Shia Zhi went to bed straight after dinner. She lay on Lin Xun's pillow, covered herself with Lin Xun's quilt, and slept in Lin Xun's bed, of course.
She was sincere and forthright without any unnecessary courtesy. She didn’t talk much but looked so special. Only when she was in deep sleep did she look like a real little girl with her lashes curving like a pair of fans, her breathing light and long, her delicate and fair face, pure and innocent.
Looking at Shia Zhi in her sound sleep, a hearty smile stole over the corners of Lin Xun’s mouth. He could feel her exclusive kindness, affection or even dependence on him.
Though still unknown about her history, Lin Xun no longer cared about it. His felt less lonely and much steadier than ever with Shia Zhi. Or was it also an emotional attachment?
He couldn’t figure it out now, but he already realized that Shia Zhi was part of his life.
…
Sitting in the meditating position, Lin Xun held his breath, concentrated his mind and began to cultivate.
The third level of Martial Realm, Viscera Opening, required one to channel his spiritual power through his five internal organs and solidify his foundation through expiration and inhalation.
The next level Orifices Connecting was to unclog all acupoints and apertures throughout the body so as to concentrate one’s mind and amplify the blood and Qi. Reaching this level, a spiritual practitioner would double his power, refine his body and wash away all the filth inside his body.
He keenly felt that his cultivation was further consolidated and enhanced after the dreadful battle four days ago. And it would not take long before he could advance to the next level as long as he kept cultivating hard.
The advantage of an actual combat was not only to improve a spiritual practitioner’s fighting skills, better his martial arts and increase his fighting experience, but also to strengthen his cultivation.
About an hour later, Lin Xun ran the spiritual power through his whole body for 36 circulations and began to meditate the image of Star Circulation.
The Meditating Magic was extremely extraordinary and profound. Although there were just three stages, namely Star Circulation, Moon Turn and Sun Glory, each of them encompassed nearly everything. The more Lin Xun understood, the more he’d feel the unfathomable mystery of it.
Now a starry sky that was abstruse and boundless dotted with billions of stars appeared in the sea of his consciousness. But every star was unreachable and dimming without light.
Lin Xun was a bit shamed that though he had been practicing the Meditating Magic day and night, he still didn’t manage to step into the stage of Star Circulation.
But any way, every time he perceived it, his soul was refined and strengthened. The benefits were obvious!
Hu…
With his breaths getting longer, Lin Xun concentrated all the perceptions in the sea of his spiritual consciousness, reflecting billions of stars in the sky.
When he could sense the Star Orbit and bring down a star light through it, then he was truly in the stage of Star Circulation, which was also called Lighting the Stars.
Lin Xun was extremely focused without any thoughts or desires. In his quiet and deep meditation, he felt like flying thousands of miles away without any tiredness or wants. As if guided by the natural forces of instinct, he flew to the blue sky, flew beyond the nine heavens and flew to the boundless universe…
Countless stars reflected in the sea of his consciousness. Not until now did Lin Xun notice that all those stars were not fixed but were circulating along different tracks.
As if controlled by an invisible hand, the circle of every star was unrestrained like a heavenly steed, full of unfathomable profoundness. The sky looked like a huge chessboard while those stars were the chess pieces, and the tracks were the places where these chess pieces were maneuvered.
Lin Xun watched and perceived the sky silently. As time flashed, an inexplicable enlightenment rose from his heart.
“If the sky were the chessboard, the stars the pieces, who can play it?”
“…It’s me!”
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Lin Xun suddenly got it, and all his perceptions spread like a tide, lighting one of the stars like a ray of light rushing up the sky.
For a moment, it was like an invisible hand dropping a piece on the chessboard!
The stars were the chess pieces. When they were lit, the pieces were alive, and the real game and journey began.
Hua…
Meanwhile, a dim star in the dark sky suddenly brightened in the sea of his consciousness, shedding silver lights across the heavy emptiness.
Lin Xun woke up immediately from his meditation. His soul felt an ineffable refreshment like being immersed in a hot spring with his pores open.
He finally got to the stage of Star Circulation!
Lin Xun was excited. It never occurred to him that he would accidently light a star in the sea of his consciousness after two months’ attempts.
Now his perceptions were exquisite and clear like a cobweb spreading away and covered his courtyard in a flash.
All things in the courtyard were vividly reflected in his mind, grass fluttering gently in the night breezes, crickets sleeping under the window lattice, a drop of cold dew on the edge of the well, sweeping willows swaying gracefully in the moonlight…All were clear, vivid and ethereal.
That was perception, a power from soul.
And all this was called "The spirit is out of the body, and all things reflect on heart".
In general, spiritual practitioners must break through the Martial Realm and get to Gang Spirit Realm to possess such perception. Now, Lin Xun, who was just in the third level of Martial Realm, was already able to do that, all thanks to Meditating Magic.
Just entering the threshold of Star Circulation enabled him with such power. It would not be hard to imagine the mystery and profoundness of this soul refining art.
Now he was at the initiation stage. As far as Lin Xun knew, when he could fully master the power of perception, light all the stars in the sea of his consciousness to shine across the sky, he was in the complete stage of Star Circulation.
Lin Xun felt for it carefully and found that now his perception could only cover a radius of 33 meters. Any distance longer than that would be impossible.
Emm? Just as he was about to get up and inscribe a spiritual tattoo to test what changes his stronger soul would bring him, he was surprised to find that Shia Zhi put her head on his lap, her beautiful and delicate face showing unwillingness to leave.
The rare thing was she even wore a light smile on the corners of her mouth!
Lin Xun hesitated for a while, then moved her head away with great caution. However, Shia Zhi cocked her brows, murmured “No!” then grabbed Lin Xun’s leg firmly.
With a forced smile, Lin Xun had no way but to wait for the next day to do the test for he didn’t want to disturb the little girl’s sweet dream.
Lying down on bed and looking at the girl sleeping next to him, Lin Xun was thinking about how to take the second test of the Heaven-accessing Place. Then he fell asleep unconsciously after some time.
The next morning, Lin Xun went out of bed and practiced Marching Boxing in his courtyard. Not until sweat oozed all over his body and blood boiled within did he stop. Washing himself with cold water from the well, he put on a clean suit and got busy in the kitchen.
He clearly felt that his spirit was vigorous like a dragon and strong like a tiger, all his six senses with a feeling of renewal.
Shia Zhi woke up immediately at the fragrance from the kitchen as if eating and sleeping were the most crucial things in her life that could never be delayed.
During breakfast, Lin Xun thought of something and asked, “Shia Zhi, are you practicing some body refining martial arts?”
“No.” Shia Zhi replied with confusion on her face.
Pointing at the huge hammer at the corner of the yard, Lin Xun continued, “Then how did you make this huge hammer?”
“With my hands.” Shia Zhi replied casually.
Lin Xun was speechless with the answer.
Staring at Lin Xun for quite a moment, Shia Zhi frowned, “Are you planning to refine your body?”
Lin Xun nodded. He thought for a long time last night. The second test of the Heaven-accessing Place was named “Body Refining” with 108 chances to pass it, indicating that it would be extremely difficult with a high rate of failure.
In such a case, Lin Xun must prepare himself. Thus, it would be best if he could furthur refine and strengthen his body.
But he had no other knowledge on body refining except for making some beneficial soups with the flesh and blood of the beasts and other spiritual ingredients.
There were various manuals on body refining. But Lin Xun didn’t have one and there was no way he could find one in Feiyun Village.
According to the realm of spiritual practice, the nine levels of Martial Realm were, in fact, a kind of training aiming at the practitioner's body.
The first level, Qi Guiding, refined the Qi feeling inside.
The second level, Inner Strong, focused on the muscles and tendons throughout all limbs and bones.
The third level, Viscera Opening, dealt with the five internal organs.
The fourth level, Marrow Washing, strengthened the bone marrows.
The sixth level, Blood Burning, improved the blood.
The seventh level, Xiao Zhoutian, and the eighth level, Da Zhoutian, was a complete refining of all the flesh, blood, meridian vessels, bones, acupoints, and internal organs throughout the body. Xiao Zhoutian was the preliminary refining, while Da Zhoutian went further and deeper.
Not until the ninth level - Spirit Transformation were the body and the spiritual power refined together, bringing a great difference.
All refinement of the nine levels aimed to lay a solid foundation for spiritual practitioners so that they could successfully condense the Gang Qi when breaking through.
But now Lin Xun just reached the third level of Martial Realm. Without the help of some other means, it would be extremely difficult for him to further strengthen his body within a short time.
Shia Zhi said after pondering a while, “Maybe we can fight.”
Lin Xun was in a bit of a daze, “Fight?”
Shia Zhi nodded earnestly, “Yes, it is also one of the most direct way to refine the body by fighting with pure physical power.”
Lin Xun was surprised, “How do you know it?”
Eyes full of confusion, Shia Zhi shook her head after some ponderation, “I don’t remember it, but I know it’ll work.”
Lin Xun bit hard on his lip and decided to believe in Shia Zhi, “Anyway, let’s have a try!”