"Just by the look of their bearing and demeanor, one can tell they are reasonable people." Seeing them, Xu Ying couldn't help but feel an instinctive warmth.
Zhai Wuxian said, "Young as Xu Ying is, he knows the realms beyond current martial arts. He even knows the realm Wu Tianzun is about to break through to."
Hearing those words, the crowd's ardent gazes converged upon Xu Ying.
Xu Ying immediately felt immense pressure crash down upon him. The sheer martial spirits of these peerless experts bore down on him, giving him a suffocating sensation!
"Do you truly know the realms of martial arts?"
Yuan Shidao was so agitated tears welled in his fierce eyes. In a trembling voice, he asked, "Are the realms of the Martial Dao truly not Innate Level 1,000, 10,000, or even a million?"
The valiant woman also asked with keen anticipation, "Is the pinnacle of martial arts indeed the realm Wu Tianzun is about to break into—Innate Level 1,000,000?"
Another old man pressed, "After cultivating to that realm, does a path still lie ahead?"
Xu Ying looked at them, hesitating.
These people were the strongest beings in the Taichu World across thousands of years. Every one of them was a legend of the Taichu World, possessing not only its greatest martial power, but also its greatest intellect.
In this barren world where cultivation was impossible, they had carved out a unique path entirely through the Martial Dao.
Yet could these supreme figures of the Martial Dao truly accept that there were further realms above them, and that those who attained such realms were as numerous as crossing carp?
Xu Ying collected his thoughts and said, "Everyone, from the first level of the Innate realm to the thousandth is called the Qi Harvesting stage. From the thousandth level to the ten-thousandth is called the Pass-Breaching stage, where one knocks on the Weilu mystic pass. From the ten-thousandth level to the hundred-thousandth is the Cross-Refinement stage, where one refines a Martial Dao Golden Core. From the hundred-thousandth to the millionth is called the Second Pass-Breaching stage, where one knocks on the Jiaji mystic pass. Surpassing the millionth level brings one to the Twelve-Story Pavilion stage, where one forms a Martial Dao Primordial Spirit."
He explained it all in detail, laying out the Jade Lake stage, the Divine Bridge stage, and the Third Pass-Breaching stage, concluding, "At the Third Pass-Breaching stage, one opens the Yuzhen heavenly pass. Once here, one enters the Ascension stage. If one can survive the Heavenly Tribulation, one can ascend as an immortal, becoming an immortal who entered the Dao through martial arts!"
The crowd listened, dumbstruck and utterly dazed.
Seeing this, Xu Ying sighed inwardly.
These peerless geniuses held themselves in the highest esteem, untiringly pursuing the ultimate truth and final realm of the Martial Dao.
Yet learning that their lifelong pursuit of wisdom had brought them only to the opening stages of the cultivation realms—the shock of such a blow was easy to imagine.
Yuan Shidao murmured, "So the realms are that simple... So realms don't have to reach millions of levels. Dammit, every time I wondered what realm I was in, I had to count from scratch. Sometimes when I broke through too many times, I'd forget whether I was at several hundreds of thousands of Innate levels."
Everyone on the Other Shore of the Martial Dao shared the sentiment.
Especially for those among them who had reached the Second Pass-Breaching stage, possessing hundreds of thousands of Innate levels, they had to count their Innate true qi layer by layer on their fingers.
Those in the Pass-Breaching stage had it relatively easy; once one reached the Twelve-Story Pavilion stage, one would have to count by millions. If one broke through to the Jade Lake stage and Divine Bridge stage, surely no martial artist would ever be able to keep track of how many Innate levels they had cultivated!
"So even I have only just cultivated to the midpoint."
An aged voice drifted from the center of the Other Shore of the Martial Dao. Xu Ying looked toward the sound, seeing golden light flooding the firmament where a twelve-story golden pavilion stood tall between heaven and earth—vast, solemn, suppressing all things!
"The Twelve-Story Pavilion stage, the Twelve-Storyed Mansions!"
Xu Ying's heart stirred. Wu Tianzun manifesting the Twelve-Storyed Mansions proved that he had already forged a Martial Dao Primordial Spirit!
This was an unprecedented achievement!
Wu Tianzun was almost certainly the first person in history to cultivate to the Twelve-Story Pavilion stage and form a Primordial Spirit solely through the Martial Dao, without refining qi or practicing Nuo!
"Wu Tianzun has emerged from seclusion!"
Surprised and overjoyed, the crowd hurried toward the Twelve-Storyed Mansions. Zhai Wuxian told Xu Ying, "Follow me!"
Xu Ying followed him to the base of the Twelve-Storyed Mansions, where an old man with white hair sat cross-legged before the pavilion. All around him, phantom figures of white-haired elders flickered into view, performing all kinds of fist techniques, sword techniques, and saber techniques with rhythmic precision!
Those were not Wu Tianzun's physical body, but his spirit.
His martial spirit was so intensely condensed that it even affected reality; whenever he pondered, various martial techniques manifested in physical space!
As Xu Ying and the others arrived, the figures around Wu Tianzun merged back into his body one by one, vanishing without a trace.
'His thoughts have achieved Taiyi.'
Xu Ying admired him inwardly. 'He never cultivated the Taiyi Guiding Technique, yet by groping in the dark alone, he managed to temper his thoughts to this level. Truly extraordinary. Even with the Taiyi Guiding Technique, I only managed to attain Taiyi when I was nine.'
Wu Tianzun opened his eyes. His white brows fluttered, and his gaze bore straight into Xu Ying, seeming capable of seeing through everything.
"You are not from this world."
He saw through Xu Ying's difference at a glance and said, "Sealed within your body is an exceptionally formidable power, distinct from martial true qi. Our world does not possess such energy."
Xu Ying said, "Wu Tianzun's discerning eyes are peerless. The power inside me is called yuan qi in other worlds. When dispersed between heaven and earth, it is known as world yuan qi; when imbued with the power of the Great Dao, it is known as world spiritual energy. Cultivators who harvest world yuan qi and spiritual energy to absorb into their bodies are called Qi Refiners."
Wu Tianzun came to an understanding. Keeping his gaze on Xu Ying, he said, "Yet the power within you does not stop there. What is the other power?"
Xu Ying replied, "That power comes from other shore immortal herbs. Cultivators harvest other shore immortal herbs illicitly, stealing immortal herbs to seek longevity. Borrowing the power of immortal herbs, they obtain physical vitality, strength, divine sense, and yuan qi, refining their souls and comprehending yin and yang. Such cultivators are called Nuo masters."
Wu Tianzun, Zhai Wuxian, Yuan Shidao, and the others listened in fascination. Yuan Shidao asked, "Then what is our Martial Dao? Qi Refiners or Nuo masters?"
Xu Ying felt a mild headache and answered, "The Martial Dao harvests no world yuan qi nor steals immortal herbs. Relying solely on an undaunted, forging-ahead spirit, it strengthens the physical body and refines blood and qi, ultimately achieving results equal to Nuo masters and Qi Refiners. I believe it should be set apart in its own right, standing shoulder to shoulder with Nuo masters and Qi Refiners."
Joy crossed their faces.
Wu Tianzun's face darkened. "You cultivate to a hundred thousand levels and are still merely at the Cross-Refinement stage. Ahead lies the Second Pass-Breaching stage, the Twelve-Story Pavilion stage, the Jade Lake stage, the Divine Bridge stage, and the Third Pass-Breaching stage before reaching the Ascension stage. I exhausted my entire life's effort merely to elevate the Martial Dao to the Twelve-Story Pavilion stage, and my lifespan has already run out. If you become complacent over this, you will have no hope in this lifetime of advancing to the next realm, let alone ascension!"
Yuan Shidao and the others looked ashamed, but Zhai Wuxian showed worry and asked, "Wu Tianzun, your lifespan...?"
Wu Tianzun sighed. "My innate talent and comprehension were never peerless; I reached this day purely through perseverance. Back then, countless people surpassed me in talent, gifts, and insight, but only I set my mind firmly on the Martial Dao, cultivating devotedly and enduring bitter training without end, ultimately breaking through the Nine Innate Realms. Yet when I cultivated to the Cross-Refinement stage, I felt my lifespan had run out. Only when I broke through to the Second Pass-Breaching stage did my lifespan suddenly increase substantially, allowing me to continue breaking through."
Xu Ying said, "The Second Pass-Breaching stage knocks on the Jiaji mystic pass. Once this pass is unblocked, one can add oil to prolong life."
Hearing this, Wu Tianzun praised, "A person's life is like an oil lamp; when the oil runs dry, the flame dies. Adding oil to the lamp allows the flame to burn longer. The Second Pass-Breaching stage added oil to prolong my life, allowing me to break through the Twelve-Story Pavilion and form a Primordial Spirit. But the Twelve-Story Pavilion stage does not increase lifespan. My life has reached its end; I have only a few months left."
Zhai Wuxian, Yuan Shidao, and the others were struck with grief.
Wu Tianzun laughed. "Yet to become the second person on the Other Shore of the Martial Dao to break through to the Twelve-Story Pavilion realm makes this life well spent."
He viewed life and death lightly and said, "Little Friend Xu, your Weilu mystic pass is sealed, preventing you from opening it. Now that I have formed a Primordial Spirit, opening the pass for you will be no trouble at all."
Xu Ying cautioned, "Wu Tianzun, sealing my Weilu mystic pass are Heavenly Dao runes."
Wu Tianzun replied, "Opening it is not difficult."
Xu Ying said, "Heavenly Dao runes are exceptionally formidable."
Wu Tianzun nodded. "Opening it is not difficult."
Xu Ying sucked in a cold breath. Could a martial arts master who had only just formed a Primordial Spirit truly erase a seal of the Heavenly Dao?
He had not witnessed Zhai Wuxian shattering the head of the statue of Heavenly Will with a single punch; had he seen that, he would not have doubted it.
Xu Ying pondered for a moment and said, "Wu Tianzun, I would like to try on my own first to see if I can rely on my own martial spirit to break through the Heavenly Dao seal! If I fail, it won't be too late to ask for your assistance."
Wu Tianzun said with pleasure, "Since you have such resolve, I will naturally support you. Across this Other Shore of the Martial Dao, martial techniques left behind by predecessors and sages can be found everywhere; you may cultivate them freely. Beyond this shore lies the ancient battlefield. If you wish to test what you have learned, go there."
He smiled. "If you wish to test yourself against us, we would be glad to oblige as well."
Xu Ying looked up at him; Wu Tianzun offered a genial smile.
Xu Ying looked toward Yuan Shidao and the rest; they too wore genial smiles, looking utterly expectant.
Xu Ying said, "I'd better learn the ultimate techniques on the shore first."
Everyone was somewhat disappointed, and they dispersed to attend to their own affairs.
Xu Ying walked up to a stone stele engraved with another martial technique. It was remarkably profound, called the Extreme Intent Freedom Technique.
This technique was renowned for its movement art. The stele's creator noted that cultivating this technique allowed one's speed to reach the absolute extreme—shifting seamlessly between dynamic and static, completely free and unrestrained.
Xu Ying sat beneath the stele to comprehend it. Soon, his figure flickered; in the next instant, he appeared tens of li away, then suddenly returned to the base of the stele.
He sprang into the air, treading on empty space. His figure paused slightly before streaking away like a rainbow tearing through the void, leaving behind a trail of rainbow light!
Whoosh!
Xu Ying descended from the sky as the trailing rainbow rushed after him, plunging into his body. He couldn't help sighing with emotion, 'The end of martial arts is divine abilities.'
Just now, his Extreme Intent Freedom Technique was already a divine ability of positional shifting; compared to a Qi Refiner's rainbow transformation divine ability, it yielded nothing, and was perhaps even swifter and fiercer!
'However, this Extreme Intent Freedom Technique seems somewhat inferior to the Eight Methods of the God of War.'
Comparing the two martial arts, the Extreme Intent Freedom Technique could unleash peerless speed, even leaving behind radiant afterimages—casting countless phantom silhouettes so an opponent couldn't tell which was real!
Yet compared to the Eight Methods of the God of War, the Extreme Intent Freedom Technique lacked that spirit of waging war against heaven and earth. Although mastering the Extreme Intent Freedom Technique made it virtually impossible for anyone to harm oneself thanks to its ghostly, unpredictable movement, without the spirit of dauntless, aggressive progress, martial cultivation might slow down.
Xu Ying walked over to the next martial art, inscribed upon a broken sword. The sword had already been purified, devoid of towering baleful energy, yet it remained exceptionally sharp.
Approaching it, Xu Ying felt sword qi slicing at his skin.
He raised his arm and saw small dimples depressing into the flesh of his arm—sword qi radiated by the broken sword.
To Xu Ying's eyes, it already carried a semblance of Heavenly Dao sword intent.
'Compared to Li Xiaoke's Xiaoyao Sword, this person's sword intent is purer. But the Xiaoyao Sword is vastly more varied in its forms; Li Xiaoke's reputation was indeed well earned.'
Thinking of Li Xiaoke, Xu Ying mused, 'I wonder if Miss Qingbi has found Li Xiaoke, and whether she has avenged her feud.'
Having mastered the Thirteen Heavenly Sword Forms, he compared them and shook his head: 'Still slightly inferior to the Eight Methods of the God of War.'
He pressed forward, arriving before the imprint left by the next martial expert.
Day after day slipped by. Without realizing it, Xu Ying had been on this Other Shore of the Martial Dao for two full months. He comprehended the final stone stele, which depicted an unyielding, domineering martial fist technique.
'Yet it's still inferior to the Eight Methods of the God of War.'
Xu Ying walked on toward the next site, only to freeze in surprise. Ahead of him, there were no more peerless arts left by martial experts—only overgrown graves, one after another.
"No matter if your talent is peerless, no matter if your martial arts are unrivaled, before the passage of time, all becomes a handful of dust."
Zhai Wuxian walked up from behind him and said softly, "These seniors have all passed away."
Xu Ying walked silently past the desolate graves, inspecting the headstones one by one. Resting in these graves were the peerless masters of this world, each boasting a glorious past, yet the tombstones bore only plain names, with no other inscriptions.
Reaching the end of the graves, Xu Ying asked, "Which grave belongs to the senior who created the Eight Methods of the God of War?"
"He is not buried here."
Zhai Wuxian gazed into the distance and said, "He was the first person to form a Primordial Spirit. Legend has it that he walked out from here and never returned."
Xu Ying followed his gaze. Ahead lay a chilling gloom, stretching into the boundless distance.
That foremost pioneer of the Martial Dao had stepped into the Underworld.
Chapter 180