Inside the Sword Tomb.
Wang Xiao held a sharp sword and looked at the ten Grandmaster Elders before him, saying:
"Elders, please instruct me!"
After three years of transformation, Wang Xiao had grown from a child into a young man nearly 1.7 meters tall.
He wore a gray robe, his hair tied up with a Daoist pin. His eyes were like drops of black lacquer, and a few strands of hair fell at his temples, giving him a calm and dignified air, much like a young Grandmaster.
At this moment, he was no longer content with challenging a single Grandmaster; he intended to challenge all ten of them!
Only through such extreme tempering could he take the final step and become a Grandmaster.
In these past three years, relying on his Talent, Analyze All Things, he had long since comprehended every legacy left within the Sword Tomb.
The thirty-six Upper-Grade Martial Arts he had learned had become second nature to him, honed to perfection.
He was just one step away from bringing all of them to the Transformation Realm!
The step from the Grandmaster realm to the next major stage is also known as the Qi and Blood Melting Furnace.
It requires using one's Inner Qi to mobilize the qi and blood within the body, making the entire body like a furnace!
How fiercely this furnace burns depends entirely on how many Upper-Grade Martial Arts one has cultivated to the Transformation Realm!
With each additional art, one's qi and blood will burn even stronger.
And one's future achievements will be greater.
The reason Wang Xiao wanted to bring all thirty-six Upper-Grade Martial Arts to the Transformation Realm simultaneously was to satisfy the other two requirements for breaking through to the Grandmaster realm.
Unbreakable by God, and Immaculate!
The so-called Unbreakable by God does not mean the body is indestructible. Rather, it is having extreme perception and control over the subtle changes in one's body, allowing it to always be maintained in its optimal state!
Even if injured, one would not suffer any internal damage, thus achieving a state of being 'unbreakable'.
As for Immaculate, it can be understood in two parts.
First is 'without leakage,' which doesn't literally mean there are no leaks at all.
Instead, through Cultivation, one connects oneself with Heaven and Earth, like a river connected to the vast ocean.
However much is lost can be instantly replenished, an endless, inexhaustible supply.
This is 'without leakage'!
Second is 'without impurity'.
When impurities appear in the body, they can be instantly metabolized and expelled, achieving a state of pristine cleanliness. This is 'without impurity'.
'Without leakage' and 'without impurity' are, in fact, interconnected.
First, one connects with Heaven and Earth, constantly replenishing what is lost to achieve the 'without leakage' state. Then, during this replenishment, impurities are flushed from the body, achieving the 'without impurity' state.
This cycle repeats, leading to a state of flawless Perfection!
The reason Mu Qingfeng, at the advanced age of seventy-five, could still move like the wind without a hint of senility was precisely because of the Grandmaster traits of being Unbreakable by God and Immaculate.
However, if one were to follow a normal Cultivation Technique, relying on a slow and steady grind to bring Upper-Grade Martial Arts to the Transformation Realm one by one, satisfying the two conditions of Unbreakable by God and Immaculate would require a long period of accumulation and refinement.
This process could take ten, or even twenty, years.
Naturally, Wang Xiao couldn't wait that long.
Therefore, he needed to do it all in one go, to make his own furnace burn at its absolute fiercest!
By doing so, he could shatter his shackles in a single breath, connect himself with Heaven and Earth, and achieve the Immaculate state.
At the same time, he would also be able to perceive and control the subtle changes in his body with greater precision.
Of course, this required the stimulation and insight gained only through real combat!
This was the reason Wang Xiao was fighting all the Elders.
With his current strength, a single Grandmaster Elder could no longer pose a real threat or provide enough stimulation for him!
"We ask for the Sword Son's guidance!"
The Elders all clasped their fists and said.
Sword Son was the Sword Sect's title for the strongest of the younger generation.
It was similar to the titles of Buddha's Son, Daoist, and Saint Son in other Sects.
The Sword Son of the Sword Sect was destined to inherit the position of Sect Leader in the future.
This title also had Mu Qingfeng's tacit approval.
Inner Qi circulated around Wang Xiao's body, emanating a sharp and peerless, brilliant sword might.
In a flash, he moved as fast as wind and thunder, thrusting his sword toward one of the Elders in the blink of an eye!
Seeing this, the other Elders immediately formed a Sword Array and engaged Wang Xiao in a fierce battle.
In an instant, the piercing sound of CLANGING metal, like rolling thunder, echoed throughout the Sword Tomb.
The techniques in Wang Xiao's hands were unpredictable. With each exchange, he polished his Martial Arts.
Dragon Tiger Wind Thunder Sword, Stream of Light Extinction Sword, Nine Dragon Celestial-Slaying Sword, Majestic Dragon Tiger Fist, Vajra Indestructible Body...
Under the pressure of fighting the Elders, his thirty-six Upper-Grade Martial Arts finally broke through their last restriction, all of them reaching the Transformation Realm!
SWOOSH!
At that same moment, the qi and blood throughout Wang Xiao's body seemed to ignite all at once, creating a sound like a thousand rivers flowing into the sea.
Like a dam bursting open, his roiling Inner Qi surged forth, seeming to resonate with Heaven and Earth itself!
Wang Xiao felt as if a bridge had been built between his Dantian and the outside world, Heaven and Earth!
The energy between Heaven and Earth poured into him in an endless stream.
As it replenished his expenditures, it also continuously cleansed his body, expelling all sorts of impurities and waste, leaving his form flawlessly translucent!
"The Sword Son is just one step away from breaking through to the Grandmaster realm! Let's lend him a hand!"
Seeing this, all the Elders brandished their swords and formed a Sword Array!
TWANG!
As the Sword Shadows flickered, they seemed to merge into a gigantic divine dragon!
The searing hum of the swords converged, erupting in a heaven-shaking dragon's roar!
This was the Sword Sect's strongest Sword Array: the Divine Dragon Celestial Spirit Sword Array!
The Divine Dragon Celestial Spirit Sword Array seemed to be everywhere, completely surrounding Wang Xiao!
The pores on Wang Xiao's skin tingled as he felt an ultimate threat approaching.
His eyes flickered. His Talent, Analyze All Things, activated, instantly analyzing the Divine Dragon Celestial Spirit Sword Array.
All sorts of methods to break it flooded into his mind.
In that instant, he felt as if he had gained the ability of internal vision.
The flow of his blood, the pulsing of his meridians, the workings of his Five Viscera—he perceived them all with perfect clarity.
'So this is Unbreakable by God!'
A look of understanding appeared in Wang Xiao's eyes, and the aura around him changed in an instant.
A sky-piercing Sword Intent, under his absolute control of his body, burst forth and poured into his longsword!
He raised his hand and thrust his sword forward violently!
The next moment, a heaven-shaking thunderclap exploded within the Sword Tomb!
The sword light flashed like a bolt of lightning!
The Divine Dragon Celestial Spirit Sword Array was shattered in an instant.
The ten Grandmaster Elders grunted in unison, flying backward, barely able to stay on their feet.
They looked at Wang Xiao, who was sheathing his sword, their eyes filled with shock and joy.
Immediately, they clasped their hands in salute and said in unison:
"Congratulations, Sword Son, on stepping into the realm of a Grandmaster!"
The joy of the Ten Grandmasters was written all over their faces.
An eight-year-old Grandmaster!
Today, they had personally witnessed the birth of a legend.
And this legend was in their very own Sword Sect!
"Thank you, Elders, for lending me your strength to take that final step."
Wang Xiao bowed deeply.
He, too, was inwardly ecstatic.
After eight years of arduous Cultivation, he was now only one step away from the realm of a Martial Saint, the strongest in this world!
"You are too kind, Sword Son. It is our honor to have had the privilege of sparring with you."
"Indeed. Sparring with the Sword Son these past three years has also brought me much enlightenment. I have a feeling I'm not far from advancing to the next stage of the Grandmaster realm myself!"
"Haha! With Sword Qi filling the cosmos, our path will surely prosper! With a figure like the Sword Son in our Sword Sect, our future is bound to be brilliant."
The Grandmasters gathered around Wang Xiao, filled with emotion.
Having spent three years with him, they knew better than anyone just how terrifying Wang Xiao's Talent was.
Not even Wu Shengtiang, hailed as the number one expert in Martial Arts today, could compare to him at this age.
"Well said. Xiao'Er, you truly haven't disappointed me. You've stepped into the Grandmaster realm even faster than I imagined!"
An ethereal, fairy-like figure slowly walked into the Sword Tomb.
It was none other than the Sect Leader, Mu Qingfeng.
"Greetings, Sect Leader."
Wang Xiao and the ten Grandmaster Elders all paid their respects.
Mu Qingfeng walked up to Wang Xiao and said:
"Xiao'Er, you brought thirty-six Upper-Grade Martial Arts to the Transformation Realm simultaneously to achieve the rank of Grandmaster. Such a feat is truly unprecedented."
"Have you thought about how you will walk the path to becoming a Martial Saint?"