The Revelation

"My physical changes compared to when I was first taken in by Zhang Xianzhong, one of the Eight Great Kings, nearly ten days ago are far too great!"

Jogging back to their residence in the rear courtyard, Li Dingguo grabbed a change of clothes and washing supplies. After hurriedly cleaning himself in the bathhouse, he and Ai Nengqi quickly returned to the main courtyard and examined the changes in their appearance.

Compared with the day he had transmigrated and been reborn here, when he had been nothing but skin and bones, he no longer looked the same.

After nearly ten days of nourishment from Spirit Rice Meals and Vitality and Blood Soup, coupled with his recent breakthrough into a Martial Artist, Li Dingguo's appearance had undergone enormous changes.

Not only were his muscles now full and well-defined, making him look tall and sturdy, but his skin also carried a healthy ruddy sheen.

Compared to when the Rebel Army soldiers under Zhang Xianzhong had first taken him in, he was practically a completely different person.

After becoming a First Layer Body Tempering Realm Martial Artist, not only had his physique improved once again, but he had also achieved a Qi and Blood Limit Break through Marrow Cleansing and Tendon Transformation. His attributes had increased tremendously compared to before.

With every gesture, he felt strength surging through his entire body.

Excitedly, he split off a thread of consciousness and sank it into his mind, looking at the crude panel that had already changed drastically:

Host: Li Dingguo

Age: 10

Physique: 10

Spirit: 4

Skill: Tiger Roar Fist+ (Beginner)

Fortune: 10 (When Fortune Value reaches zero, disaster is inevitable)

Star Destiny: Army Breaker (Not Activated)

Every attribute on the panel, including his Fortune Value, had doubled compared to before he broke through as a Martial Artist.

According to what Zhang Xianzhong had said yesterday, when an ordinary person broke through into the Martial Artist realm, their physique would be enhanced and would generally double.

Li Dingguo's physique and spirit attributes had already been extraordinary. His innate talent far surpassed that of ordinary adults.

Now that he had broken through and become an early First Layer Body Tempering Realm Martial Artist, the reason his various attributes had increased so greatly was mainly because he had received a Qi and Blood Limit Break and undergone Marrow Cleansing and Tendon Transformation.

Sure enough, after becoming a Martial Artist, I am far stronger than before.

That said, even the weakest First Layer Body Tempering Realm Martial Artist has a physique twice that of an ordinary adult. But in terms of spirit attributes and fortune, they should be about the same as ordinary people.

After all, in this world, any random major battle can leave the Rebel Army with countless dead and wounded. That proves First Layer Martial Dao Body Tempering Realm Martial Artists are not considered experts. They merely possess the qualifications to kill enemies on the battlefield.

Only those with extraordinary talent, upon first breaking through as early First Layer Body Tempering Realm Martial Artists, can achieve a Qi and Blood Limit Break and possess a physique as formidable as mine.

Zhang Xianzhong was right. Within the same realm, the gap between Genius Martial Artists and ordinary Martial Artists is simply too vast. They can crush the latter with effortless ease.

Ai Nengqi's innate talent is no worse than mine. His physique attribute should be about the same as mine now.

But in terms of spirit attributes, he definitely cannot compare with me. My advantage in that regard is still considerable.

Once supreme fierce generals-in-the-making like Ai Nengqi grew up, they would surely become Peerless Prodigies of their generation.

He was already no worse than Ai Nengqi, and his potential was even greater. He was quite satisfied with that.

Moreover, he had not even used his Cheat System to cheat yet.

What would constrain the explosive growth of his cultivation in the future would depend on how much Fortune Value he possessed.

Of course, potential was one thing; in terms of combat power, everything was closely tied to a Martial Artist's cultivation realm.

Especially according to what Zhang Xianzhong had said yesterday, Qi Refining Realm Martial Artists possessed crushing superiority over Body Tempering Realm Martial Artists.

The gap between the two was simply too vast. Challenging opponents above one's realm was fundamentally impossible.

If Li Dingguo wanted to possess a certain degree of self-preservation in these troubled times, he had to become at least a Fourth Layer Martial Dao Qi Refining Realm expert.

Otherwise, though he was extraordinarily gifted and even had the Cheat System to cheat with, he could at most remain invincible among those of the same realm.

Even now that he had become an early First Layer Body Tempering Realm Martial Artist, he was still nothing more than a small fry. He still had to keep lying low.

Li Dingguo and Ai Nengqi walked briskly, soon returning to the main courtyard and quickly arriving beside Zhang Xianzhong.

"You two, sit down where you are first."

Seeing Li Dingguo and Ai Nengqi return, Zhang Xianzhong nodded at them, then waved a hand for them to sit before him.

Once the two sat cross-legged on the ground and looked at him with curious expressions, Zhang Xianzhong sat facing them as well and solemnly said, "Now that you have become First Layer Body Tempering Realm Martial Artists, you can be considered to have stepped through the gate of martial cultivation. It is time to explain some basic matters about Martial Artists to you."

"In this world, not only is there an enormous gap in innate talent among different Martial Artists, but the grades of the cultivation methods they chiefly practice also differ greatly."

"From what I know, cultivation methods can roughly be divided into four categories: formulas, arts, scriptures, and True Scriptures."

"Among them, formula-type cultivation methods are the lowest grade, while True Scripture cultivation methods are the strongest."

"Of course, that is only what I know. This mysterious world is far too vast. Whether even stronger cultivation methods exist, no living Martial Artist knows."

"Of these four categories, formulas, arts, and scriptures can be recorded and passed down through written books."

"But True Scripture cultivation methods are completely different."

"These Divine Techniques and Marvelous Methods cannot be described through words or illustrations. They take the form of various attribute-based heaven-and-earth runes containing the corresponding cultivation method's contents!"

"Under normal circumstances, True Scripture cultivation methods can only be passed down when a Qi Refining Realm Martial Artist uses Divine Soul Power to condense cultivation runes within the Spirit Sea, then pours them into another Martial Artist's Spirit Sea."

"How far a Martial Artist who receives a True Scripture cultivation method inheritance can cultivate the inherited method depends on their own talent or fortune."

"Every True Scripture cultivation method is an unparalleled divine art. Of course, even among unparalleled divine arts, there are differences in rank."

"The highest-grade True Scripture cultivation methods are unfathomable and mysterious, virtually without limits, beyond all imagination!"

"Even the lowest-grade True Scripture cultivation method can be cultivated all the way to the great completion of the Nine Martial Dao Realms."

"After receiving the inheritance of such top-tier divine arts, a Martial Artist must rely on himself to visualize the cultivation runes in his Spirit Sea, comprehend them on his own, and cultivate them himself. It is exceedingly wondrous!"

"As the old saying goes, a master leads one through the gate, but cultivation depends on the individual. That is what it means."

"Only monstrous Genius Martial Artists can cultivate any True Scripture cultivation method. Even ordinary genius Martial Artists, should they be fortunate enough to obtain one, can only stare at it. They simply cannot comprehend it or begin cultivating it."

"Alas!"

At this point, Zhang Xianzhong sighed. "Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, there has not been any news of Martial Artists above the third realm appearing in the world for several hundred years."

"Among the known great experts still alive, the strongest are said to have only reached the peak of the Fifth Layer of Martial Dao."

"Among the rumors I know of, only three have reached that realm: Baturu Ao Bai of the Later Jin, Guerrilla General Cao Bianjiao, the fierce general of the Great Ming border army, and Lu Xiangcheng, the prefect of Daming Prefecture."

"Once you become Fourth Layer Martial Dao Qi Refining Realm experts in the future, you will understand just how difficult Qi Refining Realm Martial Artist cultivation truly is!"

"Even breaking through a minor realm is extraordinarily difficult."

"Take me, for example. I broke through to the early Fourth Layer of Martial Dao three years ago, yet even now, I remain at the early Fourth Layer."

"Compared to three years ago, I have made considerable progress in martial skills, but my cultivation has remained rooted to the spot."

"Within the Qi Refining Realm, to say nothing of the gap between each major realm, it exceeds ordinary people's imagination."

"Other than legendary Peerless Prodigies capable of challenging above their realm, such as Cao Bianjiao and Lu Xiangcheng, other cultivators can be easily defeated by a mid-Fourth Layer Martial Dao Martial Artist even if they are merely an early Fourth Layer Martial Dao Martial Artist within the same major realm."

"The higher one's cultivation, the more difficult it becomes to improve it."

"Some great experts of the Fifth Layer of Martial Dao speculate that this is because the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has been gradually declining over the past several hundred years, while high-grade Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, spiritual herbs, and spiritual roots have become increasingly scarce."

"Alas!"

There was no small amount of regret in his words, and he could not help sighing again.

Li Dingguo and Ai Nengqi, hearing these secrets for the first time, were greatly shocked. They looked at each other, speechless.