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In secret, the frequency of contact between the Ning Royal Mansion and various official institutions surged, as people from the White Lotus Sect began to flood into the Jiangzhe region on a massive scale.
On the surface, enthusiasm for resisting the pirate invaders in Jiangzhe soared anew, attracting throngs of martial artists who called upon friends and assembled in groups to join the excitement in Jiangzhe.
Both overt and covert currents converged at the intelligence center established by Gu Tong in Jiangzhe, and were funneled into the hands of Yang Ge.
He once again felt the mountainous and tsunami-like heavy pressure bearing down on him...
He was anxious, fearing that he might lose control of the situation and harm both Yang Tiansheng and the common people of Jiangzhe.
But things had come to this point; there was no turning back for him. He could only steel himself, on the one hand to discuss with Yang Tiansheng how to contact various martial factions and gather forces, while on the other hand, he sent the brocade-clad warriors under Gu Tong to sound out military officers at various posts in Jiangzhe to stabilize the internal situation. He also kept a watchful eye on the movements of the pirates, the White Lotus Sect, and Wang Zeng.
In this confused hustle, he slowly adapted to the pressure, not feeling nervous anymore.
The market-place chaos of the situation gradually became a clear spider web that enveloped the entire Jiangzhe region under his organization.
Sitting at the heart of this immense spider web, any disturbance anywhere could be quickly interpreted in terms of other clues on the web—whether the disturbance was good or bad, friend or foe, a random event, or someone surreptitiously stirring the pot...
With control over this vast spider web, Yang Ge felt an unprecedented sense of power.
That sense of being powerful, as if by stretching his arms he could transform into a towering giant, unbothered by any storm or shock, to him was merely a breeze in the face!
This feeling of expansion was, of course, an illusion.
But the power was real.
Much like power and law, invisible and intangible, yet who could say they don’t exist? Who could deny their force?
When this profound sense of power infused his daily martial practice, Yang Ge felt his cultivation speed surge like never before, advancing leaps and bounds day by day...
The True Qi he cultivated was not the fragile and bloated kind, but a pure and concentrated True Qi that seemed to have undergone a thousand forged and refined processes!
He, of course, knew that the Dao of martial art cultivation became more about the mind the further one traveled on its path.
Otherwise, he would never have created the sword technique "No Return".
Yet such a change still baffled him, like a monk who has reached an impasse, unable to touch his own head.
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After much contemplation, he finally recalled a theory of martial cultivation Shen Fa had once shared with him: In martial cultivation, a person cultivates martial arts, and the martial arts in turn cultivate the person.
Back then, Shen Fa had used the analogy of a blacksmith forging iron, stating that the act of forging not only shapes the iron but also strengthens the blacksmith.
Yet Yang Ge felt this theory was better explained with the analogy of making money: Earning money can make a person confident, grounded, and ambitious, and being confident, grounded, and ambitious can, in turn, help a person make more money...
It’s the same with martial arts. Improvements in martial skills can make a martial artist confident, grounded, and ambitious, and these internal qualities can, in turn, make one’s martial skills even stronger.
Prior to this, Yang Ge’s strength had mostly come from the growth of his martial skills.
When he had not yet practiced martial arts, did he have the audacity to devour tens of thousands of pirates in one bite?
Back then, even a third-rate escort like Ding Man could pose a great threat to him...
The current changes represented Yang Ge’s inner strength pushing his martial skills to grow even stronger.
He controlled the forces of both the underworld and the officialdom in Jiangzhe, capable of shaking up the entire regional situation with a single thought.
This confidence and boldness, holding a land of splendor in his chest, was the first time he had experienced it across two different timelines, naturally propelling his inner strength to a new level.
Just like the sword technique "No Return"...
And, based on this theory, Yang Ge deduced a new understanding: martial cultivation is not merely about sitting meditation and Qi Cultivation, nor is it only about practicing techniques or enriching combat experience against other masters.
Reading books and painting can be martial cultivation.
Traveling and appreciating scenery can be martial cultivation.
Even giving a copper coin to an elderly beggar on the roadside... can be martial cultivation.
In other words, any behavior that enhances inner strength can be regarded as martial cultivation.
It could also be said...
I, am martial cultivation!
My martial cultivation is me!
"Red dust refines the heart; water polishes the mirror. My heart is eternal; the polished mirror reflects me... Is this the next realm of unity of knowledge and action?"
Yang Ge grasped this principle, and upon re-examining his collected knowledge, he suddenly realized that...
No one cultivates martial arts.
It is the martial arts that cultivate the person.
If someone were to cultivate martial arts, then they should shape their martial skills to resemble themselves.
But his own martial journey was clearly the martial arts shaping him to resemble the martial arts.
Chaotic Wind Leg shaped him with a fierce and swift brutal persona.
Frost Blade shaped him with the cool demeanor of killing to protect life.
The Five Directions, Five Emperors Transcendent Divine Skill was even more extreme, attempting to erase his thoughts and humanity, forcibly shaping him into the essence of the Five Elements...
So what about me?
Where am I, Yang Ge, in all of this?
My will can’t control my martial skills?
Instead, my martial skills are controlling my will?
Yang Ge, lost in a dead end, nearly dispersed his True Qi and succumbed to demonic possession.
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