Top-tier Martial Arts is the pinnacle of all Martial Arts!
It represents the highest existence among ordinary martial arts!
Beneath Transcendent Martial Arts, there is none that can surpass it.
If Ling Xiao wanted to progress faster, to become stronger, it would be impossible without top-tier Martial Arts.
He had also realized that the Bull Demon Technique was not an internal cultivation method or martial skill, but more like an auxiliary type of martial arts.
It could enhance the power of other martial arts, even their level.
The best way to continue to evolve the Bull Demon Technique and obtain more offensive means was naturally to study higher-level Martial Arts and then use the Bull Demon Technique to devour them.
For instance, his Basic Martial Arts, Barbaric Bull Strength, could now unleash the power of Advanced Martial Arts.
And the Advanced Martial Arts, Falling Star Fist, had its power doubled after being devoured, although it still didn’t reach the level of top-tier Martial Arts, yet it was already quite formidable.
If it devoured top-tier Martial Arts, what kind of chemical reaction would occur then?
Would the Bull Demon Technique continue to evolve?
Ling Xiao was very much looking forward to it.
Therefore, staying in the top three, was his current goal.
With these thoughts, Ling Xiao walked back home.
As he approached the door, he was suddenly greeted by a bustling noise inside. Startled, he realized upon entering that his grandfather Hong Qi was being surrounded and congratulated by a crowd of people.
"Old Mr. Hong, your grandson is remarkable!"
"Yes, the first place in Elite Hall, and he has cultivated Gang Qi. With such talent, he’s bound to be specially cultivated by the clan in the future!"
"I think it’s more than that. There’s a good chance Ling Xiao will rank in the finals!"
"An instant sensation!"
Ling Xiao didn’t recognize most of these people because no guests ever came to the small, dilapidated house where he lived with his grandfather.
However, he wasn’t particularly bothered by it.
When you are weak, others ignore you and may even treat you with contempt.
But when you are powerful, they have no choice but to flatter you.
It seemed his path was the correct one; becoming strong was the only way to earn respect from others!
Ling Xiao was not the type to keep people at arm’s length, and although he didn’t like such occasions, he still helped his grandfather see off each visitor.
In the living room, there were various gifts laid out.
Some were even very precious.
"Who would have thought, my boy, in half a month’s time, your cultivation level has improved so much, I almost thought I was hallucinating," said Hong Qi, who had already overestimated Ling Xiao.
But he still hadn’t anticipated Ling Xiao’s progress would be so great.
From Martial Meridian First Layer to the peak of Martial Meridian Third Layer, and possessing nearly the Gang Qi of three martial meridians, such progress could indeed be described as monstrous.
"Grandfather, I will grow even stronger, so you will never be bullied again," Ling Xiao said, clenching his fists.
Although he had progressed rapidly, his strength was still insufficient; facing experts like Ling Shisan, who was at the Martial Pulse Fifth Level, he would still come up short.
Therefore, he had to continue working hard!
"Hard work is good, but don’t overexert yourself. Among the gifts they brought today, there are a lot of clothes and food. I was thinking of sending some to the brothers at Beggar’s Sect, do you agree?" Hong Qi’s life had gotten better, but he hadn’t forgotten those who had begged on the streets with him.
"Of course, I agree. If it weren’t for their protection, I would have been beaten up a lot more in the past. How about we go together?" Ling Xiao suggested after giving it some thought.
It had been a while since he last saw those brothers, and it would be good to pay them a visit.
"No rush. The finals are about to begin, so you should focus on improving your strength. After the finals, I’ll take you to see them," Hong Qi shook his head.
Ling Xiao thought about it and agreed; he had learned a great deal from the battles of the past few days and needed to sort through and reflect on these experiences. Indeed, there was no time to waste.
"Alright then, let’s hire a carriage tomorrow."
Ling Xiao gave Hong Qi a hundred tales of silver.
Although there were no other rewards during the elimination stage, those who entered the top one thousand would still receive a silver reward, although the amount varied.
Having taken the first place, Ling Xiao naturally received a more generous reward, amounting to ten thousand taels of silver.
This money was more than enough for his family to use for quite some time.
After giving the silver, Ling Xiao shut himself in the practice room, closed his eyes, and began to recall the combat and observation experiences from the past few days.
The Mountain and River Map now displayed a series of images in complete detail, as if it were reenacting all the matches from the past few days.
Of course, he watched the most crucial parts several times over.
For example, the fights with Ling Yihang and Ling Yixue, he watched each one carefully multiple times.
Without a doubt, both of these people had more fighting techniques and were more flexible than he was, so he needed to learn and apply them.
His combat experience was severely lacking, so absorbing the combat experience of others and then improving his own techniques was extremely beneficial.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
He swallowed another Gang Qi Pill.
He didn’t just sit there to break through.
Instead, he extended his hands and began to practice his martial arts.
From the Bull Demon Technique to the Falling Star Fist, and then to the Hundred Steps Flying Sword Technique, followed by the Soaring Cloud Step!
Throughout this process, he didn’t suppress the outward release of Gang Qi; all of the martial skills he used were infused with Gang Qi.
He could feel he was immersed in a very peculiar atmosphere.
Although he was training alone, it felt as if there was an opponent facing him in a sparring match.
Several figures were continuously being practiced within his Mountain and River Map.
One moment it was Ling Yixue, the next it was Ling Yihang, then it was Ling Shisan, and another moment it turned into Ling Jiu.
As the opponents became stronger and stronger, the pressure he faced also increased.
Suddenly, he let out a fierce roar.
His voice boomed out like thunder!
His fists were thrown with overwhelming power!
The images in the Mountain and River Map vanished.
And Ling Xiao stopped his assault, sitting cross-legged on the ground.
The last bit of shackles broke apart under his terrifying will.
The originally hindered flow of Gang Qi became agile and smooth all at once, and the True Qi within his body had completely transformed into Gang Qi.
He had broken through to the Martial Vein Quadruple Layer!
His Gang Qi had now reached the level of two-tenths of the fourth Martial Vein.
Although the quantity of Gang Qi had not increased much from before, the leap from Martial Meridian Third Layer Peak to Martial Vein Quadruple Layer was absolutely a qualitative jump.
Since there were no longer any impurities of True Qi in his body and it had all transformed into Gang Qi, now even the Qi Recovery Technique was restoring Gang Qi.
As long as it wasn’t consumed too severely in one go, the Gang Qi would slowly recover.
At the same time, the expansion of the fourth Martial Pulse also gave his body a further enhancement; his strength had reached over a thousand catties.
Although there’s only one layer’s difference between Martial Meridian Third Layer and Martial Vein Quadruple Layer, the reality is a vast gap as vast as the heavens and the earth.
Below the Martial Meridian Third Layer, one is called a Martial Student, cultivating True Qi and known as the Awakening Stage.
Beginning at the Martial Vein Quadruple Layer, one becomes a Wu Tu, cultivating Gang Qi and entering the Gang Qi Stage.
The situation is entirely different.
This can be said to be a true transformation, akin to a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate.
Having Gang Qi once seemed a lifelong goal for Ling Xiao, a kind of extravagant hope.
Because martial artists whose bodies were entirely converted into Gang Qi would receive fairly good treatment in any power within the Northern Han Kingdom.
After all, in the Northern Han Kingdom, countless people are stuck at the Martial Meridian Third Layer Peak, unable to break through.
What seems like a paper-thin distance is actually a vast chasm.