The Demon Serpent's Death and the Ranks of Innate Physiques

Just when everyone was in despair and closed their eyes to await death.

A calm voice, without warning, drifted out from the silent deck.

"I spared your life last time, and you still dare to come back to die?"

The voice wasn't loud, but it was like a divine decree from the heavens, clearly reaching everyone's ears!

Everyone suddenly opened their eyes and looked in the direction of the sound.

At the very back of the crowd, that familiar yet mysterious figure in a conical hat had somehow already appeared on the ship's railing.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering slightly in the sea breeze, as if he had no idea of the terrifying serpent before him, a serpent capable of swallowing the heavens and earth.

"It's... it's him!!"

The critically injured and dying "Mountain and River Sword Intent" Grandmaster, upon seeing that figure, had his previously dim eyes gleam with unparalleled excitement and hope!

The Purple-Horned Demon Serpent also noticed the figure that had once brought it such humiliation. Its enormous serpent eyes were instantly filled with endless violence and hatred!

It abandoned the readily available "food" before it, let out a deafening roar, and with its massive body stirring up towering waves, it charged madly toward the Dongfang Yueming with earth-shattering power!

"Watch out!" The Grandmaster was horrified and struggled to warn him.

However, faced with this devastating attack, Dongfang Yueming simply raised his right hand slowly.

It was still that same simple palm strike.

The Two Aspects Seal!

But this time, what this palm strike triggered was no longer the simple essence of water and fire, but the power of the World Prototype!

"Buzz--!"

A more solid and profound Tai Chi symbol appeared out of thin air!

It has no earth-shattering momentum, yet it seems to contain the most fundamental truths of the universe!

Wind and thunder swirl within the image, water and fire intertwine within it, the earth is weighty, and metal and wood coexist... It's as if the entire world has been condensed into this palm!

"Boom--!!!"

The enormous body of the Purple-Horned Demon Serpent couldn't even muster the slightest struggle the moment it came into contact with the Tai Chi diagram!

Its proud, resilient scales, powerful physique, and otherworldly Divine Ability all seem so pale and powerless in the face of this condensed world!

Like ice and snow under the scorching sun, its body, from head to tail, was crushed, purified, and erased inch by inch by the rotating Tai Chi symbol!

In the end, not even a trace of flesh and blood remained before it completely dissipated into the world.

A single, fist-sized, purple inner core, imbued with pure Demonic Power, floated in mid-air, emitting a faint glow.

With a casual wave of his hand, Dongfang Yueming placed the demon core and the storage bag into his possession.

On the entire deck, you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone was frozen in place, staring blankly at the nonchalant figure, their minds completely blank.

One palm strike...

Just one palm strike...

A terrifying Demonic Beast that even Grandmaster- level expert couldn't defeat, just like that... gone?

After a long while, a deafening cheer erupted on the deck like a volcanic eruption!

Inside the ship's cabin, in one of the most luxurious rooms.

After taking the elixir and meditating for a long time, the "Mountain and River Sword Intent" Grandmaster finally recovered. He looked at the young man calmly sipping tea in front of him, his eyes filled with endless complexity and shock.

He stood up and solemnly bowed to Dongfang Yueming as a peer.

"Dongfang... no, Dongfang," he said with a wry smile, "I thank you for saving my life today. I owe you my life."

"It was nothing," Dongfang Yueming said casually, putting down his teacup.

The Grandmaster remained silent for a moment, but finally couldn't suppress his doubts and asked, "Fellow Daoist... how exactly did you cultivate such strength? I myself have been immersed in the Grandmaster realm for nearly a hundred years, yet... I cannot even reach a fraction of the power of your single palm strike."

"Your cultivation method and true meaning determine your upper limit," Dongfang Yueming said, offering a word of advice based on his sincere attitude.

"Cultivation techniques and true meanings?" A hint of understanding flashed in the Grandmaster's eyes, followed by helplessness. "Fellow Daoist is absolutely right. Most of the Grandmaster cultivation techniques and true meanings we practice are merely fragments passed down from the Eight Great Holy Lands or super sects. To forge a higher-grade Innate Physique is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

"Oh?" Dongfang Yueming's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

Seeing his interest, the Grandmaster spoke frankly and without reservation.

"Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but for us martial artists who wish to transcend the Innate Physique and forge an innate physique, the Grandmaster- level techniques we cultivate and the Martial Dao True Intent we comprehend form our foundation. The stronger our foundation, the higher the grade of the Innate Physique we forge, and the further we can go on the path to immortality."

"If one is fortunate enough to obtain some rare and precious materials to assist in forging a Innate Physique might be able to be raised even higher."

"As far as I know, the Innate Physique forged by us martial artists can be divided into at least four levels, depending on our foundation and opportunities."

"The first level, and the most common one, is ' Mortal-Grade Innate.' This is usually achieved by someone like me, who has barely reached the Minor Accomplishment or Major Accomplishment of True Meaning, using some ordinary spiritual objects. Although one can step onto the path of immortality, the potential is limited, and subsequent cultivation is extremely difficult."

"The second level is called ' Spirit-Grade Innate.' It requires Perfection true meaning, combined with some high-quality rare and precious materials, to be forged. This is already the standard for genius disciples of major sects in the Central Continent, and only then can the path of immortality be considered to have truly embarked on the right track."

"The third level is the legendary ' Treasure-Grade Innate '!" The Grandmaster's eyes were filled with endless longing and envy. "That requires a top Grandmaster with perfected true Perfection and a complete domain, supplemented by a divine object like the ' Evolution Dragon Pool,' to have even a one in ten thousand chance of achieving it! Once accomplished, one is like a chosen one of heaven, with limitless potential!"

"Unfortunately," he sighed, his eyes filled with longing and envy, "the truly top-tier Grandmaster inheritances and rare treasures are all in the hands of the Central Region, the most core area of the Central Domain Central Continent. The only hope of obtaining them is to participate in the legendary ' Battle of the Dragon Gate ' and win the qualification to enter the ' Evolution Dragon Pool.'"

"If... if I had been fortunate enough to enter the ' Evolution Dragon Pool ' back then, perhaps I could have forged a higher-level Innate Physique today, and wouldn't be so powerless against this demonic serpent."

Dongfang Yueming listened quietly, and his mind suddenly became clear.