"Have you seen Lü Bu?" Zuo Ci asked, and Chen Xi nodded.
"Have you seen Dian Wei?" Zuo Ci continued, and Chen Xi nodded again.
"You must have seen Guan Yu. Xiang Yu was like the internal energy of Lü Bu, the physical strength of Dian Wei, and the aura of Guan Yu, all combined and then elevated even further," Zuo Ci said with a bitter smile. "He was beyond human."
"How is that even possible?" Chen Xi was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out. Lü Bu's internal energy, Dian Wei's body, and Guan Yu's aura, all combined and even stronger? Was that still human?
"The phrase 'lifting mountains and overpowering the world' wasn't just an exaggeration. He literally lifted a mountain and threw it. All the cloud energy and military formations were crushed by that mountain," Zuo Ci said, grimacing.
"If it hadn't been for Xiang Yu's belief being shattered by Zhang Liang, Han Xin, and Chen Ping, leading to his suicide at the Wu River, no one could have killed him. He was a superhuman who had absorbed the core of the first divine stone. Although the power of the first divine stone was far less than that of the second, it was still much stronger than any fragments of the second divine stone," Zuo Ci said, his face full of admiration.
"This is a monster," Chen Xi muttered, unsure of what to say. Then he seemed to think of something. "If I remember correctly, the process of internal energy being absorbed into the body is irreversible. Once it's absorbed, it can't be extracted, and it purely strengthens the body. How could Xiang Yu still have internal energy?"
"In theory, you're right. But because Xiang Yu absorbed the core of the first divine stone, his body continuously generated internal energy. As long as the rate of internal energy production exceeded the rate at which it was absorbed into his body, he still had internal energy," Zuo Ci explained, his expression saying, "You underestimate Xiang Yu."
"Okay, so that's how it was. Did he reach a higher level?" Chen Xi's interest was piqued. A combination of Lü Bu, Dian Wei, and Guan Yu, with their powers multiplied, should have surpassed the limits of internal energy, right?
"No, because back then, there was no path forward. The entire martial system was forged by Xiang Yu himself. He established the three major stages, but he didn't know which direction led to a higher level," Zuo Ci shook his head. "But with Xiang Yu's combat prowess, even I, who can rival an ordinary internal energy expert, would need at least a dozen others to defeat him."
"Heh," Chen Xi chuckled wryly. He had known Xiang Yu was strong, but to this extent? It seemed almost impossible.
"The divine stones are rare, but they are harmless to people. Anyone or any animal who gets a fragment of a divine stone will experience a massive leap in strength. But now, even if the fragments haven't dissipated, they've mostly been consumed by animals," Zuo Ci concluded.
"Oh, so that's how it is. That means the fragment that little white dog ate might be one of the last few remaining," Chen Xi said, a bit disappointed. He had hoped to collect a few fragments himself—who knows, maybe he could even take to the battlefield and fight. After all, a fragment was equivalent to an internal energy master.
"Well, it's not exactly one of the last few. There are actually quite a few fragments. The second divine stone was enormous, and its core was far larger than the first one, which was only the size of a fingertip. It was as big as a human head. If I had known the divine stone was so fascinating, I would have gone with Nan Hua," Zuo Ci sighed.
"A fragment of the core alone would be enough to create an internal energy master, but most of the core was pulverized by heavenly lightning and turned into life essence, which swept across the world," Zuo Ci recalled. The life essence nearly wiped out Nan Hua...
"Did the fragments get carried away by that life essence that swept across the world?" Chen Xi asked curiously.
"Yes, but by now, most of them have probably been absorbed. These internal energy masters today likely owe their power not just to talent but also to fortuitous encounters. Otherwise, they shouldn't be this terrifying," Zuo Ci sighed, almost saying outright that every internal energy master had probably been hit by a divine stone fragment.
"So, there's no way to find these things?" Chen Xi sighed. He had been thinking of forming a search team to thoroughly investigate his territory and find a fragment or two.
"If there were a way, I'd have gone searching myself," Zuo Ci glanced at Chen Xi. "Don't push your luck, Chen Hou."
"Since that's the case, I won't disturb Daoist Zuo in your pursuit of the Dao any further," Chen Xi said helplessly. Some things simply couldn't be forced.
Zuo Ci didn't mind Chen Xi's tone. He knew his role clearly: to ensure Chen Xi's safety. The rest of the time, he maintained a detached, otherworldly perspective on the human world.
Once Zuo Ci left, Chen Xi began to feel restless again. He left the study, finding the courtyard empty. As he walked further, he could hear the sounds of Mi Zhen and the others playing.
"Roll over..." Before Chen Xi even reached them, he heard their voices. It seemed they were training.
"Lift your left paw. Lift your right paw. Roll over. Jump! Bow!" The chaotic commands reached Chen Xi's ears.
Chen Xi felt a wave of pressure. He suddenly sympathized with that dog. Being trained by this group, if it still had any internal energy, it would have smashed through the wall and escaped by now.
"Woof, woof, woof..." As soon as Chen Xi stepped out of the courtyard and into the main hall, the little white dog that had been rolling on the ground jumped up and barked loudly at him. But as Chen Xi approached, the dog's barking grew quieter until it finally lowered its front paws and whimpered at Chen Xi, occasionally glancing back at Mi Zhen.
"Hmph, come here. He won't hurt you," Mi Zhen called, waving her hand. The little white dog quickly retreated, leaping into Mi Zhen's arms.
"Is this dog a cat?" Chen Xi muttered, surprised by the dog's agility. Sealing its internal energy was the right choice. Its movements were beyond the norm. "Weren't you training it? Has it learned anything?"
"Hmph, show him," Mi Zhen said proudly, crouching down to put the dog on the ground.
"You can just throw it down; it won't get hurt. Although its internal energy is sealed, it still has a body as tough as refined steel, harder than a rock," Chen Xi commented, glancing at the dog as it circled around Fan Jian's feet, looking pleased. It seemed the dog had quickly learned how to charm people.
Mi Zhen glared at Chen Xi. She wouldn't do such a thing, but arguing with Chen Xi was pointless.
"Hmph, roll over!" The little white dog immediately rolled over on the ground, surprising Chen Xi.
"Hmph, jump!" The dog, still rolling, instantly jumped up.
"Hmph, lift your left paw, lift your right paw, stand up, bow," Mi Zhen ordered proudly, and the dog performed the entire routine, leaving Chen Xi dumbfounded.
"Alright, you can keep the dog, but don't let it bite anyone. As long as it can bark, it's fine," Chen Xi said calmly, as if he didn't care at all.