4 Chapter 4: Three Feet Above One's Head There is God

"Postnatal martial artists are divided into nine ranks because there are nine critical acupoints in the body that obstruct the flow of energy channels."

"As their aura strengthens, every time they break through an acupoint, they clear an energy channel, enhancing their strength by a rank, and increase their power by a hundred pounds."

"When they break through the nine critical acupoints and connect the nine major energy channels, forming a heavenly cycle, they can reach the peak of postnatal martial arts. After that, they can comprehend the power of heaven and earth, convert their aura into innate energy, and enter the realm of innate martial artists."

Shen Zhui meditates and begins to practice the Blood Burning Technique, which he has been practicing for three years.

The Blood Burning Technique, bestowed by the court, is so named because practitioners feel as though their blood is burning when they circulate it."

The first three parts correspond to the early, middle, and late stages of postnatal martial artists.

Once all three parts have been mastered, one can reach the peak of postnatal cultivation, understand the power of heaven and earth, and become an innate martial artist."

The first three sections of the Blood Burning Technique are the most basic techniques issued by the court. They aim to cultivate the strength of basic martial artists, with the most significant advantage being quick results!

When a practitioner breaks through the first acupoint, their aura will automatically break through the small surrounding energy channels along with it. This expends the capacity of the channels, accumulates a more significant amount of aura, and builds up additional layers of aura to forcefully strike the next acupoint."

"Compared to the hidden technique of other noble families, the Blood Burning Technique progresses extremely rapidly in the initial stages of practice, even possibly allowing one to overcome their innate talent limitations. However, its disadvantage is very apparent. The further one goes and the more powerful one becomes, the more minor energy channels will likely suffer damage."

Because of this, breaking through to be an innate martial artist is even more challenging than for the disciples of the average noble families.

But the pros and cons of this technique were clearly explained to Shen Zhui three years ago when he started martial arts training, so he naturally won't complain about anything.

He was destitute and of lowly status back then. If he didn't practice the Blood Burning Technique, he would never have set foot on the martial path, and he might still be an ordinary pauper today.

"Now that I have started practicing the third part of the Blood Burning Technique, and have broken through the seventh acupoint, if I can break through to the eighth postnatal rank, I can take on higher grade cases, and accumulate more Good Deeds."

Shen Zhui pulls out a small bottle from his bosom containing Small Replenishing Pills, pops one, and begins to circulate his aura."

"Thump, thump! Thump, thump!"

All is silent around him. As soon as Shen Zhui begins to concentrate on circulating his aura, the only sound he can hear is his heartbeat.

The aura slowly flows through the first seven acupoints, gathering and condensing.

Under Shen Zhui's mental control, it strikes towards the eighth acupoint!

"Break!"

"Boom~"

All the aura hits the eighth checkpoint, but it seems to encounter an indomitable invisible shackle."

"Indeed, I'll need the help of medicinal pills." Shen Zhui smiles slightly.

He picks up a Small Replenishing Pill and pops it into his mouth to strengthen his internal aura.

"Boom, boom, boom~!"

In his mind, it's like waves hitting rocks, slamming against the invisible barrier time and again.

But no matter how many times Shen Zhui attacks, the eighth checkpoint always stands firm, blocking his breakthrough."

"This eighth acupoint really is tough to break through." Shen Zhui is struck by the realization.

He's already attacked it nearly a hundred times and has taken twenty Small Replenishing Pills!

He even feels a slight pain, but he still hasn't been able to break through!

"Whoosh~"

A polished, dark green pill appears in his hand.

The Great Replenishing Pill!

Refined from dozens of precious medicinal ingredients and worth five hundred taels! Shen Zhui had intended to save it for the ninth checkpoint, but with the eighth checkpoint still unbroken, he can no longer hold back.

He swallows it in one gulp, and a massive aura instantly surges into his body. It flows grandly through the seven major points, joining with the aura that had stopped right before the eighth checkpoint.

"Boom, boom~"

In indescribable torment, Shen Zhui directs this aura torrent and fiercely strikes again…

"Crack~"

Finally, the eighth checkpoint begins to show a tiny crack.

Once a crack forms, the rest becomes easier.

Shen Zhui repeatedly directs his bound aura to strike at the check

point barrier…

At last!

"The eighth checkpoint is broken! I've reached the eighth level of postnatal martial arts... I'm one step closer to becoming an innate martial artist!"

Shen Zhui can't help but sigh. Practicing the Blood Burning Technique is not difficult in itself; the real difficulty lies in the pain that comes from breaking through the checkpoints.

Moreover, as one reaches the later checkpoints, the pain increases exponentially.

The process of breaking through the eighth checkpoint almost made him pass out from the excruciating pain.

"If the eighth checkpoint was this painful, I can't even imagine what the ninth checkpoint and the breakthrough to innate could be like."

Of course, the pain is a price worth paying.

For postnatal martial artists, each advancement in rank brings an increase of a hundred pounds in their physical strength.

At the ninth level of postnatal development, they can achieve the highest force of nine hundred and ninety-nine pounds.

At the same time, each elevation of rank allows the consolidation of one Qi essence. This Qi essence can either be attached to a weapon or used to enhance physical strength, emitting additional force for a short period of time.

In the "Blood Burning Technique", assuming one completes the third chapter, the maximum force produced is also nine hundred and ninety-nine pounds, marking the limit for postnatal martial artists.

However, during an attempt to pierce the acupoints, the Blood Burning Technique will forcibly penetrate some minor meridians.

This allows a martial artist who practices the Blood Burning Technique to possess greater combat power and concentrate eighteen Qi essences!

"Now that I'm at the eighth postnatal level, I believe I can soon concentrate sixteen sword qi. Although my strength is slightly lower than that of a ninth rank postnatal martial artist, I am also trained in the Great Achievement Realm of the ruler technique. Killing a ninth rank postnatal martial artist should be achievable. As for the peak of the postnatal level, that might be quite problematic."

"Nevertheless, trying to solve the murder case left by the ninth rank postnatal martial artist is still worth a shot."

Shen Zhui had a careful thought.

The techniques of using weapons like swords and knives learned by postnatal martial artists are basically divided into four realms: Entry-level, Minor Achievement, Great Achievement, and Perfection.

First realm: one steps into the entry-level once they ensure that the weapon does not hurt the body.

For instance, when using a whip to fight an enemy, if one ends up hurting themselves instead of the enemy, they are better off unarmed. The most fundamental requirement of the entry-level is to ensure that the weapon does not become a burden.

Apart from rather unusual weapons like whips and hammers, one can achieve the entry-level in a matter of days or months at most.

Second realm: When one can wield the weapon as easily as their own arm, they reach the realm of Minor Achievement.

Typically, it takes years of hard practice to reach this level. Those with lower comprehension might have to spend more than a decade to be considered at the stage of Minor Achievement.

Third realm: Unity between man and weapon, and great momentum is achieved!

When one manages to establish an intimate connection between their intentions and the weapon, and their physical strength and techniques reach an extremely intricate realm, they form a kind of 'momentum'.

For example, in swordsmanship, the technique 'Leaving no gaps for water to seep in', where even water cannot penetrate the space around the body.

In whip technique, the illusion of whips covering the sky; or the overlapping blade lights in knife technique, and so forth.

All these give people an overwhelming sense of oppression!

This is the momentum of the sword, the momentum of the knife! These cannot be achieved without reaching the Great Achievement realm.

To reach this realm, hard practice is secondary; comprehension is more critical.

Fourth realm: The unity of heaven and man, bringing the technique to perfection.

This realm requires the martial artist to have perfect control over their strength firstly.

When a hundred punches are thrown, each punch must exert the exact same force, with no deviation. Secondly, each strike must land in the exact same place, allowing no deviation.

Last but not least, the unity of strength and technique must conform to the natural cycle. This realm of accomplishment is akin to the merging of skill and dao.

For the postnatal martial artist, even perfect control over their strength is hard to achieve, let alone unity with heaven and man. Hence, unless the martial artist is the founder of the technique or an incredibly insightful genius, it would be next to impossible to achieve this realm.

"Unity between man and weapon, forming a gravitas, with the comprehension time aided by the system, one day of hard practice could equate to a year for others, and yet after practicing for three years..."

"I don't know how to achieve the unity of heaven and man after all…"

...…

The next day, at the County Government Office.

In a quiet secret chamber, Shen Zhui inserted his waist tag into a groove made of mysterious patterns. The images that appeared in front of him resembled a water curtain.

The text on it was clear and legible, even attached with a portrait of each suspect in the case.

"A pen of law to monitor the world, abolishing profane sacrifices to honor all Gods. The law of this world is fascinating, I wonder how it is made possible…"

Even though Shen Zhui has viewed it multiple times, he couldn't help but marvel.

Why was their enforcement department always able to precisely apprehend people outside the city?

Because heaven always watches!

Every city is equipped with a magic formation, and each city is dedicated to a deity.

Any incident, as long as it happens within a city, can't escape the surveillance of divine laws!

Even incidents occurring outside the city, outside the reach of divine laws, would also be held accountable by periodic rituals held every few years to expand the deity's jurisdiction.

Crime-related information about any violation against the law of the Zhou Dynasty or against natural morality would be revealed, no matter how long ago it happened.

Truly living up to the saying 'heaven always watches!', causing people to refrain from breaking laws easily!

Of course, the longer it takes, the higher the cost of this reveal, meaning that it doesn't come without exceptions.

"The saying 'heaven always watches!' may apply to common folks, but those influential families probably possess means to evade such surveillance. Such methods become useless, and it all boils down to human investigation, which provides opportunities to exploit."

After a moment of contemplation, Shen Zhui shook his head and started browsing.

"Let me have a look at the case files related to the ninth rank postnatal martial artists."