Chapter 38

As time passed day by day, Yang Ji practiced every day, combining the "Hundred Herbs Pill" from the Li Clan, and his strength advanced rapidly, far surpassing his previous progress.

At the same time, Yang Ji recorded the "Bear Form Martial Technique" taught by the White Bone Envoy and carefully pondered it. After grasping the essence of the Bear Form's power, it took him only half a month to understand and master the technique, leveraging his insight from the "White Snake Martial Technique" to quickly grasp this martial skill.

"Clouds are unpredictable, formless, and intangible. The books say 'white clouds emerge from the mountain peaks.' The 'Cloud Hands' technique uses clouds as a metaphor for martial arts. To learn this ultimate skill, one must grasp the elusive and unpredictable essence."

On the peak of a great mountain, the clouds undulated, and the sky was bathed in a myriad of rays of light. Yang Ji sat alone on the ground, one hand holding a brush, the other gripping a sheet of paper, lost in deep thought.

Beside him, "Xiao Ji" accompanied Yang Ji, motionless, gazing at the red sky.

It was now spring, and the weather was gradually improving, with clouds filling the sky. During this period, Yang Ji almost always brought Xiao Ji to the mountaintop to ponder the "Cloud Hands" technique.

On that day, when the Zhou Chief Steward demonstrated the "Cloud Hands" technique, the "still as a virgin, swift as a hare" quality left a deep impression on Yang Ji, making it seem like an impregnable fortress!

The "Grasshopper Leap" technique was a joke in front of the Zhou Chief Steward, something Yang Ji had never experienced before. Therefore, since obtaining it, he had been studying it almost every day.

The "Cloud Hands" technique was profound and obscure, fundamentally different from the martial techniques Yang Ji had previously practiced. The techniques he had encountered before were all modeled after animals in nature—white snakes, monkeys, leopards, bears, lions, horses, etc., all living beings. However, the "Cloud Hands" technique was modeled after clouds, which are lifeless.

This was a completely new field. The vast and boundless sea of clouds made it extremely difficult to develop a martial technique from them. However, Yang Ji had no intention of giving up.

*Swish*

Yang Ji's brush moved, dipping into the ink on the inkstone, and continued to draw clouds on the paper. Although Yang Ji was not a great painter and his drawing skills were not outstanding, his brushwork had noticeably improved with constant practice.

Yang Ji's painting of clouds was similar to his practice of archery, emphasizing the spirit rather than the form. The clouds he drew were not exquisite or beautiful, but they captured the essence.

*Whoosh!*

The mountain clouds billowed, and the paper flipped, revealing a stack of cloud drawings. Yang Ji drew one sheet after another, completely losing track of time...

By the end of March and the beginning of April, Yang Ji's room was filled with stacks of cloud drawings. At this point, there were only two months until the imperial literary examination and three months until the martial examination.

The "Hundred Herbs Pill" in Yang Ji's possession was running out, but his bones were becoming increasingly dense, and his strength was growing.

Ten days later.

*Boom!*

Yang Ji's internal organs trembled violently, and a powerful surge of energy exploded around him, shattering several small trees a few steps away.

At the same time, a surge of vital energy rushed into his head, cool and refreshing, spreading throughout his body.

"I've succeeded!"

Yang Ji's eyes lit up with joy, feeling an incredible sense of comfort. Without any hesitation, his breathing advanced from the ninth stage to the tenth stage.

Each breath and exhalation was smooth and natural, and the amount of air he needed for ten breaths was now sufficient for just one.

"Breathing at the tenth stage, leaping like a monkey."

Yang Ji's eyes shone brightly as he looked up and quickly locked onto a towering pine tree, over ten zhang tall and as thick as a man's embrace.

*Boom!*

Yang Ji's foot stomped, and with a loud sound, he shot up like a cannonball, jumping over four zhang high. He kicked off the tree bark and flipped, landing on the treetop with ease and grace.

"Ha ha ha, I can move freely among the mountains and cliffs."

Yang Ji stood on the treetop, looking out at the endless forest, and laughed aloud.

The tenth stage, like the towering tree beneath his feet, represented a peak. The breathing technique was basically mastered, and the medicinal baths had also reached their limit. Advancing further would mean entering the true realm of martial arts, practicing blood and qi, a whole new world.

*Whoosh!*

Yang Ji's foot pushed off, and he soared high into the air. In mid-air, he suddenly moved flexibly, incorporating the essence of the "White Snake Martial Technique" into his movements, and with a swift motion, he landed on another tall tree several zhang away, moving with agility and vitality.

*Swish!*

A black shadow flashed, and Xiao Ji shot out from Yang Ji's sleeve, landing on another towering tree several zhang away with agility.

"Xiao Ji, you're smart."

Yang Ji paused, then laughed. "How could I forget that the 'White Snake Martial Technique' can be used on tall trees as well?"

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

Man and snake immediately leaped and darted through the treetops, flying away.

As time passed, after reaching the tenth stage of breathing, Yang Ji continued to practice diligently, solidifying his realm.

The sixty "Hundred Herbs Pills" Yang Ji had purchased were finally all used up. However, after reaching the tenth stage of breathing, his body's ability to absorb the essence of trees from the environment had greatly increased, reducing the need for the "Hundred Herbs Pills."

The further he progressed, the more Yang Ji felt a "limit" in the distance, as if a bottle was about to be filled with water.

"Am I approaching the limit?"

Yang Ji had a sudden realization.

The breathing realm also has its limits and cannot be infinitely increased. When a certain level is reached, the body's ability to absorb external essence will reach a limit. After that, no matter how hard one practices, it will be impossible to absorb even a tiny bit of essence from the environment.

The next step is a test of talent. If one cannot comprehend the secrets of the martial realm, their path in life will stop here, and they will never make any further progress.

This is a watershed in martial arts.

Countless martial artists are constrained by their own martial talent and thus stagnate. Yang Ji was both worried and eager.

"The True Martial Hall."

Yang Ji took a deep breath. "It's time to go there."

The True Martial Hall possesses a mysterious scroll passed down from the Yang Clan's ancestors, containing the path to the martial realm. Yang Ji had no confidence in comprehending the secrets of the scroll, but he had to go there regardless.

As night fell, all was quiet.

Beside the high walls of the Yang Clan, a figure flashed.

*Whoosh!*

Yang Ji leaped lightly, flying up the wall, and with a single step, he gracefully cleared the high wall. The entire process was agile and silent.

"Breathing at the tenth stage, leaping like a monkey." At this level, no high wall could confine him. Even if the wall were several times higher, Yang Ji could still easily clear it.

This was a clear distinction between the tenth stage and the ninth stage of breathing. High walls could only stop those below the tenth stage.

"Here. The True Martial Hall should be in the northeast direction."

Yang Ji crouched in the darkness, quickly determining the direction by the lights in the clan's inner area.

Although Yang Ji had never entered the True Martial Hall, he had lived here for a long time as a child and was familiar with the layout of the inner area. Even in the dark, he could clearly distinguish the directions.

The inner area of the clan was patrolled even at night, and outsiders had a high chance of being discovered by the guards.

However, Yang Ji was different. He had entered the inner area many times and was familiar with the patrol routes and patterns of the guards. The internal defenses that could stop outsiders could not stop him.

Soon, Yang Ji found the True Martial Hall. It was a massive and ancient building, with a grand and imposing appearance.

At the front and back gates of the True Martial Hall, guards stood with bright eyes, their abundant blood qi giving Yang Ji a sense of immense pressure even from a distance.

"These guards are all martial artists with abundant blood qi!"

Yang Ji's eyelids twitched. "That poisonous woman really did something to this place!"

The gates of the True Martial Hall were usually open, allowing all Yang Clan members to enter and observe. However, now the gates were tightly closed, and the guards were heavily armed, which was definitely not normal.

The True Martial Hall had been in "turmoil" a month ago and was taken over by the First Lady. At that time, Yang Ji was not yet ready to enter the True Martial Hall, so he did not pay much attention.

He had thought that the True Martial Hall, with its revered status and ancestral rules, would be beyond the reach of the First Lady, no matter how powerful she was. But he never expected her to interfere and continue to do so.

"Previously, there were never any such incidents when entering and exiting the True Martial Hall. This woman is definitely targeting me."

Yang Ji thought with resentment.

There was very little time left before the imperial examinations and his sixteenth birthday. If Yang Ji could not enter the True Martial Hall and comprehend the mysterious scroll, he would not be able to advance to the "Martial Realm."

Once he turned sixteen, Yang Ji was certain that the First Lady would use this to strip him of his clan status, expel him from the clan, and seize the inheritance left by his father.

The clan status was not important, but the legacy left by his father could not be abandoned.

The First Lady's move was a direct hit on his weakness. Although Yang Ji had used the death of the Zhou Chief Steward to create the existence of a mysterious "Fiery Sun Martial King," which gave the First Lady great hesitation, there was no doubt that her malice had penetrated to the bone.

"Alright, stay focused!"

In the distance, a guard's low warning voice echoed: "If anyone messes this up, they'll have to face the First Lady with their heads. Hold on for a few more months, don't get distracted!"

...

Yang Ji, hearing the warning, had no more doubts.

"Hmph! Your plans are well thought out. But the more you try to suppress me, the more I will not let you have your way. I don't believe that a few guards here can stop me!"

Yang Ji's thoughts raced, considering many possibilities.