High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Red River City, Shanshui Manor.

Underground Cultivation Room.

Xu Wuyi sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, his aura as serene as an abyss.

Within his sea of consciousness, the vast, dark-gold marsh was "breathing" with a slow, magnificent rhythm.

With every contraction and expansion, a crimson-gold light flickered deep within the marsh’s heart.

That was the Golden Crow.

The fusion of the Heavy Water marsh and the Golden Crow Illusion had already taken a crucial step forward.

The Golden Crow no longer hovered above the marsh. Instead, it had sunk into its core, pulsing in sync with the marsh’s respiration.

With each breath, the dark-gold Heavy Water and the crimson-gold Flame permeated one another, becoming intertwined.

But it still wasn’t enough.

Xu Wuyi could feel that this fusion was still only at the level of "synchronization." Although the Golden Crow was hidden within the marsh, it wasn’t completely concealed; its presence was still clearly discernible.

In his vision, the Golden Crow should completely merge with the Heavy Water, like a dragon submerged in an abyss, showing no trace of its existence.

Only when he willed it would the Golden Crow break out of the marsh to incinerate the heavens and boil the seas.

’It’s still missing something.’

Xu Wuyi opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

The breath lingered three inches from his body, condensed and un-dispersed, swirling in the air for several seconds before slowly dissipating.

「Six months.」

Since his return from Xingjing, it was now early September.

Over the past half-year, he had lived a secluded life. Aside from handling a few occasional matters, he had spent most of his time at home in Red River City, polishing his Heart Image and consolidating his Cultivation.

The Federation’s support for him could be described as sparing no expense.

Every month, someone was sent to deliver High-tier Resources: "Concentrating Spirit Incense" for refining his Spirit, "Earth Vein Essence" for nourishing his Heart Image, and "Blood Chalcedony" for increasing his Qi and Blood Purity...

Out in the world, any one of these was a treasure that Innate Martial Artists would fight tooth and nail for.

But Xu Wuyi only had to sign for them, not even needing to look at the bill—"Just put it on my tab," were Feng Zhuohua’s exact words.

And Xu Wuyi truly didn’t care.

At his Realm, money and merit points had lost much of their meaning. Truly valuable resources could not be measured by merit points at all.

He calmly accepted the Federation’s willingness to invest in him, knowing he would repay them in the future.

Fueled by this mountain of resources, his Life Energy Level and Spiritual Strength had skyrocketed.

Level 49.

He was just one step away from the Grandmaster Realm.

Xu Wuyi could clearly feel that he had already touched that invisible threshold. As long as his Heart Image fused completely and he achieved inner and outer Perfection, he would naturally cross over.

But this final step was also the most difficult.

’No need to rush.’

He stood up and walked to the center of the training area.

With a flicker of his thoughts, the illusion of the dark-gold marsh materialized behind him.

The marsh’s surface was calm and bottomless, but upon closer inspection, one could see a faint crimson-gold light circulating deep within its core, like a dormant volcano.

Xu Wuyi raised his right hand, his fingers forming a loose grip.

A dark-gold Seal Platform, half a meter wide, materialized above his palm. Ancient patterns flowed across its surface. Its base was flat, and the Golden Crow outline on top was much clearer than it had been six months ago; one could even make out the details of its feathers.

"Descend," he commanded.

The Seal Platform slowly descended.

It hovered an inch above the ground, and a suppressive Intention spread out like a tide.

The floor of the Cultivation Room let out a faint groan. Within a ten-meter radius of the Seal Platform, the air grew as thick as glue.

This time, however, the suppressive Intention was not constant.

It fluctuated faintly with Xu Wuyi’s breathing.

When he exhaled, it was as heavy as a mountain.

When he inhaled, it was as light as a thin mist.

This change was extremely subtle; a Martial Artist without keen perception would never notice it. But in actual combat, it was enough to cause an opponent to misjudge.

Xu Wuyi dismissed the Seal Platform and raised his hand again, condensing a pinpoint-sized, dark-gold Water Drop.

The Water Drop floated in the air, its weight fluctuating with his thoughts.

It could go from being as light as a feather to as heavy as a mountain in an instant.

’That should be enough.’

He dispersed the Water Drop and walked out of the Cultivation Room.

When he took the elevator back to the first floor, the aroma of a home-cooked meal drifted from the living room.

Mrs. Xu was busy in the kitchen while Father Xu sat on the sofa watching the news. Hearing the elevator, they both looked over.

"Finished your training?" Father Xu asked.

"Yeah." Xu Wuyi nodded and sat down on the sofa next to him.

A frontline war report was playing on the television.

On the screen, Federation troops were clearing out the Insect Race in a newly controlled zone. Energy cannon fire lit up the night sky, and insect corpses were piled up like mountains.

"The front lines haven’t been very peaceful lately," Father Xu sighed. "It’s on the news every day. The number of Insect Race is growing, and the Feathered People are starting to counterattack."

"That’s to be expected," Xu Wuyi said calmly. "The newly controlled zones are too rich in resources; everyone wants a piece. If the Federation wants to establish a firm foothold, it’ll have to fight a few tough battles."

"You don’t have to go anytime soon, do you?" Mrs. Xu poked her head out of the kitchen, her face filled with worry.

"Not for now." Xu Wuyi smiled. "The military hasn’t called, so I’ll stay home with you guys."

Only then did Mrs. Xu let out a sigh of relief and turn back to her cooking.

Xu Wuyi leaned back on the sofa, his gaze fixed on the television screen.

Over the past six months, the situation on the front lines had indeed grown more and more tense.

The Insect Race’s reproduction rate had far exceeded expectations, and the Feathered People were also secretly gathering their forces, launching surprise attacks from time to time.

The military was under immense pressure. They had organized several large-scale extermination campaigns, but with limited success. The insect tide seemed endless; they would kill one wave, only for another to appear.

This was one of the reasons the Federation was cultivating him at any cost—they needed more high-end combat power.

Just as he was thinking this, his personal terminal began to vibrate.

Xu Wuyi glanced at the caller ID. It was an encrypted number from the military.

He answered the call.

"Martial Artist Xu, this is Feng Zhuohua." Feng Zhuohua’s figure appeared on the light screen. He was sitting in his office, his expression grave. "There’s an urgent mission that requires your assistance."

"Go on."

"The specific details can’t be discussed over the comms," Feng Zhuohua said, lowering his voice.

"The mission level is ’Top Secret.’ You need to come to Xingjing immediately. A private transport is already on standby at the Red River City spaceport, scheduled to take off in two hours."

Xu Wuyi’s brow furrowed slightly.

’A Top Secret mission, a private transport on standby, taking off in two hours... This level of urgency is even higher than when I went to treat Shen Jin.’

Xu Wuyi’s gaze hardened.

"I understand," he said, standing up. "I’m leaving now."

The communication ended.

Father Xu and Mrs. Xu had overheard the conversation. They both stopped what they were doing and looked at Xu Wuyi.

"Leaving again?" Mrs. Xu asked.

"Yes, a mission for the military," Xu Wuyi explained simply. "It’s rather urgent, so I have to go now."

Mrs. Xu opened her mouth, wanting to say more, but it ended in a sigh. "Be safe, and come back soon."

"I will," Xu Wuyi nodded, then turned and went upstairs to pack his things.

There wasn’t much to pack, really. A few changes of clothes, his personal terminal, an encrypted storage device, and the Liaoyuan Long Spear.

Five minutes later, he came downstairs carrying his backpack.

Father Xu was already waiting by the door. He handed over an insulated container. "Your mother just packed this. Eat it on the way."

Xu Wuyi took the container. It was warm to the touch.

"Dad, Mom, I’m leaving."

"Go on." Father Xu clapped him on the shoulder. "Don’t worry about things at home."

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