Martial Saint!
Chapter 289 - 0199 Push open the door, see the thirteen Absolute Peaks of Da Xia! (3k)

Chapter 289: 0199 Push open the door, see the thirteen Absolute Peaks of Da Xia! (3k)

Martial Arts is not solitary; my path is not alone.

This was what Lu Chenzhou was thinking at the moment.

The journey of Martial Arts is the anthem of humanity.

The so-called Martial Artist, battling against heaven and earth, battling against ghosts and gods, refines both body and spirit amidst the tumultuous world, crossing swords and making friendships through martial arts; the path of Martial Arts is never lonely!

Lu Chenzhou’s achievements today rely not just on himself and the Martial Arts Tree. He stands on the shoulders of countless pioneers, the Cangtian Dragon King, the Wanshixian... every ordinary seeker of Martial Arts, whether famous or not!

"This is Martial Arts!"

Lu Chenzhou’s stirred emotions calmed down.

Across the wilderness, footprints dispersed, sounds faded away.

No ancient predecessors in sight, nor successors yet to come.

Only the lingering voice of Lu Chenzhou remained.

One day, when new martial practitioners break their shackles, perhaps they too will hear the sound of Lu Chenzhou’s Martial Arts in this deserted wilderness and be inspired.

The torch passed on, life after life!

Lu Chenzhou turned around, gazing at the tall mountain before him.

A winding path stretched straight to the sky, and upon close count, it spiraled seven times, like a serpentine staircase reaching towards the clouds at the peak, too far for Lu Chenzhou to see clearly.

Beyond the mist, thirteen magnificent and awe-inspiring spectral shadows that felt as profound as facing an abyss or seeing gods and Buddhas. His master had said these were the Martial Arts Imprints of the Absolute Peak Strong, forever branded in the annals of time, comparable to the Heavenly Heart Mark.

A figure in a green robe swung his saber in the clouds, reviving the sun and the moon with his might!

"It must be the inebriation of a Heavenly Immortal scattering the clouds!"

This was Wanshixian.

The pinnacle of Martial Arts and the premier exponent of the Sword Dao!

His famed creation, the "Blinding Brilliance Nine-Day Sky-Changing Saber," revolutionized the Martial Arts and led to the establishment of the Martial Arts Association!

Another figure in a white robe used his hand as a sword, his long sleeves dancing like blades.

"There are several at the Absolute Peak who master the Sword Dao... but with such a fierce aura, it must surely be the Absolute Peak from Hua Mountain Martial University, ’Sword Sect·Nameless’."

The Sword Qi roared through heaven and earth, captivating the soul.

A figure in a purple robe, a Daoist, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, harvesting the sun, moon, and stars.

"This is the Dragon and Tiger Grand Sky Master from Dragon and Tiger Mountain."

As the ancestral home of Daoism, Dragon and Tiger Mountain has many known as Heavenly Master Zhang.

But the Grand Sky Master is unique to that summit.

A figure in white, riding a snake-headed giant turtle, breaking waves, dispelling all evil.

"Wudang’s Xuanwu Taoist, the former headmaster of Zhenwu Palace."

A figure with graceful curves, a female fairy untainted by worldly concerns, dancing in the celestial lake, easy to recognize among the few women who reach the absolute peak today.

"The former headmaster of Kunlun Martial Arts University, the Yaochi Immortal."

Someone had privately made a ranking of beauties.

Yaochi Immortal was undoubtedly the first!

If not for the overwhelming spiritual sensitivity and majestic aura of these top-level strong beings, some frivolous men would have already created various fan arts to satisfy their desires.

Rumors say, without the will of a Martial Artist, one should not seek to see the true face of the Yaochi Immortal, for her beauty could ensnarl the soul, leading to obsession, illness, and a melancholic end.

She is indeed too beautiful.

All words in this world seem utterly pale in comparison.

Only the celestial beings above can truly describe her.

"Amitabha Buddha..."

An old monk stood at the summit with hands clasped in prayer, showing compassion for all beings, with boundless Buddhist light rising from the ground. Without a doubt, this was an Absolute Peak of Buddhism.

Hui Kong, the former Shaolin Abbot.

Now the old headmaster of Songshan Martial Arts University.

In the Elephant Washing Pond, a nun in monk’s robes rode a white elephant, resting here like the majestic and holy Universal Virtue Bodhisattva at the Golden Summit. Lu Chenzhou murmured as he watched this scene:

"The East shines because of the master, the Washing Elephant Divine Nun..."

At the pinnacle of Mount Tai, amidst a sea of clouds.

A figure stood with hands behind his back, as regal as an emperor, gazing far off towards the East Sea.

"East Mountain Daoist·Ling Jueding, a modern giant of the Taishan Sect."

On the coast of the East Sea, a figure in silver armor thrust his spear like a dragon, covering the sea and suspending the sky!

"The Sea Covering Saint Spear, the former headmaster of Magic City Martial University."

In the land of the South Sea, a figure in a white robe unleashed a sword strike that split heaven and earth!

"South Mountain Heavenly Sword, the founder of Nanshan Martial Arts University."

Dividing the mysterious into dual energies, Spirit Mountain opens Jiuhua.

At the summit of Jiuhua Mountain, a figure made a profound pledge to ferry across all the demon spirits and cult evils of the world.

"A modern giant of Buddhism from Jiuhua Mountain... Lord Jiuhua."

As his gaze wandered,

Lu Chenzhou saw another figure below Wutai Mountain, behind him stood the virtual shadows of the Xuan Turtle, snake, peacock, and white ape, their faces obscured.

"Grand disciple of Ling Kong Shangren... Four Symbols Master, originated from Wutai Mountain, later founded the Supreme Divine Skill ’Ling Kong Four Symbols Fist,’ and established Dragon City Martial Arts University!"

This was Lu Chenzhou’s principal.

He couldn’t help but take a few extra glances.

"Roar!"

Accompanied by a high-pitched dragon chant, a cyan dragon emerged from the clouds, its antler-like horns and eagle-like eyes shining with the luster of the universe on its radiant scales.

Its appearance seemed to declare something.

It was the protagonist of this era, the king of the world!

It was domineering and unorthodox, elevating Galaxy Martial University to become the foremost among the nine great institutions of Tianxia, no less inferior compared to those established Buddhist and Daoist powers.

It was a dragon, the Cangtian Dragon King!

"The day I achieved Perfection in my Tiger Spirit Divine Fist, when I connected with the Divine Intent of the Tiger Form, the cyan dragon with five claws I saw closely resembled the Martial Arts Imprint left by the Cangtian Dragon King... The peak of martial arts is indeed potent; a single individual turned countless imprints left by the dragon-shaped predecessors into his own form, what a bold and magnificent feat!"

Lu Chenzhou seemed to have an epiphany.

Any boxing lineage, whether Shape and Intent or otherwise, their cultivators’ collective Martial Arts Will, invisibly leaves all sorts of Heavenly Heart Marks in the world, like dazzling stars of martial arts, but the most dominant and significant, without doubt, are these marks from the absolute peak of the Dao!

This wasn’t obstructing the path but rather adding bricks and tiles.

Just that the peak of martial arts’ bricks and tiles were immense.

One day, if Lu Chenzhou’s cultivation and Martial Arts Will could surpass these predecessors, he too could leave a distinctive mark amidst the Heavenly Heart Marks!

My heart is the Heavenly Heart; my intent is the Heavenly Will; my path is the Heavenly Dao!

Lu Chenzhou mused,

"No wonder the teacher didn’t tell me about the scenery beyond the gate; only by opening it myself and eventually arriving at the base of the mountain to see the marks of the strong at the summit can I profoundly understand the meaning of martial arts, heart-stirring, never to be forgotten, guarding against arrogance and rashness! Truly stepping into the gateway of martial arts, seeing the Absolute Peak, is like an ant gazing up at the high sky."

Collectively, 13 towering figures of the absolute peak, acting like pillars supporting Heaven in Da Xia.

Most of them were somehow connected to the Buddhist and Daoist sects.

These Buddhist and Daoist behemoths later established the nine great institutions of Da Xia.

For example, Wanshixian, East Mountain Daoist.

The 24 top Martial Arts Universities are not all led by absolute peak figures; some are led by Heavenly Kings, but being rated as top Martial Universities, they are only a step away from the absolute peak.

Lu Chenzhou recalled the All Nations Martial Arts Competition held at Hua Mountain.

"Many old predecessors actually didn’t participate in the competition... Wanshixian, Washing Elephant Divine Nun, Jiuhua Jun, East Mountain Daoist, and so forth, didn’t. Those who participated seemed to be relatively from a younger generation of absolute peak figures, like the Cangtian Dragon King."

Talents emerge in every generation.

Wanshixian’s strength is not necessarily weaker than the Dragon King; maybe even stronger... but before breaking through the eighth shackles, such beings no longer needed the title of World’s Number One. Having held that title for so long, he voluntarily ceded it to the Cangtian Dragon King, allowing the new protagonist to rise and inject fresh Martial Arts blood!

This is Da Xia Martial Arts!

Looking up at the starry sky, feet firmly planted on the ground.

Lu Chenzhou withdrew his gaze from the mountain summit, focusing now on the path beneath his feet.

"The seven spiral stairs represent seven shackles. I am now at the starting point of the first stair; only by continuously refining my body and will, bolstering my Spirit-Essence, can I meet challenges head-on, ascend step by step, and eventually reach the enshrouded summit."

He viewed the wilderness before him, ambiguous as if it were the beginning of Heaven and Earth; the sky seemed shattered, the ground like a cracked puzzle, due to the recent emergence of his Inner Heaven and Earth Membrane. His next task was to "sandpaper," refining his body with True Skill and Power, enhancing his Qi-Blood, processing the stone tablets of the flesh, and constructing the Divine Palace of the flesh.

Once the Divine Palace is formed, it could suppress Heaven and Earth, solidify the foundational stone of martial arts, and create an immensely thick embryonic membrane over the delicate surface of the human organs. This fundamentally strengthens the body; otherwise, relying solely on Cross Training Membranes would not provide sufficient defense.

It would still be breached by Dark Force or special techniques.

Building the embryonic membrane inside, refining the skin membrane outside!

This is the essence of dual internal and external cultivation!

Only such a body can be the most flawless and strongest!

Lu Chenzhou looked around. In the wilderness, clouds and wild winds surged continuously, forming Qi Sea vortexes, bringing sand from the Zhongzhu Acupoint and mysterious powers from other acupoints, slowly transforming the Martial Arts wilderness.

This wilderness,

is indeed the Martial Arts Inner Heaven and Earth, the Martial Arts Internal Realm!

"So, it’s true that the imprints of absolute peak strong ones can manifest in the Internal Realm of all martial artists of Da Xia’s Martial Arts, truly incredible!"

Lu Chenzhou marveled.

With these thirteen divine and Buddha-like figures standing in the clouds, Cultists and Black Knights alike, those Martial Artists who betrayed Da Xia’s Martial Arts, must be tormented in their hearts.

They are like dark, twisted sewer rats,

fearing that one day, they will be spotted by an Absolute Peak Strong.

Their path of Martial Arts, forever like walking on thin ice.

Lu Chenzhou attempted to step on the stairway, hardly had he taken a few steps when an invisible shackle’s force restrained his movements, eventually causing his foot to return to its original position. His gaze could see a resting platform on the bending part.

It was like a viewing platform on a mountain trail.

But he, could not reach it.

Lu Chenzhou realized in his heart:

"Martial Artists are divided into four stages, Initial, Middle, End, and Final... The Initial Realm is the first viewing platform, if I can reach the second platform, I will be at the Middle Realm, the third platform is the End Realm. Reaching the last platform, I’ll be at the Final Realm."

In a moment, Lu Chenzhou recollected his thoughts. Looking with his Inner Vision Skill, the Martial Arts Internal Realm’s Heaven and Earth diminished, eventually, the sky and the Earth transformed into human muscles.

The so-called Heaven and Earth, is just his human body.

The so-called stars, are merely various acupoints.

The so-called Heavenly Heart, is indeed the Martial Arts Will!

Lu Chenzhou opened his eyes, and what caught his gaze was his master’s face.

"Are you awake?"