78: Studying Martial Arts

The originally scarlet Zhengang Strength was continuously strengthened and condensed as Gu Chang absorbed a massive amount of internal Qi, eventually turning deep red, then dark red, until it appeared almost black.

The Martial Dao Divine Paragon also swelled to thirty zhang, nearly a hundred meters tall, its mere existence like mythology brought to life.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Gu Chang's heart pounded wildly, his internal Zhengang Strength becoming an extension of his body. At this very moment, he had transformed into a true mythical giant.

Explosive power gathered within him, and terrifying might resided in his every gesture.

In this state, Gu Chang's strength had far surpassed the level of a Refining Spirit Expert; ordinary Refining Spirit Experts couldn't even withstand a single blow from him!

However, this state was not without its drawbacks. Firstly, his body was constantly under immense pressure.

Secondly, he could not fly or move freely as a single person; instead, he needed to move with the entire Divine Martial Forbidden Army.

Lastly, this state could not be sustained for long, not only because of his own limitations but also due to the finite internal Qi of the five thousand Divine Martial Forbidden Army soldiers.

According to Gu Chang's estimation, this state could only last for half an hour at most. After half an hour, the Divine Martial Forbidden Army would be forced to disconnect from him due to insufficient internal Qi.

But even within that half-hour, the things he could accomplish were already quite terrifying!

"Hoo~ Haa~"

Gu Chang raised his hand and manipulated a massive amount of Zhengang Strength to form a gigantic bow and arrow. Immediately, the bowstring was pulled taut, the bow bent like a full moon, and the terrifying Zhengang Strength arrow was filled with immense power!

"Whoosh!"

"Boom! Bang bang bang!"

Instantly, that gigantic arrow, like a house beam, shot out directly, hitting a mountain peak several thousand meters away in an instant.

With just one strike, a massive gap appeared in that mountain peak. If it had been a city wall, it would likely have instantly collapsed and been destroyed.

"Hoo! Scarlet Storm!"

Next, Gu Chang attempted another Martial Skill. The massive four wings behind him spread open, and then countless feathers formed from Zhengang Strength were directly flung by him towards the distance.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Rumble!"

This time, the might was even more terrifying. Tens of thousands of black and red feathers, seemingly solid, engulfed everything around them!

Ordinary trees would be severed and pulverized upon contact, rocks shattered, mountainsides blasted into beehives, and the ground riddled with craters. Everything within a one-kilometer radius of Gu Chang would be engulfed and destroyed in an instant.

"Advance!"

"Advance!"

"Bang! Boom!"

Next, Gu Chang changed his combat method again. The Divine Martial Forbidden Army advanced with him. Their large strides meant their movement speed was not slow; it was basically comparable to an ordinary person running at full speed.

The massive Martial Dao Divine Paragon also moved with them, but as a behemoth nearly a hundred meters tall, this speed was still somewhat slow after all.

However, Gu Chang didn't care about these things at the moment; what he wanted to test was the current progression ability of the Martial Dao Divine Paragon!

Soon, the Martial Dao Divine Paragon arrived before a mountain peak, and then a massive battle saber condensed into form in his hand.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Woo woo woo~"

"Roar!!!"

In an instant, he unleashed the Seven Kill Saber Technique. Terrifying battle cries echoed through the sky, and as he swung his saber, sounds like the wailing of ghosts and gods, and the roaring of fierce tigers, occasionally reverberated between heaven and earth.

"Boom! Rumble!"

As the gigantic battle saber descended, the mountain peak before him immediately collapsed. Huge and hideous cracks on the ground were shocking to behold; such terrifying destructive power truly exceeded the imagination of ordinary Martial Artists.

"Ang~~~"

But then Gu Chang changed his move again, unleashing the You Long Spear Technique. A Dragon's roar sounded, directly pulverizing the collapsing mountain rocks.

This caused smoke and dust to fill the surroundings for a time, and the massive Martial Dao Divine Paragon appeared like a deity descending from the clouds!

"Hoo~ Retreat!"

"Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!"

After a simple test, Gu Chang gave another order. The entire Divine Martial Forbidden Army immediately turned and retreated. Soon, they left the smoke-shrouded area.

Following that, Gu Chang's Martial Dao Divine Paragon also began to dissipate into thin air, and he slowly descended from mid-air to the ground.

"That's enough! This drill is over. Next, you will practice your cultivation. If you lack anything, immediately make it up. If you have any questions, I will lecture you!"

He then came before the Divine Martial Forbidden Army and issued this order to all of them.

"We obey your command! Your Majesty!"

All the Divine Martial Forbidden Army immediately knelt on one knee in salute, then collectively made their assurance.

"Very good! That's it!"

After leaving the Divine Martial Forbidden Army's grand camp, Gu Chang fell into deep thought.

The reason he spent such a great price to forge such a powerful Divine Martial Forbidden Army was not merely for this.

More importantly, he needed to use this method to research how the next Realm of Martial Dao should progress.

"Combining years of research and development, it can basically be confirmed that above the Spirit Refining Realm, the most important thing is the Martial Dao Will!

"Only by cultivating an invincible Martial Dao Will can one completely bind the Zhengang Strength within the body, making it firmly controlled by one's own will.

"At the same time, before Spirit Refining, the Martial Artist's sphere of influence was still limited to their own body; internal Qi was difficult to leave the body without dissipating.

"After Spirit Refining, internal Qi transforms into Zhengang Strength, which can now leave the body and persist for a certain period of time.

"But this is still far from enough. Zhengang Strength should become tougher, more capable of influencing the outside world, and even able to exist for a long time after leaving the body. Only then can a qualitative change occur!"

Combining various Martial Dao theories and some information from the Immortal Dao, Gu Chang gradually deduced the changes that Martial Dao should undergo next.

"In the real world, after a Martial Artist reaches the Innate Realm, they can open the Heaven and Earth Divine Bridge, allowing Martial Artists to also draw Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, thereby embarking on the path of immortal cultivation.

"There is no such saying in the Reincarnation World, but the essence is the same: a Martial Artist cannot rely solely on their own strength; they also need to borrow the power of Heaven and Earth, or rather, use their own strength to leverage the great power of Heaven and Earth!

"Only in this way can a Martial Artist's strength truly Breakthrough its limits, reaching a superhuman level comparable to the Immortal Dao!"

However, how to achieve this process still requires continuous attempts and deductions, which is destined to be a long and arduous process.

But now, Gu Chang possesses enough Reincarnation points to make attempts repeatedly. In the Reincarnation World, he can afford the cost of failure.

"Therefore, the first step must be taken: to make the Zhengang Strength within the body undergo a qualitative change!"

"The Breakthrough to Spirit Refining uses the burning method. This method allows Qi and blood, internal Qi, and spirit to fuse, ultimately producing Zhengang Strength, but this method stops there.

"If Zhengang Strength is to be further compressed, strengthened, and reshaped, relying solely on one's own strength is probably no longer enough.

"So what external force should be used? Striking? Poison? Or lightning strike?"

Suddenly, Gu Chang's mind was like a flash of lightning, and then a crazy idea emerged.

"That's right, it's a lightning strike. If the power of Martial Dao is to leverage the great power of Heaven and Earth, how can it not utilize the might of Heaven and Earth?"

"Very good! Let's try it immediately!"

Gu Chang immediately made a decision and promptly ordered the construction of facilities specifically for attracting lightning.

Under the Emperor's command, even if the subordinates didn't understand, they dared not ask further. Thus, a large number of craftsmen were quickly mobilized, then a suitable mountain peak was found, and construction began at its summit.

In just one month, a grand hall named Heavenly Thunder Hall was built on Mount Leifeng, the closest mountain to the capital.

The scale of this grand hall was not large, with a length and width of no more than three zhang. In the center were three ten-zhang-long iron pillars soaring into the sky, and the ground was paved with gold and silver, with an iron foundation.

After the Heavenly Thunder Hall was completed, almost every day, heavenly lightning would descend and be attracted into the grand hall. Streaks of electric light flashed incessantly. Some said this was the residence of the Heavenly Thunder Star Lord in the mortal Realm.

However, what no one expected was that the Thunder Star Lord did not move in; instead, Gu Chang, the ruler of the country, took up residence there.

When Gu Chang moved in, many ministers were immediately frightened. After all, Gu Chang's strength was indeed unrivaled in the human world, but that was only limited to the human world!

How terrifying was the might of this heavenly thunder? Just looking at it from afar was enough to cause great shock!

What if something happened to Gu Chang? How could that be tolerated?

"It's fine. I'm just going to use the Heavenly Thunder Hall for cultivation. And if something really happens, at worst, we'll just get a new emperor."

Facing the obstruction of his ministers, Gu Chang said somewhat indifferently.

"Your Majesty! This is a matter of great importance, by no means something that can be decided so easily!"

This time, even trusted senior ministers like Li Ergou and Suan Tianji were no longer calm. Did they truly think anyone could sit on this imperial throne?

"Didn't I say? From now on, all major state affairs will be jointly executed by all ministers, led by the Prime Minister, and the Emperor only needs to supervise."

That's right, Gu Chang had wanted to do this years ago. Being an emperor was purely troublesome for him. Rather than that, it would be better to implement a constitutional monarchy, where he only needed to retain a certain amount of power.

This way, even if something happened to him, it wouldn't affect the functioning of the entire country.

Of course, the most crucial point was that as long as he held absolute power, he wouldn't need to worry about these civil officials causing any trouble.

As for his descendants, well, in reality, he hadn't married yet, but he still had younger siblings in this life, who could also be considered descendants.

But how much better would it be for them to just enjoy a life of luxury after becoming emperor? If they blindly pursued power, they would ultimately decline completely within a few hundred years. Why bother with that?