Chapter 26: Breaking Through Two Stages In One Night

Thirty-Six Heaven Defying Miracles.

It originated from the Mysterious Hero of Divine Continent and was the ultimate martial art of Sovereign Li Chenzhou.

The art uses Qi to power one’s spirit, will to power the body, and form for execution. The art covered 36 methods to achieve limitless transformations!

Although there were no specific moves, once mastered, one would be able to fuse and connect the use of any weapons or even limbs to generate explosive strength.

Moreover, it was formidable in offense and defense. It also allowed one’s movements to be elusive.

It truly deserved its name as a miraculous technique.

“It’s the Hong Kong manhua version.”

Back in the Eternal Happiness Palace bedchamber, Zhao Mu tried to experience the top-grade martial arts that he had freshly imprinted.

Thirty-Six Heaven Defying Miracles had a myriad of permutations and covered all aspects.

Be it fist, palm, claw, or kicks.

Each can be transformed into a killing move!

Moreover, the more his understanding of martial arts grew, the killing power within his fist and kicks would only grow stronger.

It was an extremely versatile martial art.

“Suits me nicely.”

Zhao Mu studied it in detail, deeply imprinting the domineering will of ‘Raining fists upon every inch of land’ within his soul.

At that moment, the mysterious stone dial in his mind shook slightly and displayed lines of texts.

[Zhao Mu]

[Five hundred years of true Qi]

[Tiger Demon Bone Refinement Fist, Presence Concealment Mantra, Divine Sun and Moon Scriptures, Frozen Heart Mantra, Sacred Heavenly Scriptures, Thirty-Six Heaven Defying Miracles]

“I can barely qualify as a martial arts grandmaster now.”

Zhao Mu smiled.

With his strength at the moment, he was definitely not qualified as a martial arts grandmaster.

However, if one only based it on knowledge of martial arts, he would still qualify as a grandmaster.

Who else in the world could be like him, having access to multiple divine arts?

Moreover, able to fully comprehend and connect them.

“I’ve been held at the third Mortal Stage for too long. Finally, it’s time to breakthrough.”

Zhao Mu sat on the bed in the lotus position and started tackling the breaking through to the fourth Mortal Stage of Circulation.

After refining the Nine Aperture Golden Elixir, his physical body was strengthened to a terrifying state.

The pure internal energy that accumulated continually was like a filled barrel being poured into a pond, immediately becoming insignificant.

Because of that, the rate Zhao Mu converted his true Qi grew by over tenfold.

His apertures had long since been filled with Primordial Yang Qi to the point of overspilling.

After that, he spent half a month and finally polished his second true Qi, the Mysterious Yin Qi to a pure state.

“The third Mortal Stage held me back for several months. Martial arts cultivation is truly like rowing a boat upstream.”

Zhao Mu proactively reflected on his actions and decided he should focus on raising his cultivation stage.

Time to set a minor goal!

He planned to achieve the Qi Refinement Stage by the Emperor of Zhou’s birthday!

Breaking through six cultivation stages within half a year.

Nobody would have believed him and only thought of him as a fool.

One should know that the core disciples and true lineage of the Sacred Grounds might not even achieve such shocking speed at breaking through, much less a crippled prince imprisoned in the cold palace.

“The third Mortal Stage is to unlock the acupoints and apertures of the body, then convert internal energy into true Qi.

“Meanwhile, the fourth Mortal Stage would go one step further and use the true Qi hidden within the apertures to unlock the ancestral aperture, taking the first step to developing one’s spirit.”

Zhao Mu took those key points to heart.

According to Huo Rulie’s experience in martial arts, there would be huge risks involved whenever one tried to break through the next stage from the fourth Mortal Stage and beyond.

For example, using one’s true Qi to charge at the ancestral aperture.

With the slightest mistake, one might end up as a mentally crippled moron.

If it were any other princes, there would surely be experts watching over the process as a prevention measure.

However, for Zhao Mu who was left alone to rot in the cold palace, such treatment was out of the question.

“Break!”

He circulated the intertwined Yin and Yang Qi in his apertures.

They went upward along his spine.

As Zhao Mu let out a loud thunderous groan, his spirit was condensed and integrated with his body.

The 500 years’ worth of massive true Qi rushed straight into his consciousness!

Dong!

It created the ringing sound like the morning bell being hit.

Zhao Mu’s body started shaking greatly. A horizontal gate seemed to have appeared before him.

Its surface was filled with ditches, giving it a mysterious feel.

The roiling Yin and Yang Qi pushed it apart forcefully without pause.

Boom!

The world beyond was vast!

Zhao Mu could vaguely feel his spirit condensing within his consciousness.

He felt as though it was being washed by the warm currents of a hot spring using the essence of heaven and earth.

An extraordinarily comfortable feeling washed over him.

After unblocking the ancestral aperture, the tiny strands of spirit transformed waves of powerful energy.

The body strengthens the spirit while the spirit nurtures the body.

Both complemented each other, fusing into a powerful martial force.

“It’s done?”

Zhao Mu was a little surprised.

He did not expect it to be so easy.

According to Huo Rulie’s experience, unblocking the ancestral aperture was extremely dangerous.

It would usually take several attempts until one could get a feel for it and push through in one go.

“Is this the advantage of having a great foundation? Breaking through the stage was just something natural without the slightest resistance.”

Zhao Mu’s expression was overflowing with confidence.

The aura given off from his body had also gone through some transformation.

Ferocity from the Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fists.

The grandeur of the Divine Sun and Moon Scriptures.

The ruthlessness of the Frozen Heart Mantra.

The aloofness of the Sacred Heavenly Scriptures.

Domineering spirit of the Thirty-Six Heaven Defying Miracles…

Each divine art contained within them the knowledge, understanding, and worldview of its creator.

Zhao Mu unblocked his ancestral aperture and initiated the development of his spirit.

It was like a furnace, slowly refining and fusing all the mess within him into a single unit.

“My head is clear and my mind sharp. If the third Mortal Stage is the transformation of the body, then the fourth Mortal Stage is the metamorphosis of the spirit.”

After concluding his experience, Zhao Mu took a deep breath. He did not stop to rest.

Instead, he once again circulated the Yin and Yang Qi to move downward, charging forth.

“Go all in while the morale is high.”

Benefiting from the freshly unblocked ancestral aperture, Zhao Mu caught onto some inspiration.

He felt that it would be fine for him to develop his dantian with his current accumulated strength.

If that was the case, he might as well get it over with in one go.

That would save him the delay if he missed the opportunity.

“Gather the treasures of the heavens to nurture my nascent essence…”

Reciting the mantra, Zhao Mu’s will grew firmer.

The strands of true Qi spun at high speed, turning into black and white Yin Yang disc and landed three inches below his belly button.

It caused his body to shake as though a heavy object had landed.

The risk of breaking through to the fifth Mortal Stage was not much lower than the fourth Mortal Stage.

If one failed at developing the dantian, one’s sea of Qi, it would cause a reversal of the Qi flow within a person.

One would easily end up being a cripple, or even die on the spot after hemorrhaging from all various orifices.

“I must succeed!”

Zhao Mu’s expression was calm. His tongue touched the tip of his mouth as he exhaled stale breath while inhaling fresh air.

Between each breath, there were tiny strands of snake-like white Qi extending randomly.

Its speed became slower as it eventually evened out until it was barely there.

About 15 minutes later, his body produced a loud sound as though a new world was created.

The illusory dantian was formed in one go.

The 500 years’ worth of massive true Qi within his apertures immediately rushed into the boundless sea surrounded by a divine glow.

Once the true Qi entered, the dantian took on a solid form. The sea of Qi emanated an astonishing level of vitality.

“Is this the Dao foundation?”

Zhao Mu observed internally.

The sea of Qi within his dantian had divine lights floating about.

The Yin and Yang Qi transformed into water and fire, intertwined with each other.

That was the most critical stage of a Mortal Stage cultivator.

“Next will be to forge my blood essence and manifest the root bone.”

The so-called blood essence refers to Innate essence born from condensing one’s Qi to the extreme.

Before a man’s fetus was formed, it would be nurtured by the blood essence.

The stage of childbirth was recorded as a process of transformation from the innate to the acquired stage within Dao and martial scriptures.

The cultivation of the fifth Mortal Stage of Foundation Establishment was to reform one’s blood essence to manifest the root bone.

One had to cleanse the acquired Qi and approach one’s innate form.

Completing that step would allow one’s bodily functions to be strengthened by leaps and bounds.

One could even go on without sustenance for several months, achieving the so-called grain avoidance feat of a Daoist.

“I’ve broken through two stages in one night.”

Zhao Mu let out a long breath with a satisfied look in his eyes.

Regardless of what was happening outside, he would just sit quietly in the cold palace and cultivate in peace.