Chapter 453 - 449= Minister Luo
Listening to the conversation between Tang Luo and the two elders, Tang Zhi became increasingly interested in the concept of the Marshal Star Pavilion. He was completely convinced by the almost fantastical idea of Tang Luo wanting to establish a new power without needing money or territory.
The reason why the Tang Clan has allowed Tang Luo such freedom isn’t because he is the first child of the Sect Head, nor is it solely due to his extraordinary talent and contributions to the clan.
It’s because he continually takes unexpected actions that turn out to be successful.
Therefore, he was eager to know what kind of surprises Tang Luo could bring this time. “If you do not want money or territory, or warriors from the Fierce Realm, is there anything else the clan can assist Minister Luo with?” He asked.
The novel title brought glances from everyone at the table. Tang Zhi revealed his impressive adaptability. The new department had not yet taken shape, yet here was its Minister. The two elders exchanged a wry smile, not knowing how to evaluate the situation.
Tang Luo, on the other hand, accepted the new title with ease, replying directly, “There are indeed a few things I hope to gain the clan’s support in.
“Please feel free to speak, Minister Luo.” said Tang Zhi, appearing ready to fully attend, his sincerity palpable.
Tang Zhi was surely a charismatic leader. His modest demeanor, no matter who he was speaking to, made him very likable.
But Tang Luo knew that hidden beneath this humble exterior was an immeasurably proud and wise soul. If anyone maintained an air of mystery after his fifteen years of rebirth, it was Tang Zhi, the clan leader of the Tang
Clan.
Clearing his mind of distracting thoughts, Tang Luo earnestly stated his request, “I hope the Martial Hall can assign me some instructors.” The individuals at the table exchanged glances upon hearing this request. They didn’t understand what Tang Luo was up to. These instructors were mostly responsible for guiding and supervising clan warriors in the process of transitioning from the Mortal Realm to the Shedding Mortal Realm. They were primarily responsible for nurturing backup forces.
“Could it be that this new department will be filled with warriors from the Mortal Realm? Why else would he need so many instructors?” Speculating thus, the two elders’ enthusiasm for the new department dwindled considerably.
Tang Zhi remained calm, turning towards Tang Sen to ask, “May I ask the First Head of the Martial Hall, how many instructors can we allocate without affecting the cultivation hall’s curriculum?”
The Tang Clan had numerous instructors, mainly stationed in two locations. Some were in the Martial Hall, responsible for training clan warriors, but the majority were sent to various martial arts schools under the Tang Clan’s jurisdiction as principals, recruiting talents for the Tang Clan.
But now, with Xiling’s flood, there should be quite a few principals who are free. The exact number would have to be confirmed by the First Head of the
Martial Hall.
Everyone at the table was waiting for the First Head’s response. However, the First Head seemed completely unfazed by the anticipation, continuing to eat without lifting his head or offering a response. After some time, he finally said,
“Eleven.”
Tang Zhi, already used to this style, didn’t react extraordinarily. Having received a clear response, he turned and asked Tang Luo, “Minister Luo, will the presence of eleven instructors be enough for the needs of the new department?”
“Um… eleven.” Tang Luo slightly furrowed his brows; the number was less than he had anticipated.
Each instructor had undoubtedly acquired rich experience as a Shedding Mortal warrior. They were capable of overseeing hundreds of warriors at once. But even if calculated as eight hundred per instructor, eleven instructors could only teach less than nine thousand warriors. This number deviated somewhat from his expected figure, but not greatly.
“That should be enough!” Tang Luo confirmed, nodding his head. Even if they were short on personnel, he himself could serve as an instructor. Given his mastery over spirit arts in the Mortal and Shedding Mortal Realms, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him the top instructor in the Tang Clan.
Having resolved the first requirement, Tang Luo took a moment to compose himself before making his second request. “The new department will introduce the Soul Casting technique. Sect Head, Elder, what do you think?
The reason why there are hardly any experts from the Fierce Realm among wandering warriors isn’t solely due to their inferior martial arts skills. The key lies in that the Yellow Rank martial arts techniques are the mainstream in the current world.
For most warriors, the Shedding Mortal Realm is the realm they remain in for life, which is why all major forces strive to strengthen the combat power of warriors in this realm.
Combined Attack Techniques, Body-refining Techniques, Concealment Techniques, Recovery Techniques, Movement Techniques, Escape Techniques, Secret Killing Techniques, Blood Secret Techniques-the disparity between individual combat powers in this realm has widened to be dozens or even hundreds of times differing.
Many warriors feel that the Shedding Mortal Realm offers enough variety for a lifetime of study. They naturally wouldn’t pursue breakthroughs in their realm. After all, compared to feeling no growth despite cultivating spiritual power, cultivating any technique could make one feel as if they are becoming stronger. Hence warriors in the Shedding Mortal Realm, having lost hope for a breakthrough, begin to pursue combat power within their realm to reach the limit of the Shedding Mortal Realm.
However, that only explains why some warriors couldn’t break through to the Fierce Realm. Persistent warriors certainly exist in the world. While the idea of persevering in hard cultivation for thirty years sounds daunting, some warriors sure could persist. However, they still couldn’t break through from the Shedding Mortal Realm to the Fierce Realm.
Breaking through the Mortal Realm only requires adequate spiritual power, which is why in the past, the secret technique of Yin-Yang balance was so popular. That was until warriors discovered that the spiritual power obtained using this technique was particularly turbid. It couldn’t flow smoothly through the meridians around the body. Even after many purifications, reaching a high degree of purity, there was still a feeling of unsmoothness.
But this isn’t really a big problem. Ordinary Shedding Mortal warriors can only mobilize about one third of their total spiritual power. This slight sluggishness doesn’t affect the overall situation, until these warriors, who cultivated using the Yin-Yang balance technique, found that they couldn’t achieve unity of spirit and intent. That’s when they realized they had a serious problem. The breakthrough from the Shedding Mortal Realm to the Fierce Realm requires three major conditions. The first is sufficient spiritual power. As long as one persists in hard cultivation, anyone can achieve this.
The second is unity of spirit and intent. This implies that through the trials of martial arts, the warrior has solidified their martial path and strengthened their True Heart, integrating their spirit with their spiritual power.
The simplest way to achieve unity of spirit and intent is through continuous victories. After defeating warriors of the same realm again and again, one begins to firmly believe that their path as a warrior is the strongest.
This method is appreciated by many warriors from small families, but the noble houses and sects adopt another method known as the Heart-refining Method.
By enhancing the understanding of martial arts, this method develops a heart of a mighty warrior. This entails realizing that a true warrior isn’t someone who never fails, but rather, someone who can adjust themselves and start all over again after every failure.
A warrior who achieves unity of spirit and intent through the Heart-refining Method won’t let their realm be affected by victory or defeat, unless they start to doubt their own martial path.