Chương 144: Dao concepts

"Dao of music?" Long Feng muttered as he watched Hua Liuli pull the zither strings three more times before she stood up and put it away. Meanwhile, all the beasts at the lead of the horde were dead, their corpses laying around without any visible signs of injuries or struggles.

"I never knew that Young master Yu was a music dao cultivator." Yan Jian spoke with a dazed face. The music Dao was an extremely elusive Dao that was very hard to comprehend, yet it's power was stunning, as they could see.

"I also had no idea." Long Feng replied, feeling similarly surprised. Then he turned to Hua Liuli, "But why did your Dao energy feel different? You emitted an aura that exceeded anything my Dao can achieve. Is it unique to the Dao of music alone?" He asked. Hearing his question, Hua Liuli's face shone with pride.

"Of course it's nothing unique. It was much stronger only due to my impressive level of the music concept! I recently reached the fourth level of my Music Dao concept!" She replied proudly. From her pride, it was obvious that this achievement was something great. It was possible that this was a very rare feat. Alas, Long Feng understood nothing of what she just said and he stared at her blankly. What the hell was she saying? Music concept? Fourth concept? The only person who had a reaction was Yan Jian.

His eyes revealed shock and he staggered.

"F-fourth concept? Impossible!" He exclaimed.

"How is it impossible? Open your eyes wide!" Hua Liuli giggled.

"Ahem." Long Feng coughed softly.

"Sorry to interrupt, but what is a concept?" Long Feng asked. Hua Liuli stared at him blankly for a minute, then slapped her palm on her forehead and shook her head.

"When you comprehend a dao, you will need to slowly understand and comprehend more of that Dao, until you achieve a stage we call, Concepts. This is what we call the concept of a Dao, which Is divided into nine levels. According to rumors and myths, only when you surpass the ninth level concept of a dao can you breakthrough to the legendary realm beyond the Imperial real. I am currently at the fourth concept of music!" Hua Liuli explained slowly, sulking at how her great achievement was being completely underrated.

They didn't even know what concepts were. How would they understand the level of her feat? Fortunately, Yan jian seemed to know a thing or two. Long Feng raised his brow curiously.

"What kind of increase in strength does a higher concept brings?" he asked. Hua Liuli seemed eager to reply and wasted no time before explaining.

"Most Yang realm cultivators can't even achieve the first concept level in their dao. Few talented geniuses can barely reach the second and third concept before reaching the spirit realm. And as for the benefit, if a rank three Yang realm cultivator who has reached the rank one concept, fights a rank four Yang cultivator who has no concept, the rank three cultivator would have a higher chance of winning. The higher the concept you have reached, the stronger you would be. Concept directly increases combat power.

After all, at higher realms like the Yang realm and Spirit realm, combat power would nearly completely vanish. Even for you, it'll be great if you can cross over a single level at the peak Yang realm." She paused and pointed at Long Feng before continuing.

"At those realms, things like Dao concepts would be the main factors that'll decide a battle. Martial skills level, understanding of the skills, comprehensions, these are the factors that will matter then. It'll be impossible to have combat power without a real advantage in some ways.

"Take me as an example. Although I am only at rank five Yang realm, with my concept, I can defeat an ordinary rank seven Yang cultivator and fight on par with ordinary rank eight." Stolen novel; please report. Long Feng was pleasantly surprised after hearing about concepts. He didn't know about all these at all. His mind wandered and he began to wonder if any of his Dao had reached the level of concept.

"What level is my sword dao?" Long Feng asked as he released his sword energy. Hua Liuli observed the sword energy with a frown before she giggled.

"You haven't even comprehended the sword dao, not to speak of turning it into concept. You're merely playing around with the sword. I know someone who has reached the third sword dao concept. In front of him, you are no different from a child holding a wooden sword for the first time." Long Feng shrugged without expressing any changes in his emotions. He had more or less expected that. He had not bothered to comprehend the sword dao before.

"It looks like I will have to spend some time sharpening my sword comprehension." He thought.

"What of my demon dao?" Long Feng asked again as his demon energy seeped out of him. Hua Liuli's eyes raised up in surprise.

"This… You have reached the first concept of demon dao!" Long Feng smiled calmly. Compared to her rank four concept, he was still far behind.

"Brother Yu, what of my flame dao?" Yan Jian hurried over and released a wisp of his flame.

"Oh? You have also reached the first level Flame concept?" Hua Liuli muttered in slight amazement, surprising both Long Feng and Yan Jian. Long Feng figured that it was probably due to Yan Jian's unique flame bloodline.

"Li Yue'er, show brother Yu your Dao. Come on!" Yan Jian excitedly rushed to Li Yu'er's side and pestered. Furrowing her brows, Li Yue'er released a wisp of her ice energy. The result was that she had also reached the first concept. Before they could celebrate though, several dozens of black earth lizards charged at them, emanating the fierce aura of mid and peak Yin level.

"Ah. We completely forgot about them." Yan jian laughed lightly, realizing that they completely overlooked the current threat.

"They seem angry. Rightfully." Long Feng agreed.

"There is definitely a Yang level beast leading them." Hua Liuli said.

"We'll finish this conversation later!"

"Stay as far away as you can!" Long Feng took out a Yin armament which he had robbed from the Wuma clan's treasury back at the Jianhai province and released his rank nine Yin realm aura. Ever since he broke through back while being chased by limitless blood assassin, he hadn't managed to fully consolidate his cultivation. This was the perfect moment for him to do that through battle.

"Leave the peak Yin level beasts to me!" He spoke as he released his sword energy. He didn't intend to use any other skills other than his sword skills in other to use this opportunity to hone his sword Dao. After all, he felt far more close to the sword than the demon Dao.

"Are you sure about that?" Yan Jian called out but Long Feng had already charged straight towards the stronger Black Earth lizards, wildly waving his swords around and releasing countless sword lights.

"As I said, his sword skills are pitiful. Is he so reckless everytime?" Hua Liuli asked. Yan Jian shook his head with a bitter smile.

"You don't know the half of it. He's like the most reckless person I know. He may not look it but his body can really take a damn good beating. He is used to getting beaten up often anyways." Long Feng swung his sword. Actually, he was simply waving it around, but that was to be expected as his achievement in the sword path was negligible. If Long Feng had to compare, He would say that Han Man's sword concept was at the first level and his Ice Dao could have even been at the second level!

It was only by using the Origin Spirit Sword that Long Feng was able to defeat him. Otherwise, he would have certainly lost. He had truly underestimated Han Man. Therefore, he was using the Black Earth lizards to strengthen his sword. Truthfully, with his Yang level combat prowess, he was simply bullying these Yin level beasts by fighting them. Even with his unsightly and even embarrassing sword skills, he was still cutting down these lizards as easily as smashing dried grasses.

Grey blood soon began flowing on the floor as tens of beasts died in a minute. The gray blood was extremely poisonous; so poisonous that the grasses which it touched instantly sizzled and dried off. Long Feng made sure to keep his distance from the black earth lizards and their gray blood. And if one was to observe, they would notice that he was slowly getting better at waving his sword. It wasn't as disordered as before; an obvious sign that he was getting better at controlling his sword.

Even then, he was far away from reaching the level of concept.

"This is getting me nowhere!" Long Feng sighed inwardly. He had already killed all the stronger Yin level beasts. The rest were not worth his attention. Yan Jian and Li Yu'er could easily take care of them.

"Of course it would take you nowhere. Before you practice the sword, you need to use a suitable sword manual as well as a true teacher. If people can cultivate as wildly as you and still be sword cultivators, then sword masters wouldn't be so rare in the world." Hua Liuli replied with a chuckle. Before Long Feng could reply, a growl sounded from a distance and it was filled with fury. Moreover, by hearing the deel growl, Long Feng needed no one to tell him which level the incoming beast was at.

"The Yang level beast leading the horde!" A large lizard appeared. It's length was size of an adult and it was huge as well. It's eyes were bloodshot and its entire being emanated an aura of bloodlust.

"It's a rank two Yang realm Black Earth lizard. I can deal with it!" Hua Liuli muttered as range took out her zither again.

"Close your ears!" she spoke to the other three before sitting down cross legged. Long Feng, Yan Jian and Li Yu'er instantly blocked off their hearing. Hua Liuli gazed at the approaching Black Earth lizard and slowly and delicately caressed her zither. A calming aura emerged from her body and the area a few meters around her became peaceful and solemn. The approaching Black Earth lizard instantly felt a chill up it's spine and it slowed down it's charge, staring at Hua Liuli with a wary gaze.

Wild beasts had no sanity, so it wasn't able to sense the danger. It merely felt that she was a threat, which further ignited it's bloodlust. As Hua Liuli began pulling the strings of the zither, the Black Earth lizards around including the leader all shivered. Even Long Feng and the other two who sealed off their hearing still felt their hearts shake slightly and a weird calm engulfed them. A minute later, Hua Liuli's tune suddenly changed, becoming faster and harsher.

The melodious music seemed to have transformed into the sharpest weapon in the world. Immense killing intent replaced the calm in the area and Long Feng felt his skin prickle as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. He had to admit that if he was he one facing the current Hua Liuli, he would not be able to resist. She was so annoying and carefree but her strength was shocking. She wasn't to be underestimated. A few breaths worth of time later, Hua Liuli stopped playing the zither.

All that was left in place of the Black Earth lizards was a finger deep pool of gray blood. Even the Yang level beast was nowhere to be seen!