Chapter 131: Lucent Reflection, Heart of Enlightened Dao

"A Grand Martial Master!"

"I've actually become a Grand Martial Master!"

Feeling the surging profound energy within his body, Luo Liheng was filled with disbelief. He grabbed Lu Sheng, who had appeared before him at some point, and cried out in wild ecstasy:

"Lu Sheng, this Star-Net Primal Chaos Art of yours can truly be successfully cultivated!"

"Haha, I, Luo Liheng, am a genius indeed! Just my first time practicing it, and I've directly reached the third tier."

"Hahaha... I truly am a genius!"

He burst into unrestrained laughter.

As someone born with the Innate Meridian-Opening physique whose meridians had been cleansed by his grandfather at birth, Luo Liheng, much like other geniuses, cultivated both the lower and middle dantian simultaneously during the Martial Master stage.

Therefore, upon becoming a Grand Martial Master, he instantly reached the peak of this realm. Relying on his previous accumulation, once he familiarized himself with the martial arts techniques of the Grand Martial Master stage, he would soon possess the strength to rank on the Earth Roll.

Such tremendous progress could not fail to delight his heart.

Watching Luo Liheng's antics, Lu Sheng felt not the slightest surprise in his heart. For Luo Liheng, who had long reached the peak of the Martial Master stage and had consumed dragon meat for two months, breaking through to the Grand Martial Master realm was merely a matter of a triggering opportunity.

Now, that opportunity had presented itself in the form of the Star-Net Primal Chaos Art, which did not surprise him at all.

With that thought, Lu Sheng shook off Luo Liheng and said to him:

"You've cultivated it, so you've cultivated it! Why aren't you hurrying to get ready and deliver these to your grandfather?"

"Then, come with me to attend the Hundred Flower Garden Gathering!"

"The Hundred Flower Garden!" Hearing this name once again, Luo Liheng's perspective had completely changed. He shouted loudly:

"What Hundred Flower Garden? Right now, properly arranging these martial arts manuals is the sensible thing to do."

"As long as you have status and power, any gathering will merely serve as embellishment for you!"

Without waiting for Lu Sheng's agreement, he scooped up everything Lu Sheng had written over the past few days, including the discarded drafts, and shoved them all into his spatial pouch.

Then, he sprinted at full speed toward his grandfather's courtyard.

As he ran, he shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Grandfather!"

"I've finally become a Grand Martial Master!"

"I can walk out of Yujing City now!"

"Hahaha..."

His speed was so fast that Lu Sheng had never seen the like before!

"This brat!"

Shaking his head, Lu Sheng tidied up a bit before following along at an unhurried pace.

***

Also located within the Martial Repository grounds, Luo Boqing's courtyard was not far from Lu Sheng's residence. For a Grand Martial Master going all out, it took only a dozen breaths to reach.

Therefore, when Lu Sheng arrived at Luo Boqing's place, he saw that Luo Boqing was already holding the Star-Net Primal Chaos Art, flipping through and reviewing it.

"Lu Sheng, you're here!"

"Did you really create this Star-Net Primal Chaos Art?"

As a Martial Ancestor and one of the chief editors of the Martial Repository, reviewing an Earth-grade supreme-tier martial art was a matter of a mere blink for Luo Boqing.

Having practiced the Star-Net Art for a lifetime and having a grandson who had switched to this technique as a test subject, he quickly determined that this cultivation method not only had zero flaws, but also perfectly preserved the characteristics of the Star-Net Art. It could be said to have fused the two completely.

"Could this truly have been created by an eighteen-year-old youth?"

Looking at Lu Sheng, who was young and had been in the Martial Repository for merely two months, and pondering the significance of these manuals, Luo Boqing simply could not fathom that the other party possessed such capability!

"Yes, I created it!" Bowing slightly to Luo Boqing, Lu Sheng replied, then inquired: "How does Chief Editor Luo find it? Can it be promoted to the third rank?"

"Third rank!" Snorting, Luo Boqing said: "How could the third rank possibly be worthy of you!"

"With such a monumental achievement, even if you wanted to be the emperor, no one would object!"

Saying this, Luo Boqing asked:

"Do you know why the Martial Repository collects martial arts manuals from nearly every sect and school in the world, yet never transmits them outward?"

"In fact, anyone who reads them is never allowed to leave?"

Frowning slightly, as Lu Sheng was pondering the reason, Luo Liheng chimed in first: "Of course it's because of the pressure from the inheritors of these martial arts!"

"These techniques all belong to major factions, and even the Great Jing imperial court dares not offend them all!"

For someone who did not wish to remain stuck in the Martial Repository forever, setting eyes on these manuals was one of the greatest taboos.

Therefore, he had always paid extreme attention to this matter.

"Humph!"

"Utter nonsense!"

With a cold snort, Luo Boqing ignored him and said to Lu Sheng:

"Lu Sheng, you tell me your thoughts!"

Smoothing his brow, Lu Sheng said: "Is it because they are worried that the nurtured talents will flow into other factions?"

"Correct! It is precisely out of fear of cultivating talents for other factions!"

As he spoke, Luo Boqing stood up, pacing back and forth as he addressed the two of them:

"All martial artists, when cultivating martial arts, almost always desire perfection."

"While the manuals we have collected are considered complete up to the Grand Master level, they are still far from sufficient for the actual practice of these martial arts."

"Those who truly inherit these techniques possess not only Grand Master-level inheritances, but also thousands of fellow practitioners with whom they can exchange insights and consult."

"As a result, whenever practitioners of these martial arts encounter a bottleneck, they are likely to defect to the faction that holds the true inheritance."

This was the primary reason why the Great Jing imperial court strictly forbade the spread of those martial arts!

"So that's how it is!" Realization dawning on him, Luo Liheng said: "No wonder the Martial Repository has always guarded these manuals so strictly!"

"It seems that before the factions inheriting these martial arts are destroyed, spreading their techniques is equivalent to cultivating talents for those very factions—"

"No wonder the Great Jing imperial court has always strictly prohibited it!"

Previously, Luo Liheng had assumed this policy was due to the imperial court's apprehension toward the pressure exerted by those powerful factions. Only today did he realize it was to avoid cultivating auxiliary assets for those groups.

However, thinking of this, when he considered how relaxed the Great Jing imperial court was regarding the spread of the Primal Chaos Art, the situation took on a rather intriguing nuance.

Then, recalling the Star-Net Primal Chaos Art created by Lu Sheng, which allowed someone like himself who practiced the Star-Net Art to smoothly transition, and even completely convert into practicing the Primal Chaos Art thereafter, Luo Liheng pointed at Lu Sheng and stammered somewhat:

"Th-this means that after Lu Sheng created these manuals, all those who cultivate these techniques—"

"Are potential assets for the Great Jing imperial court!"

Just pondering this, he grasped the profound significance behind it.

Consequently, as he looked at Lu Sheng once again, Luo Liheng was no longer just gazing at a genius; he was ready to prostrate himself in worship.

Stirred by this emotion, Lu Sheng harvested several hundred points of merit from him, which could be considered a modest bonus.

***

"It seems I still underestimated the significance of these cultivation methods!"

Hearing their conversation, Lu Sheng thought to himself.

Initially, he had merely wanted to integrate some similar martial arts into the Primal Chaos Art to create various Earth-grade supreme-tier techniques.

However, after consuming merit to fuse several manuals into the Primal Chaos Art, it was as if he had touched upon a certain opportunity: his mind suddenly became entirely clear. He felt as though neither the Primal Chaos Art, the Golden Armor Art, the Void Art... nor any technique below the Martial Ancestor realm held any secrets from him.

It was precisely in this state, as if aided by divine providence, that Lu Sheng created over a hundred Earth-grade supreme-tier techniques in just two short days—

Each of them was a seamless fusion of other martial arts with the Primal Chaos Art, forming a completely unified whole.

"Is this state one of luminous introspection, or does it signify the Heart of Dao?"

Luminous introspection allowed him to understand all the knowledge he possessed. The Heart of Dao, on the other hand, enabled Lu Sheng to comprehend everything within a given realm the moment he reached it.

Lu Sheng's state over the past two days seemed precisely like possessing the Heart of Dao.

"No, it probably isn't yet; I cannot maintain this state indefinitely—"

"Only when I can fully control it will I truly possess the Heart of Dao!"

Pondering his current condition, Lu Sheng dismissed his previous thought. At present, he could only be said to have just touched upon the Heart of Dao.