0017 What Is Internal Martial Arts?

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Jiang Mingzhe’s expression brightened, his face filled with delight. This time it was genuine. Seeing his reaction, Zhuifengzi grew even more smug and said with a smile, “In our sect’s internal skill, for those without a foundation, it usually takes five to seven days at the shortest, or three to five months at the longest, to feel the Qi when starting practice. But after drinking this cup of wine from your brother, this minor hurdle can be kicked down in one step. Has Master already passed the Tribulation Scripture to you?”

Jiang Mingzhe nodded.

Zhuifengzi said, “Memorize the first chapter. After drinking this cup, practice accordingly, and you will soon understand its essence.”

Jiang Mingzhe quickly took out the book titled The Celestial Constellations Tribulation Scripture, opened to the first page, which depicted an immortal-like elderly man sitting cross-legged with a gentle smile—clearly Ding Chunqiu himself.

Surrounding the portrait were small characters, about two or three hundred words. Jiang Mingzhe focused and read: “Vast is the universe, shimmering are the stars, shining upon one another, Qi circulates accordingly; the body’s acupoints correspond to the heavenly stars, mastering their paths to shape my true spirit…”

Zhuifengzi lazily interrupted, “No need to scrutinize the general principles; they’re just grand words, heh heh. ‘Shape my true spirit,’ ‘shape my true spirit,’ all mysterious and vague…”

He had intended to say, “Master himself never fully mastered it; he switched to the Transformative Technique. We disciples don’t stand a chance.” But recalling Jiang Mingzhe’s status as the Young Sect Leader, he hastily amended, “Only a peerless genius like Master might hope to perfect it. For us, reaching the Resonance realm is enough to dominate the martial world.”

Jiang Mingzhe flipped to the next page, which indeed outlined the six stages of this cultivation method.

They were: Qi Nourishment, Opening Acupoints, Resonance, Radiance, Circulation, and Spirit Formation. Following were detailed cultivation methods for each stage, each several hundred words long.

Unlike the lofty language of the general principles, these instructions resembled the vernacular style found in works like Romance of the Three Kingdoms or Water Margin.

For example, the Qi Nourishment method stated: “Heaven and Earth are a great treasure trove; the human body is a smaller treasure trove. When Heaven and Earth lose vital energy, they perish; when the body loses it, it withers. The vital energy of Heaven and Earth circulates eternally, thus immortal. The body’s vital energy must follow this law. Yet we mortals, with ordinary eyes, do not understand the transformations of Qi or the flow of its channels, and can only let life and death run their course — how tragic! If one cannot observe and control it, how can it be increased and strengthened? Therefore, to perceive the Qi within, nurturing and fortifying it for one’s use, that is the principle of Qi Nourishment…”

Jiang Mingzhe thought this made sense. Otherwise, disciples of the Star Constellation Sect, though literate, were not highly educated. If the text were too obscure and profound, would Ding Chunqiu really have the patience to explain it to each of them personally?

This chapter on Qi Nourishment explained how through breathing one could truly sense the presence of true Qi within the body, and how to guide this Qi to flow with intention.

As Jiang Mingzhe read on, a sudden enlightenment dawned upon him.

Modern people deny internal skill, citing as core evidence that anatomy proves the existence of nerves but not of meridians or acupoints.

Yet, from the descriptions in this scripture, Jiang Mingzhe suddenly understood what internal skill truly was.

From his understanding, in life, sunlight, breathing, and food are all means of externally drawing vital energy, which this scripture calls “vital Qi.”

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This vital energy within the body—for instance, food entering the stomach, nutrients absorbed and transported throughout the body to sustain its functions—is the process of vital energy being drawn, transferred, and utilized.

However, within this process, there remains a large amount of minute, invisible “vital energy,” or in terms more familiar to modern people, “energy,” that is not effectively harnessed.

This energy has different properties and, following the principle that like attracts like and opposites repel, it aggregates and disperses throughout the body. The paths it forms roughly correspond to the “meridians” which modern medicine cannot verify.

The so-called internal skill is actually about guiding one’s Qi to travel along certain specific routes, carrying with it scattered and wandering energy, gradually gathering it like grains of sand into a towering mound, continuously strengthening.

Thus, cultivating internal power is essentially the process of turning the intangible into the tangible.

Intangible does not mean nonexistent. For example, a grain of sand truly exists, but to someone nearsighted, it cannot be seen from afar.

Yet if those grains pile into a towering structure, anyone who is not blind can see it from a great distance.

What cannot be seen is intangible; what can be seen is tangible.

Perhaps this is why, in many martial arts tales, protagonists experience sudden leaps in power after consuming rare treasures from heaven and earth.

These treasures likely contain energy far greater and more difficult for the body to absorb normally, only accessible through inner Qi circulation.

Different internal skill methods guide Qi along different routes, perhaps varying in speed as well.

With differing routes and speeds, the efficiency of energy absorption naturally varies.

Simultaneously, this Qi, influenced by the type of energy absorbed, forms different internal power characteristics, such as the commonly depicted masculine power, fiery energy, gentle feminine power, or chilling internal force in martial arts stories.

Acupoints are energy gathering spots distributed along the meridians.

For internal power to enter an acupoint, it must be stronger than the energy gathered there.

Once entered, the internal power fully absorbs this energy, accelerating its growth—that is called “opening the meridians.”

Each sect’s martial arts likely has its own methods and emphases.

With this understanding, reading the scripture in hand no longer posed any barrier.

The six stages of the Star Constellations Tribulation Scripture each have clear goals.

The Qi Nourishment chapter aims to feel the presence of Qi, control its flow, and strengthen it sufficiently to occupy the acupoints.

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The Opening Acupoints stage’s goal is to more efficiently mobilize internal power to seize acupoints.

According to the scripture, the human body has 365 acupoints, corresponding to the celestial count of the Great Cycle, divided into five groups aligned with the Five Elements. Each group contains seventy-three acupoints.

Once a group of acupoints is fully opened, internal power can balance the differing energy properties and quantities, producing resonance. This resonance endows the internal power with great strength and nourishes the corresponding organs.

This is the goal of the Resonance stage.

To Jiang Mingzhe, it was like repairing a bumpy, broken path into a smooth, straight asphalt road.

The Radiance stage aims to open two or more groups of acupoints with mutually generating relationships—such as water generating wood, wood generating fire—and cause resonance between these groups.

In other words, two adjacent asphalt roads intersect.

The Circulation stage aims to open all five groups of acupoints, a total of 365, achieving resonance and radiance, so internal power flows endlessly without interruption.

As for the Spirit Formation stage, the text is vague and no longer straightforward. Jiang Mingzhe found it difficult to grasp.

He guessed this stage might be like the seventh level of the Great Reversal Technique, a stage the founder himself never reached. Writing it down was more a vision of the future than a practical method.

Of course, it might also be that his current level was insufficient; perhaps with time, he would gain new insights.

Seeing Jiang Mingzhe engrossed in the scripture, Zhuifengzi felt a pang of jealousy.

When he first studied this internal skill, he practiced a section at a time, without firsthand experience of the previous stages, so he could never truly understand the next.

Yet Jiang Mingzhe’s face showed only clarity and enlightenment, no confusion or frustration. His comprehension was clearly far superior.

Zhuifengzi suddenly felt regret. If he had known Jiang Mingzhe’s aptitude was so strong, he would not have given him the Five-Treasure Honey Wine.

He had thought with the Young Sect Leader’s support, he might claim the title of the Star Constellation’s top disciple.

If the Young Sect Leader advanced too rapidly, what role would be left for him?

But now it was too late. Zhuifengzi’s fleshy face twitched unnaturally as he forced a smile and said, “Junior Brother, no need to rush the later chapters. Just firmly memorize the Qi Nourishment chapter for now.”