funbook-pk Chapter 56 The Three Swords of the Divine Gate
Chapter 56 The Three Swords of the Divine Gate
The night was as deep and still as water.
Ma Cong sat cross-legged on his bed in the dormitory, but this time, he did not enter the martial arts space.
His consciousness was focused on the system panel, and a hint of undisguised joy was on his face.
Just now, as he walked back to his dormitory and closed the door, a series of system notification sounds exploded in his mind like fireworks.
【Ding! 】
[Host detected to have completed the epic event "Breaking the Sword with One Finger, Shaking the World," which has played a decisive role in advancing the "Rectification of Chinese Martial Arts" mission!]
[Mission completion rate has received a huge boost!]
[Current task progress: 5.0% → 25.0%!]
[Congratulations, host! You have exceeded the target for the first stage of the main quest, "Making a Name for Yourself"!]
[Interim settlement is underway...]
[Congratulations, host! You have received a stage-specific epic reward!]
[Rewards being distributed...]
[1. Gain 50000 Martial Arts Points!]
[2. The system shop has been fully upgraded, offering more premium redemption items!]
[3. Unlock the new system section: "Martial Arts Forge"!]
[4. Obtain one "Martial Arts Initiation" opportunity (Perfect Level)!]
Looking at this series of rewards that could be described as luxurious to extravagant, even Ma Cong, with his calm demeanor, couldn't help but feel his heart race.
"It's big...this time it's really big!"
He suppressed his excitement and carefully examined each item one by one.
First, let's look at the task progress.
25.0%!
A single live-streamed competition caused the progress bar to jump by 20 percentage points!
The results were far better than he had expected.
"It seems that the shock brought by the scene of 'breaking a sword with one finger' is indeed nuclear-level," Ma Cong thought to himself.
This kind of scene, which defies common sense and is almost miraculous, has an impact that is incomparable to the previous "simple fighting ability".
This gave him a clearer understanding of the direction of the mission ahead.
Not only must they be able to fight, but they must also fight in a way that is "divine" and "mysterious," so that no one can understand them and can only choose to respect and believe them.
Next are martial arts points.
Fifty thousand points!
He had worked hard, challenging other martial arts schools and participating in competitions, but he had only accumulated less than a thousand points. Later, he was rewarded with five thousand points for his achievements in the military, but before he could even enjoy them, he spent a lot of them studying Tai Chi in the martial arts space.
Now, they've given me 50,000 all at once!
He felt like he had instantly gone from being penniless to becoming a billionaire.
"Has the system store been upgraded?"
With a thought, he opened the system store.
Sure enough, the entire mall interface became more gorgeous, with a dazzling array of products that made his eyes dazzled.
In addition to the previous cultivation techniques, pills, and martial arts space time cards, there were many more things he had never dared to imagine before.
[Divine Weapon Pavilion]: The Heaven-Slaying Sword, the Dragon-Slaying Saber, Zhanlu, Chun Jun... all sorts of legendary divine weapons are on display. However, the prices are astronomical, with the cheapest starting at 100,000 martial arts points.
[Medicine Shop]: Marrow Cleansing Pill (Advanced), Great Rejuvenation Pill, Nine-Turn Golden Pill... all kinds of miraculous medicines that can transform the body and bring the dead back to life, and they are also quite expensive.
【Strange Treasures】: Tian Shan snow lotus (thousand years old), human-shaped He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum), Bodhi seeds... all kinds of rare and precious materials are available.
"Good heavens, is this going to lead me down the path of cultivating immortality?" Ma Cong exclaimed in astonishment.
However, while these things are good, they are still too far away for him at this stage.
His gaze fell on the third reward.
[The Martial Arts Furnace]
This is a brand new section.
Curious, he clicked inside, and a huge furnace, burning with raging flames, appeared in his mind.
[Martial Arts Furnace: This ability can fuse and refine multiple martial arts techniques mastered by the host, eliminating the dross and retaining the essence, to create entirely new martial arts techniques unique to the host.]
[Note: Fusing martial arts techniques requires a large amount of martial arts points and carries a certain risk of failure. The more martial arts techniques fused, and the higher their grade, the more points are consumed, and the lower the success rate.]
This is great!
Ma Cong's eyes lit up immediately.
This is exactly what he needs right now!
He now possesses mastery of four top-tier internal martial arts styles: Bajiquan, Xingyiquan, Baguaquan, and Taijiquan. Although he can use them all with ease, they are still independent of each other.
He had a vague idea before that he wanted to combine the power of these four boxing styles into one.
Now, the system has given him a tool to realize this idea!
If the essence of these "Four Great Internal Martial Arts" could be completely integrated to create a brand new style of boxing that combines the strengths of all four, its power would be...
He simply couldn't believe it!
Finally, his gaze fell on the fourth item, which was also the reward that most excited him.
【Martial Arts Initiation (Perfect Level)】
He had previously received both primary and advanced initiations.
From beginner to master.
Advanced level, reaching the Grandmaster level.
So what kind of level is this "perfect level"?
[Ding! Perfect-level empowerment, allowing the host to directly elevate a martial art to the 'Martial Arts Godhood' realm, completely mastering the fundamental laws of that martial art, and binding it to the host's soul, making it instinctive.]
Martial Arts and Spirituality!
Ma Cong's heart skipped a beat.
This is already beyond the realm of "Grandmaster"!
If the Grandmaster represents the pinnacle of "technique," then "divine mastery" is perhaps the true threshold of "the Way."
"Use the 'Martial Arts Initiation (Perfect Level)' opportunity now?" the system prompted.
"Use it!" Ma Cong said without hesitation.
"Please select the martial art to be initiated."
On the system panel, the two options, 【Xingyiquan】 and 【Taijiquan】, were highlighted.
His Bajiquan and Baguazhang are already at the "Grandmaster" level, and he can't improve any further for the time being.
He is currently a "Grandmaster" of Xingyiquan, but he only grasped the basics of Taijiquan through his own understanding, and he doesn't even qualify as a "Grandmaster" yet.
"I choose... Tai Chi!" Ma Cong made his decision.
Xingyiquan emphasizes combat and is characterized by its wide, sweeping movements, which overlaps somewhat with the characteristics of Bajiquan.
Tai Chi Chuan emphasizes "Tao," "inclusiveness," and "continuous life."
He had a vague feeling that elevating Tai Chi to its ultimate level would be crucial for his future integration of various martial arts styles and the creation of his own "Tao".
[Selection successful.]
[The Tai Chi Chuan (Zhang Sanfeng original version) initiation ceremony is about to begin.]
[This empowerment is of the perfect level and will transform the host's soul essence. Please keep your mind clear and comprehend the Great Dao.]
"confirm!"
With a thought from Ma Cong.
An experience completely different from the previous two initiations descended upon me.
There is no overwhelming flood of information, no excruciating pain of physical tearing.
There was only... tranquility.
Ma Cong felt as if his consciousness had detached from his body and drifted into the endless void.
He saw a disheveled Taoist priest, dressed in tattered robes, drawing one "circle" after another in the mountains, by the streams, and above the sea of clouds, day after day, year after year.
He witnessed the birth of the universe, the movement of the stars, and the birth and death of all things.
He witnessed the alternation of yin and yang, the transformation of hardness and softness, and the cycle of life and death.
All the principles of boxing, all the moves, and all the variations in force all lose their meaning at this moment.
What he realized was only one most fundamental and core word—"circle".
Heaven and earth are a great circle.
The human body is a small circle.
One breath in and one breath out, it's a circle.
The arising and ceasing of a single thought is also a circle.
The circle is Tai Chi.
Tai Chi is the universe.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but when Ma Cong opened his eyes again, the night outside the window was still deep and dark.
But in his eyes, the whole world had changed.
He can "see" the movement of the air, "hear" the breathing of the dust, and "feel" the pulse of the earth beneath his feet.
His body remained unchanged.
But his "spirit" has already subtly merged with this world.
He slowly stretched out his hand, his five fingers spread wide.
A ray of moonlight, as if drawn by a force, gathered in his palm, forming a soft sphere of light.
"Is this... the realm of 'divine connection'?"
Ma Cong stared at the ball of light in his palm and muttered to himself.
He knew that from this moment on, he had embarked on a path completely different from that of all other martial artists.
One path, leading to true immortality... the path of martial arts.
He opened his personal panel again.
[Host: Ma Cong]
[Realm Level: Transformation (Entering the Inner Chamber)]
[Mastering martial arts:]
[Tai Chi Chuan (Martial Arts to Divinity): The fundamental principles have been mastered.]
[Bajiquan (Grandmaster): Has mastered Ming Jin (manifest strength), An Jin (hidden strength), and Hua Jin (neutralizing strength).]
[Baguazhang (Grandmaster): Mastered Ming Jin, An Jin, and Hua Jin.]
[Xingyiquan (Grandmaster): Has mastered Ming Jin (manifest strength) and An Jin (hidden strength).]
[Martial arts points: 50000]
Looking at the glittering "Martial Arts Proficiency" sign, Ma Cong took a deep breath.
He knew that his new journey had just begun.
But right now, he has more important things to do.
"System, activate the 'Martial Arts Forge'!"