HSSB630: The path of a Martial Saint
Looking at Yan Zhaoge who was brimming with righteousness, Feng Yunsheng and Ah Hu both didn’t have much of a reaction to this, Ah Hu chuckling in a silly manner while Feng Yunsheng nodded very insincerely, “Right, right. The most righteous one is you.”
After having laughed, Feng Yunsheng knit her brows slightly, “The Dim Darkness Sect will definitely try to check things out from the Radiant Light Sect, verifying the fate of Deng Sen of the others and checking your background while they are at it. At that time, won’t they know that we are not locals of the World beyond Worlds, instead coming from a lower world?”
Yan Zhaoge chuckled, “Managing to confirm the deaths of Deng Sen and the others will already be their utmost limit.”
Feng Yunsheng raised her brows, “Right, let alone so many experts of theirs having been lost and how it has completely lowered the face of the Radiant Light Sect, even if it is just for the Extreme Yang Seal and the Extreme Yin Crown, the Radiant Light Sect will still keep the information under wraps with all their might.”
“Even if the Dim Darkness Sect has spies in the Radiant Light Sect, their positions also wouldn’t be too high. Otherwise, the Radiant Light Sect would already have been destroyed many times over.”
Yan Zhaoge said smilingly, “It is fine even if we are exposed. All of my words were completely true. It is not my problem that they thought about it that way.”
Ah Hu drew back the corners of his mouth, “Young Master, that first requires us to have strength that they must be wary of. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even have to reason things out with us at all.”
Yan Zhaoge nodded, “That’s right, it is precisely so. That is why we just need to tide through this starting period.”
“While I can only wield a portion of the Extreme Yang Seal’s strength now, it is already equivalent to the power of a mid-grade Sacred Artifact.”
At this point, Yan Zhaoge stroked his lower chin, “Still, it’s a pity that it only has the strength for a single strike. Currently, I am rather more concerned about that supreme Rahu treasure of magnificent dimness the Radiant Light Sect is looking for. Sadly, the Northern Ocean Clone has still yet to make any discoveries about it.”
Feng Yunsheng asked, “Your Northern Ocean Clone has already entered the vicinity of the Radiant Light Sect’s influence?”
Yan Zhaoge said, “That’s right.”
Feng Yunsheng pondered as she said, “Speaking of which, the Purple Sun Martial Saint Zhang Chao and the others who descended into the Eight Extremities World that second time only saw you and Chief as well as the Extreme Yang Seal at the World Illuminating Peak.”
“Of those who descended the first time, Deng Sen and the others who saw your Northern Ocean Clone are all dead without exception. Little Wan and Tang Yonghao who were brought up to this world by Zhang Chao had already left before your return to the Eight Extremities World with him.”
“Those of the Radiant Light Sect should be wholly unaware of the existence of the Northern Ocean Clone?”
Yan Zhaoge smiled upon hearing her words, “It is precisely so.”
They all travelled together, traversing the broad heavens and earth.
On the way there, smoke could be seen flaring up in many places. It wasn’t just those of the Dim Darkness Sect raising the banner of rebellion. Yan Zhaoge even witnessed some Radiant Light Sect martial practitioners engaged in a bloodied battle with the warriors of the Grand Xuan Dynasty.
After a long journey, they finally arrived in the Flourishing Peace Region. This place was already no longer beneath the heavens of the Grand Xuan Dynasty. Instead, it had been a fixed stronghold of the Dim Darkness Sect all along.
The one who appeared before Yan Zhaoge, Zhang Qiansong and the others was not the First Seat Elder of the Dim Darkness Sect’s Non-Brightness Hall Wu Zixiu but an Elder of their Primordial Darkness Hall, Nie Sheng.
This Elder Nie, Nie Sheng, was also extraordinary, being a Grand Elder of the Dim Darkness Sect who primarily handled their matters in the southern region of the Royal Reed Sea.
Currently, the Dim Darkness Sect having risen up in heated revolt in the southern part of the Royal Reed Sea within the Grand Xuan Dynasty’s domain, it was Nie Sheng who led it as the one in charge.
It was worth mentioning that Liang Zhichao who had perished in the Vast Ocean World that year had been a direct apprentice-brother of this Nie Sheng.
Nie Sheng was naturally deeply grateful for Yan Zhaoge having sent Liang Zhichao’s remains back to the Dim Darkness Sect. He even came out personally to help Yan Zhaoge’s group settle down there.
After Nie Sheng and the others had left, Ah Hu finally heaved a sigh of relief, “Good fella. This is still my first time seeing an expert at the fourth level of the Martial Saint realm.”
“Even though he appears approachable, I still felt all the hairs on my entire body standing on end.”
Ah Hu usually had a very wide heart, but even he felt cold sweat tricking down his back now.
Yan Zhaoge smiled, “When Martial Artists or those who recently entered the Martial Scholar realm are facing you, they have this same exact feeling as well.”
“According to the words of Zhang Qiansong and the others, that First Seat Elder Wu Zixiu of the Non-Brightness Hall has an even higher cultivation base, being a fifth level Martial Saint?” Feng Yunsheng who was seated cross-legged asked curiously, “From the ancient records of pre-Great Calamity times, the fifth level of the Martial Saint realm is known as the mid Seeing Divinity stage?”
Yan Zhaoge nodded, “That’s right. There are ten levels and three major stages in the Martial Saint realm as well. The first to third levels are known as the Merging Avatar stage.”
“Transcending Mortality Martial Grandmasters manifest their true essence into an avatar, refining their true martial avatars. If they can successfully cultivate to merge these true martial avatars with their fleshly bodies perfectly, they can step into the Martial Saint realm. Transcending Mortality and entering Sainthood, one’s cultivation base will soar tremendously in all areas.”
“The body merging with the avatar, one attains the first level of the Martial Saint realm, the early Merging Avatar stage.”
“The avatar merging with the soul, one attains the second level of the Martial Saint realm, the mid Merging Avatar stage.”
“When finally the body, avatar and soul have all merged together as one, becoming indistinguishable from the other, one attains the third level of the Martial Saint realm, the late Merging Avatar stage.”
Yan Zhaoge said, “Yet further is a major bottleneck, which is that between the Merging Avatar stage and the Seeing Divinity stage.”
“The ancient records say ‘Breaking through space, able to See Divinity’. The ‘Divinity’ here does not refer to the Buddhas and divinities of religions, also not referring to one’s divine soul.”
“The ‘Divinity’ here refers to the various acupoints of the human body.”
“Seeing the acupoints within the body becomes possible at the peak of the Body Refinement realm. However, these acupoints are still acupoints, being limited and restricted within the human body.”
“In truth, the acupoints of the human body are like the numerous stars within the skies of the universe.”
The human body resembles an enclosed universe of its own, the acupoints being the stars that are like the divine souls which reign over the heavens and the earth.
When martial practitioners have refined their bodies to the point of being like universes, the acupoints of the human bodies can resonate with the stars of the universe, breaking through the obstruction of space between the heavens and the earth as the refined acupoints gain divinity.
This is the true meaning of ‘Breaking through space, able to See Divinity’.
When experts of the third level of the Martial Saint realm have refined their first acupoint, they would have attained the fourth level of the Martial Saint realm, the early Seeing Divinity stage.
Afterwards, through the ceaseless tempering of all their acupoints to form divine souls, these will together cause the martial practitioner to achieve their true martial divinity, limitless and flawless.
After having refined the acupoints and achieved divinity, the martial practitioner will possess a certain level of ability to resist the power of dimensions. Thus, experts who have attained the fourth level of the Martial Saint realm can independently ascend, coming to the World beyond Worlds without the help of any protective treasures.
Yan Zhaoge said, “As for after the Seeing Divinity stage, there would exist another major bottleneck. That would be attempting to ascend the Immortal Bridge. The seventh level of the Martial Saint realm is also known as the early Immortal Bridge stage.”
“The founding Emperor Xuanwen of the Grand Xuan Dynasty was at the eighth level of the Martial Saint realm, the mid Immortal Bridge stage. Thus, he was able to suppress the Radiant Light Sect, the Dim Darkness Sect and the other major powers who had high-grade Sacred Artifacts but no Immortal Bridge experts, becoming the overlord of the Royal Reed Sea.”
Feng Yunsheng and Ah Hu nodded repeatedly at his words.
“While Elder Nie has treated us very suitably, that Elder Wu has not appeared, and the matter of sending us to the Dim Darkness Sect’s main altar was also not mentioned,” Feng Yunsheng asked, “Might there be some unique situation in them wanting to keep us in the Flourishing Peace Region?”