After thoroughly analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the two techniques, Li Mu gave the matter a long, hard think and ultimately chose the Mount Hua Mental Method.
The Hunyuan Skill was indeed quite good, especially after the Jade Disc had optimized it; its power was truly extraordinary. But the advantages of the Mount Hua Mental Method moved Li Mu even more.
It was not only balanced and safe, but also had no limit to its cultivation. Most importantly, it was perfect for someone with cheats.
The modified Mount Hua Mental Method was practically tailor-made for Li Mu. With the Jade Disc's assistance, it folded internal-energy cultivation into his daily life, allowing it to circulate automatically even while he ate or slept.
Passive cultivation was slower than active cultivation, but the beauty of it was that it could continue nonstop. The difference might not be obvious in the short term, but after three or five years of steady practice, it would be enormous.
As for its lack of offensive power, that was no problem at all. These days, killing enemies across realms was out of fashion. Crushing them head-on was the way to go.
If all else failed, he could make up for it with swordsmanship. After all, he was a disciple of the Sword Sect; it was perfectly reasonable for his sword skills to be just a tiny bit more powerful.
Just as Li Mu settled on his primary cultivation technique and entered a state of seclusion, never stepping beyond his doors, the entire martial world erupted into an uproar.
Unlike the handful of cats and dogs at the start of Smiling Proud Wanderer, the Mount Hua Sect at the height of its power was packed with experts. Its standing in the martial world was on an entirely different level.
Officially, this was a friendly sparring match between disciples of the Five Mountains Alliance, and everyone had been invited to watch. In truth, who didn't know they were making a show of their strength?
If they really wanted a friendly match, they could have held it behind closed doors. Why stir up such a storm throughout the martial world?
Any seasoned veteran with a bit of sense knew this gathering would be anything but peaceful. The struggles between powerful factions, the grudges and feuds among martial artists—all of it would play out here.
The gathering was especially ill-suited to older martial artists. Those from small, obscure households had to be particularly careful: one careless mistake, and the reputation they had spent decades building could become a stepping-stone for some rising star to make a name for himself.
There was no helping it. Fists feared the young. When martial artists of the same realm fought, the young and strong clearly had the advantage.
Even worse, winning a match was only to be expected. At most, they would earn a "Thank you for your guidance, Senior," and not a copper coin's worth of benefit.
Losing was a disaster. From then on, they would become another opponent in the beginner's trial that every "young hero" had to face when first entering the martial world.
And it wasn't as if merely losing a match mattered. They were all seasoned veterans; they wouldn't care much about a little empty fame. The real issue was what lay behind it: the interests at stake.
In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, weakness was a crime. Making a name for oneself in the martial world was about more than glory; above all, it was a way to intimidate petty scoundrels and better protect one's own interests.
Mount Song
Inside a pagoda, Abbot Yuancong furrowed his brow and said, "Martial Uncle, the Mount Hua Sect is growing more and more restless. If we don't step in and put them in their place, I fear the martial world will soon..."
"Amitabha!"
"Yuancong, you're too attached to appearances."
"As the saying goes, one is born in trouble and dies in comfort. The Mount Hua Sect may seem to be at the height of its power, but in truth it stands on the edge of a cliff.
"With every faction fanning the flames, the conflict between the Mount Hua Sword and Qi Factions has reached a tipping point. Now all it needs is a single spark."
Yuancong seemed to understand. "Martial Uncle, do you mean we should find a way to light that spark?"
Also on Mount Song, things were entirely different over at the Mount Song Sect. The sect was not yet the tyrant of the martial world it would be at the beginning of Smiling Proud Wanderer.
Forget dominating the martial world; even within the Five Mountains Alliance, the Mount Song Sect was only middle-ranked. It could not match the Mount Hua Sect, and even the Mount Tai Sect was a little stronger.
In the Mount Song Sect's council hall, Zuo Jigao sat in the seat of honor and asked, "The Mount Hua Sect is holding a martial arts gathering. What do you think?"
A gaunt old man seated to his left answered, "Senior Brother, the Sect Leader, the Mount Hua Sect is making another show of its strength. They're clearly dissatisfied with the current order of the martial world and want to climb even higher.
"This is our chance. Only when the martial world is in chaos will we have room to act. Ideally, we can set them against Shaolin and make both sides suffer."
Having the leading orthodox sect as a neighbor was no easy matter. Anyone with even a little knowledge of the martial world knew that sects bordering Shaolin Temple usually had very short histories.
Even in Heluo, where the martial spirit ran strongest, there were few ancient martial sects. No sensible person would believe Shaolin had nothing to do with that.
How could anyone tolerate another man snoring beside their bed?
It had nothing to do with morality. It was all about competing interests. There was only so much pie to go around; not everyone could eat their fill. If you took a bigger share, others got less.
Understanding this, the Mount Song Sect trod cautiously, as if walking on thin ice. To avoid being suppressed, they had even joined the Five Mountains Alliance and become the vanguard against demonic forces.
Zuo Jigao nodded. "Mm! The Mount Hua Sect has grown rapidly over the years. On the surface, its strength is now nearly on par with Shaolin and Wudang, and it has our four sects backing it besides. It's hardly surprising that they want to climb higher.
"But the order of the martial world is basically stable now. The Mount Hua Sect might succeed in raising its standing, but expanding outward won't be easy.
"Ning Qingyu isn't a fool. He's unlikely to defy the whole world and provoke a martial conflict at a time like this.
"I doubt there's much hope of setting them against Shaolin. After all, the conflict between Mount Hua and Shaolin hasn't reached the point of a fight to the death."
Whatever else they might be, the orthodox sects cared about their reputations. Even when interests clashed, they usually resorted to backstabbing. Open warfare was rare.
This was especially true of ancient sects like Shaolin and Mount Hua. As established powers, they cared even more about the rules of the martial world. If they wanted to stir up trouble, they needed a "just cause."
The martial world wasn't just about fighting and killing. It was about human relationships and worldly wisdom.
Mount Wudang
"This Mount Hua gathering won't be peaceful. Chongxu, take some men there. As long as Wudang isn't involved, let those bald donkeys from Shaolin worry about it!"
"Yes, Sect Leader."
Daoist Chongxu replied slowly.
Clearly, even as fellow pillars of the martial world, Shaolin and Wudang were not as harmonious as they appeared. Ever since Wudang was founded, the two sects had never stopped competing behind the scenes.
They maintained their detachment only because their interests didn't conflict. Once you entered the martial world, disputes were inevitable; no one's personal wishes could change that.
The rise of the Mount Hua Sect had indeed threatened Shaolin and Wudang's exclusive standing in the martial world, but Shaolin Temple was the one bearing the brunt.
That was a matter of geography. Both were part of the northern martial world, so the greater Mount Hua's influence grew, the more uncomfortable Shaolin Temple became.
Black Wood Cliff
Looking at the intelligence in his hands, Dugu Qingyun let out a cold sneer. Then his face went blank again, as though nothing had happened.
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