inner Qi charging into the Jade Pillow Acupoint.
As the bulge at the back of his head seemed to deflate, the Inner Qi poured into the Jade Pillow Acupoint in one concentrated surge.
In front of Chen Ku’s eyes, a myriad of intricate, blood-red pathways appeared. This sight would be the most challenging part for most people. Even the slightest misstep, or a deviation in the Inner Qi’s flow, could cause a collision with one of these vascular networks, leading to instant brain death.
Fortunately, he could use Spiritual Introspection to elevate his viewpoint. Amidst the thousands of red networks, he identified the correct pathway, the one corresponding to the Qi Pathway detailed in the Mystic Barrier Chapter of the Everlasting Youth Classic from Medicine King Hall. With a surge of effort...
He charged along this route.
After a short time, vaguely...
Under Spiritual Introspection, Chen Ku saw what seemed like a tall gateway appearing before his Inner Qi, resembling a city gate, blocking the path ahead.
Mystic Barrier! Mystic Barrier! This is the Mystic Barrier!
A fervent heat burned within him. He poured all the Qi Power he had accumulated since beginning his martial arts practice into this endeavor, transforming it into the force needed to break through the barrier.
BOOM!!
Suddenly, it was as though a clap of thunder exploded at the back of Chen Ku’s head, startling all creation. This explosive sound also shook his room, both inside and out, at that very moment.
「At that time.」
Inside Chen Ku’s room, all his family members had gathered, drawn by the commotion: his brother-in-law Li Yuancheng, his sister Chen Tian, his mother, his sister-in-law, and Hu Zi.
"What’s happening with Er Lang? It’s been four days! What was that noise?"
Chen Ku, still in a daze, vaguely heard what sounded like his brother-in-law Li Yuancheng’s voice, "Everyone, be quiet! He’s done it! He’s succeeded!"
Li Yuancheng raised his hand, silencing the others. Then, they all saw Chen Ku slowly opening his eyes on the bed.
The moment Chen Ku opened his eyes, Li Yuancheng stared into them. They were ten times brighter than before, so luminous they seemed capable of blinding someone. A faint glow swirled within his pupils, making them resemble two vibrant, living gemstones.
He watched the transformation in his young brother-in-law’s eyes with utter disbelief, his voice trembling as he stammered, "Inconceivable... Absolutely inconceivable! The Mystic Barrier... at seventeen!"