Cultivation: Starting with Farming in the Spiritual Pivot Grotto

Chapter 36 A spine like a great dragon, a hidden dragon in the abyss

Minor mishaps in life are merely a diversion; once things calm down, one should still focus on spiritual cultivation.

As for Liu Ruyan's matter, Senior Brother Lingji will handle it. I should still strive to complete the cultivation of the third level of Qi Refining before the end of the year.

Right now, the priority is to thoroughly strengthen the muscles and bones throughout the body.

In the Azure Lotus Realm, immortal cultivation and martial arts have coexisted for ten thousand years, and martial arts cultivation can also lead to heaven.

After the cultivators of the Spirit Ruins Realm completely occupied the Azure Lotus Realm, they absorbed all the essence of the Azure Lotus Realm's cultivation system, taking its methods for tempering the physical body and integrating them into their various lineages.

From the third to the fifth level of Qi Refining, there are many traces of martial arts cultivation.

"Even your natal magic weapon can be useless sometimes; only your own physical body is the most reliable source of strength."

Moreover, not all worlds are rich in spiritual energy. If you go to a small world where spiritual energy is cut off, you can't use your supernatural powers and spells, and you can only rely on your physical body.

Among the cultivators of the Central Continent, there are many who are skilled in body tempering. They regard all kinds of supernatural abilities as trivial skills, and only their physical body and skeleton are the sole pillars for standing in the world.

Seeking a way to overcome all obstacles with force, and to prove the Way through force.

"The great dragon of the spine is buried deep within the flesh and blood, connecting the brain and the spiritual platform above, supporting the foundation of the whole body, and connecting the dantian and the sea of ​​qi below, thus connecting the qi of heaven and earth."

"Since I seek the path to immortality and have the assistance of the Spiritual Pivot, I may not be able to claim to be an all-rounder, but I will never allow this excellent physical body to become a weakness."

Li Ya stood in the courtyard, swallowing several Qingyufeng larvae in succession to build up his momentum, wanting to temper his bones in one go.

The heavy snow of the past few days has stopped, the night wind is cold and deep, but a bright moon has risen for the first time. All around is quiet, except for the sound of Li Ya's long, drawn-out breathing.

He gathered all his thoughts, closed his eyes, and sank his mind completely into the deepest part of his body.

With each breath in and out of the mouth and nose, and with each opening and closing of the pores all over the body, the pure spiritual energy from the outside world slowly seeps into the body through the 84,000 pores.

Once spiritual energy enters the body, it is refined into true energy, until the consumed true energy replenishes the meridians and acupoints again. The azure true energy in the dantian is like a deep pool filled with energy, thick and condensed.

Meditation alone is not enough to develop a strong physique; it is necessary to combine it with martial arts training methods. Standing meditation is also of paramount importance in the third stage of Qi cultivation.

"open……"

Li Ya staggered his feet, following the most widely circulated Panlong Zhuang method, and took ancient steps to slowly settle his foundation.

"The Panlong Stake is widely spread in various lineages in Zhongzhou, which was intentionally done by Bai Yujing."

"Unlike secret techniques passed down through lineages, the path of martial arts cannot be one of clinging to outdated knowledge. It requires countless people to verify and correct errors, gradually eliminating them and innovating."

"Even Bai Yujing wouldn't dare say that he has a complete understanding of the secrets of the human body."

Li Ya's feet were firmly planted on the rough bluestone, his five toes gripping the ground like dragon claws locking the earth, and true qi surged in the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of his foot.

First, his body sank down, his knees slowly bending, seemingly collapsing but not quite.

From the waist and hips down, the skin, muscles and tendons of the whole body naturally tighten.

The spine should be straight and upright, neither hunched nor tilted back, like a jade pillar supporting the sky in the center of the body, with the shoulders slightly lowered and turned inward, and the chest slightly concave and the back straight.

The entire spine, from the coccyx to the occipital bone, loosens segment by segment and then closes again, like a great dragon lying dormant, coiled within its body, like a dragon lurking in the abyss.

"The dragon is the chief of all scaled creatures. It can be hidden or visible, small or large, short or long. It ascends to the sky at the spring equinox and dives into the abyss at the autumn equinox."

Because it possesses both the virtues of Yin and Yang and the nature of infinite change, in spiritual practice, the appearance and form of the dragon are often used as a metaphor for perfection or the fundamental principle.

Li Ya naturally wrapped his arms around his chest, his palms gently embracing the air as if he were holding the energy of heaven and earth.

The bones of the whole body follow the fixed posture of the coiled dragon stance, slowly entering a mysterious state.

With the foundation firmly established, all thoughts return to the mind.

Li Ya closed his eyes completely, eliminating all external distractions.

The breathing became increasingly continuous, the breath almost imperceptible, as fine as a wisp of silk, each inhale and exhale long and deep.

On his spiritual platform, Li Ya once again sketched the White Bone Seal script, using his divine soul thoughts as the brush and his body's true energy as the ink.

Even during his rest days, he never stopped practicing, constantly copying the White Bone Seal script.

The lapis lazuli and white bone seal script is becoming increasingly freehand, emphasizing spirit and meaning over physical resemblance.

Every stroke follows the natural contours of the bones.

As soon as the divine thought was directed, lapis lazuli patterns appeared.

It no longer had the same momentum as before, and the white bone inscription slowly sank into the bone.

A mystical aura permeated the air, completely fusing Xiaotianli's golden essence into his bones.

As one white bone inscription settled, Li Ya's divine soul continued to trace upwards, each white bone inscription connected at the end, linking together in a chain.

It is like a wall made of white bones.

He focused on two things at once: drawing talismans and mobilizing the body's Qi and blood.

The essence of the Jade Wind larvae erupted completely, causing its blood and qi to boil. The originally gentle warm current suddenly became turbulent and unbearably hot.

The qi and blood flow like a surging river, falling into the feet and then rising from the bottom up.

Starting from the bottom, passing the ankle bone, tibia, and fibula, the Qi and blood flow upwards segment by segment, like a dragon coiling around a pillar, along the skeleton.

The waist is the pivot of the body, and the spine is the leader of all bones.

The Qi and blood continue to rise and rush into the coccyx, climbing up the spine segment by segment.

Each vertebra was enveloped and soaked by scalding hot blood and qi.

Each vertebra seems to be nourished by a raging fire, and the three—Qi and Blood, White Bone Inscriptions, and Small Heavenly Essence—are undergoing a wondrous reaction.

A strange sensation, a mixture of soreness, numbness, itching, and slight pain, emanated from within, as if thousands of tiny molten lava were colliding within the bone cavity.

This strange, burning pain reached right to the soul.

It seems that only by scratching the flesh and breaking the bones out of the blood and flesh can it be eliminated.

Despite the excruciating pain in his bones, Li Ya remained focused and steadfast in his stance, his body motionless as if rooted to the stone.

As the spine is fully connected, the outline of the spine subtly rises beneath the skin, like a lurking dragon coiled around the center of the body, concealing its power and possessing the appearance of a dragon hidden in the abyss.

The Qi and blood circulate along the spine, from top to bottom and from bottom to top, flowing continuously. With each flush, the spine is tinged with a golden hue.

As the standing meditation deepens and time passes, the Qi and blood in the body transform into a crimson torrent, surging and roaring among the bones, faintly emitting a subtle thunderous sound, vibrating the muscles and bones internally, and drawing in spiritual energy externally.

Within a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) of where Li Ya stood, waves of heat rolled in, as if there were a blazing fire pit. The surrounding snow had long since melted, and water vapor was rising.

At this moment, the surface of the bones shed its ordinary appearance, revealing a faint golden luster.

With a simple gesture, a powerful current circulated even without exerting force; as bones collided, a faint metallic clang could be heard.

"Ding ding ding..."

A series of soft, metallic chimes connected in a line.

The entire spine is a single, continuous line from beginning to end.

The meridians and acupoints throughout the body resonate with it.

The muscles and tendons of the waist and back are taut and bulging, outlining the winding shape of the dragon's body.

Li Ya stood in the courtyard, his figure as heavy as a mountain, and the rising water vapor around him was stirred, outlining a blurry dragon shape.

This is the essence and true meaning of the Panlong Stake, where the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit are united.

Li Ya took a deep breath, and the surrounding spiritual energy gathered around him.

The surging of qi and blood in the body gradually stabilizes, transforming into a dense and long warm current that nourishes the bones.

After an unknown amount of time, as night was about to fall, wisps of blue, resembling crab shells, appeared on the horizon.

A whole night has passed.

Li Ya slowly finished his stance, straightened his knees, and let his arms hang naturally.

With a slight stomp of his right foot, a crack appeared on the bluestone slab beneath his feet, spreading outwards from the inside out.

"Brother Xiaoya, if someone told me right now that you were an illegitimate son of a powerful Golden Core sect, I would believe them!"

Senior Brother Lingji leaned against a pillar, his hand never leaving his wine cup. He was truly impressed by his junior brother's talent.

"Senior brother, I really hope what you're saying is true. Let's go and acknowledge our ancestors right away. We'll definitely not forget Senior Brother Lingji then."

"If I become rich and powerful, I will not forget you!"

"Absolutely! If I become rich and powerful, I will not forget you!"

Lingji sighed; he now had to admire his aunt's foresight.

When I first saw Brother Xiaoya, I thought he was just an ordinary handyman with a handsome appearance. I never imagined he would be such a talented Taoist. I also admire my aunt's gambling spirit; she dared to place a bet as soon as she saw a glimmer of hope.

"How many times have you practiced this dragon stance? I only gave you a hint, and you've already mastered its essence."

"Even I, as your senior, am starting to get jealous of your talent."

"Brother Lingji, I love it when you praise me, it feels so good!"

Without the help of Ling Shu, I'm afraid I would just be a nobody doing menial labor every day.

Lingji pretended not to hear this: "Pack your things, after the New Year, Auntie will take us to see the world."