Path of the Divine Body

A genius who had lain dormant for years and created a Mystic-grade martial art upon stepping into the sixth rank was far more reassuring—and easier to accept—than an unranked trainee martial artist.

Thinking of this, Gu Yuyue found it hard to shake her guilt.

In the end, she was still too weak.

If she were a third-rank grandmaster now, Chen Wu could freely display his talents, obtain the nation's resources, and need not fear being targeted.

"Yuyue, you..."

Qi Ruyan had known Gu Yuyue for many years, so naturally she understood her good sister's desire to protect Chen Wu.

To avoid any misunderstanding, Gu Yuyue explained to Chen Wu, "Xiao Wu, your sister isn't trying to steal your credit. It's just that, as an unranked martial artist, creating this palm technique would make you the focus of every side's attention. That would be extremely detrimental to your safety and future development."

"Wait until the day you officially enter the sixth rank. Then, whatever you want to do, your sister won't stop you."

Chen Wu naturally understood the principle that the tree rising above the forest would be the first to be toppled by the wind. Knowing Gu Yuyue's concerns, he smiled. "Sis, I had already prepared an explanation before coming here. We'll say I found this martial art by chance while sorting through Mom's belongings, that it was quite good to practice, and treat it as a family martial art. Since you have a better excuse, all the more reason not to let this rich prize fall into outsiders' hands."

He did not place much importance on things like fame. What he pursued was reaching the pinnacle of martial arts while protecting his loved ones.

Ever since learning that this world contained ferocious beasts and secret realms, as well as understanding the current state of the world, he had realized that he had to grow stronger.

Only by becoming stronger could he protect his family.

His sister specialized in blade techniques. Though she was also proficient in fist and palm arts, they could never compare to the blade techniques she had cultivated painstakingly for years. Once she claimed to have created the Dragon-Subduing Divine Palm, it would mean giving up all that effort and switching to palm techniques.

At that thought, Chen Wu decided to put his research into the path of body tempering on the agenda. "But, Sis, there's one more thing I'd like to ask of you."

Already feeling guilty, Gu Yuyue hurriedly said, "Xiao Wu, just say whatever it is. Why be polite with your sister?"

Chen Wu voiced his plan. "It's like this, Sis. I've recently become interested in body tempering, so do you think you could...?"

Gu Yuyue immediately understood what her younger brother meant. "It was my oversight. You possess the Heavenly Spirit Sacred Body and have reached the sixth transformation of Essence Tempering. A lack of true qi can no longer pose a problem for you. You really can begin preparing in advance for the paths of body tempering and spirit cultivation. That Heavenly Spirit Grandmaster began cultivating those two paths at about this time as well."

Qi Ruyan, who had long since learned from her good sister that Chen Wu had awakened the Heavenly Spirit Sacred Body, also agreed. "Yuyue is right. During this time, I used military channels to look into some information. That Heavenly Spirit Grandmaster began cultivating both paths while still in the Essence Tempering realm. He once achieved the brilliant feat of defeating a ninth-rank martial artist at the eighth transformation of Essence Tempering."

"With your current strength, Xiao Wu, there won't be any problems in this provincial high school exchange competition. It really is time to make preparations in advance for your future martial path."

"It's best that Sis and Sister Ruyan share the same thoughts as me."

To his surprise, not only had his suggestion been accepted by his sister, but he could also explore the spirit-cultivation path that he had never managed to make sense of.

After settling Chen Wu's future martial path, Gu Yuyue said to Qi Ruyan, "Ruyan, when you go back this time, if anyone asks..."

Qi Ruyan patted her chest in assurance. "Don't worry. Your little brother is my little brother. If anyone asks about the Dragon-Subduing Divine Palm when I return, I'll say I traded the weapon forged for Xiao Wu for it."

When she had taken leave this time, she had only planned to visit her good sister Gu Yuyue. She had never expected to encounter an unparalleled talent like Chen Wu.

As long as he could enter National Martial University, he would surely restore the glory of this century-old prestigious school in the future.

As for Gu Yuyue's concerns, based solely on the friendship they had shared over the years, Qi Ruyan would certainly ensure Chen Wu was well looked after.

Not to mention that she had also received the favor of being taught the palm technique.

The fewer people who knew about Chen Wu's talent, the better, of course. But the higher-ups also needed to know an appropriate amount, so they could secure better benefits for him.

For instance, that old principal of National Martial University.

Afterward, Chen Wu demonstrated the ten forms of the Dragon-Subduing Divine Palm twice more before his sister and Qi Ruyan, explaining in detail each technique for channeling strength and exerting force.

As Gu Yuyue and Qi Ruyan learned, they marveled at Chen Wu's ingenuity.

Both had graduated from top-tier universities and had naturally encountered quite a few Mystic-grade palm techniques.

Yet they had never seen a martial art like the Dragon-Subduing Divine Palm, one that balanced hardness and softness while every form possessed immense power. They truly had no idea how Chen Wu had come up with it.

Only after confirming that the two women had memorized the methods of wielding all ten palm forms like the backs of their hands did this instruction come to an end.

Afterward, Chen Wu and Gu Yuyue went to see Qi Ruyan off.

That evening, Gu Yuyue gave him the body-tempering and spirit-cultivation techniques she had carefully selected, telling him to look them over first and replace them if they were unsuitable.

In his bedroom, Chen Wu sat on the bed with two manuals laid out before him: the Iron Shirt and the Contemplation Method.

The Iron Shirt was a body-tempering technique that cultivated both internal and external aspects. Its method required tempering the sinews and bones, regulating the inner breath, and strengthening the muscles. Through long-term cultivation, its practitioner could attain a state of "a body like hardened iron," displaying tremendous resistance to blows in battle.

If someone cultivated this art to perfection, they would develop Iron-Shirt Aura, which would protect their entire body apart from their eyes and throat.

The Contemplative Visualization Method, meanwhile, was a spirit-cultivation technique that nourished the soul. Its purpose was to nourish the soul by continuously visualizing a particular form.

A visualizer could condense spiritual awareness by imagining deities, immortal realms, heavenly palaces, sacred beings, the radiance of the sun and moon, clouds, divine beasts, and more.

Once a visualization image took shape within the sea of consciousness, one would be considered to have officially entered the discipline.

After that, one needed to continuously nourish and refine the visualization image, strengthening its power.

This visualization image possessed the abilities of attack, defense, and enhancing spiritual awareness, making it a divine art that balanced offense and defense.

If it had a flaw, it was that once the image was damaged, it had to be refined anew from the beginning.

According to this technique's description, if one cultivated it to profound depths and reached the higher realms of spirit cultivation, one could condense the people or objects within the visualization image into physical forms to assist the cultivator in battle.

Chen Wu was extremely interested in the ultimate realm described by this technique.

Unlike body tempering and qi cultivation, the two paths that could visibly display their might outwardly, the path of spirit cultivation also had a so-called ranking sequence, but in truth, every technique had its own strengths and could all point directly toward the Great Dao.

Using the spirit to command qi, using the spirit to command objects—those were nothing more than inferior paths in the eyes of true masters of spirit cultivation.

What they pursued was: "Having completed the three thousand practices, one suddenly received an edict and ascended, roaming free beyond all things, sharing heaven's years."