Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 52 - 52 44 Flame Spear

52: Chapter 44 Flame Spear 52: Chapter 44 Flame Spear Early morning, sunlight streamed in through the window.

Gu Wen slowly exhaled a breath of dull energy, which transformed into Gang Qi and left holes upon touching the ground.

He opened his eyes, a trace of killing intent in his gaze that could not be dismissed, nor was it a surge of emotional tumult but rather the calm, profound depths of an abyss.

[Flame Spear, evolved from the Xuanming Spear, perfecting the art of moves, exhausting the murderous intents of heaven and earth.]

[First Level, Ming Jin, where force and energy fuse into one, unmatched in ferocity.]

[Second Level, An Jin, hidden within the form, invisible from the outside, moving like thunder.]

[Third Level, Xuan Jin, turning the tangible into intangible, merging myriad forces into one.]

The first three levels were still based on the Xuanming Spear, a cultivation technique during the Qi Cultivation Stage without any flaws, even considered reaching the pinnacle.

A warrior’s ultimate exploration of mortal martial arts, the human body’s ultimate use of polearms, where countless moves adhere to a central principle.

But the next three levels were where Gu Wen truly exceeded beyond the original.

[Fourth Level, Flame Spear Gang, enveloped by Gang Qi, shocks ten thousand troops, hard as iron.]

[Fifth Level, Flame Spear Intent, the spear technique penetrates the mysterious, Intent moves with the spear, demolishing the solid and eradicating the spirit.]

The Fourth Level transformed into a new form of Gang, its power and added hardness was twice that of the Xuanming Spear, while the consumption of Mana only increased slightly.

The Fifth Level underwent the greatest change, incorporating a trace of Divine Soul attack, with the spear’s Intent, the enemy would become dazed, even stiffened with fright.

For instance, using the spear’s Intent to freeze someone with a glance.

At last…

Gu Wen right hand loosely gripped, a streak of dark red fire spread, and a dark red spear materialized in his hand, ten feet long, weightless, radiating a fierce blood light, emitting only killing intent as cold as ice upon contact.

A plain, unadorned Daoist Soldier.

[Sixth Level, Flame Spear God, spear technique merges with the divine, mimics heaven and earth, the art of the dharma form.]

Yu Hua had said, above the Daoist Soldier’s art of war were the Gang, then the Intent, and above them was the God, fulfilled by the law.

Often, those who mastered the divine realm of martial arts were among the strongest just below the True Monarchs, their combat strength far surpassing that of other cultivators.

That was his greatest gain, and the most dominant martial power Gu Wen had ever mastered!

With a thought, Gu Wen resonated with the Flame Spear, the deeply mystical sense turned into the plainest and most unadorned meaning within his cognition.

Invincible within a square inch, lifelessness within six feet.

Killing and drinking blood, nurturing the Daoist Soldier.

Close-quarters unmatched, the energy from killing could nurture the weapon.

Gu Wen felt an unprecedented ease of mind and body, this sensation of controlling power addicted him.

After half a year of cultivation, he had the strength of a thousand catties in his hands, his breath could form Gang Qi, and he could kill with a nod.

Though he could not topple cities or shatter mountains, strength was relative.

If there were not the great powers moving mountains and seas, then Gu Wen was undoubtedly among the very top of Daqian, at least within the top ten.

But with this cultivation, what about facing an army?

On the plains, he had no chance against cavalry, facing the coordinated volleys of powerful crossbows was a matter of life and death, and getting trapped in a military formation meant certain death.

This was Gu Wen’s assessment.

Aside from these three circumstances, his death was almost impossible.

And this wasn’t a flaw in cultivation, it was a change brought about by cultivation.

Ordinary people facing an army couldn’t even resist regular infantrymen wielding knives, let alone cavalry or heavy-armored infantry.

On Jianghu, martial arts experts have to kneel before even the most ordinary infantry.

Cultivation made it so that the army posed a threat only under strict conditions, conditions the army itself could hardly create proactively; only if he went mad and handed the enemy a knife could such a situation possibly arise.

Armies on the move often numbered thousands, or even tens of thousands, the long treks requiring logistical support many times that of the regular forces.

Even trapped within the city of Bianjing, Gu Wen was confident he could escape, as long as he didn’t brazenly storm through the city gates.

Relying on the complex terrain within the city, he could overpower five or six people, military formations of dozens could not deploy properly, and hundreds would only disrupt their own ranks.

Gu Wen felt certain and his mood lifted as never before, living cautiously and discreetly for five years just like a monkey pressed under the Five Elements Mountain, today he finally managed to stretch himself a bit.

He turned his head again towards the window, the imperial aura passed over from the direction of the palace.

The real danger was the Lord Emperor.

Although it seemed Yu Hua might be able to suppress the other, he ultimately did not like to rely on someone else for hope.

He closed his eyes, nurtured his energy, the Qi Sea in his dantian had grown to the size of a basketball.

Without Qi Nourishing Pills there could be no rapid growth, but whatever little could be gathered was still something.

Thud, thud, thud.

The room door was knocked, and the voice of the little eunuch came through.

“Mr.

Wen, are you awake?”

Gu Wen got out of bed to open the door and meet the visitor, the little eunuch Feng Baoming conveyed a message, “Mr.

Wen, His Highness wants you to deliver the Water House’s account books to the prince’s mansion by 7 p.m.”

“I understand.”

The little eunuch left; he was unaware of the matter concerning the Pills, serving just as a messenger.

It seemed that Zhao Feng was indeed in a hurry.

Gu Wen was not, however.

He returned to his room to meditate again, his mind sinking into the Qi Sea.

[Heavenly Marrow for one year]

Heavenly fire smelts; sagacity turns into broth.

A round of moonlight appeared on the Qi Sea, a figure floated in the air, now leaping thirty feet high, now gliding a hundred meters, akin to the light kung fu one reads about in martial arts novels from a previous life.

Light kung fu existed in this world, but it required immortal cultivation.

[Moonset Step, Second Level: Short leap like the wind, light as a swallow]

It allowed him to move extremely fast over short distances, dodging moves as if propelled, achieving effects similar to teleportation; the downside being it consumed five times more energy than the First Level.

The final level of Moonset Step, the Third Level Ling Yue, made the practitioner light as a feather, leaping thirty feet in one bound.

[Heavenly Marrow depleted]

“Second Level is enough for now.”

—————–

At noon, Water House.

Gu Wen went to the Water House to eat; the meat, eggs, and dairy on the table changed with the season.

Gu Wen liked lamb, but due to Daqian waging war with the barbarians in the north, the price of lamb was high, so it had been replaced with chicken.

Little Fullness bitter herbs, which clear heat and relieve fire, also made it to the table.

Jiang Fugui brought his teenage son, Jiang Jucai, to familiarize him with Gu Wen, establishing a sort of nepotistic relationship.

Unlike his father who had a sneaky appearance, Jiang Jucai had a noble countenance and exuded the aura of a scholar after years of study.

Their family belonged to the classic model where the grandfather trades, the son studies, and the grandson enters the bureaucracy, potentially stepping into the gentry class after three generations of effort.

Gu Wen was not overly interested in these ‘grand endeavors,’ but that didn’t stop Jiang Fugui from incessantly talking about studying, civil examinations, and entering officialdom.

“Has the silk sent from South Water County via the river arrived?”

Gu Wen remembered the matter of the silk.

Jiang Fugui replied, “It has arrived, but the handcraft industry in South Water County is thriving, all processed into threads and even fabrics.

They brought it here to earn extra processing fees.

It may be a bit tough for us to handle it profitably, as there is neither money nor fame in it.”

The profit margins for fabric were always low; otherwise, Jiang Fugui, used to doing business at Dragon Bridge, would not have considered it.

“The people of Bianjing need to eat in these depressive times; I must work even if the earnings are lesser.”

Gu Wen spoke as calmly as usual, yet his actions were drastically different.

“Good business lies in real deeds that rescue the people.”

The textile mills had always been the backbone of the city’s industry; apart from agriculture, they employed the most people and were closely connected to everyone.

Thus, the imperial government strictly regulated them with numerous taxes, generally a tough business without gratification.

Most of the mills were therefore operated by the government.

Jiang Fugui was stunned for a moment, sensing something different about Mr.

Wen, yet unable to articulate it.

In the past, Mr.

Wen also helped the impoverished, but the only difference was he never directly stated his intentions to help the people; he disliked fame and resisted being well-known.

Today, however, there was an extra touch of righteousness to him and an undeniable majesty hard to conceal.

One more hour until the Pills were ready.

Gu Wen instructed Jiang Fugui to guard the outside, letting no one in, and Jiang Fugui, as always, asked no questions.

He donned his night attire, covered his face with a hat, and climbed out the window.

Outside, the setting sun made his black-clad, masked figure particularly conspicuous, but the purpose of the outfit was not to make him unseen but unrecognizable.

Thus, he could freely indulge as he wished.