Instantaneous Hundred Variations

The Brute Force Realm meant swallowing things whole: memorizing the routines of punches and kicks, becoming familiar with weapons, yet only knowing how to drive them with brute strength and clumsy force. It was shallow, skin-deep knowledge, far from comprehending their true essence.

The Technique Realm meant entering the hall. After practicing diligently day after day, one had mastered the moves and formed muscle memory, skillfully grasping and applying all manner of force-generation techniques to unleash the power the moves were meant to possess.

The Mastery Realm was also known as the Grandmaster realm.

One's skill was brought to perfection, all principles fused into one. Having thoroughly understood the essence of a martial art, every move and stance became part of one's walking, sitting, lying down, and standing.

No longer bound by routines, one became adaptable and ever-changing, drawing inferences from one example, bringing forth the new from the old. From student to master, one gained the ability to open a school, take disciples, and teach others.

For an Ordinary Person, reaching this step was already fraught with a thousand hardships and ten thousand difficulties. Without decades of bitter cultivation and accumulated immersion, it was simply impossible.

As for Subtle Mastery beyond that, it belonged exclusively to Geniuses.

In the Micro-Perception Realm, spirit and flesh became clear and transparent, communing with heaven and earth. Techniques merged with all things; even flying flowers and plucked leaves could wound people.

One's Vitality and Spirit became extraordinarily powerful, opening the "Mind's Eye." Even amid the most deafening clamor, one could sense the tiniest changes, strike first, and defeat the enemy before they could act.

"If Mastery Realm is the limit of mortals, then the Micro-Perception Realm belongs to the transcendent domain. In that case..."

Wu Dao's eyes flickered. Thinking of the wonders of the Attribute Panel, a thought stirred within him.

[Physique: Beast King (Limit)]

[Transcendent: Stealing Heavenly Secrets Breathing Technique (56% Potential Liberation)+, Tyrant Whale Fist, three years (Brute Force)+]

[Evolution Points: 40.24]

Sure enough, the Attribute Panel had classified Tyrant Whale Fist as a transcendent martial art that could be improved with Evolution Points.

At the same time.

Wu Dao also noticed the words "three years" after Tyrant Whale Fist, and felt slightly puzzled. Where had those three years come from?

Fortunately.

His thoughts were nimble and his mind exceptionally sharp at this moment, and he quickly deduced the reason.

Although he had never cultivated Tyrant Whale Fist.

In that brief span just now, he had used the Heaven-Man State to thoroughly digest its theoretical knowledge. What he lacked was merely verification through actual combat.

Those three years presumably represented how long an Ordinary Person would need to memorize and thoroughly understand all that theoretical knowledge.

"What a pity. Potential development is still too low. If I could enter the Heroic Domain, achieving the Technique Realm in one step might not be impossible."

Wu Dao looked at the plus sign after Tyrant Whale Fist, his expression faintly regretful.

The Technique Realm for fist, foot, blade, weapon, and movement arts.

Put bluntly, it meant that through day after day of training, the human body formed muscle memory and its organizational structure changed, allowing it to perfectly adapt to the human mechanics within a martial art.

Once potential development reached the Heroic Domain, the brain and spirit would transform into clarity, and the body's flesh and blood would gain sentience. Every inch of bodily tissue would possess "wisdom."

Powerful spirit flowed endlessly through the body, allowing one to independently control microscopic bodily tissues and adjust muscle fibers. Given sufficient energy, "growing" muscle memory in a short time was effortless.

As for now.

He would first cheat with the Attribute Panel.

Wu Dao had limited energy. For a long time to come, his focus would be on raising his Potential Liberation progress; he could not possibly spare time for diligent martial training.

Besides, it was not expensive.

The Attribute Panel's quoted price was two Evolution Points.

He evolved without hesitation!

With a thought, Wu Dao tapped the plus sign after Tyrant Whale Fist.

In an instant.

A vast amount of information surged into Wu Dao's mind.

All of it consisted of scenes of "him" practicing Tyrant Whale Fist. Spring, summer, autumn, winter; cold came and heat went. On high mountains and by seashores, he trained without pause, while his spiritual cultivation grew at breathtaking speed.

At the same time.

Threads of warm currents emerged within his body, altering his physical structure. Like dredging waterways, they washed away stiffness and awkwardness, comprehensively coordinating, adapting, and matching his body to Tyrant Whale Fist's methods of exerting force.

A moment later.

The evolution was complete.

[Tyrant Whale Fist, ten years (Technique)+]

In just a few seconds.

He had crossed seven years of bitter cultivation that an Ordinary Person would have needed!

Even though Wu Dao had already experienced the wonders of the Attribute Panel, he could not help but feel somewhat shaken.

"Continue!"

But he was not satisfied. He tapped the plus sign after Tyrant Whale Fist once more.

From Technique to Mastery.

It was a great transformation from student to master. The required Evolution Points had risen to ten, comparable to what the Beast King Physique needed to advance from minor mastery to major mastery.

Yet their natures were fundamentally different.

One simply improved physical qualities, while the other was the result of accumulated spiritual cultivation, wisdom, experience, and painstaking tempering over time. The difference was immense.

Crack, crack~

As countless moments of cultivating Tyrant Whale Fist flooded into his heart, his muscles and bones also began to grow with audible sounds.

This improvement brought obvious changes to his physical body.

Especially Wu Dao's two hands.

His fists were like whale heads, his arms like whale waists!

They had grown an entire size more robust.

His ten knuckles were covered in Martial Cocoons like shells, their thickness and hardness comparable to those of any Tyrant Whale Fist master.

At the same time, the circumference of the muscles throughout his body increased considerably, his bone density rose, and his strength and resistance to blows improved. While the rest of his bodily tissues strengthened, they also became adapted to the human mechanics of Tyrant Whale Fist!

[Tyrant Whale Fist, fifty years (Mastery)+]

Fifty years of skill!

A Hundred Changes Master!

That was already an extraordinarily long time. An ordinary person would need to spend half a lifetime cultivating Tyrant Whale Fist without slacking for a single day to possibly reach this step!

At this moment, Wu Dao's attainment in Tyrant Whale Fist—whether theory, actual combat, or spiritual cultivation—had reached perfection and stood as solid as a mountain. He could establish his own school!

Huff~

He slowly exhaled.

Divine light flickered in Wu Dao's eyes, wisdom flowing like a vast ocean with Desolate Giant Whales roaming freely within.

His bearing had also changed somewhat. Amid savage ferocity and tyrannical intensity was the lofty, unworldly poise of a Grandmaster. Even without anger, he inspired awe; petty villains feared him at a glance, and evil spirits could be cowed!

Crackle, pop...

Wu Dao stretched his body, his tendons, muscles, and bones crackling. Strength merged with qi, qi harmonized with intent, and beneath the fine drizzle, he began practicing the eight forms of Tyrant Whale Fist.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~

A fierce wind howled as fists and feet thundered forth.

Savage Elephant Strength was unleashed through Tyrant Whale Fist's force-generation techniques. Within several yards, even the air currents and rainwater churned and boiled.

Whale Waves Crashing Shore... Whale Leaping Galaxy... Hanging Whale Stance... Whale Cleaving Stance...

The might of whales, the surging fury of the sea!

Every move was free of the slightest stiffness or awkwardness, flowing like drifting clouds and running water, brought to perfection.

His Fist Momentum was fierce and domineering, vast and surging! His Vitality and Spirit were full and abundant, exhausting the mysteries of Tyrant Whale Fist. Any Tyrant Whale Fist master who saw it would be ashamed of his own inadequacy.

Several minutes later.

Wu Dao leaped through his forms and arrived beneath the sheer mountain wall behind this residential area.

A gray stone as tall as a man stood rooted in the earth!

Whale Shark Crushing Island!

Wu Dao's eyes narrowed. His toes twisted against the ground, and every muscle from below surged like waves. His spine drove his arms like a whale's waist swaying, gathering immense and savage force into his fist—like a great whale twisting through the sea, breaking waves in a mad charge, and smashing headfirst into an island!

He punched!

Bang!

Force erupted within inches, its power like a whale's collision and a cannon's bombardment!

The sound of shattering stone was startling, followed by a rumbling crash. The upper half of the man-high black stone exploded into countless fragments that sprayed in every direction!

Huff!

Wu Dao exhaled, and rolling white vapor like a dragon's breath blew away the dust. Looking at the rubble scattered across the ground, his eyes shone brilliantly.

"The martial arts of this world are far more exquisite than those of my previous life. With Tyrant Whale Fist at Mastery Realm, my combat and killing ability has increased by at least half!

"If I faced the likes of Meng Qingshuang again, I could easily hammer him to death in under a minute!"

He opened the Attribute Panel again.

[Physique: Beast King (Limit)]

[Transcendent: Stealing Heavenly Secrets Breathing Technique (58% Potential Liberation)+, Tyrant Whale Fist, fifty years (Mastery)+]

[Evolution Points: 28.24]

"Potential Liberation has increased by 2% as well?"

Wu Dao noticed the additional 2% progress in Stealing Heaven's Secret, and joy rose in his heart.

Fifty years of Tyrant Whale Fist skill had greatly increased his combat prowess while also significantly improving his overall physique. His Potential Liberation had risen another level, bringing him one step closer to the Heroic Domain at 65%.

"What a pity I do not have enough Evolution Points. If I could attain Subtle Mastery, I imagine even more potential would be liberated."

Wu Dao still wanted more.

The plus sign after Tyrant Whale Fist had turned gray. The feedback message stated that the next evolution required sixty Evolution Points.

Having personally felt the benefits of the Mastery Realm, he could understand why Subtle Mastery was so expensive.

At the Subtle Mastery level.

A person's spirit and consciousness underwent a clear transformation, condensed into a weapon, and their techniques blended into heaven, earth, and nature. It emphasized sudden spiritual insight, communion between heaven and earth, and the convergence of fate and opportunity.

One might suddenly attain enlightenment in the next instant, or one might never touch the threshold in an entire lifetime. It was not something that could be achieved merely by grinding away with time.

Once one entered that realm.

Most tangibly.

There would be a qualitative transformation in strength.

The Tyrant Whale Fist manual contained records of actual combat. Decades ago, a Subtle Mastery fist master had killed a Cocoon Breaking martial artist while only in the Divine Strength Realm, crossing realms to do so.

After Foundation Establishment came Cocoon Breaking.

Transcendents of that level had already undergone rebirth, shedding their mortal bodies. Their dantians condensed Blood Essence, and the power of qi and blood carried by their physiques compared to that of the Foundation Establishment Realm was like tigers and bears compared to dirt dogs—completely on another level.

To fight and kill across such a vast gap was enough to show how tyrannical Subtle Mastery was.

"Subtle Mastery may be good, but my current focus must remain the liberation of human potential. The mortals of this world are bound by layer upon layer of shackles, with no hope of transcendence. Only Stealing Heaven's Secret is the fundamental method for breaking those shackles!"

Wu Dao glanced at the mere twenty-odd Evolution Points remaining, and the surging yearning in his heart gradually calmed.

Subtle Mastery made one strong for a time; Stealing Heaven made one strong forever.

He understood very clearly which mattered more.

Huff~

A drizzle drifted continuously on the wind.

Wu Dao withdrew his mind from the Attribute Panel. His nose twitched, and a thick fishy stench made him frown.

He lowered his gaze.

Dust and bloodstains covered his body, filthy hair hung down in braids, and he wore nothing but tattered short trousers. He looked like a wild man from the mountains who drank blood and ate raw flesh.

Wu Dao was not a clean freak, but he could not endure his current filthy appearance either. Without hesitation, he headed straight for Meng Qingshuang's residence.

As the master of Red Fire Mine.

Meng Qingshuang's courtyard naturally had a well. Its water was sweet and clear, a rare treasure in the great desert.

Thus.

Today, three months after arriving in this world.

Wu Dao finally enjoyed a thorough bath and drank clean water free of mud, sand, and strange odors.

While he was at it.

He picked up a knife and personally shaved his dense, waist-length hair into a neat and capable crew cut.

As a person from the twenty-first century, certain notions were rooted deep in his bones. Although he had not cared much for appearances in his previous life, he truly could not accept the bizarre sight of a grown man with long hair flowing in the wind.

After putting his personal hygiene in order.

Wu Dao then searched through Meng Qingshuang's room bare-chested, hoping to find suitable robes to cover himself.

Several minutes later.

Wu Dao, clad in a soft black robe, appeared at the doorway. Holding a sheepskin map, he quickly memorized the Black Stone Desert and the surrounding geography.

The nearest human settlement from Red Fire Mine was over a hundred miles away. Wind and sand often raged, burying the traces of roads. Without a map, one could easily lose one's way.

"This direction... Qingyuan City... the Four Seas Gang's main headquarters!"

Wu Dao put away the map and determined his next route, a flash of greed passing through his eyes.

The peculiar nature of Stealing Heaven's Secret and the Attribute Panel meant he could never be some ascetic who meditated and chanted scriptures. To advance quickly, he could only devour abnormalities amid bloodshed and foul winds.

Yet in the world today, humanity ultimately held sway. Abnormal beings were mostly sinister ghosts and evil entities, hiding in the dark corners of the human world and ordinarily unknown to people.

To search for them actively was to be like a headless fly, unable to find one's bearings, wasting far too much time.

Fortunately.

The Four Seas Gang, a criminal force that dominated Guangqing Prefecture, had countless threads of connection with "abnormalities."

That made his target very clear.

Putting away the map.

Wu Dao found another piece of brocade and bundled up all the money and silver notes contested by those two Four Seas Gang members who had come to mooch off others. Their total value was at least nearly ten thousand taels of silver.

In this world, he was now rootless duckweed, an unregistered nobody. His strength was insufficient to run rampant and ignore the rules, and he might not even be able to enter a human city.

But with sufficient money, identity was no longer a problem. Without money, you were a turtle's grandson; with money, you were a grand master. It was the same everywhere.

Whoosh, whoosh~

The fierce wind howled past his ears.

Carrying the bundle over his shoulder, Wu Dao moved with the stride of a dragon and leap of a tiger. Without the slightest attachment, full of anticipation for the new world, he rapidly left Red Fire Mine, where he had spent three months living like a pig or dog.