Wang Xiao groggily opened his eyes and saw a gaunt face with a long beard.
His heart settled slightly.
'I'm finally saved!'
As he carefully sensed his body, he was surprised to find his previous weakness gone. It felt like a strange power was circulating within him.
"Well, little guy, you're finally awake. If you'd slept any longer, I'm afraid you would have drained all my Inner Qi."
The middle-aged man looked down at Wang Xiao and even pinched his cheek.
Wang Xiao blinked his eyes.
'Inner Qi?'
'Looks like this is a Martial World.'
'I wonder what the highest level of combat power in this world is.'
'Is it a Low Martial Level like *The Return of the Condor Heroes*, a Middle Martial Level like *Tang Dynasty Double Dragon*, or even a High Martial Level like *Wind and Cloud*?'
Wang Xiao suppressed his curiosity and looked at the middle-aged man, directly using his Talent, Analyze All Things.
The next moment, lines of text flashed before his eyes.
[Analyzing]
[Analysis Successful]
[Zhang Tianyang, forty-five years old, a Late Stage Innate Realm Martial Artist. At the age of ten, he joined the Sword Sect to practice Sword Technique. At fifteen, he became a Postnatal Realm Martial Artist. He is forthright and enjoys acting as a righteous hero. At twenty-five, while gaining experience away from the sect, he single-handedly annihilated all the Black Mountain Bandits with his sword...]
[Related Martial Arts can only be analyzed when the target uses them.]
In an instant, basic information about the middle-aged man before him flooded into Wang Xiao's mind.
This included his name, age, a rough biography, and more.
At the same time, it also allowed Wang Xiao to master the language of this world.
The information was much more detailed than what appeared when he analyzed inanimate objects like rocks or foxtail grass.
Unfortunately, unless Zhang Tianyang performed his Martial Arts in front of him, Wang Xiao had no way of using his Talent to analyze and comprehend them.
However, Wang Xiao did learn what kind of world this was from Zhang Tianyang's biography.
'Postnatal, Innate, Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster, Martial Saint... This should barely count as a Middle Martial World.'
Being able to move the qi and blood within one's body makes one a Postnatal Realm Martial Artist.
Generating Inner Qi in one's Dantian makes one an Innate Realm Martial Artist.
Achieving the Transformation Realm in at least one Upper-Grade Martial Art makes one a Grandmaster.
As for a Great Grandmaster, one needs to bring at least three Upper-Grade Martial Arts to the Transformation Realm, as well as achieve the state of Unbreakable by God and Perfectly Clean and Unblemished.
The strongest, a Martial Saint, needs to build on that foundation, create their own Upper-Grade Martial Arts, and walk their own path of Martial Arts!
Currently, in the entire Jianghu, only four people could be called a Martial Saint.
Zhang Dongxuan of Wudang, Master Zhang.
The master of Sea View Tower, Li Tiange.
The Abbot of Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, Zen Master Hui Zhen.
And the Great Xuan Pillar of the Nation, Wu Shengtiang.
Among them, Wu Shengtiang of the Great Xuan Dynasty was the strongest.
It was his very existence that had extended the life of the crumbling Great Xuan Dynasty by another fifty years!
The people of the Jianghu also called Wu Shengtiang the last wisp of the Great Xuan Dynasty's Destiny!
'A Martial Saint seems incredibly powerful, but their true combat strength is probably enough to fight ten thousand men. Considering this world is still in a pre-modern era with cold weapons, a Martial Saint is likely equivalent to a Tier Two Life form from the Real World, at most touching the threshold of a Tier Three Life form.'
Wang Xiao silently calculated.
Of course, even in the Real World, a Tier Two Life form was considered a powerhouse in their own right.
Their Fist Power could reach at least three tons, with a maximum of six tons. Their speed could reach a minimum of 40 m/s and a maximum of 70 m/s.
For example, the largest construction company in Dachang City, the Tianhe Group, could only manage to recruit Tier Three Life forms.
Life forms of a higher tier were all regional leaders and overlords, not the kind that ordinary corporations could recruit.
'If I become a Martial Saint, once I return to the Real World, I can use a Genetic Potion to improve my body and quickly recover my strength. At that point, even if the Tianhe Group wants to threaten me, they'll have to think twice!'
Wang Xiao couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
'I have to practice Martial Arts! I must!'
'With my Analyze All Things Talent, it might not be impossible to become the strongest in this world within thirty years!'
"Little guy, we're home. I'll take you to see the Sect Leader now and see if he'll accept you."
Zhang Tianyang booped Wang Xiao's nose, growing more fond of him the more he looked.
The infant before him had bright, lively eyes. He hadn't cried or fussed after waking up; he was very clever.
In the future, he might just be a great prospect for Martial Arts.
Hearing this, Wang Xiao turned his head to look ahead.
He saw a towering mountain peak, like a sharp sword thrust between Heaven and Earth.
Mist and clouds drifted around it, and the faint outlines of continuous halls and pavilions could be seen. It was an incredibly magnificent sight!
This was the Sect Zhang Tianyang belonged to, the Sword Sect.
Although the Sword Sect had no Martial Saint, it had one Great Grandmaster, ten Grandmasters, and forty Innate Realm Martial Artists.
Even in the entire Jianghu, it was considered one of the top-tier Sects!
Zhang Tianyang carried Wang Xiao and headed up the mountain.
His steps were light; a single stride could cover a great distance, almost as if he were flying.
As a top-tier Innate Realm Martial Artist, he was also ranked among the strong in this world.
Along the way, some disciples on patrol or sweeping duty would see Zhang Tianyang and bow respectfully.
However, their gazes turned curiously toward Wang Xiao in Zhang Tianyang's arms.
Zhang Tianyang didn't explain. He moved like the wind and soon arrived at the mountain's peak.
At the peak stood a stone stele, with the two words 'Sword Sect' written on it in flamboyant, cursive script.
Zhang Tianyang strode into the Sword Sect and quickly arrived at a plaza.
At that moment, in the center of the plaza, Sword Sect disciples in long robes were diligently practicing with longswords in hand.
The longswords danced in their hands, creating gusts of wind with their powerful movements.
Wang Xiao stared at these disciples without blinking, eagerly using his Analyze All Things Talent.
This time, however, he didn't analyze the disciples' life stories but went straight for their Martial Arts.
This was another application of Wang Xiao's Analyze All Things Talent.
He could choose to analyze whatever he wanted.
[Analyzing]
A line of text flashed before Wang Xiao's eyes.
Only, unlike before, the analysis didn't succeed quickly.
Instead, it remained in a loading state.
'It seems this Martial Arts is different from the Withered Wood Revives Spring False Death Technique and the Hardening Technique. It needs a little more time to be successfully analyzed,' Wang Xiao mused.
Seeing Wang Xiao staring intently at the disciples practicing their arts, Zhang Tianyang couldn't help but tease him:
"Little guy, you're watching so seriously. What, you want to learn? Too bad. For an ordinary person, it would take at least six or seven years of hard work just to get started with this True Understanding of Sword Dao."
Crossing the plaza, Zhang Tianyang soon brought Wang Xiao to the edge of a cliff on the back mountain.
Looking out, one could see a vast sea of clouds, endlessly churning between Heaven and Earth.
At this moment, a figure in a gray robe was sitting cross-legged on a rock at the cliff's edge, looking just like a Banished Immortal from the heavens.
'So this is the Sword Sect's Sect Leader, Mu Qingfeng. An expert at the Great Grandmaster Realm!'
Wang Xiao's eyes flickered as he once again used his Analyze All Things Talent.
However, a line of text popped up before his eyes.
[Life Tier disparity is too great. Unable to analyze.]
Wang Xiao couldn't help but frown.
'A Great Grandmaster is a Great Grandmaster, after all. I can't even analyze him.'
'But I know it's because I'm too weak. Once I get a little stronger, I should be able to analyze him.'
Zhang Tianyang walked to a short distance from Mu Qingfeng and bowed.
"Sect Leader."
Only then did Mu Qingfeng stand up and turn around.
He was already nearly seventy, yet he had white hair and a youthful complexion, not looking old at all. His eyes were bright and full of spirit.
"Ah, Tianyang. Where did you pick up this baby?"
Zhang Tianyang quickly replied:
"Reporting to the Sect Leader, this disciple found him in a forest while traveling down the mountain. The child was struck by a giant python but was completely unharmed. This disciple observed that his aptitude is extraordinary, so I brought him back to the Sect."
Mu Qingfeng's eyes flickered.
"Oh? Is that so? That is rare indeed. Let this old man take a look."
He walked slowly to Zhang Tianyang's side, reached out, and placed his hand on Wang Xiao's chubby little hand.
Wang Xiao felt a vast and powerful aura enter his body. It was gentle, moving in fine strands through his meridians and spreading to every part of his limbs and torso.
Just then.
A line of text flashed before Wang Xiao's eyes.
[Analysis Successful. Obtained .]
In an instant.
A large block of information about the essentials and Cultivation Technique for the , now simplified, flooded into Wang Xiao's mind.
His arms moved slightly, waving gently, and his legs kicked about randomly.
They seemed like simple movements, yet they caused his qi and blood to surge, growing more and more powerful.
Then.
The qi and blood actually bombarded the depths of his Dantian in his lower abdomen.
Immediately after.
A faint wisp of an aura suddenly appeared in his Dantian.
The moment this aura appeared, it instinctively surged and came into contact with Mu Qingfeng's Inner Qi, faintly seeming to transform into a sharp sword.
"Huh? What's this?"
Mu Qingfeng's eyes narrowed, a look of utter disbelief appearing in them.
He immediately circulated his Inner Qi, surging it into Wang Xiao's Dantian.
When he came into contact with the Inner Qi in Wang Xiao's Dantian, his aged body trembled violently.
Shock, excitement, and ecstasy appeared on his face one after another.
"HAHAHAHA! This is... an Innate Infant! An Innate Sword Body! The heavens are truly blessing my Sword Sect!"
He carefully took Wang Xiao from Zhang Tianyang's arms, his gaze brilliant as he looked at the baby as if he were looking at a priceless treasure!