Liang Baiyin served tea to Song Juesi, changing the subject, "Grandpa Song, which mountain do you plan to climb next?"

"I plan to take a walk in Antarctica. My body, alas, the opportunities to go to Antarctica will become fewer, so I might as well see more while I can."

Zhou Leng said, "Elder Song, I forgot to ask earlier, what are your thoughts on the Innate Battle Path?"

Elder Song drank the pu-erh tea Liang Baiyin brought, speaking enthusiastically.

"The battle path, in essence, is a breakthrough on the mental and willpower levels, to make oneself believe they have the ability and qualification to enter the next great realm."

"Once you complete the battle path, you will gain unimaginable confidence, and the possibility of a breakthrough is ten times greater than before."

"However, different people have different inclinations towards the battle path."

"I'll only talk about some Innate Battle Paths, as for the Grandmaster Battle Path or even the Martial Saint Battle Path, let's not mention those for now."

"The battle path usually requires multiple routes, for instance, the Innate Battle Path after advancing to the Vitality Stage generally requires two or three routes."

"The most common is the Natural Battle Path. It's simple, go swimming long distances in the sea, run on the ice surfaces of the North and South Poles, climb the Himalayas barehanded, not just a single peak, but traverse a large stretch of the mountain range."

"Through continuous progress in nature, be close to nature, feel nature, understand nature, endure trials, and ultimately transcend nature."

"The Natural Battle Path seems simple, but it actually contains deep and profound truths."

"Beasts and lower life forms are selected by nature, evolving aimlessly, can only adapt to the environment, survival of the fittest."

"But humans, wisdom, martial artists, will gradually transcend nature's selection, able to conduct a certain degree of self-directed evolution."

"Unable to transcend nature's selection step by step, it's impossible to become strong."

"When you carefully review the millions of years of human history and compare it to the wisdom life of the Ten Realms, you'll find that the process of advancement of all intelligent life is a process of gradually freeing from natural selection."

"Fertilizers, pesticides, artificial rain, air conditioners, refrigerators, etc., all change nature to some extent."

"The truly great Natural Battle Path is not on Blue Star, not in the Ten Realms, but in the vast and endless universe."

Zhou Leng and Liang Baiyin were hearing these subversive ideas akin to evolution theory for the first time, instinctively disbelieving, but recalling the Civilization Judges and high-level civilizations indeed exist, they believed most of it.

High-Level Civilizations can not only break away from planet-level natural selection, they can even escape galaxy-level natural selection, probably only the most extreme universal natural selection can affect them."

"It can be said, High-Level Civilizations, are no longer constrained by basic evolutionary theory, they've entered the realm of super-evolutionary theory."

Zhou Leng looked at Song Juesi, the old man with a head full of silver hair, appeared well-maintained at first glance, but the fine wrinkles of his skin and the aging in his demeanor couldn't be hidden.

Song Juesi continued, "Natural Battle Path, though it appears simple, must be walked, for it is the foundation of the extraordinary."

"Besides the Natural Battle Path, there's the Heart Knot Battle Path, or in serious cases, it can be called the Heart Demon Battle Path, though it's not usually that extreme."

"On our path of growth, we always encounter some heart knots, some goals, but for various reasons, we might give up, retreat, or evade."

"As martial artists, we must challenge one impossibility after another, breaking heart knots one after another, to climb to great heights."

"I have many heart knots, for example, my biggest heart knot is hoping to restore my dantian and advance to the Body Refining Stage, but unfortunately, it is destined to be unattainable."

"Now, tell me, what are your heart knots?"

Song Juesi looked toward the two.

The two of them were stunned, they hadn't yet developed enough awareness for such matters.

What popped into Zhou Leng's mind first was Tian Wenhua, but he couldn't say that.

After a while, Zhou Leng said, "I have many heart knots too, can't recall them all at once, but if I had to choose one, it's... when I took the martial exam, even though I was qualified to enter the Martial Arts Hall of West Sea Martial Academy, my place was withdrawn. Later, Principal Lu and Zhang Xinglie both came to help, and it's made me want to resolve this heart knot ever since. Though I never mention it, I still remember it."

"What about you?" Song Juesi looked at Liang Baiyin.

Liang Baiyin paused, hesitated for a long while, then slowly said, "I'm still young, so I don't have as many heart knots as you. But if I had to name one, it's that I once had a falling out with a close female classmate due to a misunderstanding. Thinking back, I really shouldn't have done that; I didn't consider her feelings, given her family's modest background."

Song Juesi said, "The Heart Knot Battle Path is about finding a heart knot that martial arts can resolve, and then resolving it. There's no need to resolve all heart knots, just find the ones that can be addressed by current martial arts."

Zhou Leng and Liang Baiyin nodded softly.

Song Juesi continued, "Apart from the Natural Battle Path and Heart Knot Battle Path, there's the Painful Battle Path."

"Both the Natural and Heart Knot paths require overcoming many difficulties, but they are essentially about experience and understanding."

"The Painful Battle Path is about enduring pure pain, pushing one's abilities to the limit of endurance."

"The greater the pain you can endure, the greater the possibility of breaking through to the Innate stage."

"This pertains to the mental aspect of a person."

"To give a simple example, a one-meter wide distance on the ground, even a child can easily step across."

"But if you stand on the edge of a several hundred meters high building, with the same one-meter wide gulf on top of another high building opposite, the first time you face it, you will hesitate, your legs will feel weak, and distractions will abound."

"But if you've been jumping across one-meter wide rooftops of hundred-meter buildings since childhood, by adulthood, you wouldn't care."

"Once you've traversed the Painful Battle Path, you will instinctively believe not only do you qualify for advancing to the Innate stage, but that you also have the ability to advance, without doubt, unshakable."

"Once you firmly believe you can achieve it, your chances of success are a thousand times what they were."

Zhou Leng and Liang Baiyin nodded repeatedly. This argument is simple, but difficult to execute.

"The Painful Battle Path typically involves enduring boiling water, freezing, pain, and so on. Unfortunately, Zhou Leng, not being from the Martial Valve Race, you might not get the opportunity."

"From what I know, the best Painful Battle Path below the Innate stage is the military's 'War Execution Ground.'"

"Is that an illusion realm or something else? I'm not sure, but it should be a part of the Advanced Civilization Ruins."

"Entering there would subject you to countless weapon attacks."

"If you can take the trial there before reaching the Innate stage, the benefits are unimaginable."

Zhou Leng felt stirred inside, but said, "This is the first time I'm hearing about it."

"There are too many secrets in reality that are rarely mentioned online."

Liang Baiyin glanced at Zhou Leng, lightly clenching her small fist, thinking, I must help Brother Zhou Leng get access to that war arena. This is my heart's desire!

Song Juesi said, "As for other battle paths, either they're too dangerous, their difficulty is too high, or they require deeper experience, so they're not suitable for you."

"Natural Battle Path, Heart's Desire Battle Path, Pain Battle Path; these three Innate Battle Paths are the best to pursue."

"Okay!" Zhou Leng and Liang Baiyin responded in unison.

With the class over, Song Juesi got up to see them off, chatting casually as they walked.

The large and small moons were enchanting, with tiny stars scattering, and the three were engrossed in their conversation.

Talking about mountain climbing, Liang Baiyin curiously asked, "Grandpa Song, why do you love mountain climbing so much? I heard that in recent years, you spent half a year climbing mountains worldwide."

Song Juesi sighed softly, gazing at the night sky.

"It's not that I want to climb mountains, but rather to climb the moon, to reach space, to ascend to the cosmic galaxy. But alas, my old and frail body can't ascend to the heavens, so I settled for climbing mountains, reaching higher places, raising my arm to feel like I could pluck the stars."

Zhou Leng and Liang Baiyin looked at Song Juesi, feeling a gentle jolt inside.

This elder, with an injured body, knowing that promotion is impossible, yet his heart still longs for the stars.

This elder, despite being in his twilight years, never stops climbing.

This spirit is rarely seen even among young people.

At the same time, a sense of regret filled their hearts.

This world is so unfair.

Such a person full of ambition ends up with a damaged dantian, his martial path interrupted.

Song Juesi smiled and said, "I know you feel regret, and so do I. But, every time I climb, every time I look closer at the starry sky, I think of nothing else but joy, from body to soul, the kind of joy that fills my whole life. That's enough."

Zhou Leng and Liang Baiyin exchanged glances, their respect for Elder Song growing.

After leaving Elder Song, Zhou Leng wanted to hail a cab to send Liang Baiyin away.

Liang Baiyin didn't want to take a car, so the two ran through the night, talking and chatting, until they reached outside Xi Garden.

"Brother Zhou Leng, do you want to come to my house for a cup of tea? My mom also said she wants to meet you." Liang Baiyin openly invited him.

"I can't sleep if I drink tea at night, see you later." Zhou Leng waved his hand, not even stopping as he continued running forward.

Feeling comfortable while running, how could martial cultivation just stop?

"See you next time!" Liang Baiyin waved with a smile at Zhou Leng's retreating figure.

She stood watching until Zhou Leng's figure vanished before humming a song softly and walking home with light steps.

In the days that followed, Zhou Leng entered a regular routine.

Every morning after leaving the Fierce Beast World, he would take out the Demonized Watch to investigate intelligence on Tian Wenhua.

Then he would go for a morning run, have breakfast, and head to the personal cultivation room at school, connecting to the Martial Guard Department's internal teaching network. The new instructor was an Innate Master from the Xiong City's Martial Guard Department, strong and with excellent teaching skills.

At noon, he would have lunch with Xu Qingjin, and after eating, they would stroll and chat together.

Occasionally, when they met familiar classmates, everyone assumed their relationship.

In the afternoon, Zhou Leng entered the High-level Martial Arts Hall to cultivate.

In the evening, after dining with Xu Qingjin in the canteen, he headed straight to the Frost Giant Tree.

Practicing "Establishing Image Chapter," practicing "Undying Star Body," taking medicinal baths, practicing martial arts, studying Divine Text, learning the languages of various races, occasionally entering the Gate of Purgatory... Following this full set of procedures, he went to sleep, just in time for morning.

Occasionally exchanging martial arts insights with friends, occasionally chatting in class with classmates.

Then, continually repeating.

No dramatic highs and lows, no thrilling adventures, but life was rich and flavorful.

As his strength grew, the power of the Giant Body gradually compressed.

When it compressed to two meters high, Zhou Leng clearly sensed reaching the limit.

The Giant Tribe's medicine had also arrived.

Zhou Leng contacted Instructor Deng Zhijue and Instructor Huang Jingqiu to enter the cultivation room together.

"Is everything prepared?" Huang Jingqiu asked.

Zhou Leng took out the required Promotion Supplement Pills, one by one from the Magic Spirit Bag.

The dwarves' Promotion Supplement Pills, the giants' Promotion Supplement Pills, the humans' Promotion Supplement Pills, plus the Ice Snow Divine Sect's Demon Spirit Master's Promotion Supplement Pills.

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