As was his nightly habit, Xiao Baichuan sat in quiet meditation, practicing the internal cultivation method passed down through his lineage.
Following the familiar routine, his inner energy gathered at the convergence point deep within his body. Once the energy had fully assembled, he noticed something unusual—his internal energy felt stronger, denser than it had been the previous night.
He had unknowingly reached the stage of inner condensation, where internal energy compresses into a more potent form. Though he did not yet realize the significance of this transformation, he could sense the strength pulsing within.
He recalled what Dao master once said that the cold elemental energy absorbed from Shan Mei might have harmonized with his naturally cool inner force, enhancing its depth.
Encouraged by this, he continued refining the gathered energy, compressing it further. As the inner energy condensed, a power both cool and refined began to manifest—an icy clarity that swept through his body.
He maintained this state for slightly longer than usual. When he finally opened his eyes, his entire being felt weightless and refreshed, as though the fatigue of the day had been washed away.
This, after all, was the foundation stage of his nightly cultivation—the method of gathering and condensing as taught by the Xiao family arts.
In the wider martial world, the act of gathering inner energy was considered an intermediate skill. But internal energy condensation? That was unique to the Xiao lineage unknown to other internal schools.
Whereas most practitioners advanced directly from gathering to circulating energy throughout the meridians, the Xiao arts prescribed a more meticulous path:
Gathering → Condensation → Controlled Diffusion → Vascular Opening → Directed Flow → Full Circulation.
Among these, gathering, condensation, and diffusion were regarded as the three foundational stages.
Xiao Baichuan, however, had only trained up to condensation not out of ambition for power, but simply for health and vitality. Beyond that, he had never ventured.
'Tonight, my energy gathered more smoothly… and condensed more deeply than before…' he thought aloud.
Though he could feel a tangible improvement, he had no idea how to proceed further. What exactly did "controlled diffusion" mean? He did not understand it.
Even when Dao Master advised him to reflect on how cold energy had flowed into his body while healing Shan Mei, and use that insight to train, he still didn't fully grasp the meaning.
"Without a path, there is no journey. Without clarity, the road remains closed. If the path is blocked—then forge one."
So said the ancestral records.
But what did that really mean?
Unable to proceed further, he simply continued cultivating at the convergence point, gathering and condensing, gathering and condensing like a traveler who never found the road ahead.
When he could meditate no longer, he rose and paced slowly about the room, lost in thought.
"Without a path, there is no journey. Without a path… no journey… What could it mean?"
He paced for a long time, turning the words over and over in his mind, but still found no answer. Night deepened, passing from midnight into the final hours before dawn.
The oil in the lamp began to wane, its flame shrinking.
Darkness suddenly swallowed the room.
Xiao Baichuan froze in place.
"Oh… could it be?"
The thought struck him with such clarity, he couldn't help but speak aloud.
"Could the phrase mean that the energy I've gathered… needs a path to flow? That if there's no path, Internal energy cannot circulate? That 'diffusion' means creating a route for the energy to travel? Just like how the cold essence from Shan Mei entered me Dao Master did say it flowed, after all. So perhaps that's it! The energy I've gathered at the convergence point won't go anywhere if there's no path. But once there's a routeit will flow naturally!"
The more he considered it, the clearer it became.
When the light went out, he could no longer see the path beneath his feet. Not because the path was gone but because he couldn't see it. He had to stop.
"The pathways for energy must exist. I simply haven't found them yet. That means I must seek them not by wandering aimlessly, but by actively guiding my inner energy. I must 'diffuse' it, control its release, and in doing so, discover the paths it must travel. Yes, that's it. That is what diffusion means discovering the routes by which qi can flow."
Immediately, he sat back down on his bed, resuming his cultivation.
Once again, his internal energy gathered and condensed then stilled. He realized this stillness was no different from how he had stopped walking when the room went dark. The path wasn't gone. It was simply unseen.
"Where is the path?"
He asked inwardly and waited.
Focusing inward, he directed his attention to the condensed internal energy, attempting to regulate and release it while searching for a pathway through which it could flow. To his surprise, the densely gathered energy was not entirely still, but moved gently, subtly like water held in a cup. Calm on the surface, yet always pressing outward.
It was like the water in a pond seemingly tranquil, yet exerting pressure against the embankment. If a small channel were carved or a path opened, it would certainly begin to flow.
Like wise, the inner energy, though compressed, exerted a faint pressure. He concentrated on that sensation and carefully tried to guide its flow.
The moment he did, the pressure began to build.
"Yes…! This is it. This is correct."
Suddenly, an image from the ancestral manuals surfaced in his mind those mysterious diagrams once called "circuits of inner energy." He had seen them before but never truly understood what they represented. Now, their meaning became clear. Those were pathways meant to guide the internal energy around its convergence point.
But the image wasn't entirely vivid in his mind it was blurred, vague. So he paused his training, turned up the lamp, and retrieved the black stone box. He pulled out the records and flipped through them.
"There it is. The first meridian must be opened to allow flow."
He carefully marked the location of the first meridian in his memory. Then, putting the manual back into the box, he resumed the training.
As the inner energy began to compress once more, he focused on the meridian that needed to be opened first.
As expected, the guided energy made contact with it. He directed gentle pressure toward the meridian.
A resistance—tight, almost blocked. He applied a little more force, and the pressure grew stronger. Sharp pain began to surface.
"Grandmaster said pressure must be applied. I'm feeling pain now after pushing… Does that mean I'm doing it right or wrong? I don't know. But something is changing—that's for sure. I've never felt pain like this before, nor have I progressed this far. I have to keep pushing."
Enduring the pain, he continued.
The pressure intensified—and so did the pain. It wasn't just sharp anymore it burned, like an iron rod pressed against his insides.
"Ghhh…"
He clenched his teeth, bracing himself. Heat flooded through his body, sweat beading on his skin.
The pain didn't subside. It deepened. Even his organs seemed to tremble.
"So this is the level of pain? Let's see just how much I can endure…"
Without retreating, he continued.
The pressure peaked and so did the agony. Finally, at the edge of his tolerance, he shouted.
"Argh…!" "BANG!"
At that instant, something within him gave way. He heard a rushing sound inside his body, and the forcefully compressed energy burst into the meridian with violent speed.
Clinging tightly to the instructions in the manual, he didn't allow the torrent to run wild. He kept firm control, slowing the flow little by little.
And then just like that the scorching, piercing pain vanished.
His entire body felt light, soft, and cool, like mist in the morning breeze. Though drenched in sweat, he felt no exhaustion. On the contrary, a refreshing clarity filled him far beyond any sensation he had experienced before. He felt as if his whole body had grown light, and deep within, a new strength had begun to stir.
Even as the internal energy surged onward, he held it steady. Eventually, it calmed, flowing gently and evenly.
"I did it."
He stood, and from memory, began to practice one of the fundamental fist forms he had once studied.
"Foundational Fist Style."
"Ha!"
"Whi—Whi—Hoo—Hoo!"
Like a fish swimming freely with the current, his movements flowed with the cooling stream of energy running through his veins. The fist technique felt light, effortless, and alive.
"Whii—Whii—"
His body was nimble and springy. The techniques came easily now, without struggle.
Xiao Baichuan, now deep in training, felt a surge of joy. He was finally practicing true martial arts and with it, his spirit soared. He repeated the foundational form again and again.
"Hoo! Hoo!"
Each strike was sharper than the last. The wind of his punches grew louder, stronger.
Even the hanging clothes in the room and the papers on the table began to flutter and sway in the wind from his strikes.
He became immersed in the technique. Eyes closed, he continued to train, guided by feeling alone strike after strike, flow after flow.
Only after he was fully satisfied did he finally stop.
"Shhhh…"
Drawing a deep breath, he gradually relaxed his stance and gently settled both his body and inner energy into stillness once again.
When he opened his eyes, he was struck with awe.
"Huh... It's already dawn?"
So immersed had he been in practicing his fist technique that he hadn't even noticed the night fading into morning.
Glancing around, he was startled by the sight of garments and scrolls scattered and fluttering about the room.
"What... what happened here?"
As he turned to take in the disarray, he caught sight of the elder, Dao Master, standing calmly at the entrance of the room.
With a gentle nod and a satisfied smile, the old man spoke:
"Excellent, truly excellent. You've come to understand how to control and circulate your internal energy and how to integrate it with your martial technique. A rare breakthrough indeed."
Xiao Baichuan bowed deeply in respect and gestured for the elder to enter.
"Please, Grandaster. When did you arrive?"
Dao Master took his seat leisurely, still smiling.
"From the moment I heard your roar."
His eyes swept across the room, pointing toward the scattered clothes and papers.
"And what do you think caused all of this?"
Xiao Baichuan blinked, uncertain. He had been so absorbed in training, he hadn't thought about the chaos. Even now, he couldn't fathom how his own actions had caused such a mess.
Seeing the boy's baffled expression, the old master chuckled lightly.
"If you truly wish to know, gather your internal energy once more. Let it flow through your blood vessels—control it. Then try practicing your fist technique again."
Xiao Baichuan followed the instruction. He drew in his inner energy, guiding it through his meridians. At once, his body felt lighter. As he moved into his first stance—
Whish... Whish!Whoosh... Whoosh!
Each punch released a gale of wind so forceful it whipped through the room. Clothes danced in the air, papers flared and flitted like startled birds.
"This…!"
He quickly ended the form and withdrew his internal energy.
"So it was my fist practice that stirred the room like this."
"Exactly," Dao master nodded. "It was the power of your martial arts."
Xiao Baichuan bowed again, his eyes filled with humility, listening intently as Dao Master continued.
The old man was deeply pleased. The boy had crossed a treacherous threshold, and now stood at the doorway to true martial mastery. More impressively, he had awakened the ancient Xiao family's hybrid art where inner force and physical technique moved in perfect harmony.
In the wider martial world, the ability to consciously circulate one's inner force marked entry into what was known as Advanced Internal Level. But according to the Xiao patriarch's own writings, this was only the First Meridian Opening—the foundational phase of a more profound internal system. That phase itself was subdivided into three stages: Opening the First Meridian, Controlling Circulation, and Establishing Rotational Flow.
"The Xiao patriarch's 'Serene Interbal Energy' system doesn't just differ from today's rankings it surpasses them entirely. Before this moment, Xiao Baichuan's internal erengy was still basic. But now, with his first meridian open, he stands at a level that others would call 'advanced.'"
Dao Master pondered the contrast between modern martial understanding and the Xiao family's ancient writings.
"To think that with just one opened meridian and basic circulation, he can already wield the first movement of the main fist technique to this degree. That level of harmony between internal energy and martial technique such unity is almost unheard of. This must be the work of a true genius. The Xiao patriarch's understanding of martial cultivation lies far beyond our reach."
To merge martial art and inner force so seamlessly—such a feat was nothing short of astonishing.
"What's more, it's said that only the Xiao bloodline can practice the Serene Internal Energy Force. Without it, the patriarch's arts are inaccessible. That exclusivity it's both remarkable and enviable."
Now that Xiao Baichuan had reached the First Meridian Opening stage of the Serene Inner Force, he could finally begin practicing the family's primary fist style. Even just the first movement granted him enough power to defend himself with confidence.
Although the Xiao style promised immense power, even the bloodline heirs found it difficult to master. Xiao Baichuan himself had been stuck for years, unable to consolidate or refine his inner energy unable to even open the first meridian, much less train in combat.
Now, having broken through, everything had changed.
"It seems unless one succeeds in reaching the First Meridian Opening, the Xiao martial arts remain completely inaccessible. Even being of the Xiao bloodline isn't enough. That level of restriction is immense yet so fascinating."
Dao Master could not help but dwell on the immense legacy of the Xiao patriarch a legacy now stirring once more in the hands of a young heir.
"Shaung Paing Chwan... This young man never pursued martial arts out of passion. He simply never had the chance to train. But it wasn't due to a lack of potential. Now that he's set foot upon the path of martial cultivation, he must press on. The martial road is fraught with obstacles. Even in the chronicles left behind by the Great Master, such hardships are recorded. No matter how complete or refined one's training method may be, difficulties are inevitable in practice. Yet this child has already overcome the first trials. As his mentor, I hope he understands this and in the future, no matter what hindrance arises, he must press forward with unwavering resolve. Only such effort will elevate the Shaung bloodline to new heights."
Xiao Baichuan respectfully listened, lowering his head in reverence.
"Yes, Grandmaster. I will give it everything I have."
These words were not merely a vow, but an oath forged deep within his heart. It was a solemn pledge not only for the honor of the Xiao family, but for the future of the unborn child he had yet to meet. He swore inwardly that he would give his all.
"Excellent."
The old master nodded slowly, his expression calm yet weighty.
"A martial artist is like a three-legged pot only when all three legs are firm can it stand steady. Likewise, one must master three aspects: internal energy, martial technique, and bodily discipline. All three must be honed equally. In the Great Master's teachings, these were separated into three branches Inner Energy Arts, Martial Arts, and Physical Arts."
"Yes, Grandmaster."
"Now... since you have stepped onto this path, you are no longer a mere layman. Back then, training only one form of inner energy sufficed — for health, for lightness of movement. That was appropriate for common folk, monks, or hermits. But you are now a martial cultivator. Training in one aspect alone is no longer enough. You must train in all three."
"I understand, Grandmaster. Is it so I may face other martial artists?"
"No. We do not train the Three Arts simply to fight or defend. As I said before they support one another like the legs of a pot. Training inner energy alone will only bring you so far. Only by pairing it with suitable martial techniques can that inner power grow stronger and be utilized more precisely. Think of a splitting wedge. It is the edge that splits the wood, yes but without a proper handle, can it be used effectively?"
"No, Grandmaster."
"Exactly. If you only train inner energy, no matter how deep or strong it becomes, you'll still wield it clumsily. Like trying to split logs bare-handed using only the wedge. Some exceptional cultivators can indeed split logs or even stone with bare hands, solely through internal energy. But imagine how much more powerful they would be if they had mastered compatible martial techniques as well. Then they would not merely be striking with a wedge they would be wielding an axe."
"I see now, Grandmaster. The Three Arts empower and complete one another. If one only trains in martial skill without inner power, it would be like wielding a handle without a blade."
"Exactly. You've grasped it. Let me also share this when cultivating the Three Arts, you must train with utmost focus, in seclusion, away from distraction. Though there are rules in the martial world do not interrupt another's cultivation, do not steal another's art not all martial artists follow those codes. The very existence of these rules means there are those who break them. That is why, above all, you must safeguard yourself."
"Understood, Grandmaster."
And so, the old master continued to share knowledge not only of martial techniques, but of the hidden rules and truths that governed the martial world.
"Hmm... It seems we've said enough for today. We'll continue another time. Come let us go check on Shan Mei."
With that, the two quietly made their way toward Shan Mei's room.
End of Chapter