Sage Monarch

Befuddled by Love

Energy is the essence of all life.

Energy arts are the means by which to cultivate the essence of life.

Reaching the peak of cultivation brings a host of fantastic and amazing abilities.

Energy arts experts could break walls with their hands, hear sounds as quiet as the footsteps of an ant, walk on water, breathe fire, become impervious to all sorts of weapons, fuse their energy with the clouds, sustain themselves by absorbing energy instead of eating food, and even track enemies by locking down onto their souls….

Rich-Lush Continent. Yanhaven. [1] 

It was a populous and affluent place; despite it being nighttime, streams of horses and carriages could be seen on the streets, and the city was bathed with bright lamplight.

It was midsummer, and dark clouds filled the night sky. The muffled rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance, and from the dense humidity in the air, it seemed rain would begin to fall soon.

In a relatively remote corner of the city, the ground suddenly shuddered, and then a hole exploded into being.

A young man leapt out of the hole, as agile as a cat. He appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years of age, was dressed head to toe in black clothing, and was carrying an exquisitely crafted box.

This young man was Yang Qi who, like many others, cultivated energy arts. [2] [3]

He was a young master from the Yang Clan, an aristocratic clan from Yanhaven. He was also relatively famous within the city as a powerful master of energy arts. He wasn't very old and wasn't necessarily tall and well-built. But from his every move and action, it was obvious the mysterious energy flowing through him was ready to erupt out at any moment.

As he stood there at the edge of the hole, he circulated his energy, and intense rumbling sounds could be heard, shocking to the extreme.

"I guess it won't be long before I reach the fifth phase of energy arts, the Energy Eruption level. Then I'll be able to cast my true energy outside of my body. That will make me a real expert! My progress will be incredible!" [4]

He glanced back at the towering city wall, looking very pleased at having circumvented it the way he did. Then he blurred into motion, disappearing like a black panther into the dark forest surrounding the city.

Yang Qi had long since cultivated his energy arts to the fourth phase, the Energy Refinement level.

On the Rich-Lush Continent, experts who cultivated energy arts divided them into nine phases.

First was Energy Growth, in which one built up energy in the body.

Second was Energy Circulation, in which one sent vital energy flowing through one's meridian channels.

Third was Energy Convergence when the vital energy was gathered in a central location, the sea of energy.

Fourth was Energy Refinement, in which the gathered vital energy was refined and purified.

Fifth was Energy Eruption. In that phase, one could use energy arts externally to harm enemies.

The first four phases —Absorption, Circulation, Convergence, and Refinement— were all internal, and although they could be used to strengthen one's body, did little else. Upon reaching the fifth phase, Energy Eruption, one's body was completely transformed, making it possible to unleash energy arts in combat.

Only upon reaching the Energy Eruption level, could one be considered to be a truly powerful expert.

Thus, the fifth phase was considered a major watershed point in the cultivation of energy arts.