The Seven Great Limits of the Mortal Body?
Qin Shi had never heard of this term before.
He thought back carefully. Old Liang had immediately worked on stretching his tendons and pulling his back, then taught him the steps of the Eight Segments of Nine Sections, Capturing Qi Sensitivity, and other training methods.
Hmm, it all seems to match up!
"What are the Seven Great Limits of the Mortal Body, Teacher Liang? They were never mentioned in the textbooks about the 'Martial Artist' profession at New First High School."
Qin Shi timely displayed his curiosity.
He was now like a promising student athlete chosen from thousands, attracting the attention of a former city team coach.
Naturally, he had some leverage and qualification to negotiate!
"Qin Shi, can you tell me how long Dongxia has existed?"
Old Liang suddenly posed a question that anyone who had gone through the nine-year compulsory education could easily answer.
"From the establishment of the name 'Dongxia,' unifying the Ancestral Star, it has been nine hundred millennia. During this period, it experienced several major upheavals and revolutions, making the ancient feudal systems a thing of the past and sweeping the rent-seeking aristocratic class into the dustbin.
It hanged tyrannical and incompetent emperors, and also executed ambitious rebels. If we ignore the vast ancient history that a library couldn't hold and only discuss the current 'Dongxia Republic,'
it's very young, only nine millennia old, still an 'infant' not yet grown.
Qin Shi's response was quite perfect, conforming to the standard answer in history problem sets.
Old Liang nodded:
"I haven't studied much, so I don't know all these things. The reason I asked you is that the origins of the Seven Great Limits of the Mortal Body involve some historical mysteries.
Dongxia's first Martial God was named Yan Haishan. He is acknowledged as the founder of Old Martial and the pioneer of the Martial Arts path.
But very few people know that he was also the first human to completely unlock the Seven Great Limits of the Mortal Body and enter the legendary realm."
Hiss!
Qin Shi couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Such a grand origin?
Connected to the first Martial God?
He promptly displayed a look of shocked astonishment, providing sufficient emotional value to encourage Old Liang to continue speaking.
"Moreover, Yan Haishan himself said more than once that he merely discovered the 'Seven Great Limits of the Mortal Body' and did not originate them. As for the specifics, they have not been publicly shared.
Later, during the Old Martial era's grand prosperity, reaching its peak, a saying gradually emerged. The ancestors of Dongxia were naturally endowed with powerful muscles, and long lifespans, almost god-like.
But with the passage of time and the changing eras, the noble and esteemed True Dragon bloodline grew thin, the extraordinary talents dwindled and vanished, and they gradually became weak."
Old Liang spoke with great seriousness about this seemingly fantastic story, his eyes gleaming with a bit of longing.
"Regardless of the truth of this claim, many exceptionally talented Old Martial experts firmly believed that the Seven Great Limits of the Mortal Body were shackles binding their mortal forms.
As long as they broke these limits with secret techniques, they could extract the original bloodline of Dongxia's ancestors and transform into the mythic Saint Buddhas!"
So, the Old Martial Sect believed in this ancestral regression theory?
Thinking that the older it is, the stronger it is? Doesn't that make everyone dig for ancient relics?
No wonder they were replaced by the New Martial.
Qin Shi suddenly understood.
The Education Commission couldn't possibly organize students every day to carry shovels and pickaxes to look for tombs all over the place.
The imagery itself is odd!
From this perspective, Old Martial is destined to be buried in the corner of history.
And the rise of New Martial, its promotion, and popularization among the entire population, is an unstoppable tide.
"You are an excellent student educated in New Martial. I understand what you think. Old Martial is indeed outdated, but it once shined brilliantly and gave birth to several lifeforms at the half-step Martial God level.
Moreover, New Martial is not without flaws. Currently, drug use is rampant, supplements are overused, and lack of regulation, with large pharmaceutical companies profiting from it, is also an undeniable fact."
Old Liang sighed:
"I don't compel you to become a proponent of Old Martial. I just hope you try walking this path. Those expensive cultivation halls and powerful energy liquids are unaffordable for any student from Old Factory Street. Old Martial is the only viable option."
Qin Shi did not make a hasty decision. He pondered for a long time and slowly asked:
"Teacher Liang, what does breaking the old martial limits require?"
"Refining oneself, accumulating deep understanding, intense combat, and a bit of luck."
Old Liang held up four fingers.
"You have the talent for self-refinement, a good physique, and strength. You also have outstanding talent in techniques, which is particularly rare.
As for deep understanding and luck, I will try to help with the former. With two out of four, you are a genius!"
Qin Shi grinned and casually asked:
"And if one has all four, then what?"
Old Liang lightly spat out two words, decisively:
"Prodigy!"
I wonder if I can unlock the title of 'Prodigy' and amaze Old Liang?
Qin Shi's eyes lit up with longing.
"Don't entertain futile fantasies. Accumulated understanding is something determined from birth. The top ten of the first generation, Stone Buddha He Lanchan was reputedly the most gifted, while Great Demon King Qi Wuxiang achieved the most.
Why didn't He Lanchan surpass Qi Wuxiang? The reason is simple: the former grew up in the most remote slums of Cliff Province, and until he was twelve, he still had to worry about having enough to eat.
In contrast, the latter was the grandson of the Qi Family in Hai Province and never went hungry in his life.
On his tenth birthday, he received a rare twin precious tree, an extraordinary item from beyond the domain, capable of nurturing vitality and extending life essence."
Old Liang seemed to admire Stone Buddha He Lanchan greatly, considering him an idol, and every time he praised him, he had to disparage Qi Wuxiang:
"If their situations were switched, would there still be the King Qi with four crowns? That's uncertain.
But undoubtedly, Dongxia would have a Martial God He who stands above all others of their time!
Unless the 'Qin' in your name is the 'Qin' of Marshal Qin of Dongxia,
otherwise, it is more practical to do good deeds and accumulate yang virtue and luck."
In the Dongxia Republic, there are a total of nine Marshals. That Marshal Qin is ranked third aiming for second, holding up half the galaxy like a great pillar and beam of support.
Tracing back hundreds of generations, I might not even be remotely related.
Qin Shi pouted, unfazed by Old Liang's discouragement:
"Let's get back to the main topic, Teacher Liang. You previously mentioned that Old Martial leads to injuries and shortens lifespan, leaving chronic ailments. If I follow you on this path of breaking the limits of the mortal body, will I die young, not living past twenty-eight? I'm the only male of the Old Qin family, depending on me to carry on the lineage."
Old Liang laughed:
"Among the top ten of the first generation of Old Martial, many are still alive, just unwilling to reveal themselves publicly.
Some top martial artists even switched to retrain in New Martial in hopes of advancing further. There is no conflict between old and new; rather, they coexist.
As for the injuries and shortened lifespan I mentioned earlier... don't you wonder why the shackles of the mortal body are called 'Great Limits'?"
Qin Shi pondered deeply on the meaning behind Old Liang's words and tentatively asked:
"Can breaking the limits extend one's life?"
Old Liang gently nodded:
"The first Martial God Yan Haishan has already proven that breaking the great limits and unlocking the body can significantly increase life force, allowing one to regain youth and rejuvenation.
As long as you break the shackles, all the potential consumed by the body will be replenished at that moment."
It seems like a gamble with their lives, all-in with intensity!
So, the Old Martial Sect is full of people gambling with their lives?
Others spent money to develop life force, they simply risked their lives?
No wonder the Education Commission and Martial Arts Association had to reform!
Qin Shi's face twitched, but he no longer hesitated:
"Please teach me, Master Liang!"
Old Martial places more emphasis on the master-apprentice relationship, sometimes weighing more than father and son.
Once you call someone Master, and someone else calls you an apprentice, they become closely bonded, passing down the torch.
After Qin Shi finally agreed, Old Liang hesitated:
"Aren't you afraid of failing to break the great limits, wasting time, and squandering life, and then being unable to get back on your feet?"
Qin Shi shook his head. He stood on the stands, looking down at the solid concrete steps, the empty playground with the morning wind blowing, pressing down the dried yellow weeds.
"Teacher Liang, I heard you are from Thundercloud Electronics Factory and studied at the fifth secondary school. Then you should understand the recognized principle at Old Factory Street.
We never get to choose our paths. Just like Far Brother and Cheng Brother, do you think they aren't afraid of being brutally hacked to death by gang members or getting sent to prison taking the fall for their bosses?
On this land we stand, lives are worthless, but opportunities are priceless! Opportunities must be fought for by oneself; lives must be reshaped by our own hands!"