Chapter 103: Five Stages of Body Refining, Three Stages of Innate

The Realm divisions of Blood-Qi Martial Arts.

The Five Stages of Body Refining are the beginning and also the most fundamental.

Meridian Opening, Tendon Strengthening, Bone Forging, Marrow Cleansing, Blood Exchange.

These five Realms are collectively known as Acquired Body Refining.

As the name implies, it is to temper and polish the Martial Artist's body, allowing the Physical Body to continuously surpass its limits in the process, giving birth to a continuous flow of vast Blood-Qi.

After that, it is Returning from Acquired to Innate.

A Xiantian Martial Artist's Blood-Qi is like a calm lake when still, and like a raging river when in motion.

Every punch and kick is wrapped in Protective Aura; the strong can even walk on air and slay enemies with controlled Qi.

Observing Principles, Nurturing Soul, Seeing Divinity; these are the Three Stages of Innate.

In popular folk terms, the Three Stages of Innate have more down-to-earth names: Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster, and Supreme Great Grandmaster.

"I'm still a bit too weak right now."

"Setting aside the later Realms for now, just the Five Stages of Body Refining alone will require me to polish them slowly."

"Things like Human Immortals are matters to be considered much later."

Inside the wooden house.

Xu Xi stood up and finished his practice, exhaling a long breath of white turbid air that slowly dissipated in the air.

The Meridian Opening Realm is just an insignificant first small Realm in Blood-Qi Martial Arts.

But a Martial Artist is still a Martial Artist.

Ultimately transcending Mortals.

From now on, Xu Xi's life and daily routine would no longer be confined to dull and tedious physical labor as before.

…

[Benefiting from your naturally thick Blood-Qi, you successfully stepped into the first Realm of martial arts; your body's meridians are all connected by Blood-Qi, forming a continuous cycle.]

[Currently, although you cannot release Daoist arts or Spells,]

[Your Physical Body has received an unprecedented strengthening.]

[The surge of Blood-Qi brings you joy; when you clench your fingers into a fist, the surging power makes you feel as if you could kill a Cultivator or Mage of the same level with a single punch.]

[But you did not let the increase in strength go to your head.]

[The Realm divisions of Blood-Qi Martial Arts, from bottom to top, consist of the Five Stages of Body Refining and the Three Stages of Innate; only by successfully completing these eight Realms can you become a Martial Dao Human Immortal and witness a more magnificent world.]

[As someone only in the Meridian Opening Realm, you clearly have no right to be arrogant.]

[You know clearly that your future holds infinite possibilities, but before the future arrives, potential is ultimately just potential.]

[You packed all your belongings, left the dilapidated wooden house where you previously lived, and resigned from your original job.]

[You began to persist in practicing martial arts.]

[You began to persist in training.]

[You first became an assistant instructor at a martial arts hall as a transition; the income from being an assistant instructor made your life worry-free and allowed you to buy better Blood-Qi medicine.]

[In the third year of the simulation, you are 18 years old, and you resigned from your job as an assistant instructor.]

[Your Persistence was rewarded; your martial arts evolved in the mundane, and you went from the original Meridian Opening Realm, directly skipping the Tendon Strengthening stage, to become a Bone Forging Martial Artist.]

[Now, the sound of your punches is terrifying; with the amazing Blood-Qi boost, you can go toe-to-toe with ordinary Blood Exchange Realm Martial Artists.]

[You successfully crossed social classes and purchased a house in Qingniu Town.]

[You did not start a martial arts hall, nor did you choose to join a School, but you have a stable income.]

[Some heard of your rapid advancement and specifically visited to offer gold and silver, only asking for you to guide their children.]

[In the fourth year of the simulation, you are 19 years old, and your cultivation broke through again, reaching the Marrow Cleansing stage.]

[Hard work pays off, and Persistence brings rewards; over these years, relying on the feedback from Persistence and your own deep Blood-Qi, you have crossed multiple stages in a row, successfully offsetting the disadvantage of starting martial arts at an older age.]

[But the last two stages of the Five Stages of Body Refining, Marrow Cleansing and Blood Exchange, still posed obstacles for you; you began to experience the struggle of a normal Martial Artist.]

"It's only a purple talent after all."

"The Breakthrough bonus brought by Soaring Blood Qi is still providing assistance, but it has slowed down significantly."

"As for the Persistence trait, it can't be rushed either."

In Qingniu Town, inside the new house.

Xu Xi swung his arms, circling them like wings, and slowly pulled his entire body's muscles and bones, achieving the strange sight of bones rising and flesh falling.

Unlike the ease of the first three Realms.

The two Realms of Marrow Cleansing and Blood Exchange go deeper into the essence of Blood-Qi Martial Arts and are therefore harder to master.

Marrow is what creates blood, and blood flows through the entire human body.

When the bone marrow is refined and concentrated, it allows for the renewal of blood, which in turn comprehensively nourishes the human internal organs, leading the entire body to an Ascension and evolution.

This is the principle of Returning from Acquired to Innate.

The first step of martial arts becoming extraordinary.

All the great power and all the extraordinary characteristics are concentrated in the tendons, bones, blood, and flesh.

When the Blood-Qi roars, it can even suppress and kill evil spirits out of thin air.

…

[Feeling the difficulty of martial arts advancement, amidst the surprised and astonished gazes of others, you chose to proactively approach the Hundred Thousand Mountains to search for weaker demons.]

[You persisted in searching every day and gained considerable experience in finding demons.]

[You persisted in practicing martial arts every day, and your Martial Skills improved.]

[Your fist techniques, saber techniques, and movement techniques successfully filled in the gaps through battles with demons; you have now become more proficient.]

In the simulation world.

Xu Xi is a complete undocumented person.

He has neither the household registration of the Daqian Dynasty nor any so-called family or relatives.

This wouldn't normally matter, as strength is respected; he lived this way in the Magic World as well.

But the problem lies in the fact that, compared to the civilized system of the Magic World where the Mages Association provides channels for inquiry and mutual aid,

The Martial Arts World is undoubtedly primitive and backward; Xu Xi has no channel to buy Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills, and even if he could, most would be common goods.

Therefore, the Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills Xu Xi currently practices all come from the real world.

Their grades aren't high, but they are sufficient for him now.

They are "Blood-Qi Long Fist", "Five Thunder Saber", and "Light Swan Technique".

"The appearance of these demons is quite similar to the Yao Beasts in the Cultivation World; if I had to say there's a difference, it's that they look more ferocious."

"Is it because the Yao Beasts in the Cultivation World are mostly good at Spells,"

"While the demons here prefer physical attacks?"

In a desolate valley near Qingniu Town.

Xu Xi raised his saber and let it fall; a cold light flashed and vanished, accompanied by a whistling Blood-Qi halo, powerfully slaying a deer-shaped demon.

Its antlers were exceptionally large and thick.

Its pupils were crimson.

Saliva dripped from its sharp teeth.

It looked as if it wanted to bite and chew Xu Xi.

However, even ferocious demons die; as Xu Xi's long saber severed its body, the deer-shaped demon fell to the ground, the violence in its eyes dissipating.

Dust flew, and rubble tumbled.

Xu Xi looked at the fallen demon, then at the environment that was shattered beyond recognition after the intense battle, his brow furrowing slightly:

"Even a demon at the very edge of the Hundred Thousand Mountains has this kind of strength."

"If more of them appeared, and stronger ones, could Daqian really hold them back?"

Xu Xi fell into deep thought.

He faintly felt that there was some strange balance between the Hundred Thousand Mountains and Daqian.

Could it be that there are some super old monsters within the Human Race who are strong enough to deter all demons?