The Secret of Spirit Transformation

"At that time, our strengths were evenly matched. I only won by half a move because of the advantage of my weapon, so it can't be said that I was inferior in skill."

"But now you are Spirit Transformation, the youngest Nascent Spirit Transformation in history."

Xia Guanxue couldn't help but sigh inwardly. When they fought in France last time, their strengths were about the same. Considering that he had fought Yan Jinghong and was injured and somewhat depleted, he was probably even slightly stronger. But more than a year had passed, and his opponent had actually advanced to the Spirit Transformation Grandmaster, far surpassing him.

"I've now reached the threshold of the Spirit Transformation stage, so I'd like to spar with you to see what I'm still lacking."

"Alright, let's go to the courtyard and have a match now."

Murong Qing did not refuse. She had overheard their conversation in the kitchen. She wholeheartedly supported finding the true culprit behind the demon tide incident from back then. On this point, she shared the same stance as Xia Guanxue and naturally hoped that Xia Guanxue could become stronger.

The two quickly arrived in the courtyard, each holding a weapon and standing facing each other. Si Ming temporarily acted as the referee, and seeing that both sides were ready, he immediately gave the signal to begin.

Xia Guanxue, wanting to uncover the secrets of the Spirit Transformation, naturally took the initiative. With a clang, he drew his sword and flashed in front of Murong Qing. A flash of sword light followed by a silent sword shadow.

This One Sword didn't even stir up a gust of wind, yet it was not slow at all; on the contrary, it was faster than the speed of sound. That's why it was so silent and stealthy. Moreover, while being fast, it was also skillful, with the blade trembling slightly, seemingly to the left and right, making it difficult to discern the direction of the sword's path.

However, Murong Qing did not move an inch, but waved her hand and unleashed a sword light, easily blocking all paths, as if she had anticipated which part of the opponent would attack.

Just as the two swords were about to collide, Xia Guanxue's sword suddenly changed. With a single turn, the sword's momentum quickened by three points, and her body followed the sword's movement. The tip of the sword seemed to draw a half-circle in the air. In that turn and retraction, she absorbed the force of the previous One Sword strike. The sword's momentum was both rapid and ruthless, quickly stabbing towards Murong Qing's back.

Xia Guanxue had no intention of winning, so this One Sword was not a special move, but merely a combination and variation of basic Swordsmanship. Yet, it displayed an extremely high level of skill, like a gazelle hanging its horns, leaving no trace of artifice, yet appearing completely natural, something that ordinary people could not have imagined.

Unexpectedly, Murong Qing's longsword also turned, and she herself did not move, but only rotated the blade. Therefore, she struck first despite being behind, and gently touched the weak point of Xia Guanxue's sword. Not only that, the variation of her Swordsmanship was exactly the same as Xia Guanxue's, and even more exquisite.

Xia Guanxue's offensive was thwarted, but she did not lose heart. Instead, she accelerated again. Amidst the flashing sword light, the longsword hummed as it pierced Murong Qing's vital points. The sword light, like a swimming dragon, rose and fell erratically, echoing each other from beginning to end. It seemed that no matter where Murong Qing dodged, there would always be a spot where the sword tip would pierce him.

Chapter 746 The Secret of Nascent Spirit Transformation

Murong Qing did not dodge, but lightly tapped with her sword. The sword moved like a dragon, and it was the same sword style as Xia Guanxue's, but with subtle differences. The two swords collided rapidly in the narrow space, and sparks flew everywhere.

Both swordsmen fought with speed, using interception as defense. As their speed increased, even Murong Qing could not remain still. The two quickly transformed into sharp streaks that swept across the sky, their sword momentum surging, their sword light flowing like mercury or a mighty river.

At this moment, the difference between the two could finally be seen. Although it was the same sword move, the force that Xia Guanxue used was howling wildly, like the roar of a wind beast. Centered on the long sword in his hand, it shredded the surrounding air. Si Ming, who was watching from several meters away, could feel the fierce wind pressure. An ordinary person would probably have difficulty even breathing.

In contrast, Murong Qing's sword did not generate any strong wind, making it steady and unadorned, as if her sword had no special effects. Yet, she gained the upper hand in every exchange. If this were a battle to win, Murong Qing could force Xia Guanxue to reveal her weakness in less than ten moves and win in one strike.

"Tch, this guy was holding back when he fought me."

Looking down from the second-floor balcony, Ying Zhou curled his lip, but he wasn't angry at being underestimated, because he had also held back. He wouldn't do something as absurd as fighting with all his might in front of someone else's tombstone.

Moreover, now that the person in question has returned, he doesn't plan to visit the grave anymore. In the end, he's just an outsider, and he was only fulfilling Xia Guanxue's obligations in the past, which is why he dislikes Xia Guanxue so much.

A quarter of an hour later, with a clang, the two figures separated. Murong Qing and steadied himself, while Xia Guanxue had to take three steps back. He closed his eyes to savor the previous battle, then opened them and said, "So that's how it is, I understand."

"What do you understand?"

Anyway, Si Ming didn't quite understand it. If it was just about controlling the force, he could do it better. When he fought against Spirit Transformation Grandmaster before, apart from having a deeper cultivation level and more advanced skills, he didn't see the essential difference between Spirit Transformation and non- Spirit Transformation.

Xia Guanxue glanced at Si Ming, her face showing hesitation, as if she was wondering whether she should speak.

Murong Qing said, "It's alright to tell him. His path is different from ours, so there's no risk that explaining it will make it harder for him to understand."

Since the other girl's girlfriend didn't care, Xia Guanxue had nothing to worry about and immediately said, "Actually, the control of physical strength is secondary. The difference lies in the control of Qi. Murong's control over every bit of True Qi has reached a perfect level, not a bit more or less. So although I can achieve perfect control when I strike with my sword, once there is a collision, all the True Qi I use for this One Sword will be exhausted. Even if there is any residue, it will dissipate as residual force. But she can store the remaining True Qi in the next move."

Si Ming suddenly realized why those Spirit Transformation experts had such long auras and were extremely good at prolonged battles, able to fight for three days and three nights without rest. Sometimes their Internal Cultivation was only one or two levels higher than that of non- Spirit Transformation, yet they could unleash their ultimate moves several times more often. It turned out they all had a garbage recycling function.

Because Si Ming relied on his Jing Essence rather than his Qi Essence when fighting against powerful opponents, and later with the Vacuum Psychic Energy Furnace, his energy recovery speed was extremely fast, so he didn't care about wasting any of it and didn't pay any attention to the rate of True Qi loss. As a result, it was even more difficult for him to detect the difference Spirit Transformation Grandmaster and Spirit Transformation Grandmaster. Si Ming followed a rough, fast, and fierce approach, which was completely different from the delicate approach of a Nascent Soul Grandmaster.

Murong Qing, "Actually, it's not always possible to maintain zero loss. In clashes between ultimate moves, or when unleashing powerful techniques, even a Spirit Transformation Grandmaster can't control every bit of True Qi. At least I can't; I can only let it dissipate. However, this ability isn't meant for combat; it's mainly for cultivation. Being able to control the flow of every strand of True Qi within the body greatly reduces the risk of Qi Deviation. Even if the martial arts manual has incorrect or incomplete content, one can gradually discover the correct method of circulating qi through trial and error. This is especially meaningful for creating entirely new Cultivation Method."

Si Ming pondered, "It doesn't sound like it will significantly improve our combat strength."

No wonder that when I faced Spirit Transformation experts in the past, I only felt that their Cultivation Body were stronger, but I didn't feel that the fundamental change from wood to steel, nor did I feel that the difference of one level was like heaven and earth.

Xia Guanxue said, "The advancement to the Spirit Transformation is a sublimation of life, not a means to turn a person into a more powerful killing machine. The increase in combat power is merely a side effect, not the goal."

Murong Qing knew that Si Ming's Internal Cultivation had also reached the level required to advance to the Spirit Transformation stage, so she explained, "In addition, Spirit Transformation Grandmaster can concentrate their minds to enter Supra-Sensory State. In this state, they can see the flow of various kinds of Primal Qi and have a memory like a video recording, able to clearly store all the images in their sea of consciousness. Therefore, when fighting a Spirit Transformation Grandmaster, a move that has been used once will often be greatly weakened, and using it repeatedly is tantamount to courting death."

Of course, the greater significance of this ability is guiding others in their cultivation. During combat, because the opponent is activating their Cultivation Body, their True Qi is constantly boiling, making it difficult to observe the flow of True Qi in the meridians. However, during regular cultivation, you can observe your disciple's cultivation process, correct any mistakes they make, and even deduce and improve various martial arts techniques to make them more suitable for your disciple's physique.

The reason why the Painting King Yan Kai is so anxious to find a successor is probably because he is getting old. Even though his body can lock in his Jing Essence Qi Essence and not age, he cannot stop the decline of his spirit. He probably senses that he will soon be unable to enter the Supra-Sensory State again, and it will not be as convenient to teach disciples then.

The benefits of advancing to the Nascent Spirit Transformation are mostly auxiliary abilities, such as photographic memory and the ability to lock onto faces. However, these abilities can be applied to all aspects of life, rather than being limited to combat. For example, Yan Kai is not good at fighting, but he can apply his photographic memory and subtle control of qi to painting, thereby honing his skills, hiding meaning in his paintings, and creating works that amaze even the gods and ghosts.

Si Ming wanted to continue asking about the secrets of the Spirit Transformation, but his stomach rumbled at an inopportune moment, so he could only say, "We're done fighting, it's time to eat. If we delay any longer, the food will get cold."

Murong Qing sighed, "Why are you getting hungry so quickly, even though you're just an observer?"

"Because I used up a lot of energy last night and this morning..." Si Ming wouldn't say something so suicidal, so he just laughed it off. He noticed Xia Guanxue was about to turn and leave, so he quickly said, "Since you're already here, why don't you stay and have a meal with us?"

"No, we're not on the same path after all, so it's better not to get too close," Xia Guanxue replied coldly.

"Don't say such things that keep people at arm's length. Even if we're not on the same path, we're not necessarily going in opposite directions. Sometimes we inevitably cross paths and find ourselves at a crossroads. For example, you and Ying Zhou are two completely different kinds of people, and you don't seem like you'd be on the same path at all, but you still ended up together. That's what they call fate, it's wonderful and inexplicable."

Xia Guanxue sighed, "That must be the worst kind of ill-fated relationship."

In the end, he was pulled back into the house by Si Ming, after all, he was definitely at a disadvantage in terms of shamelessness and strength.

Ying Zhou was pulled downstairs by Murong Wu; otherwise, he would not have wanted to dine at the same table as Xia Guanxue.

Yao Bilian had already found out about the entanglement between Ying Zhou and Xia Guanxue, including the former's past relationship with the latter's sister. So, during the meal, she pretended to suddenly remember something, slapped her forehead, and asked Ying Zhou, "Speaking of which, did you reply to that letter from before?"

Ying Zhou's hand trembled, but he feigned composure and said, "What letter? I don't know anything about it."

"It's that international letter from Germany, isn't it? Speaking of which, what was the sender's name again? I think it was a girl named 'Lü Mo'," Yao Bilian said with a mischievous expression. "You're quite something, aren't you? You gained a little sweetheart after just one trip abroad, sending you a letter from all over the world."

Xia Guanxue raised her head and looked at Ying Zhou expressionlessly.