Pei Xuanjing, having ascended to the Spirit Realm's body cultivation, possessed a power that induced terror. Additionally, the strength he gained after refining a single acupoint exceeded his former might.
He refrained from using Primordial Qi, relying purely on the force of his physical body. Nonetheless, wherever his fist imprint passed, the vacuum shattered and collapsed.
With every punch he threw, the momentum of his body intensified, each punch stronger than the previous one. The mere sound of his roaring punches was enough to induce fear in many.
The collision of pure physical strength and the Heavenly Earthly Force invoked by the two caused an eruption of power that shocked everyone present.
At this moment, celestial beings and those martial artists on the cusp of breaking through the Gang Qi Realm were all moved by the fighting power shown by Pei Xuanjing.
"Is this formidable body the reason he could reverse the Martial Arts third rank and kill heavenly rank powers?"
Although there had been news of Pei Xuanjing reversing the martial arts third rank to kill Heavenly Rank powers, sadly, no one witnessed that fight. Everyone had regrets, even thinking that Pei Min had used some secret technique.
But now, Pei Xuanjing, without using Primordial Qi and relying only on his formidable body, exerted such terrifying combat power, suppressing the two Heavenly Rank experts with his strength alone.
At this moment, they erroneously assumed that Pei Xuanjing had fought a Heavenly Rank power holder during his Martial Arts third rank period with the exceptional strength shown by his robust physique.
The Way of the Physical Body?
Many were left in contemplation.
Just like when Pei Xuanjing first arrived in this world, he discovered that due to the unusually rich Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, the Dao of Qi Refining advanced swiftly. As long as they weren't dim-witted, with the help of rich Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, they had a high chance of advancing to the third rank of the Gang Qi Realm.
In this way, for the martial artists of this world, the only barrier to surmount was breaking through to the Heavenly Rank.
But now, Pei Xuanjing's current state has provided some enlightenment for many martial artists who had been stuck at the third rank for a long time, unable to make a breakthrough.
Aside from a few individuals, most martial artists in their situation no longer held any hope of breaking through to the Heavenly Rank. They knew that without a significant opportunity, they might be stuck at this stage for their entire life.
Therefore, these third-rank martial artists had only one goal—to enhance their strength. Unable to ascend to the Heavenly Rank, they continuously strengthened themselves, to ensure their survival if they offended a Heavenly Rank being one day.
That's why when Pei Xuanjing killed a Heavenly Rank being using a third-rank Martial Arts, it caused a sensation across the world. Hadn't he rapidly advanced to the Heavenly Rank and performed remarkable feats such as killing Hè Lián Qìngtiān and defeating the Red Sun Calvary, many might have sought him out to uncover the secret behind his power.
Now, the strength of Pei Xuanjing's body led many to believe that they had uncovered his secret—he managed to kill a Heavenly Rank being using his formidable physique.
From then on, countless people made a silent decision in their hearts. Since they couldn't break through to the Heavenly Rank, they might as well strengthen body cultivation, perhaps even being able to kill a Heavenly Rank being like Young Master Min.
Of course, it wasn't just these martial artists stuck at the third rank of Martial Arts unable to ascend to the Heavenly Rank who had such thoughts.
Even the Heavenly Rank martial artists watching were shocked by the formidable combat power exhibited by Pei Xuanjing's physical body alone.
Compared to the third-rank experts, they were more familiar with the terror of a Heavenly Rank being when invoking the Heavenly Earthly Force. Therefore, they clearly understood how terrifying Pei Xuanjing's physical body was.
Perhaps, besides communicating with Heaven and Earth, they could also attempt to cultivate the physical body?
Even if they couldn't reach Young Master Min's level, it could still significantly enhance their strength.
This was the idea that floated in the minds of many Heavenly Rank beings.
Let's be clear, even after ascending to a Heavenly Rank, strengthening oneself wasn't easy. It sounds grand to communicate with the Heaven and Earth and comprehend the principles of the universe, but only the Heavenly Rank beings who had actually cultivated understood how torturous and difficult this process was.
The Heaven and Earth are infinitely vast, while the human body is limited.
Attempting to communicate with the Heaven and Earth using one's body is an extremely difficult task.
Aside from those with exceptional talent, most Heavenly Rank beings could only rely on their hard work, grinding day by day, cautiously communicating with the Heaven and Earth, for fear of getting lost in the endless cosmos.
"However, while this method can strengthen one's combat power, it will also delay cultivation," someone thought privately.
Indeed, enhancing one's physical body can rapidly increase one's abilities, but the human body is ultimately limited. If one's finite energy is partly concentrated on the physical body, the cultivation of Heaven and Earth communication will become increasingly slow, delaying the original cultivation process.
Thus, whether to follow this method of cultivation requires careful decision-making.
In fact, this was true not only in this world but also in the Great Ming World, where Pei Xuanjing was born.
Everyone knew that cultivating physical toughness combined with the cultivation of True Qi rendered one's martial arts powerful. Still, beyond a certain level, they would make a choice and prioritize.
Cultivating both paths may enhance combat power, but it would also delay the progression of martial arts.
After all, not everyone was like Pei Xuanjing, who had a simulator to help him balance the cultivation of several different paths and still exceed others.
Those who practiced such a method were usually extraordinarily talented and ambitious, believing they could keep pace and not fall behind others.
"Such a formidable body, is he aiming to become a sage through physical cultivation?" Ye Daoyuan, watching Pei Xuanjing's terrifying physical strength, was struck by surging waves in his heart.
As a strong man whose one foot had stepped into the Celestial Human Realm, his vision was extraordinary. The first thing he thought of was a state-of-cultivation described in the Taoist teachings.
The path that Pei Xuanjing was walking on was strikingly similar to becoming a saint through physical cultivation as described in the classics.
However, even someone as strong as Ye Daoyuan understood that dividing his attention like this would surely delay his own cultivation.
No matter what interpretations or opinions everyone present had about Pei Xuanjing's formidable physique, whether they agreed or disagreed,
Pei Xuanjing's performance today had left a deep impression on everyone, deeply imprinting the idea of strengthening combat power through body cultivation in everyone's hearts.
Perhaps some might give up, believing that it would delay their cultivation.
However, others would undoubtedly choose this path to enhance their strength.
Perhaps, in the beginning, the number of people would be small, but it would slowly grow.
Maybe after several decades, hundreds, or even thousands of years, this line of cultivation would flourish, becoming one of the mainstream cultivation methods. This was something no one could predict.
Some events, once they occur, inevitably leave marks.
Cultivators in this world used to focus on Qi Dao cultivation, paying little attention to body cultivation.
But today, Pei Xuanjing appeared and left an indelible impression with his overwhelming strength.
Therefore, Pei Xuanjing has already planted a seed, waiting for the passage of time for it to break through the soil, slowly sprout, and gradually grow.
Whether it will become a towering tree or die halfway, no one can tell.
At least at this moment, Pei Xuanjing himself doesn't know and doesn't care.
Right now, all his attention is on the two people before him.
He strikes with one punch after another, like a humanoid beast, his tremendous power breaking the space and even the earth quaking under it.
It had been a long while since Pei Xuanjing last felt such exhilaration. Even in the Daming World after his body had undergone its first transformation, nobody had managed to push him to exert all his strength.
However, the two Heavenly Rank powerhouses before him now allow Pei Xuanjing to unleash, without curbing any of his power, to a satisfying fight.
After all, Feng Yan had been hit by one of his Sword Intent. If he wanted, he just needed to trigger that Sword Intent, and Feng Yan would not threaten him in the least.
But Pei Xuanjing chose to do this, to release himself thoroughly, then refine himself with this, to reach his peak state as swiftly as possible because his target today was not just these two.
"If you two only have this level of power, then today ends here!" A faint voice from Pei Xuanjing sounded.
Being alone against two Heavenly Rank powerhouses, if it were anyone else who spoke this way, it would undoubtedly arouse laughter, deeming this person arrogant and ignorant.
However when Pei Xuanjing uttered these words, surprisingly, everyone was silent. Nobody found it unexpected as if it was only natural.
Even the two, still engrossed in battle, turned pale when they heard Pei Xuanjing's words.
Feng Yan roared angrily, a red mist appeared around him, and he looked as if a red sun mark appeared vaguely on his forehead.
Red Sun Divine Art.
This is a divine technique practiced by the Red Sun Martial Venerate, the national teacher of Da Li. Although Feng Yan, as his disciple, had been taught, this divine technique is intricate and obscure; even he hadn't mastered it fully.
However, at this time, he had no choice but to fight back by burning the bridges behind him.
Ashina Zhenlu, who stood aside, also decisively employed his strongest killer move. The once Turkic Empire was known to stand tall alongside the Great Tang Empire; even after its downfall, it held substantial resources.
As a descendent of the Turkic Empire, Ashina Zhenlu was no ordinary man. He gathered Primordial Qi amidst his hands, and countless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi converged to form a spear eight feet long!
This is the Holy Spear passed down by the Turkic Empire. Although not an actual object, it still emits a terrifying aura, stunning everyone.
This inherited Holy Spear was the world-defying divine weapon of the Turkic Empire, it was rumored to have been created by a celestial entity, with horrifying power.
As a descendent of the Turkic Empire, although he couldn't use it, he could watch this Holy Spear, understand its divine intent, brand its aura and use it as his killer move.
Ever since Ashina Zhenlu grasped its divine intent, using this move had killed more than a few stronger Heavenly Rank powerhouses.
However, using this move had an immensely high cost. If it weren't for the situation today pushing him, he would have been unwilling to use it lightly.
Both of them exhibited their killer moves, attacking Pei Xuanjing.
All eyes were firmly glued to the battlefield as everyone knew that the outcome was about to be decided.
"The Red Sun Divine Art is indeed extraordinary, but if the National Teacher of Da Li displayed it, I might get a bit guarded. But you haven't mastered the Red Sun Divine Art; even if you consume and damage your foundation to use this technique, for me, it is just ordinary."
Faced with the terrifying moves of the two, Pei Xuanjing was exceptionally calm, even having the leisure to critique.
He then looked at the eight-foot-long spear approaching him, slightly raising his eyebrow and slowly shaking his head, "Your strength is still too low to display the power of this move."
Even if it's just a simulation, he could feel that the original power of this spear was extremely terrifying, but as he said, the opponent's strength wasn't enough to brand the divine intent of this spear. The power displayed was not more than one or two out of ten.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh…
Pei Xuanjing stood with his fists down, his clothes rustling in the wind, and his fair, slender hand slowly landed on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
This Ten Thousand-Forged Divine Weapon gifted by the crown prince has been with Pei Xuanjing for a good while but has never been unsheathed.
Today is the day it unsheathes.
Gripping the sword, unsheathing it, swinging it; every move was as smooth as flowing water without any pause!
A dazzling sword light appeared. At the instant of unsheathing, a Sword Intent like a grand sun penetrated out, making everyone shudder.
The Sword Intent was so intense that it seemed to pierce the heavens, and the sky above Xuanjing's head changed color dramatically.
All the long swords in the garden unconsciously buzzed, releasing the sound of sword chants.
Sword Drawing Skill!
With Pei Xuanjing's current realm, when he executes Sword Drawing Skill, the speed is unimaginable.
In the presence, apart from a few who could see Pei Xuanjing's sword-drawing movement, almost no one could see when the sword was unsheathed.
It seemed as if the moment he made his move, the long sword was already in his hands.
The sharp sword light seemed to cut through time and space, slashed out directly.
In the face of Feng Yan and Ashina Zhenlu, all perception disappeared as if they had been isolated from the world.
This made them immensely terrified. The most potent strength of a Heavenly Rank powerhouse is to borrow the power of Heaven and Earth, but this sword seemed to sever even their connection with Heaven and Earth.
They immediately wanted to make a move, but everything was futile and desperate!
In an instant, the sword light split into thousands of strands, shattering the attacks of both Feng Yan and Ashina Zhenlu.
The power of the single sword stroke was, as if it could cleave the heavens and earth.
In a flash, everything dissolved, the wind was still, the waves were calm, as if nothing had happened.
Feng Yan and Ashina Zhenlu kept their postures from attacking and stood still, but continuous noises could be heard from their bodies.
Pu chi…
Countless Sword Qi exploded in their bodies and broke out, leaving their bodies full of bloody holes.
With a thought from Pei Xuanjing, these traces of blood were scattered, and not a single drop fell on him.
"Sword Saint!"
No one knew who exclaimed, calling out this title.
The garden was dead silent, everyone was speechless. They looked at the young man holding a sword upside down, as if a Fairy God, with looks of disbelief and shock in their eyes.
On the high platform, Ye Daoyuan's normally calm appearance has finally shown a hint of surprise. The terror of this sword was beyond imagination. If it was wielded without warning, even he would not find it easy to cope with.
Even the empress, who been watching the competition with a smile, showed ripples in her eyes. The strength of this person in front of her was beyond her imagination, and that glimmer of sword light was something she would never forget for the rest of her life.
With just one sword, he killed two Heavenly Rank powerhouses.
After this battle, Pei Xuanjing's reputation grew even stronger. Numerous young geniuses looked at the figure of Pei Xuanjing with adoration in their eyes.
And those Heavenly Rank powerhouses were filled with awe and sighed at his terrifying talent.
They knew that from this point forward, another supreme powerhouse would emerge under the heavens.
The title 'Sword Saint', which had just been proclaimed, was now accepted by everyone. People continuously opened their mouths and said: "Sword Saint!"
Sword Saint Pei Min!
The newly supreme powerhouse of the world, just sixteen years old.
Pei Xuanjing held the Longevity Sword upside down and looked around. Everyone his gaze touched avoided his eyes and dared not meet them.
[At the age of sixteen, you stood alone against two Heavenly Ranks and killed them, earning you the title of 'Sword Saint' from everyone.]
Pei Xuanjing said to the remaining Heavenly Rank powerhouses of the Da Li delegation: "Today, Pei Min has killed Feng Yan and Ashina Zhenlu here! If any of you are not satisfied, you can come and seek revenge from this young master!"
Upon hearing his words, many people in the Da Li delegation remained silent and dared not respond.
Even if those Heavenly Rank powerhouses were filled with immense resentment, they remained silent.
Cultivation is not easy, and no one is willing to risk their lives.
Moreover, they knew even better that after today, the relationship between the Great Tang and Da Li would be even more difficult to mend.
If all their Heavenly Rank powerhouses were to die here today, the young geniuses remaining in the delegation would not be able to return to Da Li.
It has to be known that every genius who came to the Great Tang as an envoy today is incredibly talented. For Da Li, the loss of any one of them is unbearable, let alone complete annihilation.
Therefore, even for the sake of their legacy, they did not dare to act rashly. All they could do was suppress the hatred in their hearts.
The power of a single person was so terrifying!
A sixteen-year-old powerhouse silenced the original boisterous Da Li delegation.
The other country's delegations remained silent too, fearing to attract the attention of this particular individual.
Although they had planned to kill a supreme powerhouse in advance, once the target had shown his unmatched power, their original alliance naturally disbanded and no one dared to mention it any more.
Hehe." Pei Xuanjing sneered but did not continue pressuring them, saying: "As you wish, if you want to take revenge in the future, feel free to find me, as long as you are not afraid of death."
He paused and said loudly: "Also, please convey a message to the National Teacher of Da Li on my behalf. Tell him that I have been admiring his reputation for a long time, and I will surely visit the snowy mountain one day and discuss the Realm of Heavenly People with him."
Hiss!
Everyone couldn't help taking a deep breath. He actually wanted to challenge the National Teacher of Da Li.
There is a saying being circulated in this world: Heavenly Rank is divided into two kinds, one is the Heavenly Rank powerhouse, and the other is Ye Daoyuan and Red Sun Martial Venerate.
Simply put, although they are all considered Heavenly Ranks, in the eyes of the world, the rest of the Heavenly Ranks cannot be compared with Superintendent Ye Daoyuan and Da Li's National Teacher, the Red Sun Martial Venerate.
Even though they were praising Pei Xuanjing as the Sword Saint, the supreme powerhouse of the world.
But when truly compared to Ye Daoyuan and Red Sun Martial Venerate, who are both on the brink of stepping into the Realm of Heavenly People, there is still a gap.
Perhaps Pei Min's talent is terrifying, but he is still too young and has not yet fully transformed his talent into power.
He needs time; he needs time to accumulate experience to really stand shoulder to shoulder with those two powerhouses.
If he challenges them now, it might not be worth the cost.
As many people thought to their hearts, since the rise of this Sword Saint, he has never failed. The unrivaled stance he just displayed was extraordinary. If he were defeated by the national teacher of Da Li, even if he survived by chance, it would probably affect his Way.
As people of the Empire, they do not want to see such a genius cut down prematurely.
"Good! We will deliver your message!" One of the Heavenly Rank powerhouses in the Da Li delegation responded.
He couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. Pei Min is extremely arrogant and seeking his own doom.
If the other party were to stay in the Great Tang Capital, even the National Teacher would be powerless to act against him. After all, there are numerous masters in this Great Tang Capital, and Ye Daoyuan presides over it.
But the fact that he dares to challenge the National Teacher is seeking his own death.
So he hurriedly agreed, fearing that the other party would renege.
Pei Xuanjing took in the gazes of the people around him, not caring in the slightest.
Just when everyone thought the incident was over for today, they saw Pei Xuanjing suddenly turn around to face the high platform, faintly opened his mouth and spoke:
"I have always heard of the Superintendent's profound strength, almost bordering the Realm of Heavenly People. Therefore, I would dare to ask the Superintendent for guidance and witness his divine might."
Boom!
The entire arena was in an uproar, everyone was shocked!
Although Pei Xuanjing's words were very polite, his attitude was very clear.
He intended to challenge Superintendent Ye Daoyuan of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory.
Who was Ye Daoyuan? He was born into a noble family, joined the Taoist School as a teenager, and later became…
If his legendary experiences were written into a book, who knows how many volumes it would take.
One thing is for certain, he is the number one master of this Great Tang Empire, suppressing the world for decades, no one dares to challenge his authority, even Red Sun Martial Venerate, the National Teacher of Da Li, held extreme fear of him.
But now, this Pei Min is challenging Ye Daoyuan, how could this not shock countless people?
Even if they just heard that he wanted to go into the prairie to challenge the National Teacher of Da Li, it was still just a thought, and not yet put into action.
Perhaps after waiting a few years, when his strength has greatly improved, it could be possible?
But, who would have thought that, with just a turn of his body, he is challenging Ye Daoyuan.
For a moment, everyone's gaze fell on the Superintendent on the high seat, guessing what kind of reaction this Superintendent would have to such a challenge.
"Sir!" The crown prince couldn't help but speak up, wanting to stop him.
Unfortunately, his words couldn't be uttered before he heard Ye Daoyuan speak: "Since you are interested, I am naturally willing to accompany you."
Originally, he was already very interested in this Pei Min. At first, he felt that the other party had extraordinary talent and wanted to bring him to the Capital for training.
Latter, this person went beyond his expectations in all aspects, giving him continuous surprises and delight.
He felt that maybe he could cultivate him into a suitable opponent, in order to hone himself and find an opportunity to break through to the Realm of Heavenly People.
The reason why the emperor allowed the other party to make a move just now was because he had spoken on his behalf.