Chapter 9: The Tenth Level of Martial Arts

  Although somewhat confused, Gao Feng did not dare to slack off. He quickly put the fruit on the wooden frame, hastily cleaned up and washed his face, and went to sleep without even changing his clothes. His rumpled appearance was a mess, so he changed into an old set of clothes before following Gao De out the door.

  At that time on the mountain, I didn't feel anything special, but now these two fruits are indeed extraordinary. Even when Gao De left, he said another sentence: "Really fragrant"

  Looking out the door at the sun's position, it was almost lunchtime already. He had indeed slept soundly. Gao De was affable but didn't seem to want to talk, and Gao Feng wouldn't presumptuously go over to chat with him. As he walked on the road, his mind was preoccupied with last night's encounter and that enormous mountain that seemed both real and dreamlike.

  That person's demonstration of the " Innate Mixed Yuan Town God's Secret" was still firmly etched in his mind, and Gao Feng subconsciously touched his chest, all these changes should be related to that jade pendant pierced by an arrow.

  Gao Feng's residence was located on the east side of Fengtianfang, and it took less than a stick of incense to get to the Fengtianhou Mansion. Along the way, members of the Gao family saw Gao Feng walking with the personal attendant of the Fengtianhou, and they were all extremely surprised. For the Gao family, their prosperity and wealth depended on their closeness or distance from the Fengtianhou. The fact that Gao Feng was with Gao De meant something, but everyone didn't dare to approach them, instead smiling politely from a distance.

  On the one hand, he nodded in response, but Gao Feng felt a sense of emotion. Just yesterday, he had taken the initiative to greet these tribesmen, and they had all ignored him. Today, however, the situation was reversed.

  For hundreds of years, the Fēng Tiān Hóu Fǔ has been a magnificent and grand mansion. The main gate is particularly majestic, with a large entrance that can accommodate six horses entering side by side. However, this main gate is only opened when welcoming high-ranking officials or imperial envoys; on ordinary days, it remains closed, and people enter and exit through the side gates.

  Gao Feng stopped in front of the grand gate, with its bronze beasts and vermilion-painted doors, which indeed exuded an air of majesty. Although Gao Feng's residence was not far from here, in the past eighteen years, he had only entered this place once during the clan's fifty-year ancestral worship ceremony, and at other times, he couldn't even get close to the edge.

  Entering the mansion, it was naturally another display of wealth and grandeur. The servants coming and going were all cautious in their demeanor. Seeing Second Master Gao De leading a guest inside, they all hastily stepped aside. However, Gao Feng didn't notice any of this. He vaguely guessed that today's summons by Duke Jing Tian probably had something to do with last night, but he didn't know whether it was good or bad for himself.

  The place where Gao Feng saw the Marquis of Heaven was in a side hall. It was there that Gao De reported, and only then did Gao Feng enter the house. Although it was a side hall, it was already much larger than the house where Gao Feng currently lived. The decorations were not luxurious, but every detail revealed an extraordinary wealth. Gao Feng didn't look at these things; what he saw first was not the Marquis of Heaven, Gao Tianhai, sitting in the center, but a middle-aged man sitting on the left side of the Marquis of Heaven. This person was Gao Tianhe, the Left Army General of the Imperial Guard, the younger brother of the Marquis of Heaven by a different mother, and the second most important person in the Gao family, as well as the backstage supporter of the mastermind behind last night's murder.

  Gao Tianhe's face was as white as jade, with three long whiskers, and his demeanor was extremely elegant. In comparison, Gao Tianhai's appearance was not as good as his, with a slightly dark complexion and narrowed eyes, looking no different from the ordinary attendants in the Zhongjing Prefecture.

  "Master, Gao Feng has arrived!"

  On the other side, a voice was heard, and Gao Feng hastily knelt down to pay his respects. Just as he finished paying his respects, he heard the gentle voice of the Marquis of Fēngtiān saying:

  "We're all family here, just speak up and don't be too polite!"

  Gao Feng, however, did not dare to slack off and followed the rules to complete the ceremony. Only then did he stand up. But the attitude of the Marquis of Fēng Tiān made Gao Feng feel a lot more at ease in his heart. Today's visit should not be a bad thing.

  "This morning, the Taoist temple's Wang Tian Shi passed on a message saying that last night Gao Feng you beheaded a wanted demon in the capital, achieving great merit. It's truly an honor for our Gao family, not bad, not bad!"

  Marquis Fengtian explained the reason and smiled, praising him for a couple of sentences. Gao Tianhe, who was beside him, continued to speak:

  "Brother said it's not bad, this Gao Feng's father Gao Li Xiao Di still remembers, is a loyal and honest person, but unfortunately died young. If there is knowledge after death, seeing Gao Feng turn out like this, he must be very comforted."

  This remark was considerate, and Gao Feng hurriedly paid his respects again. However, he found it strange that Gao Tianhe spoke in such a manner with an extremely amiable attitude. Perhaps Gao Jincai's assassination wasn't ordered by him?

  But Gao Feng didn't notice that when he bowed down, on the other side, Gao Tianhe's expression turned gloomy for a moment before returning to normal.

  Seeing Gao Fen's calm expression and proper demeanor, the Duke of Tian's face showed even more appreciation. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly, but a hint of surprise appeared on his face as he asked:

  "Gaofeng, you've already reached the pinnacle of 'Yinqi', and are almost at the level of 'Zhanji'?"

  Upon hearing this, Gao Tianhe's expression changed and Gao Feng also paused for a moment before speaking.

  "Master Hou, I've been following our clan's martial instructor since I was young and practicing martial arts, but I don't know what level I've reached."

  In the Daxia Imperial Court and among civilians, the levels of martial artists are divided into ten grades: "Strengthening the Body", "Tempering the Bones", "Guiding Qi", "Martial Techniques", "Enlightenment to Martial Arts", "Hardness and Softness", "Great Strength", "Unblocking Meridians", "Fearlessness" and "Like a Dragon". Ordinary martial artists who can cultivate up to Guiding Qi can be called "good hands", and in the military, they are also elite soldiers. However, crossing into the realm of Guiding Qi, although it is only one level, is vastly different, and this can be said to be the entrance to the path of martial arts.

  No matter what family or sect, official or civilian, there is a consensus on the hierarchy. These ten realms are relatively rough, but the improvement from "guiding energy" to "martial skills" is a threshold. Crossing this threshold means having great prospects and space for martial arts cultivation. If not, one will remain an ordinary person. Many, many warriors spend their entire lives without crossing this hurdle.

  Just now, the gaze of the Marquis of Heaven converged and looked over, in that instant, Gao Feng felt that his body was completely exposed inside and out, as if he had been seen through by the Marquis of Heaven. The aristocratic families of Dashu each have their own skills, and this branch of the Marquis of Heaven is known for passing down martial arts. As the head of the clan, the Marquis of Heaven indeed has extraordinary cultivation, and the rumors he heard were not false.

  After Gao Feng finished speaking, Prince Xiang Tian nodded with a smile and said:

  "You're not even twenty years old, just following the clan's martial practice, and with every move, you have a majestic air about you. Your qi is condensed but unobstructed, this is at least the top level of 'guiding qi', your Hunyuan Gong should be greatly accomplished, not bad, you're a talented individual!"

  The limitation of Hunyuan Gong lies here, even if you are a genius, cultivating to the top is only a "guiding gas" top level, and the eyesight of Feng Tianhou Gao Tianhai is also extraordinary.

  Upon hearing this, Gao Feng's heart skipped a few beats. Before yesterday, his own Mixed Yuan Realm was only average to slightly above, a realm that could be achieved through diligence. But today, he had already reached this level. The only reason he could think of was the jade pendant shot into his chest and the giant mountain in his dream.

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