The Grand Elder slowly withdrew his Martial Will.
"The difference between Martial Intent and Martial Will isn't as complicated as people think," he said calmly. "Martial Intent is your understanding, while Martial Will is the manifestation of that understanding. Once your will can truly interfere with both the physical world and the spiritual world, you've stepped into Martial Will."
He looked at Lin Sheng, who was already sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.
"At that stage, it's possible to leave your will inside an attack. You can even seal it within a talisman so that someone else can unleash that strike later. A sufficiently powerful Martial Will can even influence natural phenomena to a certain extent."
Old Liang nodded quietly.
Martial artists who had reached that realm could truly be called Grandmasters.
Lin Sheng, meanwhile, had already entered deep contemplation.
Crystal continuously replayed every word the Grand Elder had spoken while combining it with the battle against the Flood Dragon.
Martial Intent...
Martial Will...
One was comprehension.
The other was the complete expression of that comprehension.
He finally understood why the Grand Elder's attacks had felt so real. It wasn't an illusion at all. His Martial Will had already affected both reality and the spirit simultaneously.
Seeing Lin Sheng fall into another state of contemplation so quickly, Old Liang could only smile bitterly.
"I really brought a monster here."
The Grand Elder chuckled.
"His comprehension is indeed frightening."
His eyes then drifted toward Lin Shou, who was still cultivating peacefully nearby.
"My Martial Will follows the path of blazing Yang and fire. Lin Shou's Intent happens to be extremely compatible with mine, so teaching him is naturally much easier."
Old Liang nodded in understanding.
"So that's why you accepted him personally."
The Grand Elder merely smiled before gesturing for Old Liang to follow him outside.
The two walked a short distance away so they wouldn't disturb the two juniors.
Once they were outside, the smile on the Grand Elder's face gradually disappeared.
"The situation in the Eastern Region has become much more complicated than before."
Old Liang's expression immediately turned serious.
"The Seven Star Palace and the Purple Extremity Dan Sect have entered an unofficial conflict. Although neither side has openly declared war, the forces beneath them have already begun attacking each other over territories, resources and influence."
Old Liang frowned.
"I knew things were becoming tense, but I didn't think it had reached this point."
The Grand Elder nodded.
"Our Lin Family belongs to the Dao Reaching Sect, which has chosen to remain neutral. Because of that, I suspect both the Flood Dragon incident and the Shadow Ghost Hall's schemes were meant to drag us into this conflict."
Old Liang's eyes narrowed.
"So the Flood Dragon wasn't simply an accident."
"I don't believe so."
He folded his hands behind his back.
"If Dragon Yuan Mountain had suffered heavy losses, our family would've been forced to seek support. Once that happened, neutrality would have become impossible."
Old Liang remained silent for a moment before asking, "Is there any way to divert their attention from us?"
"Not much," the Grand Elder replied honestly. "Fortunately, the Flood Dragon eventually broke free of whoever was controlling it. That alone will keep many people's attention occupied. Besides, now that I've revealed my strength, anyone planning to move against the Lin Family will have to think twice. They'll retreat for now and wait until they come up with a better plan."
Old Liang finally let out a sigh of relief.
---
Several hours passed before the quiet atmosphere inside the cave abode was finally disturbed.
Lin Shou slowly opened his eyes.
The scorching Yang aura surrounding his body gradually receded before disappearing completely. He exhaled a long breath, and the spiritual qi around him settled back into calmness.
Ever since the Grand Elder had come out of seclusion and accepted him as a personal disciple, most of his time had been spent cultivating within this cave abode.
The reason the Grand Elder had given was simple—compatibility.
Although Lin Shou still didn't fully understand what that meant, he wasn't foolish enough to reject the opportunity.
A man capable of forcing back a Rank Four Flood Dragon had personally offered to take him as a disciple.
There was no reason in the world to refuse.
As he stood up, his eyes immediately fell on the figure seated not far away.
"Lin Sheng..."
A trace of surprise flashed across his face.
He hadn't expected to see him here.
However, he quickly composed himself. If the Grand Elder had brought Lin Sheng here personally, then there had to be a reason.
Not far away, the Grand Elder stood with his hands behind his back, quietly watching the two of them without saying a word.
Another hour passed.
Only then did Lin Sheng slowly open his eyes.
The wind and lightning intent surrounding him had become noticeably calmer than before. It no longer carried the unstable feeling it once had. Although it hadn't reached the level of Martial Will, it had finally stabilized within the Realm of Realisation.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
The Grand Elder's guidance had been worth every moment.
At the very least, he now knew the direction he needed to walk.
His Martial Intent still lacked form.
If he wanted to step into Martial Will, then his intent first had to become something tangible.
Fortunately...
He wasn't like ordinary martial artists.
Most people who comprehended Martial Intent could only fumble forward blindly, slowly discovering what shape their intent should eventually take.
He was different.
Crystal had perfectly recorded the Flood Dragon's battle.
The fusion of wind and lightning...
The way those two forces merged into a single destructive phenomenon...
He already had a reference.
He simply needed enough time to understand it.
Standing up, Lin Sheng cupped his fists respectfully.
"Thank you for your guidance, Grand Elder."
The Grand Elder smiled faintly.
"Have you gained enough?"
Lin Sheng nodded.
"I have."
Beside him, Lin Shou also bowed.
"This disciple has also benefited greatly."
The Grand Elder looked satisfied before giving a slight nod.
For a brief moment, silence filled the cave.
Then Lin Shou hesitated before finally speaking.
"Master..."
"If this disciple may ask..."
"What realm have you reached?"
The question immediately caught Lin Sheng's attention as well.
He had wondered about it for a long time.
The aura the Grand Elder emitted clearly contained Gang Essence.
That meant he had at least reached the Astral Gang Realm.
Yet...
The formation spirit inside the secret realm had clearly told him that the martial path ended at Astral Gang.
At least...
That was what the outside world believed.
The Grand Elder looked at the two curious disciples before chuckling softly.
"I expected the two of you to ask eventually."
He slowly walked toward the entrance of the cave, his gaze falling upon the distant mountains.
"You've both probably heard the saying that the martial path ends at the Astral Gang Realm."
He paused deliberately, quietly observing their expressions.
"It isn't entirely wrong."
"Pure martial arts truly cannot advance beyond Astral Gang."
Lin Shou frowned slightly.
Lin Sheng remained silent, waiting for what came next.
The Grand Elder smiled.
"But..."
"It isn't difficult to switch onto another path that is similar."
Lin Shou's face filled with confusion.
He didn't quite understand what his master meant.
Lin Sheng, however, felt as though a bolt of lightning had flashed through his mind.
His pupils contracted slightly.
A possibility surfaced almost instantly.
"Could it be..."
Seeing the change in Lin Sheng's expression, the Grand Elder smiled knowingly.
The Gang Essence around his body flowed calmly as he spoke the next words.
"I am..."
"...at the Golden Body Realm."
The words fell like a stone into a still lake.
Lin Shou froze where he stood.
Golden Body Realm?
He had never heard of such a realm.
Meanwhile, Lin Sheng's heartbeat quickened.
The formation spirit hadn't lied.
The martial path truly ended at Astral Gang...
But that didn't mean the journey itself ended there.