I became a Sword Emperor in the Martial Arts World

Chapter 127 Come on, I won't hurt you

The higher you go up the mountain, the higher the concentration of vital energy becomes.

Especially when approaching the jujube tree that had been struck by lightning, the vital energy had become so concentrated that it was almost liquefied, turning into a moist mist that enveloped the surroundings.

Sizzle~

Within the fog, electric sparks flickered, and faint static crackling could be heard.

Please provide proof.

"Here."

Ye Qingzhou took out a pass and was about to enter the innermost mountain area.

"Wait a moment."

A young man with an arrogant expression walked up to Ye Qingzhou, his eyes blazing with undisguised malice: "So you're the one who stole the spot that should have been mine?"

The most precious resource in the Jilei Mountain Secret Realm is to enter the mountaintop area and cultivate around the jujube trees. By using internal energy techniques, one can absorb the innate Jia wood energy emanating from the lightning-struck wood, which is extremely beneficial for strengthening one's martial bones.

However, the amount of innate Jia wood energy that can be generated each month is limited, so under official management, only one portion can be allocated each month.

Ye Qingzhou was clearly added to the group at the last minute, and the person in front of him was the one who was kicked out from the group of twenty.

It's so unfair to be kicked off the list at the last minute when it's almost your turn. No one can swallow that kind of injustice.

"You must be Ye Qingzhou, right? My name is Xing Yaoming."

Xing Yaoming was arrogant and didn't even glance at Ye Qingzhou.

Because he had already investigated, the person who squeezed in this time was a commoner martial arts genius who won the championship in a private competition.

Xing Yaoming has seen many so-called martial arts prodigies who have no background or family connections and rely on luck or so-called exceptional talent to become geniuses.

Ye Qingzhou glanced at Xing Yaoming indifferently: "What is it?"

"My father is Xing Jiansong."

"so what?"

"Playing dumb, huh? If you know what's good for you, give up your spot, and I can give you some money as compensation. Don't think you're something special just because you won some sword fighting tournament. This world is huge, and there are always people more capable than you, don't you understand?"

When Xing Yaoming looked at Ye Qingzhou, his eyes were full of disdain, just like the contemptuous look of a rich young master in the old society when he looked at a peasant who was working hard in the fields.

Ye Qingzhou simply couldn't be bothered with this kind of stupid spoiled brat who had no real skills but relied on his family background to act arrogantly towards everyone.

"roll."

"Are you looking for death? You stole my spot and you still dare to be so arrogant!"

Ye Qingzhou glanced sideways at Xing Yaoming, giving him a contemptuous look as well: "Where have I been arrogant? As a piece of trash, you should look for the reasons within yourself. Have you improved your cultivation over the years? Have you practiced martial arts properly?"

"I'll f*** you!"

Enraged, Xing Yaoming hurled insults and profanities at Ye Qingzhou's family.

Ye Qingzhou had no family, but she disliked Xing Yaoming's attitude, so she slapped him in the face.

slap~

Suddenly the whole world became quiet, and Xing Yaoming was slapped so hard he was knocking his teeth out.

One side of his face was swollen like a pig's head. Forget about continuing to curse, he was having difficulty breathing. His mouth was leaking air everywhere, and he was crying with snot and tears streaming down his face.

After teaching Xing Yaoming a lesson, Ye Qingzhou acted as if nothing had happened and turned back to walk into the secret realm.

At this moment, nineteen figures, both men and women, had already taken their seats at the mountaintop. Some were standing against the trees, while others were sitting cross-legged, all with their eyes closed, resting and no one was speaking.

Ye Qingzhou was too lazy to chat with anyone. He found a flat rock, sat down, and then waited quietly.

At the same time, he secretly sensed his surroundings and discovered that the trees throughout Jilei Mountain had exceptionally strong vitality, especially the closer one got to the summit.

I don't know how long I waited, but the sky above was about to darken.

Sizzle~

Suddenly, an invisible bolt of lightning flashed across Ye Qingzhou's body, making the hairs on his body stand on end and causing him to shudder involuntarily.

"Hmm? Energy transforming into lightning?"

Ye Qingzhou was very surprised, because he had seen many instances of Yuan Qi transforming into lightning, but that was when martial artists used their inner energy to convert Yuan Qi into the power of lightning.

The energy transforming into lightning before our eyes is clearly a natural phenomenon.

Or rather, the energy that was transformed into lightning was not the work of humans, but rather... the work of the jujube tree in front of us!

"Can jujube trees be used for martial arts?"

Ye Qingzhou was initially incredulous, but then he thought of the "Fish-Dragon Transformation" technique and the fact that inside the cave, powerful figures like Yingyue and Fengqi had all cultivated from beasts to human form.

"It seems that the martial arts of Earth have essentially transcended mere strength and technique, and have undergone a transformation at the level of life itself. One could even say that the development of martial arts by humankind is actually the latter. Some powerful ancient races, such as the dragons, have a much longer history of practicing martial arts than humans."

Therefore, it is quite reasonable for a jujube tree to be able to practice martial arts.

Rumble~

As Ye Qingzhou was pondering, he heard the booming sound of thunder and lightning. A bolt of lightning descended from the sky and struck the jujube tree in front of him.

Immediately, Ye Qingzhou's mental world seemed to see golden lightning and crimson flames intertwining in the void, finally transforming into a ball of pure innate wood energy, which was absorbed by the jujube tree in front of him.

"Golden thread jujubes?"

Ye Qingzhou was taken aback. He had never expected that the Golden Thread Fire Dates he had eaten last time were produced by this date tree. No wonder the medicinal power was stronger than that of ordinary fire dates. It turned out that it was a rare and precious fruit that had been nurtured by heavenly thunder and earthly fire.

While Ye Qingzhou was still in shock, the other nineteen people had already begun to take action.

They all activated their inner energy, each displaying their unique strategies, all vying for the innate Jia wood energy that would emerge from the jujube tree after the lightning strike.

Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth are the five most special innate elements among the primordial energy.

Compared to ordinary vital energy, the five innate energies possess extremely special power, and their uses in martial arts cultivation are endless, making them extremely valuable.

For example, Xu Yunxi has a wisp of innate Geng metal energy within her body, which has transformed into the shape of a sword. Therefore, she learns swordsmanship very quickly, far surpassing other martial arts geniuses.

The five innate energies are each divided into yin and yang, totaling ten types.

The innate wood element (甲木) is the yang energy within the innate wood element, while the innate metal element (庚金) is the yang energy within the innate metal element, and the innate metal element (辛金) is the yin energy, each with its own unique uses.

Rumble~

Thunder descended once more. Thunder is the most powerful and yang force in the world. The Fire Jujube Tree is no ordinary tree. As a spiritual plant, it is naturally able to absorb and release primordial energy and possesses spirituality.

After being struck by lightning, one is bathed in its power, generating a blazing yang energy that ignites the soul and gives birth to the spark of wisdom.

The jujube tree before us has long since developed intelligence and even reached an agreement with the Eastern Kingdom, gaining official protection and support.

Today, the entire Jilei Mountain is its sacred ground and its territory.

All it takes is to bear some fruit periodically and use some of the innate wood energy that it cannot fully digest to obtain a quiet and carefree cultivation environment. For a jujube tree that has developed sentience but cannot be moved, this is undoubtedly a very worthwhile investment.

Therefore, every month, on this day of the Thunder Bathing Period, the jujube tree would deliberately release the Jia Wood Qi, allowing the surrounding human martial artists to compete for it.

It has come to regard this as a form of entertainment, constantly deriving pleasure from it.

But to its surprise, a strange man suddenly appeared at Jilei Mountain today.

The strange man stared intently at him, yet he didn't compete for the innate wood energy; it was truly bizarre.

At this moment, Ye Qingzhou was silently sensing the flow of vital energy within the Fire Jujube Tree using his Cicada Sense Technique, and his excitement grew: "The mystery of the forest's power! So that's how it is!"

"Hahaha, it's like finding a needle in a haystack, only to have it come to me effortlessly!"

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Ye Qingzhou laughed heartily, looking up at the sky.

"Has this guy gone mad?"

"It seems he didn't manage to snatch even a trace of innate wood energy just now."

"Young people these days are really outrageous; they get so easily discouraged by the slightest setback."

"He developed a mental illness at such a young age, it's so pitiful."

However, soon everyone witnessed a spectacle that they would never forget.

Ye Qingzhou's aura surged, like a thriving tree that had taken root and was constantly penetrating the earth to absorb nutrients.

"So this is the secret to Lin Shi's extraordinary skill."

Ye Qingzhou felt completely at peace; he had become one with the surrounding world and nature.

Just now, while everyone was focused on seizing the innate Jia wood energy, only Ye Qingzhou calmed down and paid attention to the flow and operation of the fire date tree's vital energy.

In the end, Ye Qingzhou was able to glimpse the secrets of the forest's extraordinary power.

"It seems that my thinking was too narrow before. I thought that the focus of the forest style was on the evolution of techniques and the operation of force, but I forgot that the essence of the forest style is the transmission and flow of energy and the orderly growth of life."

At this moment, Ye Qingzhou, who had entered a state of enlightenment, was clear-headed. All the secrets about Lin Shi were no longer concealed and were laid out clearly before him.

Ye Qingzhou was able to have this sudden realization because he saw the ultimate secret of forest power in the fire date tree.

The jujube tree in front of us may seem like a solitary tree growing on the mountaintop, but in reality, it is constantly exchanging information and nutrients with the surrounding vegetation through an underground fungal network.

Through this "mycorrhizal network," the jujube tree not only shares resources with the vast vegetation of Jilei Mountain, but also "helps" its injured or sick companions, mutually benefiting each other and forming a complex ecological network, thus gaining incredible vitality and dynamism.

Through observation, Ye Qingzhou discovered that mycorrhizal networks are formed by the symbiosis of fungi and tree roots.

Fungal filaments penetrate the soil and become closely intertwined with tree roots, forming a vast and complex underground network.

Through this network, fungi and trees cooperate in a mutually beneficial way: fungi obtain organic carbon from trees, while trees absorb more water and minerals through fungi.

The "golden threads" in Golden Thread Fire Dates are metallic minerals refined from Vajra Primordial Qi, thus possessing effects similar to Divine Metal.

Mycorrhizal networks can optimize resource allocation. For example, trees growing in sunny locations can use this network to provide extra nutrients to their shaded counterparts, helping them overcome difficulties.

This resource-sharing mechanism makes the entire forest ecosystem more stable and prosperous, and also makes the jujube tree, which is located at the center of the system, exceptionally powerful. Even the lightning from the sky cannot destroy it. Instead, it helps to temper its body again and again, acquiring the ultimate yang properties of lightning-struck wood.

Now that Ye Qingzhou has uncovered this secret, he naturally wants to build a similar life network on his own body. The first step is to connect his own organs!

"The heavens have twenty-four qi, and the transformation of qi leads to the creation of a true person."

"The True Man also possesses this, hence his body has twenty-four spirits."

Ye Qingzhou recalled the contents of the "Seven Tablets of the Cloudy Bookcase," which described the twenty-four gods in the human body that corresponded to the twenty-four qi of nature.

The eight spirits in the upper realm are: brain, hair, skin, eyes, neck marrow, spine, nose, and tongue.

The eight spirits in the middle field are: throat, lungs, heart, liver, gallbladder, left kidney, right kidney, and spleen.

The eight gods in the lower realm are: stomach, intestines, large and small intestines, torso, chest and diaphragm, both sides of the ribs, left yin and left yang, right yin and right yang.

The divine metal transformed into countless tiny threads, constructing a completely new energy transmission system in twenty-four organs.

Then, using the Heart Sword Technique, he slashed out twenty-four separate spirits, each acting as one of the twenty-four gods within his body, managing the twenty-four major organs.

The eight gods of the upper realm merge into one body.

The middle ground features eight gods, four transformations, and nine flights.

The eight gods in the lower realm disperse and transform into spirits.

Ye Qingzhou created the "Twenty-Four Divine Preservation Methods" and, with the help of the life network within his body, finally broke through the void and saw the indestructible gods!

After succeeding, Ye Qingzhou's physical functions instantly improved to an incredible level, as if they had formed a tight whole, so that when one side was in trouble, all sides would come to the rescue.

In contrast, an ordinary person who suffers severe damage to a single organ will immediately die on the spot.

Even if Ye Qingzhou's head were cut off and his heart were ripped out, he would not die for a moment, and his heart would even grow back on its own.

"As long as the Emperor is alive, a single tree can grow into a forest. Finally, my mastery of forest techniques has reached a level of unparalleled skill. Such divine skill is truly incredible."

Through his exquisite cultivation, Ye Qingzhou felt the vigorous vitality within his body, and he even began to doubt whether he was still a human being.

After all, he survived being beheaded, which makes him seem a bit like the ancient god Xing Tian.

The speed of the wind.

The power of the fire god.

The god of mountains.

The Forest's Divine Skill.

The Yin spirit is empty.

The might of thunder.

Having broken through all six extreme realms, Ye Qingzhou's essence, energy, and spirit began to undergo unimaginable transformations, gradually shedding human characteristics and evolving towards the realm of "gods".

All sorts of incredible phenomena appeared on him, as if the surrounding plants, trees, birds and beasts were all submitting to him and worshipping him.

Just as mortals kneel and worship the gods who stand high in the heavens.

The moment Ye Qingzhou opened her eyes, her pupils seemed to reflect the starry sky, their dazzling light radiant and captivating.

"Hello, I am Lu Tianming from Changjun Middle School in Xingcheng."

"I am Yue Shiqi from Yuezhou No.1 Middle School in Baling."

A man and a woman walked up to Ye Qingzhou. Both of them could not hide their shock and astonishment, because among the other nineteen trial participants, they were the only two with the highest cultivation level and the most able to sense the changes in Ye Qingzhou's body.

"I apologize for disturbing you, and hope you will forgive me."

Lu Tianming was very polite.

Yue Shiqi is the same.

The two men were clearly there to inquire about Ye Qingzhou, wanting to know what he had actually comprehended.

Ye Qingzhou laughed loudly upon hearing this: "The divine skills and wonderful techniques are right before your eyes, yet you turn a blind eye to them, and in the end you even ask me for guidance. Don't you find that ridiculous? Those who can comprehend them don't need me to explain, and those who can't comprehend them, it's useless for me to explain."

After saying that, he turned and left. He no longer needed the innate wood element.

Because once Lin Shi reaches a state of extraordinary skill, Ye Qingzhou can obtain this kind of thing by transforming his own vital energy, so why bother waiting for the Fire Jujube Tree to give it away?

Not only do they only serve a tiny amount each time, but a whole bunch of people have to fight over it. Isn't that like begging on your knees?

Unable to get any answers from Ye Qingzhou, Lu Tianming and Yue Shiqi had no choice but to sit back down, hoping to learn from Ye Qingzhou and see if they could gain some insights themselves.

Leaving the mountaintop, Ye Qingzhou drifted down the mountain, encountering Li Yan'er again on the way.

"Ye Qingzhou!"

Li Yan'er was somewhat surprised: "You're coming down the mountain so soon? Isn't the Thunder Bathing Period usually a whole day? And there are also martial arts competitions and experience sharing sessions afterwards. The related activities will last for about two weeks. Aren't you going to participate?"

Ye Qingzhou shook his head: "I have already gotten what I needed. Besides, my opponent is too weak and inexperienced. There is no need for sparring or exchanging ideas."

After hearing Ye Qingzhou's "outrageous words," Li Yan'er was so speechless she almost couldn't catch her breath: "Can't you speak a little more tactfully? Aren't you afraid of getting beaten to death?"

"Don't worry, they're just a bunch of noobs. Even if they team up, they can't kill me."

Ye Qingzhou was very confident in this; his Cicada Sense would never be wrong.

Now, Li Yan'er didn't know what to say. Even the weakest martial arts newcomer on the mountaintop was someone she had to look up to.

But in Ye Qingzhou's eyes, these geniuses were nothing more than a bunch of chickens and dogs.

"I feel like there's a huge gap between us now. You weren't this good back in junior high."

Li Yan'er smiled wryly and sighed, expressing a complex mix of emotions: "I'm afraid my classmate is suffering, but I'm also afraid my classmate is driving a Land Rover."

Ye Qingzhou smiled and said, "By the way, I promised to spar with you. If it's convenient, how about now?"

"Huh? I'll fight you?"

Li Yan'er blinked her bright, watery eyes, her expression as if she were saying to Ye Qingzhou, "Are you kidding me?"

"Come on, I won't hurt you."

Ye Qingzhou beckoned to Li Yan'er.

Li Yan'er sighed, "You rascal, you look so irritating right now."

However, it is rare to have the opportunity to spar with a master like Ye Qingzhou. Even if I lose badly, as long as I can get a few pointers from him, my cultivation should be able to avoid many detours.

Thinking about it this way, Li Yan'er was tempted again: "It's a promise, you can't be too rough later."

(End of this chapter)