“If you can lift this mountain with equal force, then you have just entered the first stage of mastering the ability to resist mountains with your strength!” Guan Yi exclaimed as he put down the mountain. In an instant, the surrounding land rumbled, and the hellish creatures living in the mountains and forests were frightened and fled in all directions.
“Go ahead, give it a try!”
“Sure!” Bexia nodded. Just now, Guan Yi had allowed him to feel the immense power of lifting up the mountain along with his consciousness. This marvelous control of power made him feel amazed and somewhat longing for it. Especially now, when he was completely unaccustomed to controlling his own strength, learning a little bit of Guan Yi's extraordinary power control methods would probably help him easily control his physical strength very well.
However, having such thoughts was futile. The reality was brutal – Bexia wanting to lift this continuous mountain was simply wishful thinking because his strength was nowhere near enough.
“I almost forgot that your strength falls short even of immortals!” Guan Yi smacked his head, casually lifted up a big mountain, and threw it directly onto Bexia's back.
“Boom!” Bexia felt a weight on his back, followed by a tremendous force pressing down on him. The lower part of his legs beneath his knees sank into the ground, and the bones in his body made some creaking sounds under the unbearable weight.
“The weight on this mountain is definitely within your range of strength, so practice with it first!” Guan Yi said, jumping to the mountaintop and pointing to a distant blurry peak, “Liuyan Xu also made a bet with me. If you can comprehend the ability to resist mountains and achieve some success before returning to Tianwang Mountain, I will teach you ‘moving rivers with strength’ and ‘bearing the heavens and earth’ for free.”
“Of course! And if you can't manage it, no worries. Just bring more worldly wine, and I will teach you the tricks of moving rivers with strength!”
“No problem, then let Tianwang remember this promise!” Bexia, struggling to lift the mountain on his back, said with a smile, “Whether I can learn it or not, I will treat Tianwang to a drink when the time comes!”
“Just call me Guan Yi. Based on what you just said, I will consider you a friend!” Guan Yi was in a great mood, holding a large red wine cup and continued drinking. Then his voice floated back to Bexia's ears.
“You can only resist the mountain with physical strength!”
“Alright…” Bexia said, unwittingly bending over a bit again. Without the support of energy, his strength diminished significantly, leading to a much greater pressure on him.
“Phew!” Bexia let out a light breath. Instead of moving, he recalled the feeling Guan Yi had given him just now, slowly pondering over it in his mind.
As Guan Yi had just mentioned, bearing mountains was not just about having great physical strength; it required an extreme control over one’s strength. All strength was interconnected. To acquire greater strength, you had to expend an equal or greater amount of energy. The so-called extraordinary strength control broke free from these shackles, amplifying gained strength while minimizing expended energy. It was like how one person could lift a bag of rice with a hundred pounds of force with one punch, while another could do the same with only fifty pounds. The difference between the two would then be starkly highlighted, and that was the secret to extraordinary strength control.
To exert the greatest effect with the smallest amount of energy expended, even breaking through the bounds of the universe, erupting with immense power without needing to exert any strength – just like how Guan Yi had effortlessly lifted a mountain earlier.
Bexia didn't aim to reach Guan Yi's terrifying level of strength control. Just maintaining a balance in energy output would already surpass most cultivators. If he could achieve the level of proficiency that Guan Yi had described, it would be a ratio of one to two!
“Boom!” Bexia struggled to take a step, and immediately the mountain burst with a thunderous noise, countless rocks rolling down.
“It's not just you who possesses strength; this mountain also has its own strength. If you can only control your own strength, you will never comprehend the extraordinary strength control!” Guan Yi said, patting the mountain on his buttocks.
“Resisting mountains not only involves controlling your own strength, but also being able to control external forces, just like this mountain. Its strength is irregular, heavier in some places and lighter in others… You must fully utilize your strength, find the balance point of the mountain, or it will tremble!”
“Boom!” Indeed, just as Guan Yi had said, before Bexia's footsteps could stabilize, the mountain on his back became unbalanced in weight distribution. Some parts started to crack extensively, and it seemed like the entire mountain was on the verge of shattering.
“Do you feel it? This is caused by the imbalance of power. The intensity of force differs in every part of the mountain. You must learn to control your power so you can carry the mountain without causing damage, even to the point where I can't feel any movement!”
“This…” Bexia was a bit speechless; this thing was indeed not easy to learn!
Nevertheless, Bexia remained undaunted. He had just started learning, and with Guan Yi's explanations, his understanding of resisting mountains became even deeper. Understanding is the prophet of practice. If Bexia could understand, he could learn. If he couldn't even comprehend, how could he ever hope to master such a powerful ability?
“Let's forget about it. First, focus on mastering your own and external forces…” Guan Yi felt he might have set the bar too high, so he added, “Master your own strength… Master external forces…”
