CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 60: THE ORIGINAL TRUE INTENT

Compared to the first breakthrough into the True Intent Realm with Black Sand Palm, the breakthrough with Crimson Sand Palm into the True Intent Realm brought about a clearly much more intense bodily sensation. Gazing upon the fire poison black sand that he could now easily manipulate, Qi Xiu’s expression bore some enlightenment.

The so-called three realms of the Martial Path: the Tempering Power Realm is the foundation that polishes the physical body and solidifies the physique, preparing for the Condensation Realm. The Condensation Realm is the source; the Inner Qi cultivated is essentially a basic extension of the Divine Marvel. But due to the lack of a core, this power can only reside in the body, arising with strength, unable to unleash the true Divine Marvel Power. And the missing part of that core is the True Intent. With True Intent as the guide and Inner Qi as the source, the two powers fuse into one, allowing one to manipulate the transcendent Divine Marvel. Just like the fire poison black sand in front of Qi Xiu, as well as the tiger phantom that appeared behind the burly man that night.

True Intent itself might be some kind of powerful existence, some ancient mystical object, or even some mysterious phenomena and special states of being. The founders of martial arts, with their supreme wisdom and comprehension, evolved the Divine Marvel contained within into diagrams for martial artists to study. Martial artists who can thoroughly understand the True Intent Diagram and step into the True Intent Realm can communicate and draw upon this Divine Marvel, using their own identically originated Inner Qi as the source of energy, to exert Divine Extraordinary Power.

In fact, the so-called division of martial arts quality is almost entirely down to the difference in the Divine Extraordinary Power contained in the True Intent Diagram. The stronger the martial art, the stronger the Divine Marvel represented by its True Intent Diagram. And for a third-rate martial art like Black Sand Palm, there should have originally been a True Intent Diagram. But due to its weak Divine Marvel, it degenerated into nothingness, its inheritance becoming disorderly. As fewer and fewer people practiced it, the True Intent Diagram was eventually lost, and it completely devolved into a third-rate martial art that could only be cultivated to the Tempering Power Realm, Qi Xiu mused.

Comparing the sensations after Black Sand Palm and Crimson Sand Palm each broke through to the True Intent Realm, there truly are inherent disparities in the quality of martial arts, Qi Xiu silently lamented. However, he soon discovered a new problem.

Crimson Sand Palm was formed from the fusion and recombination of Black Sand Palm and Red Heart Palm. Its Divine Marvel was not the original Divine Marvel of Red Heart Palm or Black Sand Palm, but a new Divine Marvel born from the fusion of the two.

Could it be that I am the creator of this Divine Marvel? After marveling for a moment, Qi Xiu gently pinched his knuckles.

The moment this thought arose, in the very next second, Qi Xiu’s mind suddenly thundered and shook. The black and red gourd that looked as if it were forged from Molten Lava became more vivid, spewing thick black smoke that blanketed the skies, seeming to reshape the world and bring all things to annihilation. The black and red gourd solidified more and more, continuously drawing upon Qi Xiu’s Inner Qi for replenishment. The terrifying suction force instantly swept away all of Qi Xiu’s Inner Qi.

Agonizing, tearing pain wracked him. It feels as if my whole body will be shredded and sucked away by this black and red gourd!

His face ghastly pale, Qi Xiu half-knelt on the ground, bracing himself with one hand as the black and red gourd continued to grow. A deluge of experience and realizations surged within his mind. Suddenly covering his mouth, he spat out a mouthful of blood through his fingers. Qi Xiu’s pupils shrank as he muttered under his breath, "Primitive... True Intent..."

Uttering these two words, Qi Xiu spewed another large mouthful of blood. His face was as pale as paper, his breath weak.

I can’t continue... otherwise, I will certainly die.

Instantly, the proficiency panel appeared in his mind. Without hesitation, Qi Xiu immediately focused his attention on the "Pending Fusion" option behind Crimson Sand Palm. His body felt as if it had been electrified. Qi Xiu could no longer hold on and collapsed backward onto the ground.

On the panel, the words "Crimson Sand Palm" began to vanish. This top-tier martial art was being integrated into the Purple Sun True Purple Golden Skill Diagram like kindling.

Simultaneously, inside Qi Xiu’s mind, the black and red gourd shook incessantly. Having absorbed all of Qi Xiu’s Inner Qi and most of his vitality, the gourd was on the verge of becoming tangible. But because the Crimson Sand Palm had been transformed into proficiency and merged into the Ziyang True Purple Golden Skill, the solidification of the black and red gourd was forcibly halted.

Who would have thought... that the creator of a Divine Marvel True Intent Diagram would receive such an extraordinary honor? Blessed by the heavens, instantly stepping into the Initiate Realm! The reward for comprehending an original True Intent is that the True Intent, upon its birth, directly absorbs Inner Qi and condenses into a Dao Seed. Success hinges on the Dao Seed, but so does failure. Without a True Cultivation Power-level Qi spring, an ordinary martial practitioner’s Inner Qi is simply insufficient to support the condensation of an original True Intent into a Dao Seed. The consequence of this is the complete loss of martial skills, becoming a cripple. Apart from a scroll of a True Cultivation Power Diagram, all that would remain is a latter half of life filled with unattainable desires and bitter regrets, Qi Xiu thought, lying flat on the cold ground, still feeling the aftershocks. Had it not been for my proficiency panel, allowing me to forcibly halt the Black Red Gourd’s condensation into a Dao Seed, all my potential would have been drained. I would have returned to being that weak scholar, perhaps even weaker than before.

However, if one could survive this process, and the original True Intent condensed into a Dao Seed, upon entering the Initiate Realm one could master a Divine Marvel Taoist Skill. And since it derived from personal comprehension, it would be as natural as moving one’s own arm, and could be continuously enriched and strengthened for growth. I suppose only those disciples and heirs of great sects and powerful families, those with extraordinary innate talent and protected by their elders, could survive this life-or-death trial, he mused.

Looking at the Black Red Gourd that had started to disperse again, gradually blurring and fading in his mind, Qi Xiu shook his head with a light chuckle. The original True Intent I just obtained has vanished in less than a quarter of an hour.

With a slight sigh, Qi Xiu relaxed. It mattered little.

Compared to others who require talent, intellect, knowledge, and even luck—a convergence of many factors, a perfect alignment of timing and circumstances—to achieve such a feat, all I need is time. After the Crimson Sand Palm is integrated into the Ziyang True Purple Golden Skill, it will recombine into a new True Cultivation Power. This True Cultivation Power’s True Intent will also be an original True Intent. And it will be stronger than the Black Red Gourd, not just by a little bit. It will be very strong! Because the Crimson Sand Palm, this time, merged with the Ziyang True Purple Golden Skill—which is a True Cultivation Power! A True Cultivation Power that was originally capable of condensing a Dao Seed!

The characters for Crimson Sand Palm became increasingly blurred. The proficiency level of the Purple Sun True Purple Golden Skill Diagram, however, soared just like Red Heart Palm’s had before. A sudden surge of strength was born in his weak and powerless body. In a daze, it felt as if countless red-hot hammers, wielded by numerous blacksmiths, were frantically pounding every corner of his body. A large amount of waste and impurities were squeezed out through his pores, forming a thick cocoon that entirely enwrapped Qi Xiu. His originally smooth skin began to peel off in dead layers, then new layers of skin grew in their place. The muscle fibers, blood vessels, nerves, and bones within his body all began a new round of metamorphosis.

「In an instant, half an hour had passed.」

Qi Xiu suddenly sat up, and the fragments of his black cocoon crumbled all around him. At this moment, he looked like a completely different person. His skin was as smooth as a mirror, without a single flaw visible. His muscles were tight and well-defined; though not bulky, one could plainly feel the extreme and terrifying strength contained within those perfectly proportioned, pure lines.

Looking at his body, as if reborn, Qi Xiu suddenly exerted his Vigor.

HISSS—

His surroundings were suddenly enveloped in Qi Force! An invisible pressure was instantly released, and the dust on the ground stirred up into a wave that spread in all directions.

Like night and day, Qi Xiu thought, clenching his fists and feeling the surging power coursing through his body. I feel like I could shatter a city gate with a single punch!

At that very moment, the Ziyang True Purple Golden Skill began to break through to the Condensation Realm!