Chapter 641: Discussion
At the exact moment their fists collided, Wang Hanshan clearly sensed an extremely overbearing, scorching energy hidden within Xu Wuyi’s Fist Force.
Not only was the destructive power of that energy astonishing, but it also carried the Intention of incinerating everything in its path. If Xu Wuyi had unleashed it with full force, Wang Hanshan’s left hand would have suffered far more than just a superficial burn.
Xu Wuyi did not deny it.
He had indeed pulled back thirty percent of his strength at the last second. It wasn’t out of mercy, but rather because a spar should stop before actual harm was done. Besides, Wang Hanshan hadn’t necessarily used his full strength in that punch either.
"You use your Gravity Manipulation quite ingeniously," Wang Hanshan continued. "Instead of applying it directly to me, you altered the Gravity at my foothold to disrupt my exertion rhythm. This is the first time I’ve seen such a method."
"I’ve had similar experiences before," Xu Wuyi said.
Wang Hanshan smiled. He walked over to the stone table, sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and downed it in one gulp. Xu Wuyi followed and sat opposite him.
Wang Hanshan set his teacup down and looked at Xu Wuyi. "Your concept of ’heaviness’ is different from mine. My ’heaviness’ seeks inward, completely integrating the Power of Heart Image into my physical body so that every inch of flesh and blood weighs a thousand pounds. The advantage of this is concentrated power and strong Explosive Power, but the drawback is a lack of agility and limited variation.
"Your ’heaviness’ seeks outward, controlling external Gravity to form a Domain. The advantage is that it is highly versatile, capable of both offense and defense. However, the downside is that it consumes a great deal of Spirit, and its intensity is limited."
Xu Wuyi nodded. "You are right, Senior. I have also been wondering how to walk further down this path of ’heaviness’."
"You’ve already walked very far," Wang Hanshan said. "To be able to fuse the Gravity and Flame Rules to such a degree at twenty-three... in my sixty-seven years of life, you are the first."
Xu Wuyi remained silent for a moment before asking, "How do you think my path can be improved, Senior?"
Wang Hanshan didn’t answer immediately. He poured himself another cup of tea and drank it slowly, as if deep in thought. After a long while, he finally spoke.
This sixty-seven-year-old veteran Quasi-Grandmaster had experienced countless battles and guided countless juniors. Yet now, faced with Xu Wuyi’s question, he showed rare hesitation.
"Your path..." Wang Hanshan began slowly, weighing his words. "Fundamentally speaking, there is nothing wrong with it." He stood up and paced the clearing with his hands behind his back. "While fusing Gravity Manipulation and Flame Rules is rare, it isn’t completely unprecedented. However, the level to which you’ve integrated them has already surpassed the vast majority of people."
He stopped pacing and turned to look at Xu Wuyi. "To be honest, with your current accumulation, if you just take it step by step, reaching the Grandmaster Realm will be as easy as taking something out of your pocket. In as fast as three years, or five years at most, you will definitely become a Grandmaster."
This was an incredibly high appraisal. Grandmaster was the true pinnacle of the Federation’s Martial Arts. Countless Quasi-Grandmasters spent their entire lives unable to cross that threshold, forever lingering at the door until their Qi and Blood declined, dying full of regrets. Yet, Wang Hanshan confidently stated that Xu Wuyi would enter the Grandmaster Realm within three to five years. This wasn’t mere flattery; it was a judgment based on sixty-seven years of life experience.
But Xu Wuyi didn’t show any sign of joy.
He fell silent for a moment, then raised his head. "Senior, I also feel that I’m not far from becoming a Grandmaster. But precisely because I’m so close, I feel even more distinctly that I’m still missing something."
Wang Hanshan frowned slightly. "Missing what?"
"I don’t know." Xu Wuyi shook his head. "It’s because I don’t know that I came to visit you, Senior. It’s like... like a painting," he continued after a pause. "The lines and colors are all perfect, but it always feels like it lacks the soul needed to bring it to life."
𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
Wang Hanshan didn’t reply right away. He sat back down and picked up his teacup, though this time he didn’t drink, only held it in his hands. Sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting mottled shadows between the two of them. The intermittent chirping of mountain birds in the distance added a touch of vitality to the serene silence. After a long pause, Wang Hanshan finally spoke.
"I had that same feeling when I was younger," he said. Xu Wuyi looked at him.
"I had just become a Quasi-Grandmaster not long before that, and I had trained my Mountain-Smashing Fist to the eighth layer. I believed I had few rivals among my peers." Wang Hanshan’s gaze grew somewhat distant, as if reminiscing about the past. "But after every fight, I always felt like I was lacking something. It wasn’t that my strength was insufficient, nor was it that my Techniques weren’t refined; it was just... missing something."
He took a sip of tea and continued, "My master told me back then that it was because my Heart Image hadn’t fully taken shape. Going from Quasi-Grandmaster to Grandmaster isn’t an accumulation of power; it’s the transformation of the Heart Image. Until that transformation is complete, that sense of lack will always persist."
Xu Wuyi listened intently.
Wang Hanshan shifted gears. "But your situation is different from mine back then. At that time, my Heart Image was unformed and my power was superficial. But your Heart Image is ridiculously stable—even more solid than that of many veteran Quasi-Grandmasters." He looked at Xu Wuyi, his eyes filled with scrutiny. "That sense of lack you’re talking about isn’t an issue with your Heart Image. It’s your own feeling that something is still missing."
Xu Wuyi remained silent.
Wang Hanshan was right. That sense of lack wasn’t a flaw on the level of his Heart Image; it was a perception deep within his own heart. The Golden Crow Heart Image had perfectly integrated into the great marsh, and the fusion of his two Rules had reached a point of natural progression. By any objective standard, there was absolutely nothing wrong with his Heart Image.
Yet, he still felt that something was missing.
"I understand," Xu Wuyi said. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior."
Wang Hanshan waved his hand. "I didn’t guide you on anything. I just spoke some nonsense." He stood up and dusted himself off. "Since you’re here, stay a few more days. It’s quiet here in the mountains, perfect for training. We can spar a few more times during the day, and you can sit in meditation at night. Who knows, maybe you’ll figure it out at some point."
Xu Wuyi didn’t decline. "Then I’ll impose on you, Senior."
"Impose? Nonsense." Wang Hanshan laughed. "I live alone in these mountains; I rarely even have anyone to talk to. Those disciples of mine barely visit a few times a year, and when they do, they’re always in a rush. I couldn’t be happier to have you stay a few days."
He pointed to the back of the house. "There are two guest rooms in the back that are usually empty. Tidy one up for yourself and stay as long as you like."
"Okay."
...
By evening, Xu Wuyi had finished cleaning up the guest room.
The room was small and simply furnished with a wooden bed, a desk, and a chair. The window faced the bamboo forest on the back mountain. Pushing it open, one could hear the RUSTLE of bamboo leaves. He leaned the Liaoyuan Long Spear against the bed and sat down at the desk.
Outside the window, the sky was gradually darkening. The bamboo forest swayed in the evening breeze, emitting a soft sound.
Xu Wuyi closed his eyes and entered a state of meditation. Within his sea of consciousness, the dark gold marsh rose and fell slowly. Deep in the heart of the marsh, the Golden Crow Illusion hovered quietly, no different from its state during the day.