Capítulo 930: Chapter 718: Long Meng on “Jin” (Power)
Ice Sculpture Royal Capital.
In the training room, two Dragon-men were engaged in close combat.
One had white scales and blue irises, the other had red scales and orange irises; the former focused on defense, the latter on attack.
It was Long Meng and the Dragon-man youth.
“Chance!” The Dragon-man youth executed a sliding shovel.
Long Meng lightly jumped, dodging deftly.
The Dragon-man youth’s tail provided strong support from behind, allowing him to suddenly explode with force while sliding!
Long Meng’s expression remained unchanged, his hand cutting down like a knife, immediately producing a sharp wind sound.
The two clashed in mid-air, as neither used combat skills; without any footing, it became a contest of their raw strength.
Both were at the Golden Level, Long Meng’s power was not as great as Long Fu’s, but his technique was much more advanced.
Long Meng blocked the Dragon-man youth’s fists and feet, using his waist to generate power, twisting his body to throw the youth off-balance, sending him flying sideways.
The Dragon-man youth flew backward for a distance, and as he landed, he saw Long Meng charging straight toward him!
Long Meng switched from defense to attack, delivering a series of punches and kicks; the continuous rush of wind approached, causing his wide sleeves to erupt with muffled booms.
The Dragon-man youth struggled to maintain his footing, finding it increasingly difficult to block.
He fought desperately, using every part of his body to resist. However, the ferocity of Dragon Claws and the biting of Dragon Teeth did not help him retrieve the situation.
Bang.
A muffled sound echoed.
Long Meng’s palm struck the Dragon-man youth’s chest, sending him flying back.
The Dragon-man youth landed on his back, used his waist to spring up, and leaped back on his feet.
Combat Skill—Dragon Ball.
He extended his right hand, spreading his Dragon Claw, releasing Golden Fighting Spirit from his palm. The energy quickly condensed into a red-gold Dragon Ball.
The Dragon Ball rolled, causing the surrounding air temperature to rise sharply.
But in the next moment, the Dragon-man youth snorted coldly, flicking his claw, voluntarily canceling the Dragon Ball Combat Skill: “Hmph, we agreed not to use any combat skills or external fighting energy, I lost!”
Long Meng nodded, lowering his gaze to his training robe.
The robe had a single long tear, made by the Dragon-man youth’s claw during his resistance a moment ago.
“How many trainings has it been?” Long Meng marveled inwardly as he looked at the tear in his robe.
Ever since he began instructing the Dragon-man youth, the latter’s combat techniques have risen rapidly, improving by leaps and bounds.
Dragon Fu’s previous basic combat skills were dismal, possessing great physical strength but unable to truly utilize it.
Now, Dragon Fu can not only leverage his strong physique but also adapt creatively, displaying a style of his own in moments of serendipity.
If he hadn’t experienced it himself, Long Meng wouldn’t have believed that there existed a Dragon-man with such talent in this world.
Releasing a breath of impure air, Long Meng focused his gaze on the Dragon-man youth: “It seems you’ve already mastered the Dragon Ball Combat Skill as well.”
“However, what I appreciate even more is your action of withdrawing the skill.”
“Let’s sit down and talk.”
Long Meng gestured with his hand, then kneeled down to sit directly on the floor. His buttocks did not touch his legs and feet, maintaining a distance, keeping his upper body upright like a pine tree.
The Dragon-man youth plopped down, bending his legs casually, sitting cross-legged naturally. Dragon Claws resting on his knees, the youth said brazenly: “Long Meng, if you want to praise me, then praise a bit more, hahaha.”
Long Meng’s expression was calm, his tone slow and steady: “It’s easy to indulge your desires, but restraining oneself is often at least ten times harder.”
“The essence of combat is not in attack, but in restraint.”
“The purpose of martial arts is not to harm, but to cease conflict.”
The Dragon-man youth felt a stir in his heart, but outwardly he said: “What do you mean?”
Long Meng smiled slightly: “This is an Eastern combat philosophy, it may seem a bit obscure and indirect. Let me put it another way.”
“You know that our Dragon Bloodline originates from the Dragon Clan, right?”
Dragon-man youth: “Of course.”
Long Meng: “The earliest Dragon-men were born from the mating of dragons and the Human Race.”
“Dragon-men combined amongst themselves or with other races, gradually evolving into today’s established community. As Dragon-men, we benefit from the physical advantages inherited from the Dragon Clan, yet we also face corresponding drawbacks—our dragon nature constantly interferes with us.”
“Dragon nature?” The Dragon-man youth frowned.
Long Meng continued: “Dragon-men are generally arrogant, looking down on other life forms. The stronger they are, the more arrogant they become. This is not an exception but a widespread situation; this is what we call dragon nature.”
“Of course, different Dragon Bloodlines have distinguishable dragon natures.”
“For instance, my bloodline originates from the White Dragon, making me inclined towards coldness and indifference.”
“As for you, it’s evident you have the traits of the Red Dragon Bloodline, making you prone to impatience and impulsiveness. Red Dragons are typically brave and fearless, but from another perspective, they act recklessly.”
“On the battlefield, Red Dragon-men often suffer severe casualties due to this temperamental flaw.”
“You could view dragon nature as a sort of general character flaw.”
“You have potential at the Holy Domain Level, with a bright future. Your Red Dragon Bloodline is of excellent grade and concentration, steeped heavily in dragon nature. Yet, you have not succumbed to this nature, showing little inclination toward impatience or impulsiveness in your character. This demonstrates that you have retained a substantial degree of humanity.”
“Is there such a theory?” The Dragon-man youth was greatly moved internally.
Bloodline can indeed influence temperament, and this impact is profound.
The Dragon-man youth felt this acutely, as he could transform into different life forms through the Blood Core. He remembered clearly: upon transforming into the Bolang Fishman form, he felt a strong natural affinity for water, as if being enveloped by water was like returning home.
The Dragon-man youth secretly analyzed: “Logically, my dragon nature should be stronger because I don’t have a stable Dragon Bloodline. My current Dragon-man form is a manifestation of the Flame Dragon King’s bloodline combined with my own Human Race bloodline.”
“Normally, this form of life is very unstable, even less so than the man-made magical beasts on Mysterious Monster Island. Only because of the support from the Blood Core can it forcibly fuse without backlash or collapse.”
“As for why my humanity prevails over dragon nature, it is because I haven’t only adopted the Flame Dragon King’s bloodline but also absorbed other Dragon Clan bloodlines, most of which are White Dragon bloodlines.”
“The White Dragon and Flame Dragon bloodlines cancel each other out considerably, allowing my humanity to dominate.”
This is how the Dragon-man youth acted around Long Meng.
Primarily, he feared that his combat prowess, failing to reflect the level of the Holy Domain bloodline, would arouse Long Meng’s suspicion.
Long Meng wore a solemn expression and spoke with serious sincerity: “For a fighter, our body is like a natural weapon. If we indulge our desires without restraining our nature, letting it take over, it means we are being wielded by the weapon, rather than wielding the weapon ourselves.”
“Constantly be aware of your dragon nature, vigilant against it, suppress it, control it, ultimately maintaining clarity of the mind, which is the right path toward our promotion to a new realm of martial fight.”
“It is precisely because of this that I have transcended martial arts and grasped ‘force’.”
Upon hearing Long Meng mention ‘force,’ the Dragon-man youth’s eyes lit up, full of interest: “I know about ‘force’! But I can’t grasp it, it’s too difficult! I have no clue whatsoever.”
Long Meng chuckled softly: “The so-called ‘force’ is about grasping the subtle, uniting the body and mind.”
“In terms of the body, we must be familiar, controlling it. Knowing how tall we are, how fast we can run, knowing if a punch can crush porcelain stone or the bricks beneath. Knowing how much force to exert to achieve a particular effect.”
“In terms of the mind, we must master our spirit, keeping it clear. However, dragon nature often complicates things, making mastery difficult. Only by controlling it, knowing yourself, understanding your inner self, can you control the spirit.”
“As Dragon-men, the better our physical attributes are, the more excellent the bloodline, which precisely means the dragon nature is stronger.”
“But a strong dragon nature is exactly the challenge in controlling the mind.”
“Thus, outstanding fighters who master ‘force’ often do not possess strong bloodlines. They are usually well-rounded, experienced, worldly-wise, and have washed away their superficialities. Alternatively, they may be isolated from the world from a young age, guided by a master, practicing diligently, with a heart as pure as a child.”
“To grasp ‘force,’ both body and mind must be mastered, neither can be lacking.”
Long Meng’s words precisely explained some of the Dragon-man youth’s queries.
The Dragon-man youth received Divine Blessing, gaining a wealth of fighter experience. Most of this experience revolves around the cultivation of fighting energy, the practice and use of combat skills. However, a very small portion pertains to force.
Since it was a blessing from Mei Lan, whose followers focus on sea life, the experiences of force acquired by the Dragon-man youth consist of two types: Flowing Force and Filtering Force.
Flowing Force grants a fighter a water-like dynamic flow defense that effectively counters cutting force and puncture power by dispersing upon contact.
Purification Force can act on fighting energy, breath, blood, and consumed food to filter and refine them. When used on food, it can refine it, indirectly increasing digestive ability, even allowing a fighter to consume advanced magical beast meat beyond their level. If poisoned, Purification Force can neutralize toxins. If hostile fighting energy, spells, or divine arts rampage within the body, Purification Force can target them, providing significant assistance to the fighter.
However, the Dragon-man youth has not mastered these two forces.
Even transforming into Fishman Form did not bring success. The help from the experience was far less evident compared to the cultivation of combat skills and fighting energy.
According to Long Meng’s theory, this is because the Dragon-man youth’s body and mind are not aligned.
“But back then, when I mastered Penetration Force through the Big Arena Badge, it happened at once.”
“At that time, both my body and mind met the standard, so why don’t they meet the standard for mastering other subsequent forces now?”
The doubting Dragon-man youth shouted loudly, “Do I have to master both aspects to cultivate force?”
“I can’t meet the standard you mentioned, Long Meng.”
“Is there no shortcut?”
Long Meng waved his hand, “Don’t worry.”
“What I mean is, with complete mastery of body and mind, you can achieve the grand mastery of force. This is the highest standard.”
“The reason I brought up force is that I noticed your humanity suppressing your dragon nature. Moreover, this manifestation was not just a one-time occurrence. Your mind has already reached the passing line, opening the possibility of cultivating force.”
The Dragon-man youth felt a bit of awe.
In front of Long Meng, he always disguised himself, playing a role to a certain extent. Long Meng was not Cang Xu, who had experienced insight, but he was sincere in martial arts, standing at a high vantage point, and could see aspects of the youth’s true nature.
On the surface, the youth expressed great joy, immediately standing up, “There is indeed a shortcut! Then please teach me quickly.”
“What exactly is the force?”
“I actually want to learn them all.”
Long Meng laughed heartily, “I can’t guarantee to teach you.”
“Force is much harder to master than combat skills, it is not universal. One might master force through a certain method, but it might not be suitable for others. Especially when it comes to experience with force, there is almost no guiding value. This is because each person’s body and mind differ.”
The Dragon-man youth realized, “So the experience of force from the Divine Blessing is actually an obstacle to mastering Flowing Force and Purification Force?”
Long Meng slowly stood up, “Come on, let me test you first to see what force suits you.”
Long Meng approached the youth, exposing his chest, “Punch my chest.”
The Dragon-man youth used normal strength to directly hit Long Meng.
“Again.” Long Meng stood firm as a mountain, “With the same force, don’t change the punch technique.”
Once again, the Dragon-man youth delivered a punch, showing a look of surprise.
Long Meng smiled, “What did you feel?”
The Dragon-man youth spoke honestly, “The first hit felt like hitting a steel plate. The second one felt like dough.”
Long Meng nodded, “Yes, the first is Hard Force, the second is Soft Power.”
“The most important thing is, which of these two forces did you feel more distinctly?”
The Dragon-man youth thought, both felt similar. But after thinking again, he replied, “The first one, Hard Force.”
The Dragon-man youth asked further, “What are Hard Force and Soft Power? Why haven’t I heard of them?”
Long Meng explained with complete openness, “These are the two most fundamental forces. What we commonly hear about are derivatives of these two basic forces.”
“For example, Penetration Force is a variation of Soft Power, and cutting force is an application of Hard Force. Puncture power is primarily hard with a touch of soft.”
The Dragon-man youth heard this theory for the first time.
The War Merchant’s archive contains various fighting energy formulas, combat skills, meditation techniques, spells, etc., but no forces. The War Merchant collected these for man-made magical beasts, while force is an exclusive technique of intelligent races.
The Dragon-man youth’s fighter experience from the Divine Blessing also included only two kinds of force, but without any theory, just experiences of use.
Thinking on this, the Dragon-man youth blurted out, “Since all forces are variations and derivatives of Hard Force and Soft Power, if I master these two, then modify and combine them, won’t I master all forces?”
Long Meng shook his head, eyes calm, “It’s not like that.”
“The real order is the exact opposite of what you think.”
“Only by mastering multiple forces can you gain insights and summaries, grasping the subtleties to refine these two foundational forces.”
Pausing, Long Meng continued, “Typically, those able to comprehend and master a certain force often do so through the actions they use most frequently, are best at, or have the most insights into.”
“For instance, a fighter proficient in the combat skill Bone-Penetrating Finger might, at the moment of executing this skill, control every ounce of strength in their body, and their mind clears in an instant, potentially grasping a moment of inspiration and thus mastering Penetration Force.”
“Similarly, if a fighter is highly skilled with warhammer-type weapons, using the warhammer like an extension of their body, naturally and vividly, it’s possible for them to capture inspiration during training, subsequently mastering Shattering Force, Gravity Force, or Impact Force.”
“I’ll add, there is actually a greater likelihood of success in combat than in routine training.”
“Often, the more intense the battle, the closer the combat, the more fighters can reach a state where body and mind align, and the mind becomes clear and pure. In this state, the chance of mastering force is much greater than usual.”
“This is the common situation for most fighters who have mastered force.”
“Their body and mind reach a certain standard, allowing them to master one or two or three types of force. They have only just stepped into the realm of force, not yet truly entered the halls, let alone achieved grand mastery.”
The Dragon-man youth interjected, “What is the grand mastery of force? Is it mastering Hard Force and Soft Power?”
Long Meng nodded.
The Dragon-man youth’s pupils slightly contracted. In just this one aspect, he was far behind Long Meng!
Long Meng returned to the topic, “Based on the earlier test, you have a deeper appreciation for Hard Force, so your next learning target will be forces derived from Hard Force, or those primarily based on Hard Force.”
“Choose your most familiar and favorite combat style, whether attack or defense, whether unarmed or with weapons, whether basic combat or combat skills, as long as it feels most in line with you and is the most enjoyable.”
“Then repeatedly practice it.”
“In the process, I will transmit to you the two fundamental forces—Hard Force and Soft Power.”
“This will greatly facilitate your understanding of force and mastering the corresponding force. But what exact force, I do not know, as it varies from person to person.”
“Of course, the greatest possibility is training failure.”
The Dragon-man youth was wide-eyed, “You can… transmit force?!”
It was the first time he had heard this.
“Yes, as long as you have mastered Resonance Power.” Long Meng nodded, his expression always serene.
“Resonance Power…” This was also the first time the Dragon-man youth learned of this force.
He realized Long Meng’s combat knowledge vastly surpassed his own.
The teachings about force opened the young man’s eyes and were greatly rewarding.
“Long Meng’s close combat advantage is too great. If I were to fight him now, I must avoid close contact at all costs and engage in long-range combat as the best strategy.”
“I can sense that he sincerely instructs me.”
“Why?”
“I’m clearly his enemy. If he wants to subdue me without a fight, isn’t that too naive?”
“Long Meng is not such a naive person!”
During successive interactions with Long Meng, the Dragon-man youth greatly expanded his understanding of him.
Since returning from the Ocean Nest, his insight into human nature has ascended to a profound level. Previously at Snowbird Port, he could easily outmaneuver Cong Mang. During the duel, he accurately grasped Mifang’s mentality.
The Dragon-man youth could not determine the cause of this transformation. He guessed it might be because he is a sub-god walker of the deity Mei Lan and often performed deceptive divine arts. Deception and concealment are precisely powers targeting the mind.