Chapter 262 – Four Years of Focused Cultivation to Break Through to Innate (Part One)

The path ahead stretched long through the endless night, the road beneath his feet rugged and fraught with obstacles.

If Ye Kuang wished to reclaim this legacy, he must first rediscover his true self.

As for who would ultimately rule this land, it mattered little—it was merely the unwillingness to remain dormant for the rest of his life.

On the other side.

What was once a world of birdsong and blooming flowers, seemingly isolated like a paradise untouched by mortal affairs, was in fact the dwelling of the Three Venerables. Located in the deepest core of Kunlun, it was known as the remnants of Buzhou Mountain, the Tomb of Immortals, and the Battlefield of Gods…

The moment Ye Kuang set foot on this land, he had already alerted countless hidden masters lurking in the shadows.

“Let him ascend!”

Just then, a sudden clap of thunder roared from the sky, awakening this long-slumbering, mysterious place.

The environment before him was nothing like a paradise.

Instead, it was a lifeless expanse of charred soil, devoid of any vitality, giving the overall impression of a forsaken land.

At a glance, three thatched huts stood in the distance.

But what was most shocking was what lay behind the huts—a vast field of graves, resembling a forest of corpses.

Witnessing this scene, Ye Kuang couldn’t help but pale.

For among them, he discovered a prominent name: “Martial Immortal” Jiang Ziya, the Investiture Master of Kunlun, with his spirit tomb!

In that moment, his mind went blank, as a trace of his true self-awareness stirred.

His vision cleared for an instant, only to fade back into nothingness.

Meanwhile, his mind was suddenly flooded with countless pieces of information about Jiang Ziya.

“The Investiture of the Gods… Outwitting Shen Gongbao… Toppling the Tyrant of Shang… Assisting the Zhou to conquer the world… His body returned to the outside, his soul to the netherworld…”

Stunned!

Awestruck!

For a long time, Ye Kuang remained in a daze, clearly harboring ten thousand questions.

Old Taoist: “As a descendant of the dragon, he seems to have countless questions about these ancient heroes.”

Old Alchemist: “Hmph, of course he has questions. But I won’t waste time explaining everything to him in detail.”

Old Artificer: “Sigh… Will you two ever stop bickering?”

Hearing the voices, Ye Kuang whipped his head around and realized the Three Venerables had been waiting for him for some time.

Old Taoist: “There’s no need for you to ask. We will address all your doubts one by one.”

As his words faded, only a few sighs echoed across the forsaken land.

“Since ancient times, it has been said that heaven and earth were created… After countless legends and several calamities, the present universe came into being. As the heavens underwent endless changes, humanity began to rise…”

“With the formation of tribes, the crystallization of courage and wisdom emerged. The imprints hidden deep within their bloodlines were destined to awaken, all for the sake of inheriting that fragmented, precious legacy…”

By the time they reached this point, a month had quietly passed.

Only now, whenever Ye Kuang recalled the myriad bizarre legends, he couldn’t help but feel a profound resonance.

For throughout the ages, no one had ever questioned the origins of martial arts, only passing on the principle that it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. Yet now, this had become a luxury.

Whenever he felt the influence of the lingering will in his mind, his heart felt as if it were being torn apart, causing his body and soul to resonate inexplicably.

Regardless of why Old Taoist said: “What is meant to come will come; what is not meant to come will not arrive. This is inevitable, and it is also destiny.”It was Old Alchemist who said: “This unchanging truth throughout millennia proves that our bloodline has never ceased. For the sake of inheritance, even if it continues in another form, gradually connecting with the extraterrestrial stars – this is an unknown direction, yet also a pioneering milestone witnessing the beginning of humanity’s rise!”

Or perhaps as Old Artificer recounted: “To mend this incomplete inheritance, we cannot remain stagnant. We must maintain that original sense of responsibility, awakening this mission deeply embedded in our bloodline. Regardless of what becomes of us, if future generations can clearly state where martial arts inheritance originates, that would be sufficient.”

Thinking of this, Ye Kuang couldn’t help but tremble all over.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Suddenly, rolling waves of scorching heat came roaring in, his body seeming to gradually boil.

This wasn’t the burning passion stirred by fierce determination, but because the external charcoal was genuinely igniting.

When this ultimate yang force swept through, even someone as strong as Ye Kuang couldn’t help but curse.

Here it must be mentioned that although he had long known the Three Venerables would do such things, when it actually came to pass, he once again felt regret.

Intermittent memories came flooding back, the experiences of the previous month still vivid as if before his eyes.

Old Taoist: “Your cultivation is truly too weak. To reforged you, you must temper your physique with vast yang energy. Remember: the human body is the foundation of martial arts. Those without robust physiques are like paper tigers, collapsing at the slightest touch.”

Old Alchemist: “Why waste words with him? Just do it.”

Old Artificer: “…”

As the boiling flames shot toward the sky, Ye Kuang sat cross-legged at the center of the sea of fire.

One could say what he was experiencing now was like a phoenix awaiting rebirth through fire, preparing for its Dao Inquiry into the martial world.

Watching the dancing flames around him, he turned pale with fright, though later he couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.

The flames appeared extremely hot, yet they actually swirled around him.

They were like fire spirits, clearly possessing some mysterious power, jumping about unpredictably.

But it must be said that only after Ye Kuang completely severed his retreat did he gain sufficient time to settle his restless heart.

“Innate” might seem like the second major threshold, yet it had stymied countless heroes throughout history.

Thinking this, Ye Kuang’s heart became still as water, gradually transforming into an embryo tempered by fire, quietly enduring the baptism of endless heat.

Even his essence had become unusually active at some point, now frantically devouring the yang energy, clearly revitalized with new vitality.

Meanwhile, Ye Kuang’s heart grew tranquil. Outside the fire arena, only lingering sighs intersected back and forth.

Old Alchemist: “Old Taoist, are you really that confident the boy can break through here?”

“I’ve already made the bet with you, what do you think?” Old Taoist replied matter-of-factly.

“Then I’ll tell you – I just added more fire. If he ends up dead, don’t blame me.” Old Alchemist laughed wildly.

Old Taoist: “What? Old Alchemist!!!”

Old Artificer: “Sigh, you two… when will this ever end…”

Thus, within the fire arena, Ye Kuang began his four-year journey of breaking through to the Innate realm through focused cultivation.