Chapter 1139: The So-Called Inner Qi

The next day, Lu Yu bade farewell to his sister-in-law, while Lu Xun said goodbye to his parents. As usual, they both set out to visit their respective teachers. However, once they stepped out, they suddenly remembered that today was a holiday.

"I guess I'll go look for those two guys," Lu Xun and Lu Yu both muttered as they felt their empty stomachs. The two of them always showed up at their teachers’ houses before dawn, so it was common for the Jia and Chen families to prepare breakfast for them.

Of course, Chen Xi was never the type to wake up before dawn—he was more of a night owl. As a result, he would often leave the books he read late at night for Lu Xun to study, and he had gotten into the habit of marking notes on them as well.

However, compared to other esteemed scholars and heads of academies, Chen Xi's notes were often made on a whim and could even contradict themselves at times. In that regard, Chen Xi wasn't the best teacher, but he did help expand Lu Xun's horizons and thinking.

Fortunately, Lu Xun was a genius. Sometimes, it's not the teacher who makes the student, but the student who makes the teacher. For someone like Lu Xun, any teacher who provided enough resources and left him to his own devices would see him thrive.

"Zijia."

"Boyan."

Lu Xun and Lu Yu greeted each other from a distance.

"Did your teacher also give you the day off?" they both asked at the same time.

"You go first."

"You go first."

After another synchronized pause, Lu Yu finally spoke up, "Why don't we find a place to have breakfast and talk about it? Ma Xiong was taken by General Xu to learn archery from General Huang. Oh, and the other day, Ma Xiong shot off General Xu's hat."

Lu Xun's eye twitched. He had always felt that Lu Yu's teasing of Ma Zhong was a bit cruel. Imagining Ma Zhong shooting off Xu Chu's hat, he could only guess that Xu Chu had probably shoved Ma Zhong straight into the ground. However, learning archery from Huang Zhong was certainly a fitting match.

"Well, then let's not wait around." Lu Xun turned and headed toward West Street. Chen Xi had a habit of calling all the food stalls "West Street," so there were many places with that name.

Meanwhile, at Huang Zhong's residence, a somewhat pale-faced Huang Zhong was instructing Huang Xu and Ma Zhong in archery. By now, Huang Xu had stabilized his cultivation at the peak of the Qi Refining to Gang Formation stage, similar to Guan Ping.

Huang Zhong had originally planned to push his son to the Inner Qi Leaving the Body stage, even if it meant never advancing himself again. However, Huang Xu had refused, feeling that he shouldn't cut off his father's path in martial arts. Besides, Huang Xu was confident he could reach the Inner Qi Leaving the Body stage on his own.

After all, Huang Xu had inherited Huang Zhong's martial talent, and with Lü Bu’s ascension pointing the way for martial artists across the land, Huang Xu hoped his father could also reach the pinnacle of martial arts.

"Not bad," Huang Zhong said, stroking his beard, clearly pleased with both Huang Xu and Ma Zhong's archery. He hadn’t expected his son’s skills to recover so quickly after regaining his health. As for Ma Zhong, he was more of an afterthought to Huang Zhong, though still a competent student.

"Hansheng, isn't my boy Ma doing pretty well?" Xu Chu said with a proud grin, patting Ma Zhong on the shoulder. He had brought Ma Zhong over specifically to give him a chance to learn from the master archer, Huang Zhong.

"He's not bad," Huang Zhong nodded after glancing at Ma Zhong. He would give Xu Chu the face he deserved, but if Ma Zhong couldn’t keep up with his teaching pace, Huang Zhong would still offer guidance but nothing more.

"After the new year, I'll ask our lord to promote Ma to a captain under Hansheng," Xu Chu thought, scheming to himself. Xu Chu had always been fond of Ma Zhong, appreciating his simple nature and loyalty.

"I'll treat you to some drinks!" Xu Chu pounded his chest, offering, then turned to Ma Zhong and said, "You better learn well from General Huang."

A faint smile appeared on Huang Zhong’s pale face as he glanced at his focused son and Ma Zhong. "From now on, neither of you should use Inner Qi to strengthen yourselves. You’ll also only use standard Da Huang bows. Once you can hit a target 100 steps away, you can come see me."

"Understood!" Huang Xu and Ma Zhong both cupped their fists in salute and began practicing on the spot, while Xu Chu dragged Huang Zhong off for drinks.

Although Xu Chu's archery skills were rather average, he was still a mighty general and understood one thing: the effective range of a Da Huang bow was only 60 steps. Without using Inner Qi, it couldn't reach beyond that.

"General Huang, are you saying that the Da Huang bow can shoot 100 steps without Inner Qi?" Xu Chu asked curiously, his thoughts apparent on his face.

"Hansheng, just call me Zhongkang," Xu Chu said, scratching his head.

"Then call me Hansheng," Huang Zhong replied with a smile.

"So, Hansheng, could you tell me how it’s possible to do that without Inner Qi?" Xu Chu asked respectfully, knowing that such knowledge could involve personal secrets.

"Actually, this relates to the so-called 'spirit' aspect of the trio: Essence, Qi, and Spirit. 'Spirit' refers to mental and willpower, and when powerful enough, it can influence the flow of energy and create effects," Huang Zhong explained as he tossed his sword into the air, then beckoned it back with just a gesture.

"This sword has been imbued with my Inner Qi for so long that it has almost become a divine weapon. It contains my Essence, Qi, and Spirit, making it practically an extension of my body, which is why I can summon it so easily," Huang Zhong continued. "I need this sword, and because my will is infused in it, I can call it back to me."

Xu Chu blinked and scratched his head. He threw his broadsword into the air and tried to beckon it back as Huang Zhong had, but the sword merely wobbled, leaving Xu Chu a bit embarrassed.

"Zhongkang, this method isn’t suited for you," Huang Zhong said, shaking his head. Although Xu Chu’s weapon had similarly become a divine weapon through his strength, he couldn't replicate Huang Zhong's technique. "You’re more suited for strengthening your body, focusing on your 'Essence.'"

Seeing Xu Chu still confused, Huang Zhong sighed and explained further, "Inner Qi is essentially the energy we absorb from the world around us, acting as a bridge to build our strength. Whether it’s drawn directly from the environment or absorbed through food, the first influx of energy isn’t truly our own."

"Once the Qi bridge is formed, we can start channeling our Spirit into our vitality. At that point, the Spirit is still weak and must integrate with the body’s energy to control it. That’s what we commonly refer to as Inner Qi," Huang Zhong patiently explained some foundational martial knowledge—knowledge that few in the world truly understood.

It could be said that even famous figures like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had walked a more instinctive, unrefined path. They knew how to fight their way to breakthroughs, but they didn’t fully understand the underlying changes occurring within them.

"So, does that mean refining Inner Qi is just about directing Spirit into the body?" Xu Chu asked, scratching his head as he recalled some vague insights from his past experiences.

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