[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-subdue-the-immortals-with-strength":3,"chapter-i-subdue-the-immortals-with-strength-i-subdue-the-immortals-with-strength-chapter-6":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Subdue the Immortals with Strength",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2295308,4490,"Chapter 6: What Is This Medicine?","i-subdue-the-immortals-with-strength-chapter-6",6,"\u003Cp>“That’s internal force!” Ji Wenyue replied, her gaze toward Xia Daoming filled with astonishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Internal force?” Xia Daoming frowned in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you know that once a martial artist reaches the fifth rank, their force can shift from manifest to hidden, called internal force?” Ji Wenyue’s look grew even more astonished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could Ji Wenyue know that this man, barely a month ago, had been only a second-rank martial artist, and his master had been merely fourth rank—how could he possibly know so much?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not quite clear. Tell me about it,” Xia Daoming admitted humbly and asked for clarification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The force we exert now is manifest, identical to ordinary people’s brute strength—it acts only on the surface of objects, merely more concentrated and powerful, called manifest force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the force a fifth-rank martial artist wields doesn’t just strike the surface; it silently penetrates inside the body, attacking from within and without, doubling its lethality—this is called internal force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So while the increase in force between fifth and fourth rank may seem no different from before, the actual combat disparity between them is incomparable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between fourth and third rank, one can fight three; but between fifth and fourth, one can fight seven. That’s why martial artists from fifth rank onward are called Great Martial Artists.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, Ji Wenyue remembered how Xia Daoming had just killed a fifth-rank martial artist with sheer brute force, and she turned to stare at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Liao Min was old, he was still a fifth-rank martial artist—killed outright by a fourth-rank martial artist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was simply unbelievable!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, how many Great Martial Artists are there in Licheng?” Xia Daoming asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very few. Force is intangible by nature, and shifting from manifest to internal is even harder to cultivate—it requires studying the Divine Intent Secret Diagrams. Unlike ordinary manuals, these diagrams can’t be publicly taught; they’re usually granted only under strict conditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Internal force is hard to master, and the manuals are hard to obtain, so most martial artists remain stuck before the fifth-rank threshold their entire lives,” Ji Wenyue replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about Martial Dao Masters?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s only one in all of Licheng who’s reached the Master realm. They say his force can take shape and project outward,” Ji Wenyue replied, her eyes once again filled with awe and longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Force taking shape and projecting outward!” Xia Daoming’s heart jolted at the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Force taking shape and projecting outward is called transformed force—it can kill at a distance. Some legends even claim a Master’s transformed force can resist Immortal arts!” Ji Wenyue said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Force taking shape and projecting outward can resist Immortal arts!” Xia Daoming’s spirits surged at this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His greatest fear was the divide between mortal and immortal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Martial artists had no chance at all against cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it seemed things weren’t quite so dire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a martial artist could reach the realm of transformed force, they might stand a chance against cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether a Martial Dao Master could truly match a cultivator of what level—that was beyond Xia Daoming’s current knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But having even a chance to stand against cultivators was far better than none.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re young, but you know a lot,” Xia Daoming remarked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course!” Ji Wenyue puffed out her chest, making Xia Daoming glance at her a few times longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meeting Xia Daoming’s shrewd gaze, Ji Wenyue shuddered inwardly and immediately lowered her head, falling silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sunset finally sank beyond the horizon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twilight mist cloaked the desert, dimming the heavens and earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within their line of sight, there was still no sign of human life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll camp here tonight!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Daoming dismounted before a sand dune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Ji Wenyue hesitated before dismounting, then sat cross-legged against the dune three or four paces away, her bright eyes watching Xia Daoming with wariness and a touch of shyness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Xia Daoming had spent the entire journey studying her with that shrewd gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, alone together in the wilderness at night, Ji Wenyue couldn’t imagine Xia Daoming would behave like a gentleman and not lay a hand on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew bringing a noble lady along was nothing but a burden—useful only for eye candy and passing the time!” Xia Daoming muttered, shaking his head as Ji Wenyue sat far away the moment she dismounted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaking his head inwardly, Xia Daoming took firewood and a tent from his horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The desert had little vegetation; gathering firewood on short notice was nearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These logs were collected by Xia Daoming along the way, deliberately saved for just such a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tent was a simple single-person one, prepared by Xia Daoming for long journeys and outdoor camping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pitched the tent against the dune, stacked the firewood before it, and lit it. Then he took medicinal herbs from his saddlebag and sprinkled them in a circle around the camp, tossed down some thorns, and strung silk threads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after completing all this did Xia Daoming sit down calmly before the fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He filled a small pot with water and placed it over the flames, then skewered some smoked Red Flame Rabbit meat to roast above it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Red Flame Rabbit was a rare wild rabbit from northern Mangzhou, as large as a fox, swift and fierce as a leopard, extremely hard to hunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But its meat greatly replenished blood and qi, making it popular among martial artists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was expensive—each rabbit cost about fifty taels. In the past, Xia Daoming would never have dared dream of owning one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he had no shortage of money and cared only for quickly strengthening his meridians to the peak of fourth-rank martial artist level, so he spent freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days ago, passing through an oasis town, he saw two Red Flame Rabbits for sale and bought them both, turning them into smoked meat for the journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d already eaten one; one remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the aroma of roasting rabbit meat drifted through the night wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Wenyue sniffed the scent, her eyes flicking repeatedly to the meat on the fire, swallowing saliva repeatedly, yet still dared not approach Xia Daoming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the meat nearly done, Xia Daoming took out a wheat cake and placed it on the fire to warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The water boiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Daoming pulled a teapot from his saddlebag as if by magic, added some Snow Silk Grass tea, and steeped a pot with boiling water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow Silk Grass grew on high cliffs in the north, fine as hair, white as snow; not only was its taste crisp and sweet, but it also calmed the mind and sharpened the spirit, greatly aiding martial artists in meditation and cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was also expensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After warming the wheat cake, Xia Daoming sliced some rabbit meat and wrapped it inside, forming a meat roll. Just as he was about to take a bite, his peripheral vision caught Ji Wenyue huddled in the corner of the dune, knees drawn to her chest. He hesitated, then stood and walked toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xia Daoming approach, Ji Wenyue instinctively shrank back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here,” Xia Daoming said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you,” Ji Wenyue hesitated, then took the meat roll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she finished speaking, Xia Daoming had already turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his back, Ji Wenyue’s eyes held less wariness and more curiosity and gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, she still didn’t understand what kind of man this unkempt savior was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were good, his cold-blooded killing and shrewd gaze made him seem otherwise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were bad, he’d done nothing improper on this journey except stare at her without restraint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he’d even brought her food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether from hunger or because the meat roll was truly delicious, Ji Wenyue had begun eating with proper decorum, but soon abandoned all ladylike restraint, devouring the roll in a few bites.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Licking the salty crumbs from her fingers, Ji Wenyue gazed longingly toward Xia Daoming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she looked, she met Xia Daoming’s gaze directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come here,” Xia Daoming beckoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hunger breeds lust—so it was true…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Wenyue’s heart jolted violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she’d just received his life-saving grace, eaten his food, and he was far stronger than her. Even if she suspected ill intent, she had no choice but to stand and walk over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Xia, when I return to the Ji family, I’ll repay you richly for saving my life. I know you’ve wandered alone in the desert for days—you must want a woman to keep you company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I’m only seventeen, still unmarried. Can you please spare me? Don’t worry—I’ll arrange the most beautiful girl in Licheng for you as soon as we return. She’ll make you very comfortable.” Ji Wenyue stopped two steps away and spoke carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Daoming stared straight at Ji Wenyue, a thousand wild horses galloping through his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do I really look like a hypocritical beast?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xia Daoming’s fixed gaze, Ji Wenyue trembled so badly her chest shook, and under the firelight, her beautiful face only made her seem more tempting to sin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I—I’m the Ji family’s legitimate daughter. Even if Big Brother Xia truly wants me, it’s not impossible—but it must be done with parental consent and a matchmaker’s word. We can’t just… couple here in the wilderness!” Ji Wenyue finally blurted out, gritting her teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do I look like a man worse than a beast?” Xia Daoming snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not! Of course not! Big Brother Xia is my savior—you’re a great, good man!” Ji Wenyue hurried to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what did you mean by all that just now?” Xia Daoming asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, you—you’ve been staring at me all along…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course I stare! This desert stretches endlessly. I’ve been wandering for days without seeing a single green blade of grass—no scenery at all. I was about to go mad from boredom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a sow suddenly ran out here, I’d admire it properly. You’re pretty and have a decent figure—I look at you to pass the time. Am I supposed to stare blankly at this endless desert?” Xia Daoming retorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! Ah! Hmm!” Ji Wenyue froze, stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t make that noise. We’re in the middle of nowhere—do you really think I’m some saint who can sit calmly with a woman?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! Oh!” Ji Wenyue belatedly clapped her hand over her mouth, her cheeks flushed crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is torture!” Watching this, Xia Daoming felt a surge of heat—but he suppressed it helplessly, tossing a small medicine box toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Wenyue caught it quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ji family is a major medicinal merchant, and you’re their alchemical prodigy. Take a look—what is this medicine?” Xia Daoming said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d taken the box from Liao Min’s person; its careful, close-to-body storage suggested it was valuable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But medicine shouldn’t be taken blindly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if it was some kind of aphrodisiac?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: If you have time, please leave comments and likes to boost this new novel’s visibility. Thank you! One more chapter coming at noon.\u003C\u002Fp>",1821,"2026-06-20T05:15:29.288Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e226d26ff402967da21a382845ea58a4fa925d97cbbb90675bc65addcb67afdd","i-subdue-the-immortals-with-strength-chapter-7","i-subdue-the-immortals-with-strength-chapter-5",484,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-subdue-the-immortals-with-strength-cover.jpg"]