Epiphany

Just like that, half a month passed.

Inside Bao'an Hall, within the quiet room.

Xu Yang sat cross-legged atop an icy jade bed. Before him lay four martial arts manuals, including Ice Profound Force.

These were the ransom Yuwen Huaji had used to redeem himself and the others—four top-tier martial arts capable of "Spirit Condensation Dao Integration."

Though they were top-tier martial arts, their intricacy still fell short of the Great Zhou Martial Scripture. Their only truly commendable aspect was the method of Spirit Condensation Dao Integration.

Spirit Condensation Dao Integration, Spirit Condensation Dao Integration—there were actually two steps. The first was Spirit Condensation, and the second was Dao Integration.

Spirit Condensation meant gathering Divine Intent and merging it into one's martial arts, allowing them to undergo Rebirth and Transformation and reach Mastery Beyond Perfection.

But how did one condense the spirit?

According to the descriptions in these four manuals, one could not gather the power of the soul through the human body's strength alone. One had to borrow the power of the Dao.

What was the Dao?

All things were the Dao!

Everything in this world—the natural world and all things between Heaven and Earth—could be called the Dao.

As long as a Martial Artist focused his spirit on the Dao, immersed himself in the Dao, and used his martial arts to draw upon the Dao's artistic conception, he could strengthen his soul and condense Divine Intent.

That sounded somewhat mystical. Put simply, it was visualization!

Visualize an object, focus on an object, use it to strengthen one's spirit, then merge that spirit into one's martial arts. Once tangible gang qi transformed into Spirit Condensation gang essence, one could enter the Spirit Condensation Realm.

This was visualization.

Therefore, Martial Artists in the fourth realm of Spirit Condensation all devoted themselves to something—such as the sword Dao, saber Dao, Dao of nature, Dao of Yin Yang, poetry and art, or even eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling. In short, everything in this world could serve as a vessel for the Dao.

Take Ice Profound Force as an example. To condense the spirit, one had to comprehend the Dao of "mysterious ice." The most direct training method was to find a land of ice and snow, visualize and experience the power of "ice profound," and ultimately merge a spirit rich in the artistic conception of ice profound into one's martial arts. Only then would Ice Profound Force truly be mastered.

The artistic conception of the Dao was of immense importance. It directly affected both the results of Spirit Condensation and the power of one's martial arts.

Again, take Ice Profound Force as an example. Because of the "Dao of ice profound," Ice Profound Force possessed characteristics such as "freezing" and "extreme cold," and its power could multiply severalfold in an icy, snowy environment.

Therefore, one's choice of Dao was extremely important.

What should Xu Yang choose as his Dao? What should he visualize, condense, and merge with?

Sabers and swords?

Fists and kicks?

Or the Five Elements, Four Methods, Taiji Yin Yang?

Xu Yang could not decide for the moment.

There was a saying: Three Thousand Great Daos, different paths leading to the same destination. In theory, every Dao intent could reach the ultimate realm, and none was inherently superior or inferior.

For example, among the renowned Three Grandmasters, Martial Venerable Bi Xuan had condensed the Dao of blazing yang. It belonged to the same Five Elements, Four Methods category as the Dao of ice profound in Yuwen Huaji's Ice Profound Force, yet the difference in their strength was like Heaven and Earth.

Meanwhile, the Dao of nature cultivated by Rogue Ning Daoqi and Master of the Sword Fu Cailin belonged to the Dao of Heaven and Earth and carried profound significance. Yet Song Que, who focused solely on the saber Dao, was not inferior to them in the slightest.

Thus, in theory, there was no distinction between high and low among Daos. As long as one's comprehension was high enough and one's aptitude good enough, even if one visualized a pile of... that stuff, one could still become a Grandmaster.

But theory was only theory. In reality, there were still differences in strength and weakness—or rather, differences in applicable circumstances.

Take Ice Profound Force. This kind of Dao intent belonging to the Four Methods and Five Elements had rather limited versatility and was severely affected by the environment. In icy lands, it was nearly invincible, but once it left ice and snow, it immediately weakened. In the scorching heat of summer or the desert, ten parts of power might yield only two parts of effect.

The Dao of sabers and swords, on the other hand, was highly versatile. As long as the weapon was in hand, it could be used. Though its enhancement could not compare with the Four Methods and Five Elements that borrowed the power of Heaven and Earth, it was stable and unaffected by external factors.

As for conceptual Dao artistic conceptions such as Heaven and Earth, nature, Yin Yang, and infinity, although they were adaptable and no less powerful, they demanded extremely high aptitude and comprehension. One also needed to study the scriptures of the Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian traditions, making them difficult for ordinary Martial Artists to attain.

So what should Xu Yang choose, or rather, what would suit him best?

Looking at the four martial arts manuals before him, Xu Yang frowned deeply and remained silent.

Suddenly, a spark flashed through his mind like a bolt from the blue, exploding within his skull.

The Dao?

What was his Dao?

What was his greatest advantage?

Xu Yang raised his hands, staring at them blankly as a bold idea slowly emerged in his mind.

Could he... visualize himself?

Were humans... not also a part of Heaven, Earth, nature, and all things in the world?

The mysteries of the human body, the power of oneself—could such things be called... Martial Dao?

Could Martial Dao be comprehended, visualized, used to anchor the spirit, and strengthen the soul?

If it could, then would its strength, its effects, its range of application... be the greatest of all?

Inspiration arrived, and in that instant, he attained epiphany!

Xu Yang closed his eyes and emptied his mind. Within his consciousness, a diagram of the human body suddenly appeared.

The diagram contained countless lines and nodes. They were the circulation routes of martial arts and True Qi, the body's acupoints, and the crucial points throughout the body.

Then light flared. True Qi began to circulate, and the entire diagram of the human body became bright and clear. It was precisely the manifestation of the Martial Scripture in operation.

As the Martial Scripture circulated, his spirit spread outward, faintly touching something.

"Boom!"

Within the quiet room, waves rose without wind. Xu Yang's body slowly lifted, Suspended in the void, drawing in currents of air from all directions and forming a cyclone around himself.

The first step of Spirit Condensation Dao Integration was visualization. After visualization strengthened the spirit, one used that spirit to connect with the artistic conception of the Dao, thereby absorbing the power of Heaven and Earth into the body and condensing it into one's martial arts, transforming gang into essence!

Xu Yang had diligently cultivated the Martial Scripture for sixteen years. With the assistance of numerous skill traits, both his cultivation and spirit had nearly reached perfection.

Now that he had attained epiphany, his accumulation was fully complete. He could launch the final charge.

That final charge was to absorb the power of Heaven and Earth and merge Divine Intent into his body.

How could he absorb it?

When the spirit condensed Dao intent, the body operated its martial arts, and one achieved Unity of Heaven and Man, internal and external resonating together, one could draw upon the power of Heaven and Earth.

Therefore, Dao intent was the key, and location was also the key. If one cultivated Ice Profound Force, it was best to make the breakthrough in a land of ice and snow. Such places were rich in the power of ice profound, which aided both success and the effects after success.

Now that Xu Yang was visualizing himself and taking martial arts as his Dao, could he draw upon the power of Heaven and Earth?

Naturally, he could!

Humans were also one of the myriad things in the world. How could they fail to draw upon the power of Heaven and Earth?

Xu Yang sat cross-legged, floating in the air as the airflow around him spiraled and continually merged into his body.

The human body was also one of all things, and the power of the human body was the power of Heaven and Earth. Thus, the power of Heaven and Earth Xu Yang needed to absorb was the strength of qi and blood that formed the human body.

Qi was essence!

Blood was vitality!

Not only did a cyclone form around him, but even the food stored in his stomach was rapidly digested, transformed into nutrients, and absorbed into his body.

But that was still not enough!

Xu Yang did not move. With only a turn of the airflow, bottles of pills arranged on the shelves to his left and right instantly burst apart. The pills refined from precious herbs were drawn into the cyclone. There was no need to swallow them; their Essence was directly drained away, and they turned into drifting ash.

In the end, only a cyclone condensed from Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy and the Essence of medicinal pills remained, wrapping around Xu Yang's body and spinning violently in the air.

Just like that, who knew how long passed before, finally...

"Hoo!!!"

Within the vortex, a vacuum suddenly appeared, swallowing all the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy and medicinal Essence. It revealed a semi-transparent body, its internal meridians, acupoint nodes, and circulating qi and blood all clearly visible, like a train...

"Hoo!!!"

A vast surge of force burst outward. His tightly closed eyes opened, and everything around him—including the priceless cold jade bed beneath him—turned to dust in an instant. Only Xu Yang remained, Standing in the void.

He stood there, so striking and impossible to ignore, as though he had drawn the attention of all things in the world. Even the Sun, Moon, and Stars seemed to focus upon him.

If Yuwen Huaji, when driving Ice Profound Force to its limit, gave people the feeling of a thousand-year block of mysterious ice, then Xu Yang standing there was like a sun, a world of Heaven and Earth, even an entire universe!

That intense sense of self, that sense of independence, made it impossible for any person or thing to ignore his existence. Like the sun in a dark universe, he was forever the center of the world's attention.

This was the intent of Martial Dao: with me, none can stand against me; Only I Am Supreme; all great power Returned To oneself!

Feeling himself in this state, Xu Yang finally understood the meaning of Martial Path Reaches Divinity.

Previously, although he had developed the skill trait of Martial Path Reaches Divinity, he did Not at all understand its principles, nor could he teach its method to Others and allow them to gain the same power.

But now, he understood.

Why did Martial Path Reaches Divinity reach divinity?

Because the "self" bestowed power upon it, allowing it to undergo Rebirth and Transformation and reach Mastery Beyond Perfection.

Martial Dao was the Dao of self. I was martial arts, martial arts were me. With me, none could stand against me; only martial arts reigned supreme.

Now, even if the Martial Path Reaches Divinity trait were removed from the Attribute Panel, Xu Yang could still use his own power to unleash martial arts that reached divinity.

Of course, there was no need to do that, because the Martial Path Reaches Divinity granted by the skill trait did not conflict with the Martial Path Reaches Divinity he had cultivated himself. Instead, they could stack, strengthening the effect of Martial Dao Divine Intent.

This was important. According to the intelligence Xu Yang had gathered and Yuwen Huaji's testimony, the experts of the world—including the Three Grandmasters, Heavenly Saber, and Evil King—were all in the realm of Spirit Condensation. Not a single one had entered the threshold of Dao Integration, because once one achieved Dao Integration, one would possess the power of Shattering the Void and no longer be human.

Since everyone was in Spirit Condensation, how were their ranks determined?

By the strength of their Martial Dao Divine Intent.

The stronger one's Martial Dao Divine Intent, the stronger one's actual combat power. People like Yuwen Huaji were merely middle-tier within the Spirit Condensation Realm. Yuwen Clan lord Yuwen Shang, Dugu Clan ancestor You Chuhong, Yin Queen Zhu Yuyan, and the like were among the upper ranks.

The Three Grandmasters and Heavenly Saber Song Que, meanwhile, stood at the Absolute Peak, with hopes of achieving Dao Integration and Shattering the Void!

Although Xu Yang had only just entered the Spirit Condensation Realm, with the power of Martial Path Reaches Divinity, the mysteries of the Martial Scripture, and the strength of Martial Dao, he might not be unable to challenge the Three Grandmasters and contend for the title of "number one under Heaven."

In other words, was he Invincible under Heaven again?

No, no, no, he had not yet reached the point of being Invincible under Heaven. At most, he could defeat Grandmasters. If his opponents joined forces, surrounded and killed him, and fought him in a Wheel Battle, he might not be able to run rampant as he pleased.

As it happened, there were four famous old fellows in the Buddhist Sect who particularly enjoyed ganging up on people!

So... he should wait a while before going to block their door.