High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

The heavy alloy door slid silently open, and a scent—a mixture of old paper from ancient books and energy Crystal Stones—wafted out.

The interior of the management office was more spacious than imagined, but the light was dim.

Two rows of tall metal shelves were neatly lined with various relics. Each item had a placard beneath it, indicating the donor’s name and a brief description.

”Xu Wuyi?”

A middle-aged administrator in a gray uniform looked up from behind a workbench. He wore a pair of old-fashioned glasses with thick lenses, making him look like a relic restorer.

”That’s me.”

”Teacher Han Mo already notified us.” The administrator stood up and took an electronic voucher from a drawer. ”Grandmaster Yue Lianshan’s relic, item number A-073, is in storage room seventeen. Please, follow me.”

The two of them walked past the two rows of metal shelves and came to an alloy door in the depths of the office. The administrator performed a dual iris and fingerprint scan, and the door opened.

Storage room seventeen wasn’t large, only about ten square meters. A stone pedestal stood in the center, and a black metal box rested on top of it.

”That’s the one,” the administrator said, pointing at the box. ”According to regulations, the recipient is required to complete the handover confirmation right here.”

Xu Wuyi walked up to the stone pedestal.

The metal box had no decorations on its surface and was cool to the touch.

He opened the lid. The inside was lined with deep red velvet, and a round, fist-sized stone was embedded in the center.

The stone was a uniform dark red, its surface as smooth as a mirror, with no visible texture or imperfections.

It was unbelievably round, as if polished by the most precise machine, but Xu Wuyi could sense that it was no artificial creation.

Because a powerful flame aura emanated from within the stone.

The aura wasn’t scorching; instead, it carried a profound weight, as if accumulated over countless ages.

Xu Wuyi reached out and touched the round stone. A warm sensation spread from his fingertip, as if a flame were burning slowly within it.

”So this is what Grandmaster Yue left behind...” he muttered to himself.

The administrator stood at the doorway without entering, just waiting quietly.

Xu Wuyi took the round stone out and held it in his hand.

The warmth spread through his palm. He could feel that as his *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace* technique circulated, the Golden Crow Illusion within his Heart Image trembled slightly, as if it sensed something in the stone.

”I confirm receipt,” Xu Wuyi said, turning around.

The administrator nodded and tapped a few times on his work tablet. ”The paperwork is complete. The inventory of Grandmaster Yue’s relics notes that this is a ’Fire Source Stone’ from the ruins of some ancient civilization. Its specific purpose is unknown, only that it’s related to Flame True Intention.”

”Fire Source Stone...” Xu Wuyi repeated the name.

’This probably isn’t the stone’s original name, but one given to it by Grandmaster Yue and the other Federation People after they found it.’

By the time he left the Heritage Management Office, it was nearly dusk.

Instead of returning to the Hidden Dragon Garden, Xu Wuyi went to the observation deck on the mountain behind Star Martial University. The area was usually deserted, making it a quiet place suitable for contemplation.

He sat by the railing of the observation deck and took out two items.

In his left hand was the Fire Source Stone left by Grandmaster Yue, and in his right was the Crimson Jade Pendant gifted to him by the Flame Venerable.

The jade pendant felt warm in his hand, but Xu Wuyi could sense that its warmth was slowly fading.

The Heart Fire aura sealed within the pendant was at least thirty percent weaker than a month ago. At this rate, it would become nothing more than an ordinary piece of jade in a few months.

As for the Fire Source Stone...

Xu Wuyi placed the two items side by side in his palm and carefully perceived them.

Although the pendant’s aura was dissipating, it remained pure and vibrant. These were the Traits of the Flame Venerable’s Heart Fire, imbued with a life-like Spiritual quality.

The Fire Source Stone’s aura, in contrast, was far more ancient and profound, as if it had been settling for eons. The Flame within wasn’t burning, but simply existing, eternal.

”Both are forms of Flame True Intention, but their very nature is different,” Xu Wuyi murmured.

’The Flame Venerable’s Heart Fire is a flame cultivated by a Martial Artist using their own will and Qi and Blood. It’s alive, possessing a Spiritual quality. But that quality is destined to fade one day.’

’But the Flame in the Fire Source Stone is more like the physical manifestation of a natural Rule of the world. It is lifeless, yet eternal and indestructible.’

He put the pendant away, cradled the Fire Source Stone in both hands, and began to probe it with his Spiritual Power.

The Golden Crow Illusion within his Heart Image trembled again, and his dark-gold Spiritual Power probed into the stone like fine threads.

But the next moment, Xu Wuyi’s brow furrowed.

The instant his Spiritual Power touched the stone’s core, it was blocked by an invisible barrier.

The barrier wasn’t solid; it could even be described as gentle. Yet, it was incredibly resilient. No matter how he channeled his Spiritual Power, he couldn’t penetrate it in the slightest.

It was like looking through a transparent membrane; he could see the Flame flowing within the stone but could not truly touch it.

’Is there a restriction? Or... does it require a special method?’

Xu Wuyi tried for half an hour before finally abandoning his attempts to force his way in.

’Since this Fire Source Stone was left by Grandmaster Yue, he must have had a purpose for it. If I try to force my way in, I might damage the True Intention contained inside.’

He put away the Fire Source Stone and gazed at the setting sun as it slowly sank behind the distant mountain ridge.

’I’ll stabilize my Realm first and study this slowly later.’

...

After returning to Villa 7 in the Hidden Dragon Garden, Xu Wuyi went straight into the Cultivation Room.

He didn’t immediately start studying the Fire Source Stone. Instead, he opened his personal terminal and pulled up the content for the Great Success portion of the *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace*.

He had been practicing this Body Refining Technique since his time as a Martial Artist. From the Entry Level to Minor Achievement, and now to Great Success, each stage had a different focus for his training.

Xu Wuyi enlarged the light screen and began to read carefully.

”The beginning of the Innate Realm is Heart Image Manifestation, a communication with heaven and earth. This is the cornerstone of the path to becoming a Grandmaster...”

The opening sentence immediately clarified the core of Innate cultivation.

During the Martial Master Stage, a Martial Artist cultivates their own Qi and Blood and Spirit. The Heart Image is merely an internal landscape, a crystallization of their Martial Arts Will.

After reaching the Innate Realm, however, the Heart Image manifests externally, becoming a bridge that connects the Martial Artist to the world. Through their Heart Image, Martial Artists can leverage external Energy to unleash all kinds of abilities that defy logic.

Therefore, the focus of cultivation at the Innate Level is no longer simply to strengthen one’s Qi and Blood, but to enhance the Heart Image and deepen its connection with the world.

The content of the Great Success Chapter of the *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace* was centered entirely around this point.

Xu Wuyi flipped through the pages one by one.

The core of the Great Success Chapter was to completely fuse the ”Melting Furnace True Intention” of the *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace* with one’s Heart Image. It involved using the Heart Image as the furnace and the world as fuel to constantly temper the Heart Image, making it progressively stronger until it reached the Realm of ”Indestructible Heart Image, Eternal True Intention.”

This was perfectly in line with Grandmaster Yue’s Martial Arts philosophy.

’No wonder Teacher Han said this Fire Source Stone would be useful to me,’ Xu Wuyi thought.

’Grandmaster Yue cultivated the Melting Furnace True Intention, and the Flame Rules contained within the Fire Source Stone are very likely from the same source.’

’If I can comprehend its mysteries, it will be immensely beneficial to my practice of the *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace*.’

He continued reading.