Soul Emperor Martial God

Chapter 140: Chapter 139: Martial Arts Bottleneck

On the back hill, the deep night’s cold wind was icy to the bone.

The dark night air, accompanied by the chill moonlight, inevitably produced a sense of melancholy in one’s heart.

Yet, under the moonlight, a young man remained as resolute as ever, his handsome face etched with carefree ease.

But within that ease, there was also a hint of complexity.

He thought of the little girl who had taken care of him meticulously, her image blurred by the moonlight, as if she were a beauty under the moon.

He thought of the elders of the Xiao Family, the somber night seemingly the gaze of their profound eyes.

”You all, wait for me,” the young man said to himself with determination.

”Huff....” After a long while, Xiao Yi took a deep breath, completely gathering his scattered thoughts.

...

Taking out the Five-star Condensed Pill Record, Xiao Yi started to read it carefully.

Today, he had finished reading it completely.

He roughly understood the contents, but to fully grasp them was very difficult.

Clearly, this was an extremely profound piece of Alchemy knowledge.

By his estimation, even an ordinary Fifth-grade Alchemist would find it hard to easily comprehend.

Let alone him.

He continued reading, and by the latter half of the night, he had once again read through the content in its entirety.

Unknowingly, only a few hours were left until dawn.

He stopped reading and took a brief rest.

...

The next day, he went to the Outer Sect Treasury again.

Elder Yi was there as always.

”Elder Yi,” Xiao Yi called out politely.

”Hmm,” Elder Yi nodded, setting down his book. This time, he put it completely aside, evidently ready to instruct Xiao Yi.

”Have you finished reading it?” Elder Yi asked.

”I have finished,” Xiao Yi replied.

”Is it difficult?” Elder Yi asked again.

”Difficult,” Xiao Yi nodded.

”Hmm,” Elder Yi nodded as well, ”The Medicine Hall Elders, and their three true disciples, are all Fourth-grade Alchemists, each a genius in Alchemy.”

”But, only Ye Ming truly understands the Condensing Pill Five Elements Record.”

”The Medicine Hall Elders instruct them every day; he studied for a year and still hasn’t fully grasped it, so naturally, it’s difficult,” Elder Yi said indifferently. Then he asked, ”Five thousand sword points are enough to exchange for many good things in the Inner Sect Treasure Vault.”

”Do you know why I had you exchange for this Condensing Pill Five Elements Record instead of an Earth Rank Martial Technique, Cultivation Technique, or other treasures?”

Xiao Yi answered, ”Didn’t Elder Yi say that my Martial Soul is too poor, and I need to rely on Alchemy to aid my Cultivation? Naturally, I should exchange for this Condensing Pill Five Elements Record.”

”Wrong,” Elder Yi shook his head.

”It’s because your comprehension ability is too strong, too terrifying,” Elder Yi said gravely.

”A month ago, when I was instructing you, I had checked the Martial Arts Stele Forest.”

”What?” Xiao Yi was stunned, not understanding Elder Yi’s meaning.

”Why didn’t you say anything?” Elder Yi asked sternly.

”Say what?” Xiao Yi looked puzzled.

”Boy,” Elder Yi said with a smile that was not quite a smile, ”the prohibitions on the Mystic Realm Stele, those Inner Sect Deacons may not understand, but you think I don’t understand?”

”You clearly comprehended the entire Mystic Realm Stele thoroughly, and it’s the highest, largest, and most difficult one in the Stele Forest.”

”And it’s not as those Deacons said, that you only grasped seventy percent.”

”If you were to tell the truth, the entire Sky-splitting Sword Sect would be astounded; the Ten Elders would compete to take you as a disciple.”

”Why did you not speak up?”

In the entire history of the Sky-splitting Sword Sect, the best achievement was comprehending eighty percent of the Mystic Realm Stele. Over the years, most disciples could only comprehend three or four-tenths, and a few outstanding ones five or six-tenths.

Xiao Yi smiled bitterly. So this was what Elder Yi was talking about.

The last time he contemplated the Mystic Realm Stele was his true skill; it was based on his talent and will, with no help from any external thing.

”If the Inner Sect is willing to take me, they will take me; if they’re not, I don’t need to plead to enter,” Xiao Yi answered seriously.

”Good, you’ve got spirit,” Elder Yi nodded in satisfaction.

”You have fully comprehended the entire Mystic Realm Stele; your understanding far surpasses my imagination,” Elder Yi continued to say.

”According to my estimates, within a few months, you will have completely penetrated the esoteric Condensing Pill Five Elements Record.”

”It is precisely because you can penetrate it that I allow you to make the exchange; otherwise, if it would take you several years to do so, making you inferior even to Ye Ming, I wouldn’t have let you switch.”

As Elder Yi spoke, he extended one finger, ”This is the first reason.”

”The second reason,” Elder Yi extended a second finger, ”is also because of your understanding.”

”The Condensing Pill Five Elements Record can refine elixirs to remove impurities, allowing martial artists to consume them indefinitely.”

”But can they really be consumed indefinitely?”

”Is that not the case?” Xiao Yi asked in confusion.

Elder Yi shook his head, ”No, martial arts cultivation has its bottlenecks.”

”Take the Mysterious Profundity Realm as an example; for every ten percent filled in the Qi Spring, one’s cultivation rises by one layer.”

”But there are bottlenecks at every layer. If you don’t breakthrough, no matter how much True Qi you absorb, it will eventually disperse automatically, leaving the Qi Spring stagnant.”

”First comes the realm, then comes the True Qi.”

”Without advancing in realm, True Qi is wasted.”

In martial arts cultivation, each realm, each layer, comes with its corresponding martial arts knowledge.

Without mastering such knowledge, one encounters bottlenecks.

This is why martial artists need martial arts mentors to guide their practice and improve their cultivation—or why martial artists must venture out, gaining insight into martial arts during their travels, and practice to improve their cultivation in tandem.

Martial artists, in essence, are on a lifelong pursuit of martial arts; to wholly comprehend and master the Heaven and Earth Martial Arts is to be at the realm of the Martial God.

However, the vast and profound ways of Heaven and Earth Martial Arts are immense. The Mysterious Profundity Realm, Mystic Breakthrough Realm... these realms attain merely the surface.

At that moment, Elder Yi suddenly said earnestly, ”Others cannot consume indefinitely, but you can.”

”Because you have no bottlenecks.”

”With martial arts knowledge, you understand with a touch, and perceive with just one insight. With your understanding, you won’t face any bottlenecks, even at the stage of Mystic Breakthrough cultivation.”

”Since you possess the Fire Control Beast Martial Soul and cultivate very slowly, abandon it and simply rely on consuming elixirs to enhance your cultivation.”

”This is the real reason I wanted you to exchange for the Condensing Pill Five Elements Record.”

Xiao Yi smiled; he knew early on that Elder Yi was crafting the most suitable method of cultivation for his martial path.

”Don’t smile,” Elder Yi saw Xiao Yi smiling and reprimanded, ”I’ve shared these things with you today, not to make you arrogant and complacent.”

”Although your understanding is strong, it is not unparalleled.”

”Not to mention outside Northern Mountain County, even within it, there are a few who can match you, like Zhong Wuyou from Shadow Tower.”

Xiao Yi was not arrogant, but he did not explain and instead asked, ”Elder Yi knows of Zhong Wuyou too?”

”Nonsense,” Elder Yi replied, ”Entrusted by his father, I have guided him for a few days.”

”This youngster’s understanding, temporarily speaking and based on my previous observations, is only slightly weaker than yours. If he were to comprehend the Martial Arts Stele Forest, he could very well grasp more than eighty percent, even ninety.”

Xiao Yi nodded; Zhong Wuyou was recognized as a once in a century genius within Northern Mountain County. It was even declared that if not for his young age, he would surely be the first on the Northern Mountain Ranking.

His kind of talent and understanding was not strange.

But then, Elder Yi continued in a solemn voice, ”But if we are to speak of someone stronger than you both, in Northern Mountain County, there is only one.”

”Oh?” Xiao Yi was startled; it wasn’t surprising that someone was stronger than himself, but if they were more renowned than Zhong Wuyou, that was indeed curious.

In terms of strength, Zhong Wuyou was nothing special, with many surpassing him; but in terms of talent, no one had ever been heard to be superior from start to finish.

”Purple Flame,” Elder Yi said gravely, uttering two words.

”What was this fellow’s name again?” Elder Yi furrowed his brows, ”Seems he has the same surname as me, ’Yi.’”

”Purple Flame?” Xiao Yi awkwardly touched his nose, not expecting his own reputation would have spread even to an elder powerhouse like Elder Yi.

”I have never met this person or know him. However, based on recent public opinion and his feats, this guy is practically a monster.”

”A few months ago, he just barely surpassed Zhong Wuyou with his Half-step Cave Profound strength.”

”Just recently, it was rumored he defeated a Mysterious Profundity Sixth Layer Martial Artist with a single punch.”

”In just a few short months, his strength has leaped so tremendously. It is clear to infer, he too has no martial arts bottlenecks, and that’s why his cultivation has progressed so swiftly.”

”And his understanding you can imagine, must be terribly extreme.”

”I have traveled all over the Flame Martial Kingdom and have seen countless geniuses; but in terms of understanding, there are less than five who can match him.”

Elder Yi said with utmost gravity, ”I can even assert that the leading figure of the next generation in Northern Mountain County will be none other than him.”

”Really? That impressive?” Xiao Yi did not expect Elder Yi to hold him in such high esteem.

When Elder Yi saw Xiao Yi’s peculiar expression, thinking his pride was hurt, he said seriously, ”I tell you these things not to strike you down.”

”But to tell you, in the cultivation of martial arts, avoid arrogance and complacency. Even though your understanding is exceptional, you must still practice diligently in the future, understand?”

”I understand,” Xiao Yi nodded earnestly.

”Good,” Elder Yi also nodded, ”Now, I shall officially guide you in comprehending the Condensing Pill Five Elements Record, dissecting each word and line for you.”