Dreams Begin in Your Land Chapter Two: Sharing Tales of Warriors with the Elder, Master Ji’s Talent Begins to Shine

“By the way, judging from how you sent that original Ji Master flying with a single palm strike, you must know martial arts, right?” Ji Master looked at Ge and said. Ge was instantly incredulous. “You’ve been here for a whole day since crossing over, and you don’t even know that in this world, one can practice martial arts? Moreover, those highly skilled in martial arts can single-handedly stand against thousands of troops.” With that, he even began to chant, “With strength to lift mountains and spirit to overshadow the world, though fortune fails and steeds won’t run. What can be done when the steeds refuse to run, oh Yu, oh Yu, what is to be done!” Completely oblivious to Ji Master’s dark, almost dripping-with-resentment expression.

“Enough singing. Hurry up and tell me some important knowledge about martial arts!” Ji Master urged.

“All right, all right. You’re just as dull as before, but I like it, hahaha!” Ge chuckled.

“Okay, first, you need to understand that the martial path is divided into two major realms and eight stages. From lowest to highest, they are: Martial Artists — Entry to the World, Beyond the Mundane, Parting the Rain, Entering the Void; then Masters — Emerging from Reality, Pursuing the Sky, and Moonbreaker. It’s said that those at the Moonbreaker stage possess the strength of a hundred oxen, which translates to about a hundred thousand catties. They can hardly compare to the Emperor of the Wasteland, but surely they surpass my third brother, right?” Ge chuckled gleefully.

“How many Moonbreakers exist in today’s world?” Ji Master asked, looking at Ge.

“Officially, fewer than ten. As for those in the shadows, who knows! But don’t overthink it. Moonbreaker masters are like elusive divine dragons—rarely seen and even harder to meet. However, my surrogate father just happens to be one of them,” Ge laughed heartily, clearly pleased with his fortunate connections.

“If that’s the case, why did you come to Ruzhou to win over Zhu Shengzhi? Doesn’t your surrogate father help you?” Ji Master asked with genuine curiosity.

“It’s not as simple as you think. I’m just an adopted son, not a biological one. Though my status isn’t low, only I know the inside story.” With that, he sighed deeply. “Zhu Shengzhi is an Entering the Void stage strongman. Without the masters stepping out, he basically dominates the world. But I’m only at the early Beyond the Mundane stage. I’ve heard that although Zhu Shengzhi is highly skilled, he’s a rough man. To conquer the world, strength alone isn’t enough; one must also have wisdom. That’s why he often holds literary gatherings—to find talented people. I thought, with China’s five thousand years of cultural heritage, how could I not find at least one genius to mingle with him? So I came here. I didn’t expect to meet you, though—fate, indeed.” As he spoke, he began to sing again: “Fate brought us together beyond the chaos of the world, yet destiny…” Suddenly realizing something was amiss, he stopped mid-verse.

“Tell me the day of the literary gathering and what will be tested. If time allows, I want you to teach me martial arts these next few days. I’ll learn as much as I can! I aim to reach the Entry to the World stage before the gathering and become a true martial artist.”

“The gathering should be in six or seven days. With my Realm strength, getting you to Entry to the World will be a breeze!” Ge said. Then he looked at Ji Master again. “From now on, let’s burn the midnight oil! Oh no, let’s have late-night talks!” he added mischievously. Thus began their so-called late-night discussions.

The next morning, Ji Master rose early. Knowing he had started late, he wanted to make up for lost time with hard work. After a quick wash, he approached Ge’s bedside and slapped him awake. “Oh dear, oh dear, my foolish little Ge, wake up! I give you five minutes—go over that, and you’ll be in trouble!”

Then he went to the inn’s backyard to do some simple warm-up exercises. Five minutes later, Ge approached with obvious resentment. “Hey, hey, don’t look like a scolded dog. Hurry up and start teaching. I’m destined to be a king; I can’t waste a single moment.”

Hearing Ji Master’s juvenile bravado, Ge sneered. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. For now, just focus on the simplest technique—drawing qi into your body. You must understand that being a martial artist is all about cultivating qi. That’s why martial artists here are many times stronger than those on Blue Star. Among these techniques, the art of drawing qi, also called breath control, plays a crucial role. Of course, there are martial skills too, but for now, just focus on drawing qi. If you can’t succeed within three hours, it means you don’t have the potential to become a martial artist. But don’t be discouraged—you’ve got me watching your back.”

“Enough chatter. Hand me the drawing qi manual,” Ji Master said impatiently.

“All right, all right! Here you go!” Ge said, pulling out a yellowed little book from his bosom. “This is the Earth-level drawing qi technique. The original owner earned it by doing great service for that surrogate father of mine. Lucky for you, kid. With this, even if your talent is poor, as long as you work diligently, reaching the sub-realm is no problem. Back in the day, even the original owner took fifteen minutes to succeed. Start now!” He recalled those glorious moments that were not truly his own.

Ji Master gave him a disdainful glance, then turned his attention to the manual, titled *Tiankun Drawing Qi Technique: Martial Artist Volume*. “It feels like a connection to an old acquaintance,” Ji Master murmured. Opening the manual, he soon became completely absorbed, his body unconsciously moving as the book instructed. Meanwhile, Ge remained lost in his memories, unaware.

Suddenly, Ji Master felt a scorching heat in his lower abdomen. “Damn!” he shouted, startling Ge.

“What are you doing? Haven’t you started yet? Don’t rush—this kind of thing takes time…” Ge was about to offer his usual pontification when Ji Master cut him off. “I think I succeeded!”

“You succeeded!?” Ge stared in disbelief. “Impossible, impossible. How long has it been? Less than a minute? You’re not tricking me, are you? I know you don’t want to be mediocre, but talent can’t be forced…”

“Stop, stop!” Ji Master interrupted before Ge could launch into another speech. “I just felt a blazing heat in my lower abdomen, like a flow of qi moving through me. Now my whole body feels warm.”

Hearing this, Ge looked at him seriously. “Try channeling that qi into your palm, then give me a palm strike.”

“Uh… okay!” Ji Master tried to summon the qi. Expecting difficulty, he was surprised when the qi obediently gathered in his right palm. Feeling the power coursing through it, he struck Ge’s shoulder with a palm strike. To their surprise, he staggered Ge, who was a Realm-level expert.

“No way! Brother, you really made it! I’m impressed—a genius! I bow to you!” Ge said, his tone slipping back to mischief.

“Enough with the nonsense. After all, you’re a Beyond the Mundane expert now.” Ji Master looked at his right palm. “With this talent, I will surely dominate this chaotic world!” he thought, full of ambition.

“By the way, do you have any martial skills? I feel like I’d make a great swordsman—how cool would that be!” Ji Master dreamed aloud.

“Martial skills, sword… let me think. Ah yes, this manual *Kun Sword* is perfect for you—it complements your drawing qi technique. I wanted to cultivate it myself but seem to lack the talent. Now it’s yours to try. As for a sword, I’ll have someone bring you a black iron sword this afternoon. It’s a precious piece, so make good use of it. I’ll go inquire about the literary gathering. You practice on your own for now.” With that, he swaggered off.

Ji Master watched his retreating figure and then began studying the drawing qi manual and martial skills.

The following days passed with Ji Master immersed in training, while Ge habitually came and went late, his activities unknown.