Martial World

As Ta Ku walked onto the stage, the noise from the crowd finally died down. As Ta Ku stood in front of the crystal measuring pillar, he was grasping his dark purple elastic iron staff. Suddenly, with a loud explosive sound, it was directly inserted into the ground, piercing through the tiled floor.

Ta Ku kneaded his fists, cracking his joints. The cracking sounds were just like mini thunderclaps.

He spread his legs, slowly lowering himself into a horse stance squat. He then took several deep breaths, completely stabilizing his mental and physical condition. He was just like a lion that was biding its time and energy in order to make a single, fatal blow.

The entire audience, including the Great Generals, Liang Long, Zhou Yu, and all else, were watching with bated breath, waiting for Ta Ku to strike.

Creak!

With another explosive sound of joints popping, Ta Ku clenched his right fist. He aimed it flush at his target and he slowly wound it back.

“Hah!”

Ta Ku gave a shout, and his entire body thrust forwards. His right fist was like a meteor as it smashed the pillar. There was only the deafening sound of the crystal pillar being stuck as it trembled, almost as if it were about to explode. The crystal light erupted upwards like a geyser, until it rose even higher than Ta Ku.

Nine feet five inches.

9500 jins!

The entire audience were in uproar. This result exceeded the limits of a Body Transformation stage martial artist! Even a peak Pulse Condensation period martial artist would only have around 8000 jins!

Even Houtian realm martial artists would find it difficult to surpass 9000 jins! This was because the longer a martial artist cultivated, the more and more they would have to rely on their true essence. After all, there was a limit as to how high a human’s strength could grow. As one approached that limit, it would become increasingly difficult.

Even Qin Ziya’s own physical strength wasn’t necessarily stronger than Ta Ku.

Everyone couldn’t help but look at Lin Ming. It was true that Lin Ming was famed for his strength, but 9500 jins was simply like a mountain. It was beyond challenging past that!

“Junior-apprentice Brother Lin, it’s your turn.” Ta Ku rubbed his fists. He was quite satisfied with his result. Previously, he had done a few trials of his own and the highest score he achieved was 9500 jins.

Lin Ming walked onto the stage, and then, he touched the crystal column. He was testing the strength of the binding array. He felt that it was alright, it should be able to withstand his strength.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for Lin Ming’s strike. They all wanted to know just how high he could reach.

Lin Ming relaxed his mind and body. He was just like a bow that was preparing itself to draw. ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’ was a Body Transformation cultivation method originally. When one practiced this, their true essence would become thick and mighty and their strength would become formidable. To those that practiced the ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’, their body had no limit. After Pulse Condensation was Tempering Marrow, and after Tempering Marrow, one could open the Eight Inner Hidden Gates and Nine Stars of the Dao Palace. At that stage, their body could affect the world. Their physical strength alone could shatter mountains and pull down stars.

Of course, Lin Ming was far, far from this realm. But these past months, he had absorbed a massive amount of blood vitality, and in addition, due to the enhancements to his body from the life and death smelting trial, his body’s vitality was similar to a billowing cloud. His body always contained an explosive force that was waiting to erupt at any given moment. If he didn’t vent this power, he wouldn’t feel so great.

With a deep breath, Lin Ming lowered his center of gravity as he squatted down. His spine bent backwards, just like a taut bow that was being pulled backwards. With a roar, Lin Ming suddenly jumped up, his body flushing forwards, his fist like a Flood Dragon that emerged from the sea. With an indomitable momentum, his fist struck its target savagely.

Bang!

Over 10,000 jins of strength erupted. The fist cracked the crystal column underneath it with a tremendous impact. The black crystal column began to rattle violently, and the crystal light instantly shot to 12 feet. This was actually the limit of the strength measuring tablet!

Peng!

The loud sound of breaking glass rang in the air, and the crystal pillar exploded into countless shards. Clouds of true essence stone powder began to fall down like twinkling stars!

In that moment, the entire audience was flabbergasted.

“He destroyed the crystal pillar?”

“The crystal pillar can measure up to 12,000 jins of strength, and yet, it was actually destroyed?”

Qin Ziya was also eminently surprised. He knew that Lin Ming had inborn divine strength, but he didn’t know to what degree his divine strength had reached. Actually, no one knew. If that 12,000 jin crystal column was destroyed, it meant that Lin Ming’s strength was at least above 13,000 jins!

Just relying on the strength of the human body to reach 13,000 jins! Let alone in the Sky Fortune Kingdom, this was rare even in the entire Sky Spill Continent! This was because after a martial artist reaches the Xiantian realm, their physical strength basically no longer increased.

Even an extreme Xiantian master’s strength wouldn’t surpass 10,000 jins.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. A farm animal is really a farm animal, it simply can’t be judged by others. I have no idea what sort of fodder he was fed while growing up.”

Murong Zi had long since adapted to Lin Ming’s bizarre abilities. She exclaimed in surprise in the past, but soon, she accepted this fact. She was longer surprised by any of the excessive miracles that Lin Ming accomplished. Instead, if one day Lin Ming ceased to continually violate common sense, Murong Zi would be surprised.

However, at this moment, Bai Jingyun, who was sitting next to Murong Zi, was also looking at the center of the martial stage, her eyes were clouded over and she was lost in thought. The truth was that 12,000 or 13,000 jins of strength didn’t have much affect on one’s combat prowess. It only indicated that Lin Ming had a special physique, inborn divine strength, or maybe, he had eaten some sort of valuable material that enhanced strength. But Bai Jingyun had a very special feeling…

She was sure that Lin Ming had many more cards hidden up his sleeve! His strength was absolutely more than what he had revealed so far.

But reasoning told her that even if Lin Ming could instantly kill a peak Pulse Condensation master, it was still impossible for him to kill Ouyang Dihua in the situation he was. But, Lin Ming was an existence that continued to violate all norms and common sense. Who could predict what sorts of miracles he could create?

Ta Ku watched as the true essence stone powder landed on the floor, and he also saw that the crystal strength measuring column had been shattered apart. He let out a sigh, shook his head with a wistful smile, and said, “I admit defeat. I am sincerely convinced! If I reach the peak of Pulse Condensation, the most I will ever be able to achieve is 12,000 jins of strength. I wouldn’t be able to destroy the stone column. Junior-apprentice Brother’s amazing body leaves me speechless. I have nothing else to say!”

The crystal column didn’t have 12,000 jins randomly set as a limit. 12,000 jins could be said to be the limit of a human’s body.

Lin Ming said, “Senior-apprentice Brother Ta Ku, the truth is you don’t need to blindly pursue physical strength. There are many other aspects that you could place your effort in. After all, there is a limit to how high one’s strength can grow.”

To the martial artists of Sky Spill Continent, they did not understand how to open the Eight Inner Hidden Gates and the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace. Thus, there was no future in only pursuing physical power. Refining and tempering the body was of some use, but after they entered the Houtian realm, a mere 10,000 jins of human strength would become insignificant.

Ta Ku humbly said, “I know this, but strength is my best aspect. In other roles, I’m not so good. First, I will breakthrough to the Pulse Condensation period, and then, I’ll slowly consider my options in the future.”

Ta Ku was 21 years old. He should be able to step into the Pulse Condensation period at around 23 or 24 years of age. At this age, he would have basically lost all value for a large sect to raise him. Even if he gave up joining any sects in favor of enlisting in the military, Ta Ku could still become a brave and wonderful general that slaughtered all his enemies.

Just imagine him on the battlefield. A man riding his horse, with a staff in hand, bringing down enemy generals with his mighty strikes. This kind of image was inspirational, and it would no doubt incite the growth of soldier morale. This was something that a martial artist, who specialized in true essence cultivation, would never be able to achieve.

Although Ta Ku could not enter a sect, he was destined to live a life of wealth, glory, honor, and status. It wouldn’t even be a problem for him to become one of the ten Great Generals. He would be at the pinnacle of the mortal world, and countless numbers of soldiers would look up to him in admiration.

It wasn’t a bad thing to stay in the mortal world. He could live an easy-going and honored life in comfort, and he would enjoy two centuries of wealth and fame at least. He would be the subject of affection and reverence, and he could have countless wives and concubines.

Conversely, if he pursued the peak of martial arts, he was doomed to tread a road of suffering! He would have to explore his limits and seek fortuitous encounters, fighting with other masters and narrowly escape with his life! He would have to constantly and tediously cultivate, and he would have to live a lonely life. Although wealth and glory would be at his fingertips, to drown in this would only corrupt his martial spirit. To a martial arts master, they could go into seclusion for 10 or 20 years and not be able to enjoy any pleasures during it. This way of living was normal.

If one wanted to stand against their destiny and escape the endless Samsara, they had to experience pain and loneliness. Lin Ming, especially after having met Mu Qianyu, he had strengthened his resolve to pursue the pinnacle of martial arts.

A mushroom didn’t know its beginning and end, and a mole didn’t know spring or fall. A great figure of the mortal world, even if it were the State Marshal of Sky Fortune Kingdom, Qin Xiao, they would only live a mere 200 years or so. To a martial arts master who stood at the peak, people like Qin Xiao would only be a mole. At most, he would be a mole king.

The Sorcerer of the Southern Wilderness had lived for over 30,000 years, and he had left behind 72 Sorcerer Pagodas that would exist in perpetuity.

But to the common people of Sky Spill Continent, just what was tens of thousands of years? They could only listen to some legendary fables and stories that weren’t even listed in the ancient texts. As the saying goes, paper lasts a millennia and silk lasts 800 years. Silk scrolls would decay in 800 years and paper books would decay in 1000. How could there possibly be any ancient texts from tens of thousands of years ago? Even if it is a legend that is passed down to descendants, most of it is probably made up stories.

Lin Ming didn’t want to return to dust after a few hundred years. He wanted to free himself from the cycle of Samsara, and see just what the peak of martial arts was. What would it be like?

When Lin Ming walked off the stage, Zhao Jifeng and Jiang Bin watched him. They had already recovered, but seeing Lin Ming, they felt a deep sense of fear. Any thoughts of resisting had already fled their mind.

Although 13,000 jins of strength didn’t equate to one’s combat prowess, the scene of the shattering crystal stone pillar was simply too visually impacting.

Was he a human? Who had ever seen a crystal stone pillar destroyed like that? They had never even heard of it before.

Seeing Lin Ming approach, the two of them hastily stood up and quickly scurried away. To stand in the same place as an inhuman existence like Lin Ming was simply too stressful.

“Lin Ming, you can rest for the next quarter of an hour and adjust your condition.” The referee Elder said.

Lin Ming shook his head, “I haven’t used anything. There’s no need to rest, I can go up now.”

“Rest!” said Ling Sen. He was dressed in a tight black outfit with his trademark heavy sword on his back. “I want to fight you when you are in your peak condition, even if it means I lose!”

Lin Ming smiled and said, “Good! What you say is true. I too have long been looking forward to fighting you, from the first moment I saw you!”

The first time that Lin Ming saw Ling Sen was at the Seven Profound Martial House entrance examination. Ling Sen’s entrance on the stage had left an exceedingly profound impression on Lin Ming. His status as the Elder Senior-apprentice Brother of the Heavenly Abode was simply unshakable.

To the Lin Ming of then, Ling Sen had been an unreachable existence. But at that time, Lin Ming had also steeled his resolve that one day he would stand in an arena with Ling Sen and have an earnest match!