The space within the second floor of the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Tomes was profoundly silent and solemn. A cool spiritual aura emanated from the shelves of white jade, gently caressing the skin, causing Tran Kien's mind to reach a state of absolute clarity and focus.
He sat cross-legged in the center of the hall, the ancient goatskin scroll bearing the four characters "Heavenly Cycle Qi Guiding" unfurled before him.
This was no ordinary cultivation method. It contained no lengthy mnemonic chants, nor did it offer a way to passively absorb spiritual energy. It featured only a single diagram: an incredibly intricate map of the human meridian system, as complex as a vast network of rivers. Upon this diagram were red and blue guiding lines, describing two streams of energy flowing along two entirely different trajectories.
The red line, originating from the Baihui point at the crown of the head, was to be operated during the day. It described how a cultivator's 'Spirit' connected with the energy of the sun, absorbing 'Solar Qi'—a scorching, vibrant torrent of power.
The blue line, originating from the Yongquan point at the soles of the feet, operated during the night. It detailed how one's 'Essence' connected with the energy of the moon and stars, absorbing 'Lunar Qi'—an energy that was icy cold yet incredibly gentle.
These two streams of Qi, once guided into the body, would not flow directly into the Dantian like common cultivation methods. Instead, they would traverse the entire body, passing through every meridian, every fiber of muscle, and every bone, tempering and transforming the physical form in its entirety. Only then would they finally meet and merge at the center, forming the first wisp of 'Primal Chaos Qi'.
This was the true essence of 'Heavenly Cycle Qi Guiding'—it was not mere absorption, but 'guiding'. Guiding the power of the universe (the Heavenly Cycle) into the microcosm of the human body.
Tran Kien was stunned. He finally understood why the Iron Thrust mnemonic was the foundation. Ordinary cultivation paths began by sensing and drawing in spiritual energy, then using that energy to strengthen the body. The path of the Lac Viet, however, was the reverse. They began by forging the body first, clearing the meridians to create a sturdy 'furnace' before guiding the violent energies of Heaven and Earth inside to be tempered. Without a body as hard as iron, the moment that first wisp of Solar Qi entered, one's meridians would likely be incinerated into ash.
Without a moment's hesitation, Tran Kien began his first cultivation session. He closed his eyes, his mind becoming a pool of still water. He focused the entirety of his 'Spirit', directing it upward, piercing through the roof of the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Tomes, reaching toward the radiant sun.
It was a miraculous sensation. It felt as though he had transcended his physical shell, becoming a form of pure intent soaring through the void. Initially, he felt only a vast warmth. But gradually, as he applied the insights gained from the tale of the 'Blood Essence Stone', he began to sense it: a scorching, domineering source of energy, pure beyond imagination. It was the Solar Qi.
Guide!
A command resounded within Tran Kien's mind. He carefully separated the smallest wisp of energy—no thicker than a strand of hair—and used his entire will to guide it downward, toward the crown of his head.
Crack!
The moment that wisp of Solar Qi touched his crown, Tran Kien felt as if a red-hot needle had been driven directly into his brain. A horrific, piercing pain washed over him, causing his entire body to tremble violently and his youthful face to turn deathly pale.
But he did not falter. He gritted his teeth, recalling the bone-deep agony he had endured while practicing the Iron Thrust mnemonic. Using his iron will, he persisted in guiding that wisp of energy into his meridians along the designated path. The scorching energy was like a tiny stream of lava; everywhere it passed, his meridians screamed with the pain of being burned. Sweat poured off him like rain, drenching his clothes in an instant.
Yet, strangely, though his meridians were in pain, they were not damaged. The sturdy physical foundation he had forged over the past months now proved its worth. Having been tempered, his meridians were far more resilient and steadfast than those of an ordinary person.
Time trickled by. From early morning to noon, and then to dusk. Finally, after countless moments where he nearly spiraled into unconsciousness, Tran Kien successfully guided that wisp of Solar Qi through a full heavenly cycle. As it reached its final point, a warmth and comfort like he had never known spread throughout his entire body.
He opened his eyes. Upon his tanned skin, a layer of pitch-black, foul-smelling impurities had been expelled. This was the legendary 'Cleansing of the Meridians and Marrow', a process that typically took ordinary cultivators years to achieve. Yet he, in a single day, had completed the first step.
Tran Kien did not rest. As night fell, he continued. This time, he guided the 'Lunar Qi'. In contrast to the searing heat of the Sun, this energy was frigid and ethereal. As it entered his body, it brought a refreshing sensation, nourishing and healing the minor traumas within his meridians.
Yin and Yang. Hardness and Softness. Destruction and Rebirth. This was the Dao of Heaven and Earth, and the path of cultivation for the Lac Viet people.
On the first floor, Elder Wei, who was sitting and reading, suddenly looked up. His gaze seemed to pierce through the wooden floor, witnessing the scene on the second level. A smile of both satisfaction and shock appeared on his aged face.
A sturdy physical foundation, a steadfast will... To successfully guide Qi into the body in a single day and step into the Qi Guiding Realm. This brat... perhaps he truly is the hope that the Lac Viet legacy has awaited for a thousand years.
As the first rays of the new day's sun shone in, Tran Kien finally opened his eyes. Within the center of his body, a tiny, milky-white wisp of Qi—simultaneously warm and cool—was quietly spiraling.
That was his first wisp of 'Primal Chaos Qi'. He had officially stepped into the Qi Guiding Realm. The true path of cultivation now lay wide open before him.