Dragon Tower

After calming down, Jiang Feng began to think: Why had his meridians been naturally clear and unobstructed?

Though the Golden Body of the Wisdom King was domineering, it did not possess the miraculous effect of clearing meridians. Although the cultivation method did not state it explicitly, the records mentioned that after Emperor Longxiang had cultivated the Golden Body of the Wisdom King and opened up his Dantian Qi Energy, he had still cleared the Eight Extraordinary Meridians step by step to form a circuit of circulation. He had not ascended to the heavens in a single step and become a peak Yellow Martial Realm martial artist.

In other words, cultivating the Golden Body of the Wisdom King had not cleared his Eight Extraordinary Meridians. The fact that his meridians were clear and unobstructed was very likely innate, or it might have been influenced by the Sutra of Observing Heaven and Eternal Treasures.

Though the records did mention a type of Natural Spirit Body whose meridians were naturally clear and unobstructed, such a Natural Spirit Body existed only in rumors and myths, even more mythical than cultivating the Golden Body of the Wisdom King. Jiang Feng did not think his fate was that good, that he had just happened to reincarnate into a Natural Spirit Body.

Therefore, he judged that the reason his meridians were clear and unobstructed was that he had cultivated the Sutra of Observing Heaven and Eternal Treasures since childhood.

In truth, Jiang Feng's thoughts were not wrong. He had cultivated the Sutra of Observing Heaven and Eternal Treasures since he was young, and the strength of his soul was different from ordinary people's. With his physical body affected by this, it was not strange that his meridians had stretched open and cleared on their own.

"This Sutra of Observing Heaven and Eternal Treasures really is a strange mental art. Looks like I'll have to cultivate it even harder from now on."

Jiang Feng's success in cultivating the Sutra of Observing Heaven and Eternal Treasures did not mean he no longer needed to continue cultivating it. Strictly speaking, right now he had merely grasped the method for cultivating the Sutra of Observing Heaven and Eternal Treasures and had only just stepped through the door.

"In the future, I'll continue to intensify my cultivation of the Sutra of Observing Heaven and Eternal Treasures and keep strengthening my soul!"

Jiang Feng had already determined the path he would walk in the future.

Cultivation of a martial artist's physical body was simply too easy for him. What he truly had to do was cultivate his soul! This was a cultivation path without any guidance from the experience of predecessors. It was destined to be difficult, full of thorns.

After calming his heart, what Jiang Feng currently had to do was consolidate his foundation and store enough Dantian Qi Energy inside his body through breathing exercises. Once it was sufficient, he would be able to try breaking through to the next realm—the Black Martial Realm.

Entering the Black Martial Realm from the peak of the Yellow Martial Realm was actually not difficult at all. As long as one had enough Dantian Qi Energy to temper the physical body, that would suffice. For Jiang Feng, it was the same.

The first level of Jiang Feng's Golden Body of the Wisdom King was, in truth, a foundation—a physical foundation laid down with Sun and Moon Power. The second level of the Golden Body of the Wisdom King, like ordinary Black Martial Realm methods for tempering the physical body, was also achieved by using Dantian Qi Energy to temper the body. The difference was that the Golden Body of the Wisdom King possessed greater strength and stronger defensive ability!

For an ordinary martial artist, when their cultivation reached the peak of the Black Martial Realm and their physical body was tempered to the extreme, their strength could reach one hundred thousand jin.

Of course, because methods for cultivating the physical body differed, this strength naturally varied in degree. A method like Jiang Feng's father Jiang Yunhai's Overlord Body Refining, when cultivated to the ninth level of the Black Martial Realm, could reach a strength of one hundred fifty thousand jin. There were also even more powerful ones that could reach two hundred thousand jin.

However, these physical-body methods all had defects to a greater or lesser degree. For example, Jiang Yunhai's Overlord Body Refining method, though it granted the tremendous strength of one hundred fifty thousand jin after reaching perfection, left speed and defense much weaker compared to ordinary martial artists.

In other words, most ordinary body-refining methods on the market had both advantages and disadvantages. The three great elements of the physical body—strength, defense, and speed—could not all be covered perfectly.

However, the Golden Body of the Wisdom King was different. Once the second level of the Golden Body of the Wisdom King was cultivated successfully, one's strength could reach a full three hundred thousand jin, while one's physical defense and speed would also be extremely formidable. It was simply heaven-defying. But what was even more outrageous was that once the golden-body bloodline was stimulated, it could erupt fivefold for a short time, possessing a terrifying strength of one million five hundred thousand jin.

One million five hundred thousand jin—what kind of concept was that?

Even when facing an Earth Martial Realm expert, one could still put up a fight!

Of course, it would only be putting up a fight! The gap between the Earth Martial Realm and the Black Martial Realm was absolutely not limited to a gap in strength alone. It seemed to be only one realm apart, but in reality, the difference was like heaven and earth. This point would be set aside for now and mentioned later.

The second level of the Golden Body of the Wisdom King was this perverse, so the difficulty of cultivating it was destined to be extremely high!

According to the records, back then Emperor Longxiang had almost failed to cultivate the second level of the Golden Body of the Wisdom King within his lifetime. He had remained in the Black Martial Realm for a full seventy years! In other words, he had spent seventy years before finally cultivating the second level of the Golden Body of the Wisdom King successfully.

A martial artist in the Black Martial Realm had a lifespan of no more than a hundred years. Emperor Longxiang had only cultivated the first level of the golden body at the age of thirty and stepped through the gate of martial artists, then used another seventy years to cultivate the second level. Including the time he spent in the Yellow Martial Realm in between, managing to cultivate the second level of the golden body before dying peacefully of old age was already a stroke of great fortune. If he had failed at that time, the current pattern of this continent would probably have been an entirely different scene.

Jiang Feng discovered that breathing exercises were truly far too simple for him. In merely four hours, the qi energy in his body had already become abundant. This speed was truly so fast it defied imagination.

After ordinary Yellow Martial Realm martial artists grasped a cultivation mental art, the speed of their breathing exercises would never be as fast as his. Jiang Feng believed that with the strength of his soul, after grasping a fairly good mental art, the speed of his breathing exercises would become even faster.

However, for the moment, he could not obtain a better mental art and could only wait for future opportunities. Fortunately, even without the aid of a mental art, the speed of his breathing exercises was not slow.

Once he had enough qi energy, Jiang Feng advanced toward the Black Martial Realm with full confidence. His vision was no longer limited to making a startling debut at tomorrow's Zhushan Arena Tournament, but to possessing a stronger ability to protect himself.

Because he believed that once he made a startling debut at the Zhushan Arena Tournament, aside from attracting the attention of many, many people, he would also draw some unnecessary trouble.

At that time, when facing stronger opponents, if he did not even have the ability to protect himself, then even if he possessed heaven-defying aptitude, once he died, all things would be empty!

He had to seize the time to familiarize himself with the use of qi energy!

Qi energy was the root of a martial artist's power. If one could not control qi energy as one wished, then one was like a boor who possessed brute strength but could not apply it. A true expert was absolutely able to release and withdraw their qi energy freely, as their heart desired.

Jiang Feng's strength had now increased explosively, and his power had leapt a thousand li in a single bound. All the more reason he needed to become familiar with controlling qi energy.

Fortunately, for him, who possessed an extremely powerful soul, these things were not difficult at all. They were just as easy as stretching out a hand and picking them up!

At noon the next day, at Town Central Square, crowds surged.

Today was the liveliest day of the year in the town. Almost all of the town's residents would gather here. Not only that, all the prominent figures from every circle in the town would also attend.

At the very center of the square, a huge arena had been erected. Directly north of the arena was a high platform that overlooked it. Those seated upon it were all prominent figures of the town, naturally including the town chief, Nie Hu, and the guard captain, Wei Changqing.

Nie Hu's face was full of authority, and he wore the robes of the town chief.

Wei Changqing wore black armor that revealed only his face. His legs were spread apart as he sat with a grand, imposing bearing.

Between the two of them sat a middle-aged man who seemed ordinary in appearance, yet whose aura was restrained and gathered inward. His status was special: he was the Dragon Tower Master within Zhushan Town.

The Dragon Tower was a special organization established by Emperor Longxiang to consolidate imperial rule. It directly belonged to and was managed by the Imperial Family, handled affairs for the Imperial Family, and was not under the jurisdiction of any dynasty, king, or vassal lord.

The function of the Dragon Tower was to ensure that imperial laws were carried out normally within the territories of the various dynasties, kings, and vassal lords. Matters like the recognition of young martial artists had to go through the Dragon Tower Master. In short, all affairs related to the empire needed to pass through the hands of the Dragon Tower Master.

From the capitals of dynasties and the national capitals of vassal states, down to small places like Zhushan Town, Dragon Towers stood everywhere.

In short, as long as it was any place within the scope of the empire, it would be supervised by a Dragon Tower.

However, the Dragon Tower would only supervise the implementation of imperial law and would not participate in any struggles over benefits or power.

But no one dared look down on the Dragon Tower Master because of that, even though the cultivation of Dragon Tower Masters in most places was not high. Because to look down on the Dragon Tower Master was to look down on the Imperial Family, and to look down on Emperor Longxiang! Within the empire, no one could withstand the majesty sent down by Emperor Longxiang!

The annual Zhushan Arena Tournament was something the Zhushan Dragon Tower Master had to attend, because he had the duty to discover talent on behalf of the empire!

Below the arena, youths gathered. These youths were all here to participate in the youth division competition. There were not many of them, only close to fifty. After all, most of those who came to participate in the youth division competition were aiming for the top ten of the Youth Ranking. Only by entering the top ten would they obtain generous prizes. If they were not confident they could enter the top ten, no one was willing to brave the danger of being killed by others to participate in the competition.

As one of the top ten on the Youth Ranking, Nie Xiaoyue sat with several others on the viewing stand by the arena. According to custom, they would wait until the other youths emerged from the crowd before accepting their challenges.

As for Jiang Feng, he naturally stood below the arena with the other youths, waiting for the competition to begin.