Chapter Fourteen: The Martial Arts of the World—Three Levels, Nine Grades

In Lü Chen's view, the world of martial arts is divided into three stages with nine grades. He considered himself at least at the peak of the fifth grade. In terms of actual combat strength, he was not afraid even of experts at the fourth grade who could project their true energy externally—true energy sounded impressive, but even the most lethal sword energy was not as powerful as a real blade cutting into flesh.

The world of martial arts is divided into three stages and nine grades: the lower stage focuses on physical training, the middle stage on refining energy, and the upper stage on cultivating spirit.

The lower stage of physical training is further divided into three levels: ninth grade trains sheer strength, eighth grade trains flexible strength, and seventh grade trains coordinated strength.

Tasks like farm work, carrying heavy objects, or repeatedly practicing the same movement develop sheer strength.

Muscles built this way tend to be stiff, able to exert full power only in specific postures. Change the posture, and the strength dwindles. Sometimes, imbalanced muscles can even slow down the body's reflexes.

No matter how strong such sheer strength is, it can only intimidate amateurs and cannot match true experts.

However, relying on this kind of strength, one can still carve out a position.

For example, oarsmen, shield bearers, broadsword fighters, and expert archers all require such powerful individuals.

They do not need to be agile or evasive; as long as one action is practiced to perfection to unleash extraordinary power, the destructive force in a military formation is formidable.

Originally, Lu Wu and his five maids were considered to be at this level, which is also called the realm of strongmen.

The eighth grade masters this strength with control and flexibility and is known as the warrior realm. Military competitions use real weapons, and only experts at least at the eighth grade warrior level can participate. Otherwise, one might accidentally kill a comrade with an uncontrolled strike, which would be embarrassing.

The seventh grade trains strength to flow smoothly throughout the body without any blind spots, earning the title of the samurai realm.

Only at the samurai realm can one wear heavy armor, wield long weapons, and charge on horseback. Otherwise, wielding a large weapon without flexibility is suicide.

Those called brave generals have at least reached the samurai realm in strength training—and often also cultivate internal true energy.

Grades seven, eight, and nine originally were military designations, later adopted by martial arts.

Most so-called martial arts experts in the jianghu world fall within these grades. Only archers who reach the ninth grade can truly establish themselves, which is why the bow is known as the foremost among the eighteen types of weapons.

In terms of sheer strength, these experts may not surpass ninth grade strongmen, and their role in formations cannot exceed that of ninth grade, but in one-on-one combat, they are far superior to ninth grade strongmen.

The lower stage of physical training can cultivate sheer strength, but the middle stage of energy refining is no longer something that unorthodox methods without lineage can achieve.

The middle stage is also divided into three grades.

The sixth grade of energy refining is called the realm of true strength.

At this stage, only a small amount of internal energy is cultivated, like a gentle trickle, invisible to others and confined within the body, nourishing and moisturizing the muscles.

When practiced to great depth, this skill reduces internal friction as if the body is oiled, allowing smooth and thorough energy flow. The name “true strength realm” means that only at this stage can one fully exert 100% of their physical strength.

The fifth grade of energy refining is called the realm of true vigor.

At this level, internal energy becomes quite substantial and can be circulated through various methods to enhance the body, displaying incredible abilities.

For example, leaping over nine meters, running on walls and roofs, sword strikes as swift as lightning, and precise stabbing like a god.

Experts in the true vigor realm can perform many feats that surpass human limits. However, at this stage, internal energy still serves as an auxiliary force and cannot be directly projected to injure others.

In Lü Chen’s opinion, fifth and sixth grade experts in the jianghu world were acceptable—they truly fought with real weapons and risked their lives. But Songjing had a group of so-called energy cultivators who merely talked big, which was absurd. Any warrior picked from the army and armored up could easily slaughter these "middle-grade experts" beyond recognition.

Yet, these "experts" managed to hold high positions by claiming superior personal martial cultivation—and when it came to real fighting, they sent subordinates to risk their lives while they themselves would not engage.

At the fourth grade true energy realm, vast and powerful internal energy can be released outside the body to harm from a distance.

Experts at this level rarely bluff because the ability to project true energy externally must be demonstrated for others to acknowledge it.

Top experts in the true energy realm can wield techniques like the Hundred Steps Divine Fist, Sky-Cleaving Palm, and Sword Energy. Their attacks are fierce, and they can even infuse true energy into objects—plucking flowers or snatching leaves can injure others, epitomizing this realm.

However, true energy is purified internal energy, and even the best experts find it difficult to sustain continuous use. Thus, fourth grade experts fare well in jianghu battles, but if thrown into massive military formations, they may not surpass seventh grade samurai warriors—and might even perish faster.

Generally, when people speak of top-tier martial artists, they mean those around the fourth grade.

As for the upper stage, the third grade is already the innate realm, the third grade senses heaven and earth, the second grade achieves unity of heaven and man, and the first grade manifests internal and external realms.

Lü Chen did not know much about these upper grades. Although the Lü family had a military lineage for generations, none had truly reached the innate stage or above.

Regarding those beyond the three stages and nine grades—the pinnacle of humanity and peerless warriors—Lü Chen thought it best to listen and not take it seriously. Such peak warriors were as rare as phoenix feathers or unicorn horns. The Wu Kingdom had none, but the Chu Kingdom seemingly had a martial arts grandmaster and a mysterious Daoist adept, though neither had made any notable moves.

A martial arts grandmaster, a military champion, and a Daoist adept—these were the only existing paths beyond the three stages and nine grades.

A martial arts grandmaster is a first-grade expert who has manifested internal and external realms. Their internal true energy combines with the primordial energy of heaven and earth to form innate fierce energy. Manifested as thunder and gale, it is irresistible and unbreakable. While innate fierce energy remains unexhausted, the grandmaster is immune to blades, fire, and water, unstoppable by anyone.

A military champion refines the killing aura of war into their body, harboring resentment against heaven and earth. Their entire body is like tempered steel, with endless endurance. Their fighting energy is heavy and explosive. Equipped with heavy armor, a warhorse, and long weapons, they become living war machines, easily slaying armies and generals alike.

The Daoist adept is mysterious and unfathomable, refining their true energy into an ethereal form, existing between being and non-being, transforming into innate unity energy. The subtleties are hard to describe, but these people rarely engage in combat.

Daoist adepts are not the same as ordinary Taoist priests. Though similar, they are more like an evolved form of Taoists.

True Daoist adepts mostly live in seclusion, untouched by worldly affairs. Ninety-nine percent of those who roam the world under the title of Daoist adept are frauds.

The very few who engage with the world excel in observing winds and determining fate, praying for rain or summoning winds—some even became famous for crafting potent aphrodisiacs.

Logically, such people who shun worldly conflicts should not be considered pinnacle warriors beyond the three stages and nine grades.

Yet, once a Daoist adept was forced by a martial arts grandmaster to concoct a certain elixir.

In a fit of anger, the Daoist adept spat out a beam of white light and killed the grandmaster on the spot—this incident revealed to the world that Daoist mysticism included a sword cultivation technique.

Remarkably, this astonishing sword art, capable of killing a martial arts grandmaster, was merely an auxiliary, protective method among Daoist adepts, not highly regarded within their sect.