Chapter Thirteen: Life on Mount Tai

  Mount Tai Zhongxi Peak, Xinyue Mountain Villa.

  The front of the Snowy Mountain Villa's dormitory had a schedule posted on it, written in black ink on white paper. The schedule indicated that the sixty-one new outer disciples of Snowy Mountain Villa would cultivate their internal energy from 5:00 to 7:20 every morning, and practice knife techniques every afternoon. The afternoons and evenings were left blank for the sixty-one new outer disciples to arrange themselves.

  And now, it was the second day of the sixty-one new outer sect disciples moving into Snowy Mountain Manor.

  The second day early in the morning.

  In a spacious training room of hundreds of square meters in the New Snow Mountain Villa, the room was empty and desolate. On both sides were weapon racks, mostly with swords, as well as other weapons like spears and halberds. The walls also had twenty-four human meridian diagrams, each diagram having red lines tracing different paths on the human body.

  Nan Gongyuan sat upright: "You sixty-one people have newly joined the Mount Tai Sect, becoming outer sect disciples of the Mount Tai Sect. Each of your internal energies is different, ranging from the second layer to the fifth layer of the acquired realm. Your backgrounds are also different. I estimate that you all understand the first major boundary of internal energy, the acquired realm, fairly well. I will explain the division of the ten layers of the acquired realm here."

  "The first layer of the acquired realm is the qi sensation realm, where one's life emerges from the internal energy. The second layer of the acquired realm is the qi generation realm, where the internal energy within the body becomes lively and dynamic, reaching an extreme of agility. The third layer is the qi prosperity realm, where the internal energy within the body has grown quite robust, swirling and overflowing between the dan Tian."

  "The fourth layer of the Post-Heaven Realm is the Renmai Realm, the fifth layer is the Dumai Realm, the sixth layer is the Daimai Realm, and the seventh layer is the Chongmai Realm. In each of these four layers, the internal Qi in the body must impact one meridian, and each of these four realms must open up one meridian, which is obviously stronger than the first three realms."

  "The eighth layer of the Post-Heaven Realm is the Jiao Mai Realm, and the ninth layer is the Wei Mai Realm. Each of these two layers requires the use of internal energy to open up two meridians. The Jiao Mai Realm needs to open up the Yin Jiao Mai and Yang Jiao Mai, while the Wei Mai Realm needs to use the body's internal energy to open up the Yin Wei Mai and Yang Wei Mai. These two realms are clearly stronger than the previous four realms because each layer requires opening up two meridians."

  "The tenth layer of the Hou Tian realm is called the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. The requirements for this realm are increasingly difficult, requiring the eight meridians to be interconnected, transforming into a single meridian, and the internal energy circulating within the eight meridians in a cyclical manner, with an extremely powerful inner force. Clearly, the tenth small realm is much more powerful than the previous nine small realms."

  After explaining the division of the tenth layer of the Heavenly Boundary, Elder Nan Gongyuan began to introduce the basic internal skill of the Mount Tai School - the Mount Tai Primordial Qi Skill. In fact, the Mount Tai Primordial Qi Skill doesn't have many requirements and is not difficult at all. It follows a steady and gradual path, with only one key point: the three-long-seven-short breathing method.

  All sixty-one outer door disciples started practicing Tai Shan Yuan Qi Gong's breathing method.

  Gu Chao also started practicing Tai Shan Yuan Qi Gong breathing method.

  Ancient Super Disc sat there, facing east and breathing, gazing at the distant yuanqi, with not a single distracting thought in his mind, inhaling and exhaling yuanqi.

  Long exhale, long inhale, long exhale, long inhale, long exhale, long inhale.

  Short exhalation, short inhalation, short exhalation, short inhalation, seven consecutive times of short exhalations and inhalations.

  Breathe in deeply for three seconds and out slowly for seven seconds!

  When breathing, it seems that there is a very fine heavenly energy entering the dantian, filling one's own dantian. Is this internal energy? Gu Chao had been practicing internal energy for the first time since crossing over, and at this moment he also felt a bit sentimental, while secretly thinking to himself, I wonder why the human body produces internal energy, when I have time I will study this aspect of knowledge.

  Like to analyze things, study what's hidden behind the surface, feel the subtleties, always been Gu Chao's personality.

  。。。。。。

  The time for practicing internal energy in the morning has passed, and after having breakfast, the practice of knife skills in the afternoon began immediately, still in this training room.

  Nangong Yuan, the elder, said: "Today, I will teach you the 72 moves of the Tai Shan Basic Knife Technique. This set of knife techniques consists of 72 moves and is a must-learn for beginners in the Tai Shan Sect. It belongs to the first-grade martial skill. The martial skills of the Da Qi Empire are divided into six grades, with the first grade being the lowest and the sixth grade being the highest. Now, you will learn this first-grade martial skill as the foundation."

  "First teach the first six forms of this knife method, for a while teaching too many you can't learn." Nangong Yuan Chang shouted: "The first form, open the door and see the mountain." This form opens the door and sees the mountain, the long knife is pulled out from the middle of the bronze knife scabbard, the long knife straight stabs forward, without any fancy moves, it's not a too complicated move, just need to pay attention to the attack angle of the long knife. Nangong Yuan repeatedly performed this form.

  "The Second Style, Cypress Welcomes the Guest." This knife move appears extremely polite, as if welcoming an enemy, but amidst the politeness lies a killing move.

  "The third move, Mount Tai suppresses the top." This move is an offensive move, with the long knife slashing down from top to bottom towards the enemy, requiring an extraordinary momentum. When Nangong Yuan uses this knife, although it's not directed at Gu Chao, Gu Chao vaguely feels that the knife seems to tear through the air, and he feels an immense pressure on his body.

  "The Fourth Style, Tai Shan's Peak." This style is a rather complex move and also an attacking one. Nan Gongyuan demonstrated this move for quite some time.

  "The Fifth Style, its Piney Forest." Nangong Yuanyu used this move, but it was as if he was an unfamiliar pine tree.

  "The Sixth Style, Steady as Mount Tai." This is a defensive technique, with the long sword held horizontally in front of one's chest, able to block attacks coming from all angles.

  After teaching these six forms, Nan Gongyuan stopped teaching and did not continue. A person's ability to accept is limited, and teaching 20 or 30 moves in one day would be impossible to absorb. After finishing the six forms, Nan Gongyuan stood by with his hands behind his back and watched as they practiced their knife techniques. If anyone's posture was incorrect or their knife move was wrong, Nan Gongyuan would correct them.

  Gu Chao also rotated the fine steel long knife with a hint of red copper in his hand, recalling the knife moves that Nan Gong Yuan had just taught him, and drew them out one by one.

  The first move, straight to the point.

  The second move, Green Pine Welcomes Guests.

  The third move is Mount Tai Presses Down.

  The fourth move, Mount Tai's peak.

  The fifth move, its loose and scattered.

  The sixth move, as stable as Mount Tai.

  Gǔ Chāo was not impatient with these basics at all, and he practiced them one move at a time. Gǔ Chāo had understood the importance of laying a good foundation since his previous life. You can't learn university-level content without first learning high school and middle school material, just like how a tall building starts from the ground up. And Gǔ Chāo had already analyzed this yesterday, thinking that even famous orthodox schools like the Tai Shan School would likely follow the same path of gradual progress and laying a good foundation. So it was completely normal that he started by learning the basic internal energy exercises of the Tai Shan School, as well as the 72 basic knife techniques.

  Gu Chao also learned from some books borrowed yesterday that the Taishan School has a series of very strong and powerful techniques. The internal skills include: Tianmen Heart Classic, Guanri Heart Classic, Bixia Heart Classic, etc. Among them, Tianmen Heart Classic is like the sky's floating clouds, Guanri Heart Classic is like the intense heat of the sun, and Bixia Heart Classic is suitable for women. As for the knife techniques, there are the swift Purple Electric Knife Technique, the dominant Taishan Eighteen Disk Knife Technique, the unpredictable Qianwan Fantian Cloud Winding Fog Knife Technique, and the agile Falling Willow Returning Wind Knife Technique, etc. However, when laying the foundation now, don't even think about the internal power and knife techniques later on. First, focus on building a good foundation by practicing Taishan Yuanqi Gong and the 72 basic knife techniques of the Taishan School.

  In the morning, he practiced internal strength, in the afternoon, he practiced knife skills, and in the evening, he was free to rest. This is how Gu Chao spent his first day after entering Mount Tai.

  Such a life, plain but fulfilling.

  Gu Chao is also living a plain life now, laying the foundation for the future, in order to go further later on. The current foundation must be solid.

  It was like this, and the second day of Taishan Sect passed just as quietly.

  (Today's second update is delivered, as long as there are enough recommendation votes, I will burst out more chapters. At the time of releasing this chapter, there were 224 recommendation votes. When it reaches 350 votes, another chapter will be updated. Where are your votes? Only 126 votes are left, and at an average of 6 votes per person, only 20 people are needed to get a new chapter out immediately. Please vote for recommendations, everyone!)