53. The world (2)
Lalatina listened carefully, not missing a single word, and started to think deeply. According to Noah's interpretation, could it be that alchemy isn't part of Confucianism, and swordsmanship isn't part of martial arts? And the immortal, mortal, and demon realms... But these insights made a lot of sense.
Seeing her lost in thought, Noah feared that she might lose her way and experience a drop in cultivation. That would be troublesome. He placed his hand on her shoulder and gently advised,
"Lalatina, don't think too much about it. Times change, and the rules of the world change as well. There's no need to dwell on it."
Lalatina snapped out of her thoughts, noticing the concerned look in Noah's eyes. She was a bit frightened. A moment ago, her mind had wandered so far that if it hadn't been for him, her cultivation might have spiraled out of control, leading to confusion or madness. Clearly, this knowledge was beyond her grasp.
"Thank you, my lord, for helping me. I was lost in thought earlier, and if you hadn't called me back, I fear my cultivation would have drifted away."
Noah was startled by her words and quickly said,
"Don't take it to heart. What I said earlier, you should just treat it as casual talk...
Come, sit down here and rest. Let me help you relax."
Lalatina felt that something seemed off, but she obediently sat down, allowing him to massage her shoulders.
"So, Lalatina, tell me, what is the current state of the Confucian, martial, and immortal paths?"
As she felt the discomfort from the rough massage on her shoulders, she thought,
He must be trying to help me calm my mind, but... his massage technique is quite lacking.
"Master, since I mainly focus on the Confucian path, I don't know the specifics of the martial and immortal paths. I only have a general understanding.
The Confucian path is about understanding the principles of heaven, earth, humanity, and all things. Through this understanding, one cultivates oneself to become an ideal figure that fits with these principles. At a certain level, you are favored by the Heavenly Dao, recognized by heaven and earth. Though the Confucian path has the weakest combat power, it provides tremendous support to a nation. A grand Confucian can preach principles that cause even heartless villains to repent, or give someone stuck in a cultivation bottleneck a breakthrough opportunity. The current Confucian path has four main disciplines: music, chess, poetry, and painting. Music cultivates emotions, chess sharpens intellect, poetry strengthens will, and painting leads to understanding. You need to study all four disciplines to truly enter the Confucian path."
Hearing this, Noah was lost in his thoughts.
What? Is that really how the Confucian path works? It feels kind of strange...
"And what about the immortal path?" he asked.
Lalatina replied,
"The immortal path focuses on harmonizing oneself with heaven and earth, drawing on the essence of nature to cultivate. There are several schools:
Qingyun Sect specializes in lightness techniques, with cultivation methods that make the body and mind light, allowing them to control clouds and wind in battle.
Tianhuo Sect practices body refinement, forging their bodies like a furnace, constantly tempering themselves.
Hamsan Sect cultivates earth techniques, emphasizing solid defenses and mainly practicing seals and imprisonment arts.
Shui Xiang Sect masters the water element, their techniques ever-changing and balanced in offense and defense.
Leishen Sect focuses on the lightning element, known for its power and one-hit-kill techniques.
Tianji Sect predicts the future and has a deep understanding of all matters under heaven.
Worry-Free Manor seeks freedom and the truth within their hearts."
Noah thought to himself,
"The cultivation methods here are quite unique!"
"Can someone cultivate multiple paths at the same time?" he asked.
She shook her head firmly.
"That's impossible. There are no historical records of anyone cultivating more than one path. If they try to cultivate multiple paths, their body will fall into chaos, and they'll lose all their cultivation."
As Noah continued to knead her soft shoulders, he asked again,
"And what about the martial path?"
Her voice was smooth and focused.
"The martial path differs from the immortal and Confucian paths. Martial artists train their bodies, strengthening their soul and spirit within their physical form. They constantly refine it with treasures from heaven and earth. The ultimate result is a perfect body, where the soul, spirit, and body are one, inseparable. Martial artists are extremely strong in combat and are considered the best in direct confrontations."
Noah thought to himself,
"So the martial path is quite impressive too. Wait a minute..."
"If martial artists only focus on merging their soul and spirit into their bodies, how can they be the strongest? And do the higher levels make any difference?"
Lalatina looked slightly confused.
Why is he asking such a... strange question?
But she obediently answered,
"Martial prowess depends heavily on one's natural talent. A martial artist of the same level can easily defeat cultivators from other paths. That's because when they punch, they combine their body, soul, and spirit, attacking with all three forces at once. Their opponent has to deal with all three types of attacks simultaneously.
If a martial artist has a spiritual root and can absorb the essence of heaven and earth, they can fuse this essence into their body. The more essence they fuse, the more terrifying their strikes become. There's a record of someone who fused twelve different types of forces. Their final achievement was becoming the Martial Emperor, invincible in the world."
Noah thought to himself,
"So that's how it is. The martial path is terrifying..."
"But if the martial path is so powerful, why don't you go and conquer the immortal sects or subdue them?"
Lalatina shook her head and answered,
"Because immortal cultivators can form arrays together, which are incredibly powerful. Besides, there isn't much conflict between the two sides, so there's no need for a fight."