Chapter 721: Danqing Is Difficult to Capture, It's the Spirit

What exactly are these so-called martial arts and martial souls?

Qin Mu observed the divine descendants around him. These individuals indeed possessed an extraordinary demeanor and aura, coupled with a spirit of pressing forward fearlessly, overcoming all obstacles.

This differed from the fiery, dynamic spirit of the Age of Change that permeated the divine arts practitioners of Yankang.

While Yankang's divine arts practitioners were also diligent and courageous, their temperament and spirit were nimble and ever-changing, like boiling oil, with each bubble radiating a different color. This was the spirit bestowed upon them by the era of reform—a hundred flowers blooming, a hundred schools of thought contending.

However, the vital essence and spirit of these divine descendants were not born of the era, but were the spirit of true martial artists.

This spirit was unlike the vast and expansive talent of a blade master like Butcher, nor the nimble yet reserved nature of a sword master like Village Chief, nor the quirky ingenuity of a divine arts grandmaster like Grandma Si. It differed from Deaf's talent, encapsulated within his paintings; from Blind's insightful and uninhibited perception of everything; and from Mute's fiery passion, hidden deep within him like a volcanic forge.

They resembled ascetics, or even Master Ma before he attained Buddhahood.

Qin Mu's eyes lit up.

Yes, exactly like Master Ma!

Master Ma from Disabled Elderly Village.

At that time, Master Ma was humorless and serious, taking everything earnestly. Qin Mu's own seriousness and focus were learned from him.

Though Master Ma stood ramrod straight, he gave the impression of carrying a heavy burden. It was as if he bore Mount Sumeru on his back, the weight pressing down on him.

This pressure transformed into his motivation.

Of course, pressure becomes motivation only when it doesn't crush a person. If the pressure is too immense, it will break them entirely.

Master Ma had been crushed by pressure for a period. It was only after Qin Mu arrived at Disabled Elderly Village that he managed to stabilize himself and continue pushing forward.

These young divine descendants in the Heavenly Palace of Dou Niu were, like Master Ma, a group of martial artists shouldering immense pressure.

However, their pressure was not Mount Sumeru, but the despair of their racial divine bridge being completely severed, the divine bridge realm no longer existing, and thus being unable to cultivate to the divine realm.

This despair could transform into motivation, compelling them to press forward and find a solution.

Conversely, it could become an insurmountable mountain that utterly destroys their spirit and will.

“They are martial artists!”

Qin Mu's gaze grew brighter, and a faint smile appeared on his face. “Once, when I had not yet cultivated divine arts, I was also a martial artist like them. However, after opening my Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure, I gradually forgot this spirit.”

A 'martial artist' is a term for someone who has not yet embarked on the path of cultivation, using only basic methods like fists, kicks, and weapons. Master Ma, during his time in Disabled Elderly Village, was also a martial artist. His combat techniques allowed him to manifest the effects of divine arts through his physical body, but with even greater intensity and power!

Finally, everyone began to enter the Southern Heavenly Gate. Qin Mu remained rooted to the spot, not quite understanding the significance of the Martial Battle Heavenly Master having them enter it. How did cultivating the martial way relate to entering the Heavenly Palace?

Below the Southern Heavenly Gate, a woman suddenly let out a muffled grunt, her bones breaking and muscles tearing under the immense pressure. She abruptly shrank significantly, collapsing to the ground, vomiting blood incessantly.

Another youth, walking along, suddenly had his leg bones snap.

Still others found small holes bursting open across their bodies, blood hissing outwards in torrents.

Some suddenly vomited large mouthfuls of blood, their internal organs ruptured by the immense pressure!

Meanwhile, others seemed to be shouldering the Southern Heavenly Gate itself. Some were compressed, their bodies constantly shrinking as they advanced under the pressure. With each step they took, the pressure suddenly intensified, crushing them to a height of less than five feet.

As they continued, their bodies grew even smaller. Soon, they were compressed to a height of less than a foot.

Some were completely overwhelmed, kneeling on the ground, their hands bracing against the earth as they vomited large mouthfuls of blood. Soon, their arms could no longer bear the Southern Heavenly Gate's pressure, and their arm bones fractured.

Many more roared continuously, unleashing wide, sweeping strikes with their fists and feet. They used their physical divine arts to forcefully resist the Southern Heavenly Gate's pressure, their fists and feet like axes cleaving the heavens, splitting the pressure as they advanced step by step.

Qin Mu frowned deeply, looking at the Southern Heavenly Gate with doubt and surprise. Could this gate truly be a portal of an Emperor's Throne expert, imposing pressure only a true god could withstand?

How could divine arts practitioners of the Life and Death realm possibly endure such immense pressure?

If it were indeed the Southern Heavenly Gate of an Emperor's Throne expert, then perhaps only true gods would possess the strength to cross it. Anyone failing to cultivate to true godhood would be crushed or even killed!

The Martial Battle Heavenly Master couldn't possibly be using such a method to eliminate them, could he?

“The runic markings on the Southern Heavenly Gate are not fully illuminated.”

Qin Mu observed closely. Less than one percent of the patterns and designs on the Southern Heavenly Gate were lit up, indicating that the pressure was far from true god level.

Clearly, the Martial Battle Heavenly Master exercised moderation.

Although these divine descendants had been walking for a long time, the Southern Heavenly Gate was so tall and wide that they hadn't even covered half the distance. Evidently, as the pressure steadily increased, this gate alone would eliminate most of the divine arts practitioners.

Qin Mu stripped off his clothes, baring his torso, and tied up his trouser legs. He chuckled, “Fat Dragon, you don't need to go in. Watch my clothes for me.”

He handed his clothes and his taotie pouch to the Dragon Qilin, then stood bare-handed, without any weapons.

The Dragon Qilin sighed in relief as he took the clothes. He asked, “Sect Master, aren't you going to use your sword pellets?”

“No need!”

Qin Mu let out a low cry, raising one hand and lowering the other. Azure Dragon patterns appeared on his back, gradually transforming into a massive azure dragon. The azure dragon flew out from within him, coiling around his physical body.

He stretched his body again, his joints cracking. The azure dragon dissipated, and White Tiger patterns appeared on his back. A white tiger leaped out from behind him, its roar echoing through the mountains and forests.

He extended one leg back and squatted on the other, and Black Tortoise patterns emerged. A colossal tortoise with a dragon head and tortoise body rose beneath his feet, standing upon a dark sea, a thousand-winged serpent coiled around it, appearing fierce and menacing.

Qin Mu spread his arms, and the Black Tortoise dissipated. Behind him, flames soared into the sky as a Vermilion Bird spread its wings and flew up from the conflagration, which billowed everywhere.

“I will reclaim the spirit of martial arts and fight my way in!”

He cast aside all distracting thoughts, forgot all divine arts, and forgot his sword techniques and sword path. He forgot all external strife and worries, forgot Yankang, allowing his spirit to return to his childhood, to his arduous cultivation days in Disabled Elderly Village—to the time he strenuously trained with Master Ma, Blind, and Butcher.

Back then, he followed the village elders to temper his physical body, herded cattle in his leisure, and played his bamboo flute.

His mind became incredibly pure, as if he had once again become the cowherd boy, yet there was a difference.

Previously, his mind was as simple as a blank sheet of paper, but now, his heart had settled after enduring countless hardships and dangers.

Around his neck, the Wisdom Pearls given to him by Emperor Sakra Heaven King Buddha suddenly scattered. One by one, the wisdom pearls fell off, and each time one detached, another new wisdom pearl formed.

These new ones were Wisdom Pearls formed from his own wisdom.

Each Wisdom Pearl was the size of an egg, round and translucent, continuously flowing around his neck. They seemed capable of reflecting human hearts.

Qin Mu strode into the Southern Heavenly Gate. As he just entered, he felt an invisible pressure bearing down, causing his bones to crackle.

This pressure was relatively mild on the physical body, but fiercely oppressive to the primordial spirit!

Qin Mu roared, activating his Hegemon Body Three Elixir Technique, and forcefully withstood the pressure, walking forward.

The further he walked, the greater the pressure became. Dragon roars emanated from Qin Mu's body—the Eight Ancestral Dragon Sounds, their vibrations causing his vital energy and blood to surge throughout his entire body.

He had already caught up to the first wave of people who had collapsed. He lifted them, one in each hand, and threw them out of the Southern Heavenly Gate. He couldn't bear to leave them there, where they would only be crushed to death.

The pressure grew increasingly heavy, and Qin Mu's vital energy and blood overflowed around him, growing denser and denser.

His vital energy and blood became almost frenzied, forming a surging torrent behind him, yet his eyes grew increasingly bright.

Behind him, the torrent of vital energy and blood sometimes transformed into an Azure Dragon, with rolling thunder; at other times, it became a Black Tortoise, stirring waves in a dark sea; then, a Vermilion Bird, with towering flames; and sometimes, a White Tiger, ferocious and fierce.

These various phenomena constantly shifted behind him, helping him cleave through obstacles and bravely advance!

Finally, he caught up to the crowd ahead. Everyone had been compressed to the size of three-inch tall figures. Even so, no one retreated; they continued to push forward.

Their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths bled continuously, yet they continued to endure the pressure, attempting to exit the Southern Heavenly Gate.

Qin Mu himself was also compressed to just over a foot tall. He stepped ahead of the crowd, then suddenly burst into unrestrained laughter. “Spirit is difficult to depict in paintings!”

He combined the Eight Ancestral Dragon Sounds with the Buddhist Sanskrit chants in a loud cry. Advancing bare-chested, he chanted in a long, resounding voice: “How could trifles exhaust the will of the sagacious? Wings lighter than powder, thinner than silk, long pulled by flowers, unable to triumph!”

The crowd behind him listened intently, finding themselves involuntarily moved by his voice. Their vital energy and blood surged within them, connecting with one another, buoyed by Qin Mu's spirit and vigor.

“If even Brahma is not me, how can I throw myself to death for the Heavenly Palace?”

Qin Mu removed the willow leaf from his brow. His body swayed, revealing his three heads and six arms. His three vertical eyes on his brows shot out golden light, and his three faces beamed with joy as he laughed heartily: “Mountain moon breaks gold through pine, river wind blows water, snow avalanches! One day, I will shatter the Heavenly Gate, and sit in the ancestral court, laughing at heroes!”

“Excellent!” A divine descendant, stirred by emotion, couldn't help but shout.

His unrestrained and heroic song fused everyone's vital essence and spirit into one, leading the descendants of the gods forward.

With their spirits connected and their wills united like a fortress, they actually managed to forcefully resist the Southern Heavenly Gate's pressure. Behind them, their vital energy and blood surged like a vast ocean, a sea of blood swelling with waves.

At this moment, the old farmer leading his ox had reached the High Heavens Treasury Palace within the Heavenly Palace. Just as he was about to enter, he suddenly felt something and turned to look. He saw a bloody light shooting straight up into the sky from the Southern Heavenly Gate, its vital energy surging into the Dou Niu Palace, shaking the very stars!

The old farmer was astonished as he watched this scene. He saw Qin Mu leading the crowd forward with large strides beneath the Southern Heavenly Gate. The bodies of the crowd actually began to grow taller, becoming increasingly large, rendering the Southern Heavenly Gate's pressure completely ineffective against them!

“Master, this 107th descendant of Emperor Kai seems quite remarkable.”

The old ox spoke, “His charisma is very strong, and his heroic spirit is somewhat like that of Emperor Kai in his prime. Previously, only a handful of people could pass through the Southern Heavenly Gate. But with him here, I fear dozens will be able to pass through.”

“The Southern Heavenly Gate is merely the first trial; the real dangers lie ahead.”

The old farmer's face remained impassive as he turned and walked into the High Heavens Treasury Palace. He said, “You guard this High Heavens Treasury Palace trial. I want to see if he can fight his way in!”

The old ox stood on its hind legs, its body swaying, its azure dragon scales shimmering and flowing all over. It chuckled, “Master, you're bullying them. But without defeating you, Master, who could ascend to the Heavenly Palace while missing an entire realm?”