Blazing Fire Cooks Oil

After a deep analysis of the pros and cons of the two cultivation methods, Li Mu gave it careful consideration and ultimately chose the Mount Hua Mental Method.

The Hunyuan Skill was indeed excellent, especially after being optimized by the Jade Disc, its power was truly extraordinary. However, the advantages of the Mount Hua Mental Method were even more appealing to Li Mu.

It was not only upright, balanced, and safe, but it also had no upper limit to its cultivation, and most importantly, it was perfect for "hacking."

The modified Mount Hua Mental Method was tailor-made for Li Mu. With the assistance of the Jade Disc, it integrated internal energy cultivation into his daily life, allowing it to circulate automatically whether he was eating or sleeping.

Although passive cultivation was not as fast as active cultivation, it had the advantage of being continuous. The difference might not be obvious in the short term, but over three to five years, the gap would be massive.

As for the issue of insufficient attack power from internal energy, that was not a problem at all. In this day and age, killing enemies across cultivation realms was no longer in fashion; crushing them head-on was the true path to power.

If that really didn't work, he could always make up for it with sword techniques. Since he was a disciple of the Sword Sect, it was perfectly reasonable for his sword skills to be just a little bit stronger.

Just as Li Mu settled on his primary cultivation method and entered a state of secluded, bitter training, the pugilistic world was thrown into an uproar.

Unlike the few stragglers at the start of the Smiling Proud Wanderer, the Mount Hua Sect in its prime was teeming with experts, and its status in the pugilistic world was incomparable to its later state.

Nominally, it was a friendly exchange between disciples of the Five Mountains Alliance, inviting everyone to observe the ceremony, but in reality, who didn't know this was a show of force?

If it were truly a friendly match, they could have just closed their doors and held it themselves; why stir up such a storm in the pugilistic world?

Any seasoned veteran with a bit of sense knew that this assembly would not be peaceful. The various schemes and struggles between major powers, along with the personal grudges and enmities of the pugilistic world, would all play out here.

It was particularly discordant for the older generation of martial artists. Those from small sects had to be especially careful; one moment of carelessness and the reputation they had painstakingly built over decades could become a stepping stone for a rising star.

There was no help for it; fists fear the young and vigorous. When martial artists of the same realm fought, the young and strong clearly had the advantage.

Even more tragic was that if you won such a match, it was expected, and at most, you would receive a "thank you for the guidance, Senior," with no tangible benefits at all.

If you lost, it was a disaster; from then on, you would become just another "newbie dungeon" for the "young heroes" of the pugilistic world to cut their teeth on.

If it were merely a loss in a match, that would be one thing; they were all old veterans who didn't care much for empty fame. The key was the interests behind it.

In this world where the strong prey on the weak, being weak was the original sin. Aside from the glory, the main purpose of making a "name" for oneself in the pugilistic world was to deter the petty and better protect one's own interests.

Mount Song

Inside a pagoda, Abbot Yuancong frowned and said, "Uncle-Master, the Mount Hua Sect is becoming increasingly restless. If we don't strike to warn them soon, I fear that in the martial arts world..."

"Amitabha!"

"Yuancong, you are attached to appearances."

"As the saying goes, one lives in worry and dies in peace. The seemingly prosperous Mount Hua Sect is actually already on the edge of a cliff."

"With the fueling of the flames by various sects, the conflict between the Sword and Qi Factions of Mount Hua has reached a critical point; now, it only lacks a spark."

Yuancong said thoughtfully, "Does Uncle-Master mean that we should find a way to ignite this spark?"

Also on Mount Song, the situation on the side of the Mount Song Sect was completely different. At this time, the Mount Song Sect was not yet the hegemon of the pugilistic world seen at the beginning of the Smiling Proud Wanderer.

Let alone dominating the pugilistic world, even within the Five Mountains Alliance, the strength of the Mount Song Sect was only at a mid-level. It was not only inferior to the Mount Hua Sect but even lagged behind the Mount Tai Sect.

In the council hall of the Mount Song Sect, Zuo Jigao, sitting in the primary seat, asked, "The Mount Hua Sect is going to hold a martial arts assembly; what do you all think?"

A thin, withered old man on the left replied, "Sect Leader, the Mount Hua Sect is looking to establish its prestige once again. They are likely dissatisfied with the current martial arts landscape and want to take a step further."

"This is our opportunity. Only when the pugilistic world is in chaos do we have a chance to act. It would be best if we could get them to clash with Shaolin, resulting in both sides suffering."

Being neighbors with a titan of the martial arts world was definitely not an easy thing. Anyone with a little common sense in the martial arts world knew that any sect that lived next to the Shaolin Temple usually had a short lifespan.

So much so that in the Heluo region, where martial arts were most prosperous, there were few sects with ancient lineages; if one were to say it had nothing to do with Shaolin, no normal person would believe it.

Beside one's pillow, how can one allow others to snore?

It had nothing to do with moral standards; it was mainly about the struggle for interests. The cake was only so big; it was impossible for everyone to be full. If you ate more, others would eat less.

It was precisely because they understood these truths that the Mount Song Sect was cautious and walked on thin ice. To avoid being suppressed, they even went so far as to join the Five Mountains Alliance and become the vanguard against demons.

Zuo Jigao nodded and said, "Hmm! The Mount Hua Sect has developed rapidly over these years. Their visible strength is already on par with Shaolin and Wudang, and with our four sects assisting from the outside, it is not surprising that they want to go further."

"It's just that the current landscape of the pugilistic world is basically stable. The Mount Hua Sect might succeed in further elevating their status, but it will not be easy for them to expand outward."

"Ning Qingyu is no fool; it is unlikely that he would risk universal condemnation at this time to stir up conflict in the pugilistic world."

"There is little hope of getting them to clash with Shaolin. After all, the conflict between Mount Hua and Shaolin has not yet reached the point of life and death."

Regardless, righteous sects still cared about their reputation. Even when interests were involved, most of it was done by stabbing in the back; it was very rare to start a fight openly.

Especially for sects with ancient lineages like Shaolin and Mount Hua, as the established beneficiaries, they paid even more attention to the rules of the pugilistic world. Even if they wanted to cause trouble, they had to have a "justifiable reason."

The pugilistic world was not just about killing; it was also about human relationships and worldly wisdom.

Mount Wudang

"This Mount Hua martial arts assembly will likely not be peaceful. Chongxu, you take some people to go and have a look. As long as it doesn't involve our Wudang, let those bald donkeys from Shaolin worry about it!"

"Yes, Sect Leader."

Daoist Chongxu replied slowly.

Clearly, as fellow titans of the martial arts world, the relationship between Shaolin and Wudang was not as harmonious as it appeared on the surface. From the moment Wudang was founded, the secret rivalry between the two sects had never ceased.

Purity and inaction exist only because there are no conflicts of interest. Once one enters the world of martial arts, strife becomes unavoidable; it is not something that can be changed by individual will.

The rise of the Mount Hua Sect certainly impacted the dominant status of Shaolin and Wudang in the martial arts world, but it was the Shaolin Temple that bore the brunt of it.

This was determined by geography; both being located in the northern martial arts circles, the greater the momentum of the Mount Hua Sect, the more uncomfortable the Shaolin Temple became.

Black Wood Cliff

Looking at the intelligence in his hand, Dugu Qingyun's lips curled into a cold sneer, before his face immediately returned to that deadpan expression, as if nothing had ever happened.