Xuanyuan's Arrogance

In the Xiao family's training room, Xiao Tianci was preparing for his first martial arts practice. There are already significant physical differences between modern humans and those of the past. In former times, although martial arts techniques were difficult to find, they still existed.

Nowadays, the meridians in the human body have long since withered and become blocked. Without external force to propel and guide them, it is impossible for true qi to form on its own. "All things in the universe are born from being, and being is born from non-being." "The Dao produces one, one produces two, two produces three, and three produces all things." The root of all things is the Dao. What is the Dao? The Great Dao is formless.

For a martial artist, the Dao is their own practice. Modern martial arts are already showing a trend toward decline, because for a martial artist, truly cultivating a successor and a master is no easy task. Without a spark and a guide, the inability to cultivate independently has become the highest threshold for martial arts practitioners to cross.

Xiao Tianci possessed an excellent memory; he quickly memorized all the meridians and acupuncture points of the body. Looking at the Xuanyuan Art placed before him, he asked, "Vajra, do you think I don't need to memorize the earlier energy circulation pathways now?"

Vajra replied, "Boss, I have already memorized them. Shortly, I will plant the spark of qi inside your body while simultaneously guiding you to break through the blocked meridians. Boss, you just need to follow my lead and circulate the energy. The basic energy circulation pathways in the initial stage do not change much. In the later stages, Boss, you can practice step by step according to what is written in the book."

"Oh." Following Vajra's instructions, Xiao Tianci had already stripped off his clothes. Right, a thought flashed through Xiao Tianci's mind: "Vajra, when you helped Fire Phoenix, you didn't need to..."

"Ah..." Vajra's face showed a trace of awkwardness. He hurriedly said, "Boss, Fire Phoenix's situation is different from yours. She was merely encountering a bottleneck in elevating her cultivation. She needed a powerful external force to merge with the power inside her body to break through that bottleneck. Azure Dragon was the same. Moreover, ordinary guidance does not require such measures. The Xuanyuan Art the Boss is practicing is an ancient martial arts manual, and this time I will help the Boss break through in one go the guidance that ordinary people require three times over nine months to complete, allowing the Boss to directly reach the second level of the Xuanyuan Art. Therefore, Boss, you need to be free of any external obstructions to facilitate the flow of true qi and the expulsion of toxins and sweat from your body."

"Oh, I see." Thinking of how Vajra had lost all his cultivation within a few days and had to lie down after helping Azure Dragon and Fire Phoenix last time—an ordeal that also seemed to severely damage his vitality—Xiao Tianci asked with concern, "Vajra, I was just asking back then. Although I also want to achieve results as soon as possible, will this affect you? If so, we can just proceed at the normal pace."

Vajra shook his head and said, "Boss, please rest assured, there is no problem. My Vajra Transformation has broken through the third transformation and reached the realm of the fourth transformation. Furthermore, Azure Dragon and Fire Phoenix were already extremely powerful at the time, so the energy consumed to help them improve was bound to be immense. But the Boss is different; the Boss is just starting out. Even helping the Boss complete the first three stages of guidance all at once will not require much more than what Azure Dragon and Fire Phoenix needed back then. Right now, this is no longer a problem for me."

Vajra continued to explain, "Boss, you also need not worry about the impact of rapid progress; it shouldn't be too significant. It won't have much impact on your own body and cultivation. However, if one does not cultivate bit by bit from the very beginning, and instead rapidly expands to a certain volume through someone else's assistance, when encountering bottlenecks in later cultivation, they are not easily broken through—especially at the start. Boss, as for this aspect, you have me. If you encounter a bottleneck, I can help the Boss push through it again. Afterward, the Boss can cultivate slowly."

Xiao Tianci nodded and sat down as Vajra instructed. Although Vajra made it sound effortless, Xiao Tianci knew it certainly couldn't be that simple. If the early stages were easy, then any subsequent improvements gained through external assistance would surely increase exponentially. Moreover, it was bound to take a toll on one's own body; otherwise, martial arts masters would have been as common as the hairs on an ox long ago. Yet, a firmer conviction took root in his heart: he must make himself stronger. He would never forget the moment he was lifted high by Tamiki Aoten on the very edge of life and death.

Back when Xiao Tianci learned that there were two more transformations beyond the Vajra Transformation, he found it hard to imagine: if Vajra were to grow in size according to that transformation twice more, what kind of sight would that be? However, when Vajra broke through the fourth layer, both he and Vajra himself realized that the fourth layer of the Vajra Transformation did not involve growing larger, but rather shrinking.

The true qi of the fourth layer of the Vajra Transformation is released externally yet stored internally, continuously tempering the physical strength of the body. While the body shrinks, its physical strength continually increases. Currently, whenever Vajra raised his qi to the first level, a blue light would flow across his body like a thin layer of water. Moreover, if he fully catalyzed the fourth layer of the Vajra Transformation, releasing true qi all over his body, Vajra had already reached the realm of externalizing qi into form.

However, he was well aware that he still had some distance to go compared to Tamiki Aoten, though even if they fought again, he was confident that Tamiki Aoten would not win so easily. Besides, his fourth layer of the Vajra Transformation had only just been attained; it could be said he had merely crossed the threshold, and there was still much left to learn.

"Boss, get ready. I am about to begin. This will be extremely painful—you must endure it."

"En," Xiao Tianci responded softly.

Vajra pointed his finger and instantly struck all the vital acupuncture points across Xiao Tianci's body. Unleashing the fourth layer of the Vajra Transformation with full force, the blue qi at the tip of his finger was a full ten centimeters long, looking like a long thorn and appearing quite terrifying.

"Ngh..." Xiao Tianci let out a muffled grunt, thinking to himself: *Damn it, Vajra really wasn't lying. It hurts... hurts... it really fucking hurts.* It felt as though someone were stabbing him with a knife—no, it hurt even more than that. If a knife only pierced skin and flesh, Vajra's finger force felt as though it were stabbing straight into his soul.

Those finger forces entered his body like living creatures, and Xiao Tianci could feel them charging forward continuously. The further they charged, the more intense the pain became. The finger forces grew smaller and smaller as they charged through his body, until after a certain distance, they were completely exhausted.

Vajra's fingers moved faster and faster, and the finger forces drilling into Xiao Tianci's body multiplied, feeling as though thousands of worms and ants were gnawing at him. The sweat pouring from Xiao Tianci's body had already pooled into a growing puddle beneath him.

Now he understood why Vajra had made him drink so much glucose water; Vajra must have known long ago that his body would lose a massive amount of water. At the same time, he also realized why Vajra had said that even mere guidance was something not everyone could endure.

Time passed quickly. Vajra's Vajra Qi had been raised to its absolute limit, auras surrounding his body in an endless, ceaseless stream. After one thousand and eighty strikes, his hand pressed down upon Xiao Tianci's back.

That large hand of his, although identical in size to when he was at the second transformation of the Vajra Transformation, was already quite massive. A mighty, surging torrent of Vajra Qi—like a stampeding army of thousands—pushed its way into Xiao Tianci's body.

His meridians had just been expanded by Vajra's finger force, so wherever there were minor blockages, narrow passages, or withered pathways, they were swept away like a bamboo splitting under a knife by the push of this powerful qi, clearing a path all the way through. In truth, Vajra had not told Xiao Tianci that the reason he dared to complete in one go the amount of guidance that ordinary people required nine months of initial guidance to finish was because he himself had undergone this exact same guidance.

One must know that if powerful true qi were forced into human meridians all at once like Vajra later did, the meridians might be cleared, but the person would also be dead for sure. The reason ordinary people required three attempts over nine months to complete the first guidance was primarily to take it a step at a time, slowly, allowing the guided person to cultivate on their own for a bit before strengthening it again. Only after three such sessions could the meridians of the body naturally control and guide the circulation of generated true qi on their own.

***

The method Ghost had used on Vajra back then was the Overlord's forceful approach. Although this method was fast, those lacking sufficient strength could not pull it off; those who could do it required the guided person to possess unyielding perseverance to endure it, while the guide had to sacrifice a massive amount of their own foundational true qi. Furthermore, the technique had long since been lost.

The immense pain made Xiao Tianci feel as though he was no longer himself, that his body was no longer his own, and that his soul had flown away. It wasn't until Vajra's powerful qi surged into his body once more that his head went "boom" and he regained a new sensation.

Was this... was this his own meridians? He could sense the overall network of pathways within his body, primary and secondary, with countless variations, crisscrossing like countless connected highways.

All he could feel was the route Vajra Qi had led him through. He followed the Vajra Qi just as if he were running on a racetrack, running lap after lap while the speed grew increasingly fast and steady. The pain and discomfort in his body had vanished, replaced by a profound, all-encompassing sense of comfort, as if he had been reborn and washed anew.

Just as he was reveling in this brand-new sensation, he heard Vajra's voice by his ear: "Bos...ss... circulate... it... yourself..."

Xiao Tianci's heart gave a jolt. Although he couldn't turn back to look at the situation now, Vajra's voice sounded extremely feeble. He didn't dwell on it too much because he knew he could not waste Vajra's painstaking efforts. Following the mental cultivation methods within the Xuanyuan Art that Vajra had explained to him earlier,

he began to control the true qi within his body. At the very beginning, that true qi acted like a loach, refusing to obey in any way—that was the spark Vajra had left behind in his body. Because it was driven and surrounded by Vajra's true qi, that strand of true qi couldn't run amok either. It seemed precisely because of this that there was no need to fear any deviation or demonic possession. No wonder they said one must not be disturbed; this turned out to be the absolute truth. If Vajra weren't controlling that true qi right now, and he himself couldn't command it...

Finally, he grasped a hint of the technique, and that stream of energy was slowly brought under control like a wild horse. Xiao Tianci's heart leapt with joy as he hurriedly began running the racetrack of his body's meridians under Vajra's guidance.

Inside his body, it was like countless roads; many areas were blocked, making it difficult to pass if you tried, while many others were open—though those weren't the paths you were supposed to travel, and the consequences of wandering into them were unknown. If he tried to control that unstable true qi himself and it actually strayed into other routes, it would truly be troublesome. But now, with Vajra leading him, he began running lap after lap.

"Snap..." A very distinct sensation: it no longer felt like controlling a wild horse; he *was* that stream of qi, and everything was completely under his control.

Vajra's true qi began to slowly diminish, decreasing until it completely vanished from within Xiao Tianci's body, leaving Xiao Tianci to control the true qi inside him all by himself.

This was called the circulation of true qi through the heavenly cycle, right? It ought to be called that. When Xiao Tianci completed three full cycles of circulation, he slowly began to halt the true qi within his body, causing it to withdraw back inward.

Slowly opening his eyes, his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose suddenly became acutely sensitive. "Huh, what is that smell?" Xiao Tianci caught a stench in the air, and upon looking down, he saw that his body was covered in various viscous fluids, surrounded by a pool of liquid.

"Ah... what is this stuff... being wrapped in it feels so uncomfortable." Xiao Tianci hurriedly stood up.

"Boss, those are some of the sweat and toxins from inside your body."

Xiao Tianci turned around to see Vajra standing respectfully to the side. However, Vajra looked much more haggard, appearing to have aged several years overnight. Xiao Tianci's heart tightened, and, ignoring the discomfort on his own body,

he hurried over and looked Vajra up and down. "How are you? Why don't you lie down and rest?" There was a bed here that Xiao Tianci had specially instructed Vajra to bring in so he could rest later, because he clearly remembered when Vajra helped Azure Dragon and Fire Phoenix break through, Vajra had looked as though his entire support structure had collapsed.

Hearing the Boss's words, Vajra suddenly remembered the Old Master—yes, the Old Master and the Boss were the same. "Boss, I am fine."

He looked at Vajra; though the man looked much weaker, he was still able to stand there, which was at least much better than before. Xiao Tianci gently patted Vajra's arm with his hand. "Rest assured, this disciple of yours will not let you down."

Hearing this, Vajra anxiously said, "Boss, please never say such a thing. Vajra is merely helping the Boss; what you are studying is the Xuanyuan Art."

"Ha... ha... ha... whatever you say. I know what you've done in my heart. Alright, go up first and hurry lie down to rest. Look at me, I need to clean myself up quickly, too." As he spoke, fearing that Vajra's physical weakness might cause him to stumble, Xiao Tianci offered to support him, but Vajra declined. In the end, Xiao Tianci walked ahead while Vajra followed behind, though Xiao Tianci walked at an extremely slow pace.

***

"Bang... bang..." The sounds of sparring echoed. Xiao Tianci kicked out more than a dozen times in succession, matching the true qi control methods and forms within the Xuanyuan Art. He was already able to leap into the air and deliver over a dozen kicks consecutively.

Vajra did not transform; he stood there and gently raised a hand, blocking all of Xiao Tianci's attacks. At the same time, he instructed, "Boss, although the Xuanyuan kicking and sword techniques possess tremendous power, they are all effects that manifest after being paired with powerful true qi. Take this move, 'Pointing at the World,' for instance; using a sword or a foot yields the same technique, but the power is divided into countless different tiers. I feel that the Boss shouldn't use these moves just yet. This move attacks thirty-six vital points on the human body simultaneously. Although leaping up to attack like the Boss just did allows one to deliver over a dozen kicks at once, it lacks destructive power and leaves the entire body wide open."

"Hoo..." Xiao Tianci landed on the ground. Less than four days had passed, and he was now able to coordinate his true qi and his body exceptionally well. Things he wouldn't have dared to imagine before had all become possible now.

However, according to Vajra's words, retracting and outputting was still not entirely effortless; one had to begin practicing the control of true qi when it was minuscule, otherwise it would become even harder to control once it grew powerful later on.

***

Xiao Tianci chuckled softly and said, "Alright, let's stop here for today." The Chief Steward handed over a towel, and Xiao Tianci wiped away his sweat. This was a giant boulder on the Xiao family estate, right below which the roaring waves constantly crashed against the shore.

The view of the waves from here was truly exceptional, and there were chairs set up nearby. Xiao Tianci walked over and sat down. Because he didn't want too many people to know about his martial arts practice, everyone else was kept in the dark except for these few trusted individuals. At the moment, only the three of them were up here, so he motioned for Vajra and the Chief Steward to sit as well. Now that both of them knew the Boss's temperament, when no one else was around, they followed the Boss's command and sat down.

Since his martial arts had yielded initial results, Xiao Tianci had been in a great mood lately. Looking at Vajra, he said, "Actually, for the past two days, I've been wondering—are there still sword techniques nowadays? But I don't see many people using them! Come to think of it, what era is this? Walking around with a sword on your back would get you treated as a freak, wouldn't it?"

Vajra replied, "Boss, actually, many people still study swordsmanship and saber techniques. Of course, once they reach a certain level, they rarely use these weapons anymore. Because what the Boss has seen so far are all overseas martial artists, whereas in Country Z, there are still many who inherit the old traditions, only they rarely walk about in public."

Vajra had mentioned these so-called hidden sects before. A hidden sect didn't truly mean finding some uninhabited place to live the life of a peach blossom spring—what a joke, with technology as advanced as it was nowadays, where was there any place devoid of people? Moreover, occupying land privately was illegal. Even if you built a house, you had to get a property deed; if you wanted to farm, you needed a household registration, or you had to have the money to buy it...

Therefore, the so-called hidden sects nowadays either appeared to be ordinary households that secretly passed down some martial arts or were former family clans and sects that had now formed various corporations and forces.

Xiao Tianci waved his hand and said, "We won't consider the Xuanyuan sword techniques for now. As for boxing, I'll learn yours—simple, direct, focused purely on speed and power. As for leg techniques, I'll study the ones inside the Xuanyuan Art. Also, the fact that I know martial arts must be kept strictly confidential."

The Chief Steward and Vajra both hurriedly nodded. Xiao Tianci looked at the Chief Steward and said, "Chief Steward, Vajra has almost recovered over the past few days. Although this process is very hard on him, we have no choice because our time is tight. So you should hurry and begin as well. I've basically memorized the Xuanyuan Art; I'll pass it on to you when we go back."

Vajra added from the side, "Boss, I am fine, please rest assured."

The Chief Steward looked at Xiao Tianci, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Boss... I don't want to practice the Xuanyuan Art. I want to study something else."

"Oh..." Xiao Tianci looked at the Chief Steward in confusion and asked, "Study what else? Heh... you've never mentioned this before."

Vajra said, "Boss, last time when we went to the study together to search, although I don't know much about martial arts, I saw a very good manual called the *Arrogant Skies Art*."

"*Arrogant Skies Art*—that's a pretty good name. Why do you want to learn this one?"

The Boss allowed him to study martial arts and even let him practice the same thing concurrently—this was both trust and an honor. Therefore, when the Chief Steward said he didn't want to study the Xuanyuan Art, he felt a bit embarrassed to speak out.

Hearing the Boss's question, the Chief Steward hurriedly explained, "When I looked at it back then, that *Arrogant Skies Art* focuses primarily on footwork and movement techniques. Judging by what is written inside regarding agility, footwork, and aerial combat, I thought that if I used this to complement my marksmanship, I could unleash even greater power."

"En, not bad, not bad, that's a great idea. Indeed, you are different from me; I started with a blank slate and can do whatever, but you cannot abandon your marksmanship. Good. Then you and Vajra discuss when it would be appropriate to begin."

"Understood," the Chief Steward and Vajra replied. The Chief Steward added, "Boss, Xu Guowei called to say that most of the Sakura Group's businesses have fallen into paralysis, though we have also suffered quite a few losses because of this."

Hearing this, Xiao Tianci seemed to already be able to picture Tamiki Aoten's expression. He turned his head to look out at the vast ocean, took a deep breath, and asked, "How is Chenggong doing now?"

Hearing the Boss suddenly ask about Chenggong, the Chief Steward replied, "He is still in the most perilous place, constantly training using hazardous methods. Every day, someone brings food to him there; aside from eating, all he does is train."

Chenggong—a man who had been crippled by his old man, yet managed to recover and reach such heights—his persistence was truly somewhat frightening. Yet, the reason he could succeed was precisely because of this unyielding drive.

"En. Tell Xu Guowei he is doing a fantastic job; keep the pressure on. We cannot let the Sakura Group lift their heads."

"Understood."

He had been back for a while now. Fire Phoenix and little Gege's injuries were also nearly healed, and soon Fatty and Tang Bing would recover as well. Right now, for him and the Chief Steward to become martial arts masters in a short time was just a daydream. Azure Dragon's side was progressing alright, but time waits for no man—the aircraft carrier signing date had already been delayed once, and the next one could not be delayed any further. He had to find a way to make a trip there.