Grand Discussion

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room fell silent.

Because their level was too low, their purpose in coming to the Martial Arts Hall this time was merely to get some simple "Body Tempering knowledge," such as which exercises could better help with qi and strength, or which medicinal herbs could enhance physical resilience. They had never considered what to do after reaching Body Tempering Peak, or where to seek even greater power.

Xu Yi's question, laid bare at this moment, struck them like a solemn bell.

As martial artists, who didn't desire progress? Within the Body Tempering Stage, everyone knew that tempering the body was the source of strength.

But what if the Body Tempering Stage reached its end?

Silence descended upon the hall, all eyes fixed on Master Zhou.

Master Zhou finally shed his dejected demeanor and stood steadily on the stage. The wind blowing through the hall billowed his tattered robes, adding a touch of solemnity.

"I roughly understand your question. You're worried that after the Body Tempering Stage ends, you won't be able to gain stronger power by tempering your body, right? If you have such worries, there's no need! I can responsibly tell you that throughout the Transcendent Realm, body tempering has no end. It's just that the methods of body tempering differ. As everyone knows, the four realms of Transcendent are: Body Tempering, Qi Sea, Liquid Condensation, and Soul Sensing. The reason for defining these four realms this way is to indicate the drastic changes that occur in a martial artist's body upon reaching these stages."

"Upon reaching Body Tempering Peak, the skin is like cowhide, the bones are like hard iron, and strength is comparable to an ox's – utterly formidable! After breaking through the Body Tempering Stage, one enters the Qi Sea Realm. As the name suggests, the dantian transforms into a sea, beginning to store true qi. At that point, one can manipulate objects with their mind, injure others from a distance, with endless marvelous uses. Within this stage, there is also a process of body tempering, but it's not the skin and bones that are trained, but the bone marrow and blood. One must train until the marrow is like frost and the blood is like thick soup to be considered accomplished."

"As for the Liquid Condensation Realm and Soul Sensing Stage, I'm not entirely clear because I haven't personally reached those stages. However, that doesn't prevent me from making educated guesses based on the names. The Liquid Condensation Realm likely involves the liquefaction of true qi into true essence, and the body tempering at this stage focuses on the internal organs. The Soul Sensing Stage, I suspect, is when the body reaches its limit and begins to achieve resonance with the heavens and earth. The saying 'one can move the soul and spirit with sincerity' likely refers to this..."

Master Zhou's explanation was detailed and rigorous. Although speculative, it was logical and well-founded. The half-incense stick's worth of explanation passed in an instant. To Xu Yi, it was like the Buddha's profound teachings, his tongue blooming lotuses, golden lotuses springing from the earth, and a colossal mountain that had stood before him for a long time suddenly crumbled.

After Master Zhou finished speaking, the hall remained silent for a long time.

"What's with that expression? Do you think I said something wrong?"

Master Zhou asked, bewildered, looking at the stunned faces in the hall.

"You, you're actually in the Qi Sea Realm!"

A chubby man with a round face blurted out, voicing everyone's astonishment.

If Master Zhou's explanation in the first half had been masterful, captivating everyone's attention, then after he said, "As for the Liquid Condensation Realm and Soul Sensing Stage, I'm not entirely clear because I haven't personally reached those stages," it was like a thunderclap striking the entire hall.

Who could have imagined that this frail old man was actually in the legendary Qi Sea Realm? The entire audience was in the early Body Tempering Stage, with even Body Tempering Peak being an unattainable goal. Suddenly encountering a hall-level instructor like a Qi Sea Realm expert, who could be depicted in a mural at the Martial Arts Hall, was too much to bear.

It was incredibly difficult not to be shocked.

Fortunately, Xu Yi's realm was already high, and he had fought against Zhou Shirong, who was in the Qi Sea Realm. He was mentally prepared for Master Zhou's capabilities and was not shocked by his realm. He was the only one in the hall who truly absorbed every word Master Zhou spoke.

"Nonsense, what's so great about the Qi Sea Realm!"

Master Zhou said irritably, "Even if you reach Soul Sensing, if you haven't broken through Transcendent, you're still mortal. What's so remarkable about the mere Qi Sea Realm? If you all lack the spirit to break through to the Qi Sea, then there's no point in coming to the Martial Arts Hall!"

Despite his impassioned words, Master Zhou felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. He was in the Qi Sea Realm, but that was in the past. Twenty years ago, his dantian was shattered by a palm strike, his martial foundation was broken, and his martial arts were crippled. He barely managed to get by for twenty years by relying on his knowledge and becoming an introductory instructor at the Martial Arts Hall.

Now, to have his past realm brought up again, it would be self-deception to say he didn't yearn for it or regret it.

As everyone remained silent, Xu Yi stood up again and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master! I have another question for you. In martial combat, do strength and speed hold absolute dominance, with martial skills being mere embellishments? Should we martial artists focus solely on training strength and speed? Furthermore, I heard you say that reaching Body Tempering Peak grants strength comparable to an ox. Yet, I've heard that some experts at Body Tempering Peak can unleash three oxen's worth of power in a single strike. What is the explanation for this? Could this be the marvel of martial skills?"

Xu Yi's question stemmed from his battle with Elder Feng. When Elder Feng used the Nirvana Divine Fist, he unleashed three oxen's worth of power, leaving Xu Yi perplexed.

His own Body Tempering Peak cultivation was achieved solely through the Demonic Ox Great Strength Fist, whose essence lay in tempering the body rather than attacking.

Therefore, Xu Yi, despite reaching Body Tempering Peak, knew no martial skills. When fighting against Elder Feng, who was of the same level, he relied only on his superior strength and speed.

Elder Feng was indeed defeated by his strength and speed, leading Xu Yi to almost believe that martial skills were insignificant. However, during his recovery from his injuries these past few days, he had carefully recalled his fight with Elder Feng.

Especially that silent strike of the Nirvana Divine Fist from Elder Feng. Xu Yi thought carefully; if he hadn't happened to be covered in Heavy Iron, that punch would have been the end of him, and he wouldn't be here today.

No matter how he calculated it, the Nirvana Divine Fist had to be classified as a martial skill. So, was his previous belief—that speed and strength alone could conquer all—mistaken?

"Study diligently, discern clearly, and ponder thoughtfully. You are a good seedling!"

Master Zhou glanced at Xu Yi, grabbed his wine gourd, and took a long drink. "Your question needs to be understood from two perspectives. The first perspective is that in martial combat, strength and speed are indeed the keys to everything. Or rather, in the face of absolute strength, all tricks are meaningless!"

"The second perspective is that the importance of martial skills is no less than that of strength and speed. The reason is simple: absolute strength is often difficult to achieve. In other words, unless you are facing an enemy who is a whole major realm above you, in such a situation, martial skills would hardly compensate for the gap in strength. However, speaking of which, as you are all in the Body Tempering Stage, who among you intends to compete with experts in the Qi Sea Realm or even the Liquid Condensation Realm?"

"Therefore, in my opinion, absolute strength is, in a sense, a false proposition. The importance of martial skills cannot be overstated. Otherwise, why would there be such a diverse array of highly developed combat techniques and cultivation methods in the world! You could say that martial skills are not separate from strength and speed; martial skills are precisely the fusion and perfect combination of strength and speed!"