[In the 277th year of the Daqing era, the Tianhe River, even at a shallow level of "Dacheng," dissipates quickly. Furthermore, given your relevant martial arts experience, the dissipation should be complete within a year.]
Because you didn't use the Hun Yuan Jue, 19% of your foundation has been stagnated. Your foundation is now increased by 253%, which is equivalent to half of an ordinary person's foundation (0.19 x 2.53) being locked and scrapped.
You knew that once you finished dispersing your energy, Zhu Baowen would most likely leave, so you've repeatedly questioned him over the past year.
The reason for your inquiry stems from Zhu Baowen's revealing his method of sound transmission. You've seized on this point, pestering him as relentlessly as before, and the question is only getting deeper.
[The initial question was, "Master Zhu, you can transmit sounds into my ears alone. This skill must be above the Grandmaster level. Are you a master from somewhere? I didn't find you in the Jianghu Past Records."]
This gradually evolved into, "Master Zhu, from your perspective, is Grandmaster really the pinnacle of martial arts? I assume you are, in fact, a Grandmaster. Is there a higher mountain of martial arts to climb?"
Zhu Baowen mostly just brushed things off, answering with clichés like, "I'm just an ordinary martial artist with a few tricks," and "There's no limit to martial arts."
[But when you told him that he had finished dispersing his energy, you noticed that his aura had changed.]
Originally, Zhu Baowen was just an old man who taught children to exercise and was a bit of a money-grubber. But at this moment, he displayed an aura of dominance that dominated the world, like a martial arts saint descended to the world!
You stood there in a daze, not daring to move, unable to move, because the world seemed to be locked shut, every inch of air was frozen in place and no longer flowing!
Zhu Baowen said he was ready to leave, but before that, he passed the "Hunyuan Jue" to you by touching your eyebrows.
Yun Shou: "Luckily I'm not an electronic device. Otherwise, when he was pasting it, he'd have noticed something like, 'File 'Hunyuan Jue.txt' already exists, do you want to replace it?' That would have been embarrassing."
[Afterwards, Zhu Baowen answered your previous questions, but to prevent you from despairing of martial arts, he only explained part of it.]
"The path of martial arts is long, yet also short! The martial arts I know of consist of only five steps, yet so many martial artists struggle to even take the first step in their entire lives."
[Then he looked at you and comforted you by saying that you still have a great chance of taking the first step.]
Yun Shou: "...A first-rate warrior isn't considered the first step?"
Zhu Baowen withdrew his imposing aura that could freeze heaven and earth. You asked him what the first step was. "Master Zhu, what step have you reached?"
Zhu Baowen's answer was quite clear this time. The complete condensation of essence, energy, and spirit into one is the first step—that is, Grandmaster. The second step is above Grandmaster, and he himself has just embarked on the third step.
You wanted to ask more questions at once, but since you knew Zhu Baowen was leaving soon and probably wouldn't mind your follow-up questions, you asked again: "What about the second step? What about the higher level?"
Zhu Baowen pointed to the sky, then to the ground, and said, "This is the second step." He didn't explain it more clearly because it was essentially impossible for a warrior of a higher realm to be born in this world, and also because: Martial arts should not be passed on lightly!
[This is the consensus of all generations.]
Yunshou felt that the narration revealed something extraordinary.
[As for what the third step is, he smiled and turned away.]
[And you took advantage of his pretense, not walking far, to ask at the end: "The martial arts path has five steps, but the human world has never even had a second step. Is this land too remote, or is there a higher world beyond the higher world?"]
This sentence finally made him look at you differently. Before leaving, he gave his last instruction to his registered disciple: If you want to achieve unity between heaven and man, head east, to the heaven beyond!
[On this day, Zhu Baowen opened up a whole new world in your perspectives. Your understanding of martial arts and the world has become more profound, and some of your previous speculations have been confirmed!]
Yunshou also breathed a sigh of relief. It was indeed a simulator, it concentrated all the essence.
The content of the book was probably less than one percent of what was written at the time, and even the characters' dialogues were abbreviated, but the core elements were understood by him, a person who only read the text.
The realm of martial arts above the Grandmaster is the realm of sensing heaven and earth. According to the Chinese martial arts novels he has read, this realm is called Tianren, which is taken from "the unity of heaven and man".
And this is indeed just a small place. After reaching the realm of "Heaven", you can go to the East, perhaps across the sea, where there is an "ascension platform" or "world crack" that can lead to a higher world of martial arts!
In the higher-level martial arts world, there are five steps in martial arts. The grandmaster who can live to be two hundred years old is only the first step, and Zhu Baowen who can defeat ten thousand troops with one palm is only the third step!
"Martial arts have no end!"
Yunshou sighed.
Although he was only a first-rate warrior, a little Karami who was not even half a step away, he could not help but get excited now.
"I want to become the immortal Martial Emperor!"
[Daqing 278th Year, Grandmaster-Level Martial Arts: Introduction to the Sun Decision]
In the 279th year of the Daqing era, you were surprised. Grandmaster-level martial arts are truly different. The Sun Art is only the beginning, but its foundation for transformation is comparable to the foundation of the Milky Way Flowing Art plus the additional boost of a minor accomplishment.
[The depth bonus of the Sun Art's perfect stage has a significant effect on martial artists.]
In the 280th year of the Daqing era, a young hero, only 23 years old, came to Qingcheng to challenge a top-tier martial arts master. He won countless battles, and finally challenged you, known as the "Second Young Hero" of a certain generation.
[Then you struck me with five consecutive blows, causing me to spit blood and fly backwards in defeat.]
In the 281st year of Daqing, you are 26 years old. Your energy has reached 65% of its original state. You feel as strong as a monster.
[For the past few years, you have been living in Qingcheng. Although Zhu Baowen showed strange phenomena when he left four years ago, no one suspected you.]
In the 282nd year of the Daqing era, you set out for Donglin City. Your energy now glows white, carrying a fiery aura. Your Sun Art has achieved minor success, making you practically invincible among top-tier warriors.
Just as you bullied the Tiger King last time not to eat its flesh, this time you are dealing with the bandit not to covet his master-level martial arts, but to verify the difference between your strength and the last simulation. (Note: Simulation plot in Chapter 17)
However, the bandits were numerous, so you decided to join the city lord's bandit suppression team as a "passing knight."
But when you get there, you realize, with embarrassment, that you arrived too early and the bandits haven't moved in yet.
[You can only stay in the city first and challenge several top masters in the city.]
[Based on your vague impression, you inquired and found a large compound where a famous martial arts master lived: He Yi, the Master of the Guanxin Spear.]
He Yi is forty-seven years old. He is not a "Grandmaster" at twenty. Three years ago, he was in his forties before he began to unleash his energy. He is an ordinary first-class warrior.
You invited He Yi to a private duel, as it wouldn't damage his reputation, and he agreed. Then, after a mere twenty rounds of sparring, with you only exerting 60% of your strength, He Yi still managed to deliver with every blow, each step breathtaking, and ultimately conceded defeat.
"You're not doing well, brother." Yun Shou sighed. "Brother, you fought alongside me last time, but now you can't even make me (in the simulation) take you seriously."