Chapter 151 - 149: Martial Technique Qi Refining
On this day, at the Liu Family Courtyard.
Fist winds whipped around, shadows overlapped.
Liu Ziwen was sparring with Song Changming along with five High Realm Martial Artists.
Although called sparring, it was actually just accompanying Song Changming in his practice.
Despite being surrounded by many, Song Changming responded with ease.
After a moment, those five Sixth Realm Martial Artists had lost the strength to continue.
Only Liu Ziwen could withstand Song Changming’s fists and palms for a bit longer but soon also fell back.
"Qi Transformation Extreme Realm, bones heavy as mountains, strength breaking ten thousand pounds... As expected, Bone Forging has reached Perfection!"
Beside them, Liu Dingsheng stroked his long white beard and nodded.
"Congratulations, Changming."
Song Changming withdrew his hand and smiled: "I can’t hide anything from Elder Liu’s eyes; I was seen through the moment I arrived."
"Haha, my old eyes haven’t failed me. You just broke through, your aura is unstable; it’s clear you’ve had a breakthrough. If I weren’t too old and my strength had not declined so much, when I was younger, I’d have to spar with you, kid." Liu Dingsheng chuckled.
Compared to two years ago, Liu Dingsheng hadn’t changed much; except his Qi Blood had waned a little, he still looked energetic and capable.
This is one of the benefits of martial arts.
Most martial artists are strong, superhuman, and appear long-lived; even in old age, there are few who become sluggish and dull.
"Changming’s martial arts talent is not inferior to those secluded disciples of the Hidden Sect." Liu Ziwen rubbed his aching fists and sighed.
In the recent exchanges, had Song Changming not held back, Liu Ziwen’s fist bones might have shattered.
Bone Forging Extreme Realm, with bones as hard as Hundred Forged Refined Iron, something far beyond his reach.
"Yes, even if he can’t compare to the very best within the Hidden Sect, he certainly isn’t inferior!" Liu Dingsheng nodded.
"Where Changming suffers is that he started practicing late, for not long enough, and lacks a strong background or support. Otherwise, his strength would be even more outstanding!"
Liu Dingsheng said this, comparing Song Changming not just to talents within Donglai Prefecture, but to today’s dazzling stars the world over.
The usual metrics are the straightforward: age and existing strength.
Now Song Changming is over thirty, a thirty-year-old Extreme Realm Martial Artist would be seen as extraordinary anywhere—very few achieve this.
But if compared to the best of the younger generation worldwide, Song Changming’s martial achievements find him disadvantaged in age.
A humble background has greatly limited Song Changming’s martial progress, a point Liu Dingsheng has always lamented.
He longs to see what Song Changming might become if he finds fertile ground, a place where he can grow freely.
Surely far stronger than he is now.
The greatest difference between Song Changming and the young elites of today is the low starting point.
Raised as a poor farmer, starting from the dust...
That Song Changming could achieve what he has today, he owes entirely to himself—a miracle in Liu Dingsheng’s eyes.
Liu Dingsheng’s heart aches for Changming, feeling that his background has hindered his potential shine.
Song Changming himself doesn’t mind much; he has long years to spend freely, not afraid of delays.
A poor background merely slows his cultivation, adds more trials and hardships to his martial journey, and many resources needed for cultivation he must plan and strive for himself, even fight for.
Yet, all this is acceptable.
Long years mean he will face opportunity after opportunity, can afford infinite trial and error until eventually reaching the highest peak.
Thus, time is his most powerful support.
Even those who outshine him now are destined to pass like comets in his eyes.
Years from now, the eternally unchanged, the bright moon high in the sky, will be none other than him!
"Ziwen, go bring the chessboard, it’s been days since we played with Changming." Liu Dingsheng waved.
The older he gets, the more obsessed with chess he becomes, saying the chess game encompasses all things, contains universal truths, and is akin to enlightenment.
As for Song Changming, one of Liu Dingsheng’s old rivals, he completely doesn’t understand this.
To him, a chessboard is a chessboard, pieces are pieces, and nothing holds special meaning.
Only speaking of chess skill—under Liu Dingsheng’s guidance, he has improved year after year; in ten games, winning one or two, just barely qualifies him as Liu Dingsheng’s opponent, not quite getting crushed.
And Liu Dingsheng loves playing chess with Song Changming most; their relationship initially grew through game after game.
For Song Changming today, their relationship now could be considered both master and friend.
As they placed their pieces, Song Changming suddenly asked: "Elder, you once said reaching Body Refining Extreme Realm then practicing Martial Techniques, but now although I have the technique, I’ve no progress, why is this?"
For the past two years, he frequently would take out the Wind Dragon Divine Saber Technique, studying it closely, analyzing each script of the Martial Technique text.
He doesn’t need thorough mastery; he just needs to find a way to record the technique successfully in his martial arts panel, and then start grinding experience—that would be success.
Yet until today, he hasn’t managed to display this Martial Technique on his personal panel.
Even though he has forged his bones to Extreme Realm, still he hasn’t succeeded.
This makes him doubt if the traditional martial arts methods will work for Martial Techniques.
He wonders whether he needs a renowned master to guide and unravel mysteries, and whether he needs to seek Gu Wenhui for help?
If that’s true, it’s a bit tricky.
With the ambitious Gu Wenhui, occasional collaboration to mutual benefit is possible, but Song Changming doesn’t wish to fully ally himself with him and serve under him.
Especially now that Song Changming’s martial skills are sufficient for self-preservation, even less reason.
Hence today, he comes in confusion to Liu Dingsheng, hoping this knowledgeable elder can enlighten him.
"Martial Techniques are not the same as martial arts; even at the source, they differ. Thus, practice requires abandoning prior martial arts experiences and starting anew."
Liu Dingsheng slowed his pace of piece placement, explaining.
"Martial arts rely on Momentum—Sword Momentum, Sword Momentum, Fist Momentum—practicing Momentum to the extreme leads to Perfection, whereas Martial Techniques rely on Intent, surpassing Momentum, deeper, and stronger."
"Intent..." Song Changming listened intently; in the annotations of the Martial Technique Secret Manual, Liu Dingsheng’s ’Intent’ is repeated often.
But merely hearing and reading, without personal experience of this so-called ’Intent,’ he remains clueless about what it truly is.
He simply knows the Martial Technique he has pertains to ’Sword Intent.’
"Additionally, martial arts refine the body, martial techniques refine qi; this is the second major difference and what you must focus on post-Extreme Realm." Liu Dingsheng continued.
Song Changming nodded.
Put simply, it’s when martial artists have tempered their bodies to the utmost, with nowhere else to elevate, they open up a second martial path.
Namely, what Liu Dingsheng referred to as refining qi.
Qi refining, practices Inner Qi, wielded into substantial Powerful Qi by Martial Techniques, radiating outward, immensely powerful.
"Everything you mentioned should be described within your Martial Technique Secret Record, so I won’t elaborate further; crucially before refining qi, you must open the Nether Sea, condense and nurture the spirit to gain introspection abilities, then you can refine qi, wield qi, and comprehend the Martial Technique’s realm of Intent..." Liu Dingsheng said.
In his younger days, due to a feud in Jianghu, his body and meridians suffered, leaving hidden ailments, missing the optimal time for qi refining, ultimately reaching only Body Refining Extreme Realm.
This is his life’s greatest regret.
Yet he once had opportunities to refine qi and knows much about it.
"So, I couldn’t practice the Martial Technique because I haven’t opened the Nether Sea to condense the spirit?" Song Changming grasped the critical point.
"Most likely; unable to introspect with Heart and Spirit, unable to sense Inner Qi’s existence, naturally unable to refine qi, let alone grasp the Martial Technique’s mysteries." Liu Dingsheng nodded.
Song Changming understood now.
Between body refining and qi refining, there’s no seamless transition; in between lies the process of opening the Nether Sea and condensing the spirit, something no martial artist can ignore.
This part is absent from the Martial Technique’s training description.
If not for Liu Dingsheng’s insights today, Song Changming would still be clueless about the underlying issue.
This is also why having a good teacher is vital.
Without guidance, Song Changming resorted to building behind closed doors, a difficult path to know such matters.
If he had a mentor beside him, teaching him step by step, none of these training problems would require inquiry, as they’d be understood early.
Fortunately, he still has Liu Dingsheng around to enlighten him.
Otherwise, he’d have to wander Jianghu seeking qi refining experts for answers.
...