Martial Dao True Intent

"Three hundred and six years—use them all to cultivate Stone-Shattering Fist!"

Buzz...

Three hundred and six years began flashing through Zhang Yu's mind. Stone-Shattering Fist, having already broken through its limits once, underwent three limit-breaks after his three hundred and six years of tireless cultivation.

Second limit-break: Stone-Shattering Fist advanced into a third-rate cultivation art, comprehending the Dark Force killing move—Great Avalanche.

Third limit-break: He cultivated a Martial Dao True Intent—Shattering Intent.

Every sinew, bone, and piece of flesh in Zhang Yu's body throbbed with excruciating pain, while his soul felt as though it were being pierced by needles.

A tremendous force was remolding his flesh and bones, while another profound power tugged at his soul.

He clenched his teeth without uttering a sound. It felt as though ten thousand ants were gnawing at his entire body as it underwent enormous changes.

A quarter-hour later, the transformation finally ended. Large amounts of black, greasy filth seeped from every pore of Zhang Yu's body, reeking horribly.

He hurried to the nearby stream to wash himself, then quietly examined his current system data.

[Name: Zhang Yu]

[Realm: Dark Force Peak]

[Martial Skills and Cultivation Arts: Stone-Shattering Fist, three limit-breaks; Bright Force killing move: Mountain-Crushing; Dark Force killing move: Great Avalanche; Martial Dao True Intent: Shattering Intent]

Stone-Shattering Fist had already been comprehended by him into a third-rate martial art.

Mastering a third-rate martial art would make one a Bright Force martial artist, while cultivating it to perfection could allow one to comprehend Dark Force.

But to cultivate Force Transformation, only second-rate and first-rate arts would do, because second-rate and first-rate martial skills and cultivation arts possessed not only moves, but also stance training and breathing methods.

Force Transformation required cultivating the internal organs and marrow, changing one's blood. Stance training and breathing methods were essential; he simply could not comprehend them on his own through time alone.

What was more, his knowledge of martial arts was far from profound.

Still, Zhang Yu's three hundred and six years of bitter cultivation had not gone to waste. He had cultivated Stone-Shattering Fist to a miraculous level, touched upon the origin of martial arts, and comprehended the Shattering Martial Intent.

The difficulty of Martial Dao True Intent was such that no martial artist in the Lower Three Realms—Bright Force, Dark Force, and Force Transformation—could comprehend it. Only upon reaching the Middle Three Realms would one possibly be able to touch upon Martial Dao True Intent.

"Shattering Intent?" Zhang Yu was somewhat curious. He rose to his feet, circulated his force, and punched a tree as thick as a man beside him.

"Shattering Intent!"

Bang!

With a soft sound, his fist struck the trunk.

The next second, buzz... an invisible ripple spread through the great tree.

The tree, as thick as a man, was not snapped in half at the waist. Instead, it shattered into wooden rods as thick as fingers.

Over a hundred wooden rods, all exactly the same thickness.

Hiss...

Zhang Yu sucked in a cold breath. He had not expected Martial Dao True Intent to be so formidable.

This was entirely the manifestation of force refined to the smallest detail, carrying a trace of the power of Shattering's origin. Then his body swayed, his head aching slightly as his mental energy was overly depleted.

Martial Dao True Intent also consumed mental power.

Even a Force Transformation martial artist would probably die if they took one of my Martial Dao True Intent attacks. Zhang Yu secretly rejoiced.

[Ding. The system replacement countdown has ended. System replacement will now begin.]

Before he could be happy for long, the system's voice sounded in his mind.

Lord System, please give me an awesome system. Stat points, card draws, simulations, pay-to-win—anything will do. Zhang Yu prayed inwardly.

[Ding. System replacement complete: Saint Teacher System.]

"What?"

"What the hell is the Saint Teacher System?"

Zhang Yu stood there blankly.

"Big Brother System, can you change it?"

"Lord System?"

"Fuck your grandfather!"

Zhang Yu cursed loudly, but unfortunately, the system did not give a damn about him.

Only after he was tired of cursing did he calm down and inspect the Saint Teacher System.

[1. Your disciples' cultivation is your cultivation.]

[2. Eye of Truth-Piercing: Can inspect detailed cultivation aptitude, rather than merely broadly distinguishing between inferior, average, and superior talent.]

[3. A Dark Force martial artist may take three disciples.]

"That's it? System, are you screwing with me? Where's the ten-thousandfold return? Has this system not finished replacing itself yet?"

"Lord System?"

"Fuck!"

Zhang Yu gave up resisting.

At this moment, Li Yue, sitting not far from him, wore a tense expression. She had noticed Zhang Yu muttering to himself, seemingly talking to someone, but there was no one around.

Did Yellow Wolf beat him so hard that he damaged his brain?

It's all right. If his mind truly is broken, I'll take care of him for the rest of my life. Li Yue secretly made up her mind. She had to repay Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu calmed down and comforted himself. "Having a system is still better than having no system."

Then, to test this Saint Teacher System, he activated the Eye of Truth-Piercing and looked toward Li Yue in the distance.

[Name: Li Yue]

[Gender: Female]

[Age: 13] *(Yellow Wolf truly was a beast. Letting him die so easily was letting him off too lightly. Seeing this, Zhang Yu silently cursed.)*

[Cultivation Aptitude: Average] *(Inferior, average, good, excellent, outstanding, extraordinary)*

[Comprehension: Good]

[Fate Traits: Forged Through a Thousand Trials, obsessive, unyielding]

"Huh? The classifications for cultivation aptitude and comprehension are so detailed. And what are fate traits?" Zhang Yu's face filled with curiosity. He then tapped on the fate traits and saw the explanation within.

[Forged Through a Thousand Trials: Those possessing this fate trait can, so long as they continuously practice a particular skill, eventually reach its origin power.]

Hiss... This fate trait is incredibly powerful. What a pity—Li Yue's cultivation aptitude is merely average, and her comprehension isn't all that good either. Zhang Yu inwardly sighed.

As for obsessive and unyielding, he did not check them. They were easy enough to understand from their literal meanings.

That also explained why Li Yue had kept following him, saying she wanted to repay him. Her obsessive nature was at work.

Perhaps only those who were obsessive and unyielding, when blessed with the fate trait Forged Through a Thousand Trials, could ultimately walk all the way to the end.

"By that logic, Li Yue is a little genius after all? What a pity, what a pity—her aptitude and comprehension are both rather poor." Zhang Yu sighed again.

For the time that followed, he no longer drove Li Yue away. Of course, he did not pay her any attention either, much less mention taking her as a disciple.

Zhang Yu was no saint. He was currently fleeing for his life and could only look after himself.

If she could keep up, then she could follow him. If she could not, it meant they had no fate as master and disciple. At the same time, Zhang Yu wanted to see whether the system's Eye of Truth-Piercing was truly accurate.

Three days later, Zhang Yu broke the silence and took the initiative to speak to Li Yue. During those three days, they had passed through a town, and Zhang Yu had used the Eye of Truth-Piercing on several hundred people, yet he had not found a single person with fate traits.

The overwhelming majority of ordinary people had inferior cultivation aptitude, inferior comprehension, and no fate traits.

Only then did he understand how incredible it was for Li Yue to possess three fate traits and good comprehension.

"Li Yue, I'm going to Boundless City, three thousand li away. If you want to go, I can take you with me." Zhang Yu sat down beside Li Yue and handed her one of the meat buns he had bought in town.

Fine, he was just an ordinary man. For the sake of the Saint Teacher System, he would no longer act so aloof.

After all, Li Yue now seemed to be a little genius.

"Benefactor, I'll go. Wherever you go, I'll go." Li Yue took the meat bun and spoke as she ate.

Zhang Yu nodded.

A burst of commotion came from behind them. Looking into the distance, it seemed that a group of refugees was heading their way.

Over the past three days, Zhang Yu and Li Yue had already encountered several groups of refugees.

Boundless City, where he was headed, lay near the Ten Thousand Mountains. It was a land of chaos, where fish and dragons mingled together and slaughter never ceased—the most suitable place for a wanted man like him.