Chapter 286 – Is There a Path Beyond the Grandmaster? They Are the Path!

Above the island, vast swathes of white mist were inexplicably stirred by some unknown strength, converging towards the high platform like rivers flowing into the sea.

Half of the high platform was shrouded in clouds and mist.

Within the mist, radiant glow cascaded like a waterfall.

In the vast, blurry expanse, one could almost make out an infinitely tall and majestic white jade gate slowly emerging.

Inscribed on the gate was the heavenly seal- “Southward Sky1.”

On the other side of the high platform, however, lay a realm of utter darkness and cold.

It was as if the underworld had opened, and waves of overwhelming death energy surged forth.

The land turned dark and desolate.

The decaying earth, the remaining ruins, ghosts and wandering corpses roamed…

On one side was the heavenly palace gate, lofty and indifferent to all living beings.

On the other side was the desolate, decayed kingdom of the underworld.

One was high and ethereal, the other dark and murky.

One was clear, the other turbid.

In this direct confrontation, not a single spectator on Martial Saint Island could clearly make out the details.

All they could see were two distinct forces clashing.

They witnessed the battle between the heavenly palace and the underworld.

Countless people were left stunned.

They couldn’t fathom the kind of will and vitality it took to create such an extraordinary and magnificent spectacle.

It was as if a myth had become reality.

Even a pure martial grandmaster would be affected, unable to distinguish the line between reality and illusion.

The two overwhelming auras exploding on the high platform had already surpassed the usual limits of martial arts, reaching a truly legendary level.

Countless pure martial artists felt an impulse to bow in reverence.

Pure martial myth!

This was the true pure martial myth!

Lord of Heaven Wu Chao remained composed, having been a legend in the martial arts world for several eras.

He had sat atop Penglai, high and aloof, overlooking the ancient martial arts world for nearly two centuries.

Lu Yuan was the one who induced the most fear.

This formidable entrant, bearing the Title of The Contemporary Evil Emperor of the evil martial alliance, had defeated dozens of grandmasters, The Five Elders of Penglai, and ascended to the top, now contending with the Lord of Heaven.

From beginning to end, he hadn’t released a single wave of evil energy.

He relied solely on his expertise in the pure martial domain.

How old was he?

Was he truly destined to end an era, a born demon star?!

“Boom-“

The sound of fists clashing echoed on the high platform.

It wasn’t loud, without any earth-shattering aura.

Only the turbulent clouds and radiant glow stirred by the shockwaves proved that a clash was happening.

But to the spectators below, the sight was a visual distortion, with countless overlapping illusions forming a blurry scene.

“Their martial arts have reached an unfathomable realm beyond the Grandmaster!”

Someone below rubbed their temples, muttering in a daze: “They are contesting not just strength and skill, but more so their mental will, or rather…

This is a struggle between two paths, a collision between systems!”

“Beyond Grandmaster? Is there a path beyond Grandmaster?”

Someone couldn’t help but ask.

A Grandmaster-level martial artist heard this question, raised a hand to point towards the high platform, and with a peculiar look, uttered word by word: “They are… the path!”

…

On the high platform, two figures fought like phantoms, entangled in combat.

On Lu Yuan’s [martial artist] panel, the skills he had comprehended flowed through his mind like a stream, gradually integrating into his very bones and blood.

Lu Yuan’s spirit, will, blood… every cell in his body was shouting, was boiling.

Yet his mind was calm.

Like an ice lake, under which hot magma flowed and churned.

“Heavenly Palace Style martial arts… Lord of Heaven Wu Chao…”

Lu Yuan silently recited these words, his eyes already turning into pure silver.

At the center of the silver, a vortex seemed to be rapidly spinning.

At the first encounter with Wu Chao, his lv3 [Undefeated Instinct] had already activated.

Before this, as Lu Yuan ascended the level three platform and dominated all his opponents, he had never needed to activate [Undefeated Instinct] or summon a “substitute.”

But against Wu Chao, that wasn’t an option.

Lu Yuan had a premonition that if he didn’t activate his max-level [Undefeated Instinct], he would be quickly broken within a few breaths.

“A once-in-a-lifetime prodigy, he has used various modern methods to survive for over two hundred years.

With over two centuries of martial arts accumulation, his experience, skill, consciousness… in every aspect, he has reached an unprecedented height.

The realm he is in now is comparable to my max-level [Undefeated Instinct]!”

Faced with such a living “martial arts legend,” Lu Yuan had to rely on his panel, otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to bridge the gap of these two hundred years.

“But the more it is like this, the more thrilling it becomes.”

The silver vortex in Lu Yuan’s pupils spun faster and faster.

His mind was calm as still water, but his body seemed to burn like fire.

The roaring fighting spirit was rampaging in every corner of his body.

“To achieve an extraordinary, unprecedented Grandmaster Realm, I need such unparalleled figures as fuel to stoke the flames!”

The silver light in Lu Yuan’s eyes shone brilliantly, and his body soared like a great bird, arms spread wide. In a diving posture, he pressed down both arms toward Wu Chao below.

Around him, the originally invisible and formless but now distorted air currents interwove, coursing with dark golden martial deity strength throughout his body.

In a trance, a pale full moon seemed to quietly emerge behind him.

Under the full moon, black crows filled the sky, flapping their wings and cawing.

“Underworld Crow Style: Praising Moon!”

Wu Chao’s expression was serene, his hands extended, fingers lightly touching to form an arch bridge. With this subtle gesture, he blocked Lu Yuan’s strike effortlessly.

“Heavenly Palace Style, Second Form-Building Rainbow Bridge!”

As fist met palm, clouds surged around Wu Chao, and visions reappeared.

In the hazy void, behind the towering white jade southward sky gate, a Nine-Colored Rainbow Bridge seemed to emerge.

The collision of intents caused the full moon to sway, and the crows praising the moon beneath it exploded one by one.

Yet the Nine-Colored Rainbow Bridge remained unshaken, becoming even more splendid and radiant.

Lu Yuan’s face showed no fluctuation, but the momentum of his fist subtly transformed.

“Underworld Crow Style: Devouring Moon!”

His fist turned into a claw, the dark golden light interweaving in his hand as he swiped upwards.

The resulting vision was countless red-eyed black crows, like a dark cloud, madly surging up from beneath the pale cold moon, which now had a faint blood-red tint.

Lu Yuan’s entire being was now enveloped by the distorted airflow. The light became obscure, making it impossible to discern his figure. Only a hint of a cold, bloodthirsty, and ruthless aura could be felt emanating from within.

Wu Chao’s expression remained unchanged as his hands continued to press down.

The Nine-Colored Rainbow Bridge in the white mist gently swayed, and a gigantic, overwhelming force pressed down with a thunderous noise.

“Boom, boom, boom-“

The aura around Lu Yuan exploded layer by layer, and the illusion of the crow flock around him rapidly crumbled.

Just as Wu Chao’s hands had pushed Lu Yuan’s arms to their limit, and his surrounding aura had almost dissipated completely, Lu Yuan’s hands suddenly came together.

With fingertips pointing upwards like blades, he thrust upward.

The previous instances of being blocked and defeated seemed to have all been laying the groundwork for this move.

The accumulated strength and momentum burst forth completely at this moment.

“Underworld Crow Style: Seize the Moon!”

Underworld Crow Style: Praising Moon, Devouring Moon, Seize the Moon!

Lu Yuan used the lv2 super killer move [Thousand Crows Salute the Moon] as the core, merging it with the killer techniques of Crane Style to create the three-part combo of Underworld Crow Style.

The Divine Elephant Style system focuses on “Strength,” while the Underworld Crow Style system centers on “Intent.”

This distinction was exhibited vividly at this instant.

As Seize the Moon was unleashed, Lu Yuan’s aura erupted once again, the terrifying momentum distorting the surrounding air into blackness.

The pale, cold full moon behind him quietly turned into a pure blood-red.

In this blood-red moon, a dot of pure black flickered, resembling the eye of a crow.

The blood moon vision clashed with the Southward Sky portal and the Nine-Colored Rainbow Bridge.

“Boom!”

On the high platform, the clouds churned like boiling water, with white and black thoroughly intermingled.

The fearsome aftershocks spread out, parting the clouds, and creating a massive circular pattern in the sky above the high platform.

Within the pattern, there was no trace of lingering clouds, only a vessel-shaped breach glowing with white light, from which cascaded radiant glow like a waterfall.

Under the radiant glow stood Wu Chao, with his serene bearing and jade-like elegance, hands crossed behind his back, his eyes clear and bright.

Above his head, the visions of the Southward Sky and the Nine-Colored Rainbow Bridge still floated.

At this moment, he truly lived up to the title of “Lord of Heaven.”

At this moment, Lu Yuan was standing at another corner of the high platform.

The aura and the underworld crow illusions around him had completely dissipated.

His hands hung by his sides, with trails of crimson blood seeping from his fingers.

Yet, Lu Yuan’s expression remained calm.

Though he had not yet reached the Grandmaster level, his mental power and physique were ten times that of an ordinary Grandmaster.

However, compared to the Lord of Heaven, Wu Chao-a figure who had nearly transcended the level of a Grandmaster and reached a legendary level-there was still a significant gap.

His transformation was not yet complete; his own martial arts system was still in its early stages and was in the process of being perfected.

In contrast, Wu Chao’s development in all aspects was almost flawless, with hardly any weaknesses or shortcomings.

He, like his martial arts, stood tall, akin to a heavenly palace above the clouds-majestic, commanding, and indifferent to the world below.

“More than two hundred years of countless adversaries and countless victories have forged his nearly invincible confidence. It’s like an untouchable, indestructible mythical heavenly palace…”

Lu Yuan thought, as the blood on his fingers retracted and the aura around him began to rise steadily.

“But I’m almost there too…”

Lu Yuan whispered to himself.

In the next second, his entire being suddenly surged, expanding.

His black hair lengthened rapidly, cascading down like a waterfall to his waist.

His skin turned red, and a giant Blood-red Lotus Eye appeared on his back.

Waves of intense heat radiated from his body.

He had clearly entered the state of his third-rank ultimate transformation.

“Whoo-“

Lu Yuan exhaled deeply, transforming into a blurred figure as he charged directly at Wu Chao.

Around him, a flourishing and ancient cityscape began to slowly materialize.

This illusion was vastly different from his previous shadowy and cold aura and bore no exceptional traits.

The only thing that left an impression was the epic, unfolding scroll-like charm that this vision carried.

A flicker of an unusual hue passed through the serene, jade-like eyes of the Lord of Heaven, Wu Chao. He didn’t say anything, merely extending a hand and lightly striking toward Lu Yuan.

“Heavenly Palace Style: Third Form-Raise the Immortal Pavilion!”

As Wu Chao unleashed this palm strike, countless pavilions and towers seemed to quietly emerge from the misty vision above his head.

An indescribable vastness and ethereal, nearly immortal aura flowed from his palm.

Lu Yuan remained expressionless, bearing the grandeur of a flourishing era. He raised his arm and met Wu Chao’s palm with a punch.

Fist and palm collided.

“Boom!”

The terrifying aftershock rippled out. Wu Chao’s stance remained unmoved, his expression unchanged.

Lu Yuan’s body was sent flying backward, barely halting his retreat near the edge of the high platform.

He took a deep breath, his aura disordered, and the vision of the ancient, flourishing city he emitted seemed to waver under Wu Chao’s palm strike.

The magnificence was gone, replaced by a looming sense of impending doom.

Yet, Lu Yuan’s face showed no sign of emotion.

He raised one hand, gently wiping away the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

“Half a meter.”

Lu Yuan muttered to himself.

In the distance, Wu Chao slightly frowned, seemingly puzzled by his enigmatic words.

“Boom!”

Lu Yuan’s black hair lifted as his aura surged anew.

The vision of the ancient city around him began to transform violently.

In the sky of this vision, a black meteorite, enwrapped in blazing black flames, appeared.

Lu Yuan leaped into the air, his agile figure merging with the black meteorite midair, charging toward Wu Chao like a descending meteorite.

Wu Chao squinted, not even looking at Lu Yuan’s attack. He placed one hand behind his back.

With casual indifference, he reached upward with his other hand.

Murmuring softly, he said, “Heavenly Palace Style: Fourth Form…”

Footnote:

1. Southward Sky(南天): Southward Sky (南天, Nán Tiān) in Chinese mythology and literature often refers to the southern part of the sky, which is traditionally associated with the celestial realm or heaven. It can symbolize a place of divine presence, grandeur, and transcendence. The juxtaposition of “Southward Sky” with the underworld in this passage highlights the stark contrast between the heavenly realm and the land of the dead.