Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Defiant Way of the World's Order

Jiang Ming's dantian was vast, his true energy inexhaustible. Though he still remained at the fourth realm of martial arts, the quantity of his true energy far surpassed those at the fifth, sixth, or even seventh realm. One could truly say that none had come before him in this regard.

Yet, no matter how abundant his true energy, the output was limited by the meridians themselves. This set a ceiling on how much could be unleashed at once. Fortunately, Jiang Ming's meridians were tougher and broader than any ordinary person's, and with his comprehension of various profound arts and realms, this was the true reason he could battle those beyond his rank.

Now, having removed some of these restrictions, his true energy surged forth with overwhelming force, like mountains crashing and seas roaring, destroying all before it.

After slaying Ma Tiande, Jiang Ming spat out another mouthful of blood. He hurriedly dispersed the true energy around his body, restraining it with his will, suppressing it with his mind, and forcibly guiding it back into his dantian with the strength of his soul.

Moments later, he exhaled a turbid breath. All the true energy had been gathered back. Even though his physical body was incredibly strong, an internal scan revealed it was riddled with countless wounds.

His true energy was simply too terrifying.

"No, it's still that my body hasn't been tempered enough. After all, we're at the same realm. If my flesh were as unmatched as my true energy, even removing the restrictions wouldn't cause internal injuries. From now on, I can use this secret art to measure my physical progress. It's a good benchmark."

Jiang Ming couldn't help but laugh.

This time, he truly saw where his body was lacking.

His torn muscles and cracked viscera were healing rapidly. His innate talent—'Nirvana Rebirth'—was working its miraculous effect.

Moonlight illuminated the ruined landscape, dust settling. Several surrounding peaks had been destroyed, and all the trees within range had vanished. The battle was like a natural disaster.

Some martial artists from Moon City, who had hurried over, saw this scene from afar and were filled with horror.

Could human strength reach such heights?

Jiang Ming exhaled once more; his internal injuries had healed, but he now wore a strange expression. "After recovering from such trauma, my body seems to have grown stronger."

He raised his head; the moonlight was thick.

After resting and inspecting the area, he found that Ma Tiande had left behind only a long blade, nothing else. He also recovered the flying sword dropped by the Divine Realm cultivator who had ambushed him, then returned to the city.

After some time, people arrived to investigate the scene and realized the extent of the destruction.

"Who was he fighting? Surely a Sky Phenomenon Realm expert. And he won. Where's the opponent? No trace, or did they escape?"

Everyone wondered.

Inside the city.

"You're back!" Yun Shuang was the first to greet him, full of concern.

"Glad you're safe!" Yan Hongyi sighed in relief, immediately going to prepare hot water. A moment later, she handed him a warm towel. "Your bath will be ready soon!"

Jiang Ming nodded and thrust the long blade into the ground. "I've slain Ma Tiande of the Demon Suppression Bureau; his body is gone. This is his blade. Tomorrow, plant it at the front gate and spread news of his death. Having slain a Sky Phenomenon Realm foe, no one should dare disturb our peace."

Yan Hongyi and Yun Shuang both caught their breath, their expressions shocked.

Ma Tiande of the Sky Phenomenon Realm, dead?

This...

"That's incredible!" Yun Shuang's eyes sparkled.

She had noticed that her young master did not mistreat others; so long as one kept their thoughts proper, he mostly ignored you. Life here was freer and more carefree than even in the Lunar Palace.

Now, he had slain a Sky Phenomenon Realm expert—what did that mean? It meant the small man before her was truly unmatched in the martial world, a pillar stronger than any.

"I must cling tightly to this pillar. If need be, I'll even offer myself!"

Yun Shuang pondered.

Yan Hongyi was also stirred: finally, she could feel at ease. After the death of the palace master, the vice master's betrayal, and the coldness of her senior uncle, she had experienced disappointment and despair, but now she could fully relax.

Unless someone was absolutely sure they could kill Jiang Ming, who would dare make a move?

An extraterritorial fiend, without attachments—if not killed completely, his revenge would be terrifying.

No one wanted to take that risk.

Looking back at the recent battles, only demons, monsters, ghosts, and Lunar Palace members had appeared; sects like Pure Yang had not.

"If only he weren't from outside the world, perhaps I..."

Yan Hongyi blushed.

"Hongyi!"

"Jiang, what are your orders?"

"Once the city's order is restored, acquire some potent blood-boosting spiritual medicines. Taxes and the silver in the mansion are yours to use as you see fit. If anyone seeks refuge, as long as they're not cruel killers, arrange their placement; if someone stronger than you arrives, let me know."

"Understood!"

The hot water was ready. Soaking in it was bliss.

Hearing movement, Jiang Ming saw Yun Shuang approach. She lowered her head shyly. "Let me massage your shoulders and scrub your back. I also know how to give massages."

She slipped off her gauzy robe, head bowed, and walked toward him gracefully.

"Shameless!"

Yan Hongyi, still busy outside, heard the commotion, stomped her foot, pouted, and hummed a few times. Covering her ears, her cheeks flushed red, but curiosity made her ears twitch.

Next day, Jiang Ming went to the study to continue reading Shen Zui's collection. As the senior uncle of the Lunar Palace and a peerless grandmaster, he had guarded Moon City for years; naturally, his martial arts tomes were numerous.

Including even the Lunar Undying Sutra.

According to Yan Hongyi, the senior brother was not qualified to cultivate it; most likely, the vice master Yun Lu had secretly gifted it to win him over.

Jiang Ming was unconcerned, letting her and Yun Shuang read it.

Yan Hongyi hesitated.

Yun Shuang was naturally thrilled. After Jiang Ming's triumphant return last night, she couldn't hold back her urge to tie herself to him and initiated a passionate encounter.

As a result, she still hadn't woken up. According to Jiang Ming, the Divine cultivator's physique was rather lacking.

Jiang Ming closed a book and randomly picked another. After reading, he sat up straight.

This was a body-tempering method called the Iron Forging Method.

The first stage tempered skin and flesh, the second forged muscles and bones, the third refined the viscera.

Only these three stages.

Incomplete, and relatively low-tier.

But the categorization was key.

"The main world trains as a whole, but this method progresses from outside in, layer by layer."

It felt familiar.

No, extremely familiar.

He had seen it often in fantasy literature in his previous life.

"Will there be marrow cleansing and blood replacement later?"

Jiang Ming mused, flipping through the pages. The content was not profound, but unique. Especially the skin-tempering stage, which required the whole body to be hammered and smeared with ointments to take effect.

Only with bone forging did it enter the right track.

There were some notes: Thinking that forging the body with iron would lead to a breakthrough—damn it, not only did it not work, but the bones turned black. If not for the surge in strength, I'd have thought I'd been poisoned.

Bones, turning black?

Yes, the bones really turned black. In a moment of sensing, thinking it was an illusion, he cut open his arm to check, and indeed found black spots on the bone.

Damn, that's bizarre.

"Black bones?"

Jiang Ming frowned in thought.

If anything, his mind was expansive, able to roam freely.

Black bones, silver bones, gold bones?

Is this breaking a barrier?

Like a dantian sea of ten zhang radius, already an extreme, but then leaping to a hundred zhang.

Not only had he never heard of it, there were no records even of a ten zhang dantian.

"Hongyi!"

"Jiang, what is it?"

Moments later, Yan Hongyi entered.

She saw over ten sheets of paper floating in the air, each with a brush writing upon it. Though she knew Jiang Ming followed the path of spirit cultivation, she was still astonished.

A moment later, the brushes returned to their rack.

A gentle breeze dried the ink, and the pages fell toward Hongyi. Jiang Ming said, "In here are three mental arts that can reach grandmaster level; there's also a divine path method, not as refined as the Lunar Pure Sutra, but still useful. The rest are secret techniques—once mastered, you can fight above your level. There's even a sword art; if fully learned, it greatly increases the chance to comprehend the Rain Realm."

"Next, help me collect body-tempering arts. If funds are insufficient, exchange secret techniques and such—you handle it. The arts don't need to be top-tier, but numerous. If there are fragments or ancient body-tempering methods, all the better."

"Miss Yan, I'm counting on you!"

Jiang Ming smiled.

"Jiang, you're pursuing the path of body-tempering?" Yan Hongyi was stunned.

"Did you forget? In the ruined temple, I nearly roared Yun Shuang to death," Jiang Ming replied. "I hadn't used all my blood energy then; if I had, Yun Shuang's soul would have been scattered."

Yan Hongyi grimaced.

"Jiang, you keep shattering my understanding." She smiled wryly, her eyes shining. "Jiang, may I cultivate these secret arts?"

"Of course!" Jiang Ming nodded. "If you have questions, come ask anytime."

"Thank you!" Yan Hongyi was overjoyed.

To receive guidance from someone who could slay a Sky Phenomenon Realm expert—her progress would surely soar.

The city lord's mansion had now been renamed Jiang Mansion by Yan Hongyi.

It was quiet within.

The city was being organized.

But outside, a storm was brewing.

Ma Tiande of the Demon Suppression Bureau was dead?

No one believed it.

But seeing the blade planted at Jiang Mansion's gate, and recognizing it as Ma Tiande's weapon, plus news from the capital that Ma Tiande had left days ago and not returned, along with the traces left by the battle...

Putting it all together, it wasn't hard to deduce: Ma Tiande of the Sky Phenomenon Realm was dead.

Dead?

Few were willing to believe, yet they had to.

The world was turbulent, but no one dared covet Moon City anymore.

Even knowing Jiang Ming was an extraterritorial fiend.

Even the Lunar Palace had withdrawn, Myriad Monster Mountain was silent, Ghost City hushed.

Yet Moon City saw an influx of martial artists—solitary wanderers, the persecuted, the hunted, clan disciples—all arriving.

For a time, Moon City grew ever more lively.

Especially since Jiang Mansion had revealed supreme arts, peerless mental techniques, spirit cultivation methods, and so on, attracting even more.

As for the outside world, Jiang Ming ignored it completely.

He had too much to cultivate.

In the Eastern Courtyard, the training ground—beyond which lay a lake.

Not small.

The entire lake had once been the city lord's training grounds, now belonging to Jiang Ming.

Boom...

His fist shot out like a dragon, exploding with a roar, blasting a straight channel through the air, crossing the lake and tearing a long trench across its surface.

"On the path of body-tempering, I'm at the fourth transformation. Yet this punch could shatter a newly advanced grandmaster of the fifth realm!"

This was pure physical strength.

He hadn't even used the force-stacking technique of the Inch Fist.

He was simply that strong.

"Inch Fist..." Jiang Ming pondered. "Next, I need to improve my force amplification, aiming for a hundred-fold increase with a single punch. Even facing Ma Tiande again, I could kill him in one blow."

This was the future direction of his fist art.

Force technique, power amplification.

But according to his estimation, it was merely force oscillating within muscles, bones, even cells, forming terrifying amplification.

He had experienced it in the Tower of Ascension.

It was frighteningly powerful.

But cultivating it would be unimaginably difficult.

"Besides, by comprehending this world's body-tempering arts, I can further perfect my Dragon Elephant Heaven Suppression Art—no, start anew. Black bones? Silver bones? Gold bones? Worth a try, if possible!"

"And then there's the World Realm. This realm seems akin to the path of domains; must not miss it."

"And also the Boundless Realm. If I comprehend this power, it will greatly aid my future development of the Dragon Elephant Heaven Suppression or Dragon Elephant Prison Force..."

Jiang Ming dared not imagine further.

Crack...

On this day, the sky was overcast; thunder boomed.

Jiang Ming was delighted, sitting cross-legged on the balcony, gazing at lightning serpents streaking across the sky, electric dragons weaving.

"Thunder: the ultimate yang, brimming with destructive force..."

"Within destruction, there is latent vitality."

"On the day of awakening insects, thunder rolls, all things revive. This is its meaning."

"Life within destruction."

He had never comprehended this realm before.

Now, watching the sky, observing lightning, he gained insight in moments.

He pointed, piercing a distant sapling, leaving scorch marks.

He had entered the realm.

"This is too easy!"

Jiang Ming smiled.

He continued to immerse himself. Over the next few days, rain poured, thunder rumbled, allowing his progress in the Thunder Realm to soar.

Until the Thunder Realm reached perfection.

On this day, Jiang Ming was enveloped by various realms: wood, fire, earth, metal, water, wind, thunder—seven kinds of power.

He was attempting to fuse them.

"Fusion is hardest, requiring layer upon layer of weaving."

Jiang Ming was cautious.

With experience in fusion, he was adept, but still had to keep trying.

For example, this layer required one part wood, ten parts fire, half part earth; next layer, three and a half parts wood, half part fire, and so on.

Layer after layer, not every one involved all seven powers.

Attempts were not frightening; what was frightening was the sheer number of combinations.

And fusion could trigger backlash, causing true energy turmoil and mental harm—this was the true difficulty of realm fusion.

Jiang Ming possessed Nirvana Rebirth and Soul Sovereign talents, his spirit indomitable; thus, he feared nothing. If others tried, they'd be doomed.

Moreover, his extraordinary perception brought unimaginable benefits.

The sun and moon turned, time flowed.

At dusk.

Jiang Ming sat in meditation, the air rippling around him, distorting, a transparent shield visible even to outsiders, enveloping him.

"The World Realm is complete!"

Jiang Ming rejoiced, especially sensing its unique effects.

"Indeed, each of the ten realms holds a special power!"

"With the World Realm, even without forbidden arts, I can slay Ma Tiande if he appears again."

"A true kill!"

This was boundless confidence.

Thanks to readers 20230510083250193 and ttklye for their generous support, my gratitude!

By the way, what's it like to ride a dragon? Has anyone ever experienced it firsthand?

(End of chapter)