Chapter 7 - Looming Blossom Martial Technique

Going to the contribution hall in the morning, he exchanged for the Looming Blossom Martial Technique. He sat down under a tree to begin reading the martial technique.

It described how to circulate your natural qi through your meridians to make it affect the natural qi behind you to create the pattern of a blooming lotus. Though without being at the later stages of the Foundation Body stage, all it would be, would be an illusion. However, the technique was first and foremost a palm technique, and power would surge through your arm into your palm to cause internal damage in the opponent even without being in the later stages of the Foundation Body stage. The martial technique also had instructions up to the True Flow stage of cultivation, when one's flow qi is replaced with true flow qi.

Standing up, Aster Wen decided to try the first movement of the Looming Blossom Martial Technique. There were nine movements for Foundation Body stage, one for each advancement in cultivation. The first movement required circulating the natural qi through the kidney and spleen meridians, before circulating through heart, lung, and blood circulation meridians. Then you were required to step one foot forward, raise your arm backwards and thrust your palm forward.

Following this movement, he thrust his palm forward and felt... nothing. Trying again, he still failed. On his fifth attempt, he felt something brush his back from behind and power surge through his arm to his palm. He was stuck in the striking position for ten seconds before he regained control of his body again. He felt like a fourth of his energy was drained from that one attack, but this wasn't something to be upset about. On the contrary, the harder the technique to learn, the more benefits should come from learning it. It was only a pity that he would need to return the technique back to the contribution hall after a few days. If he wanted to advance in the technique again, he'd have to spend another two hundred contribution points on it.

Getting in position again, this time his third attempt turned successful. The time he spent stuck in the striking position was still ten seconds, and didn't seem like it would go down today. It drained another fourth of his energy, but he still continued to get into position to strike again. This time, the second attempt was successful, with another fourth of his energy being drained, and being unable to move for ten seconds. He could only perform the move one more time in the day, and he got it on the first attempt. Fully drained of energy, he took the manual back to his room and sat in a lotus position on his cot.

Circulating his natural qi, he felt that there was a slight change to it, as though it had more power than before. He knew that certain martial techniques could have this effect on one's natural qi, and it seemed like Looming Blossom Martial Technique was one of them. The elders of Lone Phoenix Sect had all chosen a martial technique that could also improve the power of their natural qi when they were young. Though one didn't need to have a martial technique that had this effect to have achievements in the martial dao, it did serve to create a more stable foundation than a normal martial technique would have. He also felt that the technique effected how much his energy regenerated. It seemed like the technique at the base level forced it so that you would only ever be able to use it four times a day until you advanced.

This also served to create a more stable foundation, as it caused one to not be irrational in their usage of the technique. If you could only use a technique four times in a day, you would need to think more on how to use it effectively, especially if it made you immobile after using it. The base level of the technique was a clear introduction and not meant to be used in battle. Until you had gotten rid of the issue of being immobile in the first movement, you would not be able to advance to the second movement. The technique was made to grow with you, as well as promote your growth in a steady manner to give you a stable foundation.

The Looming Blossom Martial Technique was the best choice for Aster Wen as it could promote his growth, give a stable foundation, have a good attack power with multiple movements, have multiple stages relating to the different cultivation stages, and those multiple stages themselves having multiple movements. It was an all encompassing martial technique that anyone with eyes and common sense would want to learn at his stage.

Though it was unfortunate he could only use it four times a day until he advanced, he knew it was for the best. The benefits were already showing, with the power of his natural qi having increased. He would have to practice this technique for the next few days and try to memorize the next few movements so that he wouldn't need to immediately exchange for the manual again when he advances. He wondered if the time of immobility would reference the time of his advancement and when he could move right after performing the first movement it would be the time to breakthrough.

Opening his eyes and stretching from sitting for so long, he realized many hours had passed while he circulated his natural qi and thought about the technique. Lying down, he closed his eyes in satisfaction of the discoveries and progress he had made today. In the morning, he would complete a few tasks before completing the first movement of the Looming Blossom Martial Technique to make the most of the day. That night, he fell asleep with a smile, contented of what had happened and for the future.