A Frog at the Bottom of a Well Looks Up at the Moon

Time flowed on.

In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.

During this time, Lin Yuan's feat of subduing the Imperial Palace with a single roar spread across the land like a hurricane.

After all, the incident had caused no small commotion. Even if the Imperial Guards and Palace Maids within the Imperial Palace did not dare spread word recklessly,

the Martial Path experts outside the Imperial Palace could not pretend nothing had happened.

Their eyes were not blind, nor were their ears deaf.

Even the Middle-aged Monk had been able to sense the changes in aura within the Imperial Palace.

The other Martial Path experts naturally could as well.

Moreover, many people had witnessed the Great Li Emperor personally walk out of the Imperial Palace and bow to Lin Yuan.

Putting everything together, it was easy to infer the general truth—

the Imperial Palace of the Great Li Dynasty had been breached by a mysterious Buddhist expert.

Even the reigning emperor had been forced to step forward and bow his head in apology.

The Great Li Dynasty had wanted to suppress the news, but it simply could not.

And this version was the truth, if anything, it even gave the Great Li Dynasty too much credit.

After all, describing it as "breached" at least suggested that Lin Yuan had exchanged several moves.

It implied that the Great Li Dynasty had possessed the strength to resist, only to fail in the end.

But the truth was that a single Sound Skill had left the many experts within the Imperial Palace sprawled on the ground.

For a time, the entire world was in an uproar.

Common people and Martial Path experts from every faction

were all discussing this matter.

The Great Li Dynasty had ruled the land for nearly two hundred years. Because of that Founding Emperor, all Martial Path experts had been crushed beneath unbearable pressure.

Now that they saw the Great Li Dynasty suffer a setback, and a complete, humiliating defeat at that, everyone was naturally delighted to see it.

After discussing the Great Li Dynasty, everyone immediately turned their attention to that mysterious Buddhist monk.

Was the Great Li Dynasty weak?

Certainly not.

Not only was it not weak,

it was terrifyingly powerful.

Even though that Great Grandmaster Founding Ancestor had passed away,

the Great Li Dynasty still possessed the strength to suppress the entire land.

Yet even so, the Imperial Palace, which gathered the Great Li Dynasty's most elite forces and greatest number of experts,

had been breached by a Mysterious Monk.

The implications of this made everyone's hair stand on end once they thought carefully about it.

Without a doubt, that Mysterious Monk had certainly stepped into the Great Grandmaster Realm.

Great Li Imperial Palace, Martial Hall.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged, his expression calm.

Since entering this place half a year ago, Lin Yuan had not left once.

The Great Li Emperor had been quite perceptive. He directly designated the Martial Hall a forbidden area and forbade anyone from disturbing Lin Yuan.

Furthermore, great care was put into his daily meals.

Not only could they replenish his vital energy, they were also carefully prepared by the Imperial Chef.

There was nothing to fault in their taste.

"Not enough. These martial arts are still far from enough."

Lin Yuan sighed inwardly.

In merely half a year, Lin Yuan had thoroughly mastered all the many martial arts within the Martial Hall of the Great Li Imperial Palace.

It was not because the martial arts in the Martial Hall were inferior to those in the Scripture Storage Pavilion of Great Zen Temple.

To be fair, the Martial Hall's collection of martial arts far surpassed that of the Scripture Storage Pavilion.

It was simply that times had changed.

Lin Yuan now stood at the unprecedented Mythic Realm.

At Great Zen Temple, he had merely been an Innate Realm Master and Great Grandmaster.

From such a lofty vantage point, his efficiency in comprehending the Martial Path naturally far exceeded the latter.

However, even after thoroughly mastering every martial art in the Martial Hall,

and bringing them to their utmost sublimation with his Heaven-Defying Comprehension, Lin Yuan still had not broken through the Mythic Realm.

"Among all the martial arts in the world, those that can be recorded and passed down are ultimately only a small portion. Far more martial arts are scattered among every martial artist in the land."

Lin Yuan silently thought to himself.

These martial arts might not be of high level and might fall far short of superior martial arts, but their perspectives were unique.

Some were even completely different from the current Martial Path cultivation system.

If Lin Yuan could comprehend the Martial Path from other perspectives, it should help him break through the Mythic Realm.

"Come in."

Having formed a general direction in his mind, Lin Yuan slightly raised his head and looked toward the entrance of the Martial Hall.

"Yes."

The Lean Elder immediately approached with the utmost respect.

As the Old Ancestor of the Great Li imperial family, with the highest status and greatest strength,

the Lean Elder should not have been personally standing outside the Martial Hall, waiting for Lin Yuan's orders.

But not long after Lin Yuan had entered the Martial Hall, he had casually offered the Lean Elder some guidance, leaving him suddenly enlightened.

From then on, the Lean Elder had remained outside the Martial Hall and refused to leave.

That guidance had made the Lean Elder realize that even if he cultivated bitterly for ten, twenty, or fifty years,

it would not compare to a single casual remark from Lin Yuan.

"I plan to hold a World Martial Arts Tournament here in the capital. Any Postnatal Realm or Innate Realm martial artist may participate."

"The top ten may each choose any three superior martial arts."

Lin Yuan said.

With his Heaven-Defying Comprehension, Lin Yuan did not need to learn martial arts at all. As long as he watched others display their techniques, he could gain insight from them.

More than ten years ago, Lin Yuan had watched the martial monks of Great Zen Temple practice Arhat Fist and comprehended the superior martial art Great Arhat Buddha Fist from it. That was an example.

It was unrealistic to make all martial artists in the land write down their signature arts.

Many unaffiliated martial artists had no sect tying them down. If pushed too far, they could simply hide in the deep mountains and ancient forests, and even Lin Yuan could do little about it.

But if he used a Martial Arts Tournament to draw them in, Lin Yuan could silently uncover all their foundations with his Heaven-Defying Comprehension.

As for whether those unaffiliated martial artists would come, people pursued no more than two things in this world.

Fame or profit.

Martial artists had one more pursuit.

Their own Martial Path realm.

Using superior martial arts as bait, Lin Yuan was not worried that those unaffiliated martial artists would refuse to bite.

Superior martial arts were not cabbages. A single one was enough to serve as the foundation of an inheritance.

Even Great Zen Temple, a Buddhist holy land and Great Martial Sect of the land, possessed only seventy-two superior martial arts.

Moreover, with the Great Li Dynasty taking the lead in such a Martial Arts Tournament, anyone who displayed even a little brilliance could rise to fame.

"And Masters."

Lin Yuan rubbed his chin.

There was little point in having Masters participate in the Martial Arts Tournament.

After all, there were too few Masters. The Masters openly known throughout the land could be counted on two hands.

Even including those who lived in seclusion and hid in the shadows, there could not be more than twenty.

"If a Master comes, he may challenge me. Win or lose, he will receive a Mental Cultivation Art."

Lin Yuan said slowly.

Simply put, as long as the Masters came, they could obtain a Mental Cultivation Art.

What did a Mental Cultivation Art signify? It was a secret technique that only Great Grandmasters could cultivate.

Although Masters could not cultivate Mental Cultivation Arts, studying them over many years would be of immense help in stepping into the Great Grandmaster Realm.

"Yes."

The Lean Elder swallowed.

Although the Great Li Founding Ancestor had left behind several Mental Cultivation Arts back then,

who would ever complain about having too many Mental Cultivation Arts? Studying different Mental Cultivation Arts at the same time and verifying the Great Grandmaster Realm from various perspectives made it easier to take that step.

As news of the Martial Arts Tournament spread,

the entire land erupted, and countless martial artists were dumbfounded.

As long as one placed among the top ten in the Martial Arts Tournament, one could freely choose three superior martial arts? If the Great Li Emperor had not personally promised it, no one would have believed it.

Those were superior martial arts! One could obtain them merely by placing in the top ten? And choose freely at that.

At first, some martial artists had doubted it. But after the first Martial Arts Tournament was held and the top ten martial artists received the three superior martial arts they wanted,

martial artists throughout the land went completely mad.

They rushed without stopping toward the Great Li Capital, waiting for the next Martial Arts Tournament to begin.

Compared to the excitement of the Postnatal Realm and Innate Realm martial artists,

the thoughts of the Masters stationed throughout the land gradually began to change.

They had all seen the news about the Martial Arts Tournament that the Great Li Emperor had released to the outside world.

Masters could also participate and challenge that Mysterious Monk who had breached the Imperial Palace alone.

Regardless of victory or defeat, they could receive a Mental Cultivation Art.

For a time, many Masters could no longer restrain themselves and headed for the Great Li Capital.

Half a year later.

Great Li Imperial Palace.

Outside the Martial Hall.

A Burly Man carrying a heavy sword appeared without a sound.

At the Burly Man's side stood a Young Boy of only fifteen or sixteen.

"South Sea Sword Saint, I never expected you to come as well."

The Lean Elder guarding the Martial Hall had an expression as grave as water.

Before meeting Lin Yuan, the Lean Elder had considered himself invincible beneath the Great Grandmaster Realm.

In all the land, there had been very few Masters whom he feared.

The South Sea Sword Saint was one of them.

In terms of strength, the South Sea Sword Saint was not stronger than the Lean Elder.

At most, the two were evenly matched.

But the South Sea Sword Saint did not come from a Great Martial Sect.

He had reached his current height step by step on his own.

The Lean Elder had come from the Great Li imperial family and received guidance from Masters from childhood.

He often studied the insights and notes left behind by the Founding Ancestor.

That was how he had reached this point.

Yet the South Sea Sword Saint had kept pace with the Lean Elder relying only on himself.

His comprehension and talent could not be underestimated.

"You... you've already begun nurturing Mental Energy?"

The Lean Elder carefully examined the South Sea Sword Saint, and his expression immediately changed in shock.

He could sense a faint spiritual pressure from the other man.

This was a sign that he had begun condensing Mental Energy. Once he successfully nurtured the first strand of Mental Energy,

he would be able to enter the Great Grandmaster Realm.

The South Sea Sword Saint said nothing.

From the moment he had appeared until now, his gaze had never fallen on the Lean Elder.

Instead, he stared fixedly into the Martial Hall.

"A Great Grandmaster."

A smile appeared at the corner of the South Sea Sword Saint's mouth.

Unlike the other Masters who had come here,

he, the South Sea Sword Saint, had not come for Mental Cultivation Arts.

Mental Cultivation Arts could indeed help one condense Mental Energy, but the South Sea Sword Saint no longer needed that.

His true purpose was to challenge that Mysterious Monk.

That Great Grandmaster who had breached the Great Li Imperial Palace through his own strength.

The South Sea Sword Saint's ambitions were great. He wanted to use a Great Grandmaster as a stepping stone

to forge his path into the Great Grandmaster Realm.

"Master, are you really going in?"

The fifteen- or sixteen-year-old Young Boy beside the South Sea Sword Saint was somewhat nervous.

After all, the Mysterious Monk was in the Great Grandmaster Realm, a fact acknowledged by countless martial artists outside.

Other than a Great Grandmaster, who could breach the Great Li Imperial Palace alone? And although his master, the South Sea Sword Saint, was extraordinarily powerful and had even begun condensing Mental Energy, embarking on the path to Great Grandmaster,

he was not yet a Great Grandmaster.

Facing a true Great Grandmaster, life and death were impossible to predict.

"Rest assured, disciple."

"With my current strength, I only need to endure the mental pressure of a Great Grandmaster. I could break through into the Great Grandmaster Realm at any moment."

The South Sea Sword Saint was not particularly worried.

He already had one foot in the Great Grandmaster Realm.

He merely needed the stimulation of a true Great Grandmaster; fully stepping into the Great Grandmaster Realm would be a matter of moments.

By then, as fellow Great Grandmasters, even if the South Sea Sword Saint could not defeat that Mysterious Monk, he believed he could still retreat unscathed.

"Your master is going in."

"Good disciple, wait outside for a while."

The South Sea Sword Saint spoke eagerly, his face full of anticipation.

The doors of the Martial Hall soon opened.

The South Sea Sword Saint walked inside, his face brimming with fighting spirit.

In a fleeting glance, the fifteen- or sixteen-year-old Young Boy saw a young monk in gray robes seated deep within the Martial Hall.

Master definitely won't lose.

The fifteen- or sixteen-year-old Young Boy clenched his fists and silently encouraged himself.

Less than half an incense stick's time passed.

The doors of the Martial Hall opened once again.

The burly man carrying a heavy sword walked out with a blank expression.

"Master, Master."

"Did it end so quickly?"

The Young Boy hurried over and asked with concern.

"Let's go."

The South Sea Sword Saint shook his head slightly and led the Young Boy away from the Imperial Palace.

Only after they had reached the outskirts of the capital did the South Sea Sword Saint stop.

He turned to look toward the Imperial Palace, then plopped down onto a rock.

He kept muttering things like, "How could he be this strong?" and "How could someone like that exist in this world?"

Seeing this, the fifteen- or sixteen-year-old Young Boy immediately realized that his master had likely lost.

And he had lost thoroughly.

Otherwise, he would not be acting like this.

"Master, I don't think he was all that strong. Once you become a Great Grandmaster in the future, can't you just challenge him again and win it back?"

The Young Boy spoke from beside him.

That was the truth. When the South Sea Sword Saint had entered the Martial Hall earlier, the Young Boy had caught a fleeting glimpse of the Mysterious Monk.

His aura had indeed been unfathomable, but he seemed only somewhat stronger than his own master. In the future, his master might not necessarily be unable to catch up.

"Not all that strong?"

The South Sea Sword Saint fell silent for a while, unsure what to say.

After a long time, the South Sea Sword Saint steadied himself and slowly said:

"You are only in the Innate Realm now, and your horizons are still narrow. Looking at him is like a frog at the bottom of a well looking up at the moon."

"One day, when you are fortunate enough to step into the Grandmaster Realm, or become a half-step Great Grandmaster like your master—"

At this point, the South Sea Sword Saint continued with an extremely complicated emotion:

"Then, looking at him will be like a mayfly gazing up at the blue heavens."