41 – The Realm of Cultivation

“Lu Qing, do you know what qualities one must possess to become a good doctor?”

Hearing his master’s question, Lu Qing hesitated for a moment, then replied, “Excellent medical skills?”

“That’s just one aspect.” Old Doctor Chen said, “Besides that, a good doctor should also have a calm and unflustered mind, as well as a healthy physique.”

“A calm and unflustered mind, and a healthy physique?” Lu Qing murmured.

“Exactly.” The old doctor nodded, “As a doctor, maintaining a calm and unflustered mind is very important.”

“Because as a doctor, you’ll inevitably encounter various kinds of patients.”

“These patients may be in unbearable pain, crying out in misery, may be on the verge of death, or may have terrifying symptoms that are alarming to see. Some may even have irritable tempers and get angry and confrontational at the drop of a hat.”

“When facing such patients, if you don’t maintain a calm and unflustered mind, it will be difficult to accurately diagnose their ailments and provide effective treatment.”

“So remember, when your medical skills are honed, no matter what kind of patient you encounter, you must always maintain a calm and unflustered mind, as this will help you treat them more effectively.”

“I will keep that in mind.” Lu Qing responded respectfully.

“As for a healthy physique…”

The old doctor pondered for a moment before continuing.

“As I mentioned earlier, being a doctor means you will inevitably meet some difficult patients.”

“Some patients not only have irritable tempers, but their family members can also be unreasonable, and sometimes, with just a slight dissatisfaction, they can throw vicious tantrums and even take their anger out on the doctor.”

“In such cases, as a doctor, curing patients should no longer be your priority. Instead, you should focus on protecting yourself first.”

“That’s why a healthy physique is essential, otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to handle those unreasonable patients and their families.”

At this point, the old doctor showed a complicated expression on his face, as if he was recalling some unpleasant memories.

It seems that Master had encountered quite a few incidents of medical disputes in the past, Lu Qing thought to himself.

The old doctor shook his head, dispelling the unpleasant memories, and continued.

“Besides dealing with difficult patients, doctors often need to venture into mountains to gather herbs or travel far and wide, and all these require a good physical condition to carry out.”

“Therefore, if you want to become an excellent doctor, medical skills are indeed important.”

“But equally important are a calm and unflustered mind and a strong physique.”

“So Master, how can one train to develop a strong physique?” Lu Qing asked humbly.

“Now that’s a good question.” Old Doctor Chen smiled.

“Do you remember the set of martial arts I practiced when you first came to me?”

“I remember.”

Lu Qing thought to himself, not only do I remember, but I also almost managed to replicate it.

This was the first time his master had voluntarily brought up the subject of cultivation, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit excited.

“This set of martial arts was something I acquired by chance in my youth, and it is precisely thanks to it that I have maintained a good physique even at this age.”

“Since you have now become my disciple, it is time for me to teach you this martial art.”

“Master wants to teach me martial arts?” Lu Qing exclaimed with joy, “I didn’t know Master knew martial arts as well.”

“I only know a little.” Old Doctor Chen replied modestly, “Your body is a bit frail, and whether you wish to gather herbs in the mountains or travel far and wide in the future, you will need to strengthen your body. As doctors, we not only need to know how to treat and save others but also how to regulate ourselves and maintain our health.”

“If you are sickly yourself, how can you be in the right state to diagnose and treat patients?”

Old Doctor Chen knew that someone as clever as Lu Qing would never give up on seeking the truth behind his parents’ deaths.

He had no reason to stop his disciple either.

After all, as a son, it is only natural to want to know the truth about his birth parents’ deaths.

Since that’s the case, what he could do was give his disciple some skills for self-protection.

Returning to the courtyard, the master and disciple stood in the middle while Xiao Yan happily ate snacks at the stone table nearby, watching them.

“Ah Qing, before I officially teach you martial arts, I need to explain some common knowledge about martial cultivation,” Old Doctor Chen said solemnly.

“Yes, Master.”

Lu Qing suppressed his excitement.

Finally, he could learn something about cultivation!

“So-called martial cultivation, according to martial artists, is divided into several major realms,” Old Doctor Chen began to explain.

“The major realms are differentiated into Innate and Acquired.”

“In the minor realms, just the Acquired realm is divided into three stages: Qi and Blood Stage, Muscle and Bone Stage, and Internal Organs Stage.”

“Qi and Blood Stage is for beginners in martial arts, focusing mainly on invigorating the blood and adjusting the breath.”

“With invigorated blood and smooth breath, the body naturally becomes stronger, strength increases, and one’s spirit surges.”

“Therefore, martial artists who achieve mastery in the Qi and Blood Stage are all physically strong and powerful, capable of easily throwing off several strong men.”

“In the Muscle and Bone Stage, martial artists begin to deliberately temper their muscles and bones.”

“Using various secret techniques and mental methods, they harden their muscles and bones, enabling them to stretch and reshape, undergoing a complete transformation.”

“Martial artists who achieve mastery in the Muscle and Bone Stage have power far beyond the Qi and Blood Stage, able to stop a galloping horse and throw a bull bare-handed, which is truly terrifying.”

“As for the Internal Organs Stage…”

Old Doctor Chen paused before continuing, “In this stage, a martial artist’s qi, blood, muscles, and bones have reached their peak, becoming difficult to break through further. Hence, they start seeking further transformation from external to internal.”

“And this transformation lies within the internal organs.”

“The human internal organs have always been delicate, being slightly damaged can be life-threatening.”

“But martial artists in the Internal Organs Stage can train their internal organs to become extraordinarily strong, unifying both inside and outside, with long-lasting breath and tremendous endurance.”

“Martial artists who achieve mastery in the Internal Organs Stage have a strong internal breath, capable of long-distance attacks for thousands of miles without exhausting their strength and staying underwater for hours without running out of breath.”

“Reaching this stage in martial arts is far beyond what ordinary people can imagine, achieving the ultimate limit of the Acquired stage.”

“Those who reach this level are one in a million and can be regarded as the cream of the crop among humans. Hence, martial artists who achieve mastery in the Internal Organs Stage are honored with the title of Grandmaster.”

This explanation left Lu Qing both thrilled and shocked.

Martial cultivators in this world were even more powerful than he had imagined.

Stopping a galloping horse, throwing a bull bare-handed, long-distance attacks…

Such feats were truly beyond human capabilities.

No wonder he felt such a strong sense of oppression from Master Ma earlier.

It turns out he possessed such formidable strength.

“Master, the Acquired realm is already so powerful. What about the Innate realm?” Lu Qing asked eagerly.

“I don’t know the power of the Innate realm,” Old Doctor Chen shook his head. “Those strong in that realm are as elusive as dragons, some like to roam the world, while others guard a nation. Ordinary martial artists rarely encounter them.”

Lu Qing’s eyes twitched, and he asked again, “Then what about you, Master? What realm are you in now?”

“Haha.” Old Doctor Chen laughed heartily, “Master is already old. As age has advanced, the body has weakened, and any realm doesn’t matter anymore. Besides, I am merely a doctor, focusing only on healing people, uninvolved in fights. The realm is irrelevant.”

Alright, Lu Qing realized that the elderly man didn’t want to reveal his cultivation level.

“However, although Master cannot fight, I can still teach you some methods to strengthen and improve your health.”

“The martial arts technique I’m about to teach you, you must learn it well.”