"Meditation is indeed beneficial for ordinary people with some practice, but if you want to reach a deeper level, there are certain dangers involved."
"As for the Visualization Method of our sect, it can also be categorized under meditation, only because of some special reasons, the difficulty of cultivation is beyond your imagination..."
Watching Fang Cheng listen intently, Ma Jianguo paused slightly in his tone.
After considering for a moment, he continued to further explain the doubts to him:
"I’ve told you before, if an ordinary person wants to possess power beyond the mundane world, to match those monsters, they must go through physical and spiritual cultivation and temper themselves to achieve a true transformation."
"When we practice martial arts to strengthen our bodies every day, we just need to balance work and rest, replenish nutrients in time, and prevent depletion of qi and blood, and the body won’t suffer much harm."
"Even if we fall ill due to overexertion, we can gradually recover through treatment and convalescence, or choose to stop training and live out our days as an ordinary person."
"But spiritual cultivation is different; once you enter it, there’s no turning back."
"All the abnormalities and dangerous situations you encounter cannot be helped by outsiders, and the only thing you can rely on is your own willpower."
"In this process, if your will is confused or damaged, there’s no saying how to heal. At best, you’ll suffer from mental instability and hallucinations; at worst, you’ll go insane, or even become imbecilic."
At this point, Ma Jianguo picked up his teacup and moistened his throat.
Seeing Fang Cheng’s eyes still held some confusion, he added:
"Think about it, after improving physical fitness, you can clearly feel stronger, run faster, and have more stamina."
"And what does it feel like when your spiritual energy is boosted? The most obvious is sharper hearing and sight, brighter eyes, and more sensitive ears."
"Then, as the spirit grows stronger, you see things in more detail and complexity, hear countless sounds in chaos, and your whole head is crammed with the usually ignored information. Can you still maintain clarity?"
Hearing Ma Jianguo say this, Fang Cheng suddenly had a moment of realization, instantly relating it to his own personal experience.
When his Spirit Attribute exceeded the 20-point threshold, the significant enhancement of his sensory perception indeed brought many conveniences, as if having superpowers.
But as it rose to 30 points, 40 points and beyond, some unbearable abnormalities gradually emerged, feeling that his emotions were easier to lose control than before.
Ma Jianguo continued to explain:
"Spirit is a very peculiar and mysterious domain. Some people practice diligently for decades and advance as slowly as a snail, while others have innate talent or chance encounters and suddenly become enlightened, undergoing essential transformation."
"One might say it’s completely different from practicing martial arts to train the body. If you don’t have sufficient willpower and control method, having too much spiritual energy isn’t necessarily a good thing."
"And meditation is the most common spiritual cultivation method. That’s why I’m being cautious, letting you lay a solid foundation before considering learning the Visualization Method."
Listening, Fang Cheng nodded along, feeling enlightened, as if a decade of reading was not comparable to one piece of his advice.
Deep down he admired, Teacher Ma is indeed a grandmaster, the Sect Leader of Tai Chi Boxing.
Then, with enthusiasm, he threw out a string of questions:
"Uncle Ma, you have been practicing Qigong for decades, how far have you reached in spiritual cultivation?"
"Have you achieved Meditation? Can you share some experiences about the state after entering Meditation?"
Ma Jianguo was drinking his tea and seemed to have choked, coughing a few times:
"The sun is quite strong today, it seems the weather is really nice..."
Seeing the old man dodge the question, Fang Cheng thought he had some secrets inconvenient to share.
He shifted the topic accordingly, bringing up the issue with the Special Search Team that both he and Ma Donghe were concerned with.
However, upon hearing this, Ma Jianguo frowned, his expression turning even more serious than before.
"Ah Cheng, in the future, try to minimize your contact with those guys."
Fang Cheng looked at him puzzled.
This time, Ma Jianguo did not hold back but revealed all he knew.
The so-called "Special Search Team," officially named the "Special Affairs Investigation Team," is a unique organization belonging to the National Security Department.
Its main responsibility is to deal with supernatural events and monstrous enemies that ordinary police forces can’t cope with, employing extensive authoritative measures and elimination actions.
Because of the very special nature of the mission, the government cooperates with their operations and deliberately conceals the truth from the public, naturally leaving outsiders with little understanding.
And for Ma Jianguo, the most important thing is.
The precursor to the Special Search Team was developed from the foundation of the "National Martial Arts Hall" established by Ma Family ancestors.
Members are generally selected from robust martial artists and combat sports athletes.
However, with the advancement of biopharmaceutical technology, these Martial Artists sought to break physical limits by using drugs to enhance their physiques, thus setting foot on a wrongful path.
"If someone tries to entice you in the future, tempting you with those drugs, never agree."
Ma Jianguo warned Fang Cheng solemnly:
"You should know, the path we, the Martial Arts Research Association, follow is the right one. They have merely strayed onto a devious path. As inheritors of a reputable tradition, we must maintain a principled stance and make a clear distinction from them."
Hearing the old man sternly criticize the Special Search Team with official backing, Fang Cheng couldn’t help feeling slightly astonished.
Just then, loud calls came from inside the house:
"The dishes are ready, stop chatting, we can start eating now!"
Ma Donghe and Chen Yingjun were seen bringing out several steaming dishes from the kitchen, placing them one by one on the round table in the main hall.
Fang Cheng and Ma Jianguo then entered the house, exchanged pleasantries, and took their seats according to host and guest.
"Ah Cheng, try my culinary skills first."
Ma Donghe specifically rotated the glass turntable, presenting a dish that looked very potent in front of Fang Cheng.
"This is deer antler stewed with tiger penis. It’s a great tonic for us martial artists, not something you can have often."
Seeing this, Ma Jianguo also spoke up to highlight its preciousness.
Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng’s appetite was immediately whetted, and he quickly picked up some with his chopsticks and placed it in his mouth.
Ma Donghe looked at Fang Cheng, his face full of anticipation.
After thoroughly chewing for a few moments, Fang Cheng’s expression showed his feelings were complicated.
After a moment of contemplation, he commented, "Well, how do I put it, quite authentic, valuable for its genuineness."
Ma Donghe, hearing this, beamed with delight, quite pleased with himself:
"That’s right, the highest realm of culinary arts is to retain the purest original flavor of the ingredients!"
"Ah Cheng, since you like it, you must eat more."
He then passionately introduced a few more substantial dishes:
"This is braised sheep penis, this is scallion-cooked bull penis flower, this is softshell turtle with rooster eggs, and the most nourishing is lobster stewed with seal penis!"
Fang Cheng’s gaze swept over the banquet, and he couldn’t help but take in a breath of cold air.
My goodness, is this an entire ’full-Manchu and Han penis banquet’?
The table was full of colorful dishes, with a rich aroma, truly quite impressive to behold.
Ma Jianguo had a full-faced smile, also picking up a morsel with his chopsticks, ready to properly taste his son’s cooking skills.
But then, his face changed slightly, and he subtly gulped down a mouthful of liquor to ease the pungent taste in his mouth.
He glanced sideways at Fang Cheng, whose expression was as usual, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Luckily, the guest has a unique palate and seems quite satisfied.
Although he didn’t have high praises for Ma Donghe’s Cooking Skill, Fang Cheng still gave face, trying a few bites of each dish.
After all, the ingredients were rare and precious, a nutritional supplement for the body.
The family banquet was filled with clinking glasses, laughter, and chatter.
Fang Cheng toasted with Ma Donghe and Chen Yingjun, then stood up to return a toast to Ma Jianguo.
Then, he continued to calmly enjoy the "delicious feast."
Suddenly, his gaze flickered as several notification messages popped up before his eyes.
[You’ve enjoyed an exceptionally rich and rare feast, food experience +1]
[You’ve enjoyed an exceptionally rich and rare feast, food experience +1]