Martial Arts Overlord - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Level Three Heaven and Earth Qi

“Splash!”

Ning Xiaochuan jumped into the large river once again, disappearing into the cold river water.

Xiao Li stood on the bank and peered into the dark water before he growled, “Let’s just see how long you can stay in the water.”

Although a martial artist’s body was strong, they would never be able to achieve a complete state of fetal breathing1. If a martial artist with Stage Nine Qi managed to stay underwater for ten minutes, it would already be quite an amazing feat.

Ning Xiaochuan sank to the bottom of the river and started quickly walking along the bottom. About ten minutes later, he found it harder and harder to breathe internally. His actions became slower and slower while his brain became duller and duller.

‘Since I can’t breathe using my mouth, I’ll use my Combat Atrium so that I can breathe through my pores.’

Ning Xiaochuan sat cross-legged on the bottom of the river and started cultivating Heaven and Earth Qi.

Qi was everywhere so there would definitely be Qi in the water.

The objective of cultivating Heaven and Earth Qi was to absorb the Qi within Heaven and Earth and convert it into one’s own Combat Qi.

“Boom!”

Under the strong pressure of the water and the stress of the life and death situation, Ning Xiaochuan’s absorption rate of Heaven and Earth Qi had doubled and he had achieved Level Three Heaven and Earth Qi.

Each time Heaven and Earth Qi increased by one level, the absorption rate of the Qi within Heaven and Earth would double as well.

Level One Heaven and Earth Qi had a normal absorption rate.

Level Two Heaven and Earth Qi had twice the normal absorption rate.

Level Three Heaven and Earth Qi had four times the normal absorption rate.

Level Four Heaven and Earth Qi had eight times the normal absorption rate.

…

Once one achieved Level Seven Heaven and Earth Qi, one would have sixty-four times the normal absorption rate.

Once one had cultivated Heaven and Earth Qi to Level Seven, it would be even more powerful than many of the best cultivation manuals.

After all, even if the top scripture of Marquis Jiange’s Residence, the Heart Furnace Scripture was cultivated to Level Six, it would only achieve sixty times the normal absorption rate. Besides, within the Residence, there were not more than five people that could cultivate the Heart Furnace Scripture to Level Six.

Furthermore, Heaven and Earth Qi did not only have seven levels. Rumor had it that someone in the Yulan Empire had once managed to cultivate Heaven and Earth Qi to Level Eleven, which meant they had a Qi absorption rate more than a thousand times the normal rate. This level of Cultivation was well past the Earthly Supreme Realm and had transcended into a realm that was beyond the most mysterious of mysteries.

However, this was still a myth.

The copies of Heaven and Earth Qi circulating in the market now only had the written accounts of the cultivation methods for the first four levels.

Even Marquis Jiange’s Residence only had the cultivation methods of the first six levels.

The initial stages of cultivating Heaven and Earth Qi were too difficult while there were almost no records of the cultivation methods for the later stages. This was the main reason nobody chose to cultivate Heaven and Earth Qi and why its cultivation manual was everywhere.

Once Ning Xiaochuan achieved Level Three Heaven and Earth Qi, he gained four times the normal absorption rate of Heaven and Earth Qi, which finally allowed him to barely maintain his physical condition. Even if he were to stay underwater for three days and three nights, he would not die from lack of oxygen.

Since he had to open up the first Hidden Vessel as soon as possible, Ning Xiaochuan once again started impacting his Hidden Vessels.

He might even try to open up all three Hidden Vessels and achieve the Divine Body Realm in the process.

…

Xiao Li waited above the water for two days straight. However, never once did Ning Xiaochuan emerge from the water, which made Xiao Li feel uneasy.

He had already dived to the bottom of the river three times in search of Ning Xiaochuan but none of the attempts were successful.

‘Could he have escaped?’ Xiao Li was a little anxious now and contemplating whether to stay or leave.

If Ning Xiaochuan had indeed escaped, was he not just wasting time by waiting here?

“Whoosh!”

Waves suddenly rocked the surface of the water.

A huge boulder emerged slowly from within the water. It seemed to weigh about ten thousand pounds yet it floated upon the water’s surface like a bubble.

A human hand was seen holding the boulder immediately afterward. They took slow steps out of the river as their head first appeared above the water before their body followed closely after.

While Ning Xiaochuan supported the ten thousand-pound huge boulder with a single hand, he slowly made his way towards the river bank.

Xiao Li was both surprised and delighted.

He was surprised because a Heart-nourishing Master at Stage Nine Qi was able to carry a ten thousand-pound huge boulder with one hand while his delight was due to the fact that Ning Xiaochuan had finally emerged from the water.

Since Ning Xiaochuan had emerged, Xiao Li was not going to let him escape back into the water anymore.

“That’s amazing! You’ve made progress again. It seems I’ve been underestimating you.” Xiao Li stood on the river bank as he condensed thick wisps of Qi onto his palm. Once Ning Xiaochuan seemed like he would be running back into the water, he would immediately send out his strongest blow to kill Ning Xiaochuan immediately.

Ning Xiaochuan laughed coldly before taking in a deep breath. The Qi within his body started crackling before he suddenly flung the ten thousand-pound boulder in his hand.

Xiao Li knew Ning Xiaochuan was not easy to deal with. Xiao Li schooled his expression and extended his palm. Countless wisps of Qi flowed around right above his palm before they condensed into a three-meter-long beast’s claw.

“Roar!”

Its claws were sharp and the scales could be clearly seen.

Bang!

The claw had pulverized the huge boulder into dust.

This was “Taotie’s Claw1”, a Divine Martial Art that had emerged from within Xiao Li’s body after he achieved Stage One of the Divine Body Realm.

Using this Divine Martial Art was equivalent to wielding the power of one of Taotie’s Claws, which had enough power to tear steel tanks to pieces.

As soon as the boulder exploded, Ning Xiaochuan rushed forward. “Qi Sword Seven Continuous Cleaves!”

Ning Xiaochuan had completely opened up his third Hidden Vessel and had already done one complete cycle of Qi through it as well. His arms surged with Qi and with a kick of his legs, he leaped sixty feet into the air.

He was no slower than a martial artist with a Stage One Divine Body.

The Qi Swords surged towards Xiao Li one after another, almost completely drowning Xiao Li in them.

Once Ning Xiaochuan had sent the sixth slash out, Xiao Li’s Cultivation no longer allowed him to resist them completely so he was pushed backward.

The seventh slash that went out pierced through Xiao Li’s protective Mystical Fortification, leaving a foot-long wound across his chest that seeped beads of blood.

“You dare injure me!” Xiao Li was furious; a Stage Nine Qi Heart-nourishing Master had actually broken through his protective Mystical Fortification, he had been disgraced.

“You’re going to die now! Taotie’s Claw.”

A beast’s roar could be heard from Xiao Li’s heart as Qi enveloped his body. His palm then morphed into the claw of a giant beast. The claw was even bigger than Ning Xiaochuan’s body and it seemed to be completely capable of turning Ning Xiaochuan’s body into bloody paste with one swat.

Ning Xiaochuan’s entire body was covered in mud and his hair stuck to his face like strands of water plants. His eyes glowed a reddish tint, which made it even scarier than a wild beast’s eyes. Through gritted teeth, Ning Xiaochuan growled, “Devil Sword!”

Ning Xiaochuan stretched out his palm against the giant beast’s claw before weird red light started emitting from his palm.

“Boom!”

The surface of the water all around Ning Xiaochuan rippled violently and continuously as he exploded with Qi fluctuations, probably killing many creatures in the water as well.

Within Ning Xiaochuan’s Combat Atrium, the Devil Sword chirped violently as wisps of blood-red Qi flowed directly into his arms through his Hidden Vessel. He now had a tight grip on the giant beast’s claw.

Xiao Li originally thought this beast’s claw of his would be able to kill Ning Xiaochuan but he never expected the strong power that had surged from Ning Xiaochuan’s palm to absorb his blood.

Blood flowed quickly out of Xiao Li’s palm.

Xiao Li’s expression fell drastically. “You… You…cultivated a Devil Technique… Devil Technique…”

Ning Xiaochuan spat, “I’ll use all your blood to help me achieve the Divine Body Realm!”

Ning Xiaochuan used Xiao Li’s blood to begin his onslaught against the second Hidden Vessel—the one that looped from the Combat Atrium to his five viscera and six bowels and back. After all, the most important mark of a man was connected to this Hidden Vessel.

The Qi within his body increased dramatically!

Xiao Li’s eyes widened as he could only watch his arm shrivel, the skin turning black.

“No, no, this can’t be…”

Xiao Li’s mouth emitted a loud roar at the same time a beast-like howl came from his Combat Atrium!

His gaze steeled before he slapped a palm into his own chest to knock himself back.

Now that Xiao Li had finally escaped from Ning Xiaochuan, his body landed onto the ground heavily and he coughed up blood continuously.

He looked at his right arm and screamed in horror. His arm was completely useless now; it was as shriveled as a corpse’s arm. Although he was looking at his own arm, Xiao Li was filled with fear and he felt his blood run cold!

Ning Xiaochuan circulated Qi with both his hands; now that his five viscera and six bowels were enveloped in Qi, the Qi his body contained had doubled again.

Since he had fully opened up the second Hidden Vessel, his blood would be able to complete eight cycles through his body in a minute.

Based on his current Qi Cultivation, he would be able to use Qi Sword Eight Continuous Cleaves.

All Ning Xiaochuan needed to achieve the Divine Body Realm now was open up his first Hidden Vessel.

Although he had not achieved the Divine Body Realm, he was already on the pinnacle of the Qi Realm. Once he mastered Qi Sword Eight Continuous Cleaves, nobody beneath the Divine Body Realm would be a match for him.

Even the geniuses of Marquis Jiange’s Residence Like Ning Hengqing and Ning Meier were no longer any match for Ning Xiaochuan now as he could easily overwhelm them completely.

Ning Xiaochuan stared at Xiao Li, who was lying on the ground, and said, “Didn’t you want to kill me? Do you still think you can kill me now?”

“I can only blame myself for underestimating my enemy, otherwise you would be long dead by now. You’re still far behind me based on Cultivation alone.” Xiao Li was unwilling to admit defeat, his gaze cold as he spoke.

He was a martial artist of the Divine Body Realm and could look down upon all the ants of the Qi Realm, so how could he let himself be defeated by Ning Xiaochuan?

It was impossible!

Ning Xiaochuan said, “Is that so? Then stand up and continue our fight. We’ll find out who’s stronger.”

Xiao Li had lost a lot of Blood Qi so it would be impossible for him to recover in a short time which meant he could not go against Ning Xiaochuan right now.

Xiao Li pushed himself off the ground before fleeing quickly into the forest. His hatred for Ning Xiaochuan grew even more within him and he vowed that once his injuries healed, he would definitely make mincemeat out of Ning Xiaochuan.

“Escape? Do you think you can escape?”

Since he had circulated Qi into his legs, Ning Xiaochuan was as fast as the wind and quickly caught up to Xiao Li.

After all, what goes around comes around.

Two days ago, Xiao Li had forced Ning Xiaochuan into narrowly escaping death and two days later, Xiao Li was the one that was fleeing for his life.