High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

The war continued, and so did the retaliation.

And he needed to become stronger.

Xu Wuyi walked back to the center of the Cultivation Room and sat down cross-legged.

This time, he held nothing back.

In his sea of consciousness, the Dark Gold Mountain Body rumbled, and the Golden Crow Illusion spread its wings with a long cry.

The Power of Heart Image surged like a tide, washing against the final threshold.

Ten days of polishing had solidified his foundation.

It was time.

Xu Wuyi closed his eyes and channeled the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace with all his might.

His Qi and Blood surged within him like boiling magma in a furnace. The dark gold Heart Fire blazed, tempering every strand of Qi and Blood to greater purity.

At the same time, the Golden Crow Carrying the Earth Visualization Method operated in sync.

Inside his sea of consciousness, the Dark Gold Mountain Body began to tremble.

The rock-like patterns on the mountain’s surface lit up layer by layer, emitting a dense, dark gold light.

Atop the summit, the Golden Crow Illusion threw back its head and cried out. The flame runes on its feathers fully activated, and incandescent white flames shot toward the sky.

The Heart Image Manifestation wasn’t forced; it was a natural culmination.

Xu Wuyi could feel the connection between his Heart Image and himself undergoing a qualitative change.

If the Heart Image was previously a weapon he had to actively control, it was now becoming a part of his body, an extension of his Martial Arts Will.

The Mental Realm of the mountain and the Golden Crow Power—two True Intentions that were once somewhat opposed—were now completely merging in the process of Heart Image Manifestation.

The mountain supported the fire, and the fire tempered the mountain.

The two complemented each other, constructing a complete microcosm.

This was the Innate realm.

The Heart Image manifested externally, integrated perfectly with his Qi and Blood and Spirit, forming a self-sustaining and unending cycle.

Inside the Cultivation Room, a dark gold radiance emanated from Xu Wuyi’s body.

At first, it was just a faint halo, but it grew brighter and more solid.

Within the light, the illusion of a miniature mountain range slowly appeared.

The mountain’s body was entirely dark gold, its rock layers stacked with clear textures.

Atop its peak, a Golden Crow spread its wings. The flame runes on its feathers flowed, emitting a scorching and majestic aura.

The illusion was initially only the size of a palm, but as Xu Wuyi willed it, it began to slowly expand.

One foot, two feet, three feet...

When the illusion grew to be the same size as Xu Wuyi, it abruptly solidified.

It was no longer a phantom of light and shadow, but a solid entity that seemed to be forged from dark gold rock and incandescent white flame.

Heart Image Manifestation, complete!

Xu Wuyi opened his eyes.

The Dark Gold Mountain Body Heart Image hovered silently behind him, the mountain majestic, the Golden Crow perched upon it.

The Heart Image was intimately connected to his Qi and Blood, constantly nourishing him with pure Energy.

He extended his hand, and with a slight thought,

the Dark Gold Mountain Body Heart Image abruptly shrank, turning into a streak of light that entered his palm, forming a faint, dark gold pattern beneath his skin.

With another thought, the Heart Image manifested again.

He could retract and release it freely, as if it were an extension of his own limbs.

This was the power of an Innate Martial Artist.

Xu Wuyi could feel that the moment he broke through, his Life Energy Level had leaped to an entirely new plane.

The bottleneck that had him stuck at Level 39.9 was gone, replaced by Qi and Blood as vast as the sea and an even more condensed Spiritual Power.

The Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace technique had also reached Great Success.

His Heart Fire had completely merged with his Heart Image, becoming a part of the Golden Crow’s flame.

From now on, he no longer needed to deliberately circulate his Cultivation Technique. The innate tempering effect of his Heart Image would constantly refine his Qi and Blood and Spirit.

Xu Wuyi stood up and stretched his limbs.

A soft crackling sound came from his bones, and the circulation of his Qi and Blood created a rumbling like wind and thunder.

When he simply clenched his fist, the surrounding air faintly distorted, as if unable to withstand the force.

”Finally...”

Xu Wuyi took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement.

The Innate realm was a major watershed on the path of Martial Arts.

Only by crossing this threshold could one truly be considered to have stepped onto the path of the strong, to have earned the right to participate in the war between civilizations.

Just then, his personal terminal vibrated.

Xu Wuyi opened it. It was a message from Hong Nianyi.

”Grandmaster Yue’s memorial service. Tomorrow, nine in the morning, Xingjing Hall of Heroes. Can you make it?”

Xu Wuyi was silent for two seconds, then replied, ”I’ll be there.”

After sending the message, he went to the Cultivation Room’s shower, rinsed off, and changed into a clean black tracksuit.

Tomorrow, he would attend Grandmaster Yue’s final send-off as an Innate Martial Artist.

「The next day, 8:30 AM. Xingjing Hall of Heroes.」

It was a solemn and stately white building situated on Hero Mountain in the eastern suburbs of Xingjing City.

Buried here were all the heroes who had died fighting for their civilization since the founding of the Federation.

Several hundred people had already gathered in the square before the Hall of Heroes.

Most were Martial Artists—military generals, academy instructors, and members of the younger generation like Xu Wuyi.

Everyone was dressed in dark clothing, their expressions somber.

Xu Wuyi saw many familiar faces in the crowd.

Pan Yan, Zhao Qingwei... even Qiao Zhiyao was here. She had come with her father; the Qiao Family had also been on good terms with Grandmaster Yue. ’How unpredictable life is,’ he thought.

Xu Wuyi didn’t go over to greet them, just stood silently at the back of the crowd.

His gaze swept through the crowd, quickly finding Hong Nianyi.

She was standing below the steps of the Hall of Heroes, still in a black tracksuit, her long hair tied in a ponytail, her posture as straight as a spear.

But Xu Wuyi could see that her face was paler than before, and her aura was somewhat weak.

’An injury to one’s foundation isn’t something that can heal in a short time.’

Hong Nianyi sensed his gaze and turned to look.

Their eyes met.

Hong Nianyi nodded, and Xu Wuyi nodded in return.

No words were exchanged, but they both understood the meaning in each other’s eyes.

At nine o’clock sharp, the main doors of the Hall of Heroes slowly opened.

A middle-aged man in a military uniform with a general’s star on his shoulder stepped out. He was the military representative in charge of presiding over the memorial service.

”Everyone, please observe three minutes of silence for Grandmaster Yue Lianshan and all the heroic spirits who perished in the Battle of the Broken Star Belt.”

The square fell silent in an instant.

Everyone bowed their heads and stood in solemn silence.

Xu Wuyi closed his eyes.

The image of the dark red Volcanic Wood Carving appeared in his mind. He recalled what Teacher Han Mo had said when handing him the wooden box, and how Grandmaster Yue, despite never having met him, had given him such a precious gift.

’It’s a debt of gratitude I haven’t had a chance to repay.’

The three minutes of silence ended.

The military representative began to read the eulogy, recounting Grandmaster Yue’s life, his achievements on the Star Realm Battlefield, and the story of his heroic sacrifice: fighting three Alien Race Divine Beings to the death to cover his comrades’ retreat.

Xu Wuyi listened quietly, engraving every word into his heart.

By now, he already knew how brutal that battle had been.

All three Federation Grandmasters had been wiped out. The eleven Divine Being-level experts from the Alien Race had joined forces, yet four of them still died in the Broken Star Belt, and the rest were all injured.

The battle had in fact resulted in mutual destruction, which was why the Federation’s subsequent retaliation had been so unstoppable.

”...Grandmaster Yue Lianshan’s life was a life spent fighting for the Federation. His blood was not shed in vain, and his spirit will forever inspire those who follow.”

”Today, we are here to bid farewell to a hero. Tomorrow, we will continue his unfinished work, until victory, until peace.”