Chapter 575 - 568: The Return
"Not right now? Does that mean it’s possible in the future?"
Lei Yi asked.
"That’s hard to say. For the Martial Dao, anything is possible. Even life and death can be overcome," Zhou Yuanjue said with a smile.
"In that case, with an ability like that, as long as you’re there to act as a Protector, couldn’t you guarantee that no one attempting a breakthrough meets with an accident? Wouldn’t it even greatly reduce the difficulty of the breakthrough itself?" Lei Yi said gravely.
He had fallen into the Three Rivers Return Path, yet Zhou Yuanjue had managed to pull him back. Didn’t that mean that for anyone attempting a breakthrough to the Saint Awakening or even King Level, having Zhou Yuanjue as their Protector would drastically lower the difficulty?
He might even be able to directly help top-tier Martial Artists stuck before the Life and Death Mysterious Gate, allowing them to break through the barrier!
The implications of such an ability were simply immense. It meant that Zhou Yuanjue alone could single-handedly elevate the limits of life for most of humanity—an achievement far beyond anything at the Saint Awakening Level.
"Theoretically, that’s correct."
"If I wanted to, I could very likely protect them and ensure a safe breakthrough. But I won’t do that," Zhou Yuanjue said, nodding.
"Why?"
Confusion flickered in Lei Yi’s eyes.
"First, I don’t have that much time to do something like that. Second, have you forgotten about the Celestial Demons?" Zhou Yuanjue said.
Upon hearing this, Lei Yi instantly understood.
Celestial Demons: beings who relied on special abilities to break their limits. They knew the "how" but not the "why." Consequently, at the same level, their combat power was no match for a Martial Artist’s, and advancing their realm became exceedingly difficult.
If a Martial Artist were to break through under someone else’s protection, they would become just like a Celestial Demon. In the eyes of a true expert, they would be nothing more than an empty shell.
"Taking shortcuts comes at a price," Zhou Yuanjue said. "On the path of evolution, once you accept another’s help, you’ll never be able to do without it. And it’s not just a spiritual flaw."
"But as more humans break through the second shackle, someone is bound to use this method to help their juniors, family, and friends. Taking shortcuts is human nature," Lei Yi lamented. "It’s just like modern society. It’s long past being an era where only ability matters. Family, background, status, and power ultimately make a difference. True fairness doesn’t exist."
"No. Fairness might not exist elsewhere, but the Martial Dao is absolutely fair. Every extra step you walk on the path brings an extra measure of insight, an extra bit of resolve, and an extra degree of strength. That is something no family or status can ever change."
"Because the Martial Dao is the cultivation of the self. And no one can truly help you understand yourself but you."
"I won’t meddle in what others do, but as the first human to break the shackles, I must establish the right values for posterity."
"Therefore, I will point them in the right direction, and even create the path for them. But to walk that path, they must rely on their own strength."
"Whether they live or die, succeed or fail—it must all be their own doing. Only then can they have no regrets and no reservations."
Zhou Yuanjue’s expression was calm as he spoke, but his words were as heavy as stone. "In the cultivation of the self, there are no shortcuts."
"I hope your approach works," Lei Yi sighed. The young man before him was both familiar and strange. He had now completely transformed, like a flood dragon molting into a Divine Dragon, poised high in the heavens to lead the world.
"Alright, enough talk," Zhou Yuanjue said. "Once you’ve rested, we’ll start the next phase of testing. We need to get the intensity of this pull into a suitable range as quickly as possible."
...
...
「Another week passed.」
Zhou Yuanjue and Lei Yi became completely engrossed in their experiments, wasting no time as they continuously explored and tested.
Finally, they managed to control the guiding Magnetic Field Power, bringing it into a suitable range.
It could briefly draw the soul of a top-tier Martial Artist from their body without causing them to become trapped in the Three Rivers Return Path.
Although it was only for a brief instant, that moment of hovering between life and death was enough for a top-tier Martial Artist to understand how to break through the threshold that bound them.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yuanjue had also begun to codify this method for cultivating the guiding magnetic field. He combined it with esoteric Martial Dao methods like acupuncture, Heart Techniques, and fist forms, preliminarily condensing it all into a unique Secret Technique.
By cultivating this Secret Technique, even Martial Artists who had not mastered Magnetic Field Power could gradually generate this magnetic field within their bodies. Then, upon reaching their limit, they could activate it to connect with the magnetic field of the Three Rivers Return Path.
However, since it was only a preliminary creation, it still required a period of verification.
Drawing inspiration from the "life-and-death reincarnation" aspect of the Three Rivers Return Path, Zhou Yuanjue named it the Reincarnation Technique.
During that week, the Forest Race Ancestral Land suffered no attacks, and the situation in the Black Continent gradually stabilized.
Now that the Reincarnation Technique experiment was a success and he had broken through to the Primordial Realm, Zhou Yuanjue had many insights to consolidate and develop further. It was no longer appropriate for him to remain in the Black Continent.
Moreover, with several Ancestral Realm Spirit Guardian experts gathered there now, their abilities were specialized against Celestial Demons. Even if an unexpected incident occurred, they could use the Ancestral Land’s advantages to hold out safely until he arrived as reinforcement.
Therefore, Zhou Yuanjue and his Donghua compatriots took their leave of the Forest Race and the Ancestral Realm experts. Met by a special operations team from Donghua, they began their journey back to Donghua.
...
...
「One day later. Shangjing Prefecture, Secret Inspection Bureau Headquarters.」
The scorching sun hung high overhead. On a wide military helipad, a group of people craned their necks in anticipation as a military helicopter slowly approached from the distance.
Most of the Secret Inspection Bureau staff gazed at the helicopter, their eyes filled with immense reverence.
After the recent developments, the situation in the Black Continent was all but settled. In the international community, thanks to that public challenge, Zhou Yuanjue’s fame had reached its zenith.
The Strongest Human in History.
God of the Earth.
God’s Weapon.
...
Countless titles were placed upon his name, shining like a crown.
If news of Zhou Yuanjue’s return to the country were to be released, it would undoubtedly set off a media firestorm across the globe.
Because right now, he was the focus of the world. No celebrity, no single individual in human history, could compare to his influence.
Several people stood beside the helipad, among them Zhou Yuanjue’s assistant, Ning Muqing.
And in front of her stood two other people.
One of them was Chen Qingmu, dressed in a cyan robe, with a head of white hair and a beard, yet possessing a youthful complexion.
Beside Chen Qingmu stood a figure who was a complete stranger to Ning Muqing.
He was tall and powerfully built, with a resolute face and a mane of messy hair cascading down his back, giving him a wild, untamable aura. Most striking of all were his eyes: a pair of double pupils.
The man’s figure appeared ordinary, but Ning Muqing knew the truth. His form had just materialized out of the void, as if he had traveled through time and space to arrive here. It was completely beyond her comprehension.
This man was the Chief Commissioner of the Secret Inspection Bureau, Tang Lin.