Five Realms of Body Forging, Three Realms of Innate

The realm divisions of Qi and Blood Martial Arts.

The Five Body Tempering Realms are the initial and most fundamental stages.

Meridian Cleansing, Tendon Strengthening, Bone Forging, Marrow Transformation, and Blood Replacement.

These five realms are collectively referred to as Postnatal Body Tempering.

As the name suggests, they are meant to temper and refine a martial artist's body, allowing the physical form to continuously surpass its limits and generate an endless, vast reservoir of Qi and Blood.

After this, one transitions from Postnatal to Innate.

The Qi and Blood of an Innate Martial Artist are as calm as a serene lake when at rest, but when in motion, they resemble the raging waves of a furious river.

Every punch and kick is imbued with Qi, and stronger practitioners can even walk on air and use Qi to strike down enemies.

Observing Principles, Nurturing Spirit, and Witnessing Divinity—these are the three Innate Realms.

In common vernacular, these three realms have more relatable names: Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster, and Supreme Grandmaster.

"I'm still too weak right now."

"Let alone the realms beyond, even the Five Body Tempering Realms require gradual refinement."

"Things like Human Immortal are matters to consider much later."

Inside the wooden hut.

Xu Xi stood up, concluding his practice, and exhaled a long breath of turbid air, which slowly dissipated into the atmosphere.

Meridian Cleansing is merely the first, insignificant minor realm in Qi and Blood Martial Arts.

But a martial artist is still a martial artist.

Ultimately, they transcend ordinary mortals.

From this day forward, Xu Xi's life and daily routines no longer needed to be confined to the monotonous drudgery of physical labor.

...

[Thanks to your innate, robust Qi and Blood, you have successfully entered the first realm of martial arts. Your meridians and body are now fully connected by Qi and Blood, forming an unbroken cycle of circulation.]

[At this stage, you cannot cast Daoist spells or magic.]

[However, your physical body has undergone unprecedented strengthening.]

[The surging of Qi and Blood fills you with joy. When you clench your fist, the overwhelming power makes you feel as though you could kill a cultivator or mage of the same level with a single punch.]

[But you have not let this newfound strength cloud your judgment.]

[The realm divisions of Qi and Blood Martial Arts, from the lowest to the highest, consist of the Five Body Tempering Realms and the Three Innate Realms. Only by completing all eight realms can you achieve the status of a Martial Dao Human Immortal and witness a more magnificent world.]

[As someone who has only reached Meridian Cleansing, you clearly have no right to be arrogant.]

[You are well aware that your future holds limitless potential, but until that future arrives, potential remains just that—potential.]

[You gather all your belongings, leave the dilapidated wooden hut where you once lived, and quit your former job.]

[You begin to persist in martial training.]

[You begin to persist in honing your skills.]

[You first become an assistant instructor at a martial arts school, using this as a transitional phase. The income from this role ensures your livelihood and allows you to purchase better Qi and Blood-enhancing medicines.]

[Simulation Year 3, Age 18: You quit your job as an assistant instructor.]

[Your persistence pays off. Your martial skills evolve amidst the mundane, and you leap directly from Meridian Cleansing to the Bone Forging stage, becoming a Bone Forging martial artist.]

[Now, your punches carry a terrifying force. With the astonishing boost from your Qi and Blood, you can contend with ordinary Blood Replacement martial artists.]

[You successfully rise in social status, purchasing a house in Qingniu Town.]

[You do not establish a martial arts school or join a sect, but you have a stable income.]

[Hearing of your rapid advancement, some people visit to offer gold and silver, hoping you will mentor their children.]

[Simulation Year 4, Age 19: Your cultivation breaks through once more, reaching the Marrow Transformation stage.]

[Effort yields rewards, and persistence brings harvests. Over the years, thanks to the benefits of your persistence and your innate, profound Qi and Blood, you have skipped multiple stages, successfully offsetting the disadvantage of starting martial training at a late age.]

[However, the final two stages of the Five Body Tempering Realms, Marrow Transformation and Blood Replacement, still pose challenges. You begin to experience the struggles of an ordinary martial artist.]

"After all, it's only a purple-tier talent."

"The breakthrough boost from my surging Qi and Blood is still helping, but it has slowed significantly."

"As for the 'Persistence' trait, it can't speed things up either."

In his new house in Qingniu Town.

Xu Xi swings his arms, spreading them like wings, then slowly stretches his entire body, achieving the peculiar phenomenon of bones rising and flesh descending.

Unlike the ease of the first three realms.

Marrow Transformation and Blood Replacement delve deeper into the essence of Qi and Blood Martial Arts, making them far more difficult to master.

Marrow is the source of blood production, and blood flows throughout the human body.

Refining the marrow allows the blood to renew itself, thereby nourishing the internal organs and triggering a comprehensive evolution of the body.

This is the principle of transitioning from Postnatal to Innate.

The first step toward transcending the mundane in martial arts.

All the extraordinary power and characteristics are concentrated in the tendons, bones, blood, and flesh.

When Qi and Blood roar, they can even suppress evil spirits without physical contact.

...

[Feeling the difficulty of advancing in martial arts, you choose to venture closer to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, searching for weaker demons and monsters, much to the surprise of others.]

[You persist in searching daily, gaining experience in tracking demons.]

[You persist in daily martial training, refining your skills.]

[Your fist techniques, blade techniques, and movement techniques are polished through battles with demons. You have become more proficient.]

In the simulated world.

Xu Xi is a complete outsider.

He has no household registration in the Great Qian Dynasty, nor any family or relatives.

This isn't a big deal, as strength reigns supreme, much like in the world of magic.

However, compared to the civilized systems of the magic world, where the Mage Association provides channels for inquiry and mutual assistance,

the martial arts world is undoubtedly primitive and backward. Xu Xi has no way to purchase high-quality techniques or martial skills, and even if he could, they would mostly be common, low-tier methods.

Thus, the techniques and martial skills Xu Xi currently practices are all from the real world.

They aren't top-tier, but they suffice for his current needs.

These include the "Qi and Blood Long Fist," "Five Thunder Blade," and "Light as a Feather Technique."

"These demons look quite similar to the beasts of the cultivation world. The main difference is that they appear more ferocious."

"Is it because the beasts of the cultivation world are adept at magic,

while the demons here prefer physical attacks?"

In a desolate valley near Qingniu Town.

Xu Xi raises his blade and strikes, a cold flash of light accompanied by a roaring surge of Qi and Blood, swiftly decapitating a deer-like demon.

Its antlers are unusually large and robust.

Its eyes are blood-red.

Its fangs drip with saliva.

It looks as though it wants to tear Xu Xi apart and devour him.

But even ferocious demons can die. As Xu Xi's blade cleaves through its body, the deer-like demon collapses, the violence in its eyes fading away.

Dust and gravel scatter, and rocks tumble noisily.

Xu Xi gazes at the fallen demon, then surveys the surroundings, now shattered and unrecognizable after the intense battle. He frowns slightly:

"Even the weakest demons at the edge of the Hundred Thousand Mountains possess such strength."

"If stronger or more numerous demons were to appear, could the Great Qian Dynasty truly withstand them?"

Xu Xi falls into deep thought.

He has a vague sense that there is some mysterious balance between the Hundred Thousand Mountains and the Great Qian Dynasty.

Could it be that within the human race, there exists some ancient, monstrously powerful figure capable of intimidating all demons?