Ancient Strengthening Technique
Chapter 1 Qing Clan, Qing Shui.
This is a small village surrounded by hills and mountains, the scenery is breathtaking. The village’s surroundings are filled with the abundance of flora and fauna. Even the quality of the air here is fragrant beyond comparison.
Sitting atop of a hillside, was a little boy, roughly about five years old. The little boy was frail and weak, with a very thin physique. Currently, the little boy was in a daze. If anyone was to look at the little boy at this moment, they would be flabbergasted! He could be considered considerably good looking, with that delicate small face and a pair of beautiful black eyes, but in this instance, the sorrowful expression in his eyes was not fitting for his age. It was a look that no ordinary five years old should be able to emulate.
“It has been five years.. Why did I appear in this world? This world and my original world are drastically different, I’m even unsure of what era of history this place belongs to, the only thing I know is that this continent is called Kyushuu.
“Everyone in my current family has the capability to practice martial arts. Why is it that I am a useless trash that is unable to cultivate?” Qing Shui mumbled. The moment there were any hints of strenuous exercise, he would get exhausted, have to gasp for air, palpitations in his heart and even fall unconscious!
“I was originally playing Western Fantasy with my classmates. How on earth did I suddenly end up in this world!?”
“Qing Shui! Qing Shui!” The voice of a woman sounded. Upon hearing it, Qing Shui gradually recovered from his melancholy and regained the bright-eyed naive look of a 5 year old child.
“Mum, I am here!” After he said that he waved his hands and quickly ran towards a woman who excluded a charm that was distinctively different from any ordinary village women.
“Child, why did you travel so far to play? If you want to go that far in the future, let me accompany you, alright?” Holding his hands, the woman smiled with a tender look in her eyes as she gently berated Qing Shui.
Qing Shui felt warmth in his heart. When he came to this world, he was still a fetus developing inside the woman’s body. Now that five years had passed, Qing Shui was uncertain of the exact reason, but he no longer thought of things as before. He knows that this woman really feels affection for him, other people treats him as trash, but she’s the only one in this world that treats him like a treasure!
Since his birth, Qing Shui had not seen his father. From infancy till now, it had always been this gentle and graceful woman before him that was responsible for his upbringing.
As a result, Qing Shui followed the surname of his mother. His mother is named Qing Yi, belonging to the Qing Clan. The Qing Clan in the Qing village, in this remote region, was considered the absolute authority. The Qing Clan was the most influential family within a 100 li radius because of their connections, as well as their secret family martial arts techniques that were passed down generation after generation. The Qing Clan could be considered as the only family that could rival the top three great families in Hundred Miles City!
As a result, in this remote region, no one could afford to make an enemy out of the Qing Clan. Qing Shui knew all of this because, in these five years, while the other kids in the family practiced martial arts, Qing Shui was the exception. Therefore, he had plenty of free time on his hand and thus, paid more attention to the information flowing around.
Even the commoner kids would practice some form of inferior martial arts. Even in his past life, Qing Shui also had the mentality and wish to become a top-tier expert that possessed heaven shaking and earth shattering strength, able to sweep humanity off its feet.
The chance had finally come, he was reincarnated into a different world. However, he turned out to be a trash that could not cultivate! As he thought of this, he covertly glanced at the beautiful lady by his side. Qing Yi was also gazing at Qing Shui compassionately but there were hints of doting, hope, and a sense of unfairness for Qing Shui in her eyes…
As he glanced at the hope in her eyes, Qing Shui lowered his head. He was afraid that Qing Yi would be disappointed. All parents in this world would want their child to achieve something outstanding in life, it goes without saying, no parents would ever want their child to be a trash! However, looking at the current circumstances, Qing Shui was afraid that he would have no choice but to disappoint his mother.
In the last five years, the one that fed and clothed him was this woman. This woman whom which he calls mother, Qing Shui was very afraid that she would one day leave his side.
“Qing Shui, are you hungry? Even if you go out to play, you still have to remember to eat your meals!” This woman had always been intellectual and caring, possessing a demeanor akin to an angel. This made Qing Shui feel that his mother was not ordinary, initially, he thought that people respected her because she is the daughter of the Qing Clan’s grandmaster, but it seems that this was not the case.
“Mother, am I useless? Other children can practice martial arts, but I am unable to.. Will you eventually become the same as them and think of me as trash?” Qing Shui whispered, his expression somewhat holding back tears.
Qing Yi felt her heart shuddered with pain, the weight of her hope was pinned onto this child’s shoulder. However, this child was unable to cultivate, her hope was destined to be extinguished. One cannot have everything they want in life. Forget about Qing Shui accomplishing anything outstanding, as long as he can live a carefree and happy life, she would be extremely satisfied!
“Shui’er, no matter what, you will always be close to my heart. No matter what, I will always love you, you will always be my pride and joy, in my heart, you will always be the most excellent and outstanding person, only when you are happy Will I be happy!” Qing Yi chastely kissed his cheeks.
Such heartwarming and affectionate actions were quite common between them, Qing Shui was quite used to it. He felt extremely blessed, no matter what, there is still someone who love him. With regards to those who calls him trash or looks down on him with contempt, what does that matter? He just could not help but feel sorry that he had not met Qing Yi’s expectations.
Qing Clan was located at the most northern site of the Qing Village. Over there, everywhere within a radius of about 10 Li was all populated by the Qing Clan main and branch families. Currently, the clan master of the Qing Clan, Qing Luo was already a hundred years old, but due to him being at the peak of Houtian Stage, he still looked like a middle aged man. Humans at the peak of Houtian Stage had a life expectancy of two hundred years, as compared to normal humans who only had a life expectancy of a hundred and thirty years.
Qing Yi is the youngest daughter of the Qing Clan’s clan master. The clan master had a total of four sons and a single daughter. Qing Yi was the only daughter, not only that, she was also the youngest child. Needless to say, she was the apple of his eyes. The Qing Clan, currently collectively had about twenty plus grandchildren, one could say that Qing Luo was very contented. He would always smile genuinely from his heart even when he interacted with Qing Shui. There were countless talented geniuses within the two later generations, so even if there was an addition of one more genius or one more trash, it didn’t really matter much in his eyes. Furthermore, Qing Shui was the son of his precious daughter Qing Yi, even if he could not cultivate, as long as he could peacefully live out his life, Qing Yi would also feel reassured. And as such, Qing Luo was very protective of Qing Shui.
Located within the Qing Clan, there was an enormous courtyard. This courtyard an extremely important place in the Qing Clan. As both Qing Yi and Qing Shui entered, they could see the grandsons and granddaughters of the Qing clan boisterously practice their martial arts, every one of them was akin to a ferocious tiger cub!
Qing Yi could see the sadness in Qing Shui’s eyes so she silently sighed. This child at such a young age had such an unyielding personality that seeks strength, it may be a curse instead of a blessing..
She gently guided Qing Shui into her embrace, unwilling to let him see the children that were currently practicing martial arts!
But all her actions were futile because, at this moment, sounds of ridicule and contemptible laughter targeted at Qing Shui rang out. This sensation was even worst than being directly called trash!
Chapter 2 – Three Years Later
Time flowed by, like an arrow shooting speedily across eternity, akin to a white steed flying across a gap. Even though Qing Shui had grown taller, he still looked delicate and scrawny. His only saving grace was his pair of beautiful black eyes which seemed to have become even more charming with the passage of time. To Qing Shui, the passing of time was not very advantageous. He was still unable to cultivate any martial arts!
“Qing Shui! Qing Shui!” A youth with a robust build comparable to a tiger ran over, shouting for Qing Shui.
Whenever he had spare time, Qing Shui usually chose to jog on the nearby hills and mountains. He loves the quiet solitude of the open hills, being out with nature calms him down and helps him to temporarily release the burden in his heart, making him become less irritated. As he grew older, the frequency of which he jogs gradually increased with time.
Qing Shui turned his head and saw that the person calling him was actually his closest friend, Qing Hu!
Qing Hu was younger than Qing Shui by a year. He had already managed to master the Qing Clan’s hereditary martial skill “Blue Lotus Art” to the 3rd grade of Martial Warrior.
Cultivation in this world could be broken down into 10 realms. These 10 realms are: Martial Student, Martial Warrior, Martial General, Martial Commander, Xian Tian, Martial King, Martial Saint, Martial Emperor and False God. Each of these realms further consisted of 10 grades.
Qing Hu was the youngest grandson of the Qing Clan, there were 3 other grand children the same age as him. It could be said that during the year he was born, the Qing Clan had been blessed with a total of 4 grandchildren.
There were many members of the same generation as Qing Shui in the Qing Clan who despise him, this was a world where cultivation was everything. For someone who was destined to be unable to cultivate, that person could only be considered trash and held in contempt by everyone. The only true friend he had was Qing Hu!
The moment he stepped into this world, because of his lack of cultivation talent, it was already determined that Qing Shui would be lonely and forsaken by others.
Qing Shui had lived for a total of 26 years. 18 years in his previous world and 8 years in this world. Thus, his mentality was a lot stronger than a normal child’s, he did not cry out nor feel abandoned despite his loneliness. In spite of all of the bullying, there was basically no one who had ever seen him cry or throwing a tantrum!
Qing Shui was also reluctant to squabble with the stinking brats because of such insignificant matters. He had no patience for them. Despite the increasing amount of cold stares and sarcastic remarks floating his way, he was unconcerned. However, he really treasured his friendship with Qing Hu. Despite the fact that Qing Hu was a little kid compared to him, he was still really happy to have made a true friend in Qing Hu.
The Qing Clan’s grand master, Qing Luo’s cultivation was at the peak of the Hou Tian Realm. Out of his 4 sons, 3 had already reached the level of a Martial Commander, 8th Grade. Some were at the peak of the 8th stage and some were not.
The only exception was the 2nd son, Qing He. Qing He had already reached the level of a Martial Commander, 9th Grade! However, no matter how much he tried, he was still unable to breakthrough into the peak of the Hou Tian Realm [1].
Now, Qing He needed to fully concentrate on his cultivation, hoping to make a breakthrough and enter the level of Martial Commander 10th Stage, reaching the peak of the Hou Tian realm. Only when there are 2 peak Hou Tian stage experts within the Qing Clan, will they be able to clash directly with the Shi Family from Hundred Miles City!
Within the 3rd generation, there are also quite a few geniuses. Because of Qing Luo’s personal nurturing, the eldest grandson, Qing Zi, had already broken through to Martial Warrior, 7th Grade at the age of 21!
Another outstanding genius, by the name of Qing You, actually broke through to the realm of Martial Warrior, 6th Stage at the age of 13. This cultivation speed was even 2 years faster than Qing Zi. This made Qing Luo extremely elated, to the point where he was even smiling in his sleep. The meaning behind reaching the same stage with a 2 year difference was extremely clear. Qing You could be compared to those heavenly-defying geniuses, a genius among geniuses! Qing Luo had tremendous faith and huge expectations regarding this grandson of his.
In this world, where cultivation was everything, the topics of discussion between people naturally revolved around cultivation. This word “cultivation” was the bane of Qing Shui. He detested everything that had to do with it. And so, whenever he was neither sleeping nor eating, he would jog in the hills and mountains alone, basking in the great solitude of nature.
As time passed, his personality became colder and colder, Qing Yi was the only one who had the capability to coax out a smile from him. Even Qing Luo was unable to thaw his frosty countenance.
Qing Shui doesn’t know that each time Qing Yi saw his lonesome figure, she would feel stabs of pain in her heart. During the past 3 years, Qing Yi had accumulated countless precious medicinal herbs for Qing Shui, to try and help him improve his constitution, but it was all for nought.. The frosty expression on his face would thaw during the times when he was asleep, only when he was having a good dream would he be able to truly smile in his heart.
—-
“Hey Qing Hu, why are you sneaking out to play instead of cultivating? Are you not afraid of your Father punishing you by hitting your buttocks?” Qing Shui intense visage loosened up and he broke into a slight smile as he joked with Qing Hu.
“No problem, it’s not painful at all, nothing to be scared of!” Qing Hu brushed it off lightly. Qing Shui felt that the way Qing Hu replied was very adorable, as if he was pretending to be an adult.
“Alright, let’s go back now! If not, Aunt Yi will come and catch you again.” Qing Hu said in a commanding tone as he opened his eyes wide!
Qing Shui softly sighed as he glanced at Qing Hu’s strong, robust body, comparing it to his own frail and delicate one. “Do I have to live like this, being unable to cultivate for the rest of my life? Why are there so many stories of legendary characters transcending dimensions, becoming world-shaking experts, but I’m the only exception?” Qing Yu lamented in exasperation.
—–
Qing Shui and Qing Hu arrived back at the mansion just when Qing Yi was about to go out and look for them. Upon seeing them, Qing Yi hurriedly ushered them into the dining hall for the reunion dinner. Today was the last day of the month. During the last day of every month, the Qing Clan would hold a reunion dinner where the whole family eats together. This way, there would be a place for family members to exchange news as well as it being a time for family bonding.
Seated at the main table, alongside Qing Luo was Qing He, Qing Zi and Qing You. The other remaining members of the second and third generations were not privileged enough be seated at the main table along with the geniuses of the Qing Clan.
Despite Qing Zi and Qing You being in the third generation, they were able to dine at the main table because of their strength and talent. This sitting arrangement was arranged by none other than Qing Luo. He wanted to nurture the rest of the clan members by creating an atmosphere of friendly competitiveness. Being seated at the main table was a position of honour. It was something that everyone regarded like a badge of glory. Not only that, the allowance of those seated at the main table was also much higher compared to the rest of the clan members!
Qing Shui silently finished eating at Qing Yi’s side, the other clan members of similar strengths would usually congregate together with the exception of Qing Shui. Ever since he was young, Qing Shui had always been alone. As a mother, seeing her child bereft of friends and companionship, Qing Yi felt really helpless!
Qing Yi had always suppressed her emotions deep in her heart. 3 years.. In these 3 years, it seemed that his demeanor had completely changed. In the past, there would still be moments where Qing Shui occasionally exhibited his childish side. Now, Qing Shui seemed to have aged prematurely in both his personality and mentality, losing his childhood in the process. As Qing Yi look at the lonesome figure of her beloved son, tears would involuntarily flow down her face.
She had broken down and wept tears of helplessness countless times in the past 3 years!
Chapter 3 – Body Transformation!
Qing Shui dejectedly walked out of the Qing Mansion. Other than going to the nearby hills and mountains, he had no other place to go. Coming to this place, a place where he had visited countless times before, he looked towards the horizons, over the peaks of endless mountains and deep valleys, thoughts of suicide crossing his mind. However, every time he thought of suicide, memories of a woman filled with gentleness and hope would appear in his thoughts. He told himself that no matter what, he must persevere and live on. For the sake of that hope-filled gaze which belonged to his mother!
Qing Shui was unwilling to remain as a trash like this. The more he thought about it, the more anger he felt. When the anger inside of him bottled up to the point of eruption, traces of madness appeared in his eyes and he roared at the heavens. “Sh*tty heavens, I will never give up! If you want to suppress me, I, SHALL, SUPPRESS, YOU!” A voice filled with a thousand ounces of unhappiness echoed far and wide.
After yelling, Qing Shui deliriously chose a path up the mountain and began to sprint upwards. He wanted to vent all of his negative emotions, such as the dissatisfaction and anger he felt by exhausting his energy. He felt that he might explode if there was no outlet for release.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Only sprinting a short distance actually made him emphysematous and starting to feel tightness in his chest; Qing Shui gritted his teeth, ignored his body reactions and continued sprinting onwards.
Aches in his body, coupled with the difficulty in breathing resulted in rivulets of sweat, akin to the flow of a small stream cascading down his face. This actually stimulated his will to persist.
“I will not admit defeat, I have to be stronger, I must endure…….” Qing Shui was already delirious as he haphazardly ran around for an unknown amount of time. He ran and ran and ran, to the point where he was no longer fully conscious. And finally, darkness claimed him.
Time passed slowly by, the skies had already turned dark as the moon rose to its acme. Cascading downwards was beams of silvery light, looking as gentle as an angel descending from the heavens, casting their shine onto Qing Shui. Qing Shui was still unconscious, his delicate body looked tiny and pitiful where he had fainted, halfway up the mountain pass.
—
Back in the Qing Clan, Qing Yi was in a fluster as she realised that Qing Shui was missing. She immediately went to the nearby hills Qing Shui frequented in an attempt to search for him. However, there were no traces to be found. Unwilling to give up, she persisted on to no avail.
Qing Yi returned to the Qing Clan in a panic and hurriedly ordered all of the servants and slaves to join in the search for Qing Shui. Everyone became terrified as they witnessed an insane looking Qing Yi display her power. Only now did they remember that she was actually an expert, her previous graceful and gentle demeanor had completely disappeared as she searched for Qing Shui.
—–
At the moment right before Qing Shui fainted due to over exhaustion, there was an endless rush of knowledge and information gushing into his mind. It was as if a hidden door had been forced open.
Strengthening Techniques, Meditation Techniques, Alchemy, Smithing Skills, Hidden Weapon Techniques, Tailoring, Cooking, Hunting, Foundation Building skills and various other Craftsmen techniques . . . . . . . . . .
“Ahhh, aren’t these the abilities I had when I was playing [Western Fantasy]? Why would they appear in my mind now? Even more incredible, there are also detailed methods of cultivation! But sadly, other than this [Ancient Strengthening Technique], the others seem to be useless to me.
Qing Shui was very excited, in [Western Fantasy] , the human race had the highest capacity for learning. Those that cultivated to the pinnacle of martial arts could even fight with celestials and demons. However, he understood that in this world, there were no gods or demons; the strongest warriors here would only be able to instantly destroy cities with the wave of a hand.
From his experiences playing [Western Fantasy], Qing Shui knew that the strongest skills were not martial art techniques but were instead the complementary support arts, like strengthening and foundation building techniques. Even with no martial arts techniques, just by building one’s foundation, one could become invincible; that is if one practises to the zenith of foundation building arts and strengthening techniques. As the saying goes, practicing martial arts without establishing your foundation well, in the end it will all be for naught!
Qing Shui also realised that the names of the techniques, as well as their detailed description in ways of cultivating were all deeply imprinted in his mind. He had gained the ability to memorise anything he saw instantly!
Eidetic Memory?
Like a mirage, after the images of all the different skills from [Western Fantasy] flashed through his mind, a gigantic image of Yin and Yang appeared in his sea of consciousness!
An image of Tai-Chi! Or should I call it Yin Yang?
As the ancient dictum goes “After the chaotic world had been created, it was divided into Yin and Yang by the creator in order to stabilize the world”, Alright, Qing Shui thought, he decided to refer to it as Yin and Yang.
After this, the Yin-Yang image gradually shrunk to the size of a seed. Slowly and continually rotating, fixed in his sea of consciousness. Qing Shui could slightly feel that with each round of rotation, the symbol actually emitted a miniscule amount of energy. This energy flowed towards all of the major meridians, energy channels and organs in his body, slowly transforming them.
At this instant, Qing Shui felt as if his body contained boundless amounts of energy. However, he was confused. Didn’t I die from electrocution while playing [Western Fantasy]? Why did the abilities from [Western Fantasy] appear here today?
Could it be that it is somewhat related to me fainting from exhaustion?
Forget it. In the past I was a trash that couldn’t cultivate, no matter what transformation took place in my body, it cannot be worst that what it was originally!
Qing Shui was in a semi-conscious state. Despite feeling immensely invigorated in comparison to his past self, he was still unable to regain consciousness. He could sensed that the rotation of the Yin-Yang symbol in his mind would rotate continually for eternity. Qing Shui was unsure of the actual reason, but he had a very strong intuition that this symbol will change his destiny!
All of a sudden, he heard voices calling out his name!
“Ah, its mother!”
Heard Qing Yi calling out his name desperately, he felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He kept wanting to call out to her but was unable to.
“Qing Shui!”
“Qing Shui!”
““““““““““““““““““`
“He is here, we found him!” Qing Shui heard an unknown voice calling out in front him.
“Qing Shui! Qing Shui!” Qing Shui heard his mother calling him in anguish. Even without looking, he could sense that her face was filled with tears and contorted by grief.
After that, he felt Qing Yi tightly embracing him; that familiar warm hug reminded him of how this beautiful and gentle woman had single-handedly raised him, causing him to feel very blessed but also gave him hints of heartache. He increasingly hated the guy who had abandoned her. Qing Shui swore that in the future, he would definitely redress this for Qing Yi.
After some time had passed, Qing Shui slowly drifted off into sleep. Before that, he could still feel someone taking his pulse and hints of conversation between Qing Yi and others.
Qing Shui drifted off into sleep with a smile on his face, he had a feeling that the sun tomorrow would shine especially brightly!
Chapter 4 – Ancient Strengthening Technique
The next day, just when dawn was breaking, Qing Shui awoke naturally. He noticed that Qing Yi was sitting next to his bed, holding his hands. Hints of worry and exhaustion could be seen on her face, even her gentle and beautiful eyes had traces of blood in them!
After noticing that Qing Shui was awake, Qing Yi hugged him with a happy expression on her face.
“Shui’er, you’ve finally regained consciousness. Are you feeling alright? Is there any discomfort?!” Qing Yi ardently asked.
“Mother dearest..” Qing Shui tenderly called out, his heart filled with gratitude. Knowing that Qing Yi had stayed up the whole night just to accompany him tugged at his heart strings as bitterness filled his heart.
As he called out, Qing Yi could feel that there were hints of grievance and regret in his voice. In this world, as a male, if you could not hold your own against others, then no matter how much money you have you will still be trash! Even those of low cultivation would have the right to trample you. This dog-eat-dog world was simply following the simple logic of ‘might makes right’.
Qing Yi hugged her son tightly, feeling that she had somehow let him down.
“Mother, go to sleep. You must be very tired after staying awake the entire night.” Qing Shui could only adopt a child-like way of speaking in an attempt to coax Qing Yi to go sleep. Even so, Qing Yi felt warmth in her heart and could tell that Qing Shui’s intelligence was far above the norm. What a pity that he was unable to cultivate. If not for that, based on his high level of comprehension he would most certainly have been a genius. Not only that, he was ultimately the son born of her and that man..
But now… Sigh.. There was no use for regrets..
In the end, she was still coaxed by Qing Shui and obediently laid down on the bed. As Qing Shui wanted to get down from the bed to make space for Qing Yi, she reached out and embraced her little boy. Qing Shui nestled up close to her bosom and gently lay in his mother’s embrace.
Qing Yi promptly fell asleep. After all, she had been up for the whole night and was exceedingly weary. Seeing that Qing Shui was fine, she could finally relax and fell into a slumber.
After waiting for Qing Yi to fall asleep, Qing Shui lightly stepped out of the room, enthusiasm slowly filling his heart. Now, he was no longer the trash he had been! He felt that he had undergone a miraculous transformation. Maybe now… he could be like the others and embark upon the road of cultivation. It did not matter that he was slightly older than the rest when they started, as long as he had a inextinguishable will to succeed, then no matter how many obstacles there were before him, he would not stumble!
Qing Shui wanted to test his hypothesis. The moment he stepped out of the Qing Mansion, he started to run at top speed. At this moment, his heart was filled with trepidation, he was worried that all that had happened would turn out to be an illusion, and that his dream of cultivating would once again be shattered.
With only a single breath, he managed to run half the distance to the top of the mountain. Even though he was breathing hard, he did not feel asphyxiated, like in the past. There was a remarkable difference when compared to before! He felt that since last night, his body had undergone an extremely phenomenal change. After contemplating on it, he guessed that it must be because of that image of Yin-Yang which was now embedded in his sea of consciousness!
Qing Shui closed his eyes, slowly entering into a state of mediation. His spirit gradually going into his sea of consciousness where he saw the Yin-Yang symbol again. The Yin-Yang symbol was rotating relentlessly, emitting unending streams of energy, slowly transforming Qing Shui’s body and organs.
During the bout of unconsciousness yesterday, a lot of information regarding foundation building and strengthening techniques had flowed into his mind. He had already decided there and then that he would use them to strengthen his constitution. Moreover, as of now, he no longer had the same frail and delicate body from before. The Yin-Yang symbol in his sea of consciousness was constantly nourishing him with energy, slowly transforming his body. He was sure that alongside with his current physique, by practising the Ancient Strengthening Technique diligently, he would not need too much time before the quality of his body would become stronger than common cultivators.
Time flowed by quickly, dawn had already arrived. Looking at the sun slowly rising up, casting its golden glow onto the organisms of the earth, the freshness of the air in these mountains as well as the fragrance of the flowers and plants, they made one feel joy in one’s hearts.
Qing Shui tidied up the various information in his mind and decided to focus all of his attentions on mastering body strengthening techniques! The most important point of the strengthening technique lied in having a solid foundation. The toughness of his body and bones. As long as the quality of his body was strong enough, there would basically be no difference between him and the other cultivators.
Strengthening techniques formed the basis of a cultivator’s foundation, the technique that appeared in Qing Shui mind was one of the most ancient strengthening techniques ever created by mankind. It could even allow cultivators who cultivated it to it’s peak to clash with gods and demons. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that all strengthening techniques had traces of their origin come from the Ancient Strengthening Technique that Qing Shui was planning to practise. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this technique was one of the strongest techniques!
Practising the Ancient Strengthening Technique could allow a cultivator to build up his constitution. The effects were somewhat similar to the rotating, seed-sized Yin-Yang symbol inside of him. The Ancient Strengthening Technique could also nourish one’s bones and marrow, refine the organs in one’s body, eventually evolving the muscles to become soft to the touch, yet at the same time also be capable of rivaling the toughest steel and iron!
This is what strengthening techniques meant. They could even greatly enhance the vitality of the practitioner!
Qing Shui tried to recall the details of the Ancient Strengthening Technique. It appeared that he could do so effortlessly, confirming the fact that he now had eidetic memory! The Yin-Yang symbol was also entwined with him, continually rotating within his sea of consciousness!
Qing Shui found a secluded spot and went over there to practise the Ancient Strengthening Technique. To practise it, one did not need to mediate. The cultivator only needed to calm his heart and slowly rotate the Qi inside their body.
Qing Shui started to analyse and fumble his way through the methods of cultivating the Ancient Strengthening Technique. After trying to do it for some time, he was still unable to form a single strand of Qi. Qing Shui persisted on as he knew that Rome wasn’t build in a single day. If it was that simple to become strong, the world would’ve already been filled with countless experts!
Qing Shui continue to persevere and continued attempting to form the strand of Qi over and over again. Each time he failed it merely motivated him to try harder and harder.
Gradually, Qing Shui began to feel numb. He had attempted this for what seemed like an eternity, but he was still unable to form that first strand of Qi!
After another hour passed, Qing Shui opened his eyes and realised that it was almost noon. He knew that he would have to return home soon, as he did not want Qing Yi to worry about him. Despite standing in this remote location for the whole morning, Qing Shui did not tired at all! He began to slowly jog back to Qing Mansion.
Upon arriving at the Qing Mansion, Qing Shui realised that the training session for the Qing Clan’s younger generation had yet to end. Now, while looking at them practising their close combat skills and swordplay, he felt nothing. The previous feelings of envy and jealousy he got while watching them had now been replaced with the determination to become even stronger than them!
After entering the courtyard, he bumped into Qing Luo. “Qing Shui, did you go out to play again? You should rest at home more and nurse your body back to health!” Qing Luo gently rebuked him.
“Grandpa, I was just taking a stroll near the entrance of the Qing Mansion, do not worry about me, I am completely fine!” Qing Shui knew that his grandfather was truly worried for him.
“En, you must be more careful. Today, I sent someone to Hundred Miles City to purchase the stalk of a 100 year old purple ginseng. We will boil and extract it’s essence so that you can have it for dinner tonight!” Qing Luo said with a doting gaze in his eyes.
Qing Luo could also tell that Qing Shui had exceptional intelligence. Every sentence of his was spoken with both clarity and intent, he was almost like an adult in terms of mentality. What a waste it was that he was unable to cultivate.. Qing Luo sighed..
Chapter 5 – Qing Shui Cultivates!
These days were very peaceful, despite the fact that he was still unable to form that single strand of Qi, Qing Shui was still practising the Ancient Strengthening Technique relentlessly. He believed that he would succeed sooner or later.
The Yin-Yang symbol within his sea of consciousness was constantly nourishing his body, Qing Shui could feel his constitution slowly improving. The improvements did not refer to his muscles but to his bones and organs getting tougher!
Qing Shui still looked small and weak. However, amidst his skinny and delicate body frame one could now sense a hint of vitality that was not there before! The sense of charm inside his eyes had also grown to the point where it held a hint of profoundness.
Qing Shui knew that he should disclose his current body condition, letting them know that he had rebuilt his constitution and could begin to practise martial arts. Initially, Qing Shui planned to keep this a secret, but he longed for the day where the hope in Qing Yi’s eyes would be realised. Therefore, Qing Shui decided to tell Qing Yi the truth.
As he returned from the mountains, inside the courtyard of the Qing Mansion, the clan members from the 3rd generation were all zealously practising the Qing Clan secret technique – Blue Lotus Art
Due to Qing Shui being unable to cultivate for several years there was now a considerable distance between him and the other clan members, so they no longer cared when they saw this “trash” walk by.
At the innermost section of the Qing Mansion.
Qing Yi was standing at the house entrance. This was the place where both mother and son had stayed all of their life. There was a small garden here, completely filled with plants and flowers as well as a medium sized lake with azure coloured carps swimming around leisurely.It gave people a rustic feeling as they gazed at this place.
Qing Yi was standing by the lake side, her beautiful face alongside her gentle and graceful demeanour gave off a sense of beauty that could only be described as sinking fishes falling birds. At this moment it was as if Qing Yi was a perfect portrait of beauty! However, there were moments where one could sense sadness emanating out as she stood there.
Qing Shui already saw his mother from a distance away, this is the umpteenth times he saw Qing Yi standing in the exact same position. “Sigh… but what can I do now?” To attain her wish, I must first become stronger… Much stronger than I am currently.
At the age of 1, Qing Shui could already understand the things people said around him. Qing Yi naturally didn’t know this and would often sigh and talk to him about her secrets as a form of release when Qing Shui was still an infant.
Qing Shui covertly sneaked out before he shouting in a loud voice “Mother, I am back, I have recovered, I am fine now!!” He did not want Qing Yi to know that he had witnessed her despair earlier. He felt that this despair of hers was too personal for him to encroach upon, therefore Qing Shui decided to loudly announce his arrival so that Qing Yi could notice him.
It was just as he thought, once Qing Yi heard his voice her expressions instantly changed, greeting him with a smile on her face with no signs of her earlier melancholy.
Qing Shui felt a stab of pain in his heart. “Mother suffered so much, but in order not to let me worry, she always pretended to be happy in front of me. Only in the middle of the night, when there was no one around, would she finally cry out.”
“Mother, I have completely recovered! I can now cultivate!” Qing Shui happily smiled.
Qing Shui could see traces of happiness and the once extinguished hope rekindle in Qing Yi eyes!
“Did you do anything forbidden? Do not make me worry Qing Shui, I just want you to be happy..” Qing Yi slightly berated Qing Shui, because from her expert opinion it was almost impossible for Qing Shui to recover. There was almost no way for him to start cultivating because of his weak heart.
Qing Shui knew that it wouldn’t be that easy for Qing Yi to believe in it.
“Mother, it is true. These few days, Grandpa has brewed a lot of purple ginseng soup for me to consume. Grandpa said that these 100 year old ginsengs were invaluable!” Qing Shui spoke excitedly in the manner of a child.
After hearing this, Qing Yi felt that there was a slight chance that Qing Shui’s constitution could actually have improved! She then asked “Qing Shui, tell me the details of everything that happened, I want to be clear before making any diagnosis”.
“Two days ago, after drinking the 100 year ginseng brew, I felt full of energy. It was as though the problem of my breathlessness had also disappeared! Mother had forbidden me from sprinting as my heart may not be able to take the stress. However, at that point I could feel a sense of boundless energy within me. Thus I ran faster and faster, up the mountain and back down to the Qing Mansion, but nothing bad happened to me!” Qing Shui hurriedly explained.
“Is this true…? Shui`er, is what you said true?!” Qing Yi eyes were brimming with tears.
“ It is the truth. Even Grandpa knows about it, he took my pulse and said that I was fine. To be even more certain he wants to bring me to Doctor Wu, so I came to invite mother to go with me!” Qing Shui excitedly pulled Qing Yi’s sleeves slightly as he talked.
“Alright! Let us go together!” Qing Yi happily held Qing Shui’s hand. The excitement in her heart was forcibly suppressed, but Qing Shui could still somewhat feel it. Now she is just temporarily overjoyed, but in the future, I will make sure that she stays happy forever!
“Qing Clan’s Master, congratuations! Young Master Qing Shui has no problems with his body at all. In fact, his internal organs are even stronger than ordinary people. This rate of recovery is really too astounding!” Doctor Wu enthusiastically added.
At this moment, just these few sentences from Doctor Wu confirming Qing Shui’s recovery caused tears to flow down Qing Yi’s face. She was tightly embracing Qing Shui. Qing Shui smiled as he knew that these were tears were not born out of anguish, but came from happiness!
“Mother dearest.. don’t cry.” Qing Shui gently wiped the tears off her face.
After escorting Doctor Wu out, Qing Luo returned with a peculiar expression on his face.
Initially, Qing Shui had a very weak constitution, unsuitable for practising martial arts. Qing Luo was also sad for him. After all, Qing Shui was the son of his beloved daughter. However, if Qing Shui ever managed to recover, he would surely be stronger than average when compared to people of the same martial realm. If he grew up, he would definitely become an exceptional genius, and given how much he loved his mother, he would absolutely seek revenge in the future! Sigh, this must be karma..
“Grandpa, Mother, I wish to cultivate!” These few words from Qing Shui greatly startled both Qing Luo and Qing Yi.
Edited and proofread by audiowuxia.
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