Chương 130: War God — Chapter 130 - I Can Help With This!

Tian Du University, Guixu Main Island. The main island houses the university's largest teaching complex — the Path-Seeking Celestial Tower. Each martial department has its own simulated training grounds. The grounds let instructors control the environment in real time, presenting students with different technical challenges. Holographic systems can pull up data from high-level martial artists to use as teaching examples. Across the vast island cluster, classical flying-eave architecture rises in elegant rows.

One training ground stands apart from the rest — secluded, perched at the island's edge near the cliff. Small. Empty of students. Right now, only two people occupy it. Besides a weapon rack, the only other feature is the central control console at the front. The lectern. An old man organizes materials at the platform. His hair is graying, his gaze calm. He glances at the woman beside him.

"You've finished cultivating Stacking Wave Force, but you seem subdued. What's wrong? Another problem?"

"No... I just feel the martial path is full of danger. I've only succeeded in cultivating one secret skill."

"Still early days." The old man smiles.

"A few years ago, you'd be overjoyed for days after mastering a secret skill."

"Not long ago, you mastered the Dragon Blood Pulse-Activation Art and brought back flood dragon hide armor for your brother. He was thrilled. Stacking Wave Force is just as important for you. You only succeeded recently, why do you seem less excited than before?"

"Yesterday, I saw a new student also cultivating this secret skill." The woman pauses.

"When I was his age, I never even thought about training in Stacking Wave Force. So there's nothing to be happy about." The old man nods.

"This year's new students at Tian Du University are high quality. To master Stacking Wave Force at the new student stage, he must have put in even more time and effort than you. No wonder..."

"Right, that senior you mentioned..." The old man seems to recall something.

"Quite formidable. But I honestly can't recall any old senior from Western Shu matching your description..."

"Can't we ask the military department..." the woman says softly. The old man frowns.

"If I ask, they'll launch an investigation."

"How can I abuse private authority? To investigate an old senior?" The woman nods.

"Grandfather is right..." Something occurs to her.

"Grandfather, could a new student possess spear techniques at the 7th or 8th stage?"

"Impossible." The old man shakes his head.

"National regulations — no martial practice under 15. Can't even engage with martial studies until 18. 7th or 8th stage techniques? Even peerless geniuses with taboo-level talent would need several years minimum just to touch that threshold." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"A new student has at most a year of martial study. How could they reach that realm? Entering university at the 4th stage is already a Dragon Nation record."

"What about awakening innate wisdom, or a master proficient in spiritual techniques performing direct empowerment... I remember there's that possibility..."

"What you're describing is called 'Martial Soul Inheritance.'" The old man's tone is measured.

"Only by reaching the ultimate realm of Martial God, condensing a 'Martial Dao Soul' within your martial true intent by combining spirit, only then can the martial soul leave the body to roam the starry skies. The physical body annihilates, the martial soul is reborn. Only then is it possible to leave behind an inheritance, allowing a successor to perfectly inherit the mantle."

"Otherwise, transmitting your own power incurs loss, and the successor can't bear overly strong power."

"Only a martial soul, as divine force of spirit and will, can be transmitted easily and without loss, and even then, it requires extremely high compatibility."

"The conditions are too stringent. If it could be passed down through empowerment, why would anyone still train in martial arts? Everyone would just wait for someone else to pass it down."

"I think so too." The woman nods.

"What are you planning to teach that Martial Exam top scorer in the first lesson this year?" she asks suddenly.

"Hm?" The old man turns and glances at his granddaughter.

"Zhaoxue, you've been asking all sorts of questions today. Why are you suddenly interested in this student of mine? When I mentioned him before, you weren't interested."

"Oh..." Yan Zhaoxue's expression doesn't change.

"That new student who cultivated Stacking Wave Force, he is this Martial Exam top scorer. You probably don't know what happened at Jade Fall Water City yet." The old man's eyes show no surprise.

"I reviewed this year's practical combat exam questions for Western Shu when they were submitted to the military department for approval."

"In terms of difficulty, compared to other Dragon Nation examination regions, it was on the higher side."

"Under a high-difficulty practical combat assessment, to still achieve nearly 3, 000 points, he must have delivered an extraordinarily strong performance in actual combat. Without cultivating one or two secret skills, it would have been impossible to score that high."

"As for Jade Fall Water City, I haven't paid much attention."

"Hm... you didn't know these things." The old man smiles faintly.

"Seems you've been humbled a bit. No wonder you're interested. This student of mine, if he trains in the spear, his talent is no less than yours." Yan Zhaoxue says nothing.

"As for my first lesson..." The old man muses.

"The path of Old Martial Arts, in ancient times, a 5th-realm 'Land Immortal,' an innate martial artist, was the limit." He sighs.

"To be honest, Old Martial Arts is a mixed bag. The old principal asked me to teach him, but truthfully, even I find it strenuous."

"In all of Dragon Nation, the Old Martial Arts experts who can break past the boundary to reach the 6th realm number only two or three. All are old seniors from the previous era. Nowadays, they've all withdrawn from the world..."

"Back then, I walked the Old Martial Arts path only because my talent developed a problem. I fell from the 7th realm and had no choice but to switch to Old Martial Arts..."

"Not exactly advisable..."

"So Grandfather doesn't know how to teach him either?" Yan Zhaoxue asks. The old man doesn't speak.

"I have an idea!" Yan Zhaoxue's eyes glimmer.

"You?" The old man is taken aback.

"Grandfather, you taught me." Yan Zhaoxue smiles lightly.

"You said Old Martial Arts cultivation emphasizes body refinement. Body refinement, depending on the martial art, is generally divided into skin refinement, tempering the skin and flesh. Bone quenching, tempering the sinews and bones. Body washing, marrow cleansing the five viscera. And most importantly, meridian opening."

"Among these, meridian opening is the most critical, but also the most difficult, the most complex, and the most dangerous. Because only by opening the meridians can one absorb the primal energy of heaven and earth through the body's entire meridian network."

"But the difficulty of opening meridians is very high. It requires a powerful body and will to support it."

"This new student is at the peak of the 2nd realm, with nearly 1, 000 life force points. He's likely already trained his skin and flesh, and his sinews and bones."

"Next will be the five viscera marrow cleansing and meridian opening." Yan Zhaoxue's eyes brighten.

"Your first lesson is naturally meridian opening. The first step in the meridian opening process is to control your own elemental force through bone-reading, activating the acupoints in the other person's body."

"Then assess the strength of their meridians."

"Grandfather, your body is currently injured..."

"Plus the spirit sha... it's difficult for you to mobilize your own elemental force."

"I can help with this!" ➤ Next: Yan Zhaoxue: So Big, Too Big!