Tempering True Gang

A storm was brewing in the courtyard.

Liang Qu felt a strong wind rushing towards his face, the air was like boiling water, and the white air currents rose violently, turning into a huge vortex that swirled down from the eye of the cloud, with a long sword more than ten feet long that spanned the entire courtyard!

Shadows flowed and covered, an invisible sense of oppression permeated every corner.

Black Fang remained as steady as a mountain in the doghouse, while the puppies around him, who had only recently opened their eyes, stood with their tails held straight up, howling and scrambling out from all directions in a panic, stumbling and falling as they crawled back to their kennels, curling up into fluffy little balls of coal.

Liang Qu then realized that spring had passed and Black Fang had given birth to many puppies again this year.

His gaze returned to the present.

The long sword remained solid and did not disperse, exuding an imposing aura, while dust flew up from the ground.

"Is this Master's true energy?"

"Indeed, the Great Smiting Demon Subduing Saber! It was passed down by General Wen Zhu and is also my spear!"

Even a person no taller than ten feet, with refined cultivation, can unleash Gang Wind several dozen feet long. However, by harnessing true qi and Connecting to the Sky, it can reach over a hundred feet!

Liang Qu stared at the "forty-meter-long broadsword," his heart surging with emotion. His own Taiqing Dragon and White Ape were only ten feet tall; how could they be so exaggerated? He immediately understood the meaning of his Master's words that the True Qi was the spear of the other.

Large things have their advantages, and small things have their benefits; plants, birds, beasts, and fish all develop in the direction of their advantages.

The same applies to the wise.

People naturally envy the innately powerful physique of Demon Beast beasts. So what if they envy them? They can simply take it and imitate it!

A ten-meter-thick neck, chopped off with a forty-meter-long blade! This is achieved through a combination of Cultivation Method, martial arts, and wisdom! It sounds quite unfair, but the world was never designed to maintain balance.

Tigers are large and fierce, but so are the wise! Truly a bankrupt version of the Law, Heaven, Image, Earth!

With this spear, how could one not crush a man like the one on the Galloping Horse who was "unarmed"?

To ordinary people, a hundred-foot-long torrent of water that can destroy mountains and split rocks is nothing short of a miracle!

"No wonder the Sturgeon Fish Demon longed for human form."

The only time Liang Qu saw Yang Dongxiong take action was when he dealt with the Sturgeon Fish Demon. He never witnessed Yang Dongxiong's subsequent actions against the Ghost Mother Sect.

In the vast "pond," a few slashes sent the blades flying nearly a hundred feet wide, as dense as a woven net, cutting without slicing, forcing most of the water out of the pond and compelling the Sturgeon Fish Demon to change its form and Shang An to fight.

Unfortunately, I didn't practice enough; I'm completely unskilled in both areas.

In the courtyard, Yang Dongxiong reached out and grabbed the long sword that stretched for over ten feet, which fell into his hand and transformed into a normal-sized long sword, its entire body white, like mutton fat jade.

Liang Qu stared at the long sword, sensing the imminent sharpness of its blade, and then looked away.

Prolonged staring can be mentally taxing.

"Previously, you were the fourth-ranked general, and the training of Hu Qizi was sufficient for you. But now, that's not the case. I'm afraid that young man, Zishuai, is no match for you."

Liang Qu didn't refute, he just smiled.

"Therefore, I have brought you to the courtyard today so that you may feel the true essence of the Qi and understand the key points, so that you can further refine and nurture it."

As he spoke, Yang Dongxiong stepped through the round gate and arrived at the pond.

The bitterlings dart about in the pond, their scales shimmering with Colored Scale.

With a gentle slash of the Mid White, he brushed past the fleeing bitterling, instantly lifting a small, white-bellied fish to the surface of the water.

Liang Qu squatted down and scooped up the small fish.

There was not a single wound on its body, but its gill covers no longer opened or closed, and it could not breathe. When held in my hand, it showed no signs of life.

"Dead?"

Yang Dongxiong nodded. "He's dead."

Liang Qu's eyes flashed, and he immediately tried to figure out the cause of death.

Terrifying!

In the Hunting Tiger Realm, Blood Qi surge like a tide, and one's strength is unleashed. Ordinary people are filled with fear at the sight of such a creature, just as a weak rabbit encountering a fierce tiger would shatter their liver and gallbladder.

With my liver and gallbladder shattered, how could I possibly survive? This isn't just a figure of speech; it's an objective description! Good heavens.

The Wolf Smoke can kill ordinary people with a flick of the finger; the Hunting Tiger goes a step further, needing no flick of the finger, but killing with a single glare of will!

Liang Qu threw in the lifeless little fish and watched it float on the surface, where it was chased and eaten by other Big Fish. It wasn't a waste.

"Understood?"

"Understood."

Yang Dongxiong asked, "Then have you figured out why condensing true qi comes from martial arts, rather than from Cultivation Method?"

Liang Qu frowned slightly.

He wasn't intellectually lazy; he hadn't thought about this phenomenon.

The condensation of true qi does not rely on Cultivation Method, but rather on martial arts, which is indeed contrary to common sense and cognition.

Logically, such a profound ability to affect Martial Artist's state should be tied to their Cultivation Method.

Thinking back to Master Yang's fish-killing methods...

"True Qi condenses and manifests in the Wolf Smoke Realm. The significant difference between the Wolf Smoke Realm and the Galloping Horse Realm is that in the Meridian Condensation and Bridge Building and the establishment of bridges are influenced by spiritual will."

The disciple speculated that the condensation of true qi might be influenced by the strength of one's will. The key to connecting and interacting with heaven and earth requires the guidance of will.

The Cultivation Method... is too peaceful? It doesn't achieve the desired effect of materialization? In contrast, martial arts require a heart capable of killing and destruction, and an even stronger will?

"You have talent!" Yang Dongxiong praised. "Although there are some differences, they are roughly the same. The biggest difference between Cultivation Method and martial arts is that one focuses on harmony, while the other focuses on offense! One is the Way, and the other is a technique! Let me ask you again, what is the Way? Why do people cultivate the Way?"

"What is the Dao? This disciple dares not answer. Why cultivate the Dao? This disciple privately believes it is to fulfill one's own will."

What does this mean?

Liang Qu spoke slowly, thinking as he spoke.

"I lost my parents when I was young. I was not good at fishing and had no ability to survive. Fortunately, my neighbors gave me alms and helped me, which saved my life."

After that, he encountered Treasure Fish, but did not want to rely on it to get married and live an ordinary life. So he paid money to enter Martial Arts School to learn martial arts, hoping to gain some skills so that he could get ahead, break free from the shackles of a small awning boat, and no longer rely on the weather for food or go hungry at any time.

Most of the fishermen in Yi Xing Town actually share the same ideas as the disciples, but they lack money and food, and opportunities to realize their own ideas. They can only get married and have children, busy and tired, and live a life of hardship.

The disciple thought to himself, "Only by entering the Dao, cultivating the Dao, and attaining the Dao can I eat meat whenever I want, and eat meat that has been stored for three hundred years whenever I want. Today, I wish to climb a mountain to see the snow, and sit alone for several days listening to the snow without any problem."

"Well understood!" Yang Dongxiong continued, "What is the Dao, and why seek the Dao? There is no definitive answer. Whether it is breaking free from constraints or pursuing freedom, it is all well and good."

As you said, to live as long as you want and eat whatever you want—this is the essence of seeking the Tao! This is true freedom and transcendence! You, who cultivate the * Myriad Victory Embracing Oneness *, should be most clear about its principles.

"To live a peaceful, comfortable, and long life."

"Therefore, all Cultivation Method for seeking the Dao emphasize stability and balance. Even if there are exceptions, they are all unorthodox and unorthodox methods, which are extremely easy to Qi Deviation possessed by demons."

With such a peaceful State of Mind, how can one communicate with heaven and earth with a tenacious will and unleash the power of true energy?

To unleash its power, only technique will suffice! The technique of protecting the path and taking lives!

Liang Qu bowed respectfully.

"Disciple understands."

The principle remains unchanged.

The fighting and killing is a process, not the result.

No one is born a martial arts fanatic; the purpose of cultivation is simply to become stronger than others and defeat them.

True Qi belongs to the art, born to protect the Dao, and is not compatible with the pursuit of Cultivation Method, but rather corresponds to the process of pursuing martial arts.

Although the path to success often involves competition with others, and the principles and techniques are almost inseparable, they are ultimately different upon closer examination.

"Now that we've come this far, do you understand how to hone the True Qi Technique?"

Yang Dongxiong went through such a long and complicated process, using principles, techniques, and willpower, all to point out the key to success.

Liang Qu pondered for a moment, "Life-or-death struggle, tempering of will?"

"Indeed! The frontier is a place where heroes and strongmen abound in Chaotic World. The key lies in this: on the battlefield, a single sword or spear strike could mean the loss of one's life tomorrow, so progress is naturally swift!"

Liang Qu understood.

However, when it came to tempering his will, he suddenly thought of the Flood Dragon's Malice beneath the water...

"Show me your two great true qi."

"Yes."