Li Zhoumin sighed. "In fact, when the Star Council was first established, there were a total of one-hundred and twenty-one parliamentary seats, and Great Xia occupied sixty-three of them. That was our most glorious era. Great Xia shouldered the heavy responsibility of fighting star beasts around the world. Countless Saints of the Great Xia martial lineage traversed the heavens and earth, putting out fires everywhere and saving hundreds of millions of people."
"Many major nations in the European region, North American region, African region, and other administrative areas on Earth, such as the Bayer Federation, the Yiggs Union, the European Independent Nations Alliance, and the Africa Alliance, were spared extinction only with the support of Great Xia. Unfortunately, the consumption of our Saints in such an endless war was too great. Countless Saints fell. Moreover, the star beasts seemed inexhaustible, as if they could never be completely killed."
"Even the rare Beast King Grade star beasts, whose birth rate should have been extremely low, inexplicably appeared one after another as soon as one was slain. Great Xia gave everything for Earth. But now, we are struggling. We still have to fight star beasts while we are internally undermined by some shortsighted individuals. Time waits for no one."
Unknowingly, Li Zhoumin had said a lot. He had indeed mentored many juniors for the future of Great Xia. However, he rarely preached to the juniors in the past. Only today, he couldn't help but say so much in front of Li Xiaofei, since he saw the shadow of the ancient Saints in Li Xiaofei.
Will this young man become the first ancient martial Saint of Great Xia in a hundred years?
If he had merely thought that this young man might stand out and become part of his achievements at first, now he genuinely wanted to cultivate Li Xiaofei. He hoped for another Saint to emerge from Great Xia. He dreamed of it.
"Alright, let's not talk so much," Li Zhoumin sighed and refocused. "Are you currently cultivating the Wind and Thunder Breathing Technique from Red Flag High School?"
"Yes, I am," Li Xiaofei replied.
"Extend your hand and circulate your starforce qi," Li Zhoumin instructed.
Li Xiaofei complied. Li Zhoumin extended two fingers and placed them on Li Xiaofei's right wrist. A surge of starforce flowed into Li Xiaofei's body.
After circulating the qi and observing for a moment, a hint of joy appeared on Li Zhoumin's face. "Your physical strength is several times higher than I imagined. You have naturally refined muscles and bones, a one-in-ten-thousand natural jade."
He lifted his fingers and said, "You are already at the tenth stage of Qi Refining Realm. How do you plan to break the limit?"
Li Xiaofei responded, "I was about to seek your advice, Inspector."
Li Zhoumin pondered briefly and said, "Chen Fei and Qin Dewei are experts regarding the technique to break the limit. Their methods, gained from practical experience on the battlefield, may not be as refined as those of the theorists but are far more practical."
He began to explain some of the mysteries of the Limit Breaking Realm. The Limit Breaking referred to breaking the innate energy locks within the body. The initial Saint of Great Xia, Taiyi, once said that the human innate body was like a treasure trove that contained infinite possibilities. One must find the true key to open the door to the treasure trove and uncover its true secrets.
But one must first strengthen oneself to open this treasure trove. The method summarized by the Saints was to nourish qi. The initial Saint Taiyi believed that the human innate body was pure and perfect, but it was eroded by the storms and stresses of the mundane world, smoked and steamed by its fires, and covered with dust and grime from the moment of birth.
This led to the key to opening the treasure trove becoming rusty. These rust-like locks sealed the outer shell of the key. One had to break these rusty locks to reveal the outline of the key. That process was known as the Limit Breaking Realm. According to the cultivation insights of the Saints, the human body had a total of ten innate energy locks covered with dust.
These were the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, brain, both hands, both feet, and spine. Each of these parts had a lock. One had to break these locks to restore the innate body. But martial artists had to be careful about the order in which the locks were broken. Each lock broken granted extraordinary abilities. For example, breaking the eye lock granted dynamic vision, allowing one to see further and in greater detail, with an exceptional ability to capture and analyze visual information.
If Xiong Zhigang had broken the eye lock, it would have been nearly impossible for Li Xiaofei to use the speed of the Graceful Step of the Waves to cut his throat. The order of breaking locks had a significant impact for different primary professions. For example, breaking the eye lock and nose lock first yielded the greatest short-term benefits for a medic. On the other hand, breaking the arm and spine locks first was more advantageous for a weapons specialist.
In Great Xia, most students, even many genius-level students, used middle school and high school to lay their foundation and strengthen their bodies in the Qi Refining Realm. It was only upon entering university that they began breaking the locks. Only a very small number of exceptional genius students broke through the Qi Refining stage while still in high school. Therefore, many top high schools only had theoretical research on the techniques of breaking locks.
However, the high school stage was still considered the stage of general studies. Students had to be exposed to and understand a bit of everything, including history, literature, minor languages, biology, or physics. Only then could they determine which profession suited them best.
After entering university, detailed specialization occurred, allowing students to enter the departments most suitable for them and maximize their innate talents. In this regard, the rigor of today's education system is in no way inferior to that of the education system five hundred years ago. The only difference lies in the direction of focus.
Li Zhoumin gave Li Xiaofei a clear and thorough explanation. Li Xiaofei felt as though the fog in front of him was being peeled away layer by layer. The Inspector's explanation was much more straightforward than Grandpa Qin's. Many of the questions that had troubled him for a long time were finally resolved.
"Call me Teacher Li."
"Okay, Teacher Li, I want to know, can one still refine qi after reaching the tenth stage of Qi Refining Realm?"
"Hmm? Why do you ask such a question?"
"It was just my own wild thoughts. I once asked my teachers at Red Flag High School, and they said it is theoretically possible but dangerous. They also said only a few have tried it."
"Your teachers are correct. It is indeed like that... However, your physique far surpasses others at the same stage, so you won't face such dangers."
"So, I can try to reach the eleventh, twelfth, or even more stages?"
"What benefits would that bring?"
"Deep roots and flourishing leaves."
Li Xiaofei had an epiphany and expressed his gratitude to Li Zhoumin once again.
He felt the grandeur of the Great Xia martial lineage on this high-ranking middle-aged man. He sensed the earnest expectations and sincere teachings of the righteous predecessors towards the successors. It was a recognition and appreciation of the nation's bloodline. He had a spirit akin to the gardener's dedication and the will of a spring silkworm spinning silk until its death.
"You have already reached the tenth stage of Qi Refining Realm. The Wind and Thunder Breathing Technique holds little significance for you now. I will teach you a new breathing technique that will make your path of refining qi beyond your current stage much smoother," said Li Zhoumin.
He took out an electronic file from a safe on the antique shelf and entered a password. When the file successfully unlocked and opened, a faint blue light was projected into the room.
True Dragon Breathing Technique.
The four words glowed brilliantly.