"Immortality..."
Zhao Kongming murmured softly.
Then, he sighed deeply, "Indeed, the Martial Dao can grant immortality. However, achieving immortality through the Martial Dao is difficult! Extremely difficult! Even harder than reaching the heavens!"
Lin Fei frowned. Of course, he knew it was difficult. There were so many people in the world. If it were easy, wouldn't everyone be immortal? That was simply impossible!
Nevertheless, no matter how difficult, Lin Fei was confident.
"Please enlighten me, Master. How can one achieve immortality through the Martial Dao?"
Lin Fei asked solemnly. This had always been his doubt.
Martial artists practiced their skills, inner power, and true qi, step by step. Since none of these could grant immortality, how could the Martial Dao lead to immortality?
Zhao Kongming glanced at Lin Fei, and a faint smile appeared on his lips as he slowly said, "I didn't tell you before because I feared you would aim too high and lose more than you gained. However, since you've comprehended the saber intent, which is comparable to the innate realm, there's no harm in telling you.
Martial artists are divided into Body Refining, Acquired, and Innate. Body Refining refines one's blood, muscles, and skin, enhancing physical qualities. Acquired cultivates inner power, while Innate cultivates true qi. Neither inner power nor true qi can grant immortality.
The reason lies in our bodies, which are merely mortal flesh. According to Qi cultivators, they are mundane. To attain immortality, one must transcend the mundane. At the very least, the body must not be composed of mortal flesh.
When a martial artist reaches Innate Perfection, or the Grand Master realm, no matter how much they practice, their true qi has reached its limit, and even their body has reached its limit, unable to advance.
At this point, we must build our foundation, transforming our bodies. The so-called foundation building is the establishment of the foundation for immortality.
Qi cultivators build the foundation for the Immortal Dao, while we martial artists build the foundation for the Martial Dao. Once the foundation is successfully built, both martial artists and Qi cultivators will undergo a rebirth, gaining extended lifespans.
Those who succeed in building their foundation will have a lifespan of at least several hundred years!"
A glint flashed in Lin Fei's eyes.
He murmured to himself, "Foundation building, the foundation of the immortal Dao, and the foundation of the Martial Dao. Both are the basis for immortality. So that's how it is..."
Lin Fei understood. He understood completely.
Whether a martial artist or a Qi cultivator must build the foundation to achieve immortality. Otherwise, they would remain mortal flesh, forever unable to attain immortality.
"Since one can build their foundation, why couldn't the founder achieve immortality?" Lin Fei asked again.
"Yes, everyone knows that building one's foundation can lead to immortality. But, how many can actually do it? Those Qi cultivators, high and mighty. Do you really think it's because they have magical artifacts and spells?
Actually, it's not. Qi cultivators look down on martial artists simply because it's relatively easier for them to build their foundation compared to us. Qi cultivators study the Dao, nature, and the universe. They have created miraculous elixirs like the Foundation Establishment Pill.
By taking the Foundation Establishment Pill, Qi cultivators can make up for some of their shortcomings, thus successfully building their foundation. This is what they call seizing the fortunes of heaven and earth.
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From this perspective, Qi cultivators truly do seize the fortunes of heaven and earth. But it's different for us martial artists. If martial artist wants to build their foundation, they can only rely on their own strength, unable to use external aids.
Martial artists attribute all their power to themselves. Building their foundation is inherently more difficult than it is for Qi cultivators, and they don't have access to miraculous elixirs like the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Over time, there have been almost no successful martial artists in building their foundation. Among the Qi cultivators, although the success rate of building their foundation is also low, there have always been successful individuals.
Therefore, as one side wanes and the other waxes, the rise of the Immortal Dao and the decline of the Martial Dao can be foreseen."
Zhao Kongming spoke with a hint of lament.
It made sense. Building the foundation of the Martial Dao was too difficult. Even someone as outstanding as the Nine Profound Sect's founder failed to achieve a successful foundation building in the end, not to mention others.
A martial artist who successfully built their foundation would be a Martial Saint!
Becoming a saint with a mortal body, indestructible, and eternally present in the world! At that time, the martial artist would be incredibly powerful. They could even defeat an immortal cultivator who had built their foundation!
"Martial Saint..."
Lin Fei suddenly raised his head. He looked at the distant stone tablet.
"Whoosh."
Lin Fei stepped forward. Using the Leaping Technique, he reached the stone tablet almost instantly.
Lin Fei gently stroked the stone tablet. The weathered stone tablet felt cold to the touch. But in Lin Fei's mind, the unparalleled elegance of the Nine Profound Sect's founder seemed to emerge.
It was a pity that the founder of the Nine Profound Sect, who was invincible in his lifetime, failed to build his foundation successfully. He was only a step away from becoming a Martial Saint.
Yet, it was this one step that had stopped countless outstanding martial artists in their tracks.
"Exhausting one's entire life, still unable to build the foundation...Ancestral Master, you left behind three strands of Martial Dao True Intent, wanting to cultivate the younger generation.
You hoped that a martial artist could successfully build their foundation. As your disciple, Lin Fei, I will definitely fulfill your long-cherished wish. I will build the foundation of martial arts, display the power of martial arts, and stand proudly in this world!"
"Boom."
At this moment, Lin Fei's conviction exploded. He had never doubted that he could achieve immortality. As long as martial arts could lead to immortality, he would definitely reach that step.
Therefore, with unwavering conviction, Lin Fei's saber intent surged. The saber intent, fist intent, and sword intent on the stone tablet also erupted. All enveloping Lin Fei's body.
Suddenly, Lin Fei felt immense pressure. The founder's fist intent was at the level of perfection. It contained everything. It was the founder's comprehension of the fist technique.
Similarly, the sword intent and saber intent were the same. They contained countless sword techniques, saber techniques, and so on.
Fortunately, the Nine Profound Sect's founder had no ill intent. Otherwise, these three strands of Martial Dao True Intent would even be enough to suppress an innate martial artist!
And now, these three strands of Martial Dao True Intent were honing Lin Fei's saber intent. Even more, it wasn't just the saber intent. There was also the fist intent.
Lin Fei closed his eyes and sat cross-legged. In his mind, the Quadruple Wave Technique appeared. It was like a violent wave.
But at this moment, the founder's fist intent surrounded the Quadruple Wave Technique. Then, it seemed like countless fist techniques were demonstrated to the Quadruple Wave Technique.
Immediately after, Lin Fei's mind heard the system's voice.
"Your Quadruple Wave Technique is being ravaged by the fist intent of the perfection realm, feeling depressed, in unbearable pain, and unwilling to cultivate."
The voice in Lin Fei's mind made him slightly stunned. The Quadruple Wave Technique was unwilling to cultivate?
In his mind, Lin Fei could "see" it.
The Quadruple Wave Technique was indeed tragic, ravaged by the perfection realm's fist intent, without any power to resist.
However, it was so badly ravaged that the Quadruple Wave Technique had become unwilling to cultivate.
Isn't this a bit counterproductive?
But soon, Lin Fei's mind heard the system's voice again.
"Your Quadruple Wave Technique was defeated by the fist intent, realized its own shortcomings, became determined to make up for them, and increased its cultivation progress by 10%."
"Your Quadruple Wave Technique was stimulated by the perfection realm's fist intent and decided to strive harder, raising its cultivation progress by 10%."
"Your Quadruple Wave Technique has fallen into sudden enlightenment..."
Lin Fei remained motionless in front of the stone tablet. The system's voice kept ringing in his mind, one after another.
Lin Fei didn't pay any attention to it.
10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%...
Finally, Lin Fei's Quadruple Wave Technique's cultivation progress increased by 50%.
Adding the original 50%, the cultivation progress of the Quadruple Wave Technique reached 100%.
"Boom."
The next moment, in Lin Fei's mind, the wave transformed by the Quadruple Wave Technique suddenly expanded. At the same time, an earth-shattering momentum burst out from Lin Fei's body. Vaguely, a huge fist seemed to appear above Lin Fei's head!
"Fist intent!"
Zhao Kongming suddenly looked up, staring at the top of Lin Fei's head.
His heart was filled with immense shock!