29 Qi Fusion Arts

Enchanted Everwood Farm.

Hour of the Shadow Dragon. (10:00 PM - 11:00 PM)

In the realm of Dadangar cultivation, night draped over Wuyum County, inviting people to embrace the peace and rest they had earned after a day's toil.

Yet within the Everwood Farm, twilight's grip remained eternal.

Within a modest yet well-crafted wooden farmhouse, a young man adhered to his routine, unwavering.

Seated cross-legged, eyes shut in deep meditation, he abruptly opened them.

"A farmer must possess strength and be capable of great violence to defend his land." 

He murmured to himself, his gaze flickering with a peculiar intensity. The statement served as the preamble to the Qi Fusion Arts—a body cultivation technique bestowed upon him by the Everwood inheritance book.

"Let me revisit the description of the Qi Fusion Arts once more," he spoke aloud, addressing no one in particular.

In the next instant, a Spectral Screen materialized before him, displaying the concise overview of the body cultivation method he had diligently practiced for the past two years.

[Body Cultivation Technique: Qi Fusion Arts]

[**Spirit Farming Integration**: Qi Fusion Arts emphasizes integrating martial arts practice with the daily tasks of a Spirit farmer. Practitioners utilize their farming activities to train their bodies and refine their qi simultaneously.

For instance, they may imbue their limbs with qi and use them as hulls while tilling the soil, or perform exercises while carrying buckets of water, gradually adding weights to enhance strength and endurance.

Current mastery: 100%]

[**Twelve Zodiac Poses**: The foundation of Qi Fusion Arts consists of twelve poses, each inspired by the movements of beasts. Practitioners gradually master these poses, serving as the basis for more advanced techniques.

Current Mastery: 100%]

[**Qi Harnessing**: The core principle of Qi Fusion Arts is harnessing the power of qi and channeling it to enhance offensive and defensive techniques. Through rigorous training, practitioners learn to manipulate qi to strengthen strikes, bolster defenses, and even heal injuries.

Current Mastery: 70%]

[**Muscle Control**: Advanced practitioners gain fine control over involuntary muscle groups through qi. This enables them to contract and expand muscles at will, enhancing agility, speed, and strength.

Current Mastery: 75%]

[**Physical Transformation**: Mastery of Qi Fusion Arts allows practitioners to manipulate their physical appearance to some extent. Using qi, they can alter facial features, adjust physique, and even change stature to some extent, providing versatility in various situations.

Current Mastery: 80%]

[Summary and Additional Benefits:]

[Efficient Time Management: Spirit farmers can optimize their time by combining martial arts training with daily tasks, maximizing productivity without sacrificing their training regimen.]

[Enhanced Combat Abilities: The ability to harness qi empowers practitioners with formidable close-range combat skills, allowing them to unleash devastating strikes and defend against formidable opponents.]

[Adaptive Transformation: The capability to alter appearance offers strategic advantages in various situations, enabling practitioners to disguise themselves or adapt to different environments with ease.]

A smile tugged at the corner of Aksai's lips as he observed the progress he had made in the Qi Fusion Arts on the Spectral Screen.

He had come a long way from where he was two years ago, thanks to the various synergistic effects of body cultivation arts.

***

The so-called body cultivation was a method of harnessing qi, a power distinct from the Spirit essence in Spirit cultivation.

It didn't grant Practitioners superpowers initially, but it allowed them to perfect the physical forms of their bodies and utilize them to their fullest potential.

Body cultivation was much quicker to practice and master than Spirit cultivation. If Spirit cultivation focused on harnessing nature's elements, then body cultivation was about pushing the physical form to its absolute limits.

In Spirit cultivation, one needed to draw Spirit essence from the surroundings into their bodies, gradually transforming their physical forms and mental acuity while enabling the casting of Spirit Spells.

Therefore, a cultivator's Spirit Root aptitude and surroundings played vital roles in Spirit cultivation—factors beyond immediate control. Plus, a Spirit cultivator needed a lot of Spirit resources as they progressed forward.

However, in body cultivation, one didn't have to rely on external sources for strength. A cultivator didn't need a land with superior spiritual veins, nor did Spirit Root's aptitude matter significantly to start the journey.

Of course, spending time and effort on getting body-cultivation-centric resources would always help expedite the process. However, it wasn't absolutely necessary.

With proper nutrition and diligent practice, progress in body cultivation was rapid. So much so that talented body cultivators might see Spirit cultivation as a hindrance.

Body cultivation allowed practitioners to temper their blood and flesh. According to its principles, all living beings harbored qi in their bodies, intertwined with their blood, flesh, and bones. Practitioners were tasked with tempering their bodily forms and accumulating more qi as they advanced along their path.

While Spirit cultivation focused on evolution, body cultivation emphasized consistent accumulation.

More qi equated to greater power among body cultivators—a general rule within their ranks.

Martial Arts were seamlessly paired with body cultivation, akin to two sides of the same coin.

In Spirit cultivation, a cultivation technique served as the foundation, with Spirit spells as the tools for various tasks.

Similarly, body cultivation provided the essential groundwork for Martial Arts.

Without this foundation, martial arts were ineffective, akin to a blunt knife regardless of the practitioner's skill in using it.

Similarly, without Martial Arts, the use of body cultivation was limited. The two needed to be in sync with each other.

Only with a strong foundation and proficient martial arts skills could one unleash the true might of body cultivation.

Since Aksai was a Spirit cultivator, his progress in body cultivation was exceptionally fast.

In body cultivation, practitioners honed not only their physical strength but also their agility, speed, and endurance.

By tempering their bodies and accumulating qi, they achieved heightened reflexes and heightened senses, enabling them to react swiftly and effectively in combat situations.

Martial arts, on the other hand, provided practitioners with a structured framework to channel their refined physical attributes.

Techniques such as strikes, blocks, kicks, and grappling moves were not merely exercises but manifestations of a cultivator's mastery over their body and qi. gm