Master Liudao Yuan, despite his slender limbs and body, concealed at least fifteen types of high-tech nuclear and radiation-based thermal weapons within. The small briefcase he carried also contained nurous replacent weapon parts and energy cores.
Lu Yuan looked at Master Liudao Yuan, who stood before the railing with his hands behind his back, calmly enjoying the sea breeze as he gazed at the horizon.
A few phrases popped into Lu Yuan’s mind—"New Age Evil Sect Master," "Explosive Genius Liudao Yuan?" "Poisonous Hand Nuclear Demon"...
It was hard to imagine what kind of restless and crazy heart lurked beneath Liu’s calm façade. No wonder Liu didn’t even take a Grandmaster seriously. With his arsenal of thermal weapons, even if he couldn’t defeat a Grandmaster, ensuring mutual destruction wouldn’t be a problem at all.
"Master..."
Lu Yuan carefully chose his words. He stood beside Master Liudao Yuan, joining him in looking at the sea view before them, and sighed subtly, "I thought you were very dedicated to Pure Martial..."
Master Liudao Yuan glanced at him and said lightly, "What I’m dedicated to has never been Pure Martial."
"Hmm." Lu Yuan nodded.
He understood what Liu ant. Liu wasn’t dedicated to Pure Martial; he was dedicated to power. Pure Martial was rely one path to obtaining great power.
Lu Yuan suddenly recalled the Southern Hundred Cities Martial Arts Tournant. He rembered getting off the Fly Shuttle and firing that shot from afar to save Liu. It seed that gunshot had a huge impact on Liu. Perhaps it was that very shot that had quietly turned the gears of Liu’s destiny. Still, to think that Liu, with the Grandmaster Realm he had strived for most of his life so close, would resolutely choose to abandon it for the path of transformation. Liu’s determination and willpower were truly beyond compare, not even a Grandmaster could match him.
Lu Yuan considered talking to Liu about the Extraordinary Martial Arts he was pioneering. However, he himself didn’t even know if this path was right or wrong, and it didn’t feel right to ask Liu to take such a risk with him. Besides, given Liu’s personality, now that he had chosen the path of transformation, he was unlikely to change his mind anyti soon. So, Lu Yuan swallowed his words.
Master Liudao Yuan, however, noticed his fluctuating thoughts and said, "You shouldn’t be influenced by .
"Our situations are different.
"You’re still young and have many choices.
"Even if you take the wrong path, the journey itself can be a sight to behold..."
Lu Yuan couldn’t help but be surprised. "Master, I never expected soone like you, who drinks soda every day, could say sothing so philosophical."
"You little rascal!" Master Liudao Yuan laughed as he scolded him.
The master and disciple stood by the railing, enjoying the sea breeze and chatting casually. From ti to ti, silvery schools of fish and gray dolphins leaped from the sea.
Suddenly, Lu Yuan spotted a small fishing boat in the distance. A flag hung from it, and the pattern on the flag was faintly discernible as the character for "rock" in ancient Xia text.
"Which Sect is that, Master?" Lu Yuan asked Liu casually, pointing to the fishing boat.
Master Liudao Yuan glanced over and said lightly, "The Wolf Slaughter Rock Broken Sect, a Sect in the northern Martial Arts Circle.
"Their heritage and strength aren’t weak, but their Sect Leader is unbelievably stingy.
"I rember hearing that if you go out with the Rock Breaking Sect Leader, he’ll insist on going Dutch even for a bowl of fried rice from a roadside stall..."
"That outrageous?" Lu Yuan looked surprised.
Truth be told, Lu Yuan quite enjoyed listening to Liu’s gossip. He sotis thought that part of the reason Liu was so hated in the Martial Arts Circle was because he knew so many dirty secrets about the Sect Leaders of other Sects, making everyone want him gone. Just as he was about to ask Liu for more related gossip...
Suddenly, Liu changed the subject and asked, "What are your plans for Penglai this ti?"
Lu Yuan thought for a mont and replied, "First, I’ll participate in the conference as usual. There, I’ll thrash all your old enemies for you, one by one... Hmm, you can give a list later.
"Then I’ll challenge those Grandmasters in Penglai and see if I can break through to the Grandmaster Realm in the process.
"I have a feeling, Liu, that when I break through to Grandmaster this ti, I might reach an unprecedented level...
"Unifying the Ancient Martial Arts World then won’t be a problem!"
Facing the vast expanse of blue sky and sea, Lu Yuan spread his arms. He felt his Spiritual Power integrating into his body even faster than before. It seed as though sothing was brewing in every fiber of his being, in his limbs and organs. This was a sensation that none of the Pure Martial experts at the Grandmaster Realm he had previously learned about or consulted with had ever described. Lu Yuan felt he was breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm, yet it didn’t seem to be the Grandmaster Realm in the traditional sense.
Master Liudao Yuan chose to ignore his grandiose claims. After a mont’s thought, he said, "Never mind the others on Penglai, but you must be wary of the Five Elders and the Heaven Lord.
"Those few have clung to life for so long they’ve beco crafty old foxes.
"If they shalessly stoop to fighting you, rember to find a chance to run.
"You’re still young; you’ll have plenty of opportunities for revenge.
"If you really can’t wait, I recently found an underground contact who can get nuclear bombs. We could always sneak back here later and drop a couple... That would be excellent..."
"..."
***
"Look, it’s that yacht again!"
On a small fishing boat, so crowded it was hard to find a place to sit, a Rock Breaking Disciple pointed excitedly. He indicated a distant, opulent five-story yacht slowly approaching from the sa direction.
His shout imdiately drew the attention of everyone on board. They quickly noticed the flag hanging on the yacht’s mast.
"So it’s the Heaven Water Sect! No wonder they have such a grand display."
"The Sect Master of the Heaven Water Sect is the current President of the Sum Nation Martial Arts Association and also a Grandmaster. Of course, they can afford to rent such a luxurious yacht."
The disciples of the Rock Breaking Sect, jostled around on the small boat to the point of nausea, gazed enviously at the distant yacht, sighing in admiration.
They even saw two figures, one old and one young, standing on the yacht’s deck.
To think that those two could occupy such a large space, enjoying the breeze and chatting, while their own group was cramd into a small, rickety boat! So didn’t even have a place to sit, and the whole boat reeked of pungent fish. A wave of resentnt washed over them.
Suddenly, an oval-faced girl in the crowd rembered sothing and hurriedly asked the silver-haired old man beside her, "Grandpa, I rember you’re on good terms with President Cai from the Heaven Water Sect, aren’t you?
"Could you ask if they can give us a ride? This boat is really uncomfortable..."
"Nonsense! Arriving at the island on another Sect’s boat? What kind of impression would that make!" the silver-haired old man scolded. He then squinted at the distant yacht and added doubtfully, "Besides, this doesn’t seem like President Cai’s style.
"And as far as I know, the people from the Heaven Water Sect should have arrived on the island two days ago..."
"Maybe it’s their second group, arriving later..." the oval-faced girl muttered, still upset about not being able to switch boats.
The silver-haired old man, however, ignored her. He took an old-fashioned mobile phone from his pocket and started texting soone, absorbed in his task.
***
This was a scenic little island, entirely enveloped in a semi-transparent energy shield. Milky-white mist swirled above it year-round, never dispersing. In the sky, a large, pot-shaped rift shimred. Rosy light cascaded from this opening, refracting through the mist into a kaleidoscope of hazy colors, lending the entire island an ethereal and otherworldly beauty.
Beneath this rosy light, a stone staircase ascended sharply. At the top of the staircase was a huge, high platform where a figure sat quietly, enveloped in the glowing light, their features indistinct.
Below this main platform, five individuals—n and won of varying deanors—sat with their eyes closed, as if in light ditation.
Further down was an area with more densely packed seating. Fruits and snacks were laid out between these seats, and beside each, coly young n and won served attentively. The people seated here were also distinguished, many exuding the aura of a Grandmaster. They were either chatting idly or lost in their own thoughts, contributing to a relaxed and congenial atmosphere.
Even further down lay an extrely vast, flat white plaza. Many figures milled about its periter, dressed in the attire of various Sects. People bustled back and forth across the plaza, their expressions hurried as they made arrangents.
On what could be considered the third-tier platform, a middle-aged man with dark hair and a ruddy complexion was chatting casually with soone beside him. Suddenly, his pocket vibrated. He took out his mobile phone, glanced at it, and a strange, cold expression flickered across his face.
After a mont’s thought, the middle-aged man summoned an Attendant waiting nearby and whispered a few instructions. The Attendant nodded and departed imdiately. He returned shortly after and whispered sothing in the middle-aged man’s ear.
Upon receiving the reply, the middle-aged man excused himself to his companion, then rose and walked swiftly up to the second-tier platform, where the five individuals were seated.
"Is it that Yellow Bear kid who killed one of ours last ti?" On the second-tier platform, an old man in black, appearing to be in his fifties but with a completely unlined face, spoke with his eyes closed.
The middle-aged man who had co to report stood before the five individuals with a respectful, almost humble deanor. He replied in a low voice, "Yes, the one who killed the envoy at the Southern Tournant.
"He is the disciple of a traitorous remnant from our Heaven Water Sect. I don’t know what fortuitous encounter allowed him to join Yellow Bear.
"We just received news that the two of them are heading towards the island. I fear he intends to use his status to seek justice for that traitor again..."
"We already raised this matter with Lord Wu last ti and warned him sternly.
"I didn’t expect this kid to be so unrepentant as to dare co again. Does he truly think Penglai is a place to be trifled with?"
The black-clothed old man had barely finished speaking when a woman in red beside him imdiately opened her eyes. She had the appearance of a crone in her seventies, yet her voice was as high-pitched and sharp as that of an adolescent girl whose voice was breaking.
"Why bother with so much talk? Just kill him at the entrance!" she shrieked.
"A re Gold Bear, and he thinks he’s soone important?"
The black-clothed old man remained silent for a mont before slowly saying, "When they arrive, have soone drive them away.
"If they refuse to leave, then kill them."
Hearing this, a slight smile touched the lips of the middle-aged man below. He muttered so polite apologies about having disturbed the Five Elders, then slowly turned and retreated.
Back in his original seat, those around him asked curiously about the matter. The middle-aged man simply picked up his teacup, took a gentle sip, and shook his head nonchalantly, saying it was nothing. He then seamlessly resud his previous conversation, chatting and laughing softly.
***
"Is that Penglai’s Martial Saint Island?"
After a two-and-a-half-hour voyage, the silhouette of an island finally appeared in Lu Yuan’s field of vision. From a distance, he could see it was wreathed in clouds and mist, with magnificent, colorful light cascading down like a waterfall—a truly extraordinary sight.
"Yes." Master Liudao Yuan squinted at the island, his expression unenthusiastic as if so distant mories had been stirred.
Lu Yuan glanced around and saw several other boats also approaching the island. Among them was the small boat of the Rock Breaking Sect, the one with the notoriously stingy Sect Master they had encountered earlier.
Gazing at the island drawing ever closer, Lu Yuan recalled the killing technique from the Crane Sect’s legacy known as "Penglai Vastness," and a sense of calm settled over him.
When they were only about five or six nautical miles away, Lu Yuan noticed that the entire island was enveloped in a semi-transparent energy shield. That probably ans they don’t want outsiders landing casually, he thought.
Just as this occurred to him, several speedboats launched from the island, rapidly approaching the vessels that were about to make landfall.
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