Chapter 131 – True Intent, Grandmaster, Heavenly Domineering Physique

During a break in his recovery, Lu Yuan pulled up his professional panel.

[You have undergone a battle, professional experience +312]

[You have undergone a battle…]

…

After the assessment, Lu Yuan came straight here and hadn’t had a chance to check his panel.

The panel had accumulated quite a few notifications for upgrades.

A quick glance revealed that the level of his [Martial Artist] profession had indeed increased.

[Profession: Martial Artist lv7 (890/6400)]

Reaching lv7 had granted him an additional attribute point and skill point to distribute.

After lv7, the experience required for the next level had doubled.

But as his strength increased, so did the strength of his opponents. The professional experience gained from each battle had risen accordingly, making the [Martial Artist] panel the most stable and quickest to level up among his various professional panels.

“Almost there…”

Lu Yuan sat in the training hall for a while. With a constitution of 17 points, his two injuries were nearly healed.

He stood up from the floor and scanned his surroundings.

He was contemplating his next move when the wall in front of him emitted a crisp cracking sound.

Accompanied by the sound of mechanical gears turning, the entire wall started to rise slowly, revealing steps and light from behind it.

Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered as he stood still, watching the wall ascend completely.

What appeared before him was a dense bamboo forest with a small path winding through it. A cool breeze gently flowed from within the forest.

“Come.”

An elderly voice floated out from the forest.

Lu Yuan recognized it as Liu Daoyuan’s voice.

He pondered for a moment before striding forward.

Leaving the training hall, he descended a few steps to the bamboo forest path.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped, turned sideways, and rummaged through a pile of grass beside the path. He pulled out a palm-sized device that resembled a Bluetooth speaker.

Without a doubt, the voice of Liu Daoyuan he had heard earlier had come from this device.

“Playing tricks…”

Lu Yuan tossed the speaker aside, shaking his head, and continued down the path into the depths of the bamboo forest.

After walking about a few dozen meters, the view ahead gradually opened up.

At the end of the bamboo forest, there was a stone table.

Beside the stone table was a fish pond, with the sound of flowing water gurgling.

The arrangement of the place was extremely clever, with the sunlight perfectly blocked outside the stone table, making it neither stuffy nor dim.

Half of it was bright, and the other half was refreshingly cool in the forest.

Lu Yuan’s eyes, however, remained fixed on a figure sitting quietly at the stone table, drinking tea.

It was an old man with snow-white hair and beard, hanging long and straight down.

His face was thin, serene, and calm, with a cool breeze rustling his spotless white Training Attire.

He looked otherworldly, like a carefree cloud or a wild crane.

“You… you are Liu Daoyuan?!”

Lu Yuan’s face showed shock.

He couldn’t connect this extraordinary-looking old man in front of him with the Liu Daoyuan he had seen earlier in the training hall, whose eyes glowed blue, body was disabled, and acted crazily like a character from a cyber-horror movie.

He carefully observed the old man’s eyes and limbs.

Yet he couldn’t find any flaws.

He seemed perfectly alive, with no difference from a normal person with all four limbs intact.

“Liu Daoyuan is what you call me? Call me Teacher!”

The old man, who was drinking tea, suddenly snorted coldly, without even moving his hand.

A sharp whistling sound instantly approached.

Lu Yuan reacted extremely quickly, raising his hand to block it.

A burst of porcelain fragments and water splashed against his palm. It didn’t hurt, but his mood gradually calmed down.

“Does this mean I’m now officially a direct disciple?”

Lu Yuan looked at Liu Daoyuan in front of him and slowly spoke.

“Direct disciple…?”

Liu Daoyuan squinted at him, and the otherworldly aura he had began to crumble.

“You are now a True Disciple of Celestial Crane of Sky Water Liu Daoyuan, my only true disciple!”

“Celestial Crane of Sky Water…”

Lu Yuan chewed on the term, feeling something was off.

He walked up slowly, and seeing that Liu Daoyuan didn’t react, he sat down at the stone table.

Liu Daoyuan’s expression was unreadable, but his eyes seemed to grow a bit colder.

“Teacher…?”

Lu Yuan tentatively called out.

The old man’s expression immediately softened. He pointed to the teapot on the table and casually said, “If you want to drink, pour it yourself.”

“Thank you, Teacher.”

After calling out once, the second time flowed more naturally.

Lu Yuan didn’t have a particular sense of belonging to the Crane Style. Calling Liu Daoyuan “Teacher” was just like addressing his teachers at school.

Since Liu Daoyuan liked to hear it, he didn’t mind saying it a few more times.

Feeling a bit thirsty, Lu Yuan picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself a cup.

He had no idea what kind of tea Liu Daoyuan had brewed. The tea was clear and almost transparent, with a few bubbles rising as it was poured into the cup.

He raised the cup to his nose and caught a strange fruity aroma.

Taking a sip…

“Holy…”

Lu Yuan paused, turning to Liu Daoyuan, “Soda? And apple-flavored?”

“Haha…”

Liu Daoyuan maintained his calm demeanor, taking a light sip from his teacup. “What, never seen a martial arts expert drink soda?”

“…”

Lu Yuan was at a loss for words.

Since stepping into the training hall, everything he’d experienced had been turning his worldview upside down.

He stared at Liu Daoyuan’s eyes and hands for a long time. The latter grew somewhat impatient and said, “Stop looking. They’re fake.”

“Oh.”

Lu Yuan finally got his answer, but the next moment, Liu Daoyuan’s demeanor changed, becoming cold and sinister.

“Back in the day, I was harmed by a formidable enemy, brutally torn apart, and had my eyes taken from me. Taking you as my disciple is so that one day, you can avenge me…”

Liu Daoyuan’s eyes burned with intensity as he looked at Lu Yuan and said, “You have exceptional talent and possess the Heavenly Domineering Physique. With my dedicated guidance, within three years, you can unify the martial arts world in the South, within five years, invade Xiabang, annihilate the Snake Sect, and restore the glory of the Sky Water Stream. Within ten years, you can conquer Martial Saint Island, in twenty years, overthrow Penglai, and in thirty years, dominate the entire Xia State martial arts world…”

“Cough, cough”

Lu Yuan choked on the soda in his cup, looking at Liu Daoyuan in utter bewilderment.

What martial arts world in the South?

What Martial Saint Island?

What Penglai?

What dominating the martial world, unifying the martial arts world…

What the heck was all this?

Lu Yuan suddenly felt like he had boarded a pirate ship.

If Liu Daoyuan hadn’t immediately shifted his tone with the next sentence, Lu Yuan might have stood up and run away.

“…But these things are too early for you now. You should still be at the Bone Training stage, right?” Liu Daoyuan glanced at him and said calmly.

Lu Yuan nodded, not denying it.

Having just sparred with Liu Daoyuan, there was no way to hide this; a simple test would reveal it.

“After Bone Training comes Organ Training. You have already developed inner strength, which means you are halfway into the martial artist master level. Once your inner strength permeates your entire body and you comprehend the true skill from the three core techniques of our crane style, you will have achieved martial mastery…”

“True skill…”

Lu Yuan had heard the term martial artist master level during his assessment, which indicated the level of those who had developed Crane Power, the level of the direct disciples of the crane style.

But this was the first time he heard about true skill.

“Teacher, are you at the True Intent level?”

Lu Yuan asked tentatively.

“Yes.”

Liu Daoyuan replied indifferently, “The True Intent level is also known as the sect leader level or master level… because only those who comprehend true skill are qualified to call themselves the master of a sect or training hall.

This is the orthodox division in the martial arts world, unlike those self-proclaimed titles you usually hear about.”

“Then, what is the level above the sect leader level who has comprehended true skill?”

Lu Yuan had always been somewhat confused about the hierarchy of the martial arts world. Now that he had the chance, he wanted to understand it all at once.

“The level above the sect leader level… is the Grandmaster.

It requires the fusion of inner strength and true skill, reaching the state of ‘the only one’…

This level is far beyond your reach. You might not achieve it in this lifetime, so you don’t need to understand it deeply.”

Liu Daoyuan looked at Lu Yuan with a serious expression and said, “Right now, you just need to master the core techniques of our crane style.

Then fully develop your Palace of Flesh talent.

The Palace of Flesh is a legendary level martial arts talent, one in ten thousand. If used well, even if you don’t become a Grandmaster, you won’t necessarily be weaker than one.”

Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered. He had heard Liu Daoyuan mention the Palace of Flesh several times.

He was just about to ask about it.

“What’s the Palace of Flesh exactly?”

“It’s the ability to control your muscles that you’ve shown.

The martial arts world has five legendary talents.

The Abyss of Skin, the Palace of Flesh, the Mountain of Bones, the Immortal of the Five Viscera, and the Brain Divinity…

The Palace of Flesh represents absolute, invincible physical strength.

When fully developed, it possesses a terrifying power that even Grandmasters fear.”

So, the [special exertion] effect was hyped up like this in the traditional martial arts world?

The Palace of Flesh!

When Lu Yuan thought about it, the way his muscles appeared when he activated [special exertion] did indeed resemble a grand and magnificent palace.

Lu Yuan’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. He casually refilled Liu Daoyuan’s teacup with soda and encouraged, “Teacher, tell me more about the other four.”

Liu Daoyuan glanced at him, huffed lightly, and then downed his tea in one gulp before continuing slowly.

“It’s fine for you to understand the other four as well.

The Abyss of Skin means the skin is like an abyss, difficult to cross. Any attacking inner strength that hits the skin will be absorbed and dissipated as if it fell into an abyss.

It represents absolute defense.

The Mountain of Bones means the bones are like a divine mountain, harder than steel, indestructible, and capable of breaking anything in its path.

Martial artists with the Mountain of Bones talent have much higher destructive power in any martial arts technique than their peers, even surpassing those who wield weapons.

The Immortal of the Five Viscera means the five viscera are brimming with vitality, like those of an immortal.

Those with such viscera have much higher recovery rates, longevity, and vitality than ordinary people, a talent even Grandmasters dream of having.

As for the Brain Divinity…”

Liu Daoyuan paused, then said, “It hasn’t appeared much in the martial arts world, and I only know a little about it.

It’s said that those with Brain Divinity have exceptional comprehension, learning techniques at an astonishing pace.

They can simulate battles in their minds, anticipate their enemies, and are nearly unbeatable in confrontations.

Moreover, breaking through to the True Intent Realm is as easy as eating and drinking for them. As long as their physical talents aren’t excessively poor, becoming a Grandmaster is within easy reach…”

Simulating battles… exceptional comprehension…

Lu Yuan felt something strange upon hearing this.

Isn’t this exactly like the effects of [imaginary enemy] and [a moment of inspiration]?

By this logic, does he also have Brain Divinity?

Of course, he wouldn’t mention this to Liu Daoyuan.

Lu Yuan pondered for a moment and couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher, can those at the True Intent level, or even higher at the Grandmaster Realm, defeat cyborgs? Can they withstand an energy cannon?”

Liu Daoyuan didn’t speak immediately; he just gave Lu Yuan a strange look.

“Why do you ask?”

“Just curious, asking casually.”

Liu Daoyuan thought for a moment before replying, “A top-tier martial artist who has trained their inner strength throughout their entire body is very difficult to injure with ordinary firearms…”

Lu Yuan’s spirits lifted.

But then Liu Daoyuan continued, “However, facing large-caliber firearms is still challenging.

Not to mention high-intensity energy weapons.

Perhaps those at the Grandmaster Realm can withstand it, but those at the True Intent level still can’t.

Unless they kill their opponent before the opponent can act…”

“Even the Abyss of Skin can’t block it?”

Lu Yuan frowned.

“The Abyss of Skin’s absolute defense is only against human force. If the force exceeds human limits by too much… it’s beyond its scope.

Perhaps…”

Liu Daoyuan contemplated, “Someone who possesses all Five Great Talents might be able to withstand high technology weapon attacks.

There has always been a rumor in the martial arts world that when someone possessing all Five Great Talents appears, the martial arts world will undergo a groundbreaking transformation…

But that’s just a legend. It’s practically impossible for such a person to be born in this world…”

“After losing my limbs and eyesight, I realized that the decline of ancient martial arts is an unstoppable trend of the times…

Don’t look at me now; my strength is actually several times greater than when I had all my limbs and sight.

If I were to seek revenge now, killing my old enemies would be no problem.

But doing so would feel like borrowing external power, using someone else’s hands.

Even if I got my revenge, it wouldn’t mean much…”

Liu Daoyuan sighed deeply, drinking his fruit-flavored soda as if it were strong liquor.

Listening to this, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but think sarcastically.

Yeah, using high-tech prosthetics for revenge feels like borrowing someone else’s hands, lacking satisfaction.

If I were to avenge you, that wouldn’t count as using someone else’s hands, would it?

You really have a way with words, Immortal Crane Liu!

After Liu Daoyuan finished his reflection, he regained his calm and shifted the topic back to Lu Yuan.

“Your development of the Palace of Flesh is still at a very early stage.

But this is my first time encountering the Palace of Flesh, so I can’t guide you.

However…

The last person with the Palace of Flesh talent was in the Hundred Refinement Sect.

Perhaps they have some training insights or notes left behind that could help you.

I’ll go to the Hundred Refinement Sect tomorrow and borrow them for you.”

Although Lu Yuan’s so-called “Palace of Flesh” came from [special exertion], and upgrading it only required allocating points, he was still somewhat touched by Liu Daoyuan’s offer.

“Thank you, teacher.

Are you familiar with the Hundred Refinement Sect?”

“Fairly well. I fought alongside their former sect leader a few times.

However, that person was too flamboyant and reckless, eventually attracting the attention of the officials.

In the end, his muscular palace was blasted to pieces by a dozen heavily armed Mechas…”

“…”

After saying this, Liu Daoyuan glanced at Lu Yuan and softly lamented, “It’s a pity that the body training techniques of our crane style are only average and not perfectly suited for you.

If you could obtain the Heavenly Domineering Physique body training technique from the former Holy Fist Sect, the supreme power of your muscles might be fully realized…”

Heavenly Domineering Physique?!

Lu Yuan blinked upon hearing this name.