Walking the Ten Thousand Daos

Chapter 59: Carp Flowing Intent

Carp Flowing Intent is a martial arts cultivation method that mimics the carp.

The carp is one of the sacred creatures in Daoism, known as the king of all fish.

Therefore, it's perfectly normal for Luofu Mountain, as one of the Daoist Grotto-heavens, to have a cultivation method that imitates the carp.

"One who attains the Dao can ascend to the clouds and soar through the sky, or dive and swim in rivers and seas. Thus, Xiao Shi ascended to the void with a soaring phoenix, and Qin Gao rode a crimson carp into the deep abyss; this is their testament."

This passage speaks of enlightened masters riding red carp to journey through deep abysses.

Those in the Daoist Gate believe that one needs to ride a carp to ascend to immortality because carp possess spiritual intelligence, can communicate with deities, and can reach "two extremes" and "two realms." Therefore, people can ascend to heaven on carp, unimpeded by heaven and earth.

In reality, there are indeed carp that can achieve this. It's said that a great carp demon once dominated a long river, proclaiming itself a deity, possessing vast divine powers and boundless magical might. An eight-hundred-li-wide river of unknown length could be frozen solid overnight by its mere spell.

But this Carp Flowing Intent, as an eighth-rank martial arts cultivation method, certainly couldn't reach such a level.

The core concept of this cultivation method is to emulate the carp's upstream swimming against the current, emphasizing stealth in water, prolonged endurance, and being slippery and adept at evading water currents.

It also draws from the carp's leap over the Dragon Gate, excelling at gradually accumulating strength through endurance and evasion, then unleashing it all in a burst, like a fish leaping over the Dragon Gate.As a Martial Dao cultivation method, the most important aspect is eating. Carp Flowing Intent requires cultivators to consume at least a wisp of water Qi daily, digesting it within their bodies and transforming it into internal Qi.

There are several ways to ingest water Qi. One is to eat fish, large quantities of fish, extracting it from their flesh. Fish are born in water and naturally contain trace amounts of water Qi, which can be digested in the stomach.

This method is the most clumsy but also the simplest; just buy fish.

The second method is drinking water, but not ordinary water. It must be spring water from a source. At the source, water Qi naturally arises; it is the origin of the river. Drinking this water and then refining it allows one to obtain the water Qi from the source.

This method requires delving deep into the mountains to find water sources, making it much more troublesome than the previous one.

The third method is to consume heavenly treasures containing water Qi, such as water-elemental spiritual beasts or demonic beasts, or treasures like water spirit pearls.

This option is not considered. Although it offers the best effect, fastest speed, and no side effects, its biggest side effect is the immense financial burden it brings.

Li Qi patted the two hundred coins left in his pocket.

Save it. It's not even enough to buy a piece of pork, let alone water-elemental spiritual beasts.

And this wasn't just a one-time thing; it was daily!

Every single day!

Martial Dao cultivation prioritizes perseverance, followed by resources. Beggars can go play with themselves; you're not worthy of cultivating martial arts.

However, fortunately, this was deep within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

Water sources rarely seen in the outside world were ubiquitous here.

"So, in this place, with its dense network of waterways, as long as we find a mountain water source every day, the amount of water Qi shouldn't be a problem," Shen Shuibi said.

"Then, I'll teach you the complete cultivation method," she said, beginning to demonstrate it to Li Qi.

Martial Dao cultivation has no spells; it's only divided into practice methods, or "eating methods," and combat methods. Combat methods require gradual refinement, but practice methods can be started immediately.

Li Qi's second cultivation besides the Shaman ritual priest method also began at once.

According to Shen Shuibi, dual cultivation was actually quite common. However, it was crucial to distinguish between primary and secondary methods, and there were certain taboos; otherwise, it was easy for the body's various Qi to become chaotic and the human body's miniature heaven and earth to become unbalanced.

Moreover, cultivating one method was already extremely draining on energy. Dual cultivation was generally used to compensate for shortcomings, and few people had the energy to thoroughly study two Daoist orthodoxies.

The Dao was such that a single Daoist orthodoxy was enough for one to spend their entire life on.

But for Li Qi, his cultivation was far from that level, so he had no worries at all.

A Ph.D. student might say changing majors is difficult because their specialization is extremely high, and they wouldn't understand a new major.

But for an elementary school student, what's wrong with taking both Chinese, math, and English?

Time passed quickly. Li Qi's body, with the help of Great Forest Wood Qi, quickly recovered, taking only two days.

During this time, he slowed his pace of travel.

Every day, he only traveled for half a day. As he traveled, he searched for water sources.

Once he found one, he would stop, soak in the water, drink until his belly was round, and then, according to the practice method, begin cultivating Carp Flowing Intent.

Every punch and kick was to promote the human body's miniature heaven and earth in better absorbing water Qi, then digesting or refining it into internal Qi.

Perhaps due to his foundation in Wave-Breaking Force, Li Qi cultivated Carp Flowing Intent unusually quickly.

This made him sigh with emotion.

Because according to Shen Shuibi.

A crude eighth-rank Martial Dao cultivation method used to prop up a table leg at Luofu Mountain, if put out into the world, would be enough to cause feuds and skirmishes among some martial sects, allowing a martial sect to establish its foundation.

And then, a fragmented piece of this very cultivation method became Wave-Breaking Force, allowing a boat hauler's gang to establish itself, cherished as a treasure by two or three hundred people, and used as a means of livelihood.

Previously, if he had dabbled in such a thing, corresponding interest groups and Jianghu experts would surely emerge, easily killing him and seizing it.

Because "a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure makes him guilty."

But now, Shen Shuibi, adorable as she was, taught him this thing as if it were nothing, while wiggling her ears.

All this happened in just half a month.

Reality was indeed magical.

Knowing that this situation was hard-won, Li Qi cherished the present moment even more.

He diligently practiced both methods every day, accumulating different types of Qi.

Every morning, he would rise early to sacrifice to the Eastern Azure Dragon, obtaining Great Forest Wood Qi.

Then he would take out the peach charm carved with the Household God's idol, sacrifice to the Household God, and complete his day's ritual priest cultivation.

Afterward, he would travel in the morning, searching for water sources as he went. At a water source, he would cultivate Carp Flowing Intent.

Honestly, cultivating Carp Flowing Intent was much more arduous than performing sacrifices.

Sacrifices required mental effort, learning rituals, regulations, templates, meticulously memorizing and reciting all procedures, taboos, and requirements.

These things were intricate and chaotic, and a slight mistake could lead to all efforts being in vain, or even being rejected by a God, after which one could only abandon that particular God.

This was the difficult part of the Shaman Dao.

But the Martial Dao was the exact opposite.

Made a mistake in practice? No problem, just start over.

Practiced it correctly? Don't be too proud, you still have to start over.

It was just repetition, starting over, starting over, starting over.

Again and again, again and again.

Until all the heterogeneous Qi in the body was completely transformed into internal Qi. Only then could a day's practice be considered complete. A day involved at least six hours of practice, leaving Li Qi so tired he could only lie motionless in the water. Only then was it done.

But this was only the completion of the practice method.

He still had to learn the combat methods.

That is, the art of combat, the so-called "martial arts."

In this process of traveling for half a day and practicing for half a day, time just passed day by day.

(Chapter End)