Chapter 238 - 211: Unrestrained

Zhao Xuanqi’s statement was a public admission that he had entered the realm of Harmony!

Even though they had suspected it, hearing Zhao Xuanqi admit it himself felt like a thunderclap, leaving their minds reeling.

For a Martial Artist, the realm of Harmony was like a truly insurmountable chasm.

The Martial Artists of the Divine Land were countless, but very few could ever reach the level of Inner Cultivation. As for Harmony, the stage beyond Inner Cultivation, those who reached it were regional overlords. Every single one of them was a renowned figure throughout the Divine Land.

People like them, at Half-Step Harmony, could already preside over a region and command a major sect. A true master of Harmony, on the other hand, was an existence capable of genuinely influencing the entire political landscape of the Divine Land.

The realm was defined by the Unity of Body and Mind, the Unity of Knowledge and Action, and having one’s Intent Reach All Over the Body. In this state, the deepest potential of life was unlocked, giving rise to all sorts of incredible abilities. It was a transcendent state, free from the constraints of the mundane world. Only those of astonishing and peerless talent could ever hope to reach it.

Although all of them had reached Half-Step Harmony, they had no confidence they could ever cross that final threshold.

To comprehend the rise and fall of worldly affairs, the light and shadow of life; to see things as clearly as a blazing fire; to understand one’s intent and thereby recognize the Dao—only with great wisdom and immense perseverance could one shatter that boundary.

Generally, reaching the realm of Harmony required the tempering of time. As the saying went, how can one know their true heart without first entering the Red Dust of the mortal world?

And yet, according to the information they had, Zhao Xuanqi was barely twenty years old. To have reached such a realm at his age?!

Looking back through the entire Martial History of the Divine Land, perhaps only the legendary Champion Marquis of old could compare.

It was simply astounding.

The masters found it hard to believe, but the truth was right before their eyes, leaving them no choice but to accept it.

’Has he really crossed that chasm?’

Zhao Yuan and Xiang Ji were stunned. They had made Zhao Xuanqi their goal, striving to catch up, only to find he had already reached a realm far beyond their current reach.

’If he’s really in the Harmony realm...’

As for the Three Elders, they felt an irrepressible surge of joy.

The three of them possessed special abilities that made them comparable to Harmony masters, even allowing them to contend with a Military Commander to some extent. Ultimately, however, they lacked the deterrent power of a true Harmony expert. Given the current state of the Martial Arts Association, their strength was far from enough.

If a true Harmony master were to carry their banner, it might be possible to truly unite the entire civilian Martial Arts Realm. Then, even the Warlords would have to show them deference.

And now, Zhao Xuanqi had that qualification!

"The sparring isn’t over," Zhao Xuanqi said calmly to the five masters. "Individually, you’re no match for me. Attack together."

The five masters exchanged glances. They were all top-tier experts who dominated their respective regions, each with their own pride. If anyone else had told the five of them to attack together, it would have been a profound insult.

But against Zhao Xuanqi, it was a different matter.

A master of Harmony had earned that right.

"In that case, we shall experience your prowess together, sir!"

The five spoke in unison. Then, in an instant, they all channeled their Force and unleashed their Power Generation, holding nothing back.

The techniques of Yu Huang and Ruan Daohua went without saying: flying sand and shifting stones from one, a single point in the void from the other.

As for Huang Zhankui of the Sanmei Sect, the two pupils in his eyes—one dark, one light—simultaneously blazed with light. Then, as if the colors were merging, they became a uniform shade.

The Sanmei Saber, Yin Yang Intent.

Zhao Xuanqi had experienced it before. The Secret Transmission of this sect involved using Samadhi True Fire to temper one’s consciousness during Meditation, separating out impurities to create a second personality. When one reached the state where these two personalities merged into one—Divine-Demonic Unity, a fusion of Yin and Yang—they could produce incredible Divine Techniques.

BOOM!!

His aura took form, stirring the natural magnetic field of the world. The field began to vibrate, fusing with his Gang Qi and coating his Saber Gang in a layer of sharp flames. Amplified by the magnetic vibrations, its cutting power increased dramatically.

His Harmony ability was similar to that of Hong Luan from the Vermilion Bird Sect. He used his will to stimulate his brain, allowing his Spirit and aura to influence the world’s magnetic field.

Samadhi True Fire!!

Meanwhile, Lv Mingsheng of the Bichao Sect restrained his aura as his body underwent an instantaneous transformation.

His entire body seemed to turn into liquid.

In truth, it wasn’t liquid. It was a special tissue created from the mutated fusion of his fascia, fat, and muscle—practically a newly-formed organ.

Lv Mingsheng’s Harmony ability was bodily mutation.

BOOM!!

He thrust out a palm, and his seemingly liquid body erupted with terrifying power. He required no process to gather strength, not even the usual distance for Force Release. With waves surging from his body, he could unleash Force continuously, like a raging ocean tide, wave after overlapping wave, submerging everything.

The Bichao Sect was founded in the South Sea, its techniques manifested from observing the form of the great waves. Their Cross-Training and conditioning Pile Skill required training on the seabed, tens of meters deep. Standing on the ocean floor, they used their bodies to feel the ebb and flow of the tide until they finally became one with it, embodying the principle: ’Let the raging tides surge, I shall remain unmoved.’

Its mastery of Soft and Transforming Force, as well as Continuous and Overlapping Force, was considered Unique in the Divine Land!

The Bichao Sect’s Wave Listening Palm!

Finally, there was Pan Hong, who was dressed as a lay Buddhist and had a fortunate-looking, jovial face.

"Om mani padme hum!!"

Pan Hong formed a seal with his palms and chanted the Six-Character Mantra. Each syllable was a form of Sound Wave Secret Technique that vibrated through his body to stimulate his potential. Behind him, the phantom of a Thousand-Handed Bodhisattva formed countless Hand Seals. The seals seemed interconnected, rotating ceaselessly, forming a unified whole on the level of spirit and intent.

The Spirit Seal Sect had received the True Inheritance of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism. They used the art of Hand Seals to condense profound mysteries and were said to be capable of anything, from Demon Suppression to exorcising ghosts.

It was a Secret Technique that focused on the mind and Spirit. In ancient legends, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas could sit upon a lotus throne, form Hand Seals, and be able to subdue dragons, tame tigers, and remain impervious to all evil.

It relied not on brute force, but on wisdom, Spirit, and presence.