Chapter 204 - 203: The Value of Qi Daoist Techniques
Most "Qi Daoist Techniques" possessed an extremely archaic style. The customs and traditions of that era were vastly different from the present day.
Among them, *Vomiting Valley Qi* was a Cultivation Technique that allowed its practitioner to expel the "Five Grains and Miscellaneous Qi."
The Qi Dao school of thought held that grains and assorted foods were the "root of disaster and source of illness" in the human body. It posited that the reason people aged, fell ill, and eventually died was due to the accumulation of the "Qi of the Five Grains."
From a modern scientific perspective, Yang Shen couldn’t agree with this concept, but the Cultivation Technique did indeed have some effect.
For a modern Martial Artist, it could allow them to expel the "medicinal buildup" in their bodies.
As for *Zongjiao Stake*, it was rather peculiar. It was a Standing Posture Technique, and its effect... was to enhance one’s Yang Qi.
It’s the literal sense of Yang Qi, with effects described as being like an old tree taking root—deeply ingrained, reinforcing one’s foundation, cultivating Yang, and bringing great daily gains.
At least, that’s what its own description claimed.
From these two techniques alone, it wasn’t hard to see that "Qi Daoist Techniques" had a certain ancient charm. Not only were their names peculiar, but their core philosophies were also completely different from "Martial Arts."
They favored stillness over movement, with meditation and standing postures as their core. They didn’t really involve combat or killing, and didn’t even pursue "Power."
However, they were also different from the "Cultivation" that Yang Shen knew; they were more primitive, more monotonous.
’If this were on the Cultivation Side, the effects of something like *Zongjiao Stake* could be achieved just by taking an Elixir Pill, or by directly advancing one’s realm.’
’What kind of brain-dead Cultivator would specifically practice something like this... Do they have too much free time on their hands in their pursuit of the Great Dao?’
Compared to Martial Arts, they were even more impractical.
’We both train for thirty years. A Martial Artist can shatter stones and split mountains. You, a Qi Dao practitioner, tell me you’ve spent thirty years on *Zongjiao Stake*... You must feel fantastic.’
’But... with such a vast library of "Qi Daoist Techniques," I can still use them to cross-reference one another, attempting to integrate the Qi Dao, Martial Arts, and Immortal Path...’
He was already attempting to integrate *Vomiting Valley Qi* and *Zongjiao Stake* into the *Sixth Set of Initial Body Forging Technique*.
This initial realm technique, which he had refined to perfection, could yet be improved. If he succeeded, it would no longer be the "Sixth Set," but a new inheritance for the Yang Clan—one created by Yang Shen himself.
While performing Body Forging, it could also wash away medicinal buildup and reinforce one’s foundation and cultivate Yang Qi...
But that wasn’t his purpose today. Lei Lv’s breakthrough had served as a reminder, prompting him to come down and find a new Qi Daoist Technique he had seen last time.
It was called *Refining Grease and Grain*.
Its purpose was, more or less... to aid in the digestion of food.
The author believed that anything cooked by human hands counted as "grease and grain," and eating such things would taint a person with grain qi, which was detrimental to Cultivation...
But people discovered the Qi Dao at different stages in life. Some had already spent half their lives eating "five grains and miscellaneous foods," some were even born into wealthy households. What were they to do?
*Refining Grease and Grain* was designed for such people... allowing them to rapidly burn off the excess energy in their bodies.
Broadly speaking, it was a weight-loss technique...
Yang Shen thought the concept was absurd, but the technique’s value was immense. He could vaguely sense that parts of it were related to "Strengthening Qi and Blood Value."
The so-called "rapid consumption of excess energy" also mentioned that completely depleting one’s energy could lead to excessive weakness. Therefore, it included a component for "repurposing one’s own body."
This was very close to the concept of "consolidating the physical body" in modern Martial Arts.
Perhaps this was a key to continuing the Yang Family’s "dual-track system."
He could, of course, take a gamble—betting that a system mission would eventually give him what he needed, like a "Body Tempering Method" from the Cultivation Side.
But what if the gamble didn’t pay off for several years?
’A man’s got to have a backup plan.’
Wearing gloves, Yang Shen copied the inscription from the bone tablet by hand, planning to take it back to study at his leisure.
Half an hour flew by. Yang Shen left the Qi Storage Pavilion and quickly returned to the surface.
He was a busy man... His nightly Cultivation couldn’t be interrupted, and he also had to study Qi Daoist Techniques...
This lost legacy of Qi Dao wisdom, regardless of its underlying philosophy, would become part of the foundation of the Jianghuai Yang Family.
’No one ever said you can only have one "Family Secret Technique," right?’
’It’s perfectly reasonable for me to pass down an entire "library," isn’t it?’
...
The next day, Yang Shen concluded his Cultivation session.
He now used the time previously dedicated to "Rising Sun Body Forging" to attempt fusing techniques.
This was the time of day when his Comprehension was at its peak, his mind was clearest, and he was in his best state, a process he’d supplement by drinking a little Heart-Inquiry Water.
Though it was only half an hour each day, it surpassed several hours of contemplation on any other day.
Afterwards, he had breakfast and, as planned, led a few people to the backyard to transplant the Spirit Grass.
The main plant was the "Qi Gathering Vine." It was currently the most suitable known plant for the "Spirit Plant Inheritance." While it had extremely high environmental requirements, it was quite docile in the face of Magic.
They also planted a few other things alongside it.
Many hands make light work. With the four young members of the Yang family, Xu Bamboo, Lin Yuebai, Zhao Mengmeng, and two of his eight top students, Wang Yang and Wei Xiaoli, all present, the work progressed quickly.
They were all Martial Artists; they might have lacked technique, but they certainly didn’t lack strength.
Yang Shen and Lin Yuebai each led a team, teaching them how to plant the cuttings. It was obvious, however, that Lin Yuebai was the expert, as she explained the process with clear and compelling logic.
"The Qi Gathering Vine is a very delicate plant. Remember, the thicker end must point down. Also, carefully inspect the surface for any damage. A damaged cutting will definitely not survive."
Yang Shen’s instructions, on the other hand, were far more perfunctory.
"Cut it, stick it in, cover it with dirt... That’s about it."
Zhao Mengmeng straightened up, looking baffled. "That’s it?"
Yang Shen thought for a moment. "That’s it."
’It won’t die anyway...’
Zhao Mengmeng was a little skeptical, but she trusted Yang Shen nonetheless.
She wasn’t really suited for this kind of work. Every time she bent down to plant a seedling, by the time she stood up again, she couldn’t see where she had just planted...
’Sigh... I wonder if I’ll ever have the chance to reach the Innate Realm in this lifetime. I can only hope that Innate Rebirth comes with a significant shrinking effect... It would make the rest of my life so much easier.’
As Yang Shen planted, he passed over the spot where the Earth Soil Pottery Jar was buried. It was deep enough that the ground above looked no different from anywhere else.
In his senses, he could perceive the rough extent of the Earth Soil Pottery Jar’s transformation of the Earth Vein...
At present, it barely covered half of the Spirit Field. It seemed the Earth Vein Recognition process was slower than he had imagined.
However, since the Spirit Field currently had little vegetation or life, there was nothing particularly special to see. He wondered what it would look like in the future, once the field was lush and thriving.
’Will some strange and mischievous sprites be born here?’
Once the work was mostly done, the group gathered at the edge of the Spirit Field to wash the yellow mud from their feet, talking and laughing.
Lin Yuebai was barefoot, her skin so pale it looked almost artificial. As the yellow mud was washed away little by little, revealing the skin beneath, there was a certain aesthetic appeal to the sight.
Her delicate feet were truly like jade.
However, once she put on her overly retro transparent ankle socks and cloth shoes, any hint of "jade feet" vanished, replaced only by a sense of being old-fashioned.
Lin Yuebai approached Yang Shen. "Patriarch, I’ve secured a new client. I need to make a trip to the neighboring province tomorrow."
In fact, some of the new varieties of herbs they had planted today were specifically requested by that client.
As for why the Yang Clan’s land was so fertile and produced crops so quickly, Lin Yuebai was clever enough not to ask.
At most, she would mull it over in her own mind, ultimately concluding that the soil must be the main factor.
After all, the soil here was simply top-tier. Its Source Content and nutrient levels were outrageous; even the most advanced agricultural zones couldn’t compare.
In Lin Yuebai’s experience, soil like this wasn’t for outdoor planting at all. It was the kind used for carefully controlled, lab-grade accelerated growth. And the Yang Clan had ten mu of land covered in it... She couldn’t even begin to imagine how much just the soil was worth.
The Yang Clan’s wealth, power, and prestige had all reached a completely new stage.
Now, when Lin Yuebai went out to negotiate, she could even state directly that the Lin Family was back on track thanks to funding from the Jianghuai Yang Family, because that claim could now withstand scrutiny.
It didn’t matter if people hadn’t heard of them; they could look it up themselves. There was plenty of information online.
However, the long-term profit margin from selling raw medicinal herbs was low. They needed to have their own products.
Lin Yuebai was already researching this, seeking out suitable medicinal formulas in preparation for the future "Yanglin’s Pharmacy."
Yang Shen advised her, "Be safe on your trip. Don’t let anyone trick you."
Lin Yuebai wrinkled her delicate nose. "I’m smart. Who could possibly fool me?"
Yang Shen, however, was considering whether he should have Long Jiu accompany her as a bodyguard. In the end, he dismissed the thought.
He was afraid Long Jiu would "act as circumstances dictated" and end up killing her way from start to finish...
’The Yang Clan has a lot of capable people now, but most of them are students. Maybe it’s time to hire some long-term employees...’
When night fell and all was quiet, Yang Shen went to the ancestral hall.
The rows upon rows of ancestral tablets displayed the Yang Clan’s long lineage... even though most of the actual familial connections had been lost to time.
Sometimes, what defined a "family" wasn’t bloodline, but kinship.
The scattered bloodlines of the Yang Clan weren’t gone; they were just distant.
’However... I still plan on doing a large-scale "unboxing" tonight.’
He would screen them to see if there were any distant relatives with the character, talent, and strength worth nurturing.
’Of course, I can’t teach them Cultivation. They’ll have to go temper themselves at Changshen Biotechnology for a couple of years first.’
The Yang Clan could afford to support people now, and it needed to start doing so.
After all, cultivating and selecting talent was a very long-term endeavor.