Yan Zhen was eager for Chu Lingguang to become stronger. He hoped Chu Lingguang would be able to face him at the Provincial Martial Arts Examination, so he shared all of his insights with Chu Lingguang.

Chu Lingguang committed it all to memory. When he didn’t understand something, he would ask earnestly, and he recorded many key points on paper.

Thinking about how Bamo had chased him into the Hundred Thousand Mountains and nearly killed him, Chu Lingguang couldn’t help but wonder. ’If I could unlock the sixth level of my Dharma Aspect and master the Primitive Power, could I defeat Bamo just as Yan Zhen described?’

"Yan, after Qi Sea Great Success comes Qi Sea Perfection, and I’ve heard that above Qi Sea Perfection is the True Martial Realm. These past few days, Zhuo and the others have all said my master is a True Martial Realm expert. I wanted to ask, what realm are you in now?"

Chu Lingguang asked.

"Andenuk and I are both between Qi Sea Perfection and the True Martial Realm."

Yan Zhen didn’t hide anything, answering truthfully.

"What?"

Chu Lingguang was shocked.

"Does that mean your strength is just a step away from my master’s?"

Chu Lingguang felt immense pressure. ’Yan Zhen is so strong. How can I ever catch up?’

"It’s not just one step. It’s a world of difference."

Yan Zhen corrected him.

"There’s a massive gulf between the Qi Sea Realm and the True Martial Realm. For someone like Master Guo, his power is already transcendent. A Beast Soul has awakened within his Dantian. Even if Andenuk and I teamed up, we couldn’t move him an inch. If it weren’t for his old age and declining health, he could probably kill us both in just a few moves."

"If he hadn’t been in such a hurry to save you, Xie Xiaohuan’s people wouldn’t have been able to injure him at all."

Yan Zhen said with sincere admiration.

Chu Lingguang nodded slightly. The spear Guo Wei had thrown at the Little Prince stopped him from a great distance. His strength was plain for all to see.

Even after taking a spear thrust from Hamu, he was still able to kill him in return.

When Hamu and Zamuhai pursued them with a hundred or so men, Guo Wei must have drawn them away primarily to protect him and Hei Hu from harm.

If it had just been Guo Wei alone, he probably could have charged right at them, cutting his way in and out, slaughtering them a dozen times over until they were utterly routed.

At this thought, Chu Lingguang felt an immense sense of guilt.

’If Hei Hu and I hadn’t been a burden, maybe Master Guo really could have killed Xie Xiaohuan. Xie Xiaohuan probably never imagined Master Guo would be that powerful.’

"Yan, what are the changes between Qi Sea Minor Achievement, Qi Sea Great Success, and Qi Sea Perfection?"

Chu Lingguang asked.

These were questions Guo Wei could have answered, perhaps even better than Yan Zhen. But he and Yan Zhen were only a few years apart in age. They spoke the same language and had a mutual admiration. Yan Zhen’s answers might not have been as profound as Guo Wei’s, but listening to him gave Chu Lingguang a different kind of feeling. He could go back and reflect on them, and perhaps gain some unexpected insights.

"Right now, you’re at the Qi Sea Minor Achievement stage. When you use Introspection, you can see the great vortex in your Dantian unravel and become an ocean."

"However, at the Minor Achievement stage, the Dantian is just a hazy mist. Once you enter the Great Success stage, waves of Qi will appear within the Dantian, surging like ocean tides."

"When those Qi waves dissipate, the Dantian fills with energy, and a layer of Gang Shield appears—that is the Qi Sea Perfection realm."

Yan Zhen explained each point.

He continued, "As for True Martial Realm experts, the first step is to awaken a power within the Dantian. The second step is to have the Dantian evolve. And the third step is to have the Dantian Qi Sea undergo a transformation."

"Right now, the Little Prince and I have only completed the first step: awakening a power in our Dantian."

"The Little Prince’s power is a black claw mark. It can easily shatter my Divine Image Vortex and Qi Phase Scale Armor. Ordinary defenses can’t withstand the power of a single one of his claws."

"Your master’s power is a White Tiger."

"And my power is the ’Blade’."

As Yan Zhen spoke, he made a chopping motion with his hand. No powerful beam of Qi erupted from his palm, but with that casual wave, a patch of foxtail grass on the ground was sliced and fell.

"HISS!"

Chu Lingguang sucked in a sharp breath.

It was said that once cultivation reached a certain level, one could give form to their True Qi. Yan Zhen’s casual hand-chop produced no visible wave of Qi, yet it could still slice through the grass.

’If he were to suddenly strike me with a blade like that, how could I possibly defend myself?’

However, his Spiritual Sense had evolved. As Yan Zhen waved his hand, although Chu Lingguang couldn’t see any Sword Qi take form, he sensed a peculiar fluctuation being released from Yan Zhen’s hand.

"Every expert who wants to step into the True Martial Realm must awaken a power in their Dantian. Chu Lingguang, you will find your own power too. As for how to awaken that power, that’s something I can’t explain clearly. Perhaps only those at the level of Master Guo and my own master can truly understand it."

Yan Zhen said again.

"I am indebted to you for your teachings."

Chu Lingguang bowed deeply to Yan Zhen. Yan Zhen had not only saved his life but also sincerely guided him, hoping he would grow stronger just so they could meet at the Provincial Martial Arts Examination. This was an immense kindness.

Taking the opportunity, Chu Lingguang decided to ask all the questions he had.

He then asked, "At the Trial Ground and in General Wei’s camp, I heard that when a bloodline evolves to a certain point, it can produce Divine Abilities. I don’t know what these so-called Divine Abilities are, or to what degree a bloodline must evolve to awaken them." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"I think you mentioned that the Little Prince has already awakened several Divine Abilities from his bloodline. I imagine you’re not far behind him, Yan."

"Divine Abilities?" Yan Zhen looked at Chu Lingguang with a solemn expression and said, "Divine Abilities don’t have a fixed form. That power in your Spear Technique that can penetrate all sorts of defenses and attack an enemy’s internal organs might also be a part of a Divine Ability."

"Huh?"

Chu Lingguang was speechless, scratching his head. "Teacher Yun Hong at the Trial Ground said that power was a special fluctuation produced by the resonance between my flesh and my Spear Technique."

"That fluctuation *is* a Divine Ability."

Yan Zhen said with utmost seriousness, explaining it to Chu Lingguang, "Yun Hong has a special family background and has trained in a sect before. What he said is definitely not wrong. However, he probably chose not to explain it clearly to you on purpose. When you were training at the Trial Ground, the primary goal was Opening the Dantian and Qi Sea and allowing your bloodline to evolve. Obtaining Divine Abilities was still a distant prospect for you back then. Explaining too much would have just made you get lost in wild fantasies."

"But the teachers at the Trial Ground and you both said that Divine Abilities can only be awakened after a bloodline has evolved to a certain point. When that fluctuation appeared in my Spear Technique, I hadn’t even started training at the Trial Ground yet. My Bloodline Level must have only been at the initial stage."

"No. My master once told me himself that any bloodline can awaken a Divine Ability. The key is how to awaken it and receive a response."

"Some people are exceptionally talented and can awaken a Divine Ability even with the most basic bloodline."

"Practicing a Bloodline Evolution Method just allows a person to more clearly receive a response from their bloodline, thus awakening a Divine Ability."

Yan Zhen said with complete conviction.

"This... If that’s the case, what should I call my Divine Ability?"

Chu Lingguang’s face was full of doubt, but he knew Yan Zhen wouldn’t lie to him at a time like this.

During these precious few days, the two talked all through the night. They debated all sorts of questions, and Chu Lingguang benefited immensely. Through their mutual discussions, Yan Zhen also gained new insights from some of Chu Lingguang’s questions, making his own harvest just as great.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the two to part ways.

But during these critical days, the Court dispatched men to the Border Region. The one leading them was, surprisingly, an old acquaintance: the Jin City examiner, Fan Zhibian.

"Master Guo, a moment please!"

Fan Zhibian called out to Guo Wei the moment he arrived. For the past few days, diplomats from both nations had been clashing, and Great Yuan needed to respond to the matter of Guo Wei killing the Aika Tribe’s warriors.

It seemed Fan Zhibian was the one in charge.

(12,000 words today. I previously promised to do this every day, but I only kept it up for a few days. I’m truly ashamed. My apologies.)

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