Chapter 17

Translator: Larbre Studio  Editor: Larbre Studio

With those words, every single person fell into a stunned silence.

As their level was currently too low, their motives for entering the Martial Lecture Hall was simply to ask for a simple “body forging method,” such as which martial techniques would better aid them in improving their Qi and strength, and which kinds of herbs could increase the toughness of their bodies, and so on. They had never actually thought of what they should do should they reach the peak of Body Forging one day. How should they then find a more powerful source of strength?

When Xu Yi elaborated on his question, it was truly like a rooster in the morning, waking them up from their slumber.

As practitioners, which of them did not have the drive to improve? Which of them did not know that training the body was the source of their strength?

But if they reached the end of the Body Forging stage, then what was next?

The hall was deathly quiet. All eyes fell on Master Zhou.

Master Zhou finally picked himself up and got himself together as he stood in firmly in front of the podium. As a wind blew through the hall, it swept his broken sleeves high into the air, adding to the air of his authority.

“I have a rough understanding of your question now. You are worried that after passing the Body Forging stage, you would be unable to rely on training your body to gain even greater strength, am I right? If this is the only thing you are worried about, then there is definitely no need! I can confidently tell you that in the Four Stages to Immortality, there is no end to the training of your body. It is just that the method of training becomes different. Everyone knows the Four Stages to Immortality: Body Forging, Qi Ocean, Fluid Condensation, Soul Sensing. The reason why there are these four distinct stages is because a practitioner’s body will go through immense change when reaching each of these four stages.

“When reaching the peak of Body Forging, the skin becomes tough as hide, and bones become as hard as steel. One will possess truly ferocious strength, becoming as strong as a bull! And after Body Forging, one enters the Qi Ocean stage. As the name suggests, it is where you transform and expand your Qi center into an ocean and begin to store True Qi. By then, one can move objects with one’s will, harm a person from a distance, and so on. The possibilities are limitless. And in this stage, there is still a process of body forging. However, what you train here is not the skin and bones, but your marrow and your blood. One has to train till the marrow becomes like frost and the blood becomes like lava, then one is considered to have succeeded.

“As for the Fluid Condensation and Soul Sensing stages, the exact conditions, I do not know, for I have not reached those stages, hence I cannot elaborate clearly. However, allow me to make my deductions based on their names. For Fluid Condensation, I believe it is to condense one’s True Qi into a fluid, forming True Origin Qi. In this stage, the organs of the body are the focal point of a practitioner’s training. As for the Soul Sensing stage, perhaps the body is already at its limits and can begin to have supernatural senses. As they say, using one’s essence to command the spirits. This should follow the same logic…”

Master Zhou’s explanation was detailed and rigorous. Although there were many postulations, they were still well substantiated. A few minutes of lecturing seemed to fly by instantly. To Xu Yi, these words were like listening to the wisest Buddhist teachings. The enormous mountain that had loomed over in front of him suddenly seemed to have crumbled.

Master Zhou finished speaking, but the crowd still remained silent for what seemed to be a century.

“What is with these expressions on your faces? Do you think that I said something wrong?” Master Zhou asked confusedly as he scanned the faces in the lecture hall.

“You, you’re actually at the Qi Ocean stage!”

A round faced plump guy opened his eyes wide, finally saying what everyone was too surprised to ask.

The earlier half of what Master Zhou was saying was the focus of everyone’s attention, but when he said, “As for Fluid Condensation and Soul Sensing stages, the exact conditions I do not know, for I have not reached those stages,” everyone felt as though they’d been struck by lightning.

Who could have guessed that such a frail-looking, unkempt old man could have actually reached the legendary Qi Ocean stage. The whole hall of were only in the early stages of Body Forging, and they were miles away from even the peak of Body Forging. It was amazing that they could run into a lecturer who would belong amongst the ranks of those etched on the murals of the Martial Lecture Hall.

In fact, it would be too difficult a task for them to not be in awe.

Thankfully for Xu Yi, his cultivation stage was higher, and he had fought a tough battle with Zhou Shirong who was also at the Qi Ocean stage. He had more capacity and mental preparation to deal with Master Zhou’s revelation. As such, he was not that surprised by Master Zhou’s cultivation stage, and he was the only one in the hall who managed to properly listen to each and every word that Master Zhou had said.

“What a load of nonsense, what’s the big deal about the Qi Ocean stage!”

Master Zhou scornfully replied, “Even at the Soul Sensing stage, one has not removed the shackles of mortality and is still not yet an immortal. What is a mere Qi Ocean stage in comparison? If you lot do not even have the ambition to break into the Qi Ocean stage, then it makes no difference whether or not you managed to get into this Martial Lecture Hall!”

Although he spoke haughtily, Master Zhou knew the bitter truth in his heart. It was not a lie that he had reached the Qi Ocean stage, but that was in the past. Twenty years ago, after having his Qi center shattered by one palm, all that he had accumulated in the Martial Way had come to an end. With his martial arts gone, he had somehow managed to enter the Martial Lecture Hall with his knowledge and become a teacher. Only then had he managed to safely survive for the past twenty years.

Today, for someone to suddenly bring up his former stage of cultivation, he would be deceiving himself if he said that he did not miss the past or if he did not have any regrets.

As the crowd still remained speechless, Xu Yi rose again and spoke. “Thank you, Master, for your teachings! I have another question for the Master. In battles between practitioners, is speed and power the absolute key, and martial skill just an accessory? Is it enough for me to focus only on training speed and power in my practice of the Martial Way? Also, I heard Master mention that at the peak of Body Forging, one’s strength would be akin to a bull’s. But I have also heard that there are some experts at the peak of Body Forging who can deliver a blow with the strength of three bulls. How could that be explained, and is that extra strength derived from martial skill?”

Xu Yi had asked this precisely because of his battle with Elder Feng. Back then, Elder Feng’s Silent God Fist had displayed the strength of three bulls and had left him troubled.

In his training to reach the peak of Body Forging, he had relied solely on the Martial Technique Ox Demon Strong Fist. But the intricacies of the Ox Demon Strong Fist lay solely in training the body and not in attacking.

As such, although Xu Yi had cultivated to the peak of Body Forging, he knew no Martial Skills at all. Against Elder Feng, who was at the same level as he was, all he relied on was speed and power that exceeded that of those at the same level.

And indeed, Elder Feng had fallen to his power and speed, to the extent that Xu Yi had thought that martial skill was not worth considering. But in the few days where he lay quietly in recovery, he had given some careful thought to the battle with Elder Feng.

Especially about Elder Feng’s Silent God Fist which had hit him without any sound or warning, Xu Yi had pondered extensively. If not for the fact that he happened to still be wearing heavy iron on his body, after receiving that punch, his life should have completely ended, and he would not be here today.

Regardless of how he looked at it, the Silent God Fist should be some sort of martial skill. Could it be that his notion of taking on the world with only speed and power was a mistake!?

“Eager to learn, delivers arguments clearly, and shows careful thought. A good seedling indeed!

Master Zhou glanced at Xu Yi, grabbed his wine gourd, and gulped a mouthful of wine. He then spoke. “This question of yours needs to be tackled from two directions. Firstly, in a battle between practitioners, speed and power are indeed the most important. In other words, one can say that in the face of absolute power, any kind of flashy technique would become meaningless!

“Secondly, the importance of martial skills, however, does not lie in speed or power. The reason is simple, because absolute power is usually very hard to achieve. In other words, if you are facing an enemy who surpasses you by one full stage, in that case, Martial Skills would do little to make up for the difference in power. Now that we mention it, as practitioners at the Body Forging stage, how many of you would have thought of going up against powerhouses at the Qi Ocean or Fluid Condensation Stage?

“Which is why, the way I see it, absolute power is simply a false proposition. The importance of martial skill cannot possibly be emphasised any more. If not, why would there be such a great variety of martial skills and martial techniques under the heavens!? It can be said as such: Between martial skills, speed, and power, there is no antagonistic relationship. Martial skills are essentially born from a perfect combination of speed and power!”