Chapter 272: Contemplation

Chen Mo focused his mind and spirit, pouring his entire being into contemplating the Jade Slip in his hands.

The technique recorded within the Jade Slip is not presented in text, but manifested through the Dao of True Meaning; a Martial Artist can only contemplate it there.

Furthermore, after contemplation, there is absolutely no way to describe the training method of this Secret Skill to others.

To pass it on to others, the Martial Artist themselves must practice this Secret Skill to an extremely high realm.

Only when they can evolve this technique in the form of the Dao of True Meaning can other Martial Artists then contemplate and practice it.

But if one reaches this realm, this Secret Skill will inevitably be mixed with the Martial Artist's own insights; although the essence remains True Martial Gang Qi, it becomes somewhat different.

Chen Mo sat cross-legged in a corner of Cangfa Lou, carefully contemplating the True Martial Gang Qi.

The True Martial, as it is called, takes the meaning of being truly genuine and truly pure; once cultivated, it can shatter all things under heaven.

The Dao of True Meaning that Chen Mo is currently contemplating is different from all other Daos of True Meaning between heaven and earth.

This Zhenwu Intent was created by the Great Ability who originally pioneered this Secret Skill.

Chen Mo sank his mind into his Small World to determine exactly how much time he had spent in this closed-door cultivation.

True Martial Gang Qi is truly genuine, truly pure, extremely rigid, and extremely Yang.

He had no plans to exchange for other Secret Skills for the time being; it is better not to be greedy and chew more than one can swallow, and it is best for him to primarily cultivate True Martial Gang Qi first.

Once he has mastered this Secret Skill thoroughly, he will go on to practice another.

This is also normal; on one hand, he has undergone Mortal Transformation many times, even if the main improvement was to his physical body.

Under these circumstances, it is very difficult to master this method to a profound realm, but merely applying it in a preliminary way is not difficult.

To be able to do it in only three months—this level of comprehension, even among those in the True One Realm, can be called genius.

Having initially mastered the True Martial Gang Qi, Chen Mo did not continue to practice.

The time was not long, merely three months.

Chen Mo focused his mind on contemplating the Zhenwu Intent; although the Zhenwu Intent contains the Yin-Yang Creation Dao, it only takes a portion of its truly genuine and truly pure mysteries.

He has already initially mastered the True Martial Gang Qi and can convert his own Gang Qi from Yin-Yang True Gang into Zhenwu Qi.

By probing the Small World, one can clearly know exactly how long one has been in closed-door cultivation.

And by continuously drawing nutrients from this towering tree, one eventually grows a tree of one's own.

His own contemplation of the Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Law does indeed help him better master this Secret Skill, but it is only a part of it.

Going a step further, when in battle, he can instantly convert the Heaven and Earth True Gang he practices into True Martial Gang Qi at any time and any place.

This is quite important for a Martial Artist, as it allows them to be more flexible in their methods during combat.

Being able to rank in the first tier among this group of people is enough to show that Chen Mo's current comprehension is definitely not bad.

And to go a step further, one must develop one's own application of this Secret Skill.

Currently, when he employs True Martial Gang Qi, he can only use it to face enemies and inflict injury.

Reaching this realm, a Martial Artist's mastery of True Martial Gang Qi is basically considered to have reached its limit.

Viewed this way, his own comprehension, even when looking at the more than twenty thousand True One Martial Artists in Xuanhuang Heaven, is definitely of the first tier.

It is just a pity that that Great Ability could not take the final step to achieve the Zhizun Realm.

With such accumulation, Chen Mo's comprehension, even among the more than twenty thousand True One Martial Artists in Ju Hai City and the Xuanhuang World, is also a top-tier existence.

Added to the fact that he had previously swallowed a Nine Treasures Lotus Heart Pill, his comprehension was further enhanced.

It does not belong to any single Great Dao in the world; although it contains some mysteries of the Yin-Yang Creation Dao, it is mostly the Great Ability's own insights.

Chen Mo concentrated his mind on a single point, carefully contemplating the Secret Skill.

This is only a preliminary mastery; to go any further, he needs the tempering and practice of day-by-day accumulation.

However, Chen Mo was contemplating the true meaning of the Secret Skill directly at this moment, as if that Great Ability were teaching him personally.

With his full concentration on cultivation, he would not be distracted by external events, but the time within his Small World was always passing.

If this were the case, this Zhenwu Intent would further transform, becoming independent between heaven and earth and becoming the Zhenwu Avenue.

One must know that a Martial Artist capable of achieving the True One Realm is already a genius among geniuses.

Moreover, Chen Mo knew that his original comprehension was not bad; perhaps it could not be called genius, but it was of above-average quality.

If he went a step further, then his use of True Martial Gang Qi would not only be able to face enemies but also protect his body.

And he would be unable to directly convert his own Yin-Yang True Gang into True Martial Gang Qi, only able to spend time accumulating it slowly in his daily life and unleashing it all when facing an enemy.

Not knowing how much time had passed, in Cangfa Lou, Chen Mo slowly opened his eyes.

Time passed very quickly; with his full concentration, he could barely feel any of it.

And he could convert the True Martial Gang Qi back into the Heaven and Earth True Gang he usually used.

An ordinary Martial Artist takes at least half a year, or even a longer time, to comprehend True Martial Gang Qi.

But since a person's Divine Sense is nourished by the physical body, as the physical body grows day by day, the Divine Sense and comprehension must also improve accordingly.

Extreme Yang can give birth to Extreme Yin, possessing the mystery of Yin-Yang evolution, which is why this method can protect the body and face enemies.

It is like a big tree; the trunk is still someone else's, and the Martial Artist must start adding branches that belong to their own understanding onto this big tree.

Even without relying on other external forces, just letting him practice steadily, he would sooner or later reach the In-Charge Realm; it is merely a matter of how much time it takes.

And sufficient resources can accelerate this progress.

Chen Mo walked out of Cangfa Lou; above the towering mountains, clouds gathered and dispersed.

These clouds are also incredibly pure Heaven and Earth Power; even if a True One Martial Artist does nothing, their mere existence is enough to change the Feng Shui of a region to a certain extent.

In Ju Hai City, there are a large number of True One Martial Artists practicing here for a long time, so the natural environment is exceptionally good.

Even an ordinary person, if they stayed here for a long time, would likely be able to reach Tongmai Perfection relying solely on their own breathing and cultivation after day-by-day accumulation.

Of course, ordinary people would not easily come here; although they would not be affected by the Mirage Sea, they are still too weak.

Coming here, if there is the slightest turmoil in the city gates or checkpoints, let alone ordinary people, even Martial Artists below the Innate Realm would likely be unable to withstand the turmoil and would have no choice but to die.

Chen Mo turned away from Cangfa Lou and arrived once again before the pavilion where Ma Qingshi was located.

With the Secret Technique initially mastered, he intended to enter the Zhenwu Pool for refinement to increase his cultivation.

Chen Mo's Yin-Yang True Gang within his Small World had now accumulated to fullness and could begin further condensation.

As for exactly how many times it could be condensed, that would depend on his own aptitude.

In reality, even if a Martial Artist does not condense their own Heaven and Earth True Gang, they can still directly break through to the next realm.

But such a breakthrough, firstly, does not have a high success rate, and secondly, leaves the foundation flimsy, making it difficult to continue future cultivation.

Because if the Heaven and Earth True Gang cannot contain enough Heavenly Law, even if a Martial Artist breaks through to the second level of the True One Realm, they may not be able to shatter the Reincarnation Stele.

"Senior Ma!" Chen Mo stood outside the pavilion and called out loudly.

Only after joining the True Martial Tower did he understand.

Ma Qingshan was not of the Human Race, nor was he any kind of creature born of heaven and earth; he was the Shape Transformation of an ancient artifact spirit.

Now, the vast majority of affairs within the True Martial Tower were managed and controlled by this ancient artifact spirit.

This artifact spirit had sixteen incarnations scattered throughout the True Martial Tower, used to help Martial Artists handle matters.

"What is it?" Ma Qingshan responded loudly from within the pavilion, and the pavilion door opened accordingly.

"Reporting to Senior, this junior intends to head to the Zhenwu Pool for refinement; I wonder when I may proceed?" Chen Mo bowed and asked.

"Three days from now, just come here." Ma Qingshi gave the answer quickly, and as the words fell, the pavilion door closed accordingly.

Chen Mo was not prepared to leave; three days of time, to a powerhouse of his realm, was merely the effort of a brief meditation.

Yet, he had only been sitting here in meditation for a little over a day.

"Ding!"

Chen Mo sensed that the Xuanhuang Heaven Token he possessed emitted a tremor.

He sank his consciousness into it to check; it was Zhang Qianlian sending him a message.

The message was brief, only telling him to go to the previous residence to meet.

Chen Mo did not hesitate; he stood up and hurried over.

Within Ju Hai City, apart from the deployed Teleportation Array, no Martial Artist or cultivator could utilize spatial teleportation.

The laws regarding this point had long been locked down to prevent Mirage Sea creatures from using Spatial Law to launch surprise attacks.

And any arrays that could utilize spatial teleportation were all built jointly by Ancient Heaven Supreme and Great Ability.

No matter the level of Mirage Sea creature, it was impossible to kill their way into Ju Hai City through such arrays.

Moreover, even if they could truly kill their way into Ju Hai City, the infinite arrays laid out within the city, as well as the countless powerhouses in the city, were enough to suppress these Mirage Sea creatures.

The entire Ju Hai City was an airtight fortress; to break it, one could only do so from the outside with infinite great power.

Chen Mo flew rapidly to the previous small courtyard; inside the courtyard, besides Zhang Qianlian and Wu Qianqiu, there was also a woman wearing a light-colored plain dress.

The woman had a slender figure and a gentle temperament, sitting quietly to the side drinking tea.

"This is the new Martial Artist who has come here to our alliance." Zhang Qianlian looked at Liu Xinyue and introduced her in a deep voice.

"This is Liu Xinyue, who is also a Martial Artist of our alliance here.

Besides her, there is also one named He Buyou, but he is currently guarding within Refuse Sea Pass, so I fear you will not be able to see him for a short time." Zhang Qianlian then introduced her to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo cupped his hands in greeting, and Liu Xinyue returned the gesture.

"The reason I called you all here today is, firstly, to let you get to know each other. Secondly, it is because I must go."

Zhang Qianlian smiled freely, his tone sounding as if he did not care at all.

Whether it was Chen Mo, Wu Qianqiu, or Liu Xinyue, all three understood that his departure was certainly a one-way trip.

As a True One Martial Artist, Zhang Qianlian's lifespan had a limit, and he was currently approaching that limit.

Furthermore, with Martial Artists situated in the world today, constantly being eroded by the Mirage Sea would also accelerate this process.

If not for this, the lifespan of a True One Realm Martial Artist would at least be counted in the hundreds of thousands of years.

Zhang Qianlian did not wish to die in peace; even if he were to die, he wanted to fight the Mirage Sea creatures one last time.

Therefore, he chose to go and guard Ju Hai City, and even venture deeper into the Mirage Sea to find Mirage Sea creatures and fight them until his death.

Such a choice was by no means something only he had done; many Martial Artists in Ju Hai City would do this when nearing the end of their lives.

Although the strength of one person did not count for much, even if they could only kill one or two Mirage Spirit monsters, it was still slowing down the process of them devouring Ju Hai City.

The strength of one person was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, but accumulated over countless years, with tens of thousands of True One Martial Artists choosing to do so,

then it could play a very considerable role.

And these Martial Artists who were willing to sacrifice themselves to continue the survival of Ju Hai City were true heroes.

"Before I leave, there are still some things to do; many things have already been entrusted to you previously, and now there are a few more things I must ask for your help with."

Zhang Qianlian's tone was calm as he took a Storage Ring from his Huai.

"I will die in the Mirage Sea, and I fear my corpse will not be able to return; when you return to the Return Ruins, help me set up a cenotaph in the Thousand Layer Tower so that my unworthy descendants can pay their respects."

He handed the Storage Ring to Chen Mo; inside the ring, there was only a coffin, a set of clothes, and a weapon.

"However, do not be in a hurry; I estimate that I will not die for at least another seventy or eighty years, so just wait until one hundred years from now to set up the cenotaph for me." He continued to instruct.

"I still have a Cultivation Cave in Ju Hai City, and all the arrays inside are complete. It is useless for me to keep it, so since you have just arrived in the city, I will give it to you.

There are also some cultivation resources in the cave, which I will give to you as well."

Zhang Qianlian took out a cave Token and stuffed it directly into Chen Mo's hand.

Wu Qianqiu and Liu Xinyue had both been cultivating in the city for a long time, so they naturally had their own Cultivation Caves.

Only Chen Mo had just arrived here and had not yet had time to open up his own Cultivation Cave.

Now, obtaining this cave Token saved him more than half the effort and energy.

Opening up a Cultivation Cave was not difficult, but wanting to set up the arrays bit by bit would still require a large amount of time and resources.

Having this ready-made cave could save him a large amount of time, allowing him to focus more on cultivation.

"I will have no use for this Heavenly Evolution Chessboard, so I imagine you should be able to make use of it."

Zhang Qianlian took out another jade chessboard the size of a palm, though there was not a single chess piece on it yet.

Wu Qianqiu nodded, not refusing, and reached out to take it directly.

Zhang Qianlian then took out another treasure and presented it to Liu Xinyue.

He could no longer use these treasures himself, and there was even less need to leave them for the younger generation.

Because there was no way to preserve this treasure through normal means, unless he placed it within the Return Ruins.

But doing so would be less effective than giving it directly to Wu Qianqiu and Liu Xinyue, as both of them also hailed from the Huantian Alliance of the Return Ruins.

If nothing unexpected happened, provided these two treasures were not damaged in their hands, they would be passed down to the next generation of Huantian Alliance Martial Artists.

In fact, of the two treasures Zhang Qianlian had obtained, that chessboard had been inherited from another Huantian Alliance Martial Artist.

Having arranged everything one by one, Zhang Qianlian seemed to breathe a rare sigh of relief.

Wu Qianqiu took out a wine jar at some point; the liquor was mellow, the aroma fragrant, and boundless vitality surged within it—one could tell at a glance that this was a rare spirit wine.

Wu Qianqiu did not say much, simply taking out wine cups to pour the drink.

Chen Mo and the others toasted Zhang Qianlian three times together, then followed him as he walked toward Juhaiguan.

On the second level of Ju Hai City, they were already very close to the external Juhaiguan, where one could not only see the towering, majestic city wall that resembled the firmament.

From time to time, one could also see Martial Artists repairing the Array on the city wall or rushing toward it.

Zhang Qianlian strode toward the checkpoint, with Chen Mo and the others following closely behind.

To show respect, they did not fly, but walked on foot instead.

However, even so, the group's speed was not slow, and after about two quarters of an hour, they arrived before the city gate.

Upon reaching this place, apart from Zhang Qianlian, Chen Mo and the others could not continue forward.

"Safe travels, Alliance Leader!" The three of them bowed and saluted almost in unison, speaking with one voice.

"Alright! Go back if there's nothing else." Zhang Qianlian, however, was indifferent; he smiled, waved his hand at them, and stepped into the checkpoint.

After seeing Zhang Qianlian off, the three of them departed separately to attend to their own affairs.

(End of this chapter)