One world focuses on its depth, another one on its breadth.
Which one is superior, depth or breadth? It's hard to say.
However, for Pei Xuanjing, he felt he had come to the right place.
In the Grand Ming World, he had already reached the peak. Each step forward required careful exploration and pioneering, without any reference.
Although this world was not as broad as the Grand Ming World, the Dao of Qi refinement provided him with great inspiration and reference.
Therefore, Pei Xuanjing spent twelve years studying the skills of this world, continuously modifying and adjusting his Shenxiao Heaven's Intention.
After twelve years of research, his understanding of the Dao of Qi refinement far exceeded his previous knowledge.
It's safe to say that many of the things which he was able to use to rapidly improve his power via the simulator, were understood superficially, but not profoundly.
The twelve years had undoubtedly been a process of consolidating his foundations, elevating them to a higher level.
These twelve years were not wasted, they were worthwhile. Only at this moment did he dare to call himself a master of martial arts. He had incorporated various skills into his knowledge.
Pei Xuanjing was confident that even if he had to do it all over again, even if he was still an average person without the help of the simulator, he could still gradually progress to the limit of the Mortal Realm.
"Mr. Min, here's today's meal."
An old man with white hair and beard walked into the loft with the food box and spoke to Pei Xuanjing.
The old man, named Old Han, was arranged by the master to take care of Pei Xuanjing. Only he was allowed to come and go from this place.
Over the past decade, he had become accustomed to the silent and reserved nature of Mr. Xuanjing, and after speaking, he didn't wait for an answer. He put down the food box and prepared to leave.
Old Han had served the master for countless years, even longer than many of the family elders at the mansion. If it weren't for the master's orders, he wouldn't have had to do such tasks himself.
However, Old Han was curious, why this silent and reclusive youth was so valued by the master.
For a cultivator, the age between six to sixteen was the best time to shape the foundation. Missing this golden age would require more time to make up for it in the future, even with extraordinary talents.
Even though the master did nothing about it, he, a servitor, couldn't presume to say anything. He could only comfort himself, perhaps the master had foresight, and he was short-sighted.
As Old Han was thinking, he walked out of the loft. Suddenly, an old man in extravagant clothes appeared in front of him. It was Pei Laozhu, the master of the Pei Mansion.
"Master."
Old Han bowed slightly and respectfully addressed him.
"How is he?"
Mr. Pei Laozhu asked. "As usual."
Old Han replied respectfully.
For over a decade, Lord Pei Xuanjing's behavior had been pretty much the same, devoid of any changes. He was anything but a vibrant youth. He behaved more like an old man who seemed to have seen through worldly matters, as if nothing could stir his heart.
Mr. Pei Laozhu nodded slightly without comment and said faintly, "You can go now."
With that, he took a big step and reached the top of the loft in a few breaths.
In the loft, Pei Xuanjing was still staring into the distance. He was not surprised by Mr. Pei Laozhu's appearance, nor did he find it abrupt. It was as if Mr. Pei Laozhu had always been there.
"Min'er, it's been twelve years. Have you cast your Heavenly Sword yet?"
Mr. Pei Laozhu looked at the handsome youth, the one whom he regarded as his heaven-sent grandson, and asked aloud.
He still remembered the first time he saw this youth. Even though he was small and frail, he knew instantly that this was the most exceptionally talented youth he had ever met. He felt as if the youth was a natural swordsman. Even without any cultivation, the youth's unprecedented talents could not be concealed. He seemed like a divine sword that was naturally created.
Moreover, surprisingly, he was his own grandson, the biological son of his own son.
Back in the day, his eldest son had extraordinary talents, but due to certain issues, he left home, treating it as if it were his enemy, and severed contact with him forever.
That event made him so disheartened that he believed he could no longer pass on his lifetime of knowledge. Thus, he gave up his government post, returned home, and lived a secluded life in the clouds.
However, despite falling out with his son, after his son's death in battle, he couldn't let his only grandson wander the world. Therefore, he personally took action to bring his grandson home.
Unexpectedly, the decision rekindled his dormant heart.
He couldn't help but wonder, was this Heaven's compensation after taking away his extraordinarily talented son?
It had given him a grandson with even more exceptional talents.
At that moment, Mr. Pei Laozhu resolved to impart all his knowledge and nurture a true powerhouse.
However, he didn't expect that the youth would refuse his proposal.
The youth told him that he had his own path. He wanted to take the world as his teacher, use all things as copper, Yin and Yang as his charcoal fire, and forge an unparalleled divine sword.
If anyone else had said this, Mr. Pei Laozhu would have scoffed at them for not knowing their place. However, when these words came out of the youth's mouth, he had no doubts. Instead, he inexplicably felt that the youth would definitely succeed.
Therefore, even though he was rejected, Mr. Pei Laozhu did not give up.
Want to review martial skills?
Yes!
Want to watch martial arts?
Absolutely!
Don't want to cultivate for now?
Alright!
Just need a secluded place to stay?
No problem!
Over the past twelve years, Mr. Pei Laozhu never denied any of Pei Xuanjing's requests, not even raising any objections.
"Do you need me to do something?" Pei Xuanjing retracted his gaze and looked at Mr. Pei Laozhu.
Pei Xuanjing disliked beating around the bush. Just because he didn't, didn't mean he didn't understand people's feelings. Mr. Pei Laozhu didn't hide his thoughts either. How could he not understand?
"Indeed." Facing the youth's straightforwardness, Mr. Pei Laozhu smiled slightly and admitted honestly.
Pei Xuanjing kept a calm face: "Go on."
He still wore that calm and indifferent expression, as if nothing in the world could change his facial expression.
To Pei Xuanjing, this was just another experience.
His heart was calm as water, like a detached observer, observing this world with detachment..
Truth be told, as he inhabited this world with retained memories from another life, there was an inherent barrier between him and this world. For him, someone who already had a mature worldview, it was difficult to accept so-called relatives.
Perhaps other emotions would develop, but surely, he would never experience the attachment towards parents as in his previous life.
At least, not now.
Therefore, even with the passing of his current body's parents, he didn't feel an overwhelming amount of grief or sadness. It was just a lament on the impermanence of life.
After all, at that time, Pei Xuanjing was only a three-year-old child whose frail body could not handle the tremendous mental power due to his Yin Spirit. Most of the time, he was in a deep slumber and unable to do anything.
Frankly speaking, if it weren't for his body's grandfather, Mr. Pei Laozhu, who brought him back, Pei Xuanjing's journey ahead would have been very rough. He might have met an early death due to the overwhelming pressure of his immense Yin Spirit mental power, deviating from his life simulation records. Even if he was lucky enough to survive, it would likely cause significant damage to his body, impacting his future cultivation.
Therefore, the help from Mr. Pei Laozhu saved him a lot of time and detours. Naturally, he was grateful for this favor.
Since he had accepted someone else's kindness, when the benefactor needed something, it was natural to reciprocate. Thus, he didn't refuse Mr. Pei Laozhu's request.
"You need to defeat someone."
Mr. Pei Laozhu was not bothered by Pei Xuanjing's indifference.
In his view, the boy's parents were deceased, and his cold temperament was understandable. Instead, it made him look more like a pure swordmaster, unswayed by external influences.
Moreover, Pei Min was his grandson, having his blood flowing within him. This was an unchangeable fact.
As long as Pei Min reached the Heavenly Rank someday, regardless of anything else, all members of the Pei family would be protected under his wings.
"Alright," Pei Xuanjing nodded calmly.
"Don't you want to ask who the opponent is?" Mr. Pei Laozhu asked, somewhat surprised.
Pei Xuanjing confidently said, "Among my peers, I am unbeatable!"
Mr. Pei Laozhu looked at the extremely confident Pei Xuanjing in front of him without any comments, and continued, "The opponent is Li Tiange from the Da Li Dynasty. He is currently the top young talent of the Da Li Dynasty. At only twenty years old, he has already stepped into the third realm of martial arts, the Gang Qi Realm. Some even assert that with his talent, it is possible for him to reach the Heavenly Rank before forty."
Li Tiange, although not from the main line of the Da Li Royal Family, his extraordinary talent attracted the attention of the elders of Da Li. Later, he was accepted as a disciple by the current National Teacher of Da Li, and therefore, was cultivated earnestly.
At six, he started his cultivation and within a month, he developed his Inner Qi. He unlocked all his meridian acupoints at nine, and by twelve, he condensed his first strand of True Qi, stepping into the second realm of Martial Arts. At eighteen, he perfected the True Qi realm and stepped into the third realm of the Gang Qi.
Today, he has immersed himself in the Gang Qi Realm for two years. Since he entered the third realm, he has rarely shown his power, and no one knows just how far he has progressed.
However, according to Mr. Pei Laozhu's estimate, even if Li Tiange has reached the level of releasing Gang Qi, it wouldn't surprise him.
As someone who has always been at odds with Da Li in his lifetime, Mr. Pei Laozhu abhors these barbarians the most. Originally, he didn't want to rush his "Qilin" into cultivation.
But when he found out that people from the Da Li Dynasty would participate in the Capital's grand competition, he naturally couldn't ignore it.
He knew that the young generation of the empire was in a tricky stage. The talents who could compete against Chu Tiange either hadn't grown up yet or were too old, risking the accusation of bullying the young even if they won.
After weighing his options, he determined that his 'Qilin" was the most suitable candidate.
He finally decided on letting Minter participate, as gaining reputation in the Capital will inarguably benefit his future path.
"The third stage of the Gang Qi realm?" Pei Xuanjing nodded, a smile creeping onto his lips, "Such an opponent is acceptable."
The third stage of the Gang Qi realm, if compared, should be approximately equivalent to the Upper Three Realms of martial arts in the Daming World.
Reaching the Upper Three Realms of martial arts at eighteen in the Daming World was indeed an unprecedented talent. After all, even Pei Xuanjing needed the assistance of the simulator to barely reach this level in his past life.
However, the concentration of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi in this world far exceeds that in the Daming World. Chu Tiange's accomplishment in Da Li Dynasty could be considered as a sign of genius, but it was not terrifyingly extraordinary.
For Pei Xuanjing, defeating him was not a big issue.
Before reaching the Heavenly Rank in this world, the cultivation of Inner Qi, True Qi and Gang Qi was essentially a more refined version of the Path of Qi Refinement, similar in essence to the Daming World.
However, all his Inner Qi was integrated into his body, continuously tempering his physical body, making it naturally strong.
The constant generation and disappearance of Inner Qi over the years has tempered his meridian acupoints, making them more resilient.
Perhaps for others, cultivation is a step-by-step process, but for Pei Xuanjing, the first two stages of martial arts cultivation, whether it is developing Inner Qi and unclogging the meridians or condensing True Qi, were all unhindered, almost like a natural progression.
As long as Pei Xuanjing was willing, he could become a powerful martial artist in an instant.
With this in mind, Pei Xuanjing suddenly looked up at Mr. Pei Laozhu and asked, "Is the condensation of one hundred and eight strands of pure True Qi truly the pinnacle of the True Qi realm?"
As per the skill manuals, the three stages of the True Qi realm are condensing thirty-six strands, seventy-two strands and one hundred and eight strands of pure True Qi. Only then can one claim to have reached the pinnacle of the True Qi realm.
The strange aspect of cultivation in the two worlds lies here. In the Daming World, at this stage, the use of True Qi is for tempering the organs and bones.
However, in the World of Myriad Manifestations, they walk on the path of condensing True Qi. The pure True Qi they cultivate requires constantly compressing vast amounts of True Qi, each strand having substantial power.
But Pei Xuanjing was a bit doubtful. The number one hundred and eight could be considered as the sum of Minor Circulation, but on a granular level, it was only the number of Minor Circulation.
The real number for Major Circulation should be three hundred and sixty. If the number of celestial stars corresponds to Major Circulation, in some myths, the perfect Major Circulation should be three hundred and sixty-five.
Upon hearing Pei Xuanjing's doubt, Mr.. Pei Laozhu had a hint of surprise in his eyes, then said calmly, "I didn't expect you to notice that!"
"Your guess is not wrong, 108 strands of True Qi are not the extreme of the True Qi Realm, in fact, it can only be called Minor Circulation." Mr. Pei Laozhu chuckled: "Above this, the only way to truly reach the extreme of the Qi Realm is to condense a full 360 strands of True Qi, which is called the Great Circulation. And there exists a legend that the Perfect Great Circulation consists of 365 strands of True Qi. Li Tiange was able to condense 360 strands of True Qi, thus stepping into the Gang Qi Realm through the Great Circulation. My guess is that he hasn't stepped into the Perfect Great Circulation."
Given Mr. Pei Laozhu's high regard for Pei Xuanjing, he naturally would not want to waste Xuanjing's talent. He would have brought up some of the secrets of cultivation even if Xuanjing hadn't asked about them.
However, seeing that Xuanjing was able to uncover these secrets, Mr. Pei Laozhu was convinced that he had not misjudged him. He indeed has a tremendous talent for cultivation.
"Minor Circulation, Perfect Great Circulation, Ultimate Great Circulation – so it is indeed." Pei Xuanjing nodded in agreement, Mr. Pei Laozhu's answer solved his doubts.
However, he thought of another question, "Why is that so?"
If 108 strands of True Qi are not the extreme of the Qi Realm, why isn't this common knowledge?
Pei Xuanjing was curious.
"Hahaha…" Mr. Pei Laozhu gave a hearty laugh, then asked him a question in a serious tone: "Tell me this: among the countless cultivators in the world, how many possess talents like yours?"
Pei Xuanjing was taken aback, then realized what he meant and nodded, "I understand."
He realized he had fallen into a common misconception.
While his martial arts talent could be considered at the pinnacle of this world, like Mr. Pei Laozhu had pointed out, among the countless cultivators, those with mediocre abilities were the majority. He was just one of the few exceptions.
The so-called extreme of the True Qi Realm was, for most people, an unreachable dream, like the moon reflected in the water or flowers in a mirror. It was better if they didn't know about it; it could give them more confidence. Seeing Xuanjing's enlightened expression, Mr. Pei Laozhu nodded in approval and went on:
"Actually, as you may have noticed, the ultimate goal of the three realms leading up to the Heavenly Rank is to solidify the cultivator's foundations, preparing them for the Heavenly Rank."
"In the ancient times, cultivation was a difficult process, with most people getting stuck at the ultimate level of True Qi. Later, a great sage emerged who took a different path at the True Qi Realm and crafted the practice of the Minor Circulation with 108 strands of True Qi. This knowledge was shared worldwide once they reached the Heavenly Rank, to compensate for the foundations and facilitate progress in cultivation."
"So, it's not that we don't want to share these secrets with everyone, it's to prevent ordinary people from having unrealistic expectations in the Qi Realm, wasting their lives only to end up with nothing."
"I understand!"
Pei Xuanjing nodded nonchalantly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with this rule and its advantages or disadvantages. He didn't feel any personal connection to it.
Rules like these are present in all worlds. However, as it is now, he is a beneficiary, not a deceiver, so he didn't feel any resentment.
Even in the Great Ming World, there were many hidden rules that one could only come to know once they reached a certain status.
"In one month, it will be the annual provincial examination in Yunzhong
County. The examination will also determine who will be eligible to go to the
Capital for the inter-kingdom martial arts tournament. There, you will meet Li Tiange, the most outstanding young talent of the Da Li Dynasty." Mr. Pei Laozhu told Pei Xuanjing.
Pei Xuanjing nodded: "Hmm!"
Having said that, Mr. Pei Laozhu left swiftly.
The simulator's reminder once again popped into his mind, "At the age of fifteen, you will perfect your swordsmanship and cause a sensation at the conference in Yunzhong City."
Pei Xuanjing didn't take these reminders seriously.
He didn't think they meant anything. His primary goal in this world was to cultivate, learn the various methods of cultivation in different worlds and absorb the essence to solidify his own foundations.
Although the Pei Mansion had many methods, they were negligible compared to what the entire world had to offer.
So, at the early stage, he didn't intend to deviate from the track of normal life immediately.
For now, he could follow the current path and see what to do later. However, what he didn't know was that after Mr. Pei Laozhu left, he called in old Han.
"Let the news out, Min'er will participate in this Yunzhong County's provincial examination."
"Yes!" Old Han noaaecl In agreement.
Generally, only Yunzhong Academy pupils could participate in provincial exams like this, others would need a recommendation unless a significant figure backed them, and they usually could not participate in such contests.
With Mr. Pei Laozhu's fame and prestige, he could surely recommend Young Master Min to participate. However, it was strange why Young Master Min, who had never practiced cultivation, was suddenly participating in the provincial examination.
Although Old Han was puzzled, he was always obedient to his master's orders and would not defy them even if he was confused.
"Have you heard?"
"It seems you know, too?" "Hmm, how do you see this matter?"
"How do I see? Haha…
If one were to ask about the hottest topic in Yunzhong County over the past month, it would undoubtedly be the upcoming annual provincial examination.
However, there was a topic even hotter than the provincial examination. It was about the mysterious young man who was highly favored by Mr. Pei Laozhu, who he had brought back to the Pei Mansion but had never appeared in public; it was said that he would participate in this year's provincial examination.
When Mr. Pei Laozhu brought Pei Xuanjing back to the mansion, his treatment was considered lavish. Even Mr. Pei Laozhu's own grandson did not receive such favor, causing a significant stir.
The Pei Mansion has its rules after all. The uproar was due to the favor given to a nobody who had not made any progress in ten years. This naturally led to dissatisfaction among many.
Even people from other households in Yunzhong City were watching this spectacle, snickering at the Pei Mansion's folly.
Although Mr. Pei Laozhu was originally from the influential Hedong family, his current position was hard-earned. He was the one who had the final say in
Yunzhong City, and his strong influence managed to suppress all the unrest.
Nevertheless, even with all of this, there was still dissatisfaction among many elders in the Pei Mansion toward Pei Xuanjing, the mysteriously silent and obscure young man.
And now the news of his participation in the upcoming provincial examination had set off an uproar, especially when it came out that the exam would determine the participants of the upcoming competition in the Capital; his intentions were clear..