Qingzhu Hall.
Night had fallen, yet the courtyard echoed with the sound of "THWACK! THWACK!".
'The overall difficulty of the *Desolate Dragon Elephant Force* isn't low. It takes a hundred years to reach the Perfection Realm, so it's no wonder no one practices it. The First Floor, Dragon Elephant Birth, isn't difficult, but the cultivation time for each subsequent floor increases exponentially. The Fifth Floor requires at least ten years to start. If it weren't for the Martial Fool trait, this would be really tough.'
Lu Mingyuan slowly withdrew his fist from a granite rock nestled between the tree shadows. His back was straight and imposing, his presence powerful, yet this was merely his daily warm-up.
He turned, his gaze falling on Zi Yun at the courtyard gate, and said seriously,
"Come here. Spar with me, be my training partner."
Zi Yun was quite surprised. Holding her jade-like hands properly, she walked over obediently. She raised her head and asked curiously, "Your Highness, I am in the Late Stage of the Rebirth Realm. If we practice, might I injure you?"
Lu Mingyuan replied flatly, "Don't worry. Just throw your punches. Whether or not I can take it is up to me."
"Yes."
Having received her orders, Zi Yun's expression turned serious. Her flowing purple dress rustled in the wind, and the breeze gently brushed the bangs across her scarred face.
Her eyes shone brightly. She bent her knees, held one palm out vertically, and kept the other fist clenched before her body.
She had not yet thrown a punch, merely adopted a stance, but behind her, it was as if the morning sun was rising in the east. Her posture was a study in tension and release, like a fully drawn bowstring.
The momentum of her fist was already palpable!
Lu Mingyuan was not surprised by this. Zi Yun had also studied the Killing Skill and had emerged from numerous rounds of selection within the palace. Her Martial Dao aptitude couldn't be too poor. Moreover, to have been chosen by Lu Mingkong as a personal Palace Maid and guard, her strength was by no means weak.
Though her realm was low, her abilities were not to be underestimated.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Lu Mingyuan loosened his limbs, the bones in his arms letting out a series of tremors. Veins bulged on his taut skin. The muscles in his hands, nourished by "Exotic Food," were already showing signs of sturdiness, like blocks of forged iron, giving off an intimidating pressure.p>The two figures stood motionless under the shadows of the trees. The treetops rustled, "SHHH," swaying with the gentle breeze. They faced each other, as silent as two clay statues.
The next second, Zi Yun suddenly threw a punch.
Her punch was lightning-fast.
Lu Mingyuan stared at Zi Yun's almond eyes and slender brows. As the wind lifted her bangs, he reacted, immediately raising his fists to block.
Their fist techniques stirred up wild gusts of wind, sending the dead leaves on the ground scattering with a "RUSTLE RUSTLE" sound.
As they exchanged blows, they seemed evenly matched, neither able to gain an advantage over the other.
But Lu Mingyuan felt the intensity was a bit low. Zi Yun was afraid of hurting him and wasn't using her full strength. He barked, "I command you, go all out!"
Hearing this, Zi Yun's expression shifted from its initial worry to one of intense focus.
'His Highness really knows how to fight.'
'And his talent for Martial Arts isn't bad. To break through both External Force and Inner Cultivation in two months, his aptitude is definitely outstanding.'
'His Fist Force is ruthless, and his angles are unique.'
'So fast and fierce!'
Gradually, Zi Yun began to grow surprised.
She was no longer holding back against His Highness, yet his attacks were only growing stronger.
'If I don't use my Martial Dao Primordial Qi and this drags on, I might even lose.'
"BANG!"
The figures blurred. For a moment, the wind from their fists howled, and the sound of their colliding strikes instantly spread throughout the inner courtyard.
The strike failed to connect decisively, and both retreated a step.
Lu Mingyuan widened his stance, held his breath, and focused his mind. His Heart Spirit sank, and he entered a mysterious and profound state.
[Trait [Martial Spirit] triggered. Martial Arts progress increased to three times the normal rate.]
[Desolate Dragon Elephant Force (First Layer of Dragon Elephant Ascension (1000/1000))]
[Desolate Dragon Elephant Force (Second Level of Dragon Elephant Roar (100/2000))]
As the text flashed before his eyes, he took a deep breath.
He bent his knees slightly, adopting a majestic and powerful boxing stance.
He had finally cultivated the Dragon Elephant Qi.
The wisp of Dragon Elephant Qi he had refined in his body moved like a roaming dragon, traveling through him and into his legs.
He lifted his foot and stomped down hard.
Not only did the entire courtyard tremble slightly, but the countless fallen leaves on the ground were blown upward by an invisible force, and the bluestone slab beneath his foot cracked inch by inch.
The next second, the Dragon Elephant Qi flowed into his arms, and he smashed a fist forward.
It seemed unstoppable!
Zi Yun also threw a punch. Facing the howling sound of wind and thunder, her fine brows knitted together. She realized this punch was no simple matter.
Thus, she mobilized the Martial Dao Primordial Qi from her dantian, concentrating it in her palm.
Her fist's momentum unfolded, its Qi Force lingering.
In the end, she still had to activate her Primordial Qi, blasting out her punch.
"BOOM!"
It left a trail of afterimages, too fast for the naked eye to follow. Its power was astonishing, far surpassing her previous fist techniques, reaching a level that an ordinary Martial Artist could not hope to achieve.
Such were the methods of the Rebirth Realm.
Only after the Rebirth Realm could a Martial Cultivator activate their Primordial Qi, develop the potential of their flesh body, forge a Martial Furnace, and turn the mundane into the miraculous.
Lu Mingyuan's fist collided with hers, and a deafening sonic boom erupted between them.
After the punch, both retreated once more.
Zi Yun fell back seven or eight steps, but Lu Mingyuan only retreated a single step before steadying himself.
He looked at his own fist, lost in thought.
"Your Highness's strength is extraordinary. I am no match for you," Zi Yun said, her expression one of utter astonishment as she bowed respectfully.
For the Sixth Prince to fight a Late Stage of Rebirth expert while only at the Mid Stage Marrow Cleansing Realm—this level of strength was more than enough to shock her!
Lu Mingyuan, however, shook his head, dissatisfied with his own performance. He did feel some joy at having successfully cultivated the *Desolate Dragon Elephant Force*, though. He said softly, "It's not enough. This was only thanks to practicing the *Desolate Dragon Elephant Force* and using a trace of Dragon Elephant Qi. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to block that last punch of yours."
He knew that without the Flame Bone Sunflower to nourish his Martial Arts Qi and the Cyan Fierce Bull Demon Pill to temper his flesh and blood, it would still have been quite difficult to face Zi Yun, even with the Dragon Elephant Qi.
'I need to keep cultivating.'
'No matter how the situation develops, strengthening myself is never the wrong move. Only by being strong enough can I face any crisis.'
'If I can reach the Martial Arts Twelve Realms Celestial Human, Returning to the Origin and achieving the nascent Great Dao, would I still need to care what others think?'
'If you want people to listen to your reasoning, your own fists have to be hard enough.'
'To a certain extent, fists *are* reason.'
After this exchange of blows, Lu Mingyuan had an epiphany. At the same time, he felt his qi and blood surging, and he began to continue absorbing the residual medicinal power of the Cyan Fierce Bull Demon Pill. Perhaps there would be a pleasant surprise, and he could break through to the Rebirth Realm.
A complete rebirth, the Five Elements Transformation.
This is the Rebirth Realm.
This saying comes from a senior cultivator who once said, "Forge a thousand pounds of bone to obtain a single ounce of qi." Confucianism cultivators have a unique advantage in this realm. Because the Confucian Family values the nurturing of Vast Righteous Qi, they generally have a slightly larger quantity and better quality of qi than others.
The "five forces" mentioned here refer to the five components of the human flesh body: "skin and flesh," "organs," "bone marrow," "blood," and "heart."
The Rebirth Realm is considered the first major watershed for Lower Seven Realms Martial Artists.
From this moment on, they can open their acupoints and absorb qi, beginning to draw in nature's spiritual energy. The three hundred and sixty-five acupoints in the human body are like three hundred and sixty-five naturally-formed Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands.
This fuses with the Elixir Field Strength, and then gives birth to Martial Dao Primordial Qi.
Daoist Cultivators breathe in nature's spiritual energy, Condensing Dao Qi, Cultivating the Dao Foundation, and building the Heart and Chest Longevity Bridge, thereby knocking on the gates of the Great Dao. Buddhist Cultivators listen to Zen, sit in meditation, abstain from meat and recite scriptures, renounce the world to resolve karma, and cultivate Merit Golden Light.
Confucian Scholars cultivate their character, nurture Vast Righteous Qi, and establish their destiny to influence the world. They clarify their ambitions to revere virtue, take it as their duty to bring order to the world, and pursue entry into a Confucian Temple. To be able to place a stone statue of oneself in a Confucian Temple is something all the scholars in the world yearn for.
Martial Artists temper their Primordial Qi, forge a human Martial Furnace, and break through the limits of their flesh body. They can only advance step by step; there are no shortcuts.
In contrast, the three paths of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism are all heavily reliant on talent.
If a Qi Cultivator observes the mountains and rivers and achieves an epiphany in their state of mind, they can break through quickly. Alternatively, if taken as a disciple by True Immortal Gods, they can be granted Dao Practice, allowing for rapid breakthroughs. It is much the same for Confucian Scholars and Buddhist Cultivators; they need to comprehend the principles in books, observe the suffering of the world, and study all living beings to achieve a breakthrough.
However, there is one point that is the sole advantage of a Martial Cultivator.
There is no peak to the realms of a Martial Cultivator; they can continuously break through their own limits. The so-called Fifteenth Realm is merely a record left by their predecessors. If a stunningly talented successor were to appear, this record could be broken.
Lu Mingyuan sat in meditation, breathing and circulating the *Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture* until all the medicinal power was absorbed.
The text before his eyes slowly changed.
[Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture - Abnormal Eating Chapter (Fourth Floor: 4000/5000)]
[Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture - Abnormal Eating Chapter (Fourth Floor: 4500/5000)]
...
[Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture - Abnormal Eating Chapter (Fifth Floor: 0/8000)]
The moment he entered the Fifth Floor, Lu Mingyuan felt the Powerful Qi inside him surge like a flood bursting through a dam, and it began to combine with nature's spiritual energy.
The swirling, red, smoke-like substance that resulted from this fusion was Martial Dao Primordial Qi.
The Martial Dao Primordial Qi gradually flowed from his dantian to his limbs and bones, from his heart to his blood and marrow, then to his internal organs, and finally caused his skin to radiate with a strange light.
The red Primordial Qi surged across Lu Mingyuan's face, forming the phenomenon of a great sun behind him. It was like the morning sun breaking through the sea's surface, rising into the world, and swiftly hanging in the sky. As Lu Mingyuan gathered the Dantian Primordial Qi, the phenomenon abruptly vanished.
Zi Yun, who was standing guard nearby, happened to witness this scene, her eyes wide with shock.
'His Highness broke through to the Rebirth Realm?'
'And he even condensed a Rebirth phenomenon!'
As far as she knew, only a Martial Artist with astonishing potential would condense a phenomenon when breaking through to the Rebirth Realm.
This was similar to a Confucian Scholar's Spring and Autumn Brush or Koi Carp Inkstone, the Taoist Sect's Yin Spirit Infant, or the Buddha Court's Golden Lotus Bodhisattva with lowered eyes or the Vajra Angry-eyed Arhat. All were manifestations that displayed a cultivator's potential.
At this moment, Lu Mingyuan slowly opened his eyes.
He looked inward and found that of the three hundred and sixty-five acupoints in his body, only a tenth had been opened.
He was secretly a little frustrated.
'The number of opened acupoints determines one's combat power in the Rebirth Realm and even the Refining Furnace Realm. This performance is indeed a bit poor.'
"Sixth Prince, come out and receive the Holy Decree."
Just as the two were lost in their own thoughts, the high, duck-like voice of a eunuch came from outside the main gate of Qingzhu Hall.
"A Holy Decree? Where did a Holy Decree come from?"
Lu Mingyuan was very confused. 'Isn't Father Emperor still on Dongyi Island?'
'Could it be that Father Emperor has returned?'
...
There's one more chapter, coming a bit later.