Enlightenment

Chapter 41: Enlightenment

"Junior Brother Ye truly deserves his place among the Hundred Strong Ranking's experts. Today, this senior brother has learned much," Ling Chen said to Ye Yun with a complicated expression.

"Senior Brother Ye, today's sparring has benefited this junior sister immensely. If there is another chance, could you offer me some guidance?" He Yue looked at Ye Yun with a face full of admiration, completely lacking the aloof bearing she had shown when they first met.

"Senior Brother Ling, Junior Sister He, there is no need for this. If you want to spar in the future, so long as I am in the sect, you may come find me anytime."

Seeing the two of them somewhat dejected, a ripple stirred in Ye Yun's heart. Though his special ability made him somewhat stronger than them, there were countless people more talented than he was. This little achievement of his was nothing worth mentioning.

The road of martial arts was fraught with hardships and dangers. If he wanted to climb to the peak of martial arts, he still had to take things one step at a time and walk the road beneath his feet steadily.

"Junior Brother Ye, it is getting late. Junior Sister He and I will take our leave. We will come seek you out for sparring another day." After Ling Chen and He Yue had recovered most of their strength, they rose and bade Ye Yun farewell.

"Very well, Senior Brother Ling, Junior Sister He. Travel safely. I will not see you off."

Watching their retreating figures vanish into the woods, Ye Yun turned and headed back into the house.

The next day, Ye Yun sat atop the Iceheart Lotus Platform in the valley, his brows tightly furrowed as he contemplated a question.

My path? How exactly should I walk it? If I only rely on my special ability, then what will I do if it ceases to be of use to me someday? These questions kept surfacing in Ye Yun's mind as he asked himself again and again.

Ye Yun was pondering where his own path truly lay. If he could not find his own road and kept relying on the effects of his special ability, constantly switching to martial arts that had a high compatibility with him, then what would he do if he could no longer find any?

Somewhere in the dark, Ye Yun's martial heart was telling him that he could not continue like this.

Among those in the world who became peerless powerhouses, not one had failed to carve out their own path. Of those who blindly learned from others, how many could break through their cages and ultimately become peerless powerhouses?

"Those who practice the sword have the Sword Path, and those who wield the blade have the Blade Path. Everything in this world has its own path—so what is mine?" Ye Yun seemed to have parted one layer of mist, only to fall into another.

In the courtyard, a small figure was practicing a set of fist techniques, stumbling and swaying. Drops of sweat slid down his tender face, yet he gritted his teeth and persisted until he finished the entire set.

"Little Yun, come rest for a while. Martial practice cannot be rushed; you must take it slowly." The vigorous-looking old man called out to the young Ye Yun with a smile on his face.

Little Ye Yun trotted over and looked up at his grandfather with wide eyes. "Grandpa, when will I become as strong as you?"

His grandfather reached out and stroked Little Ye Yun's head, looking at him lovingly as he smiled. "Little Yun, do not be impatient. As long as you keep cultivating, one day you will become even stronger than Grandpa."

"Don't worry, Grandpa. Little Yun will definitely cultivate properly. When I grow up, I will be like Grandpa too—I will pass Purple Extreme Sect's assessment and enter Purple Extreme Sect. Then I can protect Grandpa," Little Ye Yun said, looking at his grandfather with utter seriousness.

"Haha, good. Grandpa will wait for that day. Our Little Yun will definitely enter Purple Extreme Sect in the future, and you may even become an inner disciple, accomplishing what Grandpa failed to accomplish in his day." Pride appeared on his grandfather's face as he looked at Little Ye Yun.

"I definitely can!" Little Ye Yun planted his hands on his hips, putting on an imposing pose.

"But Little Yun, you must remember this. No matter when the time comes, never forget your original intention for practicing martial arts. Why do you practice martial arts?" His grandfather's earnest words were still beyond Ye Yun's understanding at the time, and he merely nodded in a daze.

My original intention for practicing martial arts? Why do I practice martial arts? Recalling that conversation with his grandfather from his childhood, Ye Yun could not help but fall into deep thought.

Scenes of cultivation flashed through his mind: the excitement of his first cultivation, the exhaustion afterward, the joy of breakthroughs in cultivation, and the pain of being injured.

From the time he began cultivating martial arts until now, he had felt excitement, fatigue, pain, and joy. All those feelings came flooding back. Gradually, the layer of mist that had troubled him grew thinner and thinner, and his mind slowly cleared.

In the past, I cultivated martial arts to help Grandpa fulfill his regret and to protect him properly. Now, I have accomplished all of that, and Grandpa has peacefully lived out his life.

From now on, I will cultivate martial arts only for myself. I want to see this vast world, challenge more martial arts powerhouses, and see what kind of scenery lies at the peak of martial arts that everyone pursues.

No matter how many hardships lie on this road, no matter how many people stand in my way, as long as I am still alive, I will smash everything blocking my path apart, fist by fist. After Ye Yun swept aside the final layer of mist in his mind, everything he wanted and the road he wished to take suddenly became crystal clear.

"Ah... Ah..."

Excited howls rang out from Ye Yun's mouth. With a leap, he jumped down from the Iceheart Lotus Platform.

As true qi surged throughout his body, a set of fist techniques flowed from his hands. This set was the Layered Waves Fist, which Ye Yun had not practiced for a long time.

Ever since Ye Yun had obtained the stronger Profound Yin Twelve Swords and Nine Yin Cold Claw, he had gradually set aside the Layered Waves Fist.

But his recent enlightenment had made him understand what his own path truly was. Sword techniques or claw techniques, they were merely things he had chosen to cultivate because they had high compatibility with him. Yet from beginning to end, deep within his heart, the attack method he loved most had always been fist techniques.

The martial path he wished to walk required no external things. He would rely only on his own pair of fists, carving out his road punch by punch. If one punch was not enough, then he would throw several more.

Within the valley, Ye Yun's figure flickered as every movement of the Layered Waves Fist unfolded from his hands. Today's Layered Waves Fist was completely different from before.

In the past, even when the Layered Waves Fist had been cultivated to perfection, there had still been a trace of stiffness between its moves. Now, in Ye Yun's hands, the Layered Waves Fist seemed to have come alive.

At this moment, Ye Yun seemed to have transformed into ocean waves. Every punch and kick carried layer upon layer of fist force, while the power of heaven and earth around him continuously gathered along with his attacks.

Ye Yun was currently in a state of enlightenment. If an outsider saw him now, they would surely cry out, "Fist Force!"

Unlike the realms of martial arts techniques, all kinds of skills in the world—be they fist techniques, sword techniques, blade techniques, and so on—would reach a certain realm once cultivated to profound depths. The world called them the Four Martial Realms: Force, Intent, Soul, and Path.

Different skills had different names for some of these realms. For example, sword techniques were called Sword Force, Sword Intent, Sword Soul, and Sword Path, while blade techniques were called Blade Force, Blade Intent, Blade Spirit, and Blade Path.

Ye Yun's current state was precisely the process of comprehending Fist Force.

Force could also be called Heaven-and-Earth Grand Momentum. After comprehending Heaven-and-Earth Grand Momentum, one could draw upon the power of heaven and earth around one's body to attack enemies. Depending on one's degree of comprehension, the range of the power of heaven and earth one could mobilize would also differ.