"Really? Is it true?"
Zhang Dazhuang was half-believing, half-doubting, but out of his trust in Li Musheng, he happily tucked it into his embrace and carefully put it away.
"The Yu family martial arts school has become a place of trouble. Zhang Ge, it would be best for you to leave quickly and find another path, lest you get caught in the crossfire." Li Musheng cautioned him again, then, uncharacteristically, clasped his hands in a respectful salute to Zhang Dazhuang: "Thank you for your care and guidance in the past. If fate allows in the future, we shall meet again!"
With that, he wasted no time, slung his bundle over his shoulder, and turned to walk out of the martial arts school.
Seeing this, Zhang Dazhuang reached out, wanting to say something, but in the end, nothing came out. He merely clasped his fists towards Li Musheng's departing back. Times had changed; Li Musheng's martial arts were profound now, and the small Shun'an City could no longer contain him. Besides, young people should go out and explore the martial world while they are young! Zhang Dazhuang felt a sense of loss; among the entire martial arts school, he and Li Musheng had been the closest. Now that the other person was leaving, his heart felt empty.
But then he thought, and couldn't help but sigh: "That kid Ah Sheng hid himself pretty well. Turns out I was the only useless one in the entire martial arts school!"
He pondered for a moment, then reached for the stack of crumpled paper Li Musheng had given him. "I hope this Indestructible Vajra Divine Art is useful, and I can achieve something with it."
The next moment, his eyes changed, widening as he looked at the middle of the rough paper. There, quietly nestled, lay a hundred-tael banknote!
All the Zhahe Seven Thieves had been exposed and captured; the Yu family's crisis for today was resolved. Li Musheng and Yu Zhentian were even, and the subsequent matters no longer concerned him.
In truth, Li Musheng was not from this world. He had transmigrated when this body was five years old. At that time, he was taken in by Yu Zhentian and became an apprentice at the martial arts school. Although he had been doing odd jobs and strenuous labor in the martial arts school since a young age, at least he hadn't wandered the streets to freeze or starve, finding a peaceful place to live. Moreover, his current martial arts cultivation had also begun at this martial arts school.
The original owner indeed had extremely poor talent and aptitude, and also suffered from chronic illness, being weak and sickly, which led to his death from a fever at the age of five. However, after Li Musheng transmigrated, the situation underwent a drastic change.
Although Li Musheng came from a technologically advanced "Blue Star," he discovered that he possessed an astonishing, heaven-defying comprehension in the path of martial arts. All the martial arts taught at the school, he could memorize at a glance, learning them after just one viewing. Although his physical aptitude remained poor, with his extraordinary comprehension, he could quickly master them to a state of grand completion.
At the time, Li Musheng took less than a few days to fully master all the martial arts of the school. And possessing such terrifying comprehension, he was naturally not satisfied with the superficial martial arts taught at the school. However, Li Musheng lacked the channels to acquire more powerful martial arts manuals. Thus, on a whim, he decided to deduce and create more formidable martial arts from the most basic techniques.
Ultimately, he succeeded, and there wasn't too much difficulty in the process. For example, from the Five-Step Fist taught at the school, he deduced the "Five Absolutes Heaven-Piercing Divine Fist." This fist technique was extremely formidable; when cultivated to its peak, a single punch could seal the heavens and sever the earth, with terrifying power! Another example was his diligent study of the ordinary Two-Rise Springing Leg, from which he comprehended "Divine Movement Without Trace." Of course, although the Springing Leg was an offensive martial art, Li Musheng found a unique path, gaining insight into a divine movement technique from it, capable of soaring through clouds and empty space, formless and traceless!
And the Indestructible Vajra Divine Art he gifted to Zhang Dazhuang was naturally also created by Li Musheng himself. However, this was a modified version of the martial art tailored to Zhang Dazhuang's specific situation. In reality, the ultimate version of this martial art was named "Immortal Golden Body." It was only because Zhang Dazhuang lacked Li Musheng's terrifying comprehension, making him unable to learn the full divine art, that Li Musheng made some alterations and deletions.
It was precisely by relying on his heaven-defying comprehension that Li Musheng didn't need to seek out top-tier cultivation methods or divine martial arts manuals, nor did he need to consume peerless elixirs to enhance his cultivation. In this small city's martial arts school, simply cultivating wholeheartedly, detached from worldly affairs, allowed him to continuously increase his strength.
Fifteen years passed, and Li Musheng, through daily cultivation, reached the pinnacle of the martial path. One day, when he habitually tried to continue cultivating, he found that all cultivation had no effect. He had reached a point in martial arts where he could no longer advance.
However, Li Musheng knew from some ancient texts that his current martial arts strength was not the true limit; there was still a Transcendence Realm beyond martial arts. Although the Transcendence Realm was ethereal and only existed in legends, with no one having truly stepped into it for a thousand years, Li Musheng decided to try. After all, he possessed heaven-defying comprehension that ordinary people lacked, and he was still so young; simply waiting for death was not his character.
The events at the Yu family martial arts school today were just a catalyst; he had actually long harbored the thought of leaving the school to roam the martial world and pursue the Transcendence Realm. And by helping the Yu family in this matter, his debt of gratitude was now fully repaid.
Li Musheng let out a light breath, then leaped gently onto the city wall of Shun'an City. He gazed at the rolling mountains in the distance, stretching to the endless horizon, and stretched lazily. "I haven't stepped outside this city for fifteen years. Perhaps in the future, I can also take the opportunity to experience the different customs and landscapes of this world; it might be quite interesting."
He stood on the city wall for quite a while, bidding farewell to the past fifteen years. From now on, he would wander the world, and martial arts transcendence was within reach!
Not long after, Li Musheng withdrew his gaze. However, he didn't leave. Instead, he turned to look at a certain spot below the city wall.
"You've been following me for so long, isn't it time to show yourself and say hello?"
It was a shadowy area of trees, dimly lit. Apart from the occasional gust of wind, there was no movement. But after a moment, a figure emerged from that shadow, appearing silently beneath the city wall. It was a woman, dressed in simple grey-blue martial attire, with a slender figure. A veil covered her face, obscuring her true features. She looked up at Li Musheng on the city wall. After a moment of silence, she spoke:
"When did you notice me?"
Li Musheng crossed his arms, a faint smile playing on his lips. He counted on his fingers and said, "Counting the time, you've been following me for five days. I noticed you from the very first day, but I just never made a sound about it."
Hearing this, the woman's beautiful phoenix-like eyes below the wall narrowed, but she said nothing. Li Musheng didn't mind; he merely observed her. "I don't sense any killing intent from you, yet you've been persistently following me..."
He rubbed his chin and chuckled. "Could it be that you've fallen for me, young lady? Is that why you're pursuing me so relentlessly?"