Cultivation: Start From Simplifying Martial Arts Techniques

“What’s this place, the Black Divine Cave? How come there are so many people with sea monsters, and what are those black stones?”

A heap of questions arose in Chen Fei’s mind as he looked up at the peaks ahead, shrouded in mist, towering at a height of no less than a kilometer.

For ordinary folks, this height would be considered quite a tall mountain, but for those in the Combined Aperture Tempering realm, a single leap would take them to the summit of this peak.

Chen Fei lowered his head and clenched his fist. He could sense the elemental energy within him, but it was completely dormant, unable to be tapped into even in the slightest. The mental power in his sea of consciousness was likewise suppressed.

Not only his elemental and mental powers, but his physical strength at this moment was also entirely sealed off. There was a special restraint that rendered Chen Fei completely like an ordinary person.

Glancing at the Qianyuan Sword in his hand, a mid-grade magic weapon nearing the threshold, it now resembled an ordinary iron sword, devoid of any trace of the divine.

Then there was the Qiankun Bag, unable to retrieve any of its contents, now just an ordinary sack.

“Are you a newcomer to the Black Divine Domain?”

A voice sounded in Chen Fei’s ear, prompting him to turn and look at the speaker: dark skin, thick lips, and a hearty smile on his face as he gazed at Chen Fei, revealing a set of white teeth.

“What brings you here?” Chen Fei didn’t directly respond to Ming Zhongjiang’s words.

“Friend, there’s no need to be nervous. The Black Divine Domain is quite dangerous. I just want to gather a few more people, so that when we encounter trouble, we’ll have some support,” Ming Zhongjiang explained hastily, noticing Chen Fei’s wariness.

Chen Fei looked at Ming Zhongjiang, gradually relaxing his expression, no longer as tense as before.

“What is the Black Divine Domain, and how does one leave this place?” Chen Fei inquired.

“The Black Divine Domain is what most people call this place, also known as the Black Divine Territory or Black Divine City. Regardless of the name, this place belongs to the great Black Divine. If you want to gain benefits or leave here, you must abide by the rules of the Black Divine.”

Ming Zhongjiang replied, noting Chen Fei’s changing demeanor and becoming more enthusiastic.

Chen Fei nodded without speaking, waiting for Ming Zhongjiang to continue.

“When you just entered the Black Divine Domain, did you hear the voice of the great Black Divine?” Ming Zhongjiang whispered.

“The heavens are unjust, and all things are unequal,” Chen Fei recited the two sentences he had heard.

“Yes, ‘the heavens are unjust, and all things are unequal!’ When everyone is born, their talents and backgrounds are vastly different. Many times, once a person is born, their entire life is already predetermined, difficult to change,” Ming Zhongjiang elaborated.

Ming Zhongjiang pointed to the people and monsters in the distance, continuing, “We humans are like this, and those monsters are no exception. Due to differences in bloodlines, some can only linger at the first stage, while others can reach the peak of the second stage upon reaching adulthood. How unfair!”

As Ming Zhongjiang spoke, his expression became noticeably excited.

“So, the Black Divine Domain can provide this kind of fairness?” Chen Fei’s expression shifted slightly as he spoke.

“Yes, the Black Divine Domain can!”

Ming Zhongjiang nodded affirmatively. “Friend, you must have noticed that your cultivation has been sealed, whether it’s elemental power, mental strength, or physical prowess; they’ve all been reduced to that of an ordinary person. This is the greatest fairness bestowed by the Black Divine.”

“And then everyone, human or monster, climbs with those black stones?”

Chen Fei pointed to the black stones on the people and monsters in the distance. Though he couldn’t use his eye technique, Chen Fei could still see that the weight of those stones was extremely heavy, making it incredibly difficult for both humans and monsters to carry them.

“To eradicate all unfairness, everyone is on the same level. By carrying these black stones to the top of the Black Divine City, you can exchange them for rewards or leave the Black Divine Domain,” Ming Zhongjiang explained, his excited expression gradually calming down.

As he spoke of the rewards within the Black Divine City, a faint gleam appeared in Ming Zhongjiang’s eyes.

“Rewards?”

Chen Fei suddenly remembered the special ability of the Azure Dragon Carp, which could teleport over twenty miles, a skill not inherent to the carp but displayed nonetheless.

Surely, this ability might originate from this mysterious Black Divine Ridge.

“Yes, the more black stones one carries, the greater the rewards bestowed by the Black Divine. Everyone earns equal rewards based on their efforts, which is the essence of fairness!” Ming Zhongjiang nodded in agreement.

You reap what you sow?

In the real world, one could reap rewards without effort, as long as their background was affluent enough, without needing to exert themselves. Meanwhile, those who struggled might end up with nothing.

Looking at it from this perspective, the rules of the Black Divine Ridge seemed somewhat similar. At least, based on what he had heard so far.

“So, what do you want me to do now?” Chen Fei asked Ming Zhongjiang.

“Let’s travel together! The human heart is deceitful, and having more people can help avoid many unnecessary dangers. I’ve already found three other people, so with you, that makes five of us. Once we each dig up a piece of black stone, we can start climbing!”

Ming Zhongjiang led Chen Fei to a ravine where three others were already waiting, each with a black stone on their back. Upon seeing Ming Zhongjiang and Chen Fei, they nodded in acknowledgment.

“The black stones are right here for the taking, and there are many similar places around. It’s getting late. Shall we start mining the black stones now?”

Ming Zhongjiang brought Chen Fei to the three others and looked at them.

“Let’s get started. There’s no point in wasting time here,” Xue Dongchuan said in a deep voice. Among the four, Xue Dongchuan had the most robust physique, standing at least two meters tall.

“These black stones may seem hard, but they can be easily extracted with our own weapons,” Ming Zhongjiang said.

Chen Fei nodded and approached a rock formation where the black stones were located. He observed for a moment but hesitated to pry out a piece of black stone with the Qianyuan Sword.

“Why aren’t you digging yet? Don’t waste time!” someone urged impatiently.

“Friend, what’s the matter?” Ming Zhongjiang’s voice came from behind, tinged with impatience.

“I’m just wondering if there might be other issues if we dig down.”

Chen Fei said calmly, swirling the Qianyuan Sword in his hand, then turning to look at Ming Zhongjiang.

“Don’t worry, we also have black stones on us,” Ming Zhongjiang said, patting the black stone beside him.

“Is that so? But human hearts are unpredictable. I’d like to observe a bit more,” Chen Fei said nonchalantly.

Ming Zhongjiang’s smile faltered slightly as he looked at Chen Fei, his expression gradually becoming more guarded, his eyes narrowing slightly. Once affable, Ming Zhongjiang’s demeanor completely changed as his smile faded away.

“I told you your trick was useless, just wasting so much time for nothing.”

Xue Dongchuan sneered, his gaze shifting from Ming Zhongjiang to Chen Fei, growing colder by the moment. “Are you going to dig yourself, or should we break your legs and then dig for you?”

Xue Dongchuan’s voice was icy, a stark contrast to before. Not only Xue Dongchuan, but the other two also stared at Chen Fei with cold eyes, forming a semicircle around him.

“It seems there are other risks to digging these black stones,” Chen Fei said calmly, despite being surrounded. He appeared as if being besieged by others at this moment was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Kid, if you want to know what’s wrong with digging the black stones, why don’t you try digging yourself and find out!”

Xue Dongchuan took a step forward, glaring down at Chen Fei, threatening, “Now, I’ll count down from three. If you still don’t act, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

As Xue Dongchuan’s words fell, all four of them brandished their weapons.

With their cultivation completely sealed, whatever strength they had before was now meaningless. The advantage in numbers became apparent in this Black Divine Domain.

“No fighting here. If you start digging now, you won’t lose your life. But once we start, you’ll regret it too late!” Ming Zhongjiang’s voice was cold.

“Three!” Xue Dongchuan shouted loudly, the four of them assessing Chen Fei’s vulnerable points, seemingly figuring out where to strike first.

“No need to count. I’m also in a hurry,” Chen Fei said calmly.

“Ignorant fool!”

Upon hearing Chen Fei’s words, Xue Dongchuan’s eyes widened, and he swung his blade toward Chen Fei’s head.

Though devoid of elemental power, Xue Dongchuan’s strike carried a sinister intent. As Xue Dongchuan attacked, Ming Zhongjiang and the other two also aimed their weapons at Chen Fei simultaneously.

Four hands were difficult to counter with just two fists. For an ordinary person to face a simultaneous assault from four opponents, winning would be extremely challenging.

The options were either to focus on one attacker, show some courage to deter the others, but with everyone wielding weapons, this approach would likely result in Chen Fei sustaining multiple injuries. In such a scenario, Chen Fei would surely be the first to fall.

Moreover, Ming Zhongjiang and his companions were all martial artists, not easily intimidated by mere bravado. With no advantage in momentum or strength and no means of escape while surrounded, it seemed as though death was inevitable.

However, in reality, when it comes to combat among ordinary individuals, using techniques to overcome a stronger opponent or outnumbered situation is crucial.

Chen Fei’s Qianyuan Sword, like a nimble antelope’s horn, touched Xue Dongchuan’s blade.

Seeing Chen Fei display swordsmanship, Xue Dongchuan’s face carried a sneering smile. They were all martial artists, and although elemental power was gone, the martial arts techniques they had learned in the Body Tempering realm couldn’t be forgotten.

Chen Fei had martial arts techniques, so did they.

However, just as this thought flashed through Xue Dongchuan’s mind, during the clash of weapons, he suddenly found his blade involuntarily sliding to the side, as if his own blade had become disobedient.

“Agh!”

The sound of the blade cutting through the air rang out, and a bloodstain appeared on Xue Dongchuan’s cheek. In a critical moment, Xue Dongchuan instinctively leaned back, his back almost parallel to the ground, narrowly avoiding getting pierced through the head by the sword.

Cold sweat broke out on Xue Dongchuan’s back. He had nearly died.

Chen Fei remained expressionless as he deflected the attacks, separating the swords from Ming Zhongjiang and his companions’ hands. Like Xue Dongchuan, the strength on Ming Zhongjiang and his companions’ blades seemed to disappear, sliding uncontrollably to other positions.

Indeed, everyone was a martial artist, and they had all progressed from the Body Tempering realm.

However, when Chen Fei was in the Body Tempering realm, he had practiced dozens of martial arts techniques, and each one had been perfected to the pinnacle. Among them, the most numerous were these basic martial arts

moves..