Invincible Under Heaven

Sparring

"So this is the state of Condensing Ki into a Core!"

Li Xian integrated his cultivation technique.

"Primordial energy as one, with no leaks throughout the body—this is the process of gathering all essence and ki into the body, nurturing it with the foundation of blood exchange and marrow cleansing, cultivating vital energy. Then, by using this thread of vital energy as a bridge, infuse spiritual intent, refine it into true ki, and step into the extraordinary realm!"

He suddenly felt enlightened.

Everything prior to having no leaks throughout the body was about laying the foundation and forging an ultimate physique.

After that, using the state of no leaks and primordial unity, he would compress and nurture essence and ki, thus forming vital blood.

Then, guided by spiritual intent, the false turns real, combining into true ki!

Li Xian once again recalled the stages of blood exchange and marrow cleansing, internal refinement of viscera, and external forging of muscles and bones; his thoughts became as clear as the sun breaking through clouds, no more doubts remained.

"In my past life, I couldn't cultivate true ki, never reached the innate realm. It wasn't because of a lack of talent or a roadblock ahead—it was Heaven and Earth!"

Li Xian looked up and gazed out the window.

The moon hung like a jade plate, bright and flawless.

"Heaven and Earth are like a prison, forging chains that limit my growth!"

He reached out, as if he could feel a sliver of moonlight streaming through the windowsill, illuminating his palm.

A patch of land, but the span of an inch.

He lowered his gaze slightly.

"Stars hang low over the broad plain, the moon surges in the river's flow."

At the moment, he didn't sleep.

He simply cultivated spirit and ki with the method of Condensing Ki into a Core, maintained the state of primordial unity, and began to comprehend vital energy and blood.

Aiming too high?

Cultivating three realms at once?

No!

He was going to take the high ground, cultivating all four realms together, rapidly accumulating foundation in the great stages before attaining Body with No Leaks—muscles and bones, viscera, blood exchange, and marrow cleansing!

"Of course, the masters and martial saints of each generation weren't fools; it's just that at the stage of internal muscle and bone refinement, they weren't yet masters or saints."

He was different.

"I am."

......

The next day.

Li Xian arrived at the Martial Hall.

Compared to yesterday, there were many more people in the Martial Hall today.

At a glance, no less than twenty or thirty.

Among these twenty or thirty people, though dressed in training garb of ordinary styles, the materials were top-notch, the stitching fine—it was obvious they were people of means.

Zhou Juechen was not present; only Hongyu was instructing the two or three dozen, going back and forth, clearly busy.

Seeing this, Li Xian didn't disturb her.

He practiced Green Jade Fist externally on the side, and Wuji Technique internally.

Only when she had some free time did he step forward to ask, "There are so many disciples in the Martial Hall, and you're the only instructor. Must be quite busy—do you want some help?"

"You?"

Hongyu looked at him in surprise.

"You're surprised and doubtful because I've only been training in martial arts for a short while and you think I'm not strong enough. But in fact, I have studied martial arts theory for many years, well-versed in principles, just rarely practiced, so my muscles and bones haven't caught up. After a month of hard practical drilling, I've already achieved some results—I daresay I am not inferior to you."

Li Xian knew she might not believe him, so he said directly, "The biggest advantage of martial artists is that we don't have to argue with words about right or wrong. So, why not spar with me and see?"

Years studying martial arts?

This statement made Hongyu take him a bit more seriously.

The Four Great Talents of Lijiang were renowned for their cleverness and wit, far above the average.

She regarded Li Xian.

He indeed hadn't forged his muscles and bones yet, but he was upright in bearing, outstandingly handsome, and...

There was an air about him.

A kind of confident composure, as if he could always stay unruffled no matter the time or place.

People like this were either ignorant or...

Truly confident.

"Excelling in both the literary and martial arts?"

Hongyu pondered for a moment, finally granting him some leeway and nodded, "Fine, let's go to the inner courtyard."

She instructed the disciples to keep practicing, then led Li Xian straight to the inner court.

"You or me first?" she gestured.

"Come."

Li Xian beckoned her forward, clearly giving her first move.

"Heh."

Hongyu cut the pleasantries.

As Li Xian himself had said, the greatest advantage of martial artists was that actions spoke for themselves.

If someone was arrogant, just beat them once and they'd behave.

"Watch out!"

A sharp glint flashed through Hongyu's eyes.

She turned her hand into a knife, slicing horizontally.

As her hand chop swept out, her body leaned forward and stepped in.

Her left hand, clenched into a fist, readied for a strike as she lunged.

Li Xian's expression was calm.

He blocked, stopping Hongyu's hand-chop, while the corner of his eye precisely picked up on the singular point where her toe, waist, and arm gathered force.

Then he stretched out his hand, spreading his fingers, and instantly caught Hongyu's stepping lunge punch in his palm.

At first glance, it looked as if Hongyu had deliberately sent her little fist into the center of his palm.

This scene immediately changed Hongyu's expression.

But right after, Li Xian's fingers locked tight, a surge of force exploding out, like a golden lock snapping shut.

Hongyu found herself unable to withdraw her arm.

With a sudden shake of Li Xian's arm, a force shot through her fist like lightning, traveling toward her wrist and arm, seemingly about to dislocate her arm right there.

Not good!

All the muscles and bones in Hongyu's body rang out.

Force exploded!

The sleeve of her arm seemed torn by invisible strength. Relying solely on her tendons and bones' power, she forcefully dispersed the transmission of Li Xian's energy with his shake.

Then her wrist trembled, releasing shock-force outward and forcibly broke free from Li Xian's grip.

But before she could leap back and widen the gap, she felt a cool sensation at her neck.

"!!?"

Just as she had exploded her strength to break free from his grip, Li Xian's other hand darted in like lightning, fingers forming a sword, and traced across her neck.

That strike...

If he hadn't just grazed her neck, but instead struck directly at her throat and vertebrae—

"I'm dead?"

Hongyu was in disbelief.

Just now, she'd judged that Li Xian wasn't strong, so how did she...

Lose so thoroughly?

"Mm."

Li Xian nodded slightly, calm as if making the most ordinary of statements. "Your strength application is too obvious—every move is completely telegraphed in my eyes. It's as if you're about to announce when and where you're going to strike. By simply targeting that, you fell into danger and lost sight of a greater threat."

"I..."

Her master had scolded her for these flaws before, and she'd been consciously correcting them.

Yet they were still this obvious!?

Seeing her reaction, Li Xian thought of one of his own old flaws.

In his last life, he'd learned martial arts from an old Daoist, but didn't read much, so he wasn't good with words.

Now, being so blunt, it was easy to hurt others...

So, he switched to a gentler and more reassuring tone, "But actually, you're still very strong—your muscles and bones are fully tempered, internal strength readily released. Look, you made my palm red. If I hadn't loosened my grip when you exploded your strength, I might have had my bones rattled, so you truly are impressive."

As he spoke, he raised his hand.

It was indeed red.

This comfort did more harm than good; comforted, Hongyu felt even more ashamed, mortified to face anyone.

Especially thinking of the advice she'd given Li Xian yesterday, she was downright desperate to crawl into a hole.

Beyond embarrassment, she was a little angry too.

"You clearly have this sort of strength—why didn't you say so?"

"I did say—regarding the first four realms, I already have an understanding, you all just didn't believe it."

Li Xian replied.

Hongyu was stunned.

He had indeed said that.

"Of course, my knowledge is mainly theoretical—I still need time to temper myself before reaching the stages of internal training of the viscera and blood exchange."

Li Xian explained again.

"You... you mean you really figured out all these principles just by reading books and mulling it over for a long time?"

There was some disbelief in Hongyu's eyes.

Training martial arts...

Was it truly that easy!?

"Mm."

Read books?

Li Xian actually hadn't read that many.

But he couldn't tell Hongyu that he was someone reborn into this life.

That was just too hard to believe.

Unwilling to explain, he just followed her logic, "That's about right."

"This..."

Hongyu's mind turned blank, as if struck a tremendous blow.

"So this is what a one-in-a-million martial genius is like?"

She recalled how she'd started bitter training at thirteen—bright force in one year, muscles and bones perfected in five—yet compared to the Lijiang prodigy before her...

It seemed she'd practiced into a dog's body.

Li Xian couldn't fathom Hongyu's thoughts. After explaining, he went straight to the point.

"There are about thirty disciples in the Martial Hall, with just you as instructor. May I ask if you're taking on temporary instructors? I'd like to apply—for one month, covering daily meals, just add a bowl of Eight Treasures Broth."

"Instructor?"

Li Xian's words brought Hongyu back to her senses.

Her gaze fell on Li Xian.

From how easily he'd defeated her...

His strength was at least on par with martial artists at the fourth realm, the level of internal refinement of the viscera.

At that stage, martial artists could make a name for themselves in the jianghu, open their own halls in town, and be respected as martial teachers.

Most martial hall masters in the city were at that level.

Even some older ones relied on tendon-refinement disciples to manage their halls, yet still attracted endless apprentices.

With Li Xian's strength applying as an instructor at Longquan Martial Hall, he was more than qualified.

But...

"Not possible?"

Li Xian seemed to sense her hesitation and lowered his requirements, "If not handling daily meals, just provide me with a daily portion of Eight Treasures Broth."

"No, no."

Hongyu quickly waved her hands.

"If Young Lord Li is willing to join our hall, I'd be delighted. But... master left early this morning for Mount Canglang to attend a martial gathering and isn't in the city, so I can't make the decision..."

At that, she seemed to realize something.

"Wait! Is it because of the Eight Treasures Broth? Master specifically instructed that any time you come, you can have a bowl of Eight Treasures Broth."

"One bowl isn't enough,"

Li Xian said honestly.

"You want two bowls?"

"If I could properly supplement myself and use secret techniques to aid digestion, three bowls a day would be best."

"Three bowls?!"

Hongyu's eyes widened involuntarily.

Could he even digest that?

After a moment's thought, she made a decision.

"Though master is gone, he left the martial hall in my care for now. As long as you can digest it, I can allow you three bowls of Eight Treasures Broth per day. As for the instructor position..."

Hongyu trusted Li Xian's abilities, but without her master's approval, she dared not risk the reputation of Longquan Martial Hall.

What's more...

This Young Lord Li came with a big problem attached.

"You focus on training for now—take your meals from the hall. We'll discuss the instructor position when master returns."

Hongyu said.

"Alright."

With the supply of three bowls of Eight Treasures Broth, Li Xian had already achieved his goal, not to mention he didn't have to spend time teaching the disciples.

"I'll let Uncle Fu know you'll be having the Eight Treasures Broth. You can go straight over for it."

"Thank you."

"No need."

Hongyu looked at Li Xian, her eyes glittering.

Just yesterday, her master had still wondered if Li Xian would grasp strength and hammer bone within three months.

But she hadn't expected...

He'd already surpassed bone forging!

At this rate, in three months, he might very well achieve full refinement of the viscera!

"When master comes back and hears of this... I wonder what he'll think?"

She couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

After all, in Lijiang's martial circles, the strongest of the younger generation, the Lijiang Three Talents, were only at this level. If this Young Lord Li really achieved such progress in three months...

He'd be called legendary!

In literature, one of the Four Luminaries of Lijiang—a title well-deserved!

In martial arts, he'd join the Four Heroes of Lijiang—dashing, dazzling!

And she... Hongyu!

Would be the living witness to this legend!