“Judging by their attire, these are all bandits. Every single one, killed with a single strike!” Experienced guards, after examining the bodies, informed the surrounding merchants. “Thirty-seven bandits, all dispatched with one cut. Based on the marks on the ground and this swordsmanship—the killer must have been just one person!”
Teng Qingshan glanced over and agreed with the guard beside him.
“Good riddance to them. These bandits are lazy, always looking to rob and pillage. They must have run into someone tough,” Heizi cursed. Merchants and bandits were naturally opposed; to the brigands, the traders were merely ‘fat sheep.’
“This person’s blade work is incredible, fighting thirty-seven alone and killing them all with one blow. He might have the strength of the Earth Ranking. If only he were available to guard our caravan,” Old Zhang sighed in admiration.
A shout came from ahead: “Everyone, hurry up and move!”
The merchants who had gathered to watch quickly mounted their horses and continued their journey.
As the caravan advanced, Teng Qingshan rode his Crimson Fire Horse, recalling the sensation from earlier.
“Before, if I wanted the horse to speed up, I had to tap its belly. But that feeling just now… it was as if the Crimson Fire Horse was an extension of my own body.” It was like how a person walks—a natural surge of power transfers from the waist and hips to the thighs and feet, completing the step.
It was effortless!
Just now, Teng Qingshan had naturally channeled the power from his leg muscles into the Crimson Fire Horse, making it quicken its pace.
“That’s the feeling I need. What was previously called ‘unity of man and horse’ was perfect control of the horse. But what I seek in cultivation atop a horse isn't control. Rather, the warhorse must become a part of my body, controllable naturally with a mere thought—I need conditioned reflexes!”
…
Teng Qingshan immersed himself in refining how to command the warhorse more instinctively. As time passed, his technique continuously improved.
Teng Qingshan gradually entered an unfathomable state.
It seemed as if his entire being had transformed into a horse, constantly moving forward, feeling the four legs, and even through those legs, sensing the surrounding heaven and earth. That state of seamless integration intoxicated Teng Qingshan. It was very similar to the feeling experienced while practicing the ‘Three Stances Form.’
Though not as pronounced as the Three Stances Form, this immersive state was no longer an occasional occurrence.
“Stop!” A loud shout rang out.
Instantly, the many horses in the caravan halted one by one. Teng Qingshan stopped naturally, then opened his eyes, a faint smile touching his lips as he murmured softly, “Skill advancing into the Dao! Skill advancing into the Dao! So that’s it… I had already touched upon the ‘Dao’ without realizing it.”
Teng Qingshan finally understood the true essence behind the spiritual connection to heaven and earth in activities like painting, calligraphy, and practicing the Three Stances Form.
The essence was: Skill advancing into the Dao!
When a skill reaches its zenith, like the historical story of ‘Butcher Ding Carving an Ox’ from his previous life—what Butcher Ding achieved was that, in his eyes, the ox was no longer an animal, but merely a framework of bones and various bodily segments. He could effortlessly dismantle the entire creature. He didn't need to consider the force of his knife or where to strike; none of that mattered! Because everything flowed naturally, accomplished without effort. In his hands, butchering an ox had become the ‘Dao.’
As technique improves, further progress leads to the ‘Dao.’ Skill advances into the Dao!
In painting, one must first master the fundamentals, and then as skill grows higher, eventually, the painter no longer needs to consciously focus on the ‘brush, paper, and ink.’ One only needs to immerse the spirit, and through painting, project the anger, joy, or sorrow held within the heart onto the canvas.
Reaching such a state is already the ‘Dao.’
Teng Qingshan realized the same applied to himself!
From the Twelve Forms of Xingyi, to the Five Elements Fists, and then to the Three Stances Form—the Three Stances Form itself is simple in movement, yet it intrinsically embodies the ‘Dao’! The Twelve Forms of Xingyi and the Five Elements Fists temper the ‘skill,’ and when pushed to the extreme, the Five Elements Fists can also contain the ‘Dao.’ However, the Three Stances Form is the very root of Xingyi. It embodies the Way of Xingyi!
Riding a horse is the same!
A grandmaster of internal martial arts achieves complete control over their body’s muscles, allowing for easy unity with a horse, but this is achieved through conscious effort. Whether it is Butcher Ding, painting, or practicing the Three Stances Form, intentional effort immediately drags the practice down.
Because Teng Qingshan’s realm was already high.
Once enlightenment is reached, achieving mastery on horseback comes naturally and effortlessly.
This is the principle that all methods are interconnected!
“Haha, fortunately, my control over every muscle, bone, and inch of skin is refined to the peak. Therefore, in the skill of horsemanship, I can easily reach the extreme. Once I grasp the final layer, I can merge with heaven and earth,” Teng Qingshan felt exhilarated. “This way, I cultivate on horseback during the day and practice the Three Stances Form at night… My ‘Spirit’ will increase at an astonishing speed.” Teng Qingshan looked forward eagerly.
Teng Qingshan withdrew his thoughts and looked ahead.
Beside the official road ahead stood a family of three: a wild man with unbound hair, barefoot, wearing ragged clothes, a saber hanging at his waist; a thin woman also in tatters; and a grimy young boy.
“Guard duty? Anyone can’t just become a guard for our caravan,” a voice came from the front.
The wild man’s eyes flashed like lightning, and he stated deeply, “I will guard your caravan for ten taels of silver a day!”
“Ten taels a day? Who do you think you are?” Many people laughed.
“Ten taels! A common mountain villager only earns that much in an entire year. You expect that much in a single day? Haha… Do you think you’re an expert on the Earth Ranking?”
Teng Qingshan also watched the wild man with interest. By Teng Qingshan’s estimation, this man should be a master. But why was he living in such miserable conditions? It was one thing for him to look wretched, but his wife and son were just as pitiful.
“You lot!”
The wild man pointed his single hand at the caravan guards. “Every guard here—if even one can withstand three moves from me, I will leave!”
His boast was monumental.
It stirred the pride of many guards. Among this caravan of several hundred people, guards made up the majority. Besides those hired privately by specific merchants, there was also a large unified guard corps employed by the entire convoy.
“Three moves?”
“He certainly talks big.” Everyone laughed, though no guard stepped forward. They knew that on this vast land of Jiuzhou, a formidable figure could appear anywhere. It was best not to stick one’s neck out recklessly, as the consequences of such rashness could be dire.
“Hmph!” The wild man sneered, his right hand gripping the hilt of his saber.
“Clang!”
The guards could barely catch a glimpse of a black streak! By the time the black light vanished, the wild man’s saber was already sheathed.
“Heavens!”
The guards stared at the ground in shock. A long ravine, nearly six or seven zhang deep, was cut into the earth. A saber, less than four feet long, had created a trench six or seven zhang long… Clearly, the blade had moved so fast that it had generated a blade of compressed air, tearing the earth apart.
“A master!” The guards immediately understood they had encountered a truly powerful expert.
“Ten taels of silver a day. Starting today, you are a guard for our caravan,” the organizer immediately shouted. For such a master, ten taels a day? Even hiring him for a hundred taels would be difficult.
“En.” The wild man looked around, quickly spotting a flatbed cart being dragged by horses near Teng Qingshan. He immediately scooped up the child and ran to the cart, placing the boy on the wooden surface. The woman in ragged clothes followed, sitting on the cart beside her son.
Then, the wild man mounted a horse.
The caravan set off once more!
“He is a master. Where in this world does such a person emerge from? In terms of pure blade technique, he is in no way inferior to that Thunder God Blade expert, Wu Yue, whom I met before,” Teng Qingshan mused internally. Others hadn’t seen clearly, but Teng Qingshan had observed everything. This wild man… was an exceedingly capable individual.
“Could it be that the pile of corpses we found on the road earlier were killed by this wild man?” Teng Qingshan wondered.
“Never mind, don’t think about it.”
Although this wild man instilled fear in the other guards, Teng Qingshan was a powerhouse capable of killing a true Xiantian Solid Core expert in one move. This wild man only managed to arouse a slight flicker of interest.
Teng Qingshan returned to the immersive feeling of riding, that sensation of absolute oneness making his soul seem to rejoice.
…
Days flowed by.
In Yangzhou, on Qing Lake.
As dusk settled, a cold wind howled, and the waves on Qing Lake were turbulent, yet a single boat still cut through the water.
“Dan Chen, with your talent, you are destined to become a pillar of Qinghu Island… Yet, why did you choose to be stationed outside in Yuzhou, serving as a Protector for a city’s garrison?” An elder and a black-robed youth sat cross-legged, the youth being Yan Danchen, whom Teng Qingshan had saved years ago.
The elder looked at his disciple and sighed softly.
Ever since this disciple’s family was ruined, his temperament had shifted drastically, focusing entirely on cultivation. Furthermore, his innate talent was exceptional. In the past, he hadn't taken things seriously, having considered taking over his family's mercantile business. Now, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to training, his improvement speed was staggering. Coupled with his perpetually expressionless face and the latent killing intent beneath his brow, many disciples of the same generation held a degree of fear toward this ‘Yan Danchen.’
“Master, cultivating internal strength takes time; there’s no shortcut. Cultivating on Qinghu Island is no different from cultivating in Yuzhou City. Moreover… I feel my swordsmanship has reached a bottleneck. It would be better for me to venture out to a different region,” Yan Danchen stated coldly.
“Hmm!”
The elder nodded. “Just remember not to slacken in your training! Also, since you are going to Yuzhou to serve as a garrison Protector, managing intelligence and messages… There haven’t been any major incidents lately. Only the pursuit of Teng Qingshan is considered important. If Teng Qingshan flees to Yuzhou, you will waste time tracking him. However, across the entirety of Jiuzhou, the probability of Teng Qingshan escaping to Yuzhou is low. Focus on your cultivation in peace.”
“Yes,” Yan Danchen nodded.
“Good, Dan Chen, the island has lost quite a few Xiantian experts recently. Your level in swordsmanship is already quite high. Work hard and strive to reach Xiantian before you turn thirty,” the elder advised.
“Yes, Master.” Yan Danchen remained eternally impassive.
The boat gradually moved further away into the dim lake water. Yan Danchen had left Qinghu Island and was heading toward the heart of Jiuzhou, ‘Yuzhou.’