Tempering the Skin: The skin all over the body becomes tough and resilient, able to withstand blows. When exerting force, the human skin becomes as tough as cowhide, able to defeat even when surrounded by more than ten people. Such a person is called a “Warrior.”

Tempering the Bones: The bones throughout the body become hard, with powerful piercing force. The body becomes more agile and resistant to strikes, able to fight against dozens of people. Such a person is called a “Martial Master.”

Tempering the Organs: Through breathing techniques, the internal organs are strengthened. Breathing becomes deep and continuous, stamina is long-lasting, and one can almost fight against a hundred people. Moving is as swift as a galloping horse, leaping as agile as a flying bird. Such a person is called an “Innate Martial Master.”

Tempering the Marrow: The practice of martial arts has penetrated deep into the bone marrow. Such a person is called a Grandmaster.

Blood Exchange: After the marrow is strengthened, through further cultivation, all the blood in the body is renewed. This is called “tempering the marrow like frost, tempering the blood like mercury.” The body is reborn, hair and skin are shed and renewed. Such a person can fight against hundreds, and is a Sage among martial artists.

“Martial Student, Martial Disciple, Warrior, Martial Master, Innate, Grandmaster, Martial Sage! Such detailed divisions. I wonder if it’s similar to the civil examination system: student, xiucai, juren, jinshi? The Great Qian Dynasty is founded on martial strength, and has put in so much effort, yet scholars know nothing of it. They even estimate how many opponents each level can face. It seems this has been strictly drilled in the army. But even as a Martial Sage, it seems one still cannot transcend life and death—there’s a sense of something unfinished.” William Grant read on with great interest, while a nameless fear arose in his heart.

It was a fear born from the Great Qian Dynasty’s precise control over individual martial power.

Such a powerful system of martial control.

An advancement path even more rigorous than the civil service examination.

But William Grant knew that the “ten opponents,” “hundred opponents” mentioned here were not ordinary civilians, but trained soldiers. After reading the beginning of the “Martial Canon,” William Grant finally understood how strictly the Great Qian Dynasty controlled martial power, and how much effort they had invested!

“Hm?” As William Grant read, he suddenly discovered that between the lines of the main text of the Martial Canon, there were annotations. Clearly, these were added by a previous reader.

“If one practices martial arts without understanding the apertures, one can never sanctify the flesh, nor comprehend the mysteries of the body. The human body’s apertures are as numerous as the stars in the sky, with all the gods of heaven and earth residing within. If someone can understand and cultivate these apertures to resonate with the stars above, then every movement will possess boundless power—able to capture dragons and hurl elephants, like the Daoist Yang Spirit merging and transcending, reaching the realm of the Human Immortal. Annotation by Master Reverend Parker of Great Zen Temple, Mid-Autumn, Year 30 of the Great Qian Dynasty.”

Clearly, this passage was annotated by a monk from the Great Zen Temple named Reverend Parker.

The meaning of this passage is not particularly profound: it says that the human body, in addition to flesh, tendons, skin, bones, organs, marrow, and blood, also has countless apertures, like the stars in the sky, with all the gods residing within. By cultivating these apertures, one can move with boundless power, becoming a true immortal in the flesh—a Human Immortal!

“Human Immortal!”

“The highest realm of martial arts is the Human Immortal?”

Looking at this annotation, William Grant thought to himself, “When my father Henry Clark was young, he could fire nine strong shots in rapid succession—what kind of realm was that?”

“It seems I must practice martial arts. Being a scholar with no strength to truss a chicken is not a good situation. Although civil officials hold power in the Great Qian Dynasty, to truly be granted a noble title still requires military merit. If I learn martial arts, pass the jinshi exam, and then join the army, my status will be high. If I achieve military merit and receive a title, then my mother’s status will not only be that of a lady, but of a titled noble… far surpassing Mrs. Harris…”

After reading the beginning of the Martial Canon, William Grant once again thought of practicing martial arts.

In fact, William Grant did not lack the desire to practice martial arts, but simply did not have the means—he could not afford a martial arts teacher, nor did he have money to buy bows and horses to practice riding and archery.

Fortunately, the civil service examination has now abolished riding and archery; otherwise, he would never have had a chance to succeed in his lifetime.

However, he knew that if he mastered martial arts, passed the jinshi exam, and became both a scholar and a warrior, his status in the Great Qian Dynasty’s military system would be very high. If he then achieved military merit, he could be granted a noble title. If luck was on his side, his mother’s status could be elevated by the court to “Jun” (Lady of Rank).

The status of “Jun” is much higher than that of “Lady,” and is the highest honorary title bestowed by the court upon noble families.

In the Lord Clark residence, only the late Madam Grant, mother of Edward Grant, held the title “Cian Jun.”

“I must win the highest status for my mother. But martial cultivation is not something that can be achieved overnight; there’s no need to rush. I should first look at the cultivation of Daoist arts and the soul. I wonder what the difference is?”

William Grant then opened the Daoist Canon.

Sure enough, just as that fox of Mr. Foster had said, the Daoist Canon divides cultivation into ten levels: Focusing the Spirit, Out-of-Body, Night Roaming, Day Roaming, Controlling Objects, Manifestation, Possession, Seizing Bodies, Thunder Tribulation, and Yang Spirit.

Chapter Eight: The Soul Leaves the Body

Compared to the “Martial Canon,” the “Daoist Canon” is much more esoteric.

The entire book is filled with mysterious and profound principles, most of which discuss morality and precepts. It admonishes that if one is a Daoist cultivator, one must keep the mind free of distractions, harbor no evil intentions, and abide by various precepts: loyalty to the ruler, love of country, not spreading the teachings recklessly, not displaying immortal arts, not committing evil deeds, and many teachings about cause and effect and retribution.