Martial research master

"A Qi Monarch is someone who is capable of applying the power of law at an even higher efficiency than a Qi Emperor. A Qi King is someone who connects with law, an Emperor is someone who refines his body with the law, while a Qi Monarch is someone who uses the law energy and manipulates his surroundings. We have an even simpler term to describe that phenomenon." The old man said.

"Domain." Li Meng suddenly said. He regretted opening his mouth a second later. The old man's expression had a hint of surprise when he heard the words. Yet he calmed down faster than a second.

"Yes. A monarch is defined by his domain. The domain is the outer manifestation of your law energy. Just like you need to begin the refining process at the peak of Qi King to enter the emperor level, you need to understand the domain at the peak of the emperor level to enter the realm of Qi Monarch. The step is not easy and is the reason why most of the emperor level cultivators are stuck at their rank."

"Only a Qi Monarch is able to comprehend the true meaning of law and manifest it outside his body with the help of domain."

"What about the higher stages?" Li Meng asked.

"I guess you have earned the right to know some truths about the world of cultivation. Let me start from the beginning. The stages of cultivation are divided into ten levels to be exact. The first stage is called body forging. It is when you cleanse your body with resources to make it capable enough to hold Qi. The next three stages, namely QI Child, Qi Master and Qi general are namely called Qi refining stages."

"It is when a cultivator makes his/her body more and more acquainted with law energy around him and grow his/her power with its help."

"Once you reach the peak of Qi general you are met with the first major bottleneck in the path of cultivation. It is called the realization of laws. A stage where a cultivator connects with the law of the world. the next three stages, namely Qi King, Qi Emperor, and Qi Monarch are called the law refining stages. These are the stages where acultivator connects with a law, refines his body and manifests his/her law domain."

"The last three stages are known by many names all over the world. yet I call it by two names. One is the stages of Dao-refining, and the other is the path of immortality."

"The last three stages are known throughout the world, but very minor information is provided to cultivators who are at the lower levels. The information I am about to give you is not only extremely important but also, it will decide whether or not you can overcome the simplest obstacle which hinders every cultivator in the path of cultivation. It is called your own mind." The old man said.

"The last three stages are called Dominator, Half-saint and saint." The old man said.

"Do you know at what realm the original creator of the Thunder Academy was at?" The old man asked.

"Since it is ruled by Monarchs, I guess that the founder must be a dominator," Leon said.

"The founder of this academy was a peak Half-saint, and might have even reached the saint level since all the records about him have been lost to time."

"Master at what level are you at?" Leon asked.

"I am an advanced Qi Monarch." The old man said. He expected Li Meng to have a surprised expression, but all he got was a nod. He understood that his cultivation was truly nothing in comparison to the founder.

"Do you know the name of the strongest cultivator who appeared within the academy after the founder?" The old man asked.

"No, master. Is it someone famous?" Li Meng asked.

"He is not only famous but also related to you. You have become one of his inheritors." The old man said.

Points began to join in Li Meng's mind, and he seemed to have a rough idea about the person whom the old man was talking about.

"He was called the Mad-Thunder King. He was the only dominator to have appeared after the first-generation founding disciples of the Thunder academy.  The last known record about the Mad-Thunder king states that he had already reached the peak of the Qi Monarch level. He might even have become the second Qi half-saint after the founder himself."

"Let's keep this discussion going for the future. The real reason behind this meeting is the Royal Road. What ideas do you have about it?" The old man asked.

"I know that it is a competition which provides opportunities for a Qi Emperor to advance into a Qi Monarch." Li Meng said.

"Well, it is the general knowledge about the competition. The real truth is that the whole competition is being held on an ancient battlefield. The history would be explained to you just before the competition, but the rough idea is that it is a graveyard where many Qi Monarchs and higher-level cultivators have died. Every participant gets a lot of opportunities to obtain inheritances, resources and even natural treasures."

"You could get weapons, arts and even mysteries which are so profound that your cultivation speed will increase ten-fold." The old man said. "The truth about the domain is unknown to even me, and I don't understand how it operates. Yet it is a huge opportunity for Emperor level cultivator, and only those blow Qi Monarch can enter."

"Has the master experienced the horrors of this battlefield?" Li Meng asked.

"I have. That is the reason why I want my students to excel in the competition. You need to win the competition to get your hands on the ultimate prize." The old man said.

"What is the ultimate prize?" Li Meng asked.

"It changes every year. Yet I can tell you that every winner reaches the Qi monarch level within months of exiting the competition. Some even reached the Qi Monarch level within the battlefield. The highest known record is held by an ancient figure who is famous throughout the central plains. He is known as the White-Dragon Emperor."

Li Meng was shocked by the words. A memory of the past came alive in his brain. The figure of the Black-Dragon emperor came alive in his memory, as he handed down his inheritance and the Black-Dragon sword. The emotion was so strong that even the Black-Dragon sword began to vibrate violently.

"Who is the White Dragon Emperor?" Li Meng asked.

"The White-Dragon Emperor is a legendary figure who emerged as the champion of one of the Royal Road competitions. His record is still alive within the achievement rocks. He managed to reach level 3 Qi Monarch within the competition itself."

"Is he still alive?" Li Meng asked.

"Who can kill such a powerful figure?" The old man said. "He is the sect master of one of the strongest forces within the central plains: 'The twin Dragon sanctum.'"

"What is his cultivation realm as of now?" Li Meng asked.

"He is a Qi Dominator now. He is also known as one of the strongest patriarchs within the central plains." The old man said.

Li Meng's mentality instantly went through a whirlwind. His enemy was a Qi Dominator and one of the strongest within the entire central plains. He remembered his vow with the Black-Dragon monarch. He thought that the White-Dragon Emperor would be a Qi Monarch. Yet Qi Dominator was way beyond his expectations. His future was already marked with a fight against a Qi Dominator.

"He is one of the strongest contenders to have ever attempted Royal Road. He is said to have received the inheritance of an ancient dragon lineage. That inheritance was powerful enough to raise his cultivation level from an ordinary Qi Emperor to a powerful Qi Monarch. That is the reason it is sought after by a lot of cultivators." The old man said.

"Yet, there is a rumour that there are even powerful lineages within the battlefield. I think that your three are talented enough to achieve great things within the competition. The contestants who are appearing as the direct representatives of the academy include you three, Huangfu Hongue, and Thunder Child."

"This competition is not only the hallmark of a powerful cultivator but also a test to choose the next inheritor of the academy." The old man said.

"We will try our best to live up to your expectations master." Li Meng said. He bowed to the old man.

"Now for your reward, I want to give you this." The old man took out a sword and kept it in front of Li Meng.

The sword radiated an ethereal feeling from its body. Li Meng could feel something within his body resonating with the sword. Even the Black-Dragon sword seems to be giving out some hidden message to Li Meng.

"What is this master?" Li Meng asked.

"This is something which I obtained from the time I was in the Royal Road. Just like the White Dragon Emperor, this belonged to the inheritance of an ancient Dragonbolld family. I couldn't use it due to my inability, and neither can your senior brothers."

"Their art doesn't resonate with this sword. For the first time since I found it, it showed a response to the art you used. It leads me to think that you are the fated one.