The Martial Intent of All Realms

The Realm Stages of Intent Martial Arts

The reason Zhang Sanxian believed the Cultivation system of this world would be better called the martial art of showing off—

was because he had thoroughly grasped the essence of this system: it was all about showing off.

The bigger the act one put on, the stronger a martial artist's combat power would be when facing an enemy.

Of course, put in more serious and proper terms—

when an individual martial artist of this world displayed a "bearing" that highly aligned with their own "artistic conception," and that could powerfully influence both others' perceptions and their own convictions, then heaven-and-earth origin qi, primal energy, the power of laws—whatever it was, it could not possibly arise from nothing; there had to be something—would gather upon that individual.

This would then temporarily, or even permanently, enhance their strength, speed, defense, perception, and the power of every technique built upon all those things.

This was not mere psychological suggestion, but genuine energy absorption and conversion.

And according to Xia Zhiwan, something like the Nurture Intent and Store Force Method

was much like practicing a horse stance: an extremely widespread practice with little room for fancy variations.

Thus, though every sect and school in the martial world had its own methods for cultivating intent and bearing, they were largely alike.

How far one could ultimately progress still depended on one's own aptitude, experiences, and effort.

Apart from this method, everything else belonged to the category of external skills and was not fundamental.

But this did not mean the various skills were to be dismissed entirely.

On the contrary, if one possessed only profound realms of intent and bearing along with high cultivation, but lacked superb skills to rely upon, one would still be pitifully weak and crumble