Traveling through time to cultivate immortality: a life and death test

The next day, Liu Xing got up early, practiced boxing and had breakfast, then rushed to his father's study.

When he arrived at the study, his father was already waiting there. He saw his father gently twist an inconspicuous vase on the cupboard, and the bookshelves moved to the left and right, revealing a door behind it, which turned out to be a secret room.

"This is where I usually practice my Kung Fu. When I'm practicing in dangerous places, it's taboo to disturb me. If you're not careful, you might go astray and your meridians might be severed. So when you practice Kung Fu in the future and cultivate your internal strength, you must find a quiet place to practice." The father explained and stepped through the door.

"I've remembered it, kid." Liu Xing marveled at it and silently memorized it in his heart. He would have to find a secret room to practice martial arts in the future.

Once inside, the stone door automatically closed, and the bookshelves outside returned to their original state, without a trace of disharmony. The secret chamber consisted of a single, square room, approximately sixty square meters, containing a bookshelf and a futon—nothing else. Looking up, I saw a vent in the ceiling, letting in dim light. A row of candles lined the bookshelf, lighting them, and the secret chamber instantly became bright.

Father sat cross-legged on a cushion, while Liu Xing stood silently beside him, his height roughly the same as his father's. Father closed his eyes in meditation, while Liu Xing stood beside him, silent and motionless. After an incense stick of time, his father slowly opened his eyes, delighted with Liu Xing's performance.

"This boy is teachable. He is so calm at such a young age. He has a great character and extraordinary talents. My Liu family has a successor." Liu Ying was very happy.

"You are the second person to enter this secret room of mine," said my father.

"Today I will teach you the Plum Blossom Sword Manual. You must practice well."

"I will never let my father down."

"The Liu family's ancestor was once a guardian of the Sword Sect. He performed great service to the sect and was awarded the Sword Sect's top-level martial arts, the 'Plum Blossom Sword Manual,' which they allowed to pass down to the Liu family's descendants. The ancestor reached the Xiantian realm, but his descendants were incompetent. Not a single one of them broke through to the Xiantian realm, causing this martial art to be lost in obscurity."

"The Plum Blossom Sword Manual is divided into two parts, external skills and internal skills. You should practice the external skills first. After you become proficient in them, you can produce internal strength from the outside to the inside. Then you can practice the internal skills and everything will come naturally. Your father will teach you the Plum Blossom Sword Technique today. Just watch carefully." As he said that, his father took out a black dagger, made a sword gesture, and started practicing sword.

Liu Xing was overcome with excitement, his eyes fixed on his father, not daring to blink, afraid to miss any exquisite movements. Sometimes his father's movements were as soft and graceful as a fluttering butterfly, sometimes as fleeting as a dragonfly skimming the water, and sometimes as fleeting as a ghost disappearing into a secret room. Liu Xing was no longer the novice he had been when he first crossed over. After a year of studying various martial arts manuals, he realized that his father had not truly vanished, but rather used the folding of light to obscure his vision. An hour passed, and when they finished their practice, his father's control was impeccable. Not a single ounce of internal energy was released, not even the candle flame flickered. Liu Xing was deeply impressed by his father's skill, his ability to control and release energy with such ease.

"Did you see it clearly? How much did you remember?" asked the father.

Liu Xing nodded and shook his head. The movements were too fast and the techniques were too complicated. Liu Xing thought he had an excellent memory, but he could only remember about 60% of the movements. Moreover, he could not perform those movements at all.

Liu Ying drew 36 circles on the ground, representing the plum blossom piles. She started with the plum blossom step, and after Liu Xing memorized it, she explained the other steps.

……

"Liu Xing stayed in the study with the master for a whole day before coming out?" A graceful and elegant woman shouted to a kneeling guard.

"Yes, madam, it is my turn to be on duty in the study today. In the morning, the master and Liu Xing entered the study one after another and did not come out until the evening." The guard said firmly.

"This bitch, even after her death she gave birth to a restless son." The woman said hatefully.

"Mom, whoever is restless is going to be beaten by me." At this time, a heroic young man walked in. Who else could it be but Liu Yang?

"You go back first and continue to keep an eye on the study. Report to me if anything happens." The woman dismissed the guards and paced back and forth, not knowing what she was thinking. Seeing that his mother didn't say anything, Liu Yang felt bored, so he sat down at the table and started to eat some fruit. The woman looked at the heroic young man and was very satisfied with her son. At the age of thirteen, he already had such heroic spirit. He had learned eighteen martial arts and was proficient in archery, horse riding, swords, spears, and arrows. The ordinary guards in the manor were no match for Yang'er. But for some reason, the master had never taught Yang'er the Plum Blossom Sword Manual, always shirking the responsibility by saying that the time had not come yet. If he had not learned the Plum Blossom Sword Manual, he would never be able to become the owner of the manor.

"How can that bastard compare with Yang'er? He's as thin as a monkey. Am I overthinking it?" The woman muttered, wondering if she was being too nervous. Gradually, she relaxed and went to talk to her son.

Liu Xing naturally didn't know he was being targeted. Today was a fruitful day. He had finally learned the Plum Blossom Sword Manual as he had wished, bringing him one step closer to dominating the martial arts world. Witnessing such exquisite sword techniques, he was filled with impatience, like a cat scratching, wishing he could learn it overnight.

At night, he returned to the yard and asked Liangbo to help him. They found some tree stumps and set up 36 plum blossom stumps in the yard overnight to form a plum blossom formation. He said he wanted to practice his footwork. Liangbo did not doubt him. He naturally supported the young master's diligence and eagerness to learn.

During the day, he would go to the training room to learn swordsmanship from his father, and at night he would diligently practice in his own yard. During this time, his father gave Liu Xing a swarthy black dagger. Despite its unassuming appearance, it could cut through metal like mud. As soon as Liu Xing took it, it cut his hand. His father said it was made of meteorite iron, a rare and unparalleled weapon, and told him to handle it with caution.

A month passed quickly, and Liu Xing had mastered all the external gong techniques of the Plum Blossom Sword Manual. All that was left was diligent practice. His father said that once he had developed internal strength, he could come back to him to learn the internal gong techniques of the Plum Blossom Sword Manual.

Liu Xing bid farewell to his father and returned to the courtyard. He sat cross-legged on the bed, imitating his father's posture, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. The air in this other world was truly wonderful. A breath of it filled his mouth with sweetness, and his whole body felt relaxed. It was infinitely better than the Earth of his previous life. No wonder Earth lacked martial arts masters, only charlatans like Ma Baoguo. Unlike here, where true masters abounded, capable of leaping over rooftops and walls. Liu Xing silently recalled the steps and sword techniques of the Plum Blossom Sword Manual, each one slowly, playing them through his mind like a movie. He also memorized his father's explanations of the key points, word for word. After ensuring he had memorized them clearly and without missing a single mistake, he slowly opened his eyes. He also began to think about the next steps in his sword practice. Since his father couldn't come to correct his movements every day, to ensure he didn't make any mistakes, he would visualize the standard movements he'd seen when he'd personally taught him the sword, just like he'd done today. This strengthened his memory and ensured he wasn't straying from the path. First, practice the plum blossom stance. Footwork is crucial. Use the strength of your thighs and waist to drive your arms to swing the sword, and use your feet, not your hands, to find the enemy. With this basic framework and core strength training, subsequent moves will be more stable, precise, and powerful. Liu Xing spent two months walking the plum blossom stance until he could move freely up and down, left and right, and his feet freely, with his eyes closed, without falling. Another important aspect is flexibility. Swimming is a great supplementary exercise. Fearing drowning again, Liu Xing diligently practiced swimming. Now he can move freely in the water, mastering the rhythm of his breathing and developing the ability to breathe and hold his breath. His flexibility has also improved. Now, in swordplay, he can perform many difficult moves and incredible angles with ease. From now on, he only needs to practice targeted techniques to master them. Finally, the wrists and fingers are used. While they don't generate core strength, they are flexible and adaptable. Responding to the enemy, performing complex and varied sword moves, and fine-tuning angles all depend on them. Understanding this key aspect will make planning your time and steps much faster and more efficient, making swordplay more effective. Systematic thinking and constant review and summarization were the fundamental reasons for Liu Xing's academic and work success in his previous life. The same is true for martial arts. Some people train diligently every day, but only use brute force, making very slow progress. This is truly a mistake, and their efforts are in vain.

Martial artists require substantial financial support, which is why the Liu family established Plum Blossom Villa. The industries controlled by Plum Blossom Villa provide a continuous source of financial support for the family, allowing the Liu family's children to practice martial arts. This is because precious medicinal herbs are needed to replenish qi and blood and expand the meridians, precious minerals are needed to forge weapons, and more martial arts secrets are needed to enhance protective power, all of which require a lot of money. Liu Xing gave all the family property left by his mother to Liang Bo and asked Liang Bo to purchase the herbs. Two-hundred-year-old ginseng is the main ingredient, along with astragalus, white atractylodes, schisandra chinensis, donkey-hide gelatin, angelica, rehmannia root, white peony root, etc. This is a list of qi-tonifying herbs that Liu Xing found in the medical books in his father's study. It is suitable for children just starting to learn martial arts, and it can increase strength and accelerate progress.

In the days that followed, Liu Xing practiced swordplay tirelessly, as if he had acquired a new toy. He occasionally played with his sister, Liu Yue, or went swimming and fishing in the river. His days were full and joyful. Another year passed, and Liu Xing could feel his progress was rapid. His running left a trail of afterimages, and his sword moves were so elusive that it was impossible to defend against them.

Liu Xing had always lived a secluded life, immersed in sword practice in his own courtyard. His courtyard was remote, and he wasn't favored by his aunt, so few people bothered him. His father said he was the second person to enter the training room, and he knew he was the only one in his generation to receive the Plum Blossom Sword Manual from his father. He knew possessing a treasure was a crime, so he remained cautious, low-key, and pragmatic, never practicing in public. But truth cannot be hidden, nor can it stop the deliberate surveillance of those with ulterior motives.