Chapter 187: Xu Yan Enters the Realm of Comprehension, the Cycle of Life and Death Swords

Chapter 187: Xu Yan Enters the Realm of Comprehension, the Cycle of Life and Death Swords

After acquiring the Hundred Martial Arts Shadows, Li Xuan gained new insights into his martial arts journey. He realized that not only could orthodox martial arts be promoted, but physical martial arts and even martial arts involving elixir cultivation could also be disseminated.

Of course, this martial arts system had relatively high requirements for talent.

To cultivate physical martial arts, one must possess innate talent in that area, making it easier to get started. The same was true for elixir cultivation martial arts.

There was no rush to promote physical and elixir cultivation martial arts for the time being, and Li Xuan didn't plan to spend too much time on them.

As more and more people took up cultivation, it wouldn't be long before there was an explosive increase in the number of those entering the martial arts, followed by a gradual stabilization.

It would take a long time for the Dahuang martial arts to become as widespread as the Inner Domain martial arts and completely replace them.

Li Xuan felt that by the time Dahuang martial arts replaced the Inner Domain martial arts, his own realm would have improved immensely.

With a slight fluctuation of his heart, several Hundred Martial Arts shadows drifted out, wandering silently and invisibly through the city, their ethereal and illusory state making it difficult to attract attention.

A young man was struggling to sense his qi and blood. After three days, he still hadn't felt anything, and he was both anxious and dejected.

Gritting his teeth once more, he stood firmly in his horse stance, trying to sense the qi and blood within him. Suddenly, he seemed to see a shadow drifting towards him, and he heard a voice in his ear.

"Qi and blood follow the heart's movement. Calm your mind and breathe, and contemplate the self..."

The shadow reached out and tapped the young man's body. In an instant, the young man felt a warm current surge through his chest and abdomen. Elated, he had finally sensed his qi and blood!

"That must be... the Martial Ancestor!"

The young man's heart filled with reverence. Had he just received guidance from the Martial Ancestor?

On this day, many young men and women cultivating in the city seemed to catch glimpses of the Martial Ancestor's figure, offering them guidance and leading to significant breakthroughs.

Li Xuan marveled at the power of the Hundred Martial Arts shadows, which were like clones, stronger and less restricted than actual clones. However, their range of activities was ultimately limited by his own strength.

"As my cultivation improves, they should eventually be able to act like true clones, moving independently, fighting enemies, and unaffected by distance."

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Li Xuan.

"As my realm improves, I should also work on the ability to create martial arts clones. But how can I acquire the ability to create clones in a way that makes sense in the context of my cultivation method?

"I need to think about this carefully. At what realm and with what cultivation level would it theoretically be possible to manifest an ability similar to creating clones, such as infusing power into an object that can be carried around and triggered when danger arises..."

The more Li Xuan thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He had to find a way to figure out this clone ability.

"How can I make it self-consistent and theoretically viable? I need to ponder this theoretical framework more; otherwise, it will be too vague and inconsistent. It will be challenging for Xu Yan to comprehend it, and it may take a long time."

At this thought, Li Xuan focused his attention on his golden finger.

There, a faint golden light glowed, and he couldn't quite make out the shape of the golden finger.

"When I can see the golden finger clearly, perhaps I can try to utilize it to figure out how to create the clone ability."

If he could use the golden finger as an aid, it would undoubtedly be much easier.

Ever since acquiring the Hundred Martial Arts shadows, Li Xuan would occasionally send out these shadows to wander the city and offer guidance to young cultivators when he felt like it.

Soon, the rumor that worshipping the Martial Ancestor could bring martial arts fortune and the chance for guidance became more and more widespread and was believed by many.

It was also said that the harder one cultivated, the more likely they were to gain the Martial Ancestor's favor and guidance!

...

Xu Yan was about to break through to the Realm of Comprehension.

Having thoroughly perfected himself, he was confident that he would undergo another transformation upon breaking through.

Outside the Evergreen Pavilion, on a mountaintop, Xu Yan sat cross-legged.

Li Xuan did not come in person but sent a Hundred Martial Arts shadow to silently observe his disciple's breakthrough.

Meng Chong, Su Lingxiu, Xu Junhe, Shi Er, and Zhou Ying watched from the foot of the mountain.

"The Realm of Comprehension... After Big Brother breaks through, will he be able to defeat dozens of peak grandmasters as well?" Su Lingxiu asked excitedly.

"Although he might not be as carefree and unconstrained as Master, crushing dozens of peak grandmasters should be within his capabilities," Meng Chong replied with a nod.

Xu Yan's breakthrough to the Realm of Comprehension was smooth, without any bottlenecks. If it weren't for his desire to consolidate his foundation and accumulate a deeper understanding, he could have broken through to the Realm of Comprehension when he reached the perfect stage of the Innate Realm.

Now, his breakthrough was a natural progression.

Celestial qi poured into his body, and his true qi continued to refine and condense within his dantian's qi sea, swirling like a vortex.

As his dantian's qi sea expanded, his true qi liquefied, and the first drop of true yuan appeared.

The Heavenly Bridge also underwent a transformation, resembling a bridge to the heavens. A golden dragon lay coiled upon it, and a depiction of mountains and rivers seemed to come alive, as if containing the essence of the universe.

Boom!

Xu Yan's entire being was undergoing a sublimation. Although he did not cultivate physical martial arts, his jade-like bones served as a solid foundation. When he broke through to the Innate Realm, they transformed into spirit bones, and his physical body became exceptionally powerful.

Sword intent surged around him, intertwining with the depiction of mountains and rivers. At this moment, Xu Yan seemed to be within a landscape of mountains and rivers, and at the same time, the mountains and rivers seemed to be within his physical body.

The two states merged, creating a profound and mysterious phenomenon.

As Xu Yan continued to break through, his cultivation and the landscape of mountains and rivers intertwined and transformed.

At one point, it seemed as if a downpour had begun above Xu Yan's dantian qi sea, with raindrops continuously falling, seeking to fill the qi sea.

Splash!

The dantian qi sea transformed into a vast ocean, with true yuan surging and frothing, sending up sprays of qi. Above the true yuan, clouds swirled, and the wind stirred, forming a vortex that continuously dripped raindrops.

These raindrops were true qi that had not yet been refined into true yuan, along with the celestial qi that poured into his body.

Xu Yan's breakthrough continued, and his cultivation underwent constant sublimation and transformation.

At a certain moment, Meng Chong and the others, who were witnessing Xu Yan's breakthrough, seemed to see an illusion. The person sitting there was no longer Xu Yan but a landscape of mountains and rivers.

In their daze, they saw mountains and rivers beneath Xu Yan's feet, or perhaps Xu Yan within the mountains and rivers.

"What's going on?"

Su Lingxiu shook her head, and when she looked again, everything appeared normal.

Meng Chong fell into deep thought. Was this an illusion that occurred during Big Brother's sublimation and transformation?

Boom!

Suddenly, the celestial qi in the sky condensed into the form of mountains and rivers. This landscape was desolate, as if filled with a destructive intent.

It also seemed to contain a sharp and powerful killing aura.

Any living being that entered these mountains and rivers would be annihilated.

Harmony with the celestial qi, and comprehension of the mysteries of heaven and earth!

This was the Realm of Comprehension!

"Big Brother has broken through to the Realm of Comprehension," Su Lingxiu said, her face filled with excitement and admiration.

Li Xuan was astonished by this sight. "Is that the Tai Chi?" he wondered aloud.

'Tai Chi begets the Two Instruments, the Two Instruments beget the Four Images, and the Four Images beget the Eight Trigrams...' These were the concepts he had taught Xu Yan alongside the Eight Trigrams.

Now, as Xu Yan broke through to the Realm of Comprehension, Li Xuan gained new insights.

They were but a glimpse, and he had not yet fully comprehended them, but since he had this epiphany, the true realization shouldn't be too far off.

Boom!

The mountains and rivers in the sky crumbled and then reappeared, repeating this cycle.

Then, at one point, the image of mountains and rivers descended from the sky and enveloped Xu Yan, slowly seeping into his body as if merging with him.

"I am the mountains and rivers, and the mountains and rivers are me!"

A golden light appeared, signaling Xu Yan's breakthrough into the Realm of Comprehension.

Li Xuan smiled, pleased with the surge in his own strength. With this power, he believed he could easily annihilate even a true Celestial Being.

The feeling of growing stronger was the greatest joy in the world.

"Your disciple, Xu Yan, has broken through to the Realm of Comprehension and transformed into a Spirit Body of Mountains and Rivers. You have obtained the Innate Spirit Body of Mountains and Rivers."

The golden light appeared once more.

As expected, when Xu Yan broke through to the Realm of Comprehension, he refined and transformed himself, becoming a Spirit Body of Mountains and Rivers.

With his Dragon Soaring Mountains and Rivers Spirit Bones and the Spirit Body, Xu Yan's strength and foundation were further enhanced. Even when facing a Half-step Celestial Being, although he might not be able to kill them with two or three swords, he would undoubtedly emerge victorious.

"He truly is my pioneer of martial arts," Li Xuan praised, feeling gratified.

He believed that taking Xu Yan as his disciple was the wisest decision he had made in his two lifetimes.

Now that Xu Yan had broken through to the Realm of Comprehension, it was about time to prepare and impart to him the insights and techniques for the realms beyond.

"When Meng Chong breaks through, he should also be able to refine and transform himself, right? The Great Sun Golden Body is already very powerful, but if it can be further transformed into a Spirit Body, it will become even stronger."

Li Xuan eagerly anticipated this development.

Meng Chong was talented, and with Xu Yan's guidance after his breakthrough, there was a good chance that Meng Chong would also refine and transform himself when he broke through.

The second level of the Great Sun Golden Body corresponded to the Realm of Comprehension. When breaking through, one would refine true yuan, but it would already possess the profound mysteries of the Great Sun Golden Body.

For example, it could transform into a three-zhang-tall tiny giant.

Meng Chong had already reached the pinnacle of the Innate Realm and would soon achieve perfection. It wouldn't be long before he, too, broke through to the Realm of Comprehension.

For martial artists who cultivated physical bodies, even though they didn't resonate with the heaven and earth's spiritual energy, they could still absorb it into their bodies and exhibit Golden Body transformations, such as transforming into a three-zhang-tall tiny giant.

Their strength was fierce and formidable.

The golden light appeared once more, filling Li Xuan with joy. Xu Yan's breakthrough to the Realm of Comprehension had brought about significant gains.

"Your disciple, Xu Yan, has initially comprehended the Cycle of Life and Death Swords from the Tai Chi you taught him. Your Cycle of Life and Death Swords has reached perfection."

The Cycle of Life and Death Swords!

This was a new sword path that Xu Yan had comprehended following the Mountains and Rivers Sword Path.

Li Xuan was stunned by the acquisition of the Cycle of Life and Death Swords. This sword path was extremely powerful, and when used in conjunction with the Mountains and Rivers Sword Path, it became an invincible killing technique.

In an instant, two sword lights appeared in front of Li Xuan, spinning and intertwining, sometimes separating and sometimes intertwining. As the sword wheel rotated, life and death alternated.

The sword of life was for guiding, and the sword of death was for slaughter. However, the swords of life and death could change in an instant. The sword that was once for life could become a sword of death in the next moment.

It was ever-changing and unpredictable, making it impossible to guard against!

"My sword path has become even stronger. With just this Cycle of Life and Death Swords, slaying a Half-step Celestial Being wouldn't be too difficult!"

Li Xuan was astonished.

With his initial insight into the Cycle of Life and Death Swords at the entry level of the Realm of Comprehension, Xu Yan would find it relatively easy to slay a Half-step Celestial Being.

Of course, at the moment, Xu Yan had only comprehended the basics of the technique, and the true power of the Cycle of Life and Death Swords was far from what it could be.

However, Li Xuan believed that with Xu Yan's talent, it wouldn't be long before he could master the Cycle of Life and Death Swords, rather than just having a glimpse of it.

"This Cycle of Life and Death Swords is just the foundation. It can be constantly comprehended and improved. Let's call this the first level of the Cycle of Life and Death Swords."

Li Xuan muttered to himself.

The Cycle of Life and Death Swords was profound and mysterious. In Li Xuan's opinion, this was just the first level, and as Xu Yan continued to comprehend it, there would undoubtedly be a second level, a third level, and so on.

The Cycle of Life and Death Swords would become increasingly powerful.

Just like the Mountains and Rivers Sword Path, Xu Yan was constantly refining and improving it.

Just as Li Xuan thought that the feedback from Xu Yan's breakthrough to the Realm of Comprehension had come to an end, the golden light appeared once more.

"Your disciple, Xu Yan, has comprehended the fourth level of the Descending Dragon Palm. Your Descending Dragon Palm has reached the fourth level of perfection."

Li Xuan: !!!

This disciple was truly a monster. He had actually comprehended the fourth level of the Descending Dragon Palm. Now that there was a fourth level, it wouldn't be surprising if there were fifth and sixth levels in the future.

"In a short period, his strength has surged again."

Li Xuan couldn't help but marvel.

Guiding his disciples to cultivate and comprehend martial arts was the right path. He, on the other hand, could become stronger just by lying down, without the need for arduous cultivation.

This feeling was truly exhilarating.

Xu Yan had broken through to the Realm of Comprehension and was now stabilizing and comprehending his newfound realm. He remained on the mountaintop and had not yet returned.

Meng Chong hadn't returned either, as he was preparing to break through to the perfection stage of the Innate Realm.

Su Lingxiu and the others returned.

Xu Junhe was overjoyed, his precious son had become even stronger. Just like the previous incident where dozens of peak grandmasters had besieged Xu Yan, his son would now be able to dominate without fear.

Su Lingxiu was spurred on by this and began to cultivate diligently, aiming to break through to the Realm of Comprehension as soon as possible.

Shi Er and Zhou Ying were filled with enthusiasm for the Realm of Comprehension and began to cultivate tirelessly day and night.

Zhou Ying had already perfected her qi and blood, but she felt that she hadn't fully grasped the opportunity to break through to the Innate Realm, so she continued to accumulate her foundation.

She didn't want to break through with insufficient preparation and end up as a weak Innate Realm cultivator.

Shi Er had also perfected his qi and blood, but he felt even more that his foundation for the Innate Realm was lacking, and his realm was somewhat unstable. Thus, he relentlessly honed himself.

Although he could break through to the Innate Realm now with the aid of pills, he would still be a weak Innate Realm cultivator and would be no match for Zhou Ying.

Unwilling to accept this, Shi Er decided to temper himself and sought out the Red Cat for a challenge.

The result was that he was swatted away by the Red Cat and ended up with a broken rib! When Su Lingxiu was healing him, she had a strange look on her face. She felt that the Red Cat had done it on purpose, perhaps to avenge the time when Shi Er had whipped it?

It seemed that Shi Er's method of instilling the idea of "it's for your own good" hadn't worked on the Red Cat after all.

And so, the Red Cat had seized the opportunity to take its revenge!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end