Chapter 138: Chapter 98: The Secret of Force Integration
Luo Kun finished speaking and extended a finger, tapping it on Jiang Che’s arm.
Immediately, Jiang Che felt a sharp, needle-like sting in his arm.
"This Qi Force can easily pass through a person’s skin and flesh to strike their insides directly. It’s incredibly powerful! What’s more, Qi Force automatically protects the body. A person can only be injured after their Qi Force is broken. Try and hit me."
Jiang Che nodded and threw a punch at Luo Kun’s shoulder.
But before his fist could even get close, he felt an intangible Qi Wall blocking his force!
When he increased the force of his blow, not only did he fail to break through the Qi Wall, his fist even seemed to "slip" aside.
This wasn’t the first time Jiang Che had experienced the Strength of a Force Integration Martial Artist.
Situ Xuan had given him a demonstration once before.
But this time, Luo Kun’s explanation was clearer and his demonstration more direct, giving Jiang Che a much better understanding of what Strength truly was.
"In short, just remember this: someone in the Qi Blood Realm has absolutely no chance of winning against someone who has achieved Force Integration. Never, ever challenge a Force Integration Artist!" Luo Kun said sternly.
Jiang Che nodded. "I understand, Master. So how does one cultivate Qi Force?"
"When you have cultivated your body’s Qi Blood to its absolute limit, you must visualize a Fundamental Diagram and make your Qi Blood circulate in imitation of it. That is how Qi Force is born."
"Fundamental Diagram?" It was the first time Jiang Che had heard the term.
"I assume you’ve trained in some other Martial Arts before?" Luo Kun asked.
"I have," Jiang Che answered.
"The Secret Manuals you’ve acquired... they’re all missing their Fundamental Diagrams. Even if you practice those Martial Arts to Perfection, you’ll only ever reach the peak of the Iron Skin Realm. Without a Fundamental Diagram, achieving Force Integration is impossible," Luo Kun stated plainly.
"So that’s how it is."
Jiang Che had always wondered why it was so easy to obtain Martial Arts Secret Manuals for the Qi Blood Realm.
It turned out they were all missing their Fundamental Diagrams!
’It seems the Fundamental Diagram is the true core of any Martial Art.’
"Although you haven’t yet cultivated the Qi Blood of the Iron Skin Realm to its peak, I’ll show you our Martial Arts Hall’s Fundamental Diagram anyway."
Luo Kun rose and walked over to the portrait of the founding master.
He first clasped his hands and bowed respectfully before taking down the portrait.
Behind the portrait, set into the wall, was a recess a fist wide and half a meter long!
A rolled-up scroll was tucked inside the recess.
Luo Kun reached in, retrieved the scroll, and came to stand before Jiang Che.
"The first time you look at this Fundamental Diagram, you’ll be dazed for a moment. Don’t panic. It’s a normal reaction and will pass quickly.
"After you’ve seen it, close your eyes immediately and do your best to picture the image in your mind. The more you remember, the greater the benefit.
"However, just remember what you can. Don’t force it, or you’ll risk harming your mind and spirit."
Luo Kun instructed earnestly.
Jiang Che nodded. "Master, I’m ready."
He immediately focused his mind, entering the Heart Stream State.
Luo Kun then slowly unrolled the scroll.
It was a painting made from some kind of extremely thin and light Beast Hide.
The painting depicted a swirling, spiral-shaped cloud.
The outer ring of the cloud was pure white, but it grew darker toward the center.
At its very core, it was an absolute black, as if it would devour everything.
Lightning crackled throughout the cloud, filling it with a frenzied, violent aura.
As Jiang Che looked at the painting, his mind roared.
Then, he felt as if he had been transported into the painting itself.
He looked up. Above him was that same cloud, crackling with lightning.
The cloud radiated an aura of grandeur and majesty.
It spun slowly, threatening to swallow him whole.
Jiang Che’s head throbbed with intense pain, but he still strained to memorize every last detail of the cloud.
Suddenly, deep within the cloud, a terrifyingly immense bolt of lightning began to form!
The hair on Jiang Che’s body stood on end as his Omen began to flare wildly!
A hazy image appeared in his mind.
In the vision, he was struck by the lightning. His spirit suffered a devastating blow, and he died shortly after, his injuries beyond healing.
Jiang Che snapped his eyes shut.
Instantly, he was back in the small hut. He could feel his master’s steady breathing beside him and hear the birds chirping outside.
"How was it?" Luo Kun asked with concern, seeing Jiang Che close his eyes.
He quickly rolled the Fundamental Diagram back up.
If Jiang Che were to see it again so soon, his mind and spirit could be harmed.
Jiang Che slowly opened his eyes and recounted what he had just experienced.
Luo Kun was stunned.
"You... you actually entered the painting?!"
Jiang Che nodded. The memory of the terrifying scene still made his heart pound.
Luo Kun was ecstatic.
The Fundamental Diagram wasn’t a test of one’s Root Bone.
It was a test of Comprehension!
He had been a little worried at first.
After all, possessing an Innate Iron Body didn’t guarantee good Comprehension.
If his Comprehension was poor, then no matter how good his Root Bone was, breaking through to Force Integration would be incredibly difficult.
For those who could achieve Force Integration, Root Bone, Comprehension, and Temperament...
...not one of the three could be lacking.
A person with poor Comprehension would only see a static painting, nothing more.
Someone with average Comprehension might perceive subtle movement in the scenery, but that was all.
A person with good Comprehension would feel as if they were looking through a window at a real scene beyond.
Though distant, they could perceive many true details.
Only those with the very highest level of Comprehension could enter the painting with their very being!
’Could it be? Not only does this boy have an Innate Iron Body, but he also possesses the highest level of Comprehension?’
Luo Kun’s breathing quickened.
"Close your eyes. Picture the painting in your mind and tell me what you see," he said urgently.
Jiang Che nodded and closed his eyes.
Focusing his will, he once again entered the Heart Stream.
ROAR—
As he recalled the image of the cloud, he felt himself transported back to that scene once more!
This time, however, the cloud no longer exuded that frightening, heart-stopping aura.
Jiang Che felt he could gaze at it for as long as he wished.
He looked closer and saw that every single detail was rendered with perfect clarity.
Suddenly, he felt the Qi Blood throughout his body begin to circulate slowly, mimicking the spiral shape of the cloud!
’This feeling... my progress is much faster than during my usual training!’
Jiang Che was stunned.
Remembering his master was still waiting, he pulled himself out of the state.
"Master, when I closed my eyes, I felt like my body had returned to that place..."
’Could it be... real?’
Luo Kun fired off several questions about the details of the cloud, all of which Jiang Che answered flawlessly.
Only then was Luo Kun finally certain: Jiang Che had truly entered the painting with his very being!
In an excited tone, he asked, "Do you have any idea how many viewings it takes for an ordinary person to memorize this Fundamental Diagram?"
"Three times?" Jiang Che ventured, unsure.
’He memorized it in one go, so three tries should be about right for an average person, right?’
Luo Kun shook his head. "Those with poor Comprehension can look at it countless times and never remember it. Someone with average Comprehension needs to study it for a hundred days to memorize it. Even someone with good Comprehension needs ten days."
"Then what about me...?" Jiang Che asked, surprised.
Luo Kun’s eyes shone brightly as he grinned. "You memorized it in a single viewing. That makes you a person of the very highest Comprehension!"
’The highest Comprehension? It must be because of the Heart Stream...’ Jiang Che thought to himself.
Before he had the Heart Stream Talent, he hadn’t been a particularly fast learner.
It was only by relying on the Heart Stream that he had achieved so much.
Still, being able to memorize the Fundamental Diagram in one go and recall it at will was a fantastic outcome.
The more Luo Kun looked at Jiang Che, the more satisfied he became, the deep lines on his face softening without him even realizing it.
Innate Iron Body, the highest level of Comprehension, and a solid Temperament.
This boy had a boundless future!
...
...
...
「Hengsha City.」
「Midnight.」
The sky was completely dark, and the entire city had fallen into a dead silence.
On a pitch-black street in the western part of the city.
"The night is dry, beware the flame!"
Two Night Watchmen patrolled the street, holding lanterns aloft.
Suddenly, one of them stared blankly into the distance.
"Old Zhang, look over there! Is that a fire?!"
He hurriedly slapped his partner’s shoulder.
Old Zhang squinted. In the distance, he could indeed see the faint glow of fire.
"Dammit! It really is!"
"Where is that coming from?"
"I think it’s... Landlord Li’s Mansion!"
"Quick, go get help!"
