Translator: Atlas StudiosEditor: Atlas Studios
Previously, Su Jingxing had consulted the Ethereal Sword Immortal about the Martial Art True Intent.
âThe Ethereal Sword Immortal, based on her own experiences, as well as what she learned from exchanges with acquainted top-ranked martial experts, told Su Jingxing that there were three difficulties in condensing Martial Art True Intent.
Firstly, one had to have ample soul power!
âWithout enough soul power, one should simply give up on thinking about Martial Art True Intent.
This was because Martial Art True Intent was a force that interfered with reality through the mind.
If one did not have ample soul power, would his mind be strong?
No way!
And if oneâs mind wasnât strong enough, how could he interfere with reality?
Therefore, having enough soul power was the first step to condensing Martial Art True Intent, and also the most basic step.
If this requirement was not met, all other considerations would be in vain.
Most martial artists broke through to the third-grade only after true energy turned into liquid and the true fluid was used to nourish the mind in the fourth-grade.
First, one had to strengthen the mind and increase soul power.
âThe second step would only begin when soul power had accumulated to a certain level.
The problem was with the first step. Increasing oneâs soul power was not something that could be done on a whim.
To nourish oneâs mind with true fluid, one first had to have a large amount of true fluid, right?
âTrue fluid was liquefied true energy.
In other words, it all still depended on oneâs true energy cultivation!
âThe more profound oneâs true energy cultivation was, the faster the nourishment and increase in soul power through the use of true fluid.
However, an increase in cultivation wasnât something that could be achieved on will.
Under normal circumstances, having 60 years of true energy cultivation after breaking through to the fourth-grade was considered pretty good.
Century old monsters relied on their talents, luck, and background.
Background meant having a powerful backer could provide a lot of cultivation resources.
Concentration Fruits werenât the only heavenly treasures that could increase oneâs soul power.
The Tianlong Chamber of Commerce, Ci En Bank, the Golden Chen Family, the imperial Xia Family
The major factions in the Yu Nation all had heavenly treasures similar to the Concentration Fruit.
To that end, having background and no background were two completely different worlds.
Most independent cultivators relied on their luck or talents.
A breakdown would show that the first step, having enough soul power, would have fended off 90% of fourth-grade martial artists.
But this wasnât a problem for Su Jingxing at all.
Be it his boundless soul power or his true energy cultivation of over 800 years.
Su Jingxing had exceeded the requirements to condense Martial Art True Intent.
The second difficulty.
Mind, spirit, and willâthese three aspects combined into one.
For this step, perseverance and hard work were useless. It all depended on talent or shortcuts.
âThe first step of increasing true energy cultivation and accumulating soul power could also be resolved by consuming time.
However, the second step required talent. Without talent, the combination of the three aspects was impossible.
âTaking shortcuts was an additional route that only came to be after thousands of years of fumbling and experimentation.
After all, just because one lacked talent did not mean they would be forever hopeless.
Relying on external objects to achieve this goal was equally feasible.
Therefore, Shi Zhinie cultivated the Blood Drop Heretic Art, the He Family cooked the Heaven Ascension Feast, and Su Jingxing directly devoured the Sishui Horned Dragon!
Thatâs right, Su Jingxing had easily resolved the second difficulty with the Sishui Horned Dragon.
The Sishui Horned Dragon was a complete martial dao true intent. Although its might and power had weakened, it had a mature template that could be used as reference.
All Su Jingxing had to do was immerse himself in it and he would be able to combine his mind, spirit, and will.
Not only that, it also provided experience to overcome the third difficulty âthe ability to imagine a specific Martial Art True Intent.
One of them was the Sishui Horned Dragon, while the other was Su Jingxingâs Earth self.
While the two didnât seem to be related, the third difficulty laid in the construction during this process of imagination.
To mold a specific form so that it wouldnât collapse from being too intangible.
It would be best if one could witness this with his own eyes.
Knives, swords, and staffs were fine. One could also go take a look at some animals and plants.
âThe difficult part was with Mutated Beasts, especially rare ones. There were only rumors about them, but they werenât to be seen with oneâs own eyes and could only be imagined.
This was the case with the Heaven Trampling Elephant.
âThere were only a few people in the past few thousand years who had seen the Heaven Trampling Elephant.
Of course,
A genius that appeared once in a hundred years could definitely come up with a specific form just through their imagination.
Such people could not be represented.
Su Jingxing didnât have to go through all that trouble either.
That was because he had the Sishui Horned Dragon as reference. Moreover, Su Jingxing knew his Earth self best.
Therefore, this difficulty could also be resolved easily!
None of the three difficulties were difficult for Su Jingxing.
The only problem left was the circulation of true fluid and the manipulation of the power of the universe.
This was generally resolved using advanced internal exercises.
The eighth level of the Nine Steps Trampling Heaven was enough for Su Jingxing to take care of these two minor problems.
Hence.
After looking at these few steps, condensing Martial Art True Intent was just a matter of time for Su Jingxing!
All the problems werenât problems.
All that was left was time, wasnât it?
Su Jingxing was forthright.
After pondering for a while and being clear of his targets, he decisively gave Wu Shouhan a heads up. He said he wanted to go into seclusion, but the duration was unknown for now.
âWu Shouhan was even more straightforward. He immediately granted Su Jingxing half a year of paid leave.
Even if he didnât take leave, it wouldnât affect Su Jingxingâs salary.
But Old Wu was happy to do this, and it could keep others quiet as well.
Without any interference from other factors, after preparing some food and drinks, Su Jingxing stayed in his small courtyard at the foot of the mountain and began to condense his Martial Art True Intent day and night.
Aweek later, a vague outline appeared.
Half a month later, the specific outline was formed.
A month later, a glowing human body was successfully formed.
The facial features of this human body were exactly the same as Su Jingxingâs Earth self.
It was also a little similar to his current body.
Right now, Su Jingxingâs physical body, facial features, and appearance, had undergone continuous tempering and minor adjustments after practicing martial arts. They were already very different from the original Su Jingxing; they were more inclined towards Su Jingxingâs Earth self.
Therefore, if he were to run into friends of the original Su Jingxing from a year ago, they would never associate him with âSu Jingxingâ. Instead, they would only find him quite familiar.
As time passed, this gap would only get bigger.
Now that Su Jingxingâs Earth self had been materialized, his progress was even greater.
However, the current âSu Jingxingâ was not yet an actual Martial Art True Intent.
Martial Art True Intent not only had to be manifested, but also had to be equipped with offensive power.
For example, getting âSu Jingxingâ to stand up, swing his fists and kick his legs.
It would be like how the Sishui Horned Dragon circled Su Jingxing up and down, dancing and coiling around him as it devoured Bi Qisenâs white snake.
This required time.
âThe current âSu Jingxingâ couldnât even open his eyes.
Even after materializing it, it could not exist for long.
In less than half a minute, it would dissipate on its own.
Even so, Su Jingxing was satisfied.
He was able to condense a Martial Art True Intent in a monthâs timeâif news of this got out, the entire Yu Nation, including the Changyang Prefecture, would be in turmoil, let alone Qinghe City.
âAn unprecedented commotion!
Su Jingxing didnât know how long it took for the fastest person to condense Martial Art True Intent.
However, he believed that he could definitely rank in the top ten!
Or top three?
Regardless, Su Jingxing was delighted.
It would take time for the Martial Art True Intent to take effect.
Even converting true energy entirely into true essence required time.
Su Jingxing wasnât in a hurry.
Once he achieved both, he would be a third-grade martial artist!
After cultivating in seclusion for a month, Su Jingxing first went for a feast. Then, he bought some clothes, cloaks, and masks.
He only reported to the crematorium on the next day.
âHey, Captain Little Su. Youâre back?â
âLong time no see, Captain Little Su. Iâve missed you.â
âHaha! Where did Captain Little Su go to play for such a long time?â
âF*ck off! Was Captain Little Su playing? He was clearly breaking through in seclusion!â
âReally? Captain Little Su?â
As he walked through the entrance of the crematorium, the familiar people he met greeted and joked with him.
While Su Jingxing nodded in response, he took the opportunity to âincreaseâ his strength.
âTve succeeded. Iâm finally in the eighth-grade.â
Silence.
âThe joking group froze on the spot.
He was already in the eighth-grade?
Even though they knew that Su Jingxing would reach the eighth-grade sooner or later, wasnât this too soon?
Eighth-grade was not the ninth-grade whereby all he had to do was temper and build up his strength.
He also had to exude internal force!
âThe second was the key.
How did Su Jingxing manage to exude internal force so quickly?
Shock, doubt, disbelief, envy, and jealousy.
All sorts of expressions flashed across their faces, and their hearts were in turmoil, unable to calm down.
Seeing this, Su Jingxing didnât bother explaining and simply stomped on the ground.
Thump!
âThe dull thud woke everyone up.
Subconsciously, everyone looked at the ground.
Su Jingxing took a well-timed opportunity to bid farewell to everyone and left.
âThe crowdsâ mouths gaped open as they stared at the ground beneath Su Jingxingâs feet in shock.
Footprint!
Aclear footprint was left on the concrete floor.
More than ten fine cracks could be seen on the ground around and below the footprint.
The problem was that Su Jingxingâs shoes were completely fine.
There wasnât even a crack, let alone them shattering.
What did that mean?
This meant that Su Jingxing had indeed exuded internal force!
Only when internal force passes through the soles of oneâs foot and into the ground would it leave such a clear footprint.
In other words, Su Jingxing was really an eighth-grade martial artist!
Whooshâ
After a brief silence, the crowd erupted.
p*mn, eighth-grade! Captain Little Su is really in the eighth-grade!â
âGenius, a genius! Captain Little Su is definitely a genius!â
âA.15â¦no, 16-year-old eighth-grade martial artist! How many people can do that?â
âLet Captain Little Su can definitely advance to the seventh-grade before the age of 20!â
âNonsense! Advancing to the sixth-grade before the age of 20 is more like it!â
Everyone was beyond excited.
Soon, the news that Su Jingxing was an eighth-grade martial artist spread throughout the crematorium.
All of a sudden, the crematorium staff basked in his glory. The relatives of the deceased, who had come to collect their ashes or hold a farewell ceremony were also clicking their tongues.
âA16-year-old eighth-grade martial artist was indeed worthy of the title âgeniusâ.
âThe crematorium produced a genius, which was even more astonishing.
âWu Shouhan jumped up in excitement when he heard the news.
He rushed to Su Jingxingâs office and chatted with him for a long time.
His strategy had proved to be extremely fruitful.
He gave Su Jingxingâs absolute freedom and look, he was now an eighth-grade martial artist.
This year, he had reached the eighth-grade. In the following years, seventh-grade, and a few more years, he would reach the sixth-grade!
He would be a martial artist in the middle ranks at the young age of 20, and he was from the crematorium.
Just the thought of it was exciting!
There was nothing to be said. They had to celebrate.
Su Jingxing couldnât stop him even if he wanted to. With a wave of his hand, Wu Shouhan announced that he was inviting all the staff to the hotel for a meal to celebrate Su Jingxingâs advancement.
Of course, they went to the hotels in batches.
The crematorium couldnât be without workers, so people on shift had to wait for the next round.
The idle ones left immediately..
The canteen staff also had a day off and went to the hotel.
âWu Shouhan had paid for everything personally.
Old Wu was overjoyed!
He drank with Su Jingxing all the way and ended up lying on the table.
Originally, Su Jingxing didnât want to make a big deal out of this.
However, Old Wu insisted on it, and there was no point in stopping him.
Fortunately, after some celebrations, he finally calmed down.
However, when everyone looked at Su Jingxing again, their eyes were filled with respect.
Eighth-grade was a step above ninth-grade.
Those who werenât close to him instinctively feared him.
âThe managers were even more polite when greeting him.
Even Gu Bo, Kong Dabao, and the other members of the Corpse Collection Team One became a little reserved.
It took Su Jingxing a few days to get them back to normal.
On this day.
On the way home from work, Su Jingxing received a call from Shen Qian.
With the destruction of the Shi Family, the Stone Annihilation Alliance was mostly dispersed.
After the new year, there were only a few people left. With Shen Qian as the leader, these people rebuilt a small studio and served Su Jingxing while taking in jobs themselves.
Su Jingxing wasnât against the idea of making deals with them. There were some things he couldnât be bothered to do, and it was best to leave them to Shen Qian and the others. It saved him a lot of trouble and effort.
Therefore, he answered Shen Qianâs call without much thought.
âSenior, thereâs a matter, I donât know if youâve learned about it?â
Hmm?
Su Jingxing raised his eyebrows. âWhat do you mean?â
âIâs about a stone tablet,â explained Shen Qian, organizing her words. âBefore the new year, there was a strange commotion in the Sky Water River. The waters surged, and waves splashed onto the bank. According to our investigations, there were no floods or heavy rainstorms in the upper reaches. In
short, the Sky Water River was very strange back then.â
âI know that,â replied Su Jingxing as he walked. âBut what does that have to do with this?â
âItâs related.â
Shen Qian drew a deep breath. âThe source of this incident was the stone tablet that Leng Lin captured first. Oh, by the way, Leng Lin is our computer expert. Senior hasnât seen him before. He stays at home and doesnât like to go out.â
âGo on.â
âYes, Senior,â said Shen Qian again. âEarly the next morning after the commotion in the Sky Water River, Leng Lin controlled a drone to examine the situation on the river surface. Out of curiosity, he captured a bunch of photos using the drone.
âLater on, when I was organizing the photos, I discovered a stone tablet in the corner of one of them.
âA stone tablet floating on the river surface!
âAt the time, Leng Lin didnât think too much about it and uploaded the photo to a forum, letting everyone speculate about whether it might have been a tombstone. At first, it wasnât that bad on the forum. Although it was quite popular, it didnât attract much attention.
âBut gradually, for some reason, the posts on the forum disappeared, and more and more people came to look for Leng Lin.
âAt first, it was a private company, then a large one. Finally, the Li and Zhou families also came.
âUp till yesterday, almost all the major factions in Qinghe City had approached Leng Lin to see if he had any other pictures of the stone tablet.
âOf course Leng Lin denied it. Most people believed him, but some didnât. These people are tracking his address online every day.
âThis is strange, Iâ¦â
âYou want me to help Leng Lin, donât you?â interrupted Su Jingxing..