Nansha Bay.
Erhei, having doffed his saddle, leisurely strolled through the forest, sporadically nibbling on the tenderest leaves of bushes.
Following behind him, Yang Ge sat cross-legged on a rocky slope, cultivating. Visible to the naked eye, streams of heaven and earth’s essential Qi gathered towards him from all directions, refining with his True Qi into the purest elemental True Qi.
The "Five Directions, Five Emperors Transcendent Divine Skill," a divine skill Yang Ge created based on the "Elemental Return Qi," underwent a drastic overhaul after the pinnacle battle atop Huai’an Bian River. The current form of this divine skill compared to its initial meticulously progressive chapters, was entirely unrecognizable.
The method of cultivation, originally a single-core technique that leveraged focal points, transformed into a multi-core method that resonated with the five elements to devour heaven and earth’s essential Qi. Still, that was just the surface.
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The true essence of change was the shift from the lofty abstract elemental essence visualization to a grounded, reality-based conceptualization method.
Simply put, he no longer needed to visualize the singular elements to enhance his understanding and attraction to them. Deepening his understanding of the real-world phenomena of the interactions between the elements continuously enhanced the profundity and potential of this divine skill.
To be blunt, he no longer needed to deliberately visualize any elemental wonders; his surroundings and even the ground beneath him... everything became his method of visualization!
The difference between the two was akin to the former being someone desperately soliciting clients among crowds: ’Two coins, everything for just two coins, don’t miss out as you pass by.’
The latter, however, was like a gluttonous beast swathed in tendrils, sitting amidst an endless feast of meat and wine, constantly grabbing the indulgence and stuffing it into his gaping mouth: ’Mine, mine, all mine...’
The efficiency and effort required between these approaches were worlds apart!
With the "Five Directions, Five Emperors Transcendent Divine Skill" expanded to this extent, it indeed reached a realm of boundless and unreasonable excellence. Yang Ge himself wondered if he could ever find a successor who could inherit this divine skill.
He felt it was unlikely, as this divine skill was crafted around the unique spiritual backbone derived from his own experiences, which were irreplicable. Without his knowledge, courage, determination, and emotion, even a watered-down version of the "Five Directions, Five Emperors Transcendent Divine Skill" would transform most talented martial artists into both arrogant and demented individuals.
That was the terrifying aspect of subjectivity—one thought could be a divine or a devil, a slight misstep could lead to vast error!
...
The vast tide of the heaven and earth’s essential Qi gradually settled, and Yang Ge woke up from his meditation, carefully sensing the changes within himself.
’Thankfully, the True Qi has only increased by about fifteen percent.’
He opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of stale air as if a great burden was lifted.
Though others might think he’s boasting, his greatest issue wasn’t that his martial skill growth was too slow for his liking, but rather that it was advancing too quickly for his mental fortitude to keep up... where others were limited by their capacities, he was overwhelmed by his abilities.
As the saying went, having power that outstripped virtue would only invite disaster.
Being powerful yet deficient in wisdom could dazzle one like a sudden wealth dazzles the poor, confusing the spirit and spurring undesired desires. If such desires were unchecked, they would further dull the intellect, trapping one into a vicious cycle of growing stronger but sillier.
Absolute power, of course, could smash through any scheming.
However, if power wasn’t absolute, treating all tricks as trivial without being exploited by others would also lead to no good end.
Fortunately, Yang Ge had already noticed his emotional instability, impulsiveness, and quick temper, and was consciously slowing his power’s advancement.
But cultivating the mind isn’t achieved simply by meditating and drinking tea; it required destroying thousands of scriptures, traveling thousands of miles, and continuously integrating new experiences, thoughts, and realizations to nourish the mind, allowing the spirit to grow into a towering tree.
This is the essence of refining the heart in the mortal world...
Having concluded his cultivation, Yang Ge turned around and saw Erhei in the bushes down the hillside, immediately calling out with a smile, "You rascal, come here!"
This divine steed truly understood human nature. Sensing he was cautious of the twelve branches of the White Lotus Sect, every time he cultivated, it would stay nearby. As soon as anyone from the twelve branches of the White Lotus Sect approached, it would charge at them with a long neigh, much like having a guard dog.
Hearing Yang Ge’s call, Erhei kicked up its hooves and, shaking its head and tail, galloped towards Yang Ge.
But halfway there, it stopped, turned its head, and pricked its large, long ears towards the distant forest.
Perplexed, Yang Ge followed its gaze, spotting a group of horsemen bursting from the woods, led by two men—one clad in light yellow attire astride a blazing red horse, and the other in a pure white robe on a similarly white steed. Their presence was equally striking.
Seeing the two men, Yang Ge’s lips unwittingly curled up.
The men, upon spotting Yang Ge on the hillside, also laughed heartily and spurred their horses into a frenzied run towards him: "Yang Ge..."
Yang Ge lightly leapt onto Erhei’s back, patting its stout neck, and squeezed its belly with his legs. Understanding his intent, Erhei eagerly rushed forward to greet them.