The Unbridgeable Chasm

Li Xiuwen shook his head.

Mr. Long said, "If people with Special Endowments awaken their gifts, they can grasp a trace of Inner Heaven and Earth's power as early as the Elephant-Hurling stage... That is an unbridgeable chasm. That's why Mr. Ming's rewards stop at Eight Paths. He never even considered that someone from the Learning Society might reach Four Paths. None of the society's current prospects for the Dragon-Raising-Head Dharma Assembly have Special Endowments. They all have Superior Physiques."

Hearing this, Li Xiuwen felt a genuine sense of helplessness. The reason Inner Heaven and Earth experts could crush Outer Heaven and Earth fighters as though they belonged to a lower dimension was only half physical ability and combat methods. The other half was the power of Inner Heaven and Earth.

Even if those with Special Endowments could wield only a tiny trace of it,

that was enough to drive ordinary martial artists like them to despair.

Mr. Long said, "I know your comprehension and combat instincts are exceptional, but I need to temper your expectations in advance. That's also why Mr. Ming invited the Vault Mountain geniuses here to challenge us. For you, reaching Thirty-Two Paths would be a victory! Sixteen Paths would be a great victory! Eight Paths would be the kind of victory that sent green smoke rising from your ancestors' graves! As for Four Paths, that would take a miracle. If you really fight your way in, I'd quite like to see the look on my old friend's face when he hears about it.

"As for becoming Path Champion?"

Mr. Long shook his head.

That was far too unrealistic.

The Learning Society might be an orthodox lineage, but only because Mr. Ming's personal strength and influence were so great. The society's foundation of teachers and students