Changes in Thought

The battle at Nine Cloud Mountain had deeply affected Wu Yuan, beyond making him truly understand the brutality of this world's battles.

More importantly, it had given him an entirely new understanding of this world.

A First-class Expert could wield Force Extreme.

Then what of the martial arts powerhouses whose names resounded across an entire province, or who stood at the pinnacle of the world?

Their combat skills could only be even more terrifying!

"The legendary Heavenly Ranking Experts may not have the magical abilities of immortal heroes—moving mountains, filling seas, plucking stars, and seizing the moon—but they can split mountains and cut rivers with a single blow. They're practically Land Immortals. Just how powerful must their martial arts be?" Wu Yuan remembered reading several legendary novels in the Martial Academy's library.

At the time, he had doubted whether they were true.

But now? Wu Yuan hardly doubted them at all.

At the pinnacle of this world's martial strength, setting aside physical prowess, martial arts skills could very well surpass the upper limit of what Wu Yuan had previously imagined.

"And then there's this Spirit Liquid." Wu Yuan looked down at the blue-green jade bottle lying to one side.

He didn't know what the mysterious liquid was, so he could only call it "Spirit Liquid." Its effects were astonishing.

Even the greatest technological achievement of the Human Federation in his previous life, Life Energy Fluid, was nowhere near as good.

Wu Yuan didn't think the difference came down to technology.

"It's the materials—the very foundations and essence of the world." Wu Yuan pondered silently. "Just like the materials used to make divine weapons. They surpass any alloy from the Human Federation in my previous life."

No amount of technological research could bridge that gap.

"If even Second-class Experts possess such a wondrous treasure, then it would make sense if only Heavenly Ranking Experts had it. But Second-class Experts have it too?"

"That means..."

"There must be plenty of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures like this in the Central Land World!" Wu Yuan thought. "If they wanted to, some of the top powers could theoretically supply a small number of martial arts prodigies with vast quantities."

"Those young prodigies might not use them efficiently, but they'd make up for it with sheer volume."

Before, Wu Yuan had been confident. But after experiencing the Spirit Liquid's miraculous effects firsthand, he no longer dared claim that his foundations were stronger than those of the world's greatest martial arts prodigies.

The reason was simple.

In terms of consciousness, combat skills, and bodily control, Wu Yuan might be superior!

But it was entirely possible that the greatest prodigies of this world had received countless precious resources from childhood, tempering their bodies into something close to perfect.

Wu Yuan had been fourteen when he transmigrated and awakened.

Even if his predecessor had trained diligently, even if he had worked hard to nourish his body over the past few months since awakening—

His build and many other aspects were already set. They were hard to change!

That would create an innate gap, much like a difference in genetics.

"The body I transmigrated into was fourteen years old, not four. I was destined to fall short of absolute perfection," Wu Yuan thought.

Of course, he was also glad.

At least it wasn't the body of a sixty-year-old.

At least his predecessor had laid a decent foundation.

"What I have to do is make myself as close to perfect as possible over the next four years!"

"My realm is extremely high. I can control my body and push its development close to the limit."

"But development requires energy!"

"The purer, the better. The fewer impurities, the better." Wu Yuan pondered.

Ordinary meat, Body Tempering Pills, and nourishing his body with this Spirit Liquid could all replenish his energy. Wu Yuan could also expel nearly all the impurities from them.

But in the end, he could only expel "nearly" all of them. He couldn't get rid of every last one.

There was no such thing as absolute perfection.

So the fewer impurities the things Wu Yuan consumed contained, the better.

That way, fewer impurities would build up in his body, and they would pose less of an obstacle to his physical development and future Marrow Washing and Blood Exchange.

"Ordinary meat and Body Tempering Pills don't differ much in the impurities they contain." Wu Yuan gave a slight shake of his head.

The only difference was in their total energy content.

That was why Wu Yuan had previously trained using Body Tempering Pills.

If he hadn't obtained this mysterious Spirit Liquid, he could have continued training without a second thought.

But once he had seen it, he couldn't ignore it.

"Could this Spirit Liquid really contain not a single impurity?" When Wu Yuan first noticed that, he was genuinely shaken.

At least with his current degree of bodily control, Wu Yuan couldn't detect any impurities in the Spirit Liquid.

It was incredibly pure!

It awakened a desire in him.

It was easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury back to frugality.

"My original plan was to train in peace until I turned eighteen, get through the golden years of my physical development, then venture out into the world," Wu Yuan thought. "By then, I might have thirty or even four hundred thousand catties of strength!"

That kind of strength was terrifying.

And training that way would be very safe.

"But now?"

"If I could keep using something like Spirit Liquid to aid my training..." Wu Yuan picked up the jade bottle and looked at the little Spirit Liquid remaining inside.

"By the time I'm eighteen, my physical prowess could be at least twenty percent higher." Wu Yuan made a rough estimate.

Twenty percent might not sound like much.

In just the past few months, Wu Yuan's physical prowess had multiplied nearly tenfold!

But those had been the golden years of progress. Once his physical development approached its limit and reached its peak, increasing his strength by even a hundred catties would be extremely difficult.

A twenty-percent difference—

Could easily mean a gap of tens of thousands of catties in strength!

"In my previous life, my physical prowess was too weak to attempt Hundred Apertures Connect to God." A trace of longing showed in Wu Yuan's eyes. "But in this life? It's completely within reach!"

"I have to change my plans."

"I need more Spirit Liquid to aid my training." Wu Yuan had already made up his mind.

Wondrous treasures like Spirit Liquid didn't fall from the sky.

"There are two ways."

"One is to search for it myself. I'd have more freedom and no constraints, but the world is vast, and I'd be on my own. Where would I even look?" Wu Yuan thought. "The second is to join a major power and draw on its resources."

Wu Yuan understood perfectly well why a martial arts powerhouse would establish a vast organization, even if he could single-handedly defeat ten thousand people or more.

One important reason was to gather resources more effectively!

There was strength in numbers.

"Join a power and display my talent. Naturally, I'll receive more resources," Wu Yuan mused. "At the very least, I'll quickly learn more about this world's secrets."

"Besides..."

"I'm destined to roam the world and travel far and wide. If I can join a power and rise to a high position, that'll be a great help to my mother and the rest of the family." Wu Yuan had thought it through.

People's ideas changed at different stages of life.

When he had first awakened, Wu Yuan still carried the mindset of someone from the law-governed society of his previous life. Now his thinking had grown increasingly like that of a typical martial artist in the Central Land World.

"The Hengyun Sect is one option."

"If it doesn't suit me, I can seek out the Martial Dao Sacred Sects of Dongzhou and Wuzhou."

The Hengyun Sect was the closest.

As a native of Hengyun Sect territory, Wu Yuan had a natural advantage in gaining its trust. His father had even been a soldier in the sect's army.

As for Wuzhou and Dongzhou?

Wuzhou was home to the world's number-one martial arts sect, the Martial Ancestor Sect, founded long ago by the Martial King and renowned for thousands of years! It also had many other great martial arts sects. They welcomed all schools of thought and wouldn't discriminate against outsiders.

Dongzhou, second only to Shengzhou, was the world's second-largest province. It was prosperous and fertile, and home to many powers.

The main branch of Stellar Tower, for instance, was located in Dongzhou.

Still, compared to the Hengyun Sect, it would be much harder for Wu Yuan to earn their trust.

"Besides, Dongzhou and Wuzhou are far away. Just getting there would take a long time, and I wouldn't be able to look after my family." Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

They were backup options.

Actually, the Great Jin Empire was an option too. As the world's largest empire, it was certainly rich in resources, and publicly declared that it welcomed martial arts powerhouses from all over the world.

Unfortunately—

Because his father had died, Wu Yuan had a deep-seated dislike of the Great Jin Empire.

"Besides, if I rise to prominence one day, they'll investigate my family for generations. If they find out my father died at the hands of the Great Jin army, will they still trust me unconditionally? Will they believe I'm loyal to the Great Jin imperial family?" Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

That wasn't realistic!

Loyalty was what every power valued most.

Especially in a martial arts world where individuals could wield terrifying strength.

If they raised an enemy who became a Heavenly Ranking Expert, it would be a nightmare for any power!

"No rush!"

"The little Spirit Liquid I have left is enough to let me train at a steady pace for another month. I can think it over carefully."

Wu Yuan quickly gathered his things from the courtyard, making sure he hadn't left anything behind.

Then he left.

Wu Yuan didn't go home. Instead, he headed for the Martial Academy.

Although he had placed in the top four of the previous Martial Academy Grand Competition and no longer had to attend any classes, he was still a "Martial Academy disciple." He ought to show his face now and then.

Besides, Wu Yuan had decided to join a major power, and the Hengyun Sect was his first choice. Approaching them through the Martial Academy wasn't a bad strategy.

As soon as he entered the Martial Academy, he received some news.

"Headmaster, Master Huan and the others have been looking for me everywhere these past few days?" Wu Yuan asked in surprise.