Chapter 35: Going Out for a Stroll

"So this is Hidden Energy! It is truly silent and imperceptible. No wonder the saying goes in the martial arts world that while Manifest Energy is easy to block, Hidden Energy is hard to guard against."

"With this kind of power, unless one has truly grasped Hidden Energy themselves, they would likely never even realize it if they were injured by it."

"Hidden Energy, this is truly..."

At this moment, Chen Xian recalled many legends passed down through the ages, including tales of legendary heroes using Hidden Energy during their travels. There were stories of wandering Taoists encountering wicked bullies and thugs; with a mere wave of their sleeves, the bullies would suddenly fall ill days later and die, while the Taoist would have already drifted away, leaving no trace.

"If this Hidden Energy were used against ordinary people, I fear that..."

In that instant, Chen Xian grasped the rationale behind the Great Xuan Empire establishing its Law Enforcement Teams. The lethality of martial artists toward ordinary people was simply too great, especially those who had mastered Hidden Energy, who were impossible to defend against. In such a situation, if the Great Xuan wanted to maintain order and minimize the possibility of martial artists using their strength to bully the common folk, the existence of the Law Enforcement Teams was absolutely necessary.

After reflecting on this, Chen Xian began to contemplate Hidden Energy once more. He could feel that within his own body, if he so desired, he could condense an extremely subtle force. Hidden Energy was a matter of realization—once understood, it could be wielded naturally. With a mere thought, the subtle force manifested within him, flowing according to his will. Chen Xian could even clearly feel his muscles, bones, and flesh undergoing minute changes as this force passed through them.

He sensed every detail of his body, observing the fluctuations of the Hidden Energy within.

"Indeed, 'perfection' is not the end of evolution. The perfection achieved at the Manifest Energy stage was only relative to that level. After grasping Hidden Energy, whether it be the cultivation of skin, flesh, bones, blood, organs, or marrow, everything progresses further."

Chen Xian felt his muscles and bones undergoing a new transformation, and a profound realization dawned upon him. A short while later, he retracted his circulating Qi and blood. His previously wounded finger had already sealed over; though not yet fully healed, it was no longer bleeding. From the moment he had detonated his Manifest Energy in his palm to grasp the essence of Hidden Energy and practice his strikes, little time had actually passed. Looking up, he saw the day was still young, so he placed his palm under the sunlight, using his transcendent power to accelerate the repair of the injury.

...

"Bang! Bang!"

Outside the window, the sound of continuous fireworks filled the air. Several days had passed since Chen Xian mastered Hidden Energy; it was now New Year's Eve. Beneath the night sky, a kaleidoscope of colors erupted as fireworks rose from the earth, blooming with brilliant light.

They were beautiful and dazzling. Watching the magnificent display, Chen Xian, for once, did not ponder martial arts and simply enjoyed the view. At this moment, his state of mind seemed to have undergone a subtle shift, and his spirit felt more vibrant than ever.

"Brother, do you want to go downstairs and set off fireworks?" A small head poked in, and seeing Chen Xian sitting at the desk, Chen Qiqi blinked her eyes, looking at him with anticipation.

"Forget it, I won't go. You go ahead," Chen Xian shook his head. He had no desire to go out; nowadays, beyond martial arts, he seemed to care little for anything else.

"Haha! Brother, then I'll set off your share of the fireworks too!" Hearing his refusal, Chen Qiqi became even more delighted.

Chen Xian was left speechless. It turned out that what Chen Qiqi was truly looking forward to wasn't his company, but the extra fireworks she would get to set off in his stead.

For the people of the entire Great Xuan, this night would likely be sleepless. The days around the New Year were a rare period of leisure for everyone; once this time passed, life would return to its busy pace.

...

"Xian'er, be careful when you go out!"

"It's good to take this time to travel a bit. Once you graduate, you probably won't have many opportunities left." Mother Chen's voice sounded, her face etched with concern.

Chen Xian listened to his mother's instructions and nodded repeatedly. Since mastering Hidden Energy, he had begun the practice of Tendon Alteration. With the aid of Hidden Energy, the final twenty percent of the process had been completed over the past few days. Now, he was a practitioner of Hidden Energy—and a perfected one at that. In just a few days, he had traversed the path from the initial discovery of Hidden Energy to the very limit of this stage. This was the terrifying power of the "Seeing Divinity" legacy, and the true horror of transcendent power.

Now, he faced the threshold of breaking through to the Transformation Energy stage. Once crossed, he would have achieved significant success in martial arts, becoming a true master in the eyes of the Great Xuan martial world. He would be a figure of stature, capable of establishing his own sect or opening a martial arts school.

It was also the most critical stage in martial arts. Transformation Energy concerned a martial artist's path to "Seeing Divinity"; it was the foundation of that very state. In the "Dragon-Tiger Elixir Classic," the description of this stage occupied more space than any other, even more than the stages of Pellet Condensation and Gang Energy. As for the state of "Seeing Divinity" itself, the classic offered little description—even less than for the previous stages. Its core was simply a method of visualization and mental preservation. From the length of the text alone, one could see the importance of the Transformation Energy stage.

Transformation Energy required one to comprehend their own divine will and infuse that will into their strikes, thereby harmonizing Yin and Yang and unifying the forces of Manifest and Hidden Energy. For Chen Xian, this was an entirely new level. Thus far, he had no realization of his own divine will, nor did he know what kind of will would suit him.

Some observed the growth of all things and were suddenly enlightened, grasping the spirit of endless vitality; from then on, every move they made was continuous and flowing, with inexhaustible energy. Others witnessed the rising sun and grasped the spirit of the glorious, blazing sun. Still others, after witnessing the turmoil of the world, grasped the grand momentum of daring to reshape the heavens and the earth, and with every strike, that rolling momentum would sweep forth.

Grasping one's own divine will could not be achieved by staying at home. This was why, at the start of the New Year, Chen Xian intended to go out. In his view, seeing the mountains and rivers, and experiencing the atmosphere of this lively celebration, might grant him the insight he needed.

"Mom, don't worry!" Chen Xian smiled, stood up, and walked toward the door.

He carried no luggage for this trip, nor did he have a specific destination. Everything would follow his heart; he would go wherever his feet took him. In such a state, he felt truly free. Perhaps, this was exactly the mindset he needed right now.