Chapter 62

Chapter 62: Qingwan’s Path (4000 words, two chapters combined)

After a month in the Blood Floating Pagoda, Xu Ming gradually adapted to life there.

Every day it was training after training.

But compared to Xu Ming’s random solo practice in the courtyard, the Blood Floating Pagoda’s methods were clearly more systematic and “scientific for martial artists.”

Instructor Wang Meng might seem like a foul-mouthed guy always yelling “cao ni ma,” but in reality, Wang Meng was very meticulous.

Wang Meng was responsible for ten people from the Four Eight Four tent, having a clear understanding of each person’s physical condition and deficiencies.

Besides boxing training, Wang Meng would create personalized training plans for everyone. Every day, he’d drain you of your last ounce of strength, pushing you past your limits again and again.

“Teacher, how many ultimate-level martial artists are there?” asked Back Hair Man Li Han.

Martial artists call their path the “dead-end road,” and this is where it happens.

“The master wants Qingwan to forget emotions, but my feelings are for Brother Ming.”

“I know what you’re thinking.”

Factors in battles include time, location, personnel advantages, the quantity and quality of treasures, the condition of your weapons, and even your mental state at the moment.

Remember! All realms in the world are artificially named based on certain stages of cultivation.

Honestly, this kind of training life is truly painful, almost making one feel that living isn’t worth it.

Only after entering the Heroic Soul Realm can you be considered as truly stepping into the hall of martial arts.

Now Xu Ming understands why among the three great iron armies of the Wu Kingdom, the number of Dragon Leopard Cavalry and Iron Tiger Army fluctuates between five to seven hundred thousand, while the Blood Floating Pagoda never exceeds one hundred thousand.

As Wang Meng spoke, he raised his head, his eyes filled with longing.

But the next moment, ripples spread around the girl, Dao energy condensed then dissipated.

For those cultivators, if they haven’t reached the Cavern Realm, they can’t be called mountain dwellers; at most, they’re just wandering Taoist priests.

If the opponent is one realm higher than you, against a Sea Observing Realm cultivator, you’d have about a fifty-fifty chance.

However, unlike Qi practitioners, the lost two realms existed in ancient times.

Qin Qingwan blinked her eyes: “But Master, you once said everyone has their own path, and I should walk the path that belongs to me.”

“Refining the body through three realms is something anyone can achieve! The average realm of ordinary constables in our Wu Kingdom is the Wood Fetus Realm, and the chief constable is in the Mercury Mirror Realm.”

Simple.

“I heard my father say! Being a martial artist is a dead-end road! Why!” Xiong Hai zhi shouted loudly.

When Xu Ming asked, everyone looked at him, and Wang Meng chuckled:

“You little brat, you sure have high standards, already thinking about realms beyond the ultimate level.”

At the center of the flower sea, a girl wearing a blue-green robe of the Heavenly Profound Gate sat cross-legged, floating in the air.

“Good to know.”

Compared to when the little girl arrived at six years old, this girl had grown significantly, her long hair reaching just below her willowy waist.

The combat power of these carefully trained one hundred thousand martial artists is terrifying, but the cost is extremely high!

But the Wu Kingdom wouldn’t spare using the Blood Floating Pagoda just because every individual is precious.

Forge heroic souls, so your spirits won’t dissipate easily, and ordinary soul techniques will be ineffective against you.

Wang Meng struck the ground with a branch: “Tie the Black Iron on your feet! Run ten miles! The slowest one doesn’t get lunch today!”

Xu Ming heard that only five hundred out of a thousand new recruits in the first military fort would stay.

Wang Xuan nodded: “That’s right.”

Three Refinement Realms: Golden Body Realm, Far Travel Realm, Mountain Peak Realm

The tenth realm —— Ultimate Realm.”

Upon hearing her master’s voice, Qin Qingwan slowly opened her eyes.

Qin Qingwan: “Why does the master want Qingwan to forget her own path?”

This monster is called the ‘Red-Haired Pig,’ kept in all ten Blood Floating Pagoda military forts. It greatly replenishes martial artists’ blood and qi, and also satisfies hunger easily.

Most crucially lies in the three Qi Refinement Realms —— Heroic Soul, Valiant Spirit, Martial Gallantry!

Countless martial artists waste their entire lives, yet never reach the Heroic Soul Realm.

But every morning, when you wake up, you can clearly feel yourself getting stronger bit by bit.

Wu Yanhan frowned.

On the girl’s forehead, the symbols evolved from the great Dao of heaven and earth flickered faintly, resembling floral makeup worn by women.

Heavenly Dao energy gathered around the girl, and everything around seemed to merge with her.

But any martial artist who has reached the third layer of the Ultimate Realm personally says they feel that the Ultimate Realm isn’t the end!

There is a path beyond the Ultimate Realm!

Just no one has walked down it yet.

As soon as Wang Meng finished speaking, Xu Ming and others quickly tied the Black Iron onto their feet and sprinted off.

However, all these things my old man said are relative.

If a Dragon Gate Realm cultivator fights you, within ten meters, you’ll definitely lose.

But that’s not something you need to consider now.

When Wang Meng finished speaking, Xu Ming and others all looked at Wu Yanhan.

No such thing exists!

No matter how much lower the opponent’s realm is than yours! You mustn’t slack off! They could cut your throat with one strike!

No matter how much higher the opponent’s realm is than yours! You mustn’t be afraid! You could shatter their skull with one punch!

We martial artists must believe in our fists! Once you throw a punch, don’t think about retreat!

Realms aren’t absolute; only those who survive until the end are winners!

“Today, I’ll specifically explain what being a martial artist means.”

Seeing someone’s horse stance too high, Wang Meng kicked his butt and continued speaking.

Wang Meng answered: “Currently, there are twenty Ultimate Realm martial artists known, two in our Wu Kingdom, one each in the other ten major dynasties, and the rest I forgot where, but it should be around this number.”

Wang Meng picked up a water pot from the ground and took a sip.

You die, you die, and someone else will replace you.

Without Spiritual Roots, just diligently practice martial arts!

Seeing this scene, Wang Xuan shook her head lightly, sighed softly, and gently called out: “Qingwan.”

Three Body Refinement Realms: Mud Embryo Realm, Wood Fetus Realm, Mercury Mirror Realm.

Achieving Valiant Spirit, ordinary demons and ghosts will retreat upon seeing you, and your roar alone can scatter their souls.

Listening to this question, everyone focused their minds. They also wanted to know the answer, after all, no one wishes to spend their whole life cultivating only to be told it’s a dead-end path.

“Why?” Wang Meng coldly laughed, “Because martial artists have short lifespans! That’s the reason!”

Unlike the naivety at six years old, the features of the ten-year-old girl became increasingly delicate, her body sprouting like a willow tree budding.

What if she grows up further? What a beauty she would become?

Moreover, lifespan being short, so what?

Old man here blew up countless Dragon Gate Realm heads? What good is their thousand-year lifespan? They still died by my hands!”

By the sixth month Xu Ming entered the Blood Floating Pagoda, when everyone’s blood qi reached the peak of the Mercury Mirror Realm, Wang Meng began lecturing.

And for us martial artists, it’s the same.”

Wu Yanhan, don’t think you can slack off just because you have the Divine Martial Constitution, assuming you’re invincible in martial arts.

Basically, a Heroic Soul Realm martial artist would win.

“Understood.” Everyone replied.

Three Qi Refinement Realms: Heroic Soul Realm, Valiant Spirit Realm, Martial Gallantry Realm.

What you need to think about is the assessment in half a year. Fail the assessment, and you’ll leave the Blood Floating Pagoda.

You die because you’re not good enough.

Wang Xuan naturally knew about her disciple’s agreement with the boy named Xu Ming: “Qingwan, our lineage practices Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotion. Having him in your heart is detrimental to your cultivation. In four years, when the Rootless Mystic Realm opens, there is something in the Heavenly Profound Gate that needs you to retrieve. Your current realm isn’t sufficient.”

Rather, the Divine Martial Constitution is the physique most likely to enter the Divine Martial Realm, hence its name.

Do you understand?”

Wang Meng kicked him in the butt: “If you have a problem, just say it! Stop dilly-dallying like a woman!”

Xu Ming and the other ten carried one thousand catties of Black Iron while practicing their horse stances.

I tell you! Those who can enter the Blood Floating Pagoda have all reached the Mercury Mirror Realm before fifteen!

Moreover, according to each martial artist’s physical condition, Wang Meng regularly provided different herbs to everyone. Some herbs are used for consumption to regulate qi, others are applied externally to strengthen muscles and bones.

“Listen with your pig brains, those with Spiritual Roots go cultivate early. Cultivating to the Cavern Realm grants five hundred years of life, whereas we martial artists cultivating to the Ultimate Realm only live five hundred years!

Isn’t this a dead-end road?

If you want longevity, become a cultivator.

Impossible to sustain.

Ten Thousand Flowers Valley of the Heavenly Profound Sect.

Wang Meng smiled, his gaze sharpening, focusing on Xu Ming, Wu Yanhan, and another boy.

You have a physique more suited for martial arts, your lower limit is high, but others without the Divine Martial Constitution can still reach your position, or even surpass you!

Cultivate well, step by step steadily forward, that’s more important than anything!”

Of course, this refers to those who specialize in Dao techniques. For sword cultivators, it’s much more complicated.

“Do you understand?”

Wang Meng kicked him in the rear: “Are you hungry? Did you hear me?”

“The Ultimate Realm is divided into three layers —— Complete Body, Abundant Qi, Full Spirit.

To date, historically, there have been a total of one hundred twenty-one known Divine Martial Constitutions, with the lowest realm at the eighth Martial Arts Realm —— Far Travel Realm, and the highest at the third layer of the Ultimate Realm —— Full Spirit.

It’s like the lost two realms of Qi Practitioners.

Striving to form Martial Gallantry, your every step forward emits a powerful blood qi, making ordinary cultivators tremble upon seeing you!

According to historical records, some people named the final realm above the Ultimate Realm as —— Divine Martial Realm.

Path to martial divinity, the human body becomes its own universe, aligning with the Great Dao!”

“Teacher, I’ve heard there are realms beyond the Ultimate Realm?” Xu Ming asked.

Wang Meng thought for a moment: “Let me give an example. A regular Heroic Soul Realm martial artist fighting a regular Cavern Realm Qi Practitioner.

Later, Xu Ming learned that all the rice consumed in the Blood Floating Pagoda was irrigated with spiritual springs, and all the meat eaten was from magical beasts.

“Teacher, the Blood Rafflesia bloomed for the second time recently,” the girl said with twinkling eyes.

“Cultivation of the three body refinement realms corresponds to the lower five realms of Qi Practitioners.

How do I explain this to you guys?”

This is what it means to be a martial artist!

When you reach the Qi Refinement Realm, one realm equals three ordinary Qi Practitioner realms!

Wang Meng waved his hand.

“Understood!”

“Will the dead-end road of martial arts be broken by you three?”

If you don’t eat, you die, and someone else takes your place.

Forget about it.

When the time comes, geniuses from all over will gather, and you’ll see the gap between you and those geniuses!

Martial artists in the Heroic Soul Realm can participate, and our Blood Floating Pagoda has three slots.

Moreover, after approximately a year, the rookies will undergo an evaluation.

The other five hundred either join other ordinary armies or return home to farm, trade, or become bodyguards, doing whatever they need to do.

Seems like everything is worth it.

I’ll repeat, martial artists are divided into ten realms.

Difficult to imagine, at just ten years old, her peach blossom eyes possess charm surpassing many women.

But if you manage to close the distance within ten meters, most Dragon Gate Realm Qi Practitioners face grim outcomes.

Those sword cultivators, even if you get close, aren’t easy to beat, but they won’t annoy you by throwing spells all day like those Qi Practitioners.

“Teacher.” The girl bowed before Wang Xuan.

“Excellent, full of spirit, do you have any more questions? Ask quickly, this basic class I only teach once.” Wang Meng spat.

“Instructor! I have a question!” Xiong Hai zhi shouted loudly.

But the martial artist realms above the Ultimate Realm have yet to appear.

Wang Meng, hands behind his back:

“Qingwan, your mind is restless again,” Wang Xuan looked at her apprentice, puzzled, “Why is that?”

Puppies, if you’re weak, practice more!”

Wang Xuan crossed the horizon, arriving at this flower sea.

As for the food, Xu Ming initially thought the Blood Floating Pagoda consumed ordinary food.

Otherwise, with each martial artist eating so much, how many pigs would need to be slaughtered daily? How much rice would need to be cooked?

This isn’t a cost issue, it’s a time issue.

And Wang Meng, while walking around, gave lectures.

So don’t think you’re amazing just because you reached the Mercury Mirror Realm at such a young age.

Hearing Wang Meng’s words, Wu Yanhan glanced at Xu Ming, with whom she fought evenly, and coldly responded: “I understand.”

“And Brother Ming is Qingwan’s path.”