Embracing the New Era

At the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office, Liu Long was at least present. Although no one had hosted a welcome banquet or anything of the sort for Lin Hongyu when she assumed office, Liu Long knew how to get down to proper business. Heavenly Star City still had people managing it, after all. It was just that Director Zhou had been very busy of late as well. Left with no alternative, Liu Long had to overstep his authority and personally guide Lin Hongyu around, introducing her to the figures in charge of various quarters. Only then did the various factions across Heavenly Star City realize that Lin Hongyu from the City of Supernaturals had arrived to take charge of Heavenly Star City. Meanwhile, Li Hao and the others had completely vanished. It was truly... beyond words. The moment Lin Hongyu took office, she felt endless pressure crashing down upon her. Countless affairs piled onto her shoulders; she had to oversee everything, yet precisely at this time, everyone else was nowhere to be found. Even for the commencement ceremony of the Heavenly Star Martial Arts Academy—an institution of monumental importance—Hong Yitang was actually absent! Hong Yitang had not done it on purpose. Originally, he had only gone down to have a look, but then... he became utterly engrossed, falling so deep into it that he forgot all about coming out for the academy's opening. Fortunately, Lin Hongyu had arrived. Together with Director Zhou and the others, they managed to keep things afloat, though they cursed that group relentlessly in their hearts. Could there be anything more important than this? Every last one of them was simply unreasonable! Even if they wanted to enter closed-door seclusion, the realm was still unsettled—couldn't they avoid going into seclusion all at the same time? ... Meanwhile, deep underground. A group of people was working, discussing, and laboring day and night without sleep. None of them were idling; they were all swamped. So busy, in fact, that they had forgotten the world outside. They were busy laying the foundation for the martial Dao. They were busy systematizing new martial realm divisions, establishing the fundamentals of martial cultivation, and determining the path forward. This was the true emblem of a new era. At this moment, Yuan Shuo's eyes were bloodshot. He gulped down a large mouthful of the Spring of Life to refresh himself, then panted and spoke, "The martial Dao—or rather, the new martial Dao—now has some groundwork!" Everyone listened with rapt attention. Yuan Shuo panted, "The realm names—Ten-Slayer, Hundred-Breaker, and Thousand-Battler—can be retained. They are more intuitive and will facilitate the widespread promotion of the martial Dao. Otherwise, entirely unfamiliar realms would easily provoke resistance in people, making them feel that the new Dao is inferior to the old. "Setting aside the path of elemental divine characters for now, we shall divide the realms based on the non-attributed supernatural locks. "In the past, the Ten-Slayer realm concluded with the birth of inner force. But why was inner force born? For what reason did it appear? Where did it come from? No one knew or understood. Now, I believe everyone will understand!" Yuan Shuo smiled. "In the Ten-Slayer realm, the emergence of inner force is the process of opening a supernatural lock, or rather, opening a Dao meridian! We divide one supernatural lock equally into ten parts, turning them into ten acupoints. Opening one acupoint connects to the Bright Star Realm, drawing out energy to birth inner force in the body—this is the start of the Ten-Slayer realm!" Everyone nodded. In the past, people knew how things worked without knowing why. If asked why inner force arose: "I don't know." "Cultivation just produces inner force; asking such a question is pointless." Now, however, everyone understood. It was because they had opened a Dao meridian. As long as a Dao meridian was opened, it could connect to the Bright Star Realm. Power leaked from the Bright Star Realm and arose within the body, nourishing the flesh and blood—that was inner force! This was a process of clarifying the mind and comprehending the Dao. Only by knowing the reason could one cultivate more effectively. In the past, martial masters did not understand this principle; even many top martial masters did not. Everyone knew inner force could nourish the physical body. As for the rest, why it was so... how could they have known? Hadn't inner force always been like this since ancient times? Yuan Shuo continued, "Opening one acupoint on a supernatural lock gives birth to inner force, stepping into the Ten-Slayer realm! The process of the Ten-Slayer realm can be subdivided into four minor stages, giving people a sense of progression so the early stage of cultivation isn't too grueling. Ten-Slayer is divided into early, mid, late, and peak stages, each stage defined by opening nine acupoints. Opening thirty-six acupoints completes a minor cycle. Inner force surges, circulation begins, and one steps into Hundred-Breaker—this is releasing inner force outward! "At this stage, we take thirty-six supernatural locks as a fundamental cycle. This is also the smallest number we have found that can fully complete a cycle—thirty-six supernatural locks! "Opening one acupoint on each supernatural lock completes a basic cycle. At that moment, one steps into the Hundred-Breaker level!" Everyone nodded once more. Yuan Shuo added, "These thirty-six supernatural locks are not fixed. In fact, they can be adjusted according to different cultivation techniques, but that is a matter for later. For now, we shall take the Acupoint Opening Art as our foundation, which is the most stable and balanced technique, modified from the Five Animals Secret Art." Balanced and moderate—that was the first step. If anyone wanted unique traits... they could create them themselves! Supernatural locks were countless. Right now, they were only at the beginning stage and had not explored deeper; there was simply no time. Yuan Shuo continued, "Opening thirty-six acupoints across thirty-six supernatural locks to complete the first cycle constitutes Hundred-Breaker! Hundred-Breaker is also divided into four stages: early, mid, late, and peak. As before, nine acupoints make up one stage. Completing the cultivation and opening of seventy-two acupoints is Peak Hundred-Breaker!" Everyone nodded again. Yuan Shuo continued, "Upon reaching Thousand-Battler, martial artists in the past would comprehend force... but at this stage, force is far too difficult to comprehend. Therefore, we are temporarily excluding force, basing this on foolproof cultivation. Having opened seventy-two acupoints at Hundred-Breaker, Thousand-Battler begins with the seventy-third acupoint... "However, at this stage, a tier can no longer be nine acupoints. Instead, it must be thirty-six acupoints—an entire cycle per minor stage. Mid Thousand-Battler requires opening one hundred and eight acupoints, late stage is one hundred and forty-four acupoints, and the peak is one hundred and eighty acupoints opened." Yuan Shuo smiled slightly. "At this point, half of all three hundred and sixty acupoints across the thirty-six supernatural locks will be developed. Although they will lack the might of eighteen elemental supernatural abilities, I believe they will not be weak at all. At this point, a martial artist's combat strength should be considerably greater than that of current Thousand-Battlers. "Beyond Thousand-Battler, what I originally defined as Spirit Accumulation is no longer appropriate... At this stage, there is no need for Spirit Accumulation; martial artists are still in the phase of strengthening the physical body..." At this moment, Li Hao frowned slightly and spoke up, "At Peak Thousand-Battler, one hundred and eighty acupoints are opened. For the next stage, we can no longer open acupoints like this..." Yuan Shuo looked at him. Although Li Hao was his disciple, he was also the discoverer and promoter of this new martial Dao. Over the past few days, Li Hao had worked sleeplessly, constantly identifying gaps and fixing flaws. Since Li Hao had an opinion now, Yuan Shuo naturally wanted to hear it. "You mean..." "Teacher, you aren't planning to have everyone continue opening thirty-six acupoints in full cycles for the next stage, are you?" Yuan Shuo nodded. "Continuing along this cyclic pattern is the simplest..." "It won't work!" Li Hao shook his head. "Teacher, once we reach this point, we cannot open them like that. Over half of each Dao meridian has already been opened. If we keep opening them this way, the Dao meridians will instantly collapse. When more than half is opened, continuing like that will make it impossible to seal the rest, causing all thirty-six Dao meridians to collapse at once... I have been testing this over the past few days. Who could withstand the erupting power of thirty-six meridians simultaneously? Teacher, you took things a bit for granted." Yuan Shuo frowned. "They will collapse? Surely not. I tested it before, and the human body model could still operate..." He had not acted recklessly either; human lives were at stake. Li Hao shook his head. "A model is not a living person after all. The model was built using my template. Just because I won't collapse does not mean others can endure it. I had Senior Zhang weaken the model by half before testing meridian-opening, and found that beyond one hundred and eighty acupoints, continuing to open them in cycles caused all thirty-six Dao meridians to collapse within a single cycle. Because they have no force or anything else to suppress it!" Yuan Shuo took a deep breath. "Such a variable actually exists... Then..." Li Hao smiled. "Therefore, beyond Thousand-Battler, we can no longer open acupoints in cycles. Instead, we must open the remaining five acupoints on each Dao meridian, releasing the power of the Dao meridians one meridian at a time!" Yuan Shuo raised his brow. "Won't that break the cycle?" "It won't. I was testing it yesterday. Teacher didn't notice, but everyone else saw. It's not a major issue..." Yuan Shuo looked around, and everyone nodded. Yuan Shuo was speechless. *You saw it and didn't tell me? You let me toil in vain all night!* Everyone was so dizzyingly busy that their brains were mush, so who could remember that? Li Hao also had a splitting headache, but he forced himself to rally his spirits and said, "At the Thousand-Battler level, one should be able to walk on air and fight in the sky! Beyond Thousand-Battler, one possesses the courage to match ten thousand, the might to smash mountains, and the divine power to part seas... This level should be called Mountain-Sea!" Li Hao beamed. "A single strike can shatter mountains and seas! I have the might to break mountains, the power to sever seas—what do you all think?" A surge of excitement swept through everyone's hearts. Break mountains and seas! When a martial master reached this step, they truly could break mountains and seas. Only this was myth, an earthly immortal. Sky Sword murmured, "I can shatter mountains and seas, pluck the stars, and seize the sun and moon... A martial master at this step is already like an immortal!" Li Hao nodded. "Exactly. Mountain-Sea has nine tiers! Each tier opens one meridian, unlocking five acupoints. Reaching the ninth tier of Mountain-Sea means unleashing the power of nine meridians! Nine elemental supernatural abilities—non-attributed abilities are slightly weaker, but nine elemental abilities can match the Peak Realm, match the previous seven-element or even eight-element supernaturals... The physical body will only be stronger! One could even rival—or even slay—a true Neo-Martial rank nine peak..." Li Hao said excitedly, "This realm is the Mountain-Sea realm! Mountain-Sea Nine Heavens—at Peak Mountain-Sea, nine meridians are fully opened, with the remaining meridians half-opened... At this point, it definitely surpasses seven elements!" "Mountain-Sea has nine tiers!" Everyone murmured to themselves, thoroughly thrilled. "I possess the power of Mountain-Sea!" Yes, at this moment, everyone knew that according to Li Hao's division, they were all currently at the Mountain-Sea level, possessing the power to break mountains and seas. Sky Sword murmured, "Then we... are all Mountain-Sea cultivators?" Li Hao nodded. "Indeed. Regardless of whether we have seven-element or eight-element abilities... My thought is that non-attributed Dao meridians are divided according to our era's combat strength standards, while elemental abilities—like ours—are divided according to Neo-Martial standards, the origin-wielding Neo-Martial standards!" Li Hao was dead serious. "In other words, divine character cultivators should all be capable of rivaling Neo-Martial combatants of the same level—not a tier lower. We... must never be inferior to anyone! Pure martial cultivators of the same rank can be a tier lower, but we cannot. Even if we reach nine elements, we are still called Mountain-Sea... but our Mountain-Sea, we divine character cultivators, should be able to fight stronger foes!" Hearing this, everyone's blood boiled. "So you're saying the Mountain-Sea realm encompasses everything below the Neo-Martial Peak Realm, while we with nine-element abilities will be a cut above Neo-Martial powerhouses of the same level—our nine elements would even surpass their half-step Peak Realm back in their era, right?" Li Hao nodded! To the side, Black Armor and the others were speechless. *A bunch of childish fellows.* What was the point of insisting on downgrading their own realm by one tier just to compare themselves against those below the Peak Realm? Of course, by Li Hao's classification, a ninth-tier Mountain-Sea pure martial artist of this era would indeed be stronger than some rank nines of that time, while nine-element cultivators like Li Hao would indeed be stronger than those rank nine peaks. However... in this era, nine elements could clearly fight the Peak Realm; even seven elements could! Li Hao and his people were essentially insisting on calculating themselves as one tier lower. What else could be said? Everyone, however, was ecstatic. They didn't care about that. As long as Li Hao thought it was right, they saw no problem with it. Besides, when opening the non-attributed meridians of the four limbs earlier, none of them had counted those; there was practically no increase in strength. Now, opening nine meridians, by the previous calculation, only amounted to five elemental abilities... Of course, the other Dao meridians were half-opened, which made calculations tricky. Our ninth-tier Mountain-Sea can fight your Peak Realm, even Peak Realm combatants who still have their origin... Fighting above their realm—even if the realms and systems were originally different, everyone still loved comparing it this way. So satisfying! Li Hao smiled. "After opening nine meridians, twenty-seven Dao meridians remain, all half-open. From the tenth meridian until all thirty-six are opened, one can rival the Peak Realm of the Neo-Martial era. Pure martial artists must rival the Peak Realm of this era, while we supernatural cultivators—by the old rule—will rival the Peak Realm of the origin era! "This stage should also be divided into nine tiers: each tier opens three meridians, unlocking the remaining fifteen acupoints. Nine tiers open twenty-seven Dao meridians. Once opened, upon reaching the ninth tier, one can fight any Peak Realm combatant of this era—that's how it should be! "And we divine character cultivators, at that time, can shatter the void, crumble the heavens, and match the origin Peak Realm of the Neo-Martial era... which is also what we pursue!" Speaking up to here, Li Hao added, "This realm should be called Sun-Moon!" Li Hao smiled. "Senior Sky Sword said it well: pluck the stars, seize the sun and moon. We martial masters should possess such soaring ambition! To vie with the sun and moon for brilliance!" Hearing this, the crowd erupted in cheers. They nodded! Each of them was wild with joy once again. "I can break mountains and seas, seize the sun and moon, shatter the void, matchless under heaven! With the new Dao born, we dare vie with Neo-Martial for glory!" Before this, they had never dared imagine it. Our Dao is here. Divine character cultivators can fight powerhouses who still possess their origin. At this moment, they elevated divine character cultivators into a higher existence. We... will surely forge the glory of the martial Dao once more! Black Armor did not say anything. Li Hao and the others constantly keeping Neo-Martial on their lips was actually a good thing; it showed they knew awe, fear, and how powerful Neo-Martial was. It was a form of recognition! If you were weak... who would care about you? It also showed that Li Hao and his group knew how glorious Neo-Martial was. Right now, they merely had the ambition to catch up; there was no need to take it too seriously. Li Hao smiled. "For now, we'll only divide this many realms. Anything higher would be fantastical! Opening thirty-six meridians is exceptionally difficult at this stage; very few can achieve it. Even for us, wanting to open thirty-six meridians while interweaving supernatural meridians isn't simple." Venturing blindly into realms above when one had not experienced them would just be building castles in the air. Without theoretical backing, without foundation. Yet the Dao lay ahead. Knowing that there was a path ahead, many paths, a long road to walk—that was enough. Li Hao smiled. "Ten-Slayer, Hundred-Breaker, and Thousand-Battler each have four tiers! Mountain-Sea and Sun-Moon each have nine tiers! From one hundred and eighty acupoints at peak Thousand-Battler, to two hundred and twenty-five acupoints at peak Mountain-Sea, to three hundred and sixty acupoints at peak Sun-Moon. In the end, the three hundred and sixty acupoints will merge back into thirty-six Dao meridians. Through unification, the acupoints will actually decrease... At that time, for us, one acupoint, one supernatural ability; one acupoint, one divine character; one acupoint, one battle technique—that is the true essence of cultivation!" Everyone burst into laughter! They felt this day deserved to be remembered for millennia. The new Dao had emerged! Deduced and integrated together by them all, even if it was still shallow now—with only one technique and only one thirty-six-meridian cycle, still in its embryonic stage. Yet even in its infancy, the new Dao was already formidable. It could be promoted! It could be popularized! Only a Dao that could be popularized was a true Great Dao. Moreover, the issue of the physical body was completely resolved. During the process of opening acupoints, the physical body would receive energy feedback from the Bright Star Realm. From then on, they would no longer have to worry about their bodies. The group was overjoyed! Sharing in the honor! "The Great Dao is in heaven, but man can conquer heaven! We... forge the new Dao, walk the new Dao. If Heavenly Will does not choose us, we shall manipulate Heavenly Will!" Li Hao also laughed heartily. His aura surged, and a divine character condensed. At this moment, a divine character manifested naturally out of nowhere. "Dao"! Yes, the divine character for "Dao." He had actually manifested a divine character out of nothing. And at that very moment, the divine character suddenly underwent myriad transformations. Faces flickered into view, powerhouses appeared—there was Yuan Shuo, Sky Sword, Tyrant Saber, Northern Fist... Everyone present was imprinted into it one by one. Even Black Armor was rendered upon it, along with the Black Panther and the demon plants present... At this instant, the world seemed to shift. Creating a new Dao, contending with Heavenly Will! ... In the outside world. Thunder crashed in all directions. Gales howled! Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and the sky darkened. Only the world itself could forge a Dao. Yet someone was creating a Dao, opening a Dao, seizing the Dao of heaven! The nascent Heavenly Will roared. Heavenly Will was still somewhat ignorant, perhaps wondering: *Someone dares seize the Heavenly Dao?* Once Heavenly Will matured, it would naturally open the Heavenly Dao. Had someone plucked the peach before Heavenly Will could even take shape? Of course, Heavenly Will was still too naive. Having only just birthed a sliver of consciousness upon breaking free from the main world's suppression, it did not fully understand what this meant. It could only wield heavenly might to roil heaven and earth. Heavenly Will cannot be defied! *My world, I am the master.* ... In all directions, across the various ruins. Thunder and lightning began brewing as well. In Battle Heaven City. Division Commander Nine and a few others appeared, somewhat incredulous as they murmured, "Heavenly Will is encroaching upon the ruins... Has Neo-Martial's protection... vanished?" This was not a good omen. Of course, it wasn't a bad thing either. It meant that soon, the ruins might no longer offer them protection, but it also meant that soon, they might all be able to step out of the ruins, because the ruins were merging into one with the heaven and earth of this era. Heaven and earth were about to revive! "Why has it accelerated again?" Old Turtle could not comprehend it. In shock, he said, "No major mines have collapsed. Why does the revival of heaven and earth keep quickening its pace? Originally, it would take at least three to five years, but now... will it even take a year?" Why the repeated acceleration? Was Heavenly Will so impatient to let the powerhouses of the Neo-Martial era emerge? Or had some unknown upheaval occurred? Too strange! So bizarre that they could not comprehend it. ... At this moment, it was not just Battle Heaven City. Every major city and ruins experienced fluctuations. In Silver Moon, thunder crashed and lightning flashed. Above Silver City, figures faintly emerged, immensely powerful, as if spanning an entire universe and era. Someone brandished a longsword, someone's saber split the firmament. "Battle!" Faint cries echoed between heaven and earth. In the haze, an army of tens of millions could be seen, their blood-qi piercing the sky, their battle intent tearing through the firmament. It was like... the grand march of the army in ancient times. The army of Silver Moon, led by Sword Venerable—an army of tens of millions, marching out from Silver Moon to subjugate the defiant. Director Zhao, who was still holding the fort, was left utterly dazed and bewildered by the sight. Heavens! Could someone tell me what happened now? Who can tell me why the scene of Neo-Martial marching to war countless years ago has reappeared? Yes, he recognized it. It was merely a projection of ancient powerhouses. Countless eras ago, Sword Venerable led tens of millions of Silver Moon soldiers past the Star Gate to campaign across the cosmos... but why was this scene appearing now? ... In the underground ruins. The character "Dao" flashed, and thunder rumbled. Black Armor and Director Wang looked up at the sky in shock and disbelief. Even down here, there was thunder! What divine character was that? A character of the Great Dao? Black Armor observed it closely, finding it dazzling—even to him, it was blindingly bright, which showed just how radiant it was. After watching for a while, he murmured, "The General Outline of the Great Dao!" As the integrator, participant, and discoverer of this new Dao, Li Hao was viewed by all these trailblazers as its creator. Thus, Li Hao naturally gave birth to a divine character: the General Outline of the Great Dao! Simply incredible! Such a thing could actually exist? Black Armor looked at the divine character again. Li Hao was also looking at it with a trace of confusion and eccentricity. After a long pause, he suddenly chuckled: "What a fine thing. With this... in the future, my forceless Dao meridians and forceless abilities can all be merged into it, just like Martial Uncle Hong's sword character. I never expected to reap such a windfall. Martial Uncle Hong, an ever-changing divine character is no longer yours alone!" With that, the "Dao" character transformed into abilities! Thunder, gale, torrential rain... Everyone watched with envious eyes and stirring hearts. "The Great Dao condensing into a divine character..." Yuan Shuo and the others felt their minds sway. This... was truly enviable. Even Hong Yitang gave a wry smile: "No, no, yours... seems to integrate all discovered forces and Daos. I think it holds far greater potential than mine!" Li Hao smiled, however: "No, this was born of heaven and earth. While good, man can conquer heaven. In the Silver Moon world, it is a fine treasure, but outside Silver Moon, it is merely an ordinary divine character!" At this moment, Li Hao had some realization. This divine character would certainly be useful in the Silver Moon world, but once outside... there would be little difference. It was condensed by this world, but outside, it held nothing particularly extraordinary. If he stayed in Silver Moon forever, this divine character would be miraculous, perhaps allowing him to master ten thousand Daos. However... would Li Hao make Silver Moon his lifelong goal? No! He would not. I have glimpsed a vaster world; why spend my entire life here? This is my homeland; fallen leaves eventually return to their roots. But I am still so young; of course I must step out and see—see this boundless cosmos, meet the invincible Human King, see the Supreme revered by ten thousand people, see the Azure Emperor who governs half the main world... And see Blood Sovereign, whose single slash shattered heaven and earth, and perhaps see the Principal whom Zhang An never forgets... How fascinating that would be! I also want to see the cosmic chaos... Therefore, while pleased by this "Dao" character, he was not frenzied. It was merely a General Outline character condensed by a minor world. What did it truly amount to? Wearing a smile, Li Hao stowed the divine character and continued, "The new Dao can be promoted, but what about the new and old martial masters, and the new and old supernaturals? "Martial masters are relatively easy; they can convert quickly, and those above Thousand-Battler have a tremendous advantage... "What about supernaturals?" Li Hao continued: "Supernaturals have severed supernatural locks. Some of those locks might be one of the thirty-six. How do we help them recover without making them start from scratch, allowing them to integrate their existing strength and convert? This is what we must consider and do next. Otherwise... tearing everything down to start anew is unfair to them, and not good for us either!" Everyone nodded. Li Hao added: "Actually, there is a way. At present, most who have severed supernatural locks possess elemental abilities and can condense divine characters! Starlight, Moon Ming, Solar Flare, Three Suns, Rising Light—severing four limb locks plus one visceral lock. For non-specialized supernaturals, having their four limb locks severed can be treated as developing the first four tiers of the Mountain-Sea realm in advance... However, we must find a way to resolve the problem of their broken cycles. As for the visceral supernatural lock, condensing a divine character will suffice!" Everyone nodded again. At this moment, Yuan Shuo spoke: "The locks in the four limbs are all among the thirty-six supernatural locks. They were merely broken in advance, destabilizing the cycle. But having reached this step, their physical bodies are stronger than ordinary people's, having endured outbursts. A partially broken cycle isn't too big of an issue! They aren't common folk; they can withstand greater degrees of damage. Supernatural energy itself is highly destructive, battering the body from within and without, and supernaturals have endured the agony of mysterious energy impacts... So the problem isn't severe. It's just that Rising Light requires condensing a divine character, which means we would need to pass down the path of divine characters as well..." He looked at Li Hao. "Do we pass it down?" The Five Animals Secret Art had been transformed into the Acupoint Opening Art; he was willing to pass that down to nurture a generation of martial artists. However, if the method of condensing divine characters was also passed down... that would nurture divine character cultivators. That was their distinct advantage. Li Hao smiled. "What does Teacher think?" Yuan Shuo fell silent for a moment before speaking: "It's possible, but... at present, strong enemies have yet to be eliminated. I feel we should first pass down the Acupoint Opening Art to convert those below Rising Light into martial masters without force and without supernatural abilities! After all, Rising Light and supernatural experts are few in number and can wait for a time. Besides, people at that level are either our enemies or our allies. Our allies will be taught; as for enemies... there's no need!" At this stage, whether Rising Light or supernatural, anyone at that level was a regional hegemon. Yuan Shuo felt there was no need to disseminate it broadly. As for other cultivators, they would have one elemental ability—for instance, even the weakest Starlight cultivator would manifest one visceral elemental ability. But that didn't matter much; it was only one broken meridian. Visceral meridians were not currently among the thirty-six and could be set aside for now, affecting combat strength very little. Only for Rising Light and supernatural cultivators would missing a meridian or a realm create a massive disparity in combat strength. This was why Yuan Shuo advised against passing down the method of divine characters. A Three Suns cultivator losing one meridian and dropping to Solar Flare suffered a temporary reduction in strength, but once the Acupoint Opening Art was taught, they would quickly catch up. It was not a major problem. Hearing this, Li Hao smiled and nodded: "Teacher's words are seasoned and make sense! Whether Rising Light or supernatural, they are either enemies or allies, with almost no neutrals! Leaving out the method of divine characters won't affect anything." With that, he added: "Once the Acupoint Opening Art is disseminated to absorb the energy of heaven and earth... The world is about to revive, but once tens of millions cultivate and absorb the world's energy... Hahaha, I'll delay the secondary revival once again!" Then Li Hao continued: "However, with more people cultivating, martial masters will need to replenish their blood-qi, physical bodies, and nutrition. While sacred rice is potent, there is too little of it. Moreover, they need meat; they cannot eat rice perpetually... "Demon plants can cultivate grain, but meat..." Li Hao pondered, then glanced at the Black Panther. The Black Panther looked innocent: *Why are you looking at me? You want to eat meat? I'm just a single dog. Even if you want to eat me, the whole world eating me wouldn't be enough!* Yuan Shuo also said: "Although the Bright Star Realm feeds back energy, it still requires external power to guide it, and cultivation needs a starting point. At this stage, nutritious sustenance is indeed necessary... However..." He chuckled: "Meat might not be mandatory. In the Neo-Martial era, it's said there were pills used to saturate blood-qi, and those were supposedly refined from medicinal herbs. We can revive the path of alchemy!" To the side, Black Armor suddenly said: "For replenishing blood-qi, pills work quite well and are easy to refine. If you open the Lü Zhen Research Institute, there should be plenty of records, because back then, blood-qi pills were developed by Minister Lü. From the early days of Neo-Martial, he was the one promoting them... However, in this era, such herbs..." He paused in thought, then added: "Heaven and earth have only just revived, which is very similar to the Neo-Martial world of that time. There shouldn't be a shortage of them. It's just that some might be slightly different, so you'll need to find substitutes yourselves!" Li Hao's heart stirred. "The Lü Zhen Research Institute has research on this?" "I told you, blood-qi pills were deduced by him," Black Armor said calmly. "Minister Lü Zhen was the father of the Human King's teacher, and also our predecessor—a top research scholar of early Neo-Martial. Even though this place is merely a branch institute led by his student, these things are just basic knowledge!" Li Hao beamed with delight. In that case, this problem was resolved as well. Black Armor then remarked: "From what you're saying... do you intend to popularize the martial Dao and spread martial arts across the realm?" Li Hao nodded: "Indeed! Regardless of strength, it strengthens the body! It prolongs life and reduces disease! If one knows martial arts, one has more strength for labor, won't fall ill, and won't drag down a family... If everyone knows martial arts, then martial arts and the supernatural will no longer be exceptions. Only then can true equality among all people be realized! "Martial arts have differences in strength... but if everyone knows martial arts, while differences in strength remain, social strata will cease! The boundary between the mundane and the supernatural will be broken; anyone can become strong, and everyone has hope of becoming strong... Only then will people know the future is bright, and only then can monopolies be shattered!" Li Hao was deeply earnest: "I've been studying Neo-Martial recently. Why were there no vast class divides in the late Neo-Martial era? Because... everyone had a chance! Whether commoners or Sovereigns, young people from any family had hope... hope of becoming strong. Martial arts universities spanned the realm. If you scored well, you enrolled, cultivated, and became a powerhouse! That was the critical core of Neo-Martial. I admire this immensely. The existence of martial arts universities in Neo-Martial gave everyone an equal opportunity. The person who created martial arts universities was the true king of humanity!" "..." Black Armor froze, looking at Li Hao with a complex expression. Director Wang could barely hold back: "Er... martial arts universities... were promoted across the world by Senior Uncle's grandfather, Supreme Zhang. Originally, martial arts universities did not exist. Later, Supreme Zhang became the Minister of Education and spread them throughout the realm, laying the foundation for commoners to rise... "Whether the Human King, that Sovereign in Battle Heaven City, or Blood Sovereign, all of them came from the commoner class and walked out of martial arts universities..." Li Hao looked solemn: "Supreme Zhang? Truly remarkable! I also hope that in this era, someone can help me, help this era, help this heaven and earth establish the cultural Dao! Establish the Dao of heaven and earth, establish the Dao for ten thousand generations!" He turned to look at everyone: "Seniors, who among you can help me, help the world, help the common people establish this Great Dao?" "..." Silence fell. Everyone's expression shifted. Like Neo-Martial, spreading martial arts across the realm, establishing martial arts universities throughout the land, passing down education to all, shattering class barriers... Among the crowd, Hong Yitang's expression shifted repeatedly. Li Hao's grand vision was immense! Founding academies, establishing schools, promoting education—he could do all of that, and was already doing so. Yet what Li Hao wanted was more than just that. He wanted this era's Supreme Zhang! Who could compare? To open a path of peace for ten thousand generations! Laying the foundation for Silver Moon, forging the cornerstone of a new era, paving the road ahead... To the side, Black Armor's expression flickered. That was his grandfather! Revered by the Human King! And today, the young man with the greatest potential in this new era was saying he too wanted such a Supreme, someone who could join him in creating a new Dao and a new era! Who could do it? Such a figure had never met his grandfather, yet held him in such high esteem. Black Armor was deeply gratified, but... at this moment, he also wondered: who could ever match his grandfather? Right at this moment, Hong Yitang looked up and said softly: "I dare not compare myself to Neo-Martial's Supreme Zhang. Yet I, Hong, am willing to shoulder this heavy burden: to preach the Dao across the realm, weaken the influence of class, and... cut down some brambles for the new era!" Beside him, Yuan Shuo, whose expression had been shifting, suddenly sighed and spoke: "I too am willing to shoulder this heavy burden: to compile martial arts textbooks, promote the new martial Dao, and establish a martial arts research academy. From now on... the jianghu is no more!" A murmur, a sigh, a lament. The jianghu... was gone. Yet this was his disciple. This was also their era, their heaven and earth, their world. Li Hao smiled, however: "No, Teacher, the jianghu is in our hearts, in this world. As I said, wherever you look, there is jianghu! What we see, what we do—we are all people of the jianghu, wanderers of the jianghu! Everyone... this era is too ignorant, too benighted, too backward... Wouldn't it be wonderful if we turn it into a jianghu?" The next moment, everyone's spirits rose, and they cried in low, resolute voices: "May the martial Dao flourish, may the jianghu endure, and may the era... be bright!" We are forging an era! This heavy burden, we shoulder together! At this moment, everyone seemed to undergo a transformation. People of the jianghu, where the entire world is the jianghu. To the best of their abilities, they would promote education, promote the martial Dao, promote technology, promote the elevation of life's very essence. Yes, the martial Dao was not merely the martial Dao. When everyone was supernatural, the world would undergo an earth-shaking transformation. Power would no longer be monopolized; with everyone supernatural, class barriers would be utterly shattered! ... At this moment, to the side, the demon plants, the Black Panther, Director Wang, and Black Armor all felt somewhat entranced. May brightness endure! Perhaps only at this moment was the new era truly beginning to blossom with light. And those leading the new era into the light were the very people before them. Demon Sword Li Hao, Five Animals King Yuan Shuo, Earth-Overturning Sword Hong Yitang, Sky Sword, Tyrant Saber, Northern Fist, Bright Sword, Sickbed Ghost, Man-Eater... Black Armor watched in silence. His deadened heart and chilled blood gradually began to warm. I never dared say I would become a second grandfather. Yet today, in this place, at this time, a group of weak, ignorant people dare say that while they may not compare, they will still do it—preaching the Dao across the realm, riding through the jianghu. Grandfather... is this... the heart of a powerhouse that you often spoke of? Strength does not necessarily lie in power alone. A strong heart is also strength! At this moment, thousands of thoughts crossed Black Armor's mind. He suddenly said in a low voice, "I once taught at a martial arts university. If there is anything you don't understand or know, you can come ask me! My students know a thing or two as well. Neo-Martial may be gone, but the Dao remains, and the heart remains!" Li Hao was startled and turned to look at him. Zhang An merely smiled, vanishing from the spot in an instant. "I'm going to cultivate!" He vanished. Director Wang struggled internally, then suddenly said: "I failed to catch the era of Neo-Martial contention, failed to catch the era of the Human King's rise... Li Hao, I want to change into a new physical body. I want to... take part in this era!" Li Hao looked at him. Director Wang was dead serious: "I am a man of Neo-Martial; that cannot be changed. But... Neo-Martial people are not evil. I want to participate in this era. People of Neo-Martial will fight for a sliver of opportunity in any era!" The martial Dao must be fought for! The opportunity lay right before him; he wanted to strive for it once. Li Hao smiled, and after a long moment, nodded: "Very well! But... I need to think on it further. A new body might require rebirth, and your strength will be greatly diminished..." "Doesn't matter!" Director Wang grinned, his smile suddenly blooming as radiantly as a chrysanthemum! I, a man of Neo-Martial, am going to join this era, embracing the new era!