Hou Zhantian stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, staring intently at the barren old tree.
"Watch closely."
Suddenly, Hou Zhantian slightly raised his right arm, and with a flip of his palm, the Qi Force consolidated into something tangible, sending out several fierce Palm Winds slicing through the air.
Wood chips flew from the trunk surface, and under the invisible Qi Blade’s carving, the branches gradually revealed the outline of a straight and sharp Golden Mace.
"This tree symbolizes the Divine Soul, growing from a sapling breaking through the soil into a towering tree, just like you progressing from Qi Cultivation to Refining the Viscera. The Cultivation Technique you practice during this period determines the direction of your growth."
After Hou Zhantian finished speaking, his gaze fell upon another small tree about wrist-thick, and with another remote strike, this time, the small tree couldn’t withstand the Palm Wind and broke directly.
"The Divine Soul is the raw wood, while the Martial Path Will is the sculpted form. But many martial artists have insufficiently strong Divine Souls to bear the carving, so they need to rely on Spirit Soldiers."
Watching the broken tree, Lin Chen nodded, understanding Dean Hou’s meaning.
Unlike Dean Hua, Dean Hua initially showed him the relationship between the five viscera and the Martial Path Will, while Dean Hou informed him of the relation between the Martial Path Will and the Divine Soul.
Normally, when martial artists cultivate to the five viscera, the Divine Soul is not yet strong enough to birth the Martial Path Will, thus requiring Spirit Soldiers to bridge the gap.
When the tree isn’t thick enough, it’s compensated by Spirit Soldiers!
Why isn’t it thick enough? Because most martial artists only cultivate one technique, just like this tree, absorbing insufficient nutrients. Whereas, cultivating multiple techniques is akin to gaining ample nutrients, avoiding problems where branches are too thin to sculpt.
"As for what form this tree will be sculpted into, it naturally relates to the techniques you practice, your comprehension of the Martial Path, and all the experiences and encounters along your journey."
"Some people have a rather fierce temperament, and their Martial Arts Techniques are also large-scale and grand, so their Divine Soul is like this tree!"
Hou Zhantian pointed to a tree on the left: "This tree stands tall, with few branches and very high hardness, requiring Spirit Soldiers of the same material to complement, like whips or swords... those wouldn’t be suitable."
"Others are gentle in nature, like a tree with more branches, needing softer Spirit Soldiers to supplement..."
After explaining for a tea’s brew time, Lin Chen suddenly realized, now he had a somewhat proficient understanding of the Martial Path Will.
"Dean, does the Martial Path Will have tiers? Am I considered as Refining the Viscera or Entering the Grade?" Lin Chen thought of the newly appeared [Spirit Tier] on his panel and asked curiously.
"Yes, the tiers of the Martial Path Will actually follow the Nine-Grade System; however, most martial artists in Liang pursue the path of Spirit Soldier Grade, hence Spirit Soldiers are graded separately, from First Tier to Ninth Tier, corresponding to the Nine Grades."
"For a martial artist entering the grade by Spirit Soldier, to upgrade a grade, they must improve the tier of their Spirit Soldier. Most martial artists find it very challenging to enhance their Spirit Soldier, with only a few managing to upgrade three tiers. But since you’ve condensed your Martial Path Will without using a Spirit Soldier, you’re not bound by any limits."
Lin Chen pondered for a moment before asking, "Dean, since the grade corresponds with Spirit Soldiers, why bother differentiating the two? Why not grade Spirit Soldiers directly?"
Having a Ninth Tier and a Nine Grade seems redundant, doesn’t it?
"Upgrading a Spirit Soldier’s tier doesn’t necessarily mean you’re upgrading a grade; there is still a gap between them."
Hou Zhantian smiled slightly: "Upgrading a Spirit Soldier’s tier is a prerequisite for upgrading a grade, but simply achieving it isn’t enough—you also need to elevate your Martial Path Will. Remember, the Martial Path Will is a fusion of your Spirit Soldier and your Divine Soul."
"I see, I misunderstood earlier."
Lin Chen nodded, yet in his mind, he was wondering why his Martial Path Will was labeled as the First Tier, and not the First Grade, given he had no Spirit Soldier, following Dean Hou’s explanation that Martial Path Will signifies the grade.
"What are you thinking about?"
Seeing Lin Chen’s thoughtful expression, Hou Zhantian asked with a smile.
"I’m wondering, what realm am I currently considered in? Entering the Grade or Refining the Viscera?"
On the duel stage, he used the Martial Path Will to condense a Golden Arrow, which Dean Hou had witnessed.
"Entering the Grade in strength, Refining the Viscera in realm."
Hou Zhantian directly gave an answer. Seeing Lin Chen’s confused gaze, he explained: "You have already condensed the Martial Path Will, which in terms of strength qualifies you as Entering the Grade. However, you are cultivating the Nine Revolutions Viscera Cultivation Method, requiring four more True Blood Refinements."
"Dean, you know that I practice the Nine Revolutions True Blood Viscera Cultivation Method, so in the eyes of outsiders, am I still in the Refining Viscera Realm?"
This was Lin Chen’s point of confusion.
The hallmark of entering the grade is the condensation of the Martial Path Will, which should make him an Entering the Grade martial artist in the eyes of others.
"In the eyes of others, you still belong to the Refining Viscera Realm, not Entering the Grade."
"Why?"
Lin Chen didn’t understand the difference between himself and Entering the Grade martial artists.
"The lack of true Transformation."
Seemingly noticing Lin Chen’s confusion, Hou Zhantian flipped his hand, and the Golden Mace appeared once more in his palm.
"This is my Martial Path Will. Can you manifest your Martial Path Will into a weapon?"
"Doesn’t the Golden Arrow count?"
Hou Zhantian twitched his mouth slightly and asked with curiosity: "Is your Martial Path Will the Golden Arrow?"
"No."
Lin Chen shook his head; his Martial Path Will was a little figure.
"That’s it." Hou Zhantian smiled: "You cannot exteriorize your Martial Path Will because your five viscera can still be enhanced, and you haven’t achieved true balance. It’s merely due to the power of Lingxiao that you managed to condense the Martial Path Will."
"When you are able to completely exteriorize your Martial Path Will, that’s when you’re truly Entering the Grade."
"But wouldn’t that expose my cultivation technique?"
Condensing a Martial Path Will yet still in the Refining Viscera, won’t this lead some to speculate about his cultivation technique?
"Rest assured, many martial artists pursuing the Extreme Martial Arts Path have condensed a Martial Path Will like you, yet it’s not perfected."
Understanding what Lin Chen was worried about, Hou Zhantian laughed: "Those who rely on themselves to condense a Martial Path Will continuously refine it, whereas using Spirit Soldiers to condense it results in a perfect form immediately upon condensation."
"I understand now."
Upon hearing Dean Hou’s explanation, Lin Chen felt relieved.
Indeed, walking the path of Extreme Martial Arts requires continually enhancing the Martial Path Will, unlike those who rely on Spirit Soldiers, for whom the Soldier’s completion signifies the maturity of their Martial Path Will.
"Dean, I have one last question."
"Go ahead."
"How can outsiders discern whether my Martial Path Will is incomplete or that I am deliberately not externalizing it?"
"Once the Martial Path Will is fully complete, it cannot be divided; only when it’s incomplete can it divide."
Hou Zhantian grabbed with his right hand, pulling the old sculpted tree by its roots, transforming it into the shape of a Wooden Mace in his palm, and asked: "Can I take this Wooden Mace apart into arrows?"
"No, you can’t."
With a remote strike from his right hand, Hou Zhantian’s fierce Palm Wind turned another tree in the courtyard into wood shavings, but as the shavings drifted through the air, his hand gestures changed them into various weapon shapes.
Blades, swords, spears, including arrows...
Finally, Hou Zhantian retracted his hand, and the dancing shavings fell back to the ground.
"Do you understand now? Even if your Martial Path Will is a bow and arrow, it should manifest both the bow and arrows, not just a single arrow; for this very reason, no one suspects you of being an Entering the Grade martial artist."
Lin Chen nodded continuously, but in his heart, another guess formed—perhaps Dean Hou wasn’t entirely right. Since his Martial Path Will was a little figure, if it cannot appear in other forms, does it mean he’ll summon a little figure to fight in the future?
After explaining the Martial Path Will, Hou Zhantian led Lin Chen back to the main hall.
Just as Hou Zhantian was about to speak again, someone entered at the main hall entrance to report.
"Dean, a Martial Arts Garden Elder has arrived."
"A Martial Arts Garden Elder?"
Hou Zhantian was taken aback and then seemed to realize something, looking at Lin Chen: "Have you joined the Martial Arts Garden?"
"Yes, when I was in Poyang County, I joined the Martial Arts Garden," Lin Chen answered truthfully, then asked, "Dean, is there something wrong?"
"It’s fine; in Liang, we do not prohibit disciples from joining the Martial Arts Garden."
After speaking, Hou Zhantian instructed the person who reported: "Invite the Martial Arts Garden Elder in."
Lin Chen’s eyes were filled with anticipation as he looked toward the entrance of the main hall. If it were a Martial Arts Garden Elder, he most wanted to see the Elder from the Poyang County Martial Arts Garden.
However, here is Lingxiao City, so it shouldn’t be that Elder Zhao.

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