"The thirteenth disciple of the Martial Ancestor!"
Feeling both bewildered and impressed, Feng Bingwen exclaimed in perfect unison, for with his master's status, this Martial Ancestor must be a being of the immortal or god level.
Do you know what the Martial Ancestor represents?
Seeing Feng Bingwen's amazed expression, Zhao Junxian chuckled.
"The ancestor of martial arts?"
Feng Bingwen could only guess from the literal meaning of the words.
"That's not all!"
Zhao Junxian glanced at him.
"In the beginning of time, who transmitted the Dao? The immortal path you sought existed when heaven and earth were first created. I do not know which deity transmitted it to you. My human race is merely one of the successors of the Dao."
Martial arts are unique to our human race, created by our ancestors during the ancient times when humanity struggled for survival. Our human race's current ability to stand tall across the nine continents owes much to martial arts.
"Martial arts are so powerful!"
Feng Bingwen was somewhat surprised; he realized that he seemed to have underestimated martial arts.
"In its earliest days, martial arts were based on the imitation of all things. Eagle Claw Kung Fu, Mantis Fist, Monkey Fist, and so on were created by mortals imitating ferocious birds and beasts. From this foundation, more advanced martial arts were derived, such as Five Tigers Severing the Gate Saber and Xingyi Quan..."
A young man with an ethereal appearance explained the origin and development of martial arts to a child, who couldn't help but show his longing.
"In ancient times, martial arts were just beginning to take shape, but the so-called innate martial arts at that time could not compete with the demons who had achieved mastery. My master was born at that time and learned all the martial arts in the world. He wanted to find a way out for martial arts and also to find a foundation for humankind."
Cultivating immortality relies on innate talent and comprehension, while martial arts, as long as one is diligent, can be learned by anyone, regardless of age or gender. It also provides a fighting chance against demons and monsters, preventing one from being slaughtered.
"Great virtue of the Martial Ancestor!"
Feng Bingwen praised it.
"My master, the Martial Ancestor, borrowed the power of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends to break through the innate martial arts realm and pushed the martial arts to the Gang Fiend realm. Martial artists who have cultivated to this realm have blood and qi like a furnace, can fly through the air, tear apart transformed demons with their bare hands, and suppress a city!"
"The realm beyond the Innate Stage of Martial Arts?"
Feng Bingwen immediately became interested.
"What about even higher realms? Are there any?"
"A higher realm?"
Zhao Junxian sized up Feng Bingwen, a strange smile appearing on her face. Upon seeing Feng Bingwen, she couldn't help but shrink back.
"The martial body, tempered by the fierce energy of heaven and earth, has reached the limit of human strength, but when facing a small demon king who gathers his forces, or an old demon who has lived for many years, he is still powerless and unable to fight against him."
The human body, at most five feet tall, and those seven feet tall are exceptionally gifted. But when faced with those great demons and monsters whose bodies are often several feet in size, they still appear insignificant. If they have ancient origins, then they are even more laughable.
It was also around that time that my teacher and his chief disciple, who was also my senior brother, disagreed when they were deducing higher realms of martial arts.
"What disagreement?"
Feng Bingwen asked questions at the right time, allowing the teacher to continue the lecture.
"My senior brother believes that humans have limits, and no matter how much a human body is tempered, it is far inferior to those naturally born demons."
Zhao Junxian gave Feng Bingwen a rather approving look and recounted the disagreement between two pioneers who paved the way for martial arts in ancient times.
"When martial artists first learn martial arts, they imitate the most common ferocious birds and beasts. When they reach a higher level, they should also imitate and learn from those ferocious beasts and divine beasts with ancient bloodlines, and even the innate gods and demons at the beginning of the world. They should imitate their power, and even imitate their bodies, take their essence, condense it into one, and transform it into their own fighting body."
"This is inhuman!"
Feng Bingwen couldn't help but mutter to himself. He could understand the thoughts of that Martial Ancestor's eldest disciple. At that time, there was no way forward in martial arts, and the world was full of ancient and desolate species. If he didn't imitate them, who else could he learn from?
“The Martial Ancestor at that time certainly wouldn’t have agreed.”
"No, at the time, the teacher greatly appreciated the senior brother's idea and encouraged him to try it."
However, he would not try this path, because his teacher at that time had been called the Martial Ancestor by many human martial artists, and he was the pinnacle of human martial arts.
The teacher believed that if even he were to imitate and learn from those ancient gods and demons, it would mean that the ultimate goal of human martial arts was to become new gods and demons, rendering such martial arts meaningless.
"As expected of the Martial Ancestor!"
Feng Bingwen exclaimed in genuine admiration, "Such spirit and such magnanimity—no wonder he's called the Martial Ancestor." But would someone with such a broad mind clash with his disciples over differing choices?
"Then how could there be a disagreement?"
"That's because my senior brother's attempt at that time achieved a breakthrough success."
When the topic turned to ancient times, a look of longing appeared in the boy's eyes, which seemed to hold a whole starry sky.
"My senior brother, together with many junior brothers, killed a Yazi monster that was causing havoc in the area. Using its inner core as the core, they studied its body and then evolved the Yazi body!"
At that time, the eldest brother's strength completely surpassed that of their teacher, making him the strongest human martial artist of the time. Those great demons that their teacher had to risk serious injury or even their lives to slay, the eldest brother could kill with only minor injuries, or even without injury.
"Hiss~"
Upon hearing about ancient tales, even if it was just a version that had been told countless times, Feng Bingwen couldn't help but take a deep breath.
He could hardly imagine the immense pressure that the Martial Ancestor, who had not yet broken through to the next realm but was surpassed by his own disciple, was under.
Strength is fundamental. No matter how noble the path chosen by the Martial Ancestor was, it was vulnerable in the face of reality. If he was surpassed by disciples who chose other paths, it would mean that his path would be questioned or even denied.
"The Martial Ancestor must have had such a tough time back then!"
"My teacher was subjected to unimaginable doubts and even slander at the time. Some people thought he was short-sighted and even felt that he was not worthy of the title of Martial Ancestor and should give the title to my senior brother."
"The eldest master wouldn't want that title, would he?"
Feng Bingwen shamelessly addressed the Martial Ancestor's eldest disciple as his senior master.
“Of course not. My senior brother is also a pioneer on the path of martial arts. How could he care about such empty fame? He understands and supports our teacher, and even told our teacher all his insights after breaking through his cultivation level.”
"Then the Martial Ancestor will definitely break through to the next realm soon!"
"My teacher changed his name and appearance, and traveled to the Nine Provinces, which were not yet occupied by our human race, as an ordinary martial artist. He went through life and death and hardships, and finally found a path of martial arts that truly belonged to the human race."
What is it?
"True meaning!"
"What?"
"A special power that requires extremely high comprehension to comprehend, which is close to the Tao."
This was the only way Zhao Junxian could explain it.
"After comprehending the true meaning of martial arts unique to oneself, one can break through the Gang Sha Realm, take the true meaning as the core, draw out the true essence in the whole body, gather the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha, condense the martial arts Dharma body, and no longer fear the huge body of demons."
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