Chapter 30: Journey to Kyoto

On September 30th, Zhang Ji, Li Long, Yan Ruifeng, and several others boarded a flight to the capital of the Dongji Kingdom. They were accompanied by a group of core and inner disciples from the Five-Form Sect, as well as two true-transmission disciples, Shen Han and Gu Shuangshuang.

This triennial martial arts gala attracts nearly every sect that still holds a formal, surviving tradition. Within half a day, they arrived at the Martial Arts Association headquarters in Yong'an, the capital. The facility was vast and luxuriously built. The current president of the Martial Arts Association is the leader of the Northern Daoist Sect, Ma Rui, known by his Daoist name, Shaosi. Most people respectfully refer to him as Daoist Master Shaosi.

Upon Yan Ruifeng’s arrival, Ma Rui came out to greet him personally. Ma Rui was dressed in the purple Daoist robes that signify the highest rank within the Daoist Sect. He held a horsetail whisk in his right hand, his slightly graying hair coiled into a bun held by a green jade lotus crown. Although he was eighty-nine years old, he did not look aged; in fact, he appeared to be in his early fifties—a testament to the potency of the Daoist Sect’s longevity techniques.

The two men exchanged greetings. Ma Rui performed a traditional Daoist salute, while Yan Ruifeng pressed his hand into a dragon-shaped gesture against his forehead—the highest form of etiquette within the Five-Form Sect. In the current martial arts world, there are likely fewer than three people worthy of such a gesture from Yan Ruifeng.

"Daoist Master Shaosi, it has been quite some time. To think you are still as spirited as ever; I fear you are on the verge of becoming a terrestrial immortal," Yan Ruifeng said politely.

"Hahaha, you flatter me, Brother Yan," Ma Rui replied with a smile. "At my age, it would be a blessing just to see my hundredth birthday; I would never dare to be so presumptuous as to seek such a breakthrough. On the contrary, you have cultivated a fine disciple. Young Friend Li’s three treasures—essence, energy, and spirit—show signs of convergence. It is not impossible for him to achieve the 'three flowers gathering at the crown' and eventually attain the status of a terrestrial immortal!"

Li Long offered a slight bow in response. Although he was a grandmaster himself, he remained humble as a member of the younger generation.

After the pleasantries, the group was escorted inside and settled into their quarters. While the official competition was set for October 1st, disciples from various sects had already arrived. The Martial Arts Association covered travel and lodging expenses for qualified sects, and even provided on-site accommodation, which was quite accommodating.

Back in his room, Zhang Ji finished a session of "Iron Shirt" training and began applying medicinal salve to his body. He was only halfway through when a knock sounded at the door. Recognizing the visitor, he opened it to find Shen Han standing there.

"What’s with this medicinal smell? Are you training?" Shen Han asked, surprised.

"I practice when I have the time," Zhang Ji replied, nodding, before continuing to apply the salve.

"Is that the hard-body technique of the Vajra Sect? Is it the 'Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill'?" Shen Han asked. "I heard that is a martial art capable of leading one to become a terrestrial immortal!"

"No," Zhang Ji shook his head.

"Fair enough. The Vajra Sect’s lineage has been broken, anyway. But come to think of it, our Five-Form Sect also possesses a martial art that can lead to that level. With your talent, you might have a chance to master it," Shen Han remarked.

"The Five-Form Sect has one too?" Zhang Ji was taken aback.

In the ancient history of the Dongji Kingdom, "terrestrial immortal" was a term for B-rank fighters. Given the strength of a B-rank fighter in that era, the title was well-deserved. In the modern world, such individuals are absolute powerhouses capable of challenging conventional armies; in ancient times, they were effectively one-man armies. Skills capable of reaching this level are classified as Blue (Excellent) grade. Yet, Zhang Ji had never heard Li Long mention anything of the sort.

"The senior brother didn't tell you? Perhaps he was afraid you would be too ambitious," Shen Han explained. "It’s not really a secret, though. Our Five-Form Sect has five grandmaster-level fist techniques. If one can master all five and then achieve a 'fusion of the five forms'—melding them into a single, unified style—they can step into the realm of the terrestrial immortal."

"It can be done like that?" Zhang Ji asked, stunned. He hadn't realized the Five-Form Sect had such a high ceiling or that one could reach B-rank through such a method.

"However, we haven't produced a terrestrial immortal in over a hundred years," Shen Han sighed. "I don't know if our senior brother can do it."

"Has the teacher mastered all five fist techniques?" Zhang Ji asked.

"How could he? The senior brother has only mastered the 'Dragon-Form Fist.' However, the Five-Form Sect’s martial arts are complementary; once one is mastered, the others become much easier to learn. With his exceptional talent, he will surely master them all eventually," Shen Han said.

Zhang Ji nodded slightly. If Li Long could master all five at his age, it would truly be heaven-defying. It would require more than just talent; it would require extraordinary fortuitous encounters.

"Let’s go for a walk. Many people have arrived, and quite a few are warming up in the sparring rings," Shen Han suggested once Zhang Ji finished applying his medicine.

Zhang Ji agreed, and they headed to the association’s arena. The space was vast enough to hold tens of thousands of spectators, with four massive screens hanging overhead. The Martial Arts Association frequently hosted competitions—both amateur and professional—and even broadcast them. This martial arts gala would also be streamed, and the ticket sales alone would be highly profitable. Otherwise, one might naively think the association was paying out of pocket purely to promote martial arts exchange; in reality, it was all business.

The arena was filled with disciples in various sect attires. Young martial artists would exchange a few words, bow to each other, and then spar. They kept it controlled, however; no one was foolish enough to reveal their true strength on the eve of the official tournament.

As they walked, Shen Han introduced the sects to Zhang Ji. "Those in the short jackets practice the 'Tongbei Fist.' It has explosive power; at the master level, a single whip-fist can easily snap a tree as thick as a thigh. Over there is the 'Spring Leg' style; it has declined in recent years, with only some fame left in the Siji region. That’s the 'Iron Fist Sect'—the strongest in their sect is currently only a professional sixth-rank fighter. The 'Green Lion Sect' was founded by former lion dancers, but they’ve developed quite well. The one lying on the ground practices 'Earthworm Fist,' a type of ground-fighting—if you fight them, try to use your legs less. The one letting himself be struck by blades is like you, a practitioner of hard-body techniques. He looks like he’s from the 'Yiqi Sect.' Their 'Hunyuan Yiqi Skill' cultivates both internal and external strength. It uses primordial energy to nourish the body; it’s slower than other hard-body arts, but has fewer side effects and requires less medicine. Simply put, it’s a cheaper way to train..."

Shen Han was well-informed, as he had participated in the previous two galas and achieved respectable results.

"Why do they all seem so weak?" Zhang Ji suddenly asked. He had watched several participants and felt their technique was inferior even to the inner disciples of his own sect. If this was the case, was the gala even lower-level than the monthly internal sparring matches?

"It can't be helped. Times are changing, and there are fewer people practicing martial arts. The martial arts world has had to lower its standards. Any small sect that can produce a professional-level fighter can now apply to participate in the gala," Shen Han explained.

Zhang Ji nodded, understanding. No wonder even amateur fighters could pose as experts on television; it was because true experts were rare and no longer fought professionally.

"But don't let your guard down," Shen Han warned. "There are a few major sects that are not inferior to us. For example, the Northern and Southern Daoist Sects. They are the absolute pillars of the martial arts world today. Especially the Northern Daoist Sect—it is rumored they still have hidden terrestrial immortal-level figures. Then there is the Lishan Sect; their strength is not to be underestimated, and their true-transmission disciples are all top-tier. The Seven-Peak Alliance and the Minghu Sect are also very strong. And then there is the Xian-Shan Sect. Their method of recruiting true-transmission disciples is vastly different now—they don't test one's character, and they teach 'fast-track' martial arts that exhaust one's potential. They have many experts who have reached the peak of the second-tier or even the first-tier..."

Shen Han’s tone darkened when he mentioned the Xian-Shan Sect. The two sects had a long-standing grudge that had essentially reached an open conflict. It was a life-or-death struggle; whichever side gained the absolute upper hand would never let the other off the hook.

Zhang Ji did not care much for Shen Han’s disparagement of the Xian-Shan Sect. Every faction used smear tactics to some degree. If the Xian-Shan Sect could gain an advantage, their operational methods must have some merit, perhaps even being better suited to the current era. If the Five-Form Sect didn't adapt and failed to produce a groundbreaking powerhouse, they would eventually be swept into the dustbin of history, regardless of how much they slandered their rivals.

Zhang Ji didn't dwell on this, however, as something else came to mind. He did have an impression of the Northern and Southern Daoist Sects. In the game version he played, there was only one Daoist Sect in the Dongji Kingdom, but it contained lore about the split between the North and South. Each sect possessed a legacy-level fighting technique of Blue (Excellent) quality: the Northern Sect held the "Nine Yin Divine Formula," and the Southern Sect held the "Nine Yang True Skill." In later versions of the game, a librarian named Yang Zixiu merged the two into a Purple (Epic) grade martial art called the "Taiqing True Scripture." It was known as the strongest Epic-grade skill for the "Primordial Energy" faction, possessing ultimate versatility. Zhang Ji had even used an alt account to master it; it was undeniably powerful.

The thought excited him. If he couldn't wait for the two sects to merge, he could find a way to acquire both techniques and merge them himself.

Just as he was lost in thought, Shen Han patted him on the shoulder. Zhang Ji turned to see two people dressed in Xian-Shan Sect attire walking toward them. By their posture, it was clear they were looking for trouble.