Gao Wu: I became a saint through daily settlements

[Today, I fought the Demon-Eating Monkey with great skill, slaying over eighty of its corpses.]

[Rating: Top-tier]

[Get a glimpse of the true meaning of martial arts]

As Lin Yue looked at these few lines of small characters, a wisp of pale golden true meaning appeared in his hand.

The airflow appeared weak, yet it contained a powerful martial arts aura.

"The true meaning of martial arts," Lin Yue murmured, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Before he could fully appreciate the profound meaning of this wisp of truth, the pale golden energy seemed to come alive, suddenly breaking free from his palm and entering his brow like a stream of light, beginning to merge.

As soon as the martial arts will entered his body, Lin Yue instantly felt a sense of clarity and understanding of the world.

The next second, the panel changed again:

[Martial Willpower has been upgraded from Tier 1 to Tier 2]

[Effect: Enlightenment of Heaven and Earth]

"The so-called martial arts will is the desire of a martial artist to fight, and the unyielding belief in desperate situations. The stronger the martial arts will, the more courageous one becomes in battle, and even when trapped in a desperate situation, one can unleash power beyond one's own." Lin Yue recalled Xu Beihai's words.

"It seems that my martial will has grown considerably after fighting this troop of monkeys."

"With this wisp of martial arts essence, it just helped me break through to this level of martial arts will."

After regaining his senses, Lin Yue clicked on the four characters "天通地明".

[Heavenly Connection and Earthly Clarity: Increases damage dealt to Star Beasts by 100%]

[Star Beasts are mutated creatures born of pollution, naturally raised by the earth and influenced by the turbid air from beyond the realm. Ordinary attacks cannot break through their pollution barriers. However, with the ability to see both heaven and earth, one can perceive their weaknesses, breach their barriers, and strike at their vital points.]

Just then, a rapidly expanding black shadow suddenly appeared in Lin Yue's mind.

The shadow grew larger and larger, almost swallowing him whole. The shadow was hunched over, its hair stood on end, and its scarlet eyes were filled with boundless hatred.

Upon seeing the dark figure, Lin Yue immediately recognized it as the Demon-Devouring Monkey King.

"You mischievous monkey, you're like a persistent ghost." Lin Yue's lips curled slightly.

Unexpectedly, the Demon-Devouring Monkey King had planted such a trick in his mind.

"So this is the side effect of the inner core. It saves me the trouble of finding an opponent to test the effect of the Heavenly Connection and Earthly Clarity." A strong fighting spirit ignited in Lin Yue's heart.

"No wonder it's not recommended for those with low cultivation levels to use second-tier star beast inner cores. It turns out there's this tribulation after absorbing the inner core," Lin Yue thought to himself.

"If we don't survive this ordeal, we'll probably ascend to heaven."

Lin Yue wasn't afraid. If he could kill this monkey king once, then he could kill it twice!

The path of martial arts is inherently defying the heavens. If one doesn't even have this much confidence, what is there to talk about in cultivating martial arts?

"I'll just use you to test the effects of this 'Heaven and Earth Illumination'."

Lin Yue's muscles bulged as he charged toward the nightmare.

"Heaven and earth are in harmony!" he thought to himself, his eyes slightly closed.

In an instant, the terrifying nightmare of the Monkey King became crystal clear in his eyes.

Lin Yue seized the opportunity and swung his sword.

"Uh—uh—"

A mournful roar echoed intermittently in the sea of ​​consciousness. The Monkey King's nightmare struggled violently, and the dark mist continuously dissipated, eventually turning into a wisp of black smoke and completely disappearing into the sea of ​​consciousness.

"This 'heaven and earth are in perfect harmony' is indeed true." Lin Yue savored the feeling of that strike just now, and suddenly felt a sense of exhilaration.

For a martial artist, the ultimate thrill is nothing more than this: to crush the opponent with absolute strength and break through all obstacles.

After resolving the Monkey King Nightmare, Lin Yue checked his current stats again.

Name: Lin Yue

Age: 18

Life Energy Level: 15.4

[Mastered Body Tempering Techniques: Bear Stance (Level 3), Bird Strike (Level 2)]

[Martial arts skills mastered: Flowing Water Rock-Shattering Fist (Tier 2), Basic Mo Dao Saber Technique (Tier 1), Wave-Treading Step (Tier 1)]

[Awakened Talent: Martial Will (Tier 2)]

[Supernatural Powers: Records of Martial Arts Treasures, Sprout of True Qi]

"Except for the basic Mo Dao sword technique and the Treading Waves Step, which are still at the first level, the other body tempering methods, martial arts and talents have all reached the second level or above."

In the realm of martial artists, only the second tier of martial arts can truly be considered entry-level.

First-level martial arts can only be described as just entering the basics.

Even more remarkably, those with exceptional talent and diligent practice can cultivate their martial arts to the third level within the Martial Artist realm, making them far stronger than other martial artists of the same level.

However, life energy level and martial arts complement each other and are indispensable.

Life energy level is fundamental, determining a martial artist's physique, strength, and endurance. If life energy level is insufficient, even if one masters advanced martial arts, one cannot fully unleash their power.

Conversely, if one only possesses a powerful life energy level but lacks corresponding martial arts support, it is merely brute force and cannot form effective combat power.

"After leaving this secret realm in the South Seas, I must not slack off in my training of swordsmanship and movement techniques," Lin Yue secretly resolved.

"Everything is permissible only when there is balance, and impossible when there is no balance."

"Balanced development is the key to success."

"Only by addressing our weaknesses can we go further on the path of martial arts in the future and stand out in the upcoming martial arts joint examination."

On the other side, the entrance to the third floor of the outer three-story building.

"It's a real pity that we only managed to collect ginseng from Southeast Asia of this age." Qin Jin shook his head.

His main purpose in entering the secret realm this time was to find high-quality ancient ginseng from Southeast Asia to aid his cultivation and break through his current life energy bottleneck.

"Finding this ancient ginseng took me a lot of effort."

In his hand was a 40-year-old South Sea ginseng. Although ancient ginseng is a second-tier rare treasure, its medicinal properties would be greatly reduced if it was not old enough.

"The medicinal properties of this ancient ginseng are not even comparable to those of a first-tier spiritual plant that is over a hundred years old." Qin Jin sighed, somewhat disappointed.

Not only have they failed to collect any high-quality ancient ginseng from Southeast Asia, but their progress is also significantly slower than others.

"hiss--"

Just then, a faint, fishy smell entered his nostrils, and Qin Jin's heart tightened. He subconsciously looked up.

Not far away, on an open ground, lay a mountain of Demon-Devouring Monkey corpses, densely packed together, numbering at least eighty. Each corpse bore a fatal wound, the cut clean and neat, clearly indicating that they had been killed in a single blow.

"Could this be the work of students from Tianjing?"

Apart from the team from Tianjing, Qin Jin couldn't think of any other group of students who could put on such a spectacular show.

"We must speed things up; we can't afford to fall too far behind the others."

……

The next morning, Wang Teng and the others entered the third level of the secret realm at Lin Yue's urging.

The plants growing in the third layer of the secret realm are older, denser, and have a stronger medicinal aroma than those in the second layer.

However, Lin Yue no longer needed these basic medicinal herbs. He already had a second-tier martial arts treasure, a first-tier spiritual plant called Soft Tendon Grass, and 10 Star Beast Inner Cores left.

Going to pick these inferior herbs would take half a day, which is really a waste of time and effort.

Within this secret realm, every second is precious.

There are only four and a half days left before the exit of the secret realm closes.

"Time is of the essence!"

Lin Yue looked up at the sky. The blood moon had disappeared, replaced by a bright sun, and the eerie atmosphere of the entire secret realm had lessened considerably.

"If what Wang Teng said is true, the entrance to the Red Moon will open on the fourth day, then there is less than a day and a half left."

"I need to reach at least the fifth floor in a day and a half," Lin Yue thought to himself.

"If you can't even break through such a secret realm, what are you talking about as a Starry Sky Warrior?"

With this thought in mind, Lin Yue's life energy level of 15.4 fully expanded, a powerful force surged through his body, and his pace quickened. His figure moved like a gust of wind, shuttling through the dense forest.

Wang Teng and the other two exerted all their strength to barely keep up with Lin Yue's pace.

"Can you slow down? We're falling behind..." Wang Teng said breathlessly, while his two henchmen behind him were also panting.

They wanted to keep up with Lin Yue, but their physical abilities were far inferior to his.

Therefore, Wang Teng took out his treasured military ration pills, one for each soldier.

"Let's give it our all."

After swallowing the soldier's ration pills, he instantly regained a lot of his energy and strength, and was able to keep up with Lin Yue's pace.

Along the way to the third level, the four encountered many star beasts, but Lin Yue killed them all with a single strike.

If one cut isn't enough, then two cuts will do.

With each slash, Wang Teng and his two henchmen's jaws dropped open, unable to close their mouths.

"Has he broken through again?" Wang Teng sighed inwardly.

"One slash and a star beast is gone; even slicing a radish wouldn't be this easy."

"As expected, once a practitioner of ancient martial arts reaches a certain level, the strength they display is simply incomparable to that of modern cultivation methods."

Wang Teng sighed inwardly. He was cultivating a modern cultivation method, which consumed a lot of resources to barely raise his life energy level to around 13.0, and his martial arts were only at the peak of the first tier.

Lin Yue cultivates ancient martial arts, which not only surpasses his life energy level but also his martial arts realm, which far exceeds that of modern practitioners of the same realm.

"I estimate that Lin Yue's body tempering technique has at least reached the second level..." Thinking of this, Wang Teng couldn't help but gasp, his heart filled with nothing but admiration.

Even in modern cultivation methods, reaching the second level is by no means easy, let alone in ancient martial arts.

"No excellence comes from nothing; it is the result of tremendous effort and hard work."

Meanwhile, outside the Nanyang Secret Realm, in the monitoring room, a group of senior martial arts instructors were gathered around a screen, closely monitoring the activities of the students in the secret realm.

"As expected, the fifth level of the secret realm is already the limit for most people," a veteran martial arts instructor sighed.

The locator showed that many students' progress was slow after entering the fifth floor, and some were even trapped at the entrance of the fifth floor, unable to make any progress.

"However, to be able to reach the fifth floor on the third day, this generation of young people is truly full of talent."

"Especially the students from Tianjing Province, they are indeed far ahead and live up to expectations."

There are a total of 6 students who have made it to the fifth level on the list. Among them, 3 are from Tianjing, 1 is from Yunzhou, 1 is from Jiangsu Province, and 1 is from Nanyang. These three students are all top talents in their respective provinces.

"The students from Yunzhou, Jiangsu Province, and Nanyang are also very good. The fact that they were able to reach the fifth level on the third day is enough to demonstrate their strength and talent."

"What about that student from Jiang Province?" someone asked.

"According to the locator, this student is now advancing at full speed, at an astonishing pace. In less than half a day, he is about to break through the third level, and it is expected that he will enter the fourth level soon."

"Oh? So fast?" A hint of surprise flashed in everyone's eyes, and they quickly said, "Change the screen and take a look at his battle scene."

As soon as he finished speaking, the screen of Room 14 in Zone C came into view, showing Lin Yue's journey through various challenges.

"He's indeed a promising talent; he's so young, yet his strength is already so formidable," someone praised.

"This power is too exaggerated. At the age of 18, his life energy level has probably already exceeded 15, right?" Another teacher carefully observed Lin Yue's combat state, his eyes full of surprise.

"Let's take a look at the students from Tianjing Province. How are they doing on the fifth floor?"

The scene shifts again, now showing the fifth level of the secret realm.

"These are... a pack of Netherworld Wolves?"

"The Nether Wolves are ferocious by nature, extremely fast, and adept at group combat, making them highly powerful. The students of Tianjing Province are in trouble now, having encountered such a formidable group of opponents."

……

Within the secret realm.

3 pm.

Lin Yue led Wang Teng and the other two through numerous challenges and finally reached the entrance to the fourth floor.

Unlike the deserted entrance to the third floor, the entrance to the fourth floor was crowded with students, who gathered in twos and threes with various expressions.

Most of these students were of above-average ability. Apart from the top students who had already ventured into the inner three levels on their own, many students stopped here to wait for the students from their school to join them in exploring the inner three levels together.

Those students with slightly weaker abilities had already left the secret realm after exploring the outer three layers.

They knew that their strength was insufficient to deal with the dangers of the inner three layers. Going further in would not only prevent them from obtaining resources, but they might also become a burden or even lose their lives.

"Lin Yue?"

A familiar voice came from afar. Lin Yue stopped and turned around. He saw two familiar figures standing not far away.

"Xu Beihai, Zhou Minghao?" Lin Yue said, his tone filled with surprise. He hadn't expected to run into students from his own school here.

"Where is this?" Lin Yue asked, looking at the crowd not far away.

"I'm waiting for someone," Zhou Minghao replied.

"Because the danger level of the inner three layers is far greater than that of the outer three layers, it is necessary to travel in groups."

"Furthermore, the secret realm is a mixed bag. Most of the non-members of this school do not trust each other and fight their own battles, making it difficult to form a united force. So, that's how it is."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue understood what was going on.

"In other words, it's like each school's students have built a base camp here."

"Preparing to advance into the inner three layers."

"Not bad." Xu Beihai nodded.

"Who is this?" Zhou Minghao asked, looking at Wang Teng beside him.

"Since you have asked so sincerely, I will mercifully tell you."

"I am Wang Teng, the number one boss of Hehai High School!" Wang Teng said proudly.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Minghao remained completely calm and said indifferently, "I don't know him."

Seeing this, Lin Yue explained:

"He's a friend I met along the way. He's a student from Hohai High School next door, and he's pretty good."

"Oh." Zhou Minghao nodded.

"Not bad." Wang Teng was secretly pleased when he heard these four words.

"Does this mean they acknowledge me?" Wang Teng guessed.

"Since you're the top dog at Hehai High School, you can come with us. Hehai High School's headquarters are right next to our school," Xu Beihai said with a smile.

"This fellow speaks much better," Wang Teng agreed.

……

Soon, Lin Yue and the others, led by Xu Beihai, arrived at the headquarters of Jiangcheng Martial Arts Affiliated Middle School, while Wang Teng returned to the headquarters of Hehai Middle School.

The main base of Jiangcheng Martial Arts Affiliated Middle School, including Lin Yue, has a total of 8 students. Two others had to leave the secret realm early due to injuries.

"Now that everyone is here, let's discuss entering the fourth level of the secret realm."