Chapter 762: Sword Soaring Ninety Thousand Li, One Sword Cleaves the Firmament

"The Third Realm for a War God is also known as the Spirit Refining Stage." Ye Xiu saw the admiring and respectful gazes of all the War Gods. At that moment, he finally confirmed that he could perfectly lead this group to maneuver against the three great Judicator Families.

Indeed, this was the entire purpose of Ye Xiu’s lecture.

"Does everyone know how powerful the Spirit Refining Stage is?" Ye Xiu asked loudly.

No one answered. Even Yan Long dared not speak, fearing he would be proven wrong.

"Let me give you a taste!"

Ye Xiu took a deep breath.

The next moment, all the War Gods in the audience felt a collective wave of dizziness.

"What’s happening?" Bruce exclaimed.

The other War Gods were also deeply shocked, realizing that if they had been in combat, an opponent making them dizzy for even a tenth of a second would have meant their lives were forfeit.

"This is an ability that comes with the Spirit Refining Stage!" Ye Xiu said with a smile. "Based on my encounters with many Martial Artists from the three great Judicator Families and the Eternal Kingdom, it seems that even they don’t know how to use the abilities of the Spirit Refining Stage."

These words sent a thrill of excitement through the War Gods. If they could unleash a power unknown even to the three great Judicator Families, they could set a trap for the Martial Artists of those families and the Eternal Kingdom, and it would work every single time!

"The Spirit Refining Stage refines the spirit, the soul, and one’s mental force." Ye Xiu spoke like a professor at a lectern, addressing students eager for knowledge. "To give you all a common example, when Extraordinary Abilities Holders use their special abilities, they are employing spiritual power, which is also called soul power or mental force. For simplicity, I will refer to it all as spiritual power.

"Refining the spirit is incredibly tedious and very painful. However, the longer one remains in the Spirit Refining Stage, the more spiritual power one accumulates. A Martial Artist’s comprehension, memory, and insight all become stronger. I won’t go into detail about the many other wonderful benefits here.

"I will just tell you how to use spiritual power. It requires a Secret Technique, which I will later share with you through the Martial Artist Forum.

"Those with strong spiritual power can silently and instantly annihilate weaker opponents or even those at the same level, just as I did when I made you all dizzy for a moment."

An instant kill?

The War Gods in the audience began breathing rapidly. They eagerly awaited Huang Quan’s Secret Technique. Once they learned it, they wouldn’t even have to lift a finger to fight anymore. They could kill someone with just a look.

"The Fourth Realm for a War God is also known as the Body Refining Stage. There’s not much to say about this. Just circulate your qi and blood, hone your qi flow, and strengthen your muscles, bones, and flesh."

Ye Xiu spoke briefly about the Body Refining Stage before continuing, "Now, I will focus on the Fifth Realm, the Integration Stage. Bruce, tell us how you cultivated when you were in the Fifth Realm."

Damn it, he’s just trying to make me look like a fool in public! Bruce grumbled internally but said obediently, "The Integration Stage, as the name implies, is about using my self-created Martial Arts to integrate with the path I wish to pursue. Once the integration is complete, one advances to the Sixth Realm, the Enlightenment Stage."

Ye Xiu listened and then stated bluntly, "What a blockhead!"

Bruce: "..."

The faces of the other War Gods at the Fifth Realm and above turned red, as they had all done the exact same thing as Bruce.

"The Integration Stage is a crucial step on the path of cultivation. If you take this step incorrectly, you might get lucky like Bruce and at best, reach the early Eighth Realm. Your journey will end there for the rest of your life."

Bruce was aghast. No wonder his strength hadn’t improved an inch despite years of secluded cultivation after reaching the Eighth Realm. It turned out he had gone astray back in the Fifth Realm.

He hurriedly asked, "Then how should one cultivate during the Integration Stage?"

Ye Xiu answered, "The Integration Stage is also called the Selection Stage. It is the period when you choose the path you will follow from then on.

"So-called integration is not about merging your self-created Martial Arts with your desired path.

"Rather, it is about Martial Arts integrating with intent, Martial Arts integrating with qi, Martial Arts integrating with spirit, and Martial Arts integrating with the body. Essentially, you must integrate the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Realms, one by one.

"Of course, if you have Special Abilities or Totems, those must also be integrated.

"After this integration, you will clearly see the path your future should take. For example, if integrating intent with your Martial Arts produces more power than integrating qi, spirit, body, Special Abilities, or Totems, then you should choose the path of ’Martial Arts integrating with intent.’

"Once you have chosen your path, focus on honing it until you step into the Sixth Realm, the Enlightenment Stage.

"Speaking of which, for all of you War Gods at the Sixth Realm and above, when you advanced to the Sixth Realm, did any of you experience the ’Martial Arts Resonance’?"

The War Gods in the audience looked completely baffled.

What in the world is Martial Arts Resonance?

"You can judge a person’s potential from the volume of their Martial Arts Resonance," Ye Xiu continued. "For instance, one person’s Martial Arts Resonance might only be audible to those within a few meters, while another’s might be heard from over ten miles away..."

As he spoke, Ye Xiu noticed that all the Sixth and Seventh Realm practitioners, as well as the sole Eighth Realm, Bruce, were looking down as if searching for something.

"What are you all doing?" Ye Xiu asked.

"This is too embarrassing. I’m looking for a hole to crawl into," Bruce said, his face a mask of despair. "When I advanced to the Sixth Realm, all I heard was a faint POP, so quiet that only I could hear it. At the time, I thought I had just farted."

Ye Xiu: "..."

He could see that all the Sixth and Seventh Realm War Gods present were just like Bruce. It wasn’t that they hadn’t experienced the Martial Arts Resonance when they advanced; it was that the sound had been too faint for them to even notice.

"It’s alright, you can recultivate," Ye Xiu said with a smile. "And you can do so while maintaining your current realm and strength."

Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and stopped looking for holes in the ground.

"Um, Huang Quan, may I ask you a question?" Bruce asked.

"Go ahead!" Ye Xiu nodded.

"When you were in the Fifth Realm Integration Stage, which path did you ultimately choose?" Bruce asked.

All the War Gods in the audience leaned in, their curiosity piqued.

"I chose all the paths," Ye Xiu replied.

Everyone: "???"

You can do that? Come to think of it, just how long must Huang Quan have remained in the Fifth Realm Integration Stage to choose all the paths?

At that moment, all the War Gods became even more certain that Huang Quan was an old man, well over a hundred years old.

"Why did you choose to walk all paths at once?" Bruce asked.

Ye Xiu didn’t hide the truth. "The Sixth Realm is Enlightenment, and the Seventh is Dao Fusion. I fused all the paths I walked into one. This is what forged my current invincibility and granted me an ability I call ’Death Radius’. It means that anyone who steps into this radius, with me at its center, will die!"

All the War Gods in the audience gasped.

That Death Radius sounded terrifying, yet also incredibly tempting. Instantly, every War God secretly decided that they, like Huang Quan, would choose to walk all paths during their Integration Stage. It was worth it, even if it took much more time.

"When you entered the Sixth Realm, how far did your Martial Arts Resonance travel?" Bruce asked curiously.

This question was rather awkward.

"COUGH, COUGH." Ye Xiu coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment before speaking the truth. "I don’t cultivate by absorbing spiritual energy. This means I’m also in the process of recultivating. So, hehe, when I reach the Sixth Realm and find out the distance of my Martial Arts Resonance, I’ll be sure to tell you."

Silence.

After hearing Ye Xiu’s words, the stadium suddenly fell into a deathly hush.

Huang Quan had become this powerful without even cultivating by absorbing spiritual energy? If he were to recultivate properly, wouldn’t he become powerful enough to defy the heavens?

"Alright, let’s stop at the Fifth Realm Integration Stage for today. When any of you reach the peak of the Fifth Realm, you may ask me privately about the Cultivation Methods for the Sixth Realm," Ye Xiu announced. Biting off more than you can chew is pointless; even if I explained everything now, it would be useless.

Just then, the Taoist Leader Gongsun Jian stood up and asked, "Senior Huang Quan, our school of Taoism cultivates the Sword Dao. Could you perhaps offer us some guidance?"

"Of course!" Ye Xiu nodded. He thought for a moment, then said, "The sword has swiftness and slowness, lightness and heaviness, size and subtlety, agility and clumsiness. The Sword Dao is a branch of the Slaughter Path. You must never suppress the killing intent in your heart. Let your sword roam ninety thousand miles; let one strike sever the heavens. Do you understand my words?"

Gongsun Jian lowered his head in silence for a long time, then suddenly burst into tears.

"Damn it, I’ve strayed from the proper cultivation path too! And I’ve led everyone in Taoism astray with me..."

Ye Xiu: "..."