The autumn wind howls, bending myriad grass.
Pei Xuanjing is sitting by a lake, circled by intense Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. He keeps his eyes half-closed as his True Qi circulates within his body, constantly generating pure True Qi.
Of course, if anyone saw this scene, they would be stunned.
Because, in the distance by the lake, dozens of the Da Li Dynasty tribal knights lay spread-eagled in all directions, all slain with a single sword strike to the throat, having seemingly failed to resist.
As expected, these fallen knights were all slain by Pei Xuanjing.
Ever since he left Yunzhong City, moving out alone into the grasslands, he became the target of many knights who thought they could easily capture him for their own gain.
Unfortunately for them, Pei Xuanjing was not their prey, but a ferocious tiger that devoured humans. Over this period, countless knights were slain by him.
As a result, almost all the tribes on the grasslands under the Da Li Dynasty had taken notice. They had dispatched several skilled individuals to find and eliminate Pei Xuanjing, but unsurprisingly, none succeeded.
Whooosh, whooosh…
Pei Xuanjing, having finished his cultivation, opened his eyes, a hint of a smile appearing on his face as he felt the surging stream of True Qi within his body.
In a short period of three months, he had managed to refine 365 strands of True Qi, reaching the absolute peak of the Qi Realm.
For those who find it challenging to reach the extreme of the Qi Realm, constant exploration and laborious cultivation are required to reach the pinnacle.
Yet for Pei Xuanjing, his path of cultivation was smooth sailing, without any obstacles, up until the Heavenly Rank.
Theories learned from a book are of limited depth; without practice, complete understanding is beyond reach.
Initially, Pei Xuanjing had some speculation about the process of cultivating the Qi Realm in this world. Now that he had actually begun his cultivation, he finally understood the profound intricacies of the process and the difference between the extent of True Qi accumulation and stepping into the Gang Qi Realm.
Cultivation in this world primarily follows the Dao of Qi Refining.
The Inner Qi, True Qi, and Gang Qi realms are essentially processes whereby martial artists form connections with the heavens and earth, and finally accomplish communion with the heavens and earth, thus understanding the essence of the world.
In the Inner Qi realm, martial artists refine themselves to lay a solid foundation, so as to hold the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi.
The True Qi realm is the stage where the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi begins to slowly enter the body to bear the Essence Qi. The more True Qi is refined in this realm, the greater the range of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi contamination.
In the Gang Qi realm, the spirit acts as a bridge to the heavens and the earth. Communion and comprehension with the heavens and earth transform True Qi into the powerful Gang Qi, strengthening one's body, fusing as one with the universe.
At the Heavenly Rank, the Meridian Pass is broken through, and the body's True Qi is continuously condensed and purified. The cycle of ceaseless condensation ultimately leads to the unity with the heavens and earth, an infinite realm.
"No wonder these people do not strongly insist on reaching the extreme in the
True Qi realm. Because even if they only refine 108 strands of True Qi in the True Qi realm which affects their strength in the Gang Qi Realm, they still have hopes of breaking through to the Heavenly rank. After reaching the Heavenly Rank, there may be differences in strength, but there'll be no other differences in cultivation. As long as they work hard and diligently, they can still make up for these shortcomings." Pei Xuanjing thought.
Instead of pursuing perfection in the Qi Realm and wasting the prime of your life, it would be better to give up temporarily, wait for the chance to step into the Heavenly Rank, then make up for the deficiencies in the foundation.
After all, martial artists in the Qi realm have limited life spans and do not have much time to waste. Once they step into the Heavenly Rank, their inner Qi circulates indefinitely, and their life span is extended. They have ample time and opportunities to make up for the deficiencies.
"Originally in the Daming world, cultivation was simply about accumulating
True Qi continuously, but there was no clear distinction. Hence, even among First-Grade Martial Artists, there were measurable differences in the amount of True Qi accumulation and the degree of purity in their bodies. However, this world offers a more detailed classification, making the path of cultivation of martial artists more precise." Pei Xuanjing thought about the martial studies he had studied in the Daming world: "In the Daming world, practicing Gang Qi is merely a means of attack, but in this world, it is an essential step in cultivation."
"If others from the Daming world came to this world, they might need to re-cultivate Gang Qi. But for me, there's no need." A smile surfaced on Pei Xuanjing's face, "Innate Thunder Gang Qi might become one of my strongest means of attack apart from swordsmanship in this world."
As he spoke, he closed his eyes again, and his inner True Qi began to operate.
In an instant, countless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi began to converge around him again.
With the operation of Shenxiao Heaven's Intention, urging on the Innate Thunder Gang Qi, in a world already rich with Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, the power of Pei Xuanjing's innate Thunder Gang Qi would surely be even greater.
If other people saw this, they would surely be left with their mouths hanging
open In snocK.
For many, they had to go through great pains to gather their spirits, break through the Meridian Pass in one go, comprehend the spirit, and then carefully condense the Gang Qi. They live in constant fear, worrying that one small mistake would lead to significant setbacks.
As a result, many people choose a safe place when making a breakthrough, only proceeding when they are fully prepared. To see Pei Xuanjing behave in such a brazen manner is utterly unheard of.
However, what they don't know is that for Pei Xuanjing, advancing to the Gang Qi Realm is no trouble at all; it's merely a matter of moments.
A layer of purple-green light slowly emerged to envelop Pei Xuanjing, exuding a terrifying aura. An endless amount of Thunder Gang Qi pervaded the air as though all the power of thunder between heaven and earth was converging towards him.
Boom!
Countless Gang Qi burst out from around him, causing a series of gas explosions. The resulting shockwave swept everything in the vicinity.
Centered on where Pei Xuanjing was, everything in the vicinity was lifted off the ground leaving nothing but bare earth. All the vegetation in the area was reduced to dust and scattered with the wind.
The Third Stage of Martial Arts, Gang Qi Realm.
This is still the second stage of the Gang Qi Realm, the Gang Qi Externalization Realm.
Just by merging his inner and outer Gang Qi to form a unified whole, he would have reached perfection in the Gang Qi Realm, with only one step separating him from breaking through the Meridian Pass and advancing to the Heavenly
Rank.
Pei Xuanjing opened his eyes; flashes of lightning emanated from his eyes. His youthful face bore a grave dignity.
He smiled faintly, his eyes dimming, and the grand aura around him dissipated, restoring his casual demeanor.
He slowly stood up, hands resting on his back, his robe fluttering in the wind, his gaze fixed towards the north.
In the following moment, a gust of wind blew in. A young man of about twenty years old, along with an old man with white hair, appeared not far from Pei Xuanjing.
The Da Li Dynasty, Li Tiange!
Pei Xuanjing's eyebrows knitted slightly, a hint of caution surfacing in his eyes.
Of course, his caution did not stem from the young man, but rather from the unremarkable old man accompanying him.
Pei Xuanjing detected a hint of danger from the latter and given his current strength, the only individuals capable of posing a threat to him were likely those of the Heavenly Rank.
Unexpectedly, he had stumbled upon a Heavenly Rank powerhouse here.
However, upon reflection, Li Tiange, being the most outstanding prodigy of the Da Li Dynasty at present, who stepped into the third stage of Martial Arts at the age of twenty, was taken as a disciple by the royal adviser of Da Li, and was known as the top of the younger generation in Da Li Dynasty.
A young powerhouse like this, a future seed of the Heavenly Rank, having a
Heavenly Rank powerhouse as a Taoist protector, was not surprising.
Even so, what about a Heavenly Rank powerhouse?
Pei Xuanjing was keen to gauge precisely how powerful this Heavenly Rank powerhouse was.
"Pei Min?"
Li Tiange began to speak.
"Indeed!"
Pei Xuanjing replied calmly, nodding his head.
"This Prince heard of a genius emerging from Yunzhong, and originally thought that he would have to go to the Capital of the Tang Dynasty next year to meet him, but he did not expect you to dare to enter the grasslands alone." Li Tiange boomed in a deep voice.
Naturally, Li Tiange had received word of the emergence of a peerless genius in Yunzhong County.
However, he had not thought that the other party would not only not stay in Yunzhong for cultivation but also dare to venture into the grasslands alone and recklessly kill the people of Da Li.
At first, when he heard the news, Li Tiange was quite surprised, but after confirming it, he decided to come and meet the other party himself.
"So what?" Pei Xuanjing retorted.
Li Tiange sneered: "So, this Prince wants to see what sets you apart?"
He wanted to see what made this young genius, whom many people had praised, capable of competing against him, so special.
Moreover, if he could kill him, it would not only magnify his fame but also rid Da Li of a potential future threat.
"Are you going to attack?" Pei Xuanjing smirked, shaking his head and said, "You are no match for me."
He could sense that Li Tiange was quite strong amongst his peers, so much so that among the people at Yunzhong Academy, there probably wasn't anyone who could compete against him.
Even if Mr. Pei Laozhu, who had been immersed in the third stage of Martial Arts for decades, were to make a move, the outcome of the battle would still be uncertain.
However, to Pei Xuanjing, it did not equate to much.
If his opponent had just stepped into the Qi Realm, Pei Xuanjing might have been interested in exchanging a few blows.
But now having entered the Gang Qi Realm, and with the prospect of soon reaching the full manifestation of Gang Qi, Pei Xuanjing simply didn't feel like making a move.
It was the elderly man standing behind him, suspected to be of Heavenly Rank, who actually intrigued him.
Although Pei Xuanjing was simply stating the facts, his words sounded like an insult to Li Tiange's ears, making him immensely angry.
"Arrogant!" Li Tiange roared in anger: "Never has anyone dared to insult this Prince so!"
Even though he hailed from a collateral line of the royal family, because of his exceptional talents, Li Tiange had experienced smooth sailing all along. Typically, he was the one looking down on others, being looked down upon in return was a first for him.
But Pei Xuanjing did not care about his reaction, staying silent with a smile on his face.
This attitude enraged Li Tiange further, his face darkened and his intimidating prowess gradually ascended, leaving a dreadful aura in the air.
In an instant, the grasslands were filled with an air of killing intent and desolation, and wild winds were blowing all over.
Pei Xuanjing, however, was completely undeterred by this terrifying aura, his smile faded, and he coldly spoke, "Are you seeking death?"
The chill in his voice was bone-piercing. Even the normally indifferent white-haired elder couldn't help but knit his brows. He found that Pei
Xuanjing's strength seemed to be different from the rumors – it seemed even stronger.
But at this point, Li Tiange was already too enraged to think clearly. After hearing this threat from Pei Xuanjing, he roared, "To the death!"
True Qi flowed within his body, and Gang Qi emanated from his hands, enveloping the Curved Blade he held, emitting a chilling cutting edge.
The Martial Arts third stage, the Gang Qi Realm, allowed him to release his Gang Qi externally.
At the age of twenty, he possessed such a cultivation level, surpassing many people, and even old powerhouses could feel ashamed of their inferiority.
Boom!
He leaped several meters into the sky holding his Curved Blade tightly in both hands. Countless blade auras spread across the sky, slicing towards Pei Xuanjing.
"Sigh," Pei Xuanjing sighed faintly.
The saying goes, "Good words are futile for those beckoning death."
He had no intention of killing the other party initially, but since the other party was seeking death, Pei Xuanjing would not show mercy.
Boom!
A tremendous momentum suddenly erupted. Pei Xuanjing's robust True Qi circulated around him, causing the surroundings winds to swirl, invoking the power of Wind and Thunder.
With his left hand behind his back, he slowly raised his right hand, his fingers forming into a palm shape, he gathered countless flashes of purple-blue thunderlight and, without any hesitation, slapped down towards Li Tiange.
Shenxiao Thunder Palm!
Pei Xuanjing's clothes fluttered, his upright body seemed immovable like a mountain.
The air around him emitted continual explosive sounds as he struck the palm, the aura surged violently, like a storm of thunderbolts, creating a magnificent sight.
Even above him, the heavens changed, the originally clear sky seemed to be filled with dark clouds, thunder and lightning coming in and out of existence.
Li Tiange's face changed dramatically. He had not expected Pei Xuanjing's palm strike to bear such terrifying power.
He felt as if a vast power was rushing towards him. He felt like a lone sheep isolated amidst a pack of wolves, in immense danger, potentially facing death at any moment.
Bang!
The tremendous force struck Li Tiange's body, making him feel as if he was hit by a considerable attack. His hairs stood on end, his muscles, skin, and organs shattered. He spat mouthfuls of fresh blood and flew backward.
Pei Xuanjing's figure blurred and with a single leap, he directly landed a kick on Li Tiange's chest. He turned pale and spat out several mouthfuls of fresh blood.
Just one strike!
With just one strike, Pei Xuanjing had critically wounded Li Tiange, leaving him without any combat power.
If such news were to get out, it would probably cause a sensation in the world.
It should be known that with Li Tiange's strength, there were only a few people in the younger generation of the empire who were confident of defeating him.
Yet, to defeat him so cleanly and effortlessly, nobody else could.
"What a waste!" Pei Xuanjing sighed as he looked at the seriously injured Li Tiange beneath his feet: "I really do not understand why you would choose a path leading to your own death."
Spit!
Upon hearing Pei Xuanjing's words, Li Tiange's anger got the better of him, draining the color from his face.
"Young man, stop now," advised the white-haired elder who had accompanied Li Tiange.
Pei Xuanjing, indifferent to the elder's threats, calmly said, "I said before, if one dares to make a move, one should be prepared to face death."
"You arrogant fool, how dare you!" The white-haired elder's face changed color dramatically. He could not let Li Tiange die here.
"Heh," Pei Xuanjing snickered, extending his fingers like a sword, ready to strike..
Pushi!
A sword qi pierced through Li Tiange's body.
With the strength of Pei Xuanjing, this sword qi of his, even at the peak of Li Tiange's powers, would likely be difficult to resist, let alone now that he was seriously injured and devoid of all power to fight back.
Therefore, when Pei Xuanjing's sword qi pierced through, his breath ceased immediately, he was dead beyond any doubt, without any signs of life.
Li Tiange is dead!
Li Tiange, who was regarded as a major enemy by countless of his contemporaries in the dynasty, died just like that, dying quietly in this grassland, with only Pei Xuanjing and his Taoists witnessing it.
When such news comes out, it will not be as simple as shocking the world, if handled improperly, it might lead to the resurgence of a war between the two parties.
Even Mr. Pei Laozhu, who harbors intense hatred towards Da Li, only mentioned defeating Li Tiange when he initially ordered Pei Xuanjing to take action, not to kill him.
Because seeds of this heavenly rank are the most precious existence for both parties. They are not to be lightly killed.
[At the age of fifteen: you killed Li Tiange on the Yunzhong grassland.]
[The trajectory of your life begins to change…]
"Ah! You should die!" The white-haired old man was beside himself with anger. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that Li Tiange would die here today.
It has to be said that Pei Xuanjing's strength far exceeds his expectation.
To have such combat power at such a young age is unheard of.
However, Li Tiange had always had a smooth journey, was overbearing, and looked down upon everyone. It could also be seen as a lesson for him to suffer a setback, which should inspire him to be more courageous after feeling disgraced.
But seeing how Pei Xuanjing humiliated Li Tiange was something he couldn't tolerate, so he tried to stop Pei Xuanjing's behavior.
But he never thought that the boy in front of him could be so murderous and reckless that he actually killed Li Tiange.
Li Tiange is dead!
The prodigy cultivated by the Da Li dynasty with countless resources just died on the grassland like this, this undoubtedly sent the white-haired old man into a frenzy, while simultaneously sending chills up his spine.
"Die!" The white-haired old man burst out in anger, terrifying momentum erupted from him, his killing intent ice-cold and nothing blocked it at all.
He knew that unless he killed the boy in front of him today, he wouldn't be able to stand the rage of the National Teacher.
"So it's a heavenly rank powerhouse!" Pei Xuanjing was not afraid at all when faced with such a terrifying aura from the white-haired old man.
For a heavenly rank powerhouse of this rank being so shameless as to target him, he didn't care at all.
Originally, according to the tacit understanding of various parties, heavenly rank powerhouses should not easily take action against ordinary martial artists, especially in this kind of competition among peers.
After all, if any powerhouse were allowed to intervene in the conflict of their peers, it would easily result in mutual revenge, making the younger generations feel threatened and thus triggering a war.
However, it can't be helped that there is no one here who can restrain the other party.
Although Pei Xuanjing was in a youthful body, he never saw himself as a junior or a weak person.
In this world, the only opponents Pei Xuanjing could regard as equals were these heavenly rank powerhouses. So he was not afraid of their attacks, on the contrary, he was eager to test them out.
Perhaps the heavenly rank powerhouses of this world are very strong, but although the heavenly rank powerhouse in front of him could make him feel hesitant, it did not make him feel a threat of death.
So he was somewhat impatient, wanting to see where the gap between him and the heavenly rank powerhouses was, whether it was possible for him to triumph as the weak against the strong.
Boom!
The white-haired old man's vigorous true qi was released wildly with a punch.
His robe swelled, and countless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi followed his punch. The endless forceful wind swept all directions, just like a giant wolf howling up to the sky, rushing towards Pei Xuanjing.
"Sure enough, it is no different from what I anticipated." Pei Xuanjing watched as the white-haired old man made his move, instantly gaining some insights.
Heavenly rank powerhouses use their own true qi as catalysts to mobilize the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi between heaven and earth. One casual strike can stir up endless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, striking enemies with the force of heaven and earth.
When the strong reach this realm, the depth of the true qi in their bodies is not that important. They care about their connection with heaven and earth.
With every move they make, they can induce the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi for their own use. As long as the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi does not run out, they will hardly ever exhaust themselves.
All these thoughts flashed within the short span of a moment. Pei Xuanjing's hands did not stop moving. He give a faint smile, slowly raised his hands, and the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi around him moved along.
Then, with a clap of his hands, a thunder dragon suddenly appeared, rolling and tearing towards the opponent with terrifying power.
"You actually…" The white-haired old man looked horrified.
He was more shocked today than in countless years. The young man in front of him had given him too many surprises.
The young man in front of him was slowly mobilizing Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. If this were to get out, it would probably drive countless people mad. This is exclusively for heavenly rank powerhouses.
Being able to mobilize the power of heaven and earth in the three stages of martial arts would definitely be of great benefit to breaking through to the heavenly rank in the future.
Pei Xuanjing just smiled and said nothing. His ability to do this was actually not surprising.
Originally, he could operate the natural qi between heaven and earth with his own true qi as a guide. An Gang Qi shield that can both attack and defend could be formed on the exterior of his body, depending on the circumstances.
If cultivated to a high level, it can convert the power of heaven and earth into the cultivator's own power. A casual strike can bring forth the natural qi between heaven and earth, and kill the enemy with the force of heaven and earth.
Pei Xuanjing integrated this into the Shenxiao Thunder Gang Qi, transforming the Gang Qi shield into the power of thunder, which comprised his whole body, providing better defense.
Moreover, he not only retained the original abilities to commandeer the natural qi, but also, when highly cultivated, could convert the qi of heaven and earth into the destructive force of thunder. His moves can then carry the power of Shenxiao Thunder, killing enemies with the might of heaven and earth. Plus, with the power of Pei Xuanjing's Yin Spirit, it was almost effortless for him to do this, literally, without any effort at all.
Boom!
The two of them collided, causing a violent blast, and raising a wild tempest.
The terrifying forceful wind surged like a river, sweeping in all directions.
Even Pei Xuanjing couldn't help but stagger back several steps from such a violent blast. A trace of annoyance flashed across his face.
This physical body was far inferior to his original one. If it were his own body that had undergone a metamorphosis once, he wouldn't have been scared by such a collision.
There's no helping it!
The cultivation in the Way of Essence Refinement is different from the Path of Qi Refinement.
Even though Pei Xuanjing had been cultivating continuously, his current body only reached the level equivalent to the entry to the Qi Realm in this world..