288: Chapter 288 The Invisible Hand?

[The Human Immortal Martial Dao originates from a famous novel in your memories.]

[At the time, you simply felt that the path in Human Immortal Martial Dao—of purely using blood-qi and will to penetrate the Void Realm and crush everything—shared a great deal of spiritual similarity with the Nine-Rank Martial Dao of this world.]

[This is because the Nine-Rank Martial Dao passed down in the Great Yong Dynasty and even this entire world, though it involves the dual cultivation of True Qi and Divine Soul, takes Martial Dao Will—especially the 'Martial Dao True Intent' condensed in the Late Stage—as its fundamental core from beginning to end.]

[Without Martial Dao True Intent, one cannot condense a Martial Dao Divine Soul, let alone manifest a Dharma Idol to climb to a higher level of existence.]

[One could say that Martial Dao True Intent is not only the core of combat power but also the mandatory path for seeing through illusions and perceiving the true self in this world's cultivation.]

[The 'Fist Intent' within the Human Immortal Martial Dao happens to echo this perfectly; it relies not on external things but solely on the original heart, using the intent of a single punch to pierce through time and space, condensing the void into reality.]

[The 'Fist Intent Materialization' you achieved today can be said to have opened a new window on the path of martial arts in this world—a path of using pure will to interfere with reality and even reshape Rules.]

[Moreover, it is not just Fist Intent Materialization; you also intend to try and work out the subsequent stages of Human Immortal Martial Dao: Flesh and Blood Derivation, Thousand Changes and Ten Thousand Transformations, and even Shattering the Void.]

[In fact, if not for the fact that Ghost Immortal Martial Dao requires undergoing Lightning Tribulation—the essence of which is devouring the thoughts of the Major Thousand Worlds—you would have also wanted to see if you could Cultivate into a Sun God.]

[Unfortunately, not all Heavenly Daos are as generous as the Major Thousand Worlds.]

[And without relying on Lightning Tribulation, the Creation Energy required to Cultivate your Divine Soul to a Realm comparable to Fist Intent Materialization in Ghost Immortal Martial Dao would be significantly more than what was needed for Fist Intent Materialization itself.]

[Mainly, the original novel lacked a method to reach the Other Shore in one step by combining Human Immortal and Ghost Immortal Martial Dao, so it is not worth wasting extra Creation Energy on.]

[Thinking this, you slowly stand up. The materialized Fist Intent recedes into your body like a tide, and the secret chamber returns to tranquility, leaving only the traces of the walls having turned to dust as silent witnesses to the transformation that just occurred.]

[Having reached Fist Intent Materialization, your strength can be said to have increased by several levels.]

[You make a rough estimate; with your Fist Intent Materialization, if you were to use the Punch of the Present, you could almost directly sink the millions of miles of territory belonging to the Great Yong Dynasty.]

[If you also add the wheel of infinity—which can enhance martial arts by one and a half levels after condensing the Celestial Dharma Idol—]

[It might even be possible to shatter the world with a single punch. Of course, this is assuming the world is exactly as it currently appears.]

[Based on the current situation, this world obviously cannot be that simple; there might be some ancient powerhouses hiding in the shadows.]

[However, while you might not be able to shatter the world, you are more than capable of handling the upcoming version update.]

[With your current strength, even if an ancient powerhouse one or two major Realms above the Celestial Realm were to jump out in the next moment, you would have nothing to fear.]

[Judging from the situations of the native Protagonist Ye Xiao, as well as the transmigrators Qin Rui and Zhao Jing, this world shouldn't be the kind where being one Realm higher means being as high as the heavens.]

[After all, in most novels of this type, the Protagonist is expected to kill enemies of a higher level.]

[Of course, if this world truly doesn't play by the Rules—for instance, if the Realm after the Celestial Realm can extinguish the world with a single finger—then you'll have nothing to say and will simply run away.]

[With your current reserves of Creation Energy, exchanging it for a one-time world-crossing item is still doable.]

[Age twenty. By now, over a month has passed since you broke through to Fist Intent Materialization.]

[During this time, your Fist Intent has been like a surging river; not only has it not ceased, but it has become increasingly solid and heavy through day and night of tempering.]

[And you have begun to advance toward the Realm of Flesh and Blood Derivation.]

[With your experience in condensing the Celestial Dharma Idol, combined with the power of your talents, smelting that materialized, vast Fist Intent into every inch of your flesh and blood is a natural process.]

[August, Year 1006 of the Great Yong Dynasty.]

[On the vast grasslands beyond the northern borders of the Great Yong Dynasty, a low horn sounded within the Golden Tent of the Barbarian Royal Court.]

[A sizable force of Barbarian cavalry crossed the border, launching a harassment-style invasion against Great Yong's northern frontier.]

[However, this conflict, which had been predicted by many parties to be the prelude to a great war, ended abruptly in a near-anticlimactic fashion.]

[Only a few brief clashes between Dharma Idol Realm experts broke out along the border; before they could penetrate deep, the Barbarians retreated like a tide, leaving behind only a bit of smoke and confusion.]

[To the imperial court, this seemed more like a border friction than the start of a national war.]

[In the magnificent chess game of the world, this matter was but a speck of dust; to you, it was merely a triviality during your cultivation that required no concern and could be ignored.]

[Your mind was already immersed in a deeper exploration of the mysteries of Fist Intent and the Physical Body.]

[But Qin Rui and Zhao Jing paid extraordinary attention to this invasion that had 'much thunder but little rain.']

[After this disturbance settled, the reactions of the two were diametrically opposite.]

[Qin Rui's reaction was one of relief, as if he had survived a disaster, appearing to have shed a heavy mountain from his heart.]

[This was because, in the original fate of 'one sword soaring to the heavens' that he knew, this August invasion was precisely the fatal beginning that led to the fall of his father, Prince of Zhenbei Qin Zhan.]

[In the original work, the Barbarians' actions were actually a carefully planned bait and trap. The Prince of Zhenbei followed imperial orders to go north to quell the chaos, but unfortunately fell into a heavy encirclement and was ambushed by several Barbarian experts.]

[He ultimately died from his injuries, a sorrowful prelude to the turning point of Qin Rui's fate in the original story.]

[As a transmigrator, Qin Rui had regarded the Prince of Zhenbei as his greatest reliance and closest kin since arriving in this world; how could he allow this tragedy to repeat? Moreover, Qin Zhan was currently his biggest backer.]

[Thus, months ago, he had not hesitated to spend a massive amount of painstakingly accumulated Reputation Points to exchange for a precious life-saving treasure called the 'Black Tortoise Life-Protecting Talisman' from the System, finding an opportunity to give it to Qin Zhan.]

[However, due to the existence of Zhao Jing and yourself, a trace of unease always lingered deep in Qin Rui's heart; he couldn't be sure if that 'Black Tortoise Life-Protecting Talisman' could truly keep his father safe under the interference of unknown variables.]

[Until the northern war reports arrived, stating the Barbarians had only engaged in small-scale harassment without the expected tragic battle, and that the Prince of Zhenbei, Qin Zhan, had not even gone north.]

[This unexpected peace caused a huge surge of gratitude to well up within Qin Rui.]

[That 'certain-death situation' originally hanging over his father's head seemed to have been quietly wiped away by an invisible giant hand, never having happened.]

[At its root, this subtle shift in fate actually had a thousand and one connections to you.]

[The Barbarians were originally supposed to seize resources and Luck during this period as the world recovered, and try to hunt down the living forces of the Great Yong Dynasty to prepare for the world's true recovery.]

[However, when your Incarnation previously visited various major forces, the Barbarian Royal Court and several major tribes far beyond the northern border were also on your 'visitation' list.]

[Precisely because they took that beating, combined with the hidden faction of 'Boundless Creation Heaven' you fabricated, the Barbarians abandoned their plan to make big moves before the world fully recovered.]

[Thus, the plan that originally intended to hunt down one or two Great Yong experts was directly shelved; they just sent some soldiers to harass the border and that was it.]

[Not only that, but your forced entry into the Imperial Palace was also a factor.]

[Although some time had passed since you stormed the palace, the experience of that day had directly caused the Emperor of Dayong to become hyper-reactive.]

[The Emperor of Dayong felt that the defenses and high-end combat protection of the capital, Capital City, were still insufficient. In his state of unease, how could he easily let the Prince of Zhenbei, Qin Zhan—a Peak Dharma Idol Realm expert who could be called a pillar of the state—leave the capital?]

[It was this mindset that caused Qin Zhan, who should have gone north to take command, to be kept inside Capital City.]

[And so, through a series of coincidences, the Prince of Zhenbei remained safely behind, far from the northern battlefield that should have been the place of his fall.]