High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 410: Chapter 410: Practice

’Forty meters is my current limit.’

He stopped testing and began to regulate his breathing where he stood.

He was still a long way from the one hundred meters described in the Great Success Chapter, but at least he was on the right track.

All that was left was to practice continuously, strengthen the connection between his Heart Image and the world, and expand the range and precision of his perception.

After he finished regulating his breathing, Xu Wuyi took out the Fire Source Stone.

For the past half-month, he had spent time every night studying the round stone, but his progress was slow. The barrier inside it remained, and his Spiritual Power was still unable to penetrate it.

However, his efforts weren’t entirely fruitless.

Xu Wuyi had discovered that when he channeled the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace and activated the Golden Crow Illusion within his Heart Image, the Fire Source Stone would grow slightly warm, and the flow of the Flame inside it would accelerate.

Furthermore, when he used his newly mastered Undying True Flame technique to sense the Fire Source Stone, he could faintly perceive a certain rhythm to the Flame within the stone.

That rhythm... it was like a heartbeat.

Slow and steady. With every beat, the Flame within would surge and ebb.

’Is the Flame inside the Fire Source Stone... alive?’

The thought sent a chill through Xu Wuyi.

’But after some thought, it seemed impossible. How could a natural manifestation of the world’s Rules possess the traits of life?’

’Unless... this isn’t purely a manifestation of Rules, but the "remains" of some being.’

Xu Wuyi recalled the note Grandmaster Yue had left: "From the ruins of an ancient civilization."

’An ancient civilization...’

In the current era, the human Federation was just one of many civilizations in the Star Realm.

In ages long past, countless brilliant civilizations had arisen among the stars, some even more advanced than the current Federation.

Those civilizations were all ultimately annihilated by the river of time, leaving behind only ruins and relics.

’Could the Fire Source Stone be the relic of some powerful expert from an ancient civilization? And the Flame within, a concentration of that expert’s power from their lifetime?’

The more Xu Wuyi thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

’If that’s true, the Fire Source Stone’s value is likely far beyond anything I can imagine.’

He took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement welling up inside him.

’No matter the Fire Source Stone’s origin, the most important thing right now is to comprehend the True Intention of the Flame within it and improve my own strength.’

Xu Wuyi cradled the Fire Source Stone in his palm and entered a state of cultivation once more.

This time, he didn’t try to forcibly break through the barrier within the stone. Instead, he relaxed his Heart and Spirit, allowing the Power of his Heart Image to circulate naturally and slowly attune itself to the rhythm of the Flame in the Fire Source Stone.

The Dark Gold Mountain Body Heart Image floated silently in his sea of consciousness, and the Golden Crow Illusion folded its wings as if falling into a deep slumber.

The Fire Source Stone grew slightly warm in his palm. Beneath its dark-red surface, the Flame flowed slowly, like blood.

Time ticked by, second by second.

The Cultivation Room was utterly silent, save for the occasional flicker and soft CRACKLE of the Earth Fire Marrow Lamp’s flame.

Xu Wuyi’s breathing grew ever slower and deeper.

He felt as if his consciousness had left his body and merged with the rhythm of the Flame in the Fire Source Stone. The slow, heartbeat-like tempo guided his own Heart Image, causing it to pulse in unison.

Without him realizing it, a faint layer of dark-red patterns appeared on the surface of the Dark Gold Mountain Body in his sea of consciousness.

The patterns seemed to faintly echo the flowing trajectory of the Flame within the Fire Source Stone.

By the time Xu Wuyi awoke from this state, it was late at night.

He opened his eyes, and a dark-gold light flashed within them.

He looked down at the Fire Source Stone in his hand. The stone looked the same as always, but Xu Wuyi could feel that his connection to it had deepened.

Although he still couldn’t break through the barrier inside the stone, he had at least found the right path to understanding it.

’One step at a time.’

...

Time seemed to lose all meaning in the Cultivation Room.

Xu Wuyi sat cross-legged with his eyes lightly closed, his body enveloped in a faint, dark-gold halo.

The halo wasn’t static; it rose and fell gently with his breathing, pulsing as if it were alive.

In his sea of consciousness, the ancient Bronze Scroll of the Martial Arts Diligence Record floated silently.

[Martial Art: Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace]

[Current Realm: Great Success (1.9%)]

[Martial Arts Trait: Golden Crow (Undying)]

[Evaluation: Martial Art has reached Great Success, a sign of true proficiency.]

Xu Wuyi slowly exhaled. The breath he released transformed into a wisp of dark-gold sparks, which flickered in the air for a moment before dissipating.

He opened his eyes, a contemplative look flashing within them.

’It feels like I’m back at the beginning.’

It was a strange feeling.

Three years ago, he had been in his small room at Honghe First Middle School, staring at the Martial Arts Diligence Record panel. He had obsessed over the details of every single movement, desperately trying to complete a single "standard" practice session.

Now, he was an Innate Martial Artist who had manifested his Heart Image, and would be considered an expert anywhere in the Federation.

Yet the fundamental method of cultivation was no different. It was still a matter of repetitive practice, pursuing a "standard," and waiting for an Enlightenment.

The only difference was that he had a much higher degree of certainty when it came to achieving an Enlightenment.

Of course, the level of his practice was now worlds apart from before.

Back then, he was practicing the physical movements of the Basic Body Refining Technique. Now, he was practicing the resonance between his Heart Image and the Heaven and Earth Energy.

Xu Wuyi stood up and walked to the center of the Cultivation Room.

With a mere thought, his Dark Gold Mountain Body Heart Image manifested behind him. The mountain was majestic and entirely dark-gold. At its peak, the Golden Crow Illusion spread its wings, the flame-like runes on its feathers flowing with unending light.

’Let’s begin.’

Xu Wuyi closed his eyes and immersed his entire Heart and Spirit into his Heart Image.

His goal was to extend the Power of his Heart Image outward like tendrils, to perceive, capture, and connect with the particles of Energy scattered throughout the world.

This was a Technique from the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace for strengthening the Power of his Heart Image, rather than a combat application of a Martial Art like the Undying True Flame.

It sounded simple, but was extremely difficult to execute.

Heaven and Earth Energy was formless and intangible, yet ubiquitous.

After a Martial Artist broke through to the Innate realm and their Heart Image manifested, they theoretically gained the qualification to communicate with Heaven and Earth Energy. However, how they communicated, how much they could draw upon, and with what efficiency—it all depended on personal comprehension and practice.

Following the method recorded in the Great Success Chapter of the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace, Xu Wuyi attempted to spread the Power of his Heart Image outward.

On his first attempt, the Power of his Heart Image dissipated just three meters from his body, unable to maintain its form.

[Improper form. Practice interrupted.]

The familiar prompt appeared on the panel.

Xu Wuyi wasn’t discouraged. He adjusted his breathing, refocused his Heart and Spirit, and tried again.

The second time, five meters.

The third time, seven meters.

...

With every failure, the panel would display the "interrupted" prompt. There was no detailed guidance, no analysis of his mistakes—only the cold, hard result.

But Xu Wuyi was long accustomed to this pattern.

Three years ago, it was by relying on this incredibly harsh feedback that he had practiced the Basic Body Refining Technique, step by step, to Entry Level, then Minor Achievement, then Great Success, and finally, Perfection.

Now, it was simply a matter of doing it all over again.

He settled his mind and, like a craftsman polishing jade, repeatedly adjusted the output strength, diffusion frequency, and fluctuation rhythm of the Power of his Heart Image.

Ten times, twenty times, thirty times...