Year-end.
The selection for the four Daoist School deans and the Tianxia Military Leader was convened as scheduled. To guarantee fairness and impartiality, even though many firmly believed Lu Chenzhou would co in first, the tournant would still go on.
The competition venue: Battle Realm.
The entire event would be broadcast live.
Without a doubt, this would be the most prestigious and influential martial arts tournant in the history of Tianxia Civilization.
...
Heavenly Martial World.
Taiji Palace.
The likes of Zhang Ancestor, Lv Ancestor, the first-generation Heavenly Master Zhang, Ge Xianweng, Kongwen Divine Monk, Old Master Xiaoyao, and other senior Buddhist and Daoist saints had already begun closed-door seclusion to research new avatar techniques.
On the Taiji Map Square.
A nine-colored skeleton, wielding a big spear, swept through the air, instantly charging to face a general riding a white horse, clad in bright silver chain mail, ard with the White Dragon Spear.
Clang!
After the clash of tal, the general was shaken and sent flying by a trendous force. The white horse neighed shrilly, turning into a radiance that caught the general, then raised its leg to kick at Lu Chenzhou, while the general’s White Dragon Spear fell downward.
"White Dragon Spitting Pearl!"
Bam! Lu Chenzhou took a small step back.
"Spear Immortal, fine spear skills."
"Haha, Spear Ghost is no slouch either."
Because of Lu Chenzhou’s skeletal form and his expertise with the spear, the Heavenly Spirits affectionately called him "Spear Ghost."
They had wanted to call him Spear God at first.
Lu Chenzhou felt he wasn’t worthy just yet.
After a round of sparring, it was ultimately the Spear Ghost who was superior, with the Spear Immortal accepting defeat in good grace.
"I never imagined that the spear technique I researched for thousands of years would be surpassed by you, youngster, in rely a few decades."
"Senior is too humble. The Martial World is not the Human World, after all. In this place, you research spear skills without any opponents, without real combat—purely behind closed doors. That you could create a near-supre cultivation thod like this truly makes you the Immortal among Spears!"
"Though here we are undying, we can’t experience humanity’s fireworks—can only look on in silence."
The Spear Immortal’s tone was tinged with lancholy.
"These days, the Zhao Family is the Holy Land of spear technique in Beidi City. Zhao Yunlong, your descendant and my brother, has always guarded the Spear Immortal Temple and is himself a Grandmaster of the spear."
Lu Chenzhou comforted him. After becoming the top of the Heavenly Person List, he made ti to visit friends from his younger days and the descendants of various Heavenly Spirits.
Helping so, guiding others, he accumulated much goodwill.
Having learned the spear from the Spear Immortal, Lu Chenzhou went on to Spirit Mountain.
Mystical Sect Master Xuankong smiled and said:
"Here again for a bout of fists?"
"Heheh, asking Senior for your guidance."
"Good! I heard you’re developing your own ’Four Symbols Fist’, coincidentally similar to my own thinking. This is my creation—the Xuankong Four Symbols Fist. Watch closely."
Xuankong assud his stance, and behind him appeared the ethereal images of dragon, tiger, mystic turtle, and vermilion bird true spirits—his gaze awe-inspiring and majestic.
Lu Chenzhou’s expression brightened with delight.
"Senior, you’ve already succeeded?"
Xuankong nodded slightly.
"Want to teach you?"
Lu Chenzhou shook his head.
"I’m just about there myself."
His own Four Symbols was similar to Xuankong’s, except he replaced the Vermilion Bird with the Phoenix. The Phoenix was a better fit for his Speed Extre Dao.
The two exchanged blows.
Inadvertently, Lu Chenzhou triggered inspiration—Great Dream—from his heart. ’Six Volus of Grey Dragon’ and ’Mystic Turtle Sea Suppressing Fist’ reached Perfection.
This left Elder Xuankong a little dumbfounded, sighing at how the tis had changed, and how amazing the younger generation was.
In fist arts, their bout was hard to decide a winner.
In the Martial World, the highest cultivation belonged to Zhang Ancestor, who was at the Peak of Seventh Realm; Kong Wen, Lv Ancestor, and Dharma were all at Late Stage of Seventh Realm; Old Master Xiaoyao and Xuankong were Middle Stage of Seventh Realm.
Among Heavenly Spirit cultivation, three factors were considered: previous life’s Martial Arts Cultivation; the extent their incense offerings had spread; and their years of existence.
Spear Immortal, Sword Immortal, and other fourth-tier figures had cultivation about equal to the top ten of the Heavenly Person List—or at least those newly stepped into Seventh Realm.
Of course, cultivation in the Martial World didn’t equate to worldly cultivation, as spiritual entities couldn’t interfere with reality; they could only descend via the "summoning god" possession by top Heavenly Person List warriors.
Such possession could only unleash a fraction of true power, so until the Heavenly Person List advanced further, the function of Heavenly Spirits was mainly in cultivating techniques and safeguarding sect fortunes.
There was not much actual combat value.
Heavenly Spirits,
each with their respective specialties.
Zhang Ancestor, Dharma, and those Buddhist/Daoist/Mystical Sect magnates were comprehensive types—aside from martial arts, they also mastered various secret techniques and were top-tier perforrs.
Spear Immortal and Sword Immortal were often only skilled in arts of war and battlefield, less accomplished with arcane studies.
...
Primordial Mountain Cave Heaven.
Lu Chenzhou looked toward his Martial Arts Tree in the mind.
[Six Volus of Grey Dragon (Perfection)]
...
[Effect 3: Master of a Hundred Scales—all scale-bearing creatures will have a natural fear of you, and you can command scale bugs.]
[Effect 4: Grey Dragon’s Six Transformations...]
...
[Mystic Turtle Sea Suppression (Perfection)]
...
[Effect 3: Master of a Hundred Shells]
[Effect 4: Mystic Turtle Transformation...]
Leaving comprehension aside,
these two fist techniques had many special effects, but to the now Seventh Realm Lu Chenzhou, they weren’t of much use anymore.
"Begin fusion."
Lu Chenzhou started practicing, his fist forms shifting—like dragon, like tiger, like phoenix, like turtle. As his fists moved, a new martial art gradually ford in his mind.
This set had thirty-six transformations, combining the completeness of Dragon Form, the might of Tiger Form, the agility of Phoenix Form, and the defense of Turtle Form; lurking within was the subtle flavor of Power Extre, Speed Extre, and Yuji, exuding a wondrous mystery.
As he trained,
The power of heaven and earth stirred.
Within Primordial Mountain Cave Heaven, clouds and winds swirled. In the four directions, the phantasms of a dragon, a tiger, a phoenix, and a turtle approached—a pillar to the world, awe-inspiring.
Mr. Turtle sipped tea, unruffled.
"That fist art is about to be born? The unfinished undertaking of True Spirit Sect—looks like little junior brother might succeed after all."
True Spirit Sect had long aspired to emulate true spirits.
But in the end, they were wiped out overnight.
He believed Elephant Form Fist held that potential.
...
Yuanbao Mountain summit.
The artifact spirits grew increasingly scarce.
Ape followed Old Yellow River Ghost; Tiger Head Saber followed Chen Beiming; Old Stag Cane followed Heart Dream Emperor...so followed promising top-ten Heavenly Person List seedlings.
Everyone was leaving.
Only four Eighth Rank spiritual weapons and two Ninth Rank remained.
The Eighth Rank artifact spirits conversed, exclaiming in awe.
"Such incredible combat skills! With this earth-shaking phenonon, the divine ability born of it will surely be no ordinary one. There’s hope for it to beco a Great Divine Power in the future—hope Lu Chenzhou picks ."
"He’ll definitely pick . I’m a long spear."
"First thing, let’s eliminate the long spear."
The Ninth Rank artifact spirits on the mountaintop said nothing—they belonged to the Primordial Mountain’s master. Among them, one was even a Supre Treasure. To handle such a treasure required at least Eighth Realm Cultivation.
"Finally sothing to look forward to."
"Haven’t seen battle in so long—I’m getting rusty."
...
Roar!
The Four Spirits roared, rging with Lu Chenzhou’s Four Symbols Dharma Form. The dharma images rippled like a slide show, flashing into a variety of giant beings.
So had dragon scales, tiger bodies, deer hooves, and ox tails—resembling a qilin.
So had eagle heads, single horns, the cry of an infant—resembling a gu diao.
Too many, too many...
The dharma forms kept shifting.
Eighteen, then thirty-six transformations.
At last, it changed back to Lu Chenzhou’s true appearance.
"Four Symbols Fist—finished."
The nine-colored skeleton uttered in a hoarse voice.
Lu Chenzhou’s awareness entered the Inner Realm.
In the nebula nurturing the [Nine Tribulations Star Lotus Map], four gigantic fixed stars were birthed and shone forth.
[Please na the new martial art?]
"Four-Nine Mystic Skill."
[Four-Nine Mystic Skill: Perfection]
[Divine Seed · Four-Nine Communication with Mystery, hidden in the Shaochong Acupoint.]
Four-Nine Communication with Mystery, thirty-six transformations
Effect 1: Four Symbols Wisdom,
Greatly boosts comprehension of fist arts.
Effect 2: Dragon Flying and Phoenix Dancing
Greatly boosts the might of fist arts
Effect 3: Dragon Pond and Tiger Cave
Greatly boosts primordial spirit gestation speed
Effect 4: Master of Myriad Spirits
Grants a certain deterrence and suppression to birds, scales, furs, and shelled creatures; awakens fear in their bloodline.
Effect 5: Four Symbols Soul
Summon the soul of an Ancient Phoenix Clan, Tiger Clan, Turtle Clan, or Dragon Clan true spirit—each summoning consus 1 High Grade Primordial Stone. Summoning all at once costs 10.
Also consus one-tenth of True Gang Energy.
(Note: Four Symbols Soul is Middle Stage of Seventh Realm)
...
The new fist art had many effects.
But for Lu Chenzhou, the major ones were the first five. Notably, after advancing to Supre, the Tiger Cave special effect and Dragon Form combined, evolving into Dragon Pond and Tiger Cave—its function changed from increasing acupoint developnt speed to accelerating primordial spirit gestation. The primordial spirit, in truth, is the martial artist’s manifestation of Dao understanding—the stronger the primordial spirit, the better the Dao comprehension.
After Supre, Divine Seed’s boost to insight was no longer restricted by sect.
At Seventh Realm, mastery of one leads to mastery of all.
Whether he cultivated Myriad Phenona Dao, Tai Chi, or Buddhism—it made no difference now.
What he needed and what he wished to learn was up to him.
The crux was still divine skills.
[Divine Skill: Thirty-Six Transformations]
[Quality: Lower Grade · Thirty-Six Patterns]
[Level: Basic]
[Introduction: Based on the true spirits of the Four Symbols; each can be transford into nine variants, totaling thirty-six true spirit transformations. Once transford, you gain the primary features of an Early Seventh Rank true spirit, but lose so abilities in exchange.]
[Note: Transformations are split into "Fake Spirit Transformation" and "True Spirit Transformation." The forr doesn’t require true spirit essence blood; the latter does, as the divine skill’s material.]
Lu Chenzhou looked toward the Grey Dragon Star.
"Available transformations: Void True Dragon, Five Elents True Dragon, Ancient Mirage Dragon, Nine Nether Poison Dragon, Shenxiao Thunder Dragon...damn, all long-extinct dragon species true spirits!"
He looked again at the White Tiger Star.
"Available transformations: Qilin, Suan Ni, Wood Whisker Tiger, Water Tiger... These nine—all are Lu Wu’s Ten Tiger Generals. The Sword Spirit once said the Ten Tiger Generals are all Nine Realms Tiger Clan true spirits—so are innately true spirits, so attained it through cultivation."
The Mystic Turtle and Vermilion Bird would be similar.
Transforming into Overlord, Gu Diao, and more... there was no end.
This wasn’t rely imitating their appearance, but truly grasping a core aspect of their power.
For instance, Gu Diao was a master of beguilent and illusion; if Lu Chenzhou could perform it, with his Fourth Rank Great Dream Dao, he could briefly reach Fifth Rank standards.
True spirits are by nature close to the Dao, akin to a lower-grade divine spirit—so in their specialty domains, none of the sa realm can compete.
Lu Chenzhou contacted the Eternal Immortal.
"Chenzhou, what’s the matter?"
"Senior, the theoretical maximum for Lower Grade divine skills is twenty-seven patterns, right? Is there a possibility of going higher?"
Lu Chenzhou glanced at the Martial Arts Tree interface as he asked.
The Eternal Immortal on the other end explained.
"Nine is the utmost of numbers—so theoretically, yes. My idea is Lower Grade twenty-seven patterns, then Middle and High Grade advance accordingly. Hence, nine tis nine for eighty-one patterns—the ultimate Extre Realm, for top-level Great Divine Powers to break into the Divine Realm."
As he spoke, Eternal Immortal glanced at Lu Chenzhou.
Pupils dilating, he enunciated, "You’ve comprehended a divine skill that exceeds twenty-seven patterns? Thirty patterns?"
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