Chapter 100: The Heart of Martial Arts

"Ancestor Wanshan truly possesses immense courage!"

Although he did not know much about the Central Province Martial Arts Assembly, Lu Sheng quickly understood after the explanations from Lu Chunyuan and Lu Hongjin. The Central Province Martial Arts Assembly was not merely a gathering of wandering martial artists or simple duels; it served a function similar to the imperial examinations. However, unlike the civil service exams of his previous life which selected scholars, in this world where martial prowess reigned supreme, those who stood out in the assembly were those with the greatest martial strength.

By tasking Duan Zhengfei with presiding over the assembly, Lu Wanshan was clearly allowing him to openly cultivate his own influence—a level of trust that was indeed difficult for most people to bestow.

Lu Hongjin, who was over fifty and older than Duan Zhengfei, felt a similar sense of awe at the ancestor's audacity. Moreover, as the Warden of the Martial Academy, he instinctively began to consider his own responsibilities for the upcoming event. Recalling his recent inspection of the dueling grounds, Lu Hongjin remarked, "Duan Zhengfei is the top-ranked expert on the Heaven List and is considered to have the potential of a supreme master. With him presiding over the assembly, the Central Province will surely attract a multitude of martial artists in the second half of the year! The academy's dueling grounds will need a thorough renovation."

When ordinary martial masters presided over such assemblies, they mostly attracted itinerant wanderers. But with someone like Duan Zhengfei—widely regarded as having the potential to become a supreme master—openly recruiting talent, it would undoubtedly draw many formidable experts. After all, while an ordinary Grandmaster might not be able to produce another Grandmaster, a supreme Grandmaster could nurture several. Emperor Jing, for instance, not only guided several subordinates to become Grandmasters but also cultivated two among his own six sons. It was foreseeable that the core participants of this assembly would not just be unaffiliated wanderers; martial artists with sect lineages who held greater ambitions would likely participate as well.

"This assembly will likely be the largest in decades!" Lu Chunyuan looked at Lu Sheng and said with a teasing smile, "Lu Sheng, as the foremost member of the younger generation of the Great Jing Lu clan, you must put in your best effort."

Being the leader of his generation meant bearing corresponding responsibilities. It was clear that Lu Sheng would not only have to participate, but also face numerous private challenges throughout the event. This required Lu Sheng to enhance his strength as quickly as possible.

"Oh! Will there be many strong experts participating?" Lu Sheng's eyes lit up. "That suits me perfectly!"

Having gained eight or nine thousand merit points from the recent duel, Lu Sheng had become deeply interested in fighting, especially when there was an audience. For him, the more frequent the duels and the larger the audience, the more merit he could accumulate. The larger the scale of the assembly, the more pleased he felt. He even began to consider proactively challenging others to acquire more merit.

"Err..." Seeing Lu Sheng’s eager and impatient demeanor, Lu Chunyuan and Lu Hongjin exchanged glances, truly at a loss for words. While most martial artists possessed a combative nature, someone like Lu Sheng was rare indeed.

"This must be why he is a peerless genius," Lu Chunyuan concluded, attributing the behavior to Lu Sheng’s talent. He shifted away from the topic of the assembly and said, "While your strength is high, you have mastered relatively few martial arts and profound techniques. To avoid having your weaknesses exposed and to ensure you have countermeasures for various tactics, you must strengthen your studies in all aspects. Now, I will guide you to realize your 'Martial Heart' and accelerate this learning."

In this world where martial arts flourished, any flaw in a practitioner would eventually be exposed. Once identified, other martial artists would certainly find ways to exploit them. For Lu Sheng, relying solely on his current strengths was insufficient; he needed to broaden his knowledge to both cover his own gaps and target the weaknesses of others. Realizing his Martial Heart and finding his own path would determine whether he could master more in the coming time.

"Then let's begin! I can hardly wait," Lu Sheng said. He was intensely curious about the world’s process of clarifying one's heart and reflecting upon one's spirit. He wanted to know when he had developed his own Martial Heart.

"Come, sit here," Lu Chunyuan led Lu Sheng into a quiet chamber and pointed to a meditation cushion. "This is a Heart-Clearing Cushion, which helps to calm the mind and focus one's spirit. Later, you must answer my questions truthfully—even if there are things you prefer not to say, you must have an answer in your own heart."

Lu Sheng nodded and sat down, immediately feeling a cool, refreshing sensation that kept his mind sharp. Closing his eyes and focusing his spirit, he suddenly heard a distant yet majestic voice resonating in his ears: "Lu Sheng, is your pursuit of martial arts voluntary? Deep in your heart, do you truly wish to practice martial arts?"

"Do I wish to practice?" Lu Sheng pondered the question and quickly replied, "Yes, of course, it is voluntary. My desire to study martial arts comes entirely from within." Having not inherited much of the original body's cultivation, his journey was indeed his own, and through his efforts, he had achieved significant strength in just over two years.

Lu Chunyuan was not surprised by the answer and continued, "Lu Sheng, what is the purpose of your martial training? What sustains you to persist and improve your strength day after day?"

"What sustains me?" Lu Sheng thought for a moment before answering, "A sense of crisis! Only by constantly improving my strength can I escape this crisis and control my own destiny." Since arriving in this world, Lu Sheng had lived in constant peril; without powerful martial strength, his life would have been forfeit long ago, and he would not be sitting here in the Martial Academy today. It was this sense of crisis that forced him to urgently improve.

"A sense of crisis?" Lu Chunyuan seemed slightly surprised by the answer. However, thinking of the plight of the Lu family on Black Stone Island, he began to understand. With a look of pity, he glanced at Lu Hongjin. Born into the Great Jing Lu clan—the world's foremost power since the restoration by King Huntian—they had faced crises, but never like Lu Sheng, who had struggled entirely on his own for so long. Behind them, the clan had always been a steadfast shield.

Therefore, the words "sense of crisis" struck a chord with both men. Especially for Lu Hongjin, who came from a family of martial masters; his father had attained that rank when he was quite young. Along his path, though he had faced life-and-death situations, he had never truly experienced such a pervasive sense of crisis. Lu Sheng's answer gave him much to reflect upon.