My Martial Dao Has No Bottlenecks

Private courtyard.

Liang Cheng opened the envelope. Lady Ning’s letter was as chatty as ever. Chen Bainian had found her a storefront next to her residence, so she could continue running a small noodle shop.

He had even found her two clever errand boys, so she wouldn’t be overworked. Lady Ning told him not to worry about things back home; with the Martial Arts Hall looking out for her, she was doing fine.

She asked if he was coming home for the New Year.

Liang Cheng finished reading with a smile.

Yang Wei’s letter said that everything was well at the Martial Arts Hall. Thanks to Liang Cheng’s resounding fame, it had become the top Martial Arts Hall in the Three Towns. Many new disciples were enrolling, and more and more of them were promising prospects.

At the end of the letter, the tone shifted.

Apparently, Qiao Zhi had written to him a few days ago. She mentioned the troubles her family was facing and said that if it was convenient for Liang Cheng, he could consider looking out for them, but he absolutely shouldn’t force himself.

After reading the letters, Liang Cheng couldn’t help but sigh at how quickly time passed. In the blink of an eye, the New Year was almost upon them again.

He then calmed his mind and immersed himself in cultivation.

Just then, however, the Martial Arts Academy erupted in excitement.

Wang Teng, the number one disciple of the Celestial Dormitory, had returned.

And he was preparing to break through to the True Qi Realm.

The Martial Arts Academy hadn’t produced a disciple in the True Qi Realm for two years!

The genius who had dominated the top of the Celestial Dormitory rankings for three years had returned quietly to the academy three days ago.

Today at 7:00 AM, he ascended the Ascension Platform on the back mountain of the academy and announced he was entering seclusion to break through to the True Qi Realm.

The news spread through the entire Martial Arts Academy in an instant.

"Senior Brother Wang is about to break through?!"

"He’s only twenty-four, right? If he succeeds, he’ll be the youngest disciple to reach the True Qi Realm in the academy in the last decade!"

"Even if he fails, it’s not a big deal. He can try to break through again before he turns thirty."

"You don’t know the half of it! Last year, Senior Brother Wang single-handedly stormed the West Mountain Bandit Stronghold. With just one saber, he took down seven bandit chiefs at the Transformation Force Realm! Even the Town Protection Station considered that stronghold a tough nut to crack."

"That’s not all! The year before last, a Beast Tide erupted on North Mountain while he happened to be on a mission there. He fought his way out all by himself, covered in blood, and escaped unscathed."

"I heard that while he was out gaining experience, he once sparred with a Loose Cultivator who had just entered the True Qi Realm and remained undefeated for thirty moves. Tsk, tsk, that’s fighting above his own realm!"

Amid the discussions, the area around the Ascension Platform was already packed with people.

All the disciples from the Celestial Dormitory were present. The top-ranking disciples from the Earth Dormitory and the elites from the Human Dormitory also crowded in the distance. Several Stewards and Masters appeared in a tower, watching in silence.

Liang Cheng stood in the Celestial Dormitory’s designated area with Lu Qingzhou by his side.

"Senior Brother Wang’s foundation is profound. This seclusion will show results in three days at the least, and seven at the most."

Lu Qingzhou said softly, his eyes filled with admiration and envy. "He’s spent all these years out gaining experience, building a spectacular combat record. His fame has already spread throughout the area around Lin Wu City. Once he succeeds, he’ll be able to enter the Inner Courtyard directly as a core True Inheritor."

Liang Cheng looked up at the Ascension Platform.

The platform was ninety feet high, built entirely of azure granite. It was said that when the Martial Arts Academy was first established, the first headmaster carved it from the mountain using his True Qi. It was inscribed with a Gathering Spirit Array Pattern.

Every disciple of the Celestial Dormitory had one chance to use it for free. Any subsequent use, however, came at an astronomical price that ordinary people simply couldn’t afford.

Therefore, unless one was absolutely certain, no one would rashly choose the Ascension Platform to attempt a breakthrough.

It could only be said that Wang Teng’s boldness was immense.

Time passed.

On the first day, there was no activity.

On the second day, there was still not much activity.

Most of the disciples had long since returned to their own lives. Liang Cheng himself had gone back to his private courtyard to cultivate on the first day. Whether Wang Teng succeeded or not, it really had nothing to do with him.

At noon on the third day, a strange phenomenon suddenly occurred!

Above the Ascension Platform, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi gathered frantically, condensing into a bowl-mouthed pillar of azure energy that descended from the celestial vault, pouring straight into the platform’s peak.

"The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is pouring into his body! This is the crucial step to condensing a True Qi Seed!"

Someone cried out in alarm.

This phenomenon made the disciples of the Martial Arts Academy gather once more. Everyone held their breath, their hearts tightening with involuntary nervousness.

Below the platform, every disciple looked up with unconcealed envy, as if they were already witnessing the birth of a True Qi Realm expert.

However, the pillar of energy lasted for the time it takes to burn half an incense stick before slowly dissipating. The mist on the platform began to churn violently, and a heart-palpitating fluctuation emanated from it.

"Is he about to succeed?"

Just then, a sudden, muffled sound came from the platform.

"PUFF!"

It was followed by Wang Teng’s suppressed groan of pain, and the churning mist was abruptly stained dark red.

"Not good!"

In the tower, the expression of a gray-robed elder changed. His figure shot toward the Ascension Platform like a lightning bolt. He burst into the private chamber and then emerged carrying Wang Teng.

Liang Cheng’s five senses were sharp. He could see Wang Teng’s face was as pale as golden paper, blood trickling from his mouth and nose. His aura was weak and chaotic. The robes on his chest had been blasted apart, revealing countless fine cracks just beneath his skin.

Wang Teng had failed his breakthrough.

And he had suffered a severe backlash.

The gray-robed elder quickly sealed his acupoints and fed him a pill, then picked him up and whisked him away toward the depths of the back mountain. The entire process took no more than three breaths.

The Martial Arts Academy fell deathly silent.

Then, it exploded into an uproar!

"He failed?!"

"How is that possible? The Spiritual Qi was just pouring into his body..."

"Look at those injuries... I’m afraid his foundation has been damaged..."

"Even someone like Senior Brother Wang failed? He’s a genius who can fight against the True Qi Realm while being in a lower one!"

Shock, regret, and disbelief—a complex mix of emotions filled the crowd.

Lu Qingzhou’s face was pale.

Liang Cheng stared silently in the direction of the back mountain.

’Breaking through to the True Qi Realm is this dangerous?’

Even a figure as renowned as Wang Teng had ended up severely injured by the backlash.

"Everyone, disperse!"

The Black-robed Steward leaped onto the high platform, his voice cold and sharp. "Breaking through to the True Qi Realm involves both success and failure. This is normal. Return to your cultivation!"

The crowd slowly dispersed, but the discussions didn’t stop.

...

In the evening, Liang Cheng returned to his private courtyard.

Lu Qingzhou was already sitting alone in the courtyard. The usual smile was gone from his face, which looked gloomy and grim.

"Senior Brother Lu?"

"Wang Teng’s breakthrough failed. His foundation is damaged. Best case, he’ll need one or two years to recuperate. Worst case, he’ll never have any hope of reaching the True Qi Realm in his lifetime."

Lu Qingzhou’s voice was hoarse.

Liang Cheng fell silent.

"The Master said he circulated his Qi Blood too hastily, overwhelming his meridians. At the final moment of condensing the True Qi Seed, his Qi Blood collapsed."

He looked at Liang Cheng, a chill in his eyes that spoke of a fox grieving for a dead rabbit. "Twenty-four years old, at Transformation Force Perfection. A foundation polished for five years with an Inner Cultivation Method. Single-handedly storming a Bandit Stronghold, resisting a Beast Tide, sparring with those in a higher realm...

Everyone thought it was a sure thing for him. And the result?"

Liang Cheng recalled the blood-stained mist on the Ascension Platform.

"In the history of the Martial Arts Academy, three or four out of every ten who attempt to break through to the True Qi Realm fail."

Lu Qingzhou said in a low voice, "Of those, nearly half are left with permanent damage, forever stuck at the Transformation Force Realm. Wang Teng is actually lucky. At least he’s alive. His foundation is damaged, but it’s not impossible that he could slowly nurture it back to health."

He paused. "But time waits for no one. He’s twenty-four this year. Recuperating will take one or two years at least. Then he has to start accumulating resources again...

By the time he’s confident enough to try again, he’ll probably be twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Although he can still try before he’s thirty, he will have already missed the optimal window."

The courtyard fell quiet.

The twilight deepened.

"I’m not trying to scare you," Lu Qingzhou said, taking a deep breath. "It’s just that Wang Teng’s example is right in front of us. The path of cultivation grows more perilous the further you walk it."

"Going from Transformation Force to True Qi is a celestial chasm. If you cross it, the world is your oyster. If you fail, you might waste a decade at best, or lose everything you’ve worked for at worst."

"That’s why Martial Artists must contend for everything—wealth, companions, techniques, and land. The Wang Family is extending an olive branch now. They could be a great help on your path of cultivation, Junior Brother."

He turned and walked toward the courtyard gate, pausing at the threshold to look back at Liang Cheng.

"Junior Brother, I hope you’ll think carefully about your future."

The courtyard gate closed.

Liang Cheng stood in the twilight, unmoving for a long time.

Wang Teng was born into nobility, with endless resources and a spectacular combat record, yet even he had fallen before the True Qi Realm. The path of the Martial Dao was truly a life-or-death struggle every step of the way.

He slowly clenched his fists, feeling the surging Qi Blood within his body.

His Broken Wave Technique had reached Minor Success, his progress in the Iron Armor Realm was steady, and his Gale Saber Technique was approaching Great Success...

If he had no innate resources, he would make up for it with diligence. If he had no Noble Family to protect him, he would fight for his life.

Self-reliance was the only path forward!

He turned, walked into the Quiet Chamber, and sat down cross-legged.

Cultivation.

As the night deepened, Qi Blood surged within the Quiet Chamber.

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