Path/Combat Technique

Once a cultivator forms a path, he starts working on a combat technique unique to him. **Chapter 812**

The stages of combat technique:

* **Formation Stage.** In this stage, a cultivator gradually creates a technique suited to his temperament, build, weapon of choice, Daos, and so on. Bit by bit, he incrementally improves his technique until he’s reached the limit of what he can accomplish. At the peak of perfection, this technique allows him to utilize every fiber of his being to accomplish hisr goals The vast majority of cultivators take a shortcut for this stage, they choose to walk in the footsteps of their predecessors, learning established techniques before anything else. It is a central part of a proper heritage. **Chapter 812**
* **Integration Stage**. A cultivator's Dao and technique become one as he directly instills the heavenly truths he hasgained into every action he takes.  Striking will be as effortless as taking a breath, but as powerful as a thunderclap. The difference between someone who has entered the Integration stage and someone who hasn’t is almost as palpable as the difference between someone who has infused their skill with their Dao and someone who hasn’t. At this stage, even those who follow a Heritage have to reinvent the technique they learned growing up, adapting it to perfectly suit their path. This is an impassable barrier for most, even Hegemons, when they have to transition from being a follower to a leader. Also, it is theoretically easier to step into the integration stage the lower a cultivator's Daos are. **Chapter 812**
* **Conception Stage**. The perfect fusion of technique and Dao gives birth to something greater than the sum of its parts. It allows a cultivator to bring forth might that rival that of skills with a simple swing of his blade. Not a peak of the technique, but it’s enough to become a foundation when confirming Dao. **Chapter 812**
* **Domain of Worldly Laws.** It requires an extremely deep understanding of the Dao. **Chapter 812**

By the words of **Pavina**, less than 1% of all Divine Monarchs have mastered the Conception Stage. Mages generally don’t train in this way. It's mostly infighters who follow this path, and many of them don’t even put that much weight into integrating their Dao with their technique. **Chapter 812**

Elevating technique doesn’t come easy to most people, while **Zac** appears to be decently talented in this regard. Most are better off working on other methods to improve themselves. **Chapter 812**

So just a few of all Monarchs focus on perfecting technique. But all Divine Monarchs have inherently entered the **Integration Stage** based on their understanding of the Dao alone. **Chapter 812**

Elevating a technique unique to a cultivator is one of Path methods. **Chapter 812**

He'd entered the Middle Mastery of the Integration stage, mostly thanks to Ultom's impartment. It had perfected the patterns on his blueprints, which in turn had elevated his technique. And it wasn't a case of barely breaking through either. **Chapter 974**

## Commentary

* The past years had been spent under the yoke of hostile and opposing Daos. His technique and convictions had been under constant attack by truths that were often far more refined than his own. Now that the encouraging winds of Conflict had replaced the suppression, he felt like he'd been reborn. There was a fluidity to his motions he hadn't felt before, a deeper connection to his technique. The years of suffering had brought a reward beyond treasures and Mana. **Chapter 1,026**
* The two techniques were based on his Daos and were just Middle Dao Branches. That level of understanding wasn't enough to reach the higher stages of techniques. **Chapter 1,048**