The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS
Chapter 369 - 181 The Essence of Martial Arts

Chapter 369: Chapter 181 The Essence of Martial Arts

Martial arts’ essence, in low-level worlds, is merely for contention and maintaining physical health.

But in this world, where Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi is extremely abundant, its nature requires a change. The essence of contention remains, but maintaining physical health is replaced by evolution.

With the refinement of Martial Arts Realm, the gap between martial artists and common folks widens evermore. A chasm emerges continuously until, at last, it becomes as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.

Such is the situation with Qing Yu now. Due to his unique cultivation technique, Qing Yu’s perception and insight far exceed those of others in the same realm. Even some martial artists in the True Pill Realm may not compare to him in this regard.

This leads to an early and rapidly growing difference between him and ordinary people.

Two years ago, when Qing Yu was still nestled in Qing Province Beicang Mountain, he was just an ordinary person. Now, Qing Yu differs greatly from ordinary people, or even those below the Innate Realm.

Like Feng Jiu’s Fourteenth Sister, the Fourteenth Princess of Northern Zhou, Feng Chuhuan, her background is among the top in the current world, born to the Imperial Family, personally taught by Divinity Realm warrior Feng Mingxiao.

Though the Princess has quite a temper, she nonetheless harbors a significant passion for martial arts. At her teenage years, she already reached the Innate Seventh Layer. Were she to venture into worldly society, she could even make it onto the Dragon and Phoenix List.

But in Qing Yu’s eyes, Feng Chuhuan is no different from an ordinary person.

The difference lies not only in the fact that for Qing Yu to kill her would be as easy as killing any commoner, both achievable with a single move but also because in Qing Yu’s eyes, Feng Chuhuan has no secrets, much like any other person.

Qing Yu, in his role as part of Feng Jiu’s staff, frequently comes and goes from the Imperial Palace and has met Feng Chuhuan a few times.

It is through these few encounters that Qing Yu has grasped all there is to know about Feng Chuhuan, more than she knows herself.

If Qing Yu really wanted to make a move, deliberately befriend her, he was confident that he could become her close friend within three days, make her yearn for him within five days, and within ten days, make Feng Chuhuan think, "If I can’t be with him, I might as well be dead."

This is no exaggeration—it’s just like Qing Yu’s previous life’s galgame; as long as you have the walkthrough, you’re destined to conquer the target. In Qing Yu’s eyes, Feng Chuhuan, whose every detail is known, is no different from a game character.

For such a game character, it would be strange if Qing Yu could generate any interest.

Of course, there’s also a degree of disgust involved. If you could see at a glance how much crap is inside a goddess’ belly, you’d feel disgusted too.

This is still during the Divine Origin Realm. If Qing Yu were to reach the True Pill Realm and his perception further enhanced, at that time, if Feng Chuhuan still hasn’t broken through to the Divine Origin Realm, Qing Yu could easily achieve the mentality of "a ferocious tiger in the heart, keenly sniffing out the scent."

So, if it really were for garnering support from Feng Mingxiao, rather than woo Feng Chuhuan, Qing Yu would prefer tackling the much more challenging Feng Mingxiao.

In Qing Yu’s eyes, Feng Chuhuan isn’t even as appealing as a paper figure—at least paper figures don’t need to crap.

"According to what you’re saying, then you should be even more familiar and disgusted with the impurities within your own body. After all, compared to sensing others, you don’t guard against yourself and your perception should be much clearer," Feng Jiu said lightly with a smile.

"Me?" Qing Yu gave a wry smile, "You still don’t quite grasp my current realm, which is Divine Origin. Now my realm has reached a point where the True Qi in my body can directly crush the food I eat, absorb the essence, and expel the waste. By the late stage of Divine Origin, martial artists can practice fasting and maintain basic life functions just by occasionally taking some spiritual medicine.

"Of course, for Body Refining Martial Artists, food intake is still necessary. However, the consumption at the Divine Origin Realm can’t be supplemented by ordinary food anymore; at the very least, spiritual medicine is required."

"When you reach the True Pill Realm, the inhalation and exhalation of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi is better than thousands of delicacies. For martial artists above the True Pill Realm, lack of water and food won’t kill them; prolonged lack of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi will most definitely lead to death."

Qing Yu’s face was cool, and in his discourse, he revealed the vast difference between martial artists and mortals, "So, the essence of martial arts is evolution. The more advanced the stage, the less human one becomes, approaching the divinity and demons of legends. At the Divinity Realm, the gap between martial artists and mortals is truly as vast as that between heaven and earth. One soars freely through the sky, and the other toils on the ground."

"How Divinity Realm is, I do not have the standing to comprehend," Feng Jiu shook her head, "but I dare say, even though you haven’t reached the Divinity Realm, transcending the ordinary, approaching the stature of gods and demons, your mindset is already inhuman, very close to gods and demons. Perhaps some Divinity Realm warriors don’t even possess such thoughts as you do."

At least Feng Mingxiao and Zhuge Longsu are not like this. Feng Jiu silently added in her mind.

From her interaction with the two Divinity Realm warriors she had met, maybe their strength was extraordinary, but their mindsets were still of mortal hearts.

Unlike Qing Yu before her, who had a heart close to divine or possibly demonic.

A trace of fear for Qing Yu emerged in Feng Jiu’s heart.

This had nothing to do with loyalty. It wasn’t something Feng Jiu intended—it was an instinct, an innate fear of powerful otherworldly beings.

"The more you see, the more you think. The more powerful the essence you contact, the more your heart involuntarily leans towards it," Qing Yu said indifferently.

After entering the state of the "Observing Heaven Method," Qing Yu could see through everything in the surrounding heaven and earth. That feeling of all things under observation without emotion stirred, the myriad of existence at one’s fingertips, indeed inspires yearning.

As Qing Yu’s confidant, Feng Jiu naturally knew of this state. However, unlike Qing Yu, she harbored a deep-seated fear of this almost Heavenly Dao state.

The "Observing Heaven Method" might be beneficial, but a slight misstep and one could easily be assimilated by it, ultimately becoming part of the course of nature. Even as the seas change and the fields grow old, your heart remains eternal, but at that point, your heart is no longer your own.

"While Heavenly Dao is desirable, as a human being, one should be cautious," Feng Jiu advised.

"I am well aware of its advantages and disadvantages," Qing Yu laughed, "rest assured and wait to see; in the end, it’s a question of who assimilates whom."

Qing Yu, of course, had no intention of heeding Feng Jiu’s advice and giving up his own path. With clarity brought by the "Mountain Scripture," his certainty and resolution for his own path were unprecedented.

There was no possibility of giving up. Qing Yu feared death, feared assimilation, but more than that, he feared mundanity and mediocrity. Having experienced years of house arrest, Qing Yu understood all too well that, in this world where martial force reigned supreme, the weak might not have to face life and death, but their lives and deaths were subject to the whims of the strong.

One did not have to face life and death because once confronting a mortal situation, there was no chance of reversal.

Moreover, with chaotic times on the horizon and various powers stirring both openly and covertly, now was not the time to slack off; otherwise, there would be no power to choose life or death in the future.