ragginovel Chapter 76 Tempering at the Summit of Mount Tai
Chapter 76 Tempering at the Summit of Mount Tai
Within the martial arts space, time flows at ten times the speed.
One day in the outside world is equivalent to ten days in space.
Ma Cong sat cross-legged, his mind clear and focused. Following the methods taught by Zhang Sanfeng, he began his first truly meaningful period of seclusion and arduous cultivation after achieving the elixir of immortality.
"The so-called bone tempering is not simply about using internal energy to impact the bones. That's what a brute would do, which is inefficient and can easily damage one's foundation."
The phantom of Zhang Sanfeng stood before Ma Cong, his voice distant and resonant.
"True bone refining uses the spirit as a guide, the qi as fuel, and the body as a furnace to perfectly fuse one's own spiritual will with internal strength and true essence, transforming it into 'true fire' to temper the impurities in the bone marrow from the inside out, little by little."
"This process is like lighting a fire in your bones; it is extremely painful and cannot be endured by anyone but those with great willpower."
"The true meaning of Tai Chi emphasizes the balance of Yin and Yang, and the combination of softness and strength. When you temper your hand bones, you must emulate this principle. The left hand is Yin, and the right hand is Yang. The left hand draws out the inner strength of Yin, and the right hand releases the true essence of Yang. When the hands are joined together, a Tai Chi vortex is formed at the Dantian (lower abdomen)."
"Based on the vortex, reverse the meridians and slowly introduce this power that combines Yin and Yang into the bones of your hands."
As Zhang Sanfeng explained, Ma Cong began to try circulating the platinum-gold internal energy within his body.
Now that he possesses a system and is proficient in various martial arts, the internal energy within him is no longer a single attribute, but can be transformed at any time according to his will.
With a thought, part of his inner energy became gentle and flowing, while the other part became fierce and intense.
Two distinct forces, under his control, began to swirl and merge in his dantian.
A black and white Tai Chi symbol gradually took shape in his dantian.
"Very good." Zhang Sanfeng nodded. "You've done the first step. Next comes the most crucial, and also the most painful, step."
"Playing with fire!"
Ma Cong took a deep breath and his eyes narrowed.
He carefully controlled the Tai Chi vortex and began to move it upwards along the meridians of his arm.
That force was like flowing magma; wherever it passed, a burning, stinging pain shot through the meridians.
Fine beads of sweat instantly appeared on Ma Cong's forehead.
But he gritted his teeth, remained silent, and continued to guide that power, slowly pushing it towards the hand bone.
Finally, the Tai Chi vortex reached his palm.
boom!
An indescribable, excruciating pain suddenly erupted from deep within the bones of his hands!
The feeling was like someone was repeatedly branding his bones with a red-hot iron, or like countless ants were gnawing at his marrow.
Ma Cong's body began to tremble violently and uncontrollably.
His face turned deathly pale in an instant.
"Keep your mind focused, and don't let the pain shake your will!"
"Contemplate the Tai Chi symbol, the Yin and Yang revolving endlessly, creating a continuous cycle of life!"
Zhang Sanfeng's shout was like a warning bell ringing in Ma Cong's mind.
Despite the excruciating pain, Ma Cong clung to the last vestige of clarity in his mind, where a slowly rotating Tai Chi symbol appeared.
He could clearly "see" that his hand bones were undergoing astonishing changes under the tempering of that black and white energy.
Strands of black impurities were being forced out from the depths of the bone marrow, then instantly vaporized by that force and vanished without a trace.
Meanwhile, his hand bones became increasingly translucent and resilient during this process, as if they were transforming from ordinary bones into jade bones.
Time flowed slowly amidst boundless suffering.
One day, two days...
Ten days, twenty days...
Within the martial arts space, nearly three months passed in the blink of an eye.
In the outside world, only seven or eight days had passed.
For the past seven or eight days, the entire martial arts community of Hualong Kingdom has been in an uproar because of the "opening ceremony" at Longhu Mountain.
Ma Cong publicly crippled the two chief monks of Shaolin Temple and threatened to personally go to Shaolin Temple to collect his debts.
This domineering declaration instantly made the newly established "Martial Sect" famous.
Countless independent cultivators and disciples from small sects who were dissatisfied with the status quo or were ostracized in their respective sects saw the Martial Sect as their hope for changing their fate.
They came from all directions, converging on Mount Tai.
However, when they arrived at the foot of Mount Tai full of hope, they found that the gates of Emperor Wuzong's mountain were not open at all.
The entire back mountain of Mount Tai is shrouded in an invisible barrier, and no one can enter.
There is only one stone tablet standing at the entrance, with a few lines of words carved on it in a flamboyant style.
"The Wuzong Mountain Gate is not open; the sect leader is in seclusion for cultivation."
"Those who wish to join my sect must pass three tests."
"The first test: mindset. Only those who can sit quietly here for three days without their mind becoming restless or their breath becoming agitated are considered qualified."
"The second test: perseverance. Climb Mount Tai on foot without using any internal strength or stopping. Only those who reach the summit are qualified."
"The third challenge: chivalry. After descending the mountain, perform three chivalrous deeds, seeking no reward and indifferent to their magnitude. Act according to your conscience."
"Those who pass the three trials, upon receiving the token, may enter my Martial Sect as a registered disciple on the day the mountain gate opens."
These three trials were left to Zhou Tianyi by Ma Cong before he went into seclusion.
What he wanted was not a mob.
What he wants are martial artists who are truly devoted to the martial arts and have upright character.
These three tests may seem simple, but they are not.
Sitting quietly for three days tests a person's patience and composure.
Hiking to the summit tests a person's perseverance and physical strength.
But upholding justice and helping others tests a person's true nature.
After the news spread, some people dismissed it, thinking it was just a charade, and turned away.
Some people were eager to try, but the first hurdle of three days of meditation eliminated most of the restless and impatient individuals.
In the end, only a few people truly calmed down and began their trials according to the requirements on the stone tablet.
Meanwhile, another piece of news quietly spread from the capital.
Shaolin Temple sent people to infiltrate Jincheng in an attempt to kidnap Master Ma's parents, but they were caught red-handed by the Ninth Division of the State Security Bureau.
Although the news was deliberately suppressed by the authorities, it caused a huge uproar among the upper echelons of the martial arts world.
"Despicable! Shameless!"
Upon hearing this, the patriarch on Mount Wudang was so angry that he smashed his most beloved teacup.
"What a peaceful Buddhist sanctuary! What a martial arts grandmaster! To resort to such despicable methods to deal with two unarmed old men! Xuan Kong, you're really going downhill with age!"
Kunlun Mountain, Longmen...
All the sects that had received Ma Cong's favors at Wudang Mountain spoke out, condemning the Shaolin Temple's actions.
In an instant, the reputation of Shaolin Temple plummeted to its lowest point in a thousand years.
They not only became a laughing stock in the martial arts world, but also became synonymous with despicable and shameless behavior.
Upon learning of this, Abbot Xuankong was so enraged that he spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot and immediately announced that he would go into seclusion and no longer concern himself with any worldly affairs.
He knew that Shaolin Temple had completely failed this time.
Not only did they fail to coerce Ma Cong, they also put themselves on the opposite side of the entire martial arts world.
Ma Cong, the mastermind behind all of this, was completely unaware of it.
He remained atop Mount Tai, immersed in the pain and transformation of bone tempering.
The three-month period within the martial arts space has ended.
Ma Cong suddenly opened his eyes.
boom!
Two beams of white-gold divine light shot out from his eyes, leaving two bottomless holes in the stone wall in front of him.
He slowly raised his hands.
Those hands looked no different from before; they were still long and strong.
But in his perception, a tremendous change had taken place.
His hand bones have now become as smooth and lustrous as jade, and are indestructible.
He even had a feeling that he could easily crush a diamond with the strength of his hands alone.
"Congratulations." Zhang Sanfeng's phantom appeared, a hint of approval on his face.
"You completed the tempering of your hand bones in less than three months. Your speed is more than ten times faster than mine was back then."
"This is just the beginning."
"Once your four bones are fully formed, and you possess a jade-like body and golden bones, you will be able to glimpse the path to becoming a Celestial Immortal."
Ma Cong stood up, feeling the surging power within him, and his heart was filled with unprecedented confidence.
He clenched his fist, and his knuckles cracked with a crisp sound.
"Shaolin..."
He muttered to himself, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
Once he obtains the rootless water, he will cure Zhou Tianyi.
The next step is to set foot on Mount Song and settle accounts with Xuan Kong and the entire Shaolin Temple!