High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Xu Wuyi didn’t refuse the kind offer.

The threat from the Feathered People hadn’t been eliminated, and the Blood Sacrifice Order was still active. His whereabouts had to be kept secret, making basic protective measures essential.

The group went downstairs and got into a black sedan arranged by the military.

The car drove out of the inner city, cut through the morning rush hour traffic, and headed for the airport in Xingjing’s northern suburbs.

It was quiet inside the car.

Xu Wuyi leaned back against his seat, watching the streetscape flash by outside the window.

He’d been to the city many times—for award ceremonies, meetings, to heal from injuries, and to cultivate—but he’d never felt a sense of belonging.

Perhaps it was because the city was too prosperous, too busy. Everyone rushed about like cogs in a precision machine, moving along a predetermined track.

But Red River was different.

There, you could find the lively, homey atmosphere of the old district, the sound of neighbors chatting, the sight of his parents’ backs as they bustled about the kitchen, and the old locust tree in the backyard rustling in the wind.

That was what life was truly meant to be.

"Martial Artist Xu, we’re here."

Zhou Zheng’s voice broke him out of his thoughts.

The car stopped before a private airstrip. It wasn’t open to the public; only high-ranking military officials and special personnel could use it, and the security was extremely tight.

A small, silver-gray passenger jet had already started its engines, its boarding ramp lowered.

Xu Wuyi got out of the car as Zhou Zheng handed his luggage to the flight crew.

"See you in Red River," Xu Wuyi said.

"See you in Red River." Zhou Zheng saluted.

Xu Wuyi ascended the ramp and entered the cabin.

The cabin was sparsely furnished with only eight seats. He was the only passenger.

The flight attendant was a female military officer in her thirties. She smiled as he entered. "Martial Artist Xu, the flight will take about two hours. Please feel free to rest. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you."

Xu Wuyi took a window seat.

Outside the porthole window, the ground crew was performing their final checks. The roar of the engines grew louder as the plane slowly taxied onto the runway.

The plane accelerated, lifted off, and punched through the clouds.

The outline of Xingjing shrank below, eventually swallowed by a sea of clouds.

Xu Wuyi closed his eyes.

In his sea of consciousness, the great, dark-golden marsh breathed calmly. The Golden Crow Illusion hovered at its heart, its Flame rising and falling gently with each breath.

The Heart Phase Stabilizer had worked remarkably well. The backlash from forcibly merging the principles of ’Heaviness’ and ’Burning’ had been completely eliminated. What’s more, because of that limit-breaking outburst, the resonance between the two Rules was now even deeper than before.

But he was still a long way from achieving a true balance between water and fire.

’Perhaps returning home to settle my thoughts was the right choice.’

A realization dawned on Xu Wuyi.

At this stage, cultivation was no longer about simply accumulating power. It was about understanding the essence of the Rules, polishing his Heart Image, and deepening his self-awareness.

All of this required time, a quiet environment, and a calm state of mind.

The front lines were great for unlocking one’s potential, but being in a constant state of tension could dull one’s perception of subtle changes.

It was like drawing a bow; if kept taut for too long, the string loses its elasticity.

Relaxing at the right time allows you to draw it even tighter the next.

...

The two-hour flight passed quickly.

The plane touched down at the Linjiang military airbase at ten in the morning.

Xu Wuyi didn’t stay in Linjiang, transferring directly to a smaller aircraft bound for Red River.

The aircraft was arranged by the Dongjiang Battle Group, and the pilot was a quiet veteran in his forties with a steady hand.

Half an hour later, the silhouette of Red River appeared outside the window.

The small city hadn’t changed much since he’d left.

The gray-and-white buildings of the old district, the glass curtain walls of the new district, and the Red River that cut through the city, all shimmering under the sun.

The aircraft landed at a private airfield on the outskirts of Red River.

Xu Wuyi walked down the ramp with his luggage and took a deep breath.

The air carried the familiar scent of grass and trees, along with the faint, homey smell drifting from the distant city.

He was home.

"Martial Artist Xu, do you need a ride into the city?" the pilot asked.

"No need. Someone’s picking me up," Xu Wuyi said.

Outside the airfield, a dark gray SUV was already waiting by the side of the road.

The car door opened, and a man in his thirties stepped out. He wore civilian clothes, but his posture was ramrod straight.

He strode up to Xu Wuyi and saluted. "Martial Artist Xu, I’m Lieutenant Colonel Chen Mo, head of the Dongjiang Battle Group’s Red River Liaison Office. I’m assigned to handle all your affairs during your time here."

Xu Wuyi returned the salute. "Lieutenant Colonel Chen. Thank you for your trouble."

Chen Mo was a lieutenant colonel, which meant he was under the dual command of both the Dongjiang Battle Group and the military’s central command.

Only with someone like him assigned to Xu Wuyi could the higher-ups rest easy.

"It’s my duty," Chen Mo said, taking the luggage. "The car is ready. Will you be going straight home, or would you like to see the liaison office first?"

"Home."

"Understood."

Chen Mo placed the luggage in the trunk and held the car door open for Xu Wuyi.

The car drove out of the airfield and entered the Red River City District.

The leaves of the sycamore trees lining the streets were beginning to turn yellow, and a few occasionally drifted down. There weren’t many pedestrians, and the pace of life was slow—a stark contrast to the fast-paced rhythm of Xingjing.

Xu Wuyi gazed out the window, a sense of peace settling over him.

Fifteen minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of his familiar, old apartment complex.

Xu Wuyi pushed the door open and got out. Chen Mo retrieved the luggage from the trunk. "Martial Artist Xu, I’ll be on standby nearby. Contact me anytime if you need anything."

"Alright. Thanks for your trouble."

Luggage in hand, Xu Wuyi walked into the complex.

The stairwell was the same as always: paint peeling from the walls, the handrail worn to a shine. He walked up to the third floor, stopped, and knocked on the door.

"Coming!"

His mother’s voice came from inside, followed by the sound of footsteps.

The door opened.

Mrs. Xu saw Xu Wuyi standing there and froze for a moment, her expression quickly melting into a joyous surprise. "Ah Yi... why are you back all of a sudden? You didn’t even tell us you were coming..."

"I wanted to give you a surprise," Xu Wuyi said with a smile, stepping inside.

In the living room, Father Xu, wearing a pair of reading glasses, was absorbed in the newspaper. He looked up at the sound of their voices and froze as well. "Ah Yi?"

"Dad, I’m home."

Father Xu put down his newspaper and stood up, looking his son up and down. "Why are you back all of a sudden? Is everything alright on the front lines?"

"There are no missions for now, so I came back to stay for a while." Xu Wuyi set his luggage in the corner.

It wasn’t time for a meal yet, so the family chatted happily for a long while. Finally, Xu Wuyi said, "Mom, Dad, I’ll be staying for a while this time. We need to move."

"Move?" Mrs. Xu was taken aback. "Why would we move? Isn’t this place perfectly fine?"

Xu Wuyi sat on the sofa, taking the glass of water his mother offered him. "Mom, we’ve lived here for over twenty years. The building is getting old. Besides, I need a quiet environment for my cultivation. The soundproofing here isn’t good, and it’s easy for me to get disturbed."

Father Xu took off his reading glasses. "Your cultivation... you do need a proper environment for that. But moving is expensive. You may have made a name for yourself, but you can’t just throw money around."

"Money isn’t an issue." Xu Wuyi opened his personal terminal and pulled up his account page. "My merits from the front lines can be converted into Federation Coins. I won’t say the exact amount, but let’s just say it’s enough to buy ten mansions."

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