The core principle of traditional martial arts lies in strength—how to generate force, how to borrow force. Every martial arts school centers its studies on these questions. And through its long history, martial arts competitions have always been grounded in combat on solid ground. Only by keeping your feet planted can you draw power at any moment and respond effectively.
But the basic philosophy of Jianghu martial arts is all about qi—how to channel it and what results you can achieve. That’s what martial artists in the Jianghu focus on. As their skills grow, battles become more three-dimensional, even airborne. Especially for the top-tier masters—they can leap into the air whenever they want, because they’re not afraid of losing power midair. They’ve got qinggong, the art of lightness.
As Jack Young’s physical strength kept growing, he became more and more aware of how classical physics limited traditional martial arts. Especially during his fight with the Alien Queen—he could feel that invisible glass ceiling. His strength couldn’t fully translate into destructive power, which in martial arts, usually means your level is too low. But in his case, it wasn’t about skill or cultivation—it was a flaw in the system itself.
His physical strength defied biology, but martial arts couldn’t break the laws of physics—and that’s the real reason for the "glass ceiling." Ever since he started practicing the Titan Spirit Method, it was clear he’d have to find a breakthrough. And that breakthrough depended on internal energy—the first step was mastering qinggong.
In Jack’s opinion, qinggong is way more important than swordplay or blade techniques. A true master of qinggong can soar through the skies like a bird, glide like a celestial riding the clouds. Of course, no matter how strong you are, you’re not actually immortal—when you run out of breath, you’ll still come crashing down. Jack’s internal energy was still too low for that level of qinggong, so he came up with a clever workaround: Rooting his feet to the ground.
Rooting your feet is the most basic foundation of qinggong, but Jack poured twenty years’ worth of internal energy into perfecting it. All his power went into maintaining that rooted state. He’d tested it out before, coordinating with Princess Embroidered Jade in the underground cavern—and now, he could finally pull it off on his own. The friction between his soles and the ground skyrocketed, almost like magnets locking his feet in place. This let him unleash superhuman strength to the max. The seventh level of the Titan Spirit Method finally became practical—every step Jack took now had more acceleration than a jet taking off.
Boom! For the third time, the ground erupted in a cloud of dust. Jack Young’s speed shot up as he charged at Simon West. The Northern Kid slumped in defeat, the Eastern Youth rolled off the field, the Southern Uncle was still falling, and now Simon West was left all alone.
Like a bolt of lightning, Jack’s internal energy flashed beneath his feet, his body swaying left and right—he shot at Simon West like a venomous snake. Simon West let out a weird screech and sent a gust of finger wind flying, sparing no effort to keep his opponent at bay. But Jack glided along the ground as if he had ice skates strapped to his feet, carving a perfect arc. The finger wind only tore up the ground, tree trunks, and flower beds, but couldn’t even touch Jack’s sleeve.
The Eastern Youth, who’d been rolling on the ground, suddenly sprang up like a carp and shouted excitedly, “Third Brother, I’ve got it! I know how to break his weird… move…” He didn’t finish, because Jack and Simon West were already standing shoulder to shoulder, less than an arm’s length apart. Simon West had already surrendered the moment Jack closed that distance.
Simon West shook his head, looking embarrassed. “Big Brother, if you’ve got a brilliant plan, could you maybe share it a little earlier next time?”
“Ah—!” Just then, a loud shout came from above: “Give me a hand!”
South Elder Qi finally landed just now.
This round ended with the Four Vagabond Knights getting wiped out in record time. The whole thing took barely ten seconds, and they were scattered all over the place. But the Eastern Youth wasn’t convinced: “You’re strong, but you used tricks! If we’d just stalled a bit, you’d have lost for sure!”
“I’ll admit your after-the-fact strategy isn’t wrong, but even if we did it again, you guys still might not win.” Right now, this kind of high-speed movement burns way too much energy, so it’s only good for short bursts. That explosive start eats up a ton of power with every step—can’t just use it whenever you feel like it, only for special occasions, like nitro boosts in street racing. Jack had to use all his control, constantly adjusting his internal energy between attack and recovery, just to stretch out the effect a little longer.
Bottom line: still not enough internal energy. If he had more, he wouldn’t have to pinch pennies—he’d be flying through the sky, living the dream.
“Alright, that’s enough for today. Tried what I needed to try—time to get back to cultivating internal energy.” After giving the four a light thrashing, Jack felt refreshed and ready to head home. The Eastern Youth suddenly caught up, and, like an old uncle selling bootleg DVDs in a back alley, whispered mysteriously, “Hey, that thing’s all set, it’s in here.” He shoved a small package into Jack’s hand, then asked, “You sure you don’t need us to come along?”
“No need, I’ll handle it myself. No reason to drag you guys into this.” Jack patted the Eastern Youth on the shoulder. “Since that’s sorted, looks like you’ve got some free time. How about helping me with something else?”
“What is it?” The Eastern Youth grew wary. “If it’s too much trouble, I’m out!”
“Relax, it’s easy—just deliver something to the Flower Kingdom Capital for me.”
“What? You’re using me as a courier? No way, no way.” The Eastern Youth put on a proud face, even a goofball has his dignity.
“Alright, you don’t have to go.” Jack waved to the other three. “Who wants to help me deliver something to Princess Embroidered Jade or Princess Flower Shifter—yeah, don’t make that face, I mean those two. You have to hand it to one of them in person. Honestly, I thought this was a great chance to check out some beauties, but your big brother is just too noble, so…”
“No, Boss, I was wrong! Leave it to me—I'd go through fire and water, climb mountains and cross seas for this!” The Eastern Youth instantly dropped to his knees, hugging Jack’s leg. Pride and dignity? Already gone—shot out of a slingshot, if you must know. If your mind’s in the gutter, go stand in the corner.
This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^, click next page to keep reading!
Anyway, Princess Flower Shifter’s reputation as the top beauty in the world is legendary. None of the Four Vagabond Knights wanted to miss this chance, so they argued until they finally decided to go together. But what they didn’t know was, once Jack got back to his quiet room, he let out a sigh: “That sneeze earlier left me feeling a bit chilly, and seeing those four goofballs always makes me think they’ll take the hit for me. Sure enough, I’m feeling much better now.”
The Eastern Youth was determined to win the beauty’s favor—he felt his destiny calling and couldn’t wait to set off. He cheerfully led the way, bringing the Shennong Elixir and his three brothers, heading straight for the Flower Kingdom Capital. Little did he know he was basically becoming a sacrificial offering. If Princess Embroidered Jade ever met the guy behind the whole 'Jade Shard Wine' incident, who knows if she’d snap another string on her zither—or maybe something else.
Back in his quiet room, Jack took out the Udumbara Elixir. Yun Nishang had warned him—you need solid internal energy before taking it, or the medicinal power will be wasted. Now that he had twenty years’ worth of skill, he finally met the standard. Jack looked at the cup of liquid—crystal clear, shimmering with a jade-like glow. It was way heavier than a cup of water the same size.
He tipped his head back and drank the Udumbara Elixir. Unlike regular water, this little cupful didn’t stretch out as it went down—it stuck together, like a pill, holding its droplet shape all the way to his stomach. At first, nothing special—temperature about the same as plain water. But then, the Bright Jade Technique energy running through his meridians acted like a kid with a new toy, immediately rushing over to check it out.
Bang! Like popping a balloon, icy power burst out from the Udumbara Elixir, flooding his body in an instant. The sensation? Imagine eating a huge mouthful of wasabi—except instead of heat, it was pure cold, not just in the nose, but all over.
“Ugh!” His whole body tingled, itched, and froze—every acupuncture point felt like it was leaking cold air. Even someone as steady as Jack almost cried out—just like when Princess Embroidered Jade got hit with that purified elixir out of nowhere. “This stuff is wild!” He sat down to digest the medicinal power, wiping frost off his forehead. “If a cup of Udumbara water packs this much punch, how crazy would the flower itself be? Now I want it even more.”
The icy torrent soon settled down and started working on Jack’s meridians and acupuncture points. Looking inward, he saw a faint ice-blue glow coating his meridians. The Bright Jade Technique energy flowed smoother and easier than ever.
The Udumbara Elixir takes a few days to fully absorb. Once you’re past the initial shock, you can relax and get on with other things. When the medicine’s all soaked in, your cultivation speed jumps—like installing a smart plugin, everything just works better. Jack opened the little package Easton had left for him. Inside was nothing but a stack of papers.
The whole stack was intel—exactly the information Jack had asked the Four Vagabond Knights to dig up a few days ago.
"A merchant caravan was reportedly wiped out in the South Wasteland desert—suspected to be the work of the Golden Blade King. There have also been sightings of Knife-winged Birds in the South Wasteland oasis, so it looks like the Golden Blade King is heading for the Nineteen Death Desert."
"Rumor has it Lady Simone was seriously injured about a month ago and has been recovering in the Sanmiao Sect ever since. Details are unclear. According to a disciple, the sect is preparing for a major operation, gathering people and supplies, possibly for a journey. Destination unknown."
"Twenty days ago, the Silverblade King secretly returned to Peng Kingdom, possibly meeting with other Peng experts. The details of their talks are unknown, but ten days ago he left Peng Kingdom heading south. He left few traces, but judging by his route, he’s probably going to the South Wasteland."
Jack got the picture—they’re all heading for the South Wasteland. Looks like nobody’s ready to give up yet; everyone’s fired up to find the Wedding Dress Divine Skill. Even Ling Ji doesn’t have the exact location, so once Jack gets there, he’ll have to hunt for clues himself. With so little to go on, it’s not likely anyone else will find it first.
“But I can’t take it easy either. If someone as skilled as Lady Simone is interested in the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, there must be something to it—I can’t miss this chance. Besides, it was Ling Ji’s mother’s dying wish. As her master, it’s my duty to see it through. I can’t let anyone else beat me to it.”