Even the mountain bows to the moon (Flashback)

To understand the people of this strange world, Tishira, Pure Yang lord started travelling far and wide looking out for experts. For several months, he wandered around misty mountains and star-drenched forests where reclusive experts stay, challenging hunters and monks, wandering scholars and rogue warriors in different levels of Qi sensing, each of whom had developed their own unique techniques.

After numerous battles, he figured out the strengths and weaknesses of the people in this world.

Due to limitations of their base cultivation level, the average life expectancy of a human living in Tishira was only 100 years, which was far lower considering the strength of those reaching higher levels outside.

Their bodies were also weaker than those at the same level of strength in the outside world.

They also don't utilize the forces of nature and battle techniques which require a higher understanding of the world that comes after becoming higher realm expert.

Most of them had average spiritual roots, and their bloodlines held no special qualities.

However, just in terms of raw strength and control, they could easily outmaneuver experts of a higher level.

According to Pure Yang lord's estimation, one realm in the outer world was basically equivalent to 8000 levels of Qi sensing in this world which means:

Basic Qi sensing means sensing from 1 to 8k Qi pathways

Body Refinement equals to 8k to 16k

Foundation Establishment equals to 16k to 24k

Core Formation equals to 24k to 32k

Soul Transformation equals to 32k to 40k

Nascent Soul equals to 40k to 48k

Spirit Severing equals to 48k to 56k

Martial King equals to 56k to 64k and

Martial Saint equals to 64k to 72k

Pure Yang lord became excited with this train of thought, "What if beyond 72k equals Martial Emperor or even beyond 80k means…"

To find out, he eventually traced the strongest expert in this world, who was called Elder Shu. He was a man clad in pristine white robes, with silver hair and eyes that shimmered like moonlit water. Despite the colour of his hair, he looked no older than 30 years of age, yet bore the composure of a mountain.

According to the locals, he was an orphan who always meditated on Mt. Shu, hence the name. After showing great talent in cultivation, the peak expert of the previous generation guided him. With his superior talent, he eventually surpassed his teacher, becoming a living legend.

In the first meeting, Pure Yang lord could not find the trace of natural pressure emitted by being of higher strength, not even of the Qi sensing realm, from Elder Shu, which further aroused his curiosity. Excluding his charismatic looks, he looked almost like a mortal with no strength.

'This man is definitely not simple,' Pure Yang lord surmised.

Pure Yang lord directly challenged him.

"I wish to experience the strength of the peak Qi sensing warrior in this realm," he said boldly. "Please use your full strength and guide me."

Elder Shu nodded. "As you wish."

They stopped at a clearing carved between ancient stone spires near Mt. Shu.

Pure Yang lord raised his hand, manifesting a thin thread of Yang Qi—a fragment of his sealed power.

'I should be able to easily outmaneuver him even if my cultivation in this world is limited.'

Elder Shu stood with his hands behind his back, unarmed.

Unlike the previous spars, Pure Yang lord struck first—moving with a step technique he had mastered after travelling through myriad worlds. His palm faintly pulsated with yang qi and surged towards the elder's chest.

Here, Elder Shu moved with almost no effort—a subtle tilt of his body and a rotation of his wrist that gently pushed Pure Yang lord's palm, redirecting the strike into the ground. Pure Yang lord staggered.

'What…?'

He tried one more time—this time releasing three strikes at once. He even used burst-force techniques layered in rhythm between these three strikes.

But, each of them was parried with minimal movement.

Then, Elder Shu's response came in a swift manner. He tapped his foot—Qi seemed to surge in a spiral across the field. Pure Yang lord felt his footing shift and almost lost his balance.

As he was distracted by the attack from the ground, a palm strike came from the sky like a falling star—restrained but extremely lethal. He could even see the space around the palm faintly distort.

Realising the danger, he raised a barrier instinctively and blocked with his strongest defence technique, only to be blown back several meters, smashing into a stone spire.

The barrier that he had set up was still intact; however, his ribs cracked.

He coughed, stunned. "How can his attacks pass through my barrier?"

Elder Shu commented, "Your body is formidable, able to easily withstand my attacks. Your attacks have too much power; however, your control over them is not sufficient."

The next few series of attacks from Elder Shu were very simple—one palm, one breath, one step, one kick..

He could somewhat predict them with his battle skills, having honed them for thousands of years, but for some bizarre reason, he couldn't avoid them.

Then, he noticed something peculiar. "It's almost like the surroundings and the natural forces are supporting him and are working against me."

Despite being in the Qi sensing realm, Elder Shu touched upon the abilities which even higher realmed beings are unable to come in contact with.

He was continuously pushed back while each attack from Elder Shu was getting faster and sharper, with almost no gap between them. The situation was such that he wasn't even sure if he could defend forever, let alone strike back.

BOOM!

Pure Yang lord was thrown back, his back striking against the stone spire, again.

Defeated, Pure Yang lord lowered his stance. "You've refined your control of Qi to the point of executing without thoughts. But how?"

The elder spoke with his hands behind his back, "It's not always good to be more powerful. The ability to make use of what you have to the full extent is more important than recklessly increasing one's power. You can wield your powers fully when your balance and stability are sufficient for it."

"A shallow lake cannot reflect the sky. But a still pond can reveal the stars."

He walked across the field as he spoke, energy quietly dancing around his fingertips.

"Let's call it off here. Though it seems like I'm winning here, I know that I wouldn't really be able to injure you, and it'll go on for a long time without any results."

Pure Yang lord nodded.

While it was true that Pure Yang lord lost, if he really became serious, Pure Yang lord still had many unconventional methods and bizarre techniques when going all out. But this isn't a life-or-death battle; it was a simple sparring match.

Fighting with Elder Shu, he realised even if he had reached higher realms, in terms of the fundamentals and basic foundational knowledge, he was far behind Elder Shu and reluctantly accepted his loss.

This was the greatest shock he had experienced in his life – being defeated by a cultivator on the initial Qi sensing realm. That too from a person of age, not even a tenth of himself.

It felt funny how a person in his 30s looked older than Pure Yang lord, who has already lived for more than a thousand years.

Unwilling to be left behind, Pure Yang lord decided to learn from Elder Shu, keeping his seniority and pride aside.

He requested, bowing with extreme humility, "Elder Shu, are you willing to correct my incompetent ways of cultivation?"

Elder Shu turned, eyes calm. "I will not take you as my disciple. But I won't deny knowledge to the one who seeks it in earnest."

The way of cultivation in this realm was not a great secret. The people here were very friendly and had no concept of hiding knowledge for selfish reasons, hence Elder Shu was willing to teach Pure Yang lord even after knowing that he arrived in their world from another world.

Then, came a series of lessons which helped Pure Yang lord shape his foundational knowledge on cultivation.