The Road to All Gods and Immortals (Thanks to Bigshot 218 for the Monthly Pass)

After taking a shower, he discovered that Li Hu had added him to a group called the Treading Moon Squad.

There were eight people in it including him. Aside from the group owner, Li Hu, the rest were all students Zhou Wuliang had taken in.

No one in the group spoke. Only Li Hu sent an emoji.

A few people added Su Tu as a friend in private. After accepting them, he paid them no further mind.

Instead, he opened the website Li Hu had sent him.

It was a website resembling a Forum, filled with all kinds of posts.

There were educational discussion posts.

"Three Theories on Using Base Skill to Forge a Martial Dao Foundation."

"Correspondence Between Technique and Flesh"

Naturally, there were also clickbait posts like those run by marketing accounts!

"Shocking!! The Federation Actually Has Such a Conspiracy—So the Heaven's Pride Ranking Is!!"

"The Truth Behind the Ancestral Star Opening Martial Dao. Its Purpose Is Actually!!!"

"So That's How It Is—This Is How Heaven's Prides Are Made!!"

Su Tu opened several of the posts. To be honest, they really were no different from marketing accounts, filled from beginning to end with crap like, "This editor boldly speculates," and, "Let us make an association."

However, there was a pinned post on the Forum called "Martial Dao Miscellany."

This post contained detailed records of quite a bit of foundational information about Martial Dao.

Su Tu carefully looked through its contents.

He gained a new understanding of both the Federation and Martial Dao.

It turned out that, as early as humanity's first attempt at interstellar colonization three thousand years ago, the First Martial God had discovered the power of Martial Dao. The Myriad Races all took themselves as their foundation. Technology might be powerful, but the self was the true foundation. A powerful martial artist could wipe out an entire race alone. From that day onward, Martial Dao quietly spread throughout the Federation.

After more than three thousand years of development, the Federation's Martial Dao had become exceptionally complete. All kinds of nutritional supplements and scientific instruments had emerged as the times required. Martial Dao cultivation, Gene Warriors, and Mechanical Modification were practically the three great directions of the entire Federation.

Yet the Ancestral Star knew nothing of any of this. For certain reasons, the number of martial artists on Blue Star had been restricted, and no one was allowed to leak the matter in any form. The Federation regularly sealed off and investigated the Ancestral Star to ensure that the public remained completely unaware.

Until a month ago, when the Federation suddenly announced that it was lifting the blockade on the Ancestral Star.

There was something fishy hidden within all this, but it was not something Su Tu needed to worry about.

He continued browsing the posts, and soon another one caught his eye.

"Speculations on How to Achieve the Strongest Peeking Branch Realm"

The first stage of Martial Dao was the Peeking Branch Realm. Its meaning was that all truths in the world were towering trees, unknowable to mortals; only upon entering this realm could one glimpse a corner of their branches and leaves.

Su Tu currently only possessed a strand of qi within his body. He could not wield it, only use it to enhance himself, so he had not yet entered a stage. He needed to cultivate his Base Skill and guide qi into his acupoints before he could be considered to have entered a stage.

After entering a stage, one had to fill all one hundred and eight acupoints throughout the body with qi before entering the Peeking Branch Realm.

What this post meant, however, was that the human body had more than one hundred and eight acupoints. Apart from those acupoints, there were another thirty-six Hidden Acupoints, invisible to ordinary people. Heaven's Prides, however, could inject qi into these Hidden Acupoints. With every additional acupoint, their talent and strength would rise another level.

There were many comments beneath the post, both malicious and well-intentioned, but not a single reply from anyone who had succeeded.

It's too early for me to think about this now. Once I guide qi into my acupoints, I can try out these so-called Hidden Acupoints. Su Tu bookmarked the post.

Then he continued browsing. He had long been curious about the connection between Dao Contemplation and Martial Dao. He had heard Zhou Wuliang mention the term before, but the man had not explained it in detail, so Su Tu had not asked further.

There should be an explanation of Dao Contemplation on this Forum.

Sure enough, before long, Su Tu found a post.

It gave a detailed introduction to what Mind Contemplating Dao was.

The very first sentence of the post seized Su Tu's attention.

"Cultivating the flesh can shatter stars and annihilate a world, while the path of the mind is the road to the Arrayed Immortals and Gods!"

"Martial Dao cultivation is divided into inner and outer paths. The outer path takes Base Skill as its foundation, tempering flesh and blood qi, while the inner path centers on Dao Gathering, refining the mind."

"Dao Gathering was a cultivation method created by the Federation's previous Martial God Your Majesty, who combined Qi Gathering, Eating Clouds, meditation, and various other arts of the mind and mystical methods. Its meaning is to gather Heaven and Earth, with Dao as the heart."

"Martial God Your Majesty believed that humans were born between Heaven and Earth, bound by the heavens into a prison, while the mind was bound by the flesh into shackles. The method of Dao Gathering could allow the mind to break free from those shackles and behold all living beings and Heaven and Earth."

Reading the post, Su Tu finally understood that Dao Contemplation was the tempering and refining of the mind, allowing one to possess unimaginable abilities.

Those with powerful minds could be called Great Divine Power Experts. Even if they stood right in front of you, if they did not wish it, you would be unable to see them, as though a whole world lay between you.

The reason Zhou Wuliang had stood beside him earlier without Su Tu noticing was because the gap between their minds had been far too great.

The post also said that the first step of Dao Gathering was to use a Secret Painting as a guide, attempting to glimpse the mystical wonders within and temper the mind.

So the painting Brother Feiyang kept in his office was a Secret Painting?

But I seem to be different from what the post describes.

He slightly closed his eyes. The painting from that day surfaced in his mind, and the next moment, he appeared in that world.

It seems I don't need to glimpse any mystical wonders anymore. Because it looks like I brought these so-called mystical wonders into my own heart.

Su Tu thought this to himself.

He suddenly discovered that he could now move freely atop this Black Mountain, rather than being forced to comprehend as before. A hazy aura enveloped his body.

"It's qi!" Su Tu sensed the presence of qi. It was because of this mass of qi that he could break free from that previously forced state of comprehension.

The flesh tempered qi, while the mind contemplated. The two truly complemented one another.

Su Tu thought to himself.

Still, his situation was different from what the post described. He hoped that was not a bad thing.

Su Tu watched the White Tiger crouch low and watched the Green Snake undergo Dragon Transformation. A vague realization rose in his heart, and the rhythm in his breathing became even more natural and effortless.

His body grew slightly hot. He suddenly looked toward the foot of the mountain. He did not know whether it was an illusion, but the White Tiger that had remained crouched there all along had shifted its position.

This time, Su Tu held on for a little longer.

You completed one Dao Gathering. Dao Gathering Proficiency +10

Dao Gathering (Beginner): 30/300

After Dao Gathering ended, Su Tu felt refreshed and invigorated. He checked the time. It was almost twelve o'clock.

Then he closed the Forum.

Nothing in Heaven or Earth was greater than sleep. Even if the sky collapsed, it could not stop Su Tu from going to bed before midnight.

Come to think of it, healthy living really did not count as a skill.

"Hahahahahaha, Xiao Tu, were you possessed by a starving ghost?!" Chen Xi laughed so hard that he could barely close his mouth, waving a video with more than a million views in front of Su Tu.

It showed footage of Su Tu stuffing himself at the restaurant yesterday.

Su Tu could only feel speechless about it.

"Let me see what everyone has to say about you!" Chen Xi said in an exaggerated tone. It was a verbal habit he had kept for years—he disliked saying "I" and preferred saying "I, the emperor."

He opened the comment section, wanting to see the netizens' amusing comments about Su Tu.

But the moment it opened, what met his eyes was an overwhelming flood of "marry me."

"Holy shit!!! This guy is way too handsome!!"

"Excuse me, if I look like this, can I have a meal with him? Attached are photos of black stockings, long beautiful legs, and big wavy hair."

"This husband of mine doesn't seem quite right. I suggest you come to Chuan Capital and let me examine you."

"You think you're the one doing the examining?? Husband, let me examine you!!"

Looking at these messages one after another, Chen Xi felt like steam was about to rise from his head. He bared his teeth at Su Tu.

But before he could speak, Su Tu had already anticipated what he was going to say.

He said, "Being handsome really is a little impressive."

Su Tu took out his phone and found the video. He was not someone who liked trouble. If an ordinary person went viral, they might be thrilled, but Su Tu's ambitions lay elsewhere. Otherwise, with the looks of the God of Soft Rice in Ancient Greece, he would have started streaming to rake in money long ago.

So, he sent the blogger a private message, hoping they could take down the video. The person probably had not seen it and did not reply, but Su Tu was not in a hurry.

He had just put down his phone when, with a bang, the classroom door was kicked open.

A burly Youth strode in from outside in a rage, followed by seven or eight students. Their school uniforms had been painted in all sorts of gaudy colors, and each of them had a devil-may-care look, like street thugs.

"You're fucking Su Tu, right?!" The Youth at the front strode menacingly toward Su Tu, gripping a baseball bat in his hand.

"Mm, I'm Su Tu. What is it?" Su Tu asked calmly.

At those words, the flesh on the Youth's face twitched. He grinned savagely. "Fuck."

He opened his mouth, intending to curse Su Tu's family, but before the filthy words could leave his lips, Su Tu vanished from before his eyes, replaced by a chandelier.

Then a piercing pain tore through his abdomen.

Bang!! Crash—

No one knew when Su Tu had risen to his feet, but before the other boy could insult him, Su Tu had kicked him flying.

He had held back, too. Otherwise, with his current strength, if he went all out, that kick would probably have shattered the Youth's internal organs.

"If you're willing to speak properly, I'm willing to listen before class starts. But if you can't speak properly, I don't mind making it so that you... can't speak at all."

Su Tu's voice remained calm and even, but to everyone's ears, it sounded like the muttering of some demon.

Those pitch-black eyes swept across them casually, chilling their bodies like a cutting winter wind. The students who had all been striking delinquent poses moments ago now stood as still as cicadas in winter.