High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 407: Chapter 407: The Relics

The eulogy ended.

Next was the viewing ceremony.

The mourners formed a long line, filing into the main hall of the memorial to offer flowers and pay their respects to Grandmaster Yue’s body.

Xu Wuyi was in the line, slowly moving forward.

The main hall was solemn and silent. In the center rested a transparent Crystal coffin.

Inside the coffin, Grandmaster Yue Lianshan’s expression was peaceful, as if he were merely asleep.

His wounds had been carefully treated, but Xu Wuyi could still tell what a brutal assault the body had once endured.

An attack by three Divine Beings...

Xu Wuyi couldn’t imagine how horrific that battle must have been, but he knew Grandmaster Yue had fought to his last breath, never retreating a single step.

When it was his turn to offer flowers, Xu Wuyi gently placed the white bouquet beside the Crystal coffin and bowed deeply.

After three bows, he raised his head for a final look at the Grandmaster in the coffin—a man he had never met, yet to whom he was indebted.

’Grandmaster Yue, may your journey be peaceful,’ he thought.

After offering his flowers, Xu Wuyi left the main hall and waited in the corridor outside the memorial.

Before long, he saw Han Mo.

Han Mo walked out of the main hall. He had changed into a black suit. His hair was a bit disheveled, but his posture was still ramrod straight.

His face was haggard and his eyes were bloodshot; he clearly hadn’t been resting well.

"Master." Xu Wuyi walked over.

Han Mo started slightly upon seeing him, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

"You... you broke through?"

Xu Wuyi nodded. "I just broke through yesterday."

Han Mo stared at him for a few seconds and then suddenly smiled. It was a complex smile, a mix of relief and emotion.

"Good. Very good." Han Mo patted his shoulder. "Master Yue would have been very happy to know."

Xu Wuyi fell silent.

Han Mo didn’t say any more. The two stood side by side in the corridor, watching the crowd in the plaza outside gradually disperse.

"You should know about the situation on the front lines, right?" Han Mo asked suddenly.

"I know some of it," Xu Wuyi said. "A Divine Being from the Celestial Wolf Civilization has fallen, and the Feathered People Civilization has also suffered significant losses."

"This is only the beginning." Han Mo’s voice was calm, but a powerful emotion was suppressed beneath the surface.

"The blood of Master Yue and the lives of the other two Grandmasters must be repaid with more blood. The Federation has made its decision. This time, we will cripple the Celestial Wolf Civilization, ensuring they can’t recover for at least fifty years."

"If possible..."

Han Mo shook his head, not finishing his sentence.

Xu Wuyi nodded.

’This is what war should be like.’ he thought.

You kill one of ours, we annihilate your entire family. In the struggles between civilizations, there is no room for mercy.

"Now that you’ve broken through to the Innate Realm, what are your plans?" Han Mo asked.

"Stabilize my Realm, and then..." Xu Wuyi paused. "Head to the battlefield."

Han Mo turned to look at him, his gaze serious. "Stabilizing your Realm takes time. The Innate Realm is different from the Martial Artist Realm. After your Heart Image Manifestation, you need to re-adapt to your power and rebuild your combat system. This process takes at least three months, maybe even half a year. It can’t be rushed."

"I know," Xu Wuyi said. "But the front lines need people."

"The front lines will always need people." Han Mo shook his head. "But one more or one less of you won’t make a difference right now. The most important thing for you to do isn’t to rush off to your death, but to solidify your foundation."

"After the Innate Realm comes the Grandmaster Realm, and there are even higher Realms beyond that. If you rush to the battlefield and your foundation becomes unstable, you could get stuck at a bottleneck in the future. That would be the real loss."

Xu Wuyi fell silent.

He knew Master Han Mo was right.

In the battle at Celestial Wolf Four, he had forced his Heart Image Manifestation and already suffered the consequences of an unstable foundation. If not for the ten days of refinement afterward, it might have left behind hidden dangers.

Now that he had just broken through to the Innate Realm, he did indeed need time to stabilize it.

"Besides..." Han Mo looked toward the plaza, where Hong Nianyi was talking with a few military generals. "You saw Hong Nianyi’s foundational injury."

"It was because she was too hasty, forcefully activating her Sword Intent, that cracks appeared in the connection between her Heart Image and meridians. An injury like that can, at best, slow down one’s cultivation progress. At worst, it can end one’s future in Martial Arts. You shouldn’t make the same mistake."

Xu Wuyi followed his gaze.

"I understand, Master." Xu Wuyi slowly exhaled. "I’ll focus on stabilizing my Realm first."

Only then did Han Mo show a satisfied expression.

"That’s the right choice. The battlefield will always be there; it’s not going anywhere. It won’t be too late to go once you’ve truly mastered your Innate Power. When that time comes, I’ll personally take you to the battlefield."

Xu Wuyi’s eyes lit up. "Really?"

"When have I ever lied to you?" Han Mo smiled, but his smile quickly vanished. "But before that, there’s something else you need to do."

"What is it?"

"Master Yue’s belongings," Han Mo said. "He left some things behind before he died, to be given to the fated recipients. There’s one item among them that I think is suitable for you."

Xu Wuyi was stunned. "Grandmaster Yue’s belongings... for me?"

"Not for you, but for the fated recipient," Han Mo corrected. "Master Yue never took a true successor in his life, but his Martial Arts legacy needs someone to carry it on."

Of course, Grandmaster Yue Lianshan had taken many students, Han Mo among them, but the Federation’s definition of a "true successor" was different.

Only a disciple who truly inherited their master’s mantle was called a "true successor." A Martial Artist might only have one or two true successors in their entire life, but more often than not, they had none at all.

"That item is something he acquired from an ancient ruin in his younger days. It shares the same origin as the ’Melting Furnace True Intention’ he cultivated. I think it might be useful to you."

Xu Wuyi’s heart began to beat a little faster.

Grandmaster Yue’s legacy...

"The item is at the Legacy Management Office at Star Martial University. I’ve already made the arrangements," Han Mo said. "You can go pick it up after the memorial service. Remember, it is a part of Master Yue’s legacy. Treasure it."

"Yes," Xu Wuyi replied solemnly.

The two chatted for a few more moments before Han Mo left to speak with others.

Xu Wuyi stood alone in the corridor, gazing at the dispersing crowd in the distance, a torrent of thoughts swirling in his mind.

The joy of breaking through to the Innate Realm, the sorrow of bidding farewell to a Grandmaster, the anticipation for the future, and the heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders...

All these emotions intertwined, leaving him unable to find peace for a long time.

But he knew he had to take things one step at a time.

’First, stabilize my Realm and claim Grandmaster Yue’s heirloom. Then... once I’m truly ready, I’ll set foot on the battlefield.’

When that time came, he would make even more blood of the Celestial Wolf Civilization flow.

Xu Wuyi clenched his fists, a flash of dark gold light in his eyes.

His Heart Image trembled slightly in his sea of consciousness, as if responding to his determination.

...

「The next day.」

The Legacy Management Office of Star Martial University was located on the third basement level of the school’s history museum.

Xu Wuyi walked through a quiet corridor and scanned his student ID and the authorization code Han Mo had given him at an identity verification terminal.