Beginning with the Five Animals Fist to Become a Saint

An unnamed grotto.

In the thatched hut.

Jiang Ning sipped the tea in his cup one sip after another, and soon finished it.

The old man looked at Jiang Ning, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

At this moment, judging from his appearance, no one would know that this is the Martial Saint who has dominated the world for over eight hundred years.

The old man picked up the teapot again and poured tea for Jiang Ning.

"Lord, let me take it!" Jiang Ning quickly reached out to take the teapot from the old man's hand.

"Guests are always welcome!" the old man said calmly.

As the sound rang out, an invisible force seemed to form in the void, briefly restricting Jiang Ning's movements.

Gurgling gurgling——

The tea is poured into the cup, and steaming hot vapor is generated, resembling wisps of mist.

Follow your words?
At this moment, Jiang Ning was secretly alarmed, recalling the records about the Lord of the Grotto-Heaven in his mind.

The master of a grotto-heaven is the ruler of that world when he is in his own grotto-heaven.

Like the natural order of the universe, it transcends everything.

Every word and action represents the will of the grotto world.

"Thank you!" Jiang Ning said, his body free of the binding force.

"You're quite good! In over eight hundred years, you've been among the top five!" the old man suddenly said to Jiang Ning.

“Teacher, he is not even twenty years old this year, yet he has already entered the second-grade Grandmaster realm. Such an achievement has set a new record in the past thousand years. Is such an achievement only enough to be ranked in the top five?” Xiao Wuque pondered.

The old man shook his head: "Walking fast doesn't necessarily mean going far! Back in my day, there were many people who walked faster than me, but none who went farther! Talent and potential are important, but fate and luck are equally important."

"I've seen Huang Tian Dao Ren before, but he only had a fleeting moment of inspiration and good fortune!"

"If one has that bit of good fortune, one can truly touch the world where I reside!"

Hear these words.

Xiao Wuque couldn't help but ask the question that had been accumulating in his heart for a long time.

"Teacher, for more than ten years, I have made no progress. The road ahead is shrouded in mist, and I cannot see any path. Teacher, what exactly are these shackles?"

The old man said, “A shackle is a shackle! As long as you can see the shackle, you will be able to access a new world. The reason you can’t see the road now is because you can’t see the shackle!”

"Teacher, how can I see the shackles?" Xiao Wuque asked again.

"Accumulate!" the old man said. "Back then, I made you move too fast and too hastily. Your accumulation is still insufficient! The physical body is infinite, the spirit is unrestrained, the true spirit returns to oneness, infinitely growing stronger and infinitely rising. One day, you will touch that realm."

As he spoke, the old man glanced at Xiao Wuque twice more, his calm eyes revealing an unusual depth.

“You haven’t been without progress over the years! Your spirit has been elevated.”

"Teacher, reaching the highest level is too difficult!" Xiao Wuque said with a bitter expression. "The higher you go, the easier it is to relax. But even if you don't dare to relax, you will keep going back and forth, making it difficult to maintain the upward momentum. If you go forward and backward, you will just stay in the same place! If you relax, you will regress."

The old man nodded: "The path of martial arts is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind! If you want to touch that realm, you must be constantly diligent, constantly improve, keep growing, and infinitely elevate yourself. As your true spirit returns to oneness, your spirit and body unite, and as your physical body becomes infinite and your spirit becomes unrestrained, then you will be able to touch that realm."

Meanwhile, Jiang Ning listened quietly to their conversation.

Although he was not annoyed at all when he heard that the Martial Saint's evaluation of him was only in the top five.

Because no one understands him better or has more confidence in himself than he does now.

After hearing Xiao Wuque's words, he understood even more clearly where his advantage lay.

For others, the path of martial arts is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind.

If you don't keep being diligent and making progress, you'll end up taking one step forward and one step back, or two steps forward and one step back, or even two steps forward and two steps back.
If this continues, progress will be slow, or even stagnation or regression.

Even someone as powerful as Xiao Wuque was not immune to this kind of predicament.

But he has not felt this kind of trouble, at least not so far.

Once the panel is on your person, it's a permanent certificate, and you can never go back on your word.

Having reached this point, and hearing Xiao Wuque's description of himself, he finally understood how powerful and important such a characteristic was.

One certificate is a permanent certificate, and hard work will surely pay off, which is enough to enable him to continuously improve and progress.

Based on this, he believed that one day he would be able to do what the old man had said.

Continuously progress, maintain growth, infinitely elevate, achieve unity of spirit and body, and unite the soul and body.

As the physical body becomes infinite and the spirit becomes unrestrained, one will be able to touch that realm of heaven and earth.

So at this moment, he felt not angry at all, but rather at ease.

What Xiao Wuque couldn't do, he could do.

And at this moment, he also learned about the world that the old man he was now approaching had once reached.

How can one touch the shackles, see the shackles, break the shackles, and then see the world?

Just from that conversation between the two of them, he felt that the trip was worthwhile.

"You're very good!" The old man looked at Jiang Ning and nodded with a deep gaze.

"Thank you for your praise, Lord!" Jiang Ning said.

“This is not praise, but a statement!” The old man shook his head and continued, “The moment I saw you here, I could roughly tell what kind of person you were!”

"At this age, you've reached the second rank with unparalleled spirit, an indestructible body, and your blood and qi have transformed into dragons. It's safe to say that your foundation is stronger than I previously imagined. With your accumulated experience, you can reach the first rank in at most one or two years!"

Upon hearing these words, Xiao Wuque looked at Jiang Ning in astonishment.

He originally thought that his teacher's statement that Jiang Ning could only be ranked in the top five was an underestimation of Jiang Ning.

Now that he had heard these words, he realized that Jiangning's foundation was much deeper than he had imagined.

First-class, perfectly balanced!

Just thinking about it made him feel incredulous.

The First Rank is the pillar of the Great Xia Dynasty, the true pinnacle of the pyramid.

They are beings who can be crowned kings and territories simply by virtue of their martial arts prowess.

“But!!” The old man looked at Jiang Ning, his gaze slightly narrowed: “In this world, why would anyone give you enough time to grow?”

"Lord, what do you mean by that?" Jiang Ning asked.

"No one will sit idly by and watch you end up like me, even if it's only a possibility for you! Do you know how many life-or-death crises Wu Que has faced since he grew up, even with my protection?"

"I don't know!" Jiang Ning shook his head.

“Three times!” Xiao Wuque took over the conversation and said slowly, “I have experienced three life-or-death crises. The first time was half a year after I became a disciple of my teacher. I was ambushed as soon as I left the capital. If it weren’t for the life-saving items my teacher prepared for me, I would have perished that time!”

"The second time was after I became a second-grade Grandmaster, when I was attacked and killed by paper figures in the capital!" At this point, Xiao Wuque sneered and continued, "That's a trick that even Fairy Bai has already used. To try to kill me in this way is to underestimate me!"

"The third time was different. After entering the first rank, I was cursed to death by some kind of medium. If it weren't for my teacher, I would have definitely perished this time!"

Xiao Wuque then looked at Jiang Ning: "So what your teacher said is right. You will inevitably encounter similar dangers in the future. All the major sects, blessed lands, and even the royal family do not want to see you reach the same level as your teacher. They cannot even tolerate you just getting close to him. Because no one wants to come into this world and have another person who can rival your teacher emerge."

Jiang Ning nodded slowly.

He had heard their views from several people before.

Now, after these two people reiterated their points, he was even more convinced.

"Therefore you need to work harder and quickly acquire sufficient strength to protect yourself!" the old man said to Jiang Ning. "Thank you for your advice, Lord of the Manor. I understand!" Jiang Ning replied.

The old man looked at Jiang Ning and nodded in approval.

Then he added, "You were originally from the Inspectorate, and as the head of the Inspectorate, I should help you!"

"The Lord of the Palace has already helped me a great deal! With the Dao Ancestor Talisman and the Small Teleportation Talisman bestowed by the Lord of the Palace, I am more than capable of having two extra lives!" Jiang Ning said.

"If it were a few years earlier, I could have helped you a little more! But now, this is all I can do to help you. As for anything else, you'll have to rely on yourself," the old man said.

“That’s enough!” Jiang Ning nodded.

"That's good, you have confidence!" The old man nodded and continued, "Those who truly reach the top never rely on others! Mountains crumble, trees fall, and people scatter! The only one you can truly rely on is yourself. The strong must believe in themselves! Sometimes the power of the mind is far greater than you imagine!" the old man said.

"Thank you for your advice, Lord!" Jiang Ning stood up and bowed in thanks.

"Sit down!" The old man raised his hand, gesturing for Jiang Ning to sit down.

Then he added, "Since you're here, drink some more tea before you leave. I can't finish all this tea by myself!"

"Okay!" Jiang Ning nodded, his heart filled with joy.

He could sense that these teas contained a great deal of vital energy.

For ordinary people, a sip of this tea can prolong life and protect them from all diseases.

Even for martial artists who have achieved mastery of martial arts, it can extend their lifespan and even restore their youthful appearance.

He immediately picked up the teacup and drank it down in one gulp after another.

After finishing his cup, he quickly picked up the teapot again and refilled his cup.

After a long time.

The two returned to the same peak they had visited before.

Xiao Wuque looked up at the sky above him, and only slowly withdrew his gaze when the void returned to calm.

"Are you curious? Curious about why my teacher has become like this?" Xiao Wuque asked.

"Okay!" Jiang Ning nodded.

He had heard countless tales about this man throughout his life.

Those deeds, taken together, shaped the figure in his mind who transcended immortals, demons, gods, and Buddhas.

He single-handedly suppressed the world for over eight hundred years, bringing over eight hundred years of peace and prosperity to the land.

In the eyes of the whole world, this person is a true saint, a true heaven.

But when he actually saw this person today, he discovered that this being who had once surpassed immortals, demons, gods, and Buddhas was now an old man, frail and hunched over with white hair.

He didn't feel any invisible pressure from this old man, but only the deathly aura of twilight.

That was a deathly aura that even the powerful vitality could not suppress, no matter how it repeatedly washed over and baptized it.

“My teacher could have succeeded, but he gave up!” Xiao Wuque said calmly.

Then, seeing Jiang Ning's attentive gaze, he continued, "My teacher originally wanted to refine the cave world, bring that cave world under his control, incorporate it into his body, and use the cave world to sublimate himself and maintain his lifespan. In doing so, he would embark on a different path!"

"But my teacher failed! The grotto-heaven was incorporated into the body, which was not in accordance with the path! Between becoming the master of the grotto-heaven and being bound by it, and being free, my teacher chose freedom."

He said martial arts are unrestrained!

"In the path of martial arts, neither the mind, will, nor body can be bound or restrained."

"The failure of this attempt has severely damaged my teacher's spirit, leading him to where he is today!"

At this point, Xiao Wuque sighed deeply.

"Before that," Jiang Ning began, hesitating slightly, as the image of that spirit body surfaced in his mind.

Fu Yuan Shengjun wreaked havoc in the capital.

Just as the Martial Saint's Mansion was about to be attacked, the Martial Saint Spirit descended.

With just two punches, he killed the arrogant and powerful Fu Yuan Saint Lord.

"That spiritual body, right?" Xiao Wuque asked.

"Okay!" Jiang Ning nodded.

“My teacher hasn’t shown his skills in front of the world for far too long, proving that he still exists!” Xiao Wuque said.

He continued, "On that day, when the Holy Lord Fuyuan caused a great disturbance in the capital, he did not engage in widespread destruction or massacre! He did not damage any buildings, but instead went straight for the Martial Saint's Mansion!"

"It's obvious that my teacher has been gone for so long that many people are getting restless and ready to make a move."

"The fact that Saint Lord Fuyuan made a move means that many forces have reached a consensus to force Saint Lord Fuyuan to make my teacher appear."

"My teacher knows this too, but even if he were to kill Fu Yuan Shengjun in his true form, it would be to no avail!"

“If those people notice my teacher’s condition, they will swarm him.”

"Even if my teacher could still muster some of his strength, given his current condition, it would be impossible for him to kill all of these people!"

"If my teacher were to fall, the entire world would be overthrown in an instant, dynasties would cease to exist, and life and death would be filled with devastation!"

"Therefore, my teacher could only manifest his spirit in the mortal world and forcefully kill Fu Yuan Shengjun to prove that although my teacher is old, his power is still there."

Subsequently.

Xiao Wuque sighed again.

"But judging from my teacher's condition, he can't hold on for much longer!"

"His back is even more hunched than the last time I saw him!"

"His hair is even whiter than the last time I saw it!"

"He seemed even more lifeless than the last time I saw him!"

Upon hearing Xiao Wuque's words, Jiang Ning's heart immediately felt heavy.

Before coming here, he never imagined that the Martial Saint would be in such a bad state.

Now, combined with what Xiao Wuque said, he immediately understood that the real danger was not the current Yellow Heaven Sect, nor the natural and man-made disasters in all directions.

Rather, it was the day that person left.

The Great Xia Dynasty has lasted for over eight hundred years, and it can be said that it was all supported by the Martial Saint alone.

One person single-handedly created a world of peace and prosperity that lasted for over eight hundred years.

Once that person passes away, the glory will also turn into ruins.

"If something really happens to him, according to what he said, and according to what Ji Mingya and the others said, the crisis that has been looming over me will truly arrive!"

Thinking of this, his heart tightened immediately.

As long as the Martial Saint is still alive, the world will not collapse.

The rules remain the same.

The Great Xia Dynasty was able to maintain the twilight of a dynasty.

And he, within a world governed by rules, still has room to grow safely.

Once it completely collapses, some people will become unscrupulous and will do everything in their power to eliminate any potential dangers.

In that situation, where in all the world could one find refuge?
His heart immediately felt heavy! (End of Chapter)