High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Xu Wuyi walked along the path toward Liang Sixian’s wooden cabin, his pace neither hurried nor slow.

When he reached the door and was about to raise his hand to knock, a calm voice came from within:

”Come in.”

Xu Wuyi pushed the door open and entered.

Liang Sixian was still kneeling before the low table, holding an ancient scroll. Fang Fu stood to the side, organizing a bookshelf.

Seeing Xu Wuyi enter, Liang Sixian set down the scroll and looked up at him.

The moment her gaze fell upon him, a subtle ripple of emotion passed through her eyes.

”Sit.”

Xu Wuyi sat down on the cattail cushion.

”The Heavy Water portion, you’ve achieved Great Success?” Liang Sixian asked directly.

”Yes.” Xu Wuyi nodded. ”The ’living’ aspect of the Heavy Water has been integrated into its essence.”

Liang Sixian was silent for a few seconds before slowly saying, ”Show me.”

Xu Wuyi did not refuse.

He closed his eyes, and his Heart and Spirit sank into his sea of consciousness.

In the next moment, a heavy yet nimble Mental Realm spread out from him.

The air in the wooden cabin suddenly grew heavy, but this time, the ”heaviness” wasn’t static.

It undulated slightly, following some grand and hidden rhythm.

When it contracted, it was as if the entire cabin was being squeezed inward by an invisible hand.

When it expanded, the pressure naturally eased. This contraction and expansion resembled the breathing of a great beast.

Standing to the side, Fang Fu’s expression changed slightly.

She could clearly sense that the aura Xu Wuyi was emitting was more than just a notch stronger than it had been three days ago!

The Mental Realm of ”heaviness” was no longer just a suppression on a physical level. It now possessed an elusive ”vitality,” as if it were alive.

More importantly, the intensity of this aura had faintly surpassed what she understood to be the limits of the Innate Realm.

Liang Sixian sensed it quietly, and a clear trace of admiration finally appeared in her eyes, which were as calm as a deep pool.

”Good.”

She said only one word.

Xu Wuyi retracted his Mental Realm and opened his eyes.

Liang Sixian looked at him and said slowly, ”Xu Wuyi, do you know what Realm you are in now?”

Xu Wuyi thought for a moment. ”The Heavy Water portion has reached Great Success, but the Golden Crow portion has yet to catch up. I suppose I’m still just a High-Tier Innate Martial Artist?”

Liang Sixian shook her head.

”No. You are now a true Quasi-Grandmaster.”

She paused, then added, ”You’ve even gone further than many veteran Martial Artists who have lingered in the Quasi-Grandmaster Realm for years.”

Xu Wuyi was slightly stunned.

’A Quasi-Grandmaster?’

That was the transitional stage after the High Tier of the Innate Realm, just before truly stepping into the Grandmaster Realm.

There were countless Federation Martial Artists, and reaching the Innate Realm already made one one-in-a-hundred. Those who could even touch the threshold of a Quasi-Grandmaster were even rarer.

Most Innate Martial Artists remained stuck at their peak for their entire lives, unable to reach that level.

”The standard for a Quasi-Grandmaster is for their Heart Image to begin possessing ’vitality,’ enabling a deeper resonance with the Heaven and Earth Energy,” Liang Sixian explained.

”Your Heavy Water portion has already achieved this. The change in weight brought on by that ’breathing’ is the most direct manifestation of this ’vitality’.”

”Moreover...” She looked at Xu Wuyi. ”Your ’vitality’ wasn’t simply bestowed; it was born from its very essence. That is very rare.”

Xu Wuyi was silent for a moment before asking, ”Then what am I lacking to become a true Grandmaster?”

”Only the final step.” Liang Sixian held up her index finger. ”The complete fusion of the two parts of your Heart Image.”

”All Innate Martial Artists who have formed a Heart Image from the True Intention of Dual Martial Arts must go through this step.”

”Your Heavy Water and Golden Crow are two sides of the same coin. Right now, one is strong and the other is weak; one is ’living’ and the other is relatively ’still.’ You need to make them truly one.”

Xu Wuyi’s brow furrowed slightly. ”Does that mean the Golden Crow portion also needs a breakthrough to reach a level equal to the Heavy Water before they can fuse?”

This was what confused him the most.

’Right now, my Heavy Water portion overshadows the Golden Crow, and the disparity between them is obvious. If I force a fusion, won’t it lead to an imbalance?’

But Liang Sixian shook her head.

”That’s not necessary, and it might not even be for the best.”

She stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the frigid pool.

”Your Heavy Water and Golden Crow are both parts of your Heart Image; they stem from the same source. What you need to do is not ’fuse’ them, but ’absorb’.”

”Absorb?” Xu Wuyi was puzzled.

”Yes, just like how you combined the ’heaviness’ and ’life’ of the Heavy Water.” Liang Sixian turned around, her gaze calm.

”The Golden Crow represents Heart Fire, representing incineration and purification. The Heavy Water represents Gravity, representing weight and tolerance. They seem to be opposites, but they are in fact complementary.”

”What you need to do is let the ’vitality’ of the Heavy Water ’absorb’ the qualities of the Golden Crow, and let the ’incineration’ of the Golden Crow ’ignite’ the profundity of the Heavy Water.”

”It’s not about making them equal. It’s about letting the stronger side encompass the weaker one, and letting the weaker one supplement the stronger. In the end, they will form a new, complete whole.”

Xu Wuyi fell into deep thought.

Liang Sixian’s words had awakened him from a long-held misconception.

He had always been thinking about making the two ”balanced,” but he had forgotten that the Heart Image was an extension of his own will.

’Since it’s my own will, why should I be constrained by the formality of equality?’

’The Heavy Water is strong, so I should let it take the lead.’

’The Golden Crow is weak, so I should let it merge into the Heavy Water.’

’The key isn’t the strength of the powers, but the ’unification’ of their essence.’

”I understand now.” Xu Wuyi looked up, a flash of understanding in his eyes. ”Thank you for your guidance, Senior.”

Liang Sixian nodded slightly. ”It is good that you understand. Next, you need to stabilize your Cultivation, completely digest the state of Great Success in Heavy Water, and then try to ’absorb’ the Golden Crow.”

”This process may take time, or it could be very quick. It all depends on your own comprehension.”

Xu Wuyi stood up and bowed. ”This junior will do my best.”

Liang Sixian waved her hand. ”Go on. You can continue your Visualization by the frigid pool for the next two days. It will be beneficial for stabilizing your Realm.”

”Yes.”

Xu Wuyi exited the wooden cabin.

Fang Fu walked him to the door and suddenly spoke up, ”Martial Artist Xu, congratulations.”

Her tone was still calm, but her eyes held genuine sincerity.

”Thank you, Instructor Fang.” Xu Wuyi expressed his thanks. ”I am also grateful for your care these past few days.”

Fang Fu shook her head. ”It was my duty. Master rarely gives guidance to outsiders like this. Earning her approval is a testament to your own ability.”

Xu Wuyi smiled, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

For the next two days, Xu Wuyi’s life remained just as disciplined.

At dawn, he would perform Visualization by the frigid pool. He spent his forenoons cultivating *Water Drop* and *Returning Ruins Seal*. In the afternoons, he would converse with Liang Sixian for two hours, and in the evenings, he consolidated his Realm.

His Great Success Realm in Heavy Water gradually stabilized, and his control over its ”vitality” grew more and more adept.

Now, not only could he make the weight of the Heavy Water undulate with his breathing, but he could also, to a certain extent, actively control the magnitude and frequency of the changes.

This meant that in actual combat, his attacks would be even more unpredictable.

A single Water Drop could be as heavy as a mountain one moment and as light as a feather the next, making it impossible for an opponent to predict its trajectory and power.

A single Seal Platform’s suppressive intention could sometimes condense like an awl, and other times spread out like a net, making it impossible to defend against.