George Grant smiled upon hearing this and said, “That is only natural. Once the Yang Qiao and Yin Qiao meridians are connected, the yin and yang of heaven and earth are generated within your body, which means your internal energy has reached a minor achievement. You are now among the top experts of the second tier in the martial world, just a hair’s breadth away from the first tier.”

Peter Thompson was stunned at these words. According to George Grant, martial arts experts seemed rather commonplace—after just three and a half years, he was already a top second-tier expert. Wouldn’t that mean with another half a year or so of training, he’d become a first-tier master? What he didn’t know was that the “Longevity Manual” was a peerless Daoist classic, unfathomable in its profundity, and with his exceptional talent, it was no surprise he could become a top second-tier expert in three and a half years.

Seeing this, George Grant knew what Peter Thompson was thinking and his expression darkened as he said, “Do you think everyone has the fortune to cultivate a peerless technique like the ‘Longevity Manual’?”

Only then did Peter Thompson realize that the “Longevity Manual” was a supreme martial arts manual.

“So it seems Master must be a reclusive expert of the martial world!” Peter Thompson thought to himself.

“Since you have already connected the Yang Qiao and Yin Qiao meridians, today I will teach you the art of leaping.” said George Grant.

Peter Thompson was startled at this, and stammered, “Master, is the art of leaping the same as qinggong?”

George Grant nodded.

“So the legendary ability to run on rooftops and walk up walls is real?” Peter Thompson asked excitedly. Although he was now as strong as an ox and could lift three hundred jin with one hand, to Peter Thompson, nothing was as wondrous or as thrilling as the ability to run on rooftops and walk up walls.

George Grant did not answer Peter Thompson’s question. Instead, he lightly tapped his toes, spread his arms, and his whole body soared up like a great bird, landing atop an ancient cypress more than ten meters tall. He stood on the very tip of a branch, which swayed gently but did not break.

Peter Thompson stared in astonishment, nearly forgetting to breathe.

George Grant smiled faintly, tapped the treetop lightly with his toes, and once again descended like a flying bird.

Although Peter Thompson knew that George Grant’s skills were unfathomable, he still couldn’t associate him with a birdman, so he remained frozen in place.

George Grant rarely saw Peter Thompson so flustered and found it quite amusing, so for the first time, he half-jokingly said, “Want to fly?”

“Yes, yes!” Peter Thompson nodded his head like a pecking chick. No matter how well he practiced the “Longevity Manual,” nothing was as magical or fulfilling to Peter Thompson as qinggong.

“Do you know why birds can fly?” George Grant asked.

Peter Thompson paused, then nodded and replied, “First, birds have hollow bones, making them very light; they have no teeth and don’t store waste, which reduces their body weight. Second, their bodies are streamlined and covered with feathers, which reduces air resistance. Their forelimbs are specialized into wings, and the broad wings increase lift, so birds can glide long distances without flapping. Third, birds have not only lungs but also air sacs, providing ample oxygen. Their pectoral muscles are especially developed, allowing them to powerfully flap their wings and generate strong thrust…”

George Grant was very surprised to hear Peter Thompson list so many reasons why birds can fly, as some of them he didn’t even know himself.

Chapter Six: The Secrets of Qinggong

“Some of your explanations are very thorough and hit the nail on the head,” George Grant praised.

George Grant was eighty years old, born at the beginning of the twentieth century, and had never studied biology or physics, so he naturally couldn’t explain things as thoroughly or systematically as Peter Thompson. But that didn’t mean he understood less about why birds could fly. It was like a farmer with rich experience in planting crops—he may never have attended an agricultural university, but he knows how to farm, sometimes even better than some agricultural experts.

“I just read it in books,” Peter Thompson said modestly.

George Grant nodded and said, “Weight and lift are the biggest obstacles preventing humans from flying. If one wants to fly, these two problems must be solved.”

Peter Thompson nodded to himself and listened intently.

“We cultivators open our meridians, absorb the essence of heaven and earth, and expel the filth and impurities from our bodies. Over time, our bodies become filled with the essence of heaven and earth, and we are no longer as heavy as before. If all the meridians are opened and one reaches the state of great perfection, it means there are no more acquired impurities in the body, and one becomes as light as a swan, able to soar freely between heaven and earth,” George Grant said.

Upon hearing this, Peter Thompson suddenly understood. No wonder he felt as light as a swallow since he began cultivating—so this was the reason.

“But to become as light as a swan is no easy feat. Even reaching the sixth level of cultivation is just scratching the surface,” George Grant paused, then continued, “So martial artists have come up with two ways to overcome the obstacle of body weight. First, by using explosive force in the legs to propel themselves upward; second, by using the power of the air to maintain flight in the air.”

Peter Thompson was puzzled by this. Using leg strength was easy to understand—martial artists have powerful legs, and with a lighter body, they can leap distances ordinary people cannot. But using the power of the air to maintain flight seemed unbelievable. In Peter Thompson’s understanding, air is so much less dense than a human body—how could its buoyancy support a person? That might work in water, but in air?