159: Five internal organs

The night breeze blew gently, and a faint aroma of wine and laughter drifted through Yuqian Lane.

Master Zhao Zheng had set up several simple tables for a celebratory banquet in the martial arts hall's backyard to congratulate Chen Linsheng and the other Disciples.

Although he only took second place, suppressing Yan Chen and reaching the finals was enough to excite everyone in the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall.

Hall Master Zhao Xiong felt honored; he drank several cups in a row and clapped Chen Linsheng on the shoulder, saying "good" several times.

Chen Linsheng turned no one away, drinking bowl after bowl of strong wine. His expression remained normal, though a smile shimmered in the depths of his eyes.

He was indeed happy.

Placing second in the Martial Examination meant the Five Viscera Absorbing Essence Art was his, and the path of the Golden Garment was now clear. This was not even mentioning the practical benefits brought by the title of "gallant protector" and the right to choose freely from the county treasury.

As the wine flowed and the atmosphere grew heated, Lei Hao approached unsteadily, holding a wine jar, insisting on drinking three more bowls with him.

Shi Poyue sat to the side with a simple smile, chiming in from time to time.

Even the usually cold Mu Qingxue, at Master Zhao Zheng's invitation, held a cup of light tea and nodded in greeting from a distance.

As the night deepened, the banquet finally dispersed.

When Chen Linsheng stood up, his footsteps swayed slightly. Su Wan, who had been quietly accompanying him, reached out to support him.

"A Sheng, you're drunk," Su Wan said softly, her clear eyes reflecting the warm light of the lanterns.

"It's fine," Chen Linsheng smiled, allowing her to support him as they walked out the back door of the martial arts hall and onto the bluestone path leading back to Yuqian Lane.

As the night wind blew, his intoxication seemed to grow stronger. Half his body leaned against Su Wan's shoulder, and the faint herbal fragrance from her hair lingered at the tip of his nose. His mind relaxed, and he actually felt a bit drowsy.

Su Wan struggled slightly to support him, but she bit her lip and didn't say a word, walking steadily toward home step by step.

When they reached the entrance of their small courtyard, Chen Linsheng suddenly stood up straight.

He took a deep breath, and the Qi and blood within his body surged. The Python Dragon Strength Mind-Cultivation Technique stirred slightly, his pores opened, and wisps of white, misty wine vapor steamed from his skin, quickly dissipating in the night wind.

In just three to five breaths, the drunken haze in his eyes had completely faded, leaving only clarity.

Su Wan was stunned. She let go of his hand and said softly, "You... weren't drunk?"

"I drank the wine, but I won't get drunk." Chen Linsheng pushed the door open to enter the courtyard and looked back at her. "Wan'er, I'm going into seclusion for a few days. During this time, I'll have to trouble you to look after the courtyard."

Su Wan nodded, showing no surprise in her eyes, only saying, "Be careful."

Chen Linsheng felt a warmth in his heart and said gently, "Thank you for your hard work."

He said no more, turned, and walked into the house. A moment later, carrying a pre-prepared gray cloth bundle, he quietly left the house. His figure merged into the night as he headed straight toward Qinghe County outside the city.

Outside Qinghe County, at the Curled Beard Guest's Immortal Cave.

The fluorite light in the stone room remained soft. Chen Linsheng sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, a manual spread out before him.

It was the leather-bound book of the Five Viscera Absorbing Essence Art gifted by Yan Chen, bound with red-gold silk thread. It felt warm and heavy in his hand.

He first slowly unfurled the Five Viscera Absorbing Essence Art.

The leather book was quite old, its edges worn and yellowed, but the text and diagrams remained clear.

It was written in ancient seal script, with sharp brushstrokes that exuded a fierce aura like armored horses and golden spears.

Beside it were annotations in small regular script, seemingly the cultivation insights of past Seniors from the Blazing Sun Martial Arts Hall.

The Cultivation Technique was divided into five chapters, corresponding to the five viscera: heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

Each chapter had three Realms: Qi Absorption, Vortex Condensation, and Essence Transformation.

The so-called "Qi Absorption" involved using specific breathing methods and Qi and blood guidance to introduce the free-floating Five Elements essence from the world—Fire for the heart, Wood for the liver, Earth for the spleen, Metal for the lungs, and Water for the kidneys—into the corresponding organs for initial nourishment and strengthening.

"Vortex Condensation" meant condensing the absorbed Five Elements essence into stable Qi vortices within the organs. Like whirlpools, they would rotate on their own, continuously purifying and strengthening while beginning to feed back into the Physical Body.

"Essence Transformation" was the highest Realm. The five viscera vortices would be completely stabilized, the Five Elements would rotate in an unending cycle, and the power of the organs would turn into pure "Origin Qi." This could be called upon at any time to strengthen Martial Skills, resist external evils, and even extend one's lifespan.

For ordinary Martial Artists, cultivating this art was extremely dangerous.

This was because the five viscera were delicate, far less resilient than skin, flesh, and bone. If there was a guidance error and the essence ran wild, the best-case scenario was organ damage and heavy injury with vomiting blood; the worst was the collapse of the Qi vortices and the end of one's life.

But Chen Linsheng was different.

He closed his eyes and looked inward, sensing his internal condition:

His skin had the Golden Bell Shield at Perfection, as tough as leather, difficult for blades to harm;

His flesh had the Iron Clothes Art at Major Achievement, with incredible density and the strength to lift a tripod;

His bones had the Hundred Refinements Steel Body at Minor Achievement, hard as iron, able to withstand heavy blows;

His tendons had the Python Dragon Strength at Perfection, having connected the Dragon Tendons, with Qi and blood surging like a Dragon;

His marrow had the Jade Marrow Guiding Technique at Minor Achievement, bursting with vitality and a recovery power far exceeding ordinary people.

Not to mention the Hunyuan True Body acting as his Foundation, which had already initially integrated all of this, forming a "Hunyuan Physique" that was heavy yet agile, fierce yet flexible.

His body was already beyond comparison for an ordinary Martial Artist.

"With my current physical Foundation, the risk of cultivating the Five Viscera Absorbing Essence Art is greatly reduced, yet my progress can far exceed ordinary people."

Chen Linsheng settled his mind and adjusted his breathing according to the instructions of the first chapter, the "Heart Fire Chapter."

One long inhalation was like drawing in heavenly fire; one slow exhalation was like sending out earthly flames.

The Qi and blood followed suit, concentrating in the heart region of his chest.

At first, there was nothing unusual, but after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he keenly perceived that in the surrounding air, there were wisps of extremely minute, warm, and restless auras. Drawn by his breathing rhythm, they seeped into his body through his mouth, nose, and pores, slowly gathering toward his heart along specific Meridians.

The heart belongs to fire; this aura was the free-floating "Fire Element Essence" of the world.

When it first entered the body, it carried a scorching dryness. If not controlled properly, it would burn the heart Meridians.

But the exterior of Chen Linsheng's heart had long been wrapped and nourished by layers of majestic Qi and blood and the Hunyuan Foundation. As soon as that wisp of Fire Element Essence entered, it was like a stream flowing into a deep pool; though it caused slight ripples, it was quickly embraced and harmonized. The dry heat gradually faded, leaving only a gentle, warm current.

Following the Mind-Cultivation Technique, he guided this warm current to rotate slowly around the periphery of his heart, like a nascent nebula.

At first, it was just a blurry mass of gas, but as time passed and he continued to inhale and exhale, new Fire Element Essence was continuously absorbed. The gas mass gradually solidified and contracted, and a minute, clockwise-rotating Qi vortex faintly formed at the center.

The Heart Fire Vortex was initially formed!

Chen Linsheng felt neither joy nor sorrow, maintaining his breathing rhythm and continuing to nourish it.

One hour, two hours... the stone room was silent, save for his long, steady breathing and the faint but resilient sound of the Qi vortex rotating within his body.

He did not rush to advance. Instead, once the Heart Fire Vortex was stabilized, he followed the order of the technique and turned to the second chapter, the "Liver Wood Chapter."

The liver belongs to wood, governing vitality and dispersal.

This time, what he perceived and introduced was a fresh, bursting "Wood Element Essence" that carried the sense of growing plants.

The Wood Element Essence entered his body and permeated his liver, bringing a slight tingling and itching sensation, as if countless tiny sprouts were germinating within.

Chen Linsheng used the same method to guide and condense the vortex.

With the experience of the Heart Fire Vortex, the condensation of the Liver Wood Vortex went much more smoothly.

Then came the third chapter, the "Spleen Earth Chapter"... the fourth chapter, the "Lung Metal Chapter"... the fifth chapter, the "Kidney Water Chapter"... The Five Elements essences had distinct characteristics: the heat of fire, the vitality of wood, the heaviness of earth, the sharpness of metal, and the flexibility of water.

Ordinary Martial Artists would need to spend months or even years to initially condense a single organ's vortex, and they would have to be careful at all times to avoid Five Elements conflict and essence backlash.

But Chen Linsheng, relying on his physical Foundation far exceeding ordinary people and the ultimate control of Tracking Perfection, managed to initially condense all five viscera vortices in a single night!

Although each vortex was still weak, like a candle flame in the wind, the Foundation had been laid. They rotated on their own, slowly absorbing the corresponding Five Elements essence from the air and growing bit by bit.

As the first light of dawn appeared, Chen Linsheng opened his eyes and let out a long breath of turbid Qi.

That breath actually faintly split into five colors—red, green, yellow, white, and black—before vanishing in a flash.

He looked inward and saw five weak but clear Qi vortices slowly rotating in the regions of his five viscera. Each had its own characteristics, yet they maintained a delicate balance under the integration of his Hunyuan Qi and Blood.

His heart felt warm, his liver was full of vitality, his spleen was steady and heavy, his lungs were clear and sharp, and his kidneys were flexible and enduring.

The functions of his five viscera had clearly strengthened by a notch. His breathing was longer, his heartbeat steadier and more powerful, and his vision, hearing, and even his sense of smell and taste had improved slightly. The minor chronic ailments and Impurities accumulated in his body from years of diet and travel were actually being slowly worn away and expelled under the rotation of the Five Elements vortices.

"So this is the wonder of the Five Viscera Absorbing Essence Art... it is truly extraordinary."

[Skill: Five Viscera Absorbing Essence Art (Minor Achievement)]

[Progress: (0/4000)]

[Divine Effect: Five Elements Rotation, Self-Generating Essence, Disease Removal and Body Strengthening. The Five Elements Qi vortices within the five viscera are stabilized, initially forming a cycle of slow self-rotation. During intervals in cultivation, they can automatically absorb minute amounts of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and convert it into visceral Origin Qi. The functions of the five viscera are significantly enhanced, vitality is exuberant, and there is extremely strong resistance to common diseases and toxins. It can also gradually eliminate minor chronic ailments accumulated in the body due to diet and environment.]