Soul Emperor Martial God

Chapter 5: Chapter 4: Martial Arts Realm

He had just returned to his room.

”Hisss,” Xiao Yi sucked in a breath of cold air, gritting his teeth.

”Young Master, what’s wrong?” Yiyi asked worriedly.

”It’s nothing.” Xiao Yi shook his head, but inwardly cursed, ”This body is really too weak, just using Xingyi Fist a couple of times, and I already can’t hold up.”

Xingyi Fist, especially the Xingyi Five Extremes, might seem simple in movements, but each move demands a lot from the body.

Like the Leopard Form, it requires explosive speed in a short period of time, relying on the burst of muscle power.

Like the Snake Formation, the exact movement Xiao Yi used earlier to dodge the Fire Burning Vine, fluttering like a snake, body as supple as silk, quickly shifting and maneuvering—it demands extremely high physical strength.

If it had been the master Xiao Yi of the past, even if he fought for three days and nights, it wouldn’t matter.

But the current, useless body of Xiao Yi couldn’t meet these demands.

Previously, it looked like Xiao Yi easily defeated Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi, but in reality, he was just enduring the pain in his body.

”Crack, crack,” Xiao Yi twisted his neck, making a series of crackling sounds.

The soreness in his back and limbs and the weakness made him very uncomfortable.

Although this body possessed the Mortal Realm First Layer cultivation, it was merely a minor cultivation, not much stronger than an ordinary person.

”Ah.” Yiyi suddenly exclaimed, ”The medicine is cooling down, Young Master, quickly drink it while it’s still warm.”

Xiao Yi took the bowl, looking at the pitch-dark liquid inside and sipped lightly.

Almost the moment the medicine entered his stomach, the soreness in his body relieved significantly.

”Such strong medicinal power, this must be a tonic to nourish the body and warm the veins,” Xiao Yi said with a smile.

”Yes, this is Sixth Transition Nourishing Vein Liquid, the Third Elder asked the Great Elder to refine it personally for you, Young Master, it’s extremely precious.” Yiyi nodded.

”Um,” Xiao Yi grunted, looking at the bowl full of medicine, then pushed it towards Yiyi.

”You drink it,” Xiao Yi said indifferently.

”Eh?” Yiyi hesitated.

”What ’eh’? Drink it if I tell you to.”

”I can’t,” Yiyi stubbornly shook her head, ”This is Young Master’s life-saving medicine, I can’t...”

”I fear it’s poisoned, you drink it first.”

”Don’t worry, Young Master, Yiyi will try it first.” Yiyi immediately took a sip.

After a moment, she remembered that Young Master Xiao Yi had already sipped it just now.

”Young Master, you...”

”Finish it up, I’m not used to drinking something others have drunk from. If you don’t want to drink, just pour it out.”

Saying this, Xiao Yi walked away to one side, striking a strange pose, head and neck tilted up, standing on one knee, both hands reaching up.

One of the Xingyi Five Extremes, Crane Form.

Crane Form, with no combat purpose, but capable of prolonging life and healing the spirit.

Back on Earth, Xiao Yi had survived near-death situations and turned the tides in desperate battles. After each major battle, by performing the Crane Form and combining it with internal energy, he could easily heal his injuries.

It has to be said, Xingyi Fist is indeed profound and vast, and the Xingyi Five Extremes even more so.

To heal his current body’s fatigue was effortless.

Yiyi, standing to the side, watched Xiao Yi’s odd movements, did not dare to interrupt, and puzzled over it.

Puzzled over why Young Master Xiao wasn’t bullied today but instead defeated Xiao Jie and Xiao Shi.

Puzzled over why Young Master Xiao didn’t take his anger out on her or hit her today.

Puzzled over why Young Master Xiao was so kind to her today, giving her the precious medicine to drink.

She might be a bit naive, but she wasn’t a fool; she naturally understood that Xiao Yi deliberately wanted to give her the medicine.

She could not understand why, but she didn’t think about it further and obediently drank all the medicine.

Not a drop left.

Anything that Xiao Yi gave her, she treasured as if precious.

Almost visibly, the original paleness in Yiyi’s face gained a bit of rosiness; the bruises on her face also faded somewhat.

Off to the side, maintaining the Crane Form, Xiao Yi glanced at Yiyi and smiled faintly.

Minutes later, Xiao Yi ceased his bizarre movements, his body’s soreness and fatigue disappeared, feeling refreshed and energized.

He looked at Yiyi, feeling somewhat heartbroken.

Yiyi’s facial features were exquisite, like a perfectly fine piece of art, surely a stunning beauty if she hadn’t been subjected to constant abuse and scolding.

Her clever and understanding nature made people even more affectionate towards her.

”Next time there’s danger, don’t stand in front of me again,” Xiao Yi recalled Yiyi’s earlier actions and advised.

If not for his timely intervention, given Yiyi’s frail body and Xiao Jie’s strength, Yiyi’s arms would have been severely injured.

”Yiyi’s life belongs to Young Master, Yiyi...”

”I don’t need anyone’s protection,” Xiao Yi interrupted coldly.

”Also, stop saying your life is mine; I’m not accustomed to carrying other people’s lives.”

As an assassin, Xiao Yi was used to being alone; regarding life, he only had two concepts: either it was his own life or someone else’s; either it was a life he could kill or a life completely unrelated to him.

”Um,” Yiyi obediently nodded, ”My life is for Young Master, everything as per Young Master’s.”

”You...” Xiao Yi frowned.

”Everything as per my instructions, right?” Xiao Yi smiled.

”Um,” Yiyi nodded.

”Good,” Xiao Yi said, ”either never let me hear that stupid phrase ’your life is mine’ again, or before saying it, you have to add ’Young Master Xiao Yi, charming, handsome, dashing, peerless, and so attractive it’s shedding, Yiyi listens to everything the Young Master says.’”

”Do you understand?” Xiao Yi teased Yiyi.

”Uh,” Yiyi was stunned and then said, ”Yiyi listens to the Young Master, just, could you please repeat that slowly, Yiyi can’t remember it.”

”Forgetting is your problem,” Xiao Yi said indifferently.

”But...”

”What, you won’t listen to me?” Xiao Yi frowned.

”I will,” Yiyi nodded then lowered her head, seeming troubled.

Xiao Yi ignored her, casually picking up the bag left by the Third Elder.

Inside the bag were his cultivation resources for the month.

Xiao Yi opened it to check. Inside, there were twenty taels of loose silver and a jade bottle.

Upon opening the bottle, a fragrance of elixirs immediately hit him.

Inside the bottle, there were three shining, translucent elixirs.

These were Body Tempering Pills, First-grade Elixirs.

Mortal Realm Warriors mainly focused on tempering their bodies to lay a solid foundation in order to pursue higher realms later.

And speaking of elixirs, one must mention the alchemists.

This was a rare and noble profession on the Flame Dragon Continent.

To become an alchemist, a martial artist’s qualifications and talents must be extremely high; moreover, the other requirements were also extremely strict.

It could be said that out of a hundred martial artists, it was hard to find even one alchemist.

And the nobility of alchemists lay in their ability to refine various miraculous elixirs: cultivation elixirs, healing elixirs, body refining elixirs, and so on.

Furthermore, there were nine grades of alchemists, ranked from low to high, from First-grade Alchemist to Ninth-grade Alchemist.

Legend had it that above the Ninth Grade, there were Emperor-grade Alchemists, though no one had ever seen one.

Great Elder of Xiao Family, Xiao Lihuo, besides being a strong Innate Realm Martial Artist, was also a revered Third-grade Alchemist.

The elixirs in the family were mostly refined by him.

In the whole Purple Cloud City, there were only three Third-grade Alchemists at most, found respectively in the Xiao Family, Murong Family, and Jiang Family, which showed how rare alchemists were.

”Body Tempering Pill,” Xiao Yi took one and swallowed it.

At the same time, he activated the Fire Control Beast Martial Soul within him.

Instantly, the elixir turned into waves of pure medicinal strength, coursing throughout his body, part of it refining his physical body, and part being absorbed into his Dantian.

However, the process was very slow.

At this rate, it would take at least a day to fully absorb all the medicinal strength of this Body Tempering Pill.

”The Fire Control Beast Martial Soul is indeed trash,” Xiao Yi shook his head helplessly.

The difference in Martial Soul ranks lay in the speed of absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy and the speed of absorbing elixirs. This speed also determined a martial artist’s cultivation pace, thus creating a distinction between geniuses and the inept.

Like those in his family with an Orange-rank Martial Soul, they could absorb a Body Tempering Pill in half a day.

Putting aside elixirs and considering regular cultivation. An Orange-rank Martial Soul could achieve in five days what a Red Rank Martial Soul achieved in ten days.

There was a difference of twice the rate.

Xiao Yi didn’t hesitate to stop using the Fire Control Beast Martial Soul and switched to using the Ice Phoenix Sword Soul.

Whoosh, it was almost instantaneous after the activation of the Martial Soul, the Body Tempering Pill instantly dissolved, transforming all its medicinal strength into True Qi inside his body.

”What terrifying speed, truly worthy of being the top-tier Purple Martial Soul,” Xiao Yi was inwardly shocked.

Following the same procedure, Xiao Yi swallowed the other two Body Tempering Pills.

Seconds later, a sudden, inexplicable burst of powerful force erupted within him.

This was the sign of a breakthrough.

”I have broken through to the Mortal Realm Second Layer,” Xiao Yi revealed a smile.

At the same time, Xiao Yi could distinctly feel his Dantian was now able to mobilize True Qi.

True Qi was the source of a martial artist’s power, indispensable when launching attacks.

Xiao Yi tried, using True Qi, and immediately a burst of explosive power concentrated into his fist.

”So powerful, this True Qi is probably stronger than the Inner Strength back on Earth,” Xiao Yi made a judgment.

”Unfortunately, after all, it’s only the Mortal Realm Second Layer, the amount of True Qi is too little,” Xiao Yi shook his head.

Martial artist cultivation has Nine Layers Realm, ranked from low to high: Mortal Realm, Postnatal, Innate, Mysterious Profundity, Mystic Breakthrough, Earth Origin, Heavenly Element, Earth Extreme, and Heavenly Extreme.

Legend has it that beyond Heavenly Extreme lies the Martial God Realm.

Martial God is the highest realm a martial artist can aspire to. Roaming the Void, commanding Heaven and Earth, omnipotent.

With a wave of the hand, shattering mountains and rivers; with a stamp of the foot, causing heaven to tremble and earth to split; a single person’s power could dominate millions of lives.

Of course, the Martial God was still too far away for the current Xiao Yi.

Even the strongest in the entire Xiao Family was no more than one of the nine Innate Realm elders.

After Innate, those in the Mysterious Profundity Realm could fly through the skies and move underground with unpredictable means. Such level of martial artists were always elusive, not even existing in the entire Purple Cloud City.

”Thinking about it now is useless, I’d better focus on cultivating,” Xiao Yi shook his head, casting aside the distractions in his mind.

Under the activation of the Purple Martial Soul, the Ice Phoenix Sword, Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy surged into his body like a river flowing into the sea.

As more and more True Qi accumulated inside him, his Dantian grew increasingly consolidated and powerful.