I Can Replicate Martial Arts

Just as everyone was wildly speculating, Zhao Rui, who had just emerged from secluded cultivation on Qingcheng Mountain, also heard the news.

"I’m afraid this Exotic Beast wasn’t brought by the Great Zhou. If it belonged to them, the war wouldn’t have gone this way, not with its power alone," Zhao Rui said after a moment of contemplation, looking at Master Weichen.

"Without satellites, we have to rely solely on ground-based radar. Our surveillance capabilities are limited, and missile accuracy and guidance are severely affected. I’m afraid..."

Master Weichen paused. Though he left the sentence unfinished, his meaning was perfectly clear.

The battles ahead would not be easy.

"If this giant dragon isn’t connected to the Great Zhou, then after this battle, they will likely have to reconsider their attitude toward us. After all, the Great Shang is still watching us like a tiger stalking its prey."

"You have a point. Alas, in these chaotic times, even we who walk the path of cultivation cannot find peace."

"Come, drink your tea. Let us enjoy this rare moment of tranquility."

Sect Leader Weichen gathered his sleeves, picked up his teacup, and gestured for Zhao Rui to try the fresh tea.

Zhao Rui smiled, lifted his cup, and took a sip. The flavor was rich and mellow, neither bitter nor astringent. ’Truly a fine tea,’ he thought.

"Sect Leader, General Wang summons you to the Capital!"

Just then, a disciple came striding over, bowing as he spoke to Master Weichen.

"To the Capital?" Master Weichen asked, taken aback. "Why would they invite an old Daoist like me? Did they say what it’s for?"

"They didn’t say over the phone, only that you must get to the Capital as soon as possible, Sect Leader."

"Alright. I understand."

Master Weichen waved his hand, dismissing the disciple. He then stroked his beard and mused, "It seems the government has finally realized that to resist the Great Zhou, they must ultimately rely on the power of the Martial Dao."

"That’s a good thing. In these chaotic times, might makes right. Whether we choose it or not, people like us were always destined to take center stage."

Master Weichen gave a faint smile, as if he had anticipated this all along. In the past, cooperation between the government and the various sects had been good, but all decision-making power remained in the government’s hands.

In the end, the sects of the Martial Arts world were treated as little more than hired muscle.

At the end of the day, the top masters of these sects were not, after all, "native" to Blue Star.

But now the situation had changed. The starkly different outcomes of two particular campaigns—the Coastal Defense and the Pacific Ocean Interdiction—would likely force the government to re-evaluate the importance of the various Martial Dao sects.

During the Coastal Defense, because True Dharma Masters were there to engage the High-tier Beasts, the losses, frankly, were not severe. At the very least, the bulk of their forces had been preserved, and they had even repelled the Exotic Beasts’ attack.

In contrast, the Pacific Ocean Interdiction, which had deployed the most modern weapons such as warships, had been a humiliating rout.

The difference lay with the High-tier Beasts—the top-tier combat power. With no one to tie down those elite threats, relying purely on suppressing them with heavy firepower, it was nearly impossible to breach their defenses.

Sometimes, top-tier combat power was a far greater deterrent than one might imagine.

"The government’s compromise and the Great Zhou’s retreat were within my expectations. It is this Celestial Patrol Beast, however, that truly surprised me..."

"According to ancient legend, the Twenty-Eight Dragon Subduing Palms was created by a great sage of old. He chanced upon a true dragon, observed its form, imitated its movements, and captured its divine essence to create an unparalleled Palm Technique."

"Could it be that after the return of Gui Xu, this Divine Dragon followed and also entered Blue Star?"

"Or, to put it another way, is this Celestial Patrol Beast the Divine Dragon itself?"

Master Weichen paused for a moment, a hint of worry in his eyes.

A Divine Dragon that could fly into the Cosmos and roam freely—what an immensely powerful being that must be.

If such a force were controllable, it would be one thing. But if it were uncontrollable, would it not pose an immense danger?

"It’s no matter. The Martial Dao is without limit. If a Divine Dragon truly exists, wouldn’t it open a door for us Martial Artists to glimpse an even higher plane of Martial Arts?"

Zhao Rui’s eyes burned, filled with fighting spirit.

’A Divine Dragon?’

’More likely an Exotic Beast,’ he thought.

Seeing Zhao Rui’s dauntless spirit, Master Weichen couldn’t help but break into a carefree smile. He didn’t know the full extent of Zhao Rui’s current power, but he knew he was at least a master of the Domain Realm.

With Zhao Rui on Qingcheng Mountain, the sect was as steady as Taishan itself.

The two did not speak much longer. Master Weichen quickly made his preparations and then set off for the Capital.

Over the next week, the Great Zhou army vanished without a trace. Neither radar nor dispatched patrol ships could find any sign of them.

Even the mysterious, dragon-shaped entity that had appeared before did not show itself again.

The pervasive atmosphere of panic finally began to ease.

At the same time, the sect leaders of the various major sects, with Shaolin at their head, also returned from the Capital to their respective homes.

This trip to the Capital had won them the government’s genuine recognition, and some of the top-tier sects were even granted partial power to participate in political decision-making.

Most importantly, the various sect leaders were also bestowed with specific honorary titles.

This was, of course, a good thing for the many sects.

From now on, at least in terms of status, these Martial Dao masters from the Gui Xu Song Realm were considered to be thoroughly integrated into the social fabric of Blue Star’s Central Plains.

Spring came, the flowers bloomed, and all was calm.

After the Great Zhou Fleet’s retreat, this long-awaited peace lasted for nearly half a year.

This lasted until a pack of Exotic Beasts abruptly appeared on the surface of the East Sea, brazenly hunting various species of fish.

The military immediately dispatched experts to the relevant waters to investigate.

They discovered that these were not a pack of beasts controlled by some other power, but rather a group of Exotic Beasts that had gradually drifted over with the ocean currents after the return of Gui Xu.

Although these Exotic Beasts had not directly attacked the mainland of the Central Plains, their very presence severely affected the coastal fishing industry.

And so, a massive Beast Hunting campaign, jointly organized by the Martial Arts Association and the various Martial Arts sects, was launched across numerous coastal waters.