Chapter 6: Transcendence

"For real?"

Zhang Dazhuang was somewhat skeptical, but out of trust for Li Musheng, he happily tucked it into his robes and kept it safe.

"The Yu Family Martial Arts Hall has become a place of trouble. It would be best for Brother Zhang to leave as soon as possible and seek another path, lest you be caught in the crossfire."

Li Musheng offered a word of advice, then gave a rare, solemn bow to Zhang Dazhuang

"Thank you for looking after me all these years, Brother Zhang. If fate allows, we shall meet again!"

With that, he didn't hesitate in the slightest; he shouldered his pack and turned to walk out of the martial arts hall.

Seeing this, Zhang Dazhuang reached out as if to say something, but in the end, he said nothing, merely cupping his fists toward Li Musheng’s departing back.

Times had changed. Li Musheng’s martial arts were now profound; the small city of Shun'an could no longer contain him. Besides, a young man should venture out into the world while he still had his youth!

Zhang Dazhuang felt a pang of reluctance. Of everyone in the hall, he and Li Musheng had the best rapport. Now that he was gone, he felt a hollow emptiness in his heart.

But then, a thought struck him, and he couldn't help but sigh

"That kid Ah Sheng hid his skills deep. Turns out I was the only dead weight in the whole hall!"

After a moment, he reached out and pulled out the stack of scrap paper Li Musheng had given him

"I hope this 'Indestructible Vajra Divine Art' is useful. Maybe I can actually make something of myself."

The next moment, his expression shifted, his eyes widening as he stared at the middle of the pages.

There, resting quietly, was a hundred-tael silver banknote!

……

The seven scoundrels of Zhahe had all been rooted out, and the Yu family’s crisis was resolved for the day.

Li Musheng and Yu Zhentian were now square; whatever happened next had nothing to do with him.

In truth, Li Musheng was not from this world. He had accidentally transmigrated into this body when he was five years old.

At the time, he had been taken in by Yu Zhentian and became an apprentice at the martial arts hall.

Although he had spent his childhood doing dirty, grueling work at the hall, he had at least avoided starving or freezing to death on the streets, finding a place of safety.

Moreover, his current martial cultivation had all started in this very hall.

The original owner of the body had indeed possessed terrible talent and was plagued by chronic illness, which was why he had passed away from a fever at the age of five.

However, after Li Musheng transmigrated, the situation changed drastically.

Although Li Musheng came from Blue Star, a world with a fully developed technological tree, he discovered that he possessed a heaven-defying, terrifying aptitude for martial arts.

He could memorize every technique taught in the hall after seeing it only once, mastering it immediately.

Though his natural constitution remained poor, his heaven-defying comprehension allowed him to quickly bring any technique to the realm of perfection.

At the time, it had taken Li Musheng less than a few days to fully master every technique the hall had to offer.

Possessing such terrifying comprehension, he was naturally unsatisfied with the shallow techniques taught there.

But Li Musheng lacked the channels to obtain more powerful martial arts manuals.

So, on a whim, he decided to deduce from the most basic martial arts, preparing to create even more formidable techniques himself.

In the end, he succeeded, and the process hadn't been difficult at all.

For example, from the "Five-Step Fist" taught at the hall, he deduced the "Five Absolutes Heaven-Piercing Divine Fist."

This technique was incredibly fierce; at its peak, a single punch could seal the heavens and earth—its power was terrifying!

Or, for instance, he studied the ordinary "Double-Kick Leg Technique" and realized the "Divine Movement Shadowless Step."

Of course, the leg technique was an offensive art, but Li Musheng took a different path, using it to comprehend a divine movement technique that allowed him to tread on air and move without a trace!

The "Indestructible Vajra Divine Art" he gave to Zhang Dazhuang was naturally also created by Li Musheng.

However, it was a modified version tailored to the other man's specific situation; the true version was called the "Undying Golden Body."

It was only because Zhang Dazhuang lacked Li Musheng’s terrifying comprehension and couldn't learn the original that he had made those deletions and changes.

It was precisely because of this heaven-defying comprehension that Li Musheng didn't need to hunt for top-tier manuals or consume peerless pills to boost his cultivation.

In the martial arts hall of this small city of Shun'an, he simply needed to practice in seclusion, unbothered by the world, to constantly elevate his strength.

Fifteen years passed, and through day after day of practice, Li Musheng reached the pinnacle of the martial path.

One day, when he habitually tried to continue his training, he discovered that all his efforts were yielding no results.

He had reached a point in martial arts where there was no further progress to be made.

However, Li Musheng knew from ancient texts that his current strength was not the true limit; there existed a realm of "Transcendence" beyond the martial path.

Although this realm was ethereal and existed only in legends—with no one having truly stepped into it for a thousand years—Li Musheng decided to try.

After all, he possessed a heaven-defying comprehension that others lacked, and he was still so young; just drifting through life was not in his nature.

The incident at the Yu Family Martial Arts Hall today was merely a catalyst; he had long since harbored the idea of leaving the hall to travel the world and pursue the realm of Transcendence.

By helping the Yu family today, he had repaid his debt of gratitude.

Li Musheng exhaled softly, leaped lightly, and landed atop the walls of Shun'an City.

He gazed at the rolling mountains in the distance, stretching toward the endless horizon, and stretched his back.

"I haven't stepped a foot outside this city in fifteen years. Perhaps I can take this opportunity to experience the different customs of this world; it might be quite interesting."

He stood on the wall for a long while, bidding farewell to the past fifteen years.

From this day forth, he would wander the ends of the earth, and the transcendence of the martial path would be within reach!

……

Before long, Li Musheng withdrew his gaze.

However, he did not leave. Instead, he turned his head to look at a spot beneath the city wall.

"You've been following me for so long; isn't it time to show yourself and say hello?"

There was a patch of shadow from some trees, the light dim and murky. Aside from the occasional gust of wind, there was no movement.

But after a moment, a figure emerged from the shadows, appearing silently beneath the wall.

It was a woman dressed in simple, dark-green martial attire. She was slender, her face covered by a veil, obscuring her true features.

She looked up at Li Musheng on the wall, and after a moment of silence, she spoke

"When did you discover me?"

Li Musheng crossed his arms, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on his lips. He counted on his fingers and said

"Let's see... you've been tailing me for five days. I noticed you from the very first day, but I just didn't make a scene."

Hearing this, the woman beneath the wall narrowed her beautiful phoenix eyes, but she remained silent.

Li Musheng didn't mind, merely observing her as he said

"I don't sense any killing intent from you, yet you've been shamelessly following me..."

As he spoke, he rubbed his chin and laughed

"Could it be that you've taken a liking to me, Miss? Is that why you're chasing me so relentlessly?"