Realm-Hopping Martial Master
Chapter 81 - 80: A Fish Turns into a Dragon Overnight

Chapter 81: Chapter 80: A Fish Turns into a Dragon Overnight

He cursed himself for not having reached the Ironskin Realm! Otherwise, he might have also capitalized on this battle to conjure a Dark Force!

Heaven and Earth Secret Realm. What an astounding place that must be. Danger. Opportunity. Only by entering it could he truly understand.

Although he could now travel between two realms, Pingling County was still too small.

The resources of the academy should only suffice for him to reach Dark Force. But what about beyond that? To advance further, he would have to enter the Heaven and Earth Secret Realm, just like Shang Jibei!

Dark Force!

Dark Force!

At this moment, Jiang Shu’s desire to become a Dark Force Martial Artist reached its peak.

Famished Tiger Annihilating Claw!

Every move was fierce, targeting the waist and vitals.

"Good!"

When a master makes a move, you know if there’s substance.

With a loud shout from Shang Jibei, his eyes shone with surprise. Despite his high estimation of Jiang Shu, he now realized he had still underestimated him! If Jiang Shu used this move on the tournament stage, Wu Zhiming would definitely not withstand three moves!

A set of nameless long fist techniques was executed by Shang Jibei with great openness and magnificence. If Wu Zhiming’s fistwork could be likened to that of a charging junior commander, then Shang Jibei was akin to a marshal seasoned in a hundred battles. Every move he made was lethal, imbued with an immense commanding presence.

His surging qi and blood erupted like a tide.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

"Jiang Shu! Your Famished Tiger Annihilating Claw is too insidious. It lacks openness, it’s not satisfying to fight with—switch to another technique!," Shang Jibei stomped on the ground. As they exchanged blows, the wind howled violently, causing leaves to whirl around in the spacious courtyard.

"Tight on the outside, loose on the inside! Mercury wrapped in lead! Very good, very good. I haven’t even stepped into Dark Force, yet you’re already starting to grasp some of it from me!," laughing heartily while throwing punches, Shang Jibei instructed as they sparred.

He hadn’t even exerted his full strength! He intended to gradually lead Jiang Shu to his highest combat power.

"Unsatisfying to fight with? In matters of life and death, would you talk like this to your enemy as well?," Jiang Shu completely ignored Shang Jibei’s words, launching relentless attacks with his Famished Tiger Annihilating Claw.

His feet performed the Snake Step, crushing fallen leaves into powder beneath them. His skin was as tough as stone, his arms colliding violently with Shang Jibei’s from time to time!

At this moment, he had completely entered the zone. Back in Pingling County, he used to have Qi Yuan to practice with. But now, Qi Yuan was no longer his match. He had always longed for a hearty and spirited battle.

And now, the time had come!

"The Heaven and Earth Secret Realm contains Heaven and Earth Treasure Medicine and Mutant Beasts. The treasure medicine is a resource, but the Mutant Beasts are both resources and enemies!" Shang Jibei spoke as they fought, educating Jiang Shu and also boosting his own morale. "With the passage secured, we can enter, but Mutant Beasts can also emerge! Therefore, every Heaven and Earth Secret Realm is actually guarded by the military! Numerous soldiers are outside fighting bloody battles!"

"Even though we have firearms, some Mutant Beasts can burrow or fly. They’re unpredictable unless confronted directly. When we Martial Artists enter, we must not only acquire the resources we deserve but also slay the required count of Mutant Beasts!"

"Kill one, and one less remains. Letting these creatures into the Xia Country, where they might attack any passerby, could destroy a family!"

It was his right to enter the Secret Realm. His quest for Dark Force was a magnificent trajectory! He had to force himself; today, he must step into Dark Force!

In his mind, his father’s and grandfather’s words repeated over and over.

"Facing an enemy is like being set on fire. When ordinary people panic, they sweat profusely. Their pores can’t close, Yuan Qi spills out, and they can’t concentrate their energy. Dark Force is about closing all the body’s pores, heating the body, with sweat forming only in the palms."

"The External Three Harmonies dictate that the hands harmonize with the feet, the elbows with the knees, and the shoulders with the hips. This is what Ming Jin Martial Artists comprehend."

"The Internal Three Harmonies state that the spirit harmonizes with intent, intent with qi, and qi with strength. This is what Dark Force Martial Artists need to comprehend. People sweat in a panic because their intent and qi harmonize. Closing the pores so that sweat forms only in the palms means the qi and strength have harmonized."

Shang Jibei’s palms were dripping with sweat, and each punch he threw carried the force of thousands of pounds.

"We were born in the best of times, but also the worst of times!"

"The best of times, because Martial Arts have developed over thousands of years, but due to a lack of Yuan Qi. Even if the older generation reached Transforming Energy, or even the higher realm of Elixir Strength, their actual power wasn’t that great due to their limited diet."

"Those who eat meat are brave and fierce. Ordinary beast meat can only satisfy common people. For us Martial Artists, without Mutant Beast meat, our qi and blood cannot improve, and nine-tenths of our strength would be lost. Therefore, even the Transforming Energy and Elixir Strength Grandmasters of that era might not be able to defeat present-day Dark Force Martial Artists!"

"This is the best of times, but we are also facing a true life-and-death crisis. I wish to go to the Heaven and Earth Secret Realm and fight Mutant Beasts. Jiang Shu, are you willing to lend me your strength?!"

His punches were ferocious. It was as if at this moment, in Shang Jibei’s eyes, Jiang Shu had become a true Mutant Tiger Beast!

He was making rapid progress.

So was Jiang Shu.

The swift improvement of his proficiency in Famished Tiger Roar Mountain Strength was just the smallest part! From Shang Jibei’s every move, he truly felt what it meant for sinews and bones to be loose, and skin and fur to attack.

Indeed, actual combat is the quickest way to improve! If he could have met Shang Jibei earlier and experienced such a battle every day, Jiang Shu believed that it would take him less than ten days to completely enter the Ironskin Realm. He might even step into Dark Force within a month!

"How many Heaven and Earth Secret Realms do we have in our Xia Country now?" he asked as he fought. He knew that if tonight passed, it would be a long time before he could get this information again. Two days later, the genius competition rankings would be determined, and the official information he would receive would most likely be just a general overview of the Heaven and Earth Secret Realms. It would be hard to get as detailed a description as what Shang Jibei was providing.

"I don’t know. But wherever a rift in the world appears, there is always a military presence. Once you become a Dark Force Martial Artist, someone will naturally inform you about the stable periods for the Heaven and Earth Secret Realm passages."

"If your realm isn’t high enough, knowing these things would just add to your worries."

"Just like how our Xia Country, no matter how much it improves the treatment for Martial Artists, still wouldn’t disclose the truth to the public!"

"News of the Heaven and Earth Secret Realm, once leaked, will only cause panic."

"In this great era, all countries are seeking stability! All are seeking development!"

"Enough talk, take my punch!," Shang Jibei’s fighting grew smoother and smoother; the guidance of his father and grandfather in the past played a key role.

His power was internalized, his pores closed.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

After countless fierce impacts, Jiang Shu’s vital organs felt waves of tremors. If it had been a few months ago, he probably would have been unable to endure it. But now, strengthened by Mutant Python meat, he could still persist. He gathered his breath, his punch as fierce as a tiger.

To help Shang Jibei achieve his breakthrough was also to achieve his own!

BOOM!

A trace of fresh blood seeped from Shang Jibei’s lips.

So this was Dark Force!

Feeling the power that Shang Jibei emitted from his pores, Jiang Shu’s entire body ached. His whole body stiffened for half a second, as if struck by lightning. But his eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if he had come to an understanding.

「October 1st, 2027, Xuanxing calendar.」

Shang Jibei, in his battle with Jiang Shu, broke through to Dark Force. Like a fish transforming into a dragon overnight.