Chapter 138: Gathering

(Transition Chapter)

Li Pin looked at the manual and uttered, "Taibai Fist Manual."

While the Astral Fall was also a technique focused specifically on Martial Saints, the Taibai Fist Manual's explanation of the Martial Saint realm was much clearer.

Simply put, the Astral Fall was a technique that focused on how to transition from a grandmaster to a Martial Saint. On the other hand, the Taibai Fist Manual didn't merely address that alone; it also detailed the cultivation methods at the Martial Saint stage.

It comprehensively covered the training techniques, combat methods, nurturing techniques, and spirit cultivation methods, leaving no aspect unaddressed.

As Li Pin flipped through the pages, he gained a deeper understanding of the progression from grandmaster to Martial Saint and beyond.

This manual bears the marks of wisdom from several, perhaps even dozens, of Martial Saints who worked together, spending countless years to perfect and create it. It's essentially a comprehensive guide to the Martial Saint legacy. It's no wonder it bears the esteemed name of Taibai.

In my past life, the highest level I could reach was the Aura Cultivation realm, equivalent to the level of a land immortal. There was no concept of Martial Saints in my previous world.

But in this world... After achieving perfection in the Aura Cultivation realm, a great grandmaster can lay a strong foundation by organizing their martial system, opening up the path to the Martial Saint realm by harnessing boundless mental spirit to control their limited qi and blood.

Li Pin's eyes revealed a sense of anticipation.

This is truly fascinating!

By now, he had already manifested Spirit Force and was on the verge of forming his Martial Will. The next step would be to reach the great grandmaster realm. Then he would rely on his state of Vitality, Qi, and Spirit perfection to nurture his body and spirit, strengthening his mental spirit attribute until it exceeded twenty points. The higher the value, the better.

Once his mental spirit reached the required level, he would solidify his beliefs and condense his Martial Will, using it to harness the Spirit Force. At that point, he would be able to maintain Spirit Qi Unity in every move, equivalent to having Spirit Force imbued in his actions. From then on, he would achieve mastery over his martial arts and step into the true realm of a Martial Saint.

Moving forward... it would involve constantly nurturing and tempering the mental spirit to continually strengthen it. When his mental spirit and qi and blood attributes eventually became equal, he would elevate to the Extreme Martial Saint Realm.

However, the so-called equal and extreme were not what ordinary people understand as forty points in the mental spirit attribute. Instead, it meant forty-five points. This was because a qi and blood level of forty points represented the limit for a cultivator, not the human body's limit.

At this stage, achieving progress through cultivation alone was impossible. He would need to rely on external substances or Heavenly Treasures to strengthen his body and evolve it toward its true limit.

A Martial Saint who had reached forty-five points in both his qi and blood and mental spirit attributes was known as an Extreme Martial Saint.

To obtain these external substances that enabled one to break through the human body's limits, Martial Saints ventured into perilous regions in search of these treasures, risking encounters with ferocious beasts and demonic creatures. There was also another option, and that was to undertake tasks issued by the kingdom or federation to acquire them from these institutions.

Therefore, except for the older Martial Saints with diminishing spiritual strength, most Martial Saints in their prime constantly roamed the outside world and rarely stayed in peaceful regions.

The statement here... Is it really that difficult for the mental spirit to exceed the qi and blood?

Li Pin pondered briefly. He quickly noticed something unusual.

Theoretically, the mental spirit attribute should be truly limitless since it governed the finite qi and blood. However, this was not the case now.

The closer the limit of the mental spirit attribute was to the physical limit, the greater its impact on the body. This impact allowed the martial artist to perfectly control every ounce of their physical power, thus harnessing their physical strength to its fullest potential.

They would become fearless of pain, immune to fatigue, and free from fear; they would overcome all bodily instincts, transforming into true killing machines.

However, there was a downside: excessive interference from the mental spirit could disrupt the body’s functions!

For example, an ordinary person would find it impossible to suffocate themselves deliberately by holding their breaths; their instincts would make them involuntarily gasp for air just as their consciousness was about to fade.

However, Martial Saints approaching their limits could achieve such feats. They could even make their heart stop beating, control blood circulation, and regulate their metabolism speed.

Nonetheless, this excessive interference could cause the normally functioning machine known as the human body to malfunction repeatedly, eventually leading to a complete breakdown.

Hence, the peak of an Extreme Martial Saint was very brief, lasting only a year, a few months, a month, or even just a few days.

Many Martial Saints would maintain a state of relative extremity until the final moment, where they experienced an ultimate bloom by burning themselves up, refining their qi into Spirit, and ascending to the realm of Astral Cultivators. Alternatively, they could also rise to the throne of the King of the Century, shining their brightest and leaving a momentary but dazzling legacy.

The mental spirit is not the type of infinite I had imagined...

Li Pin pondered, reviewing the Great Sun True Radiance Technique once more.

Soon, he found the answer. The so-called infinity referred to the limitless potential of power.

With twenty points of power attribute, an ordinary person might only achieve a base damage of 0.5. For a Force Cultivator, it could reach one, and for a Core Force practitioner, it might go up to 1.5 to 2.0. For Internal aura, it could rise to 2.0, 2.5, or even higher. This illustrated the extent of power manifestation!

As for the spiritual aspect... practitioners who barely manifested Spirit Force with twenty points of mental spirit attribute could at most increase Spirit Force damage by five points. Only those who have mastered Martial Will could achieve a 20-point increase in damage.

However, this was not the limit of Spirit Force! Its true limit wasn't thirty points, forty points, or fifty points, but true infinity! This was what set the gap between an ordinary Martial Saint and the King of the Century.

It’s simply a matter of technique. It takes skills to utilize strength. For instance, Core Force and Aura Force can multiply the base damage attribute. Spirit Force is the same, but...

Li Pin flipped back to the Taibai Fist Manual.

The stability of Spirit Force was much weaker compared to physical force. The key laid in the martial artist’s Martial Will.

In certain special situations, such as when a Martial Saint following the path of intense hatred or fiery passion was in extreme anger, the increase in Spirit Force could reach 1, 1.5, or even 2.0 points. If asked to perform actions against their will, even with their strong Martial Will, they might only exert half of their full power.

Therefore, in life-and-death battles between Martial Saints, the impact of their state was much more significant compared to those in Core Formation or Aura Cultivation realm.

Additionally, due to the restrictions from higher authorities, a Martial Saint rarely pursued the complete annihilation of another Martial Saint. No one knew what kind of terrifying power a Martial Saint might unleash at the brink of death.

Li Pin smiled slightly as he gazed at his mental spirit attribute. "Indeed... interesting."

He was increasingly looking forward to the day when he would forge his Martial Will and truly step into the realm of Martial Saint.

***

In the afternoon, Li Pin headed to the Astral Hall for a class. On his way there, his mother called. She invited him to dinner for Qin Guangming’s twenty-ninth birthday and asked him to join a small gathering at the Qin family’s home that evening.

Li Yunyan was visibly pregnant and found daily life a bit challenging. The Qin family had hired a caretaker for Li Yunyan to assist her. Nonetheless, Li Pin's mother decided to stay with Li Yunyan personally to support her. Under these circumstances, Li Pin felt it would be impolite to decline the invitation.

***

Night fell as Li Yunyao drove through the traffic, making her way to the Qin family compound.

"Ugh, it feels like the traffic is congested again. Is everyone from Jiang Province here today? Driving here is much harder than in Liuchuan County," Li Yunyao complained.

"It should get better after a while," Lin Xiaolu responded. "Recently, many people from Nanli Country have been coming here to buy property and for vacations. Plus, the excitement from the martial competition hasn't fully died down yet, so there are more people around.

"However, the federation reinforcements have arrived in Nanli Country. Once they drive the demonic creatures back to the Degenerate Temple and reclaim the lost territories, the people from Nanli Country will naturally return home."

"The federation has so many powerful Astral Cultivators. Yet after all this time, they still haven’t driven those demonic creatures away? " Li Yunyao remarked.

"I don’t know. Maybe the higher-ups have other plans." Lin Xiaolu shook her head. "It’s just that there are more people around now. Besides, the influx has actually helped Jiang Province's economy prosper. I checked, and property prices in Jiang Province have risen by nearly twenty percent in the last two months."

"Twenty percent?" Li Yunyao's eyes widened in surprise. She peered at Li Pin and suggestively asked, "Doesn’t that mean if you sell this mansion now, you’d make five or six million?"

"Just focus on the road," Li Pin replied.

"

Eh?

That's five or six million! I spend only three yuan on breakfast. For lunch, even if I have a big meal and order two dishes, and then take dinner home, my daily expenses are just forty to fifty yuan.

"Even if I indulge a bit and buy clothes for a hundred yuan, eat high-end fruits, and live a small upscale lifestyle, I’d still spend at most two thousand yuan a month. That adds up to just twenty-five thousand a year. With five million, I could live for two hundred years! Oh my gosh!"

Li Yunyao exclaimed, "Brother, why don’t I quit school, and you support me instead? You only need to give me two thousand yuan a month."

Realizing her request might be excessive, she quickly added, "Or maybe fifteen hundred would be fine."

"You have a martial arts certificate now. You could easily make a few thousand a month as a coach," Li Pin waved his hand. "Just focus on driving."

"Okay," Li Yunyao replied reluctantly, still muttering about how she would spend five million if she had it.

***

At Qin Family Compound.

When Li Yunyao arrived at the compound, she was surprised to find Qin You, the head of the Qin family, Qin Rouran, the birthday guest Qin Guangming, and her elder sister Li Yunyan all waiting at the entrance. This sight left her feeling somewhat confused.

In the past, whenever they visited the Qin family, the most they would get was a casual greeting and an invitation to "make themselves at home." It was unusual to see the entire family out front to welcome them today.

Li Yunyao couldn’t help but ask, "Are there more guests arriving? Should we park the car in the lot outside?"

"Get out of the car first," Li Pin replied.

"Okay," Li Yunyao replied and parked the car.

Recognizing Li Pin’s vehicle, the group quickly moved forward to greet them.

"Ah Pin, you're here" Qin You greeted him warmly. "Come in, come in."

"Uncle Qin," Li Pin and Li Yunyao called out to Qin You and the others.

They wished Qin Guangming a happy birthday, prompting him to smile widely and welcome them into the family compound.

The enthusiastic reception made Li Yunyao feel somewhat awkward, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

As for Li Pin, he noticed Qin Rouran glancing at him curiously and more or less guessed the reason. However, he chose not to comment and treated the gathering as a regular family get-together.