Chapter 268 – Grandmaster Xu Gets Shocked, Is Old Liu Really Giving up?

As this thought emerged, Lu Yuan immediately felt his mist-like mental power shrink slightly.

It suddenly underwent a significant transformation.

“Hmm?!”

Lu Yuan felt a bit surprised, but then his face took on an expression of contemplation.

In that instant, he seemed to suddenly grasp the precise direction for advancing to the Grandmaster level.

Sitting next to him, Xu Weiguo also sensed this unusual change and his eyes immediately became more complex while looking at Lu Yuan.

He didn’t know Lu Yuan’s exact age.

But judging by his appearance, he couldn’t be more than twenty-ish at most.

At this age, having potential to reach the Grandmaster level.

Although being in Yellow Bear meant his Cultivation conditions were far superior to ordinary people, achieving this at such a young age was enough to prove his prodigious talent.

“Sigh…”

Xu Weiguo sighed, feeling instantly much older.

The two continued to chat casually.

Xu Weiguo had spent over a decade in Penglai and was quite familiar with the current situation there. Lu Yuan managed to glean a considerable amount of information about Penglai from him, information not even recorded in the Yellow Bear’s internal database.

After chatting for more than half an hour, Xu Weiguo got up to say goodbye to Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan called for the Golden Bear who was to show the way and personally escorted Xu Weiguo to the door of the martial arts training room.

Just as Xu Weiguo was about to leave, he suddenly stopped and asked Lu Yuan, “Is Lord Lu currently stuck at the step of fusing True Intent into the body?”

Lu Yuan did not hide it and openly admitted, “Yes.”

Xu Weiguo tentatively asked, “Is it convenient for Lord Lu to release his True Intent so I can take a look?”

During these seven days of sparring, Lu Yuan had never released his True Intent.

Xu Weiguo had been dwelling on this the entire time.

As a dignified Grandmaster, he had almost been forced to use all his skills against Lu Yuan, yet he still didn’t know which school or sect Lu Yuan belonged to, nor what his True Intent looked like.

Seeing he was about to leave and likely wouldn’t have the chance to meet this young man again, Xu Weiguo couldn’t resist and decided to put aside his pride to ask.

Hearing this, Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned. His eyes flickered and he hesitated without saying anything.

Xu Weiguo’s face showed a bit of regret, and he took the initiative to comfort him, “If it’s inconvenient for Lord Lu to reveal it, then forget it.”

“It’s not that it’s inconvenient, but rather…”

Lu Yuan shook his head and said, “My True Intent is a bit unusual, I fear… it might scare Grandmaster Xu.”

“Scare?”

Xu Weiguo blinked and then smiled, “Lord Lu must be joking. After all, I am a dignified Grandmaster. In my half-life of martial arts, I have seen the Legacies from various schools and sects. What strange and peculiar True Intents haven’t I seen?

I would believe you if you say your True Intent is stronger than mine. But scaring me… haha…”

Xu Weiguo laughed, shaking his head.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan nodded, “Since Grandmaster Xu wants to see it, then I’ll let you take a look…”

With that, Lu Yuan suddenly unleashed his long-suppressed mist-like mental power.

On the [martial artist] panel, a certain skill quietly lit up.

In an instant, all the light in the martial arts room behind Lu Yuan dimmed.

A massive, pitch-black giant crow silently emerged from his body.

A cold, decaying, despairing, and yet overwhelming aura, akin to a deathly calamity, filled the entire martial arts room…

“Boom!”

The air around Xu Weiguo twisted, and his Grandmaster Field spontaneously erupted in response.

His expression froze, staring blankly at the indescribable behemoth before him.

Pitch black as night, overwhelmingly tyrannical body, with nine hundred and ninety-nine cold, eerie eyes…

A chilling electric current, which he hadn’t felt in years, erupted from his tailbone up through his spine.

It made all the hairs on his body stand up, his scalp tingling.

The next second, Xu Weiguo heard a voice, low and indistinct, almost blending completely into the darkness, like a shadow vortex that could devour everything, whispering, “I warned you… it would scare Grandmaster Xu.”

“Ugh… ugh…”

With his Grandmaster Field fully activated, Xu Weiguo’s throat felt as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand, his Adam’s apple moving, but he couldn’t utter a single word.

…

Weishan City.

In the long streets of Weishan in December, many people were already wearing winter clothing. The leaves on the roadside trees were sparse and fallow, and the vegetation in the green belts was yellowed and withered, presenting a scene of desolation.

Lu Yuan walked slowly on the sidewalk.

He was wearing a white shirt, with a thin woolen coat over it.

He didn’t feel the least bit cold; it was simply to avoid standing out too much in the crowd.

Over the years, Weishan had been striving to develop into a tourist city and had put in substantial efforts towards environmental protection. However, even after great improvements, the sky and air quality still couldn’t compare to the fresh and clear atmosphere he had experienced in Xiabang.

Still… it had the familiar and nostalgic feel of everyday life that Lu Yuan cherished.

“Hey handsome! Come learn martial arts for self-defense!”

Not far ahead, at the entrance to a martial arts gym with a sign that read “Transcend Martial Arts Gym,” two girls in miniskirts were waving colorful flyers at Lu Yuan, even in the dead of winter.

“We’re having a big winter promotion at Transcend Martial Arts Gym! The martial arts techniques course originally priced at 28,888 is now just 9,988!”

“Handsome, it’s easy for a guy traveling alone to be taken advantage of by female ruffians. Come sign up and learn some martial arts techniques!”

Lu Yuan politely waved them off, indicating he wasn’t interested. Seeing this, the two girls in miniskirts started running down the steps to pull him in.

Frightened, Lu Yuan quickly ran away and hastily flagged down a taxi, jumping in.

After telling the driver he wanted to go to “Linghexuan,” the car started moving, and only then did Lu Yuan breathe a sigh of relief.

It was quite ironic for a dignified Twin-winged Bear from the Yellow Bear, on the verge of stepping into the Grandmaster Realm, to be chased down by salespeople…

Indeed, salespeople might be the most terrifying creatures in the world.

Sitting in the back seat of the taxi, Lu Yuan reflected on the recent bouts with Xu Weiguo.

He had gained a lot.

His martial deity strength had risen to Lv7.

He had also taken the time to organize all his pure martial arts knowledge.

On the [martial artist] panel, he had integrated a bunch of messy skills into three main categories: “Divine Elephant Style,” “Underworld Crow Style,” and “Various Techniques.”

Throughout the process, there had been numerous instances of skill fusion and advancement, too numerous to detail.

In fact, after exchanging insights with Xu Weiguo, a Grandmaster in martial arts, Lu Yuan began to gradually move away from relying on the [martial artist] professional panel.

“When my abilities were still limited, I was unfamiliar with the comprehension and application of various techniques. Activating skills through the solidifying Effect of the professional panel was a great help and boost for me.

But now, these moves and techniques have long been integrated into my body, becoming muscle memory. The panel has instead become a shackle to my advancement to Grandmaster…”

A Grandmaster pursues unrestrained freedom, without being bound by any limitations. They create their own unique path, relying solely on their own style.

Lu Yuan had already developed the stature of a Grandmaster. What he lacked was just the final bit of honing and opportunity.

Sitting in the back seat of the taxi, he quietly pondered as he watched the scenes outside the window.

He imagined his current state of mind to be like a pool of water. The water was extremely calm, and the sediment within it continuously settled, causing the water to become increasingly clear…

“We’ve arrived.”

The soft call from the taxi driver pulled Lu Yuan back to reality from his daydream.

He took out his mobile phone, paid for the trip, and got out of the car.

In front of him was the side entrance to “Linghexuan”. The ivy on the wall had all withered, making the [Cooking the Snake Theory] written on the wall even more prominent.

Just as Lu Yuan was about to go inside, he suddenly felt a mild burning sensation on a spot on the right side of his chest.

Instinctively, he reached out to touch it, remembering that it was the spot marked with the curse of the elephant deity.

“It seems the second wave of the curse is about to hit the battlefield…”

Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained calm. He lowered his hand and naturally continued to walk into the main entrance of Linghexuan.

Shortly after entering, he encountered Liu Si.

He had informed Liu Si beforehand about his visit. Liu Si respectfully called him “Young Sect Master” and then led him to see Liu Daoyuan.

His teacher, Liu Daoyuan, had been critically injured by an attack from various sects during the Hundred Cities Martial Arts Tournament in the south and had been recuperating at the Yellow Bear Base since then.

Later, he went to Xiabang for surgery. When Lu Yuan asked about his teacher a few days ago, he learned that Old Liu had actually been discharged and returned home long ago.

That was why he had rushed to Weishan.

“How are Aunt Zhuang and the others doing?” Lu Yuan asked Liu Si about the current situation of the other direct disciples of the crane style as they walked.

Liu Si nodded. “Everyone is doing well, but…”

“But what?”

Seeing Liu Si’s hesitant expression, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but frown and press for details.

Liu Si wore a bitter smile as he explained, “But ever since the Old Sect Master returned, he hasn’t been willing to see any of them. Moreover, he has expelled them all from the crane style…”

“What?!”

Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned, first in shock and then feeling a mix of helplessness and amusement.

It was entirely in line with Old Liu’s personality; it was exactly the kind of thing he would do.

He didn’t say much but just nodded to Liu Si, indicating that he understood.

Last time Old Liu was framed by Pei Ye and misunderstood by outsiders, even his own disciples questioned him.

If he were in Old Liu’s shoes, he would feel heartbroken too.

Feeling angry was normal, and it was better to let it out. At his age, it was unreasonable to expect him to hold it in.

Soon, Liu Si led Lu Yuan to the familiar bamboo grove backyard.

As Lu Yuan stepped over the threshold, he immediately saw Old Liu lounging comfortably in a bed of green and yellow bamboo leaves, basking in the sun.

Seeing Lu Yuan, Old Liu didn’t say a word, just raised his eyelids slightly, then returned his leisurely gaze to the cup of tea in his hand.

Lu Yuan walked over and sat at the stone table, glancing around.

He quickly found a large bottle of fruit-flavored soda by the foot of the stone table, picked it up, and poured some into the small purple clay teapot on the table.

As he poured, he spoke to Liu Daoyuan, “Why did you run if you didn’t get the surgery?”

Liu Daoyuan snorted lightly, replying nonchalantly, “I’ve been a cripple for most of my life; I’m used to it… If you really give me new limbs, I might forget how to walk.”

“Don’t you want to become a Grandmaster?” Lu Yuan looked at him.

He had specifically arranged for Liu Daoyuan to undergo a limb regeneration surgery, but Liu Daoyuan had run away from the hospital before getting it. This was news to him.

“It doesn’t matter anymore…”

Liu Daoyuan put down his teacup and said indifferently, “I’ve put one foot into that domain and realized that being a Grandmaster isn’t all that impressive. No matter how strong you are, you can’t withstand mecha cannons. When faced with such power, you still die…”

“Does it really not matter?”

“Not at all!”

Liu Daoyuan waved dismissively.

Lu Yuan couldn’t help but frown.

At first, Lu Yuan thought Old Liu was just being stubborn.

But as time went on, he realized Old Liu genuinely seemed to have no interest in it anymore.

Two failed attempts to become a Grandmaster-was he afraid the third attempt would also end in failure, so he figured he’d just give up?

But that didn’t seem like Old Liu’s character.

Could he be so disheartened that he’s ready to retire from the martial arts world entirely?

Let’s find out.

Lu Yuan thought for a moment and then asked, “What about conquering Martial Saint Island, overthrowing Penglai Pavilion, and shaking up the ancient martial arts world? Do you still want to do that?”

Upon hearing this, Liu Daoyuan shot him a sidelong glance, sneered, and scolded, “You brat! Those were just words to motivate you back in the day. Did you really take them seriously?”

Hearing this, Lu Yuan felt a sharp pang in his heart.

It’s over.

Old Liu really seemed to have given up.