Lin Ming listened to Hong Xi’s words and his heart filled with joy. Until now, he only had the ‘Foundation Spear Technique’, and could only study the foundation. If he were to have guidance, then his progress would be much quicker.
Hong Xi said, “I once joined the army for ten years. I only started learning the spear in my ten year career. Before that, I used the sword. The spear is the king of a hundred soldiers! I have not reached the stage of Large Success in spear play, but what I have learned, I can teach you. However, before we begin, I have a question. Were you able to comprehend a special cultivation state?”
Lin Ming paused. He didn’t expect that Hong Xi knew about this matter. He nodded and said, “Yes.”
“I thought so. Your perception is good. This cultivation state of yours can probably be compared to the best among its kind, otherwise with your talent, it would be impossible for you to have such great results in such a short time! This is a benefit of your pure and strong heart of martial arts. But even if you have an extraordinary heart of martial arts, you still might not have that lucky opportunity to comprehend such a cultivation state. This state is called martial intent!”
“Those who have a martial intent are very few. Even in the place like the Seven Profound Martial House where talents gather, in the last several dozen years there has only been Ling Sen! I did not expect that now there would be you also!”
“Oh? So few?” Lin Ming suddenly understood. No wonder he had never heard of this before.
“Yes, that is why the existence of martial intent is so mystical and mysterious, because there are too few people who are able to comprehend it. There aren’t many descriptions of it in the ancient texts, and not only that, but each martial artist’s martial intent is not the same; each has a different effect.”
Lin Ming said, “Instructor, I don’t understand. Since Senior Apprentice Brother Ling has comprehended such a rare skill like a martial intent, and his strength is known throughout the Sky Fortune Kingdom as being invincible within his cultivation stage, why was he not selected as a core disciple? What kind of monstrous geniuses are the core disciples of the Seven Profound Martial House?”
Hong Xi said, “Those of the Seven Profound Valleys have paid careful attention to Ling Sen. However, for him to be selected as a core disciple, he has to pass a test. Ling Sin was eventually unable to pass the inspection, so he was rejected. He had missed only one step.”
“Mm? Test?” Lin Ming’s heart moved as he heard this.
“Yes. Some do not conform to the rigid standards of the Seven Profound Martial House, and wish to become a core disciple through a test. When Lin Sen had faced the test, he had to defeat someone of the same age, or an older core disciple, and also reach the peak Fourth Stage of Body Transformation by the time he was 17.”
“Ling Sen was able to defeat a core disciple who was half a year older than him. Unfortunately, his cultivation was unable to reach the peak Fourth Stage of Body Transformation before he was 17, and therefore he failed due to this.”
“Is this because Senior Apprentice Brother Ling’s cultivation talent was not good enough?”
“Yes. As I said, there are many different kinds of martial intent. Ling Sen’s martial intent is ‘Ashura’. In the Ashura battlefield, he can experience endless slaughter and battle. With this kind of martial intent, the main function is to enhance a martial artist’s instincts, explosive force, and killing ability. However it is not really that useful for to improve a martial artist’s cultivation. But, it does provide a few benefits in breaking through bottlenecks.
Hong Xi said this with a look of regret. A martial artist’s combat prowess and cultivation were two different matters. Combat prowess was their strength, but cultivation was judged through stages, for instance, Body Transformation’s First Stage, Second Stage, Pulse Condensation Period, and Houtian stage.
Cultivation was the most important factor in a martial artist’s combat prowess, but it was not the only factor. Martial skills, fighting instincts, combat skills, field experience, the degree of true essence thickness, all of these could affect one’s combat ability, therefore one could fight one above their cultivation realm.
But, to a martial artist, their cultivation was the fundamental basis for all. If they could not improve their cultivation, then whatever your combat power really was, it would not matter. A martial artist at the First Stage of Body Transformation would never defeat someone at the Pulse Condensation Stage. This was the absolute disparity that was created through cultivation!
Moreover, to a martial artist, their lives were inextricably linked to their cultivation. Ling Sen’s main strength was his combat ability, his cultivation was actually not very high. If he had no chance of reaching the Xiantian stage, then to the large sects, he had no value whatsoever.