Chapter 212: Methods to Improve One's Martial Arts Cultivation

Chapter 212: Methods to Improve One's Martial Arts Cultivation

Pang Yu retracted his imposing aura, his expression somewhat embarrassed as he said, "Don't take Xu Xiao and Meng Xiao's words to heart. That madman just recently cultivated a secret technique he researched, and almost ended up crippling himself. I've been worried sick about them."

"They're too reckless and reckless! It's sheer lunacy!"

Xu Yan noticed that among the Martial Arts Scholars, several were limping, their injuries not yet fully healed. He surmised that these were the results of accidents during their self-research in martial arts.

"They are truly brave souls!" Xu Yan exclaimed in admiration.

He couldn't help but admire their courage. To dare to test the martial arts secrets they had haphazardly researched on themselves was commendable.

The fact that they didn't seek out others to experiment with their self-researched martial arts techniques was also worthy of recognition.

Xu Yan even suspected that if he had made up a cultivation technique, they would have started practicing it without a second thought.

"The martial arts secrets they research are based on numerous existing martial arts techniques. They only cultivate them because they have a basis; they don't just make them up out of thin air."

"No one in this world would cultivate a made-up technique, let alone achieve success with it," Xu Yan thought with an inward smile.

Who would cultivate a made-up technique, and how could one achieve success with it?

The collection of books in the Bachelor's Library was much smaller than that of the Canon Repository, but they were all core secrets, covering a wider range of martial arts and including more secret techniques. They also contained insights and summaries from generations of Martial Arts Bachelors.

Xu Yan and Meng Chong browsed through the books in the Bachelor's Tower, further enhancing their understanding of the Inner Domain's martial arts. By drawing parallels and verifying their own experiences, they hoped to gain some inspiration.

...

In a secret meeting of the Great Wilderness Cabinet, Guo Yunshan sat at the head of the table, his presence commanding despite his lack of overwhelming strength. None of the elders present dared to challenge his authority.

Even the Inner Domain experts who had joined the Cabinet didn't know the full extent of Guo Yunshan's power, but they understood that his position in the Great Wilderness was not to be trifled with.

While the Great Wilderness seemed weak, they had the backing of Canglan Island, which could suppress the entire Inner Domain.

More and more people were cultivating the Great Wilderness martial arts, and it had been proven that it was more powerful than the original martial arts of the Inner Domain.

It was rumored that the Cabinet had obtained the method to transform a Grand Master's cultivation to that of the Great Wilderness. This was not a simple technique for refining true qi, but a complete transformation to the Great Wilderness martial arts.

Some Grand Masters in the Great Wilderness Internal Guard had already begun this transformation.

Sitting at the head of the table, Guo Yunshan looked at the Cabinet members, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He never thought that one day he would occupy such an exalted position.

Usually, he wouldn't participate in Cabinet meetings unless it was a matter of great importance. He spent most of his time cultivating to improve his strength.

He understood the world of martial artists—strength was revered.

Although he had gained this lofty status through his grandson Xu Yan, he knew that his own strength couldn't lag too far behind.

Today's meeting was of great significance, which was why he was present.

Several figures, their faces hidden by hoods and their voices altered, joined the Cabinet meeting.

These individuals were turncoats—high-ranking officials of the Great Yue Kingdom.

None of them knew each other's identities, and it wasn't yet time to reveal themselves.

Only a select few knew the identities of all those present.

Today's meeting was about the Great Wilderness supplanting and annexing the Great Yue Kingdom. They were discussing how to go about it smoothly.

"Although the Great Yue royal family has suffered heavy losses, the Sky Garment Guards and the Sky Honor Guards are still quite powerful. It won't be easy to overthrow the Great Yue royalty," said one of the hooded figures in a deep voice.

"Indeed, the Great Yue royalty cannot be underestimated," another figure agreed. "While we can control most of the counties and armies of the Great Yue Kingdom, the core power still lies with the royalty."

"We need strong individuals or a formidable force to suppress the Great Yue royalty if we want to smoothly replace them," several hooded figures added their opinions.

After some discussion, all eyes turned to Guo Yunshan, awaiting his final decision.

Only he could contact the true powerhouses of the Great Wilderness.

Before Guo Yunshan could speak, a man entered, gracefully waving a folding fan and wearing a smile on his face.

"There will be powerful individuals, so you don't have to worry. Just follow the plan," said Kou Ruozhi confidently.

He, along with Qi Huang and Wu Huang, had plotted the rebellion, including how to turn the high-ranking officials of the Great Yue Kingdom.

As the Great Wilderness Cabinet meeting dispersed, the covertly arrived officials of the Great Yue Kingdom also quietly left.

In the royal study of the Great Yue Kingdom's palace, the Great Yue Emperor felt a heavy weight on his heart. On the surface, the kingdom seemed peaceful, with no signs of crisis. But it was this very peace that made him sense an impending crisis brewing.

What they hadn't anticipated was that the seemingly loyal and obedient Zheng Hou King's mansion would rebel and seek independence.

Should the Zheng Hou King succeed, the other four vassal kings would likely follow suit and sever their ties with the Great Yue Kingdom.

The chain reaction triggered by this incident would be far-reaching, signifying more than just the independence of a vassal king. It indicated the decline of the Great Yue Kingdom's power, and inevitably, the ambitious aristocratic families would begin to stir.

If not handled properly, the Great Yue Kingdom could very well fracture into four or five fragments.

"Pass down my decree. The Tianyi Guard and the Shenji Army are to suppress the Zheng Hou King's mansion. Order the four Hou Kings to assist, and the Zheng Hou King's territory shall be divided among them according to their merits..."

The Great Yue Emperor issued his orders in a deep voice.

It was imperative to act with overwhelming force to suppress the Zheng Hou King's rebellion. Any sign of hesitation would encourage other dissenters to act out.

This was the Great Yue Kingdom's second major show of force after their attempt to suppress the Evergreen Pavilion. This time, their target was one of the five Great Vassal Kings, the Zheng Hou King's mansion.

For a time, the Great Yue Kingdom was in turmoil.

On this day, Li Xuan exhaled and finally finished crafting the Unvanquished Golden Body of the Great Sun.

He looked at the feedback on the Golden Book of the Dao:

Unvanquished Golden Body of the Great Sun:

Completeness of the Art: Upper-Middle.

Continuity of Realm Progression: High.

Cultivation Difficulty: High.

Comprehension Difficulty: Upper-Middle.

The completeness of the art had achieved the desired upper-middle evaluation, which was quite satisfactory.

The continuity of realm progression received a high evaluation, which was an unexpected pleasure.

While the cultivation difficulty remained high, the comprehension difficulty was evaluated as upper-middle.

"Not bad. The comprehension difficulty has dropped to upper-middle as intended. With Meng Chong's decent talent, he shouldn't have any problems comprehending it. Although cultivation difficulty is high, once it's comprehended, cultivation should proceed smoothly."

Li Xuan revealed a smile.

With the help of the golden finger, crafting martial arts techniques was indeed much easier.

Now that the technique was crafted, he would have to wait for Meng Chong to comprehend and cultivate it before it could be considered truly complete and ready for widespread dissemination.

The cultivation requirements would then revert to the standard martial arts requirements.

Of course, cultivation had always required talent. To reach higher realms, one's talent must be exceptional.

This was true for both the Inner Domain and the Great Wilderness martial arts.

While there were many martial artists, the proportion of Master-level martial artists was minuscule.

The proportion of those who reached the Grand Master realm was even smaller.

This clearly showed that as one progressed in martial arts, the talent requirements became increasingly demanding, and the distribution of power among martial artists resembled a pyramid, with the number of powerful individuals decreasing sharply.

"I also need to craft the cultivation methods for the realms beyond the Divine Will realm and ensure that they remain powerful. I'll pass all the subsequent realm techniques on to Xu Yan.

"As long as I can keep the comprehension difficulty at the upper-middle level, Xu Yan, with his freakish talent, should be able to comprehend the techniques across realms."

Li Xuan's excitement grew as he thought about it.

Once Xu Yan comprehended the techniques, Li Xuan would gain feedback on those realms, allowing him to reach far higher realms than his disciple.

Otherwise, there would be a period when master and disciple were at the same level.

Even if his strength was a hundred times greater, he would still be at the same realm as his disciple, not having surpassed him.

To always remain ahead of his disciple in martial arts realm, Li Xuan had to craft the cultivation methods for the subsequent realms and have Xu Yan comprehend them.

"I need to give this some thought and figure out how to craft powerful techniques for the realms beyond the Divine Will realm."

Li Xuan pondered.

As for the Qimen martial arts, there was no rush since he hadn't even met his fourth disciple yet. He would need to find a suitable disciple to comprehend and cultivate those techniques.

The most pressing matter was to strengthen his own power.

It was unclear how strong the martial artists in the Spirit Realm were, and with his current Divine Will realm strength, he might not be able to sweep through all opponents undefeated.

As long as he couldn't guarantee his invincibility, Li Xuan felt insecure, fearing that his image as a supreme expert might suddenly be shattered.

Therefore, strengthening his own power was the top priority.

Xu Yan and Meng Chong returned.

"Master!"

The two respectfully bowed.

"Big Brother Xu, Second Brother Meng, you're back!"

Su Lingxiu ran over excitedly.

Xu Yan and Meng Chong then recounted their experiences.

When they learned that the serrated knife Meng Chong had retrieved was indeed the Devil Master's Blood Spirit Blade, they confirmed that Meng Chong had indeed killed the Devil Master's lingering soul.

Li Xuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking that the Devil Master was truly unlucky.

Xu Yan was still seething with anger as he mentioned the Heavenly Man of the Martial Way that he had killed. The man had not provoked him, yet he had insulted him by calling him a pig and a dog.

Who should die if not him?!

Li Xuan was secretly astonished. That Heavenly Man was rather unfortunate to have encountered Xu Yan. Aside from his high and mighty attitude, he had also hurled insulting words, so his death was not unjust!

After Meng Chong and Xu Yan returned, they reflected on their own gains, accumulating a foundation for future progress. With the opening of the Spirit Realm Gate, they felt a sense of urgency.

Especially since they had killed a Heavenly Man of the Martial Way.

There was no telling if the forces he belonged to would send strong cultivators to seek revenge.

Zhou Ying fell into a state of anxiety for several days after learning about the opening of the Spirit Realm Gate, perhaps due to Su Lingxiu's background. Li Xuan did not inquire further.

Su Lingxiu, feeling the urgency, began preparing to break through to the Tongxuan Realm.

Xu Yan was guiding her on the key points to break through to the Tongxuan Realm.

On this day, Meng Chong was cultivating when Kou Ruozhi approached him with a servile smile on his face.

"Brother Meng, I have a matter that I would like to ask for your help with."

"What is it?" Meng Chong asked with a frown.

"It's about the Great Wilderness. We plan to replace the Great Yue Kingdom and establish the Great Wilderness. Everything is ready; we just need a strong cultivator to preside over the operation and suppress the Great Yue royalty," Kou Ruozhi explained. "As you know, the Great Yue royalty secretly supported the siege on Canglan Island. We cannot let them off easily for their actions.

"Xu Gongzi is indeed stronger, but..."

Kou Ruozhi gave an ingratiating smile, feeling intimidated by Xu Yan.

It was more suitable to ask Meng Chong, who was alone and had an imposing and mighty appearance, perfect for intimidation.

Moreover, he better fit the image of a Great Wilderness cultivator—formidable and extraordinary.

Meng Chong pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Alright, the Great Yue royalty, huh? I'll go and suppress them right away."

Since the Great Yue royalty had secretly supported the siege on Canglan Island, it was time to settle the score. They shouldn't be let off easily.

It was a good thing for the Great Wilderness to replace the Great Yue Kingdom.

Spirit Realm cultivators looked down on the Inner Domain, and Meng Chong, despite being from the borderlands, was technically part of the Inner Domain.

Ever since the collapse of the dynasty, the Inner Domain had been in disarray, and it was time for the Great Wilderness to unite and replace it. Moreover, the Great Wilderness Martial Way wouldn't be restricted if practiced in the Inner Domain.

One day, the Inner Domain's martial arts would rival that of the Spirit Realm, and the Spirit Realm cultivators would no longer be able to look down on them.

"Thank you, Brother Meng!" Kou Ruozhi expressed his gratitude, overjoyed.

On the same day, Meng Chong and Kou Ruozhi left Canglan Island and headed for the capital of the Great Yue Kingdom.

A far-reaching event that would shape the future of the Inner Domain was about to unfold.

Li Xuan sighed inwardly, "From now on, there will be no more Inner Domain, only the Great Wilderness."

However, whether it was the Inner Domain or the Great Wilderness, they were merely regions within the vast world of Tai Cang.

Su Lingxiu began her preparations for the Tongxuan Realm.

As a Greenwood Spirit Body, she wouldn't undergo a transformative metamorphosis when breaking through to the Tongxuan Realm, but she would be able to practice the Void Pill Refinement Technique afterward.

Li Xuan strolled leisurely towards Chi Cat.

Shi Er was frowning as he dragged a thick golden chain, attempting to put it around Chi Cat's neck.

This was the third golden chain he had prepared.

Ideally, he would have waited for Chi Cat to metamorphose before giving it a new chain, but Chi Cat insisted on having its chain replaced.

It seemed to believe that having a golden chain around its neck made it easier to cultivate.

Shi Er strongly suspected that Chi Cat was taking revenge on him!

Chi Cat, resembling a small mountain, emanated rumbling thunder from within its body, exuding a powerful aura and an overwhelming pressure.

"The first Great Demon will indeed have some luck and opportunities. Based on its current progress, Chi Cat should be comparable to the initial stages of the Tongxuan Realm after its metamorphosis."

Li Xuan made a rough assessment of Chi Cat's strength.

Typically, a Great Demon that metamorphoses would have strength comparable to the Precelestial Realm. However, as the first Great Demon, Chi Cat was a pioneer, so it was reasonable for it to have a stronger starting point.

Moreover, it had consumed a large number of pills, enhancing its foundation.

Chi Cat opened its eyes, and although Li Xuan appeared minuscule in comparison, not even as big as one of its eyes, it still felt nervous.

It was afraid of being turned into stew!

On Canglan Island, the person it feared the most was Xu Yan, followed by Li Xuan.

After all, while its master often threatened to turn it into stew, it seemed more like a scare tactic.

Xu Yan, on the other hand, was different. If he said he would turn it into stew, he would do so without hesitation, and the aura he exuded made Chi Cat feel a sense of dread.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end