Chapter 292: Hunting Ground Enlightenment

Deafening and enlightening.

Everyone present were renowned martial experts, among whom were even Primordial Realm cultivators.

Each sat in silent stillness, lost in thought.

All sought to comprehend Yuan Dingting's True Meaning of the Soldier Saint—just a single thread would be a great fortune.

Yet the True Meaning of the top ten in the world.

How could it be so simple?

In the Qinghe Hunting Ground encampment, apart from civilian officials and servants who knew no martial arts, only three remained unmoved by the martial lecture.

Naturally, Yuan Dingting's three adopted sons.

"Fifth Brother, do you think anyone will comprehend Father's True Meaning this time?"

Hu Yan Ku asked with a wry smile.

Beside him sat a lean man, gaunt as dried wood, yet radiating the aura of a legendary ferocious beast.

He was the fifth among Yuan Marquis's adopted sons, named Yao Chong.

In age, he was not much younger than Yuan Dingting and had long since entered the Third Rank Earth Immortal realm.

Of the eight adopted sons, all above him were Earth Immortals; all below him were Primordial Realm cultivators.

He became the dividing line.

Yao Chong shook his head: "I don't know."

Hu Yan Ku turned to the other side, toward Yuan Xiong: "Eighth Brother, what do you think?"

"I don't know either."

Yuan Xiong also shook his head.

Seeing this, Hu Yan Ku rolled his eyes: "How boring. If Third Brother were here, he'd have something to say—five or six points at least."

"Speaking of which, the people from Yunzhou are truly lackluster—only Jiang Lin stands out a little."

Hu Yan Ku noticed neither of them was responding.

He went on alone.

"I think none of them stand a chance."

"Those so-called geniuses from the great sects—all soft as women, never shed blood—how could they possibly grasp Father's Blood Battle True Meaning? Absolutely impossible."

He wasn't belittling the geniuses present.

Even the most gifted among the eight adopted sons—Third Brother—and Eighth Brother Yuan Xiong—only gradually unraveled it by standing beside Yuan Marquis.

'Do these people even deserve to be compared to Third Brother and Eighth Brother?'

Hu Yan Ku didn't believe anyone could grasp a True Meaning from just one lecture.

Of course.

It wasn't necessary to fully comprehend the True Meaning to gain something.

At that moment—

A sudden cry erupted from the crowd.

A young man, around seventeen or eighteen, suddenly stood up, eyes wide, staring in disbelief at his own body:

"I broke through."

"I broke through!"

Seeing the young man's ecstatic expression, the others all looked on with envy.

Such was the power of the Soldier Saint—just a few words could guide martial cultivators, clearing their thoughts.

Yet this young man broke through only because he was still Seventh Rank.

If a Primordial cultivator had heard, he could have reached Earth Immortal.

Then the world's martial rankings wouldn't have only 537 names.

The young man finally calmed down and, at his sect elder's signal, bowed deeply to Yuan Dingting: "Thank you, Marquis, for the lecture."

Then he returned to the crowd.

Yuan Xiong and the other two watched this, their lips slightly upturned.

Father's divine prowess brought them pride.

Just one sentence of guidance could trigger a breakthrough—nearly a miracle.

Yao Chong smiled faintly: "The young man's breakthrough wasn't due solely to the martial lecture—it was because Father dispersed his true qi, forming a Soldier Saint True Domain around him, aiding the refinement of the spirit."

He didn't speak in secret.

Everyone nearby heard him, and immediately closed their eyes, focusing inward, trying to seize this chance for a breakthrough.

This was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.

The next autumn hunt would likely never again feature the Soldier Saint giving a lecture—so they must seize it now.

Yuan Marquis's words fell silent.

For a moment,

Only long, steady breaths echoed in the center of the encampment.

As everyone strained to comprehend—

Another cry rose from the crowd.

Yao Chong and the other two turned their gazes toward the sound.

At the front row, an old man sat cross-legged, and around him coiled and soared a dragon, wondrous beyond measure.

"Dragon form—is this Master Li?"

Yao Chong quickly recognized Li Rui's identity.

Few in the world possessed Dragon Form; fewer still could observe the sea through Dragon Form—and in Yunzhou, only Li Rui could.

Hu Yan Ku's eyes widened like copper bells.

He thought his eyes deceived him, and rubbed them.

He looked again.

And saw, alongside the dragon, a long spear—so familiar to Hu Yan Ku: Yuan Marquis's own weapon, Duanlang!

"Damn!"

"Son of a bitch—someone actually grasped Father's True Meaning?!"

Yuan Xiong narrowed his eyes slightly:

"It's sudden enlightenment."

As if triggering an invisible mechanism, the crowd began murmuring "sudden enlightenment" over and over.

Everyone stared at Li Rui with envy.

Sudden enlightenment.

This was sudden enlightenment!

To have even one moment of sudden enlightenment in a lifetime was sheer luck—Li Rui not only had it, but within Yuan Marquis's Soldier Saint True Domain.

The effect doubled!

If he could grasp even a thread of the Soldier Saint's True Meaning, it would be an unimaginable fortune.

Envy had turned to jealousy.

Many were envious—but not one dared interrupt Li Rui's sudden enlightenment.

Everyone knew Li my lord of Qinghe was Yuan Marquis's personal instructor, even shared a carriage with him for half an hour—what immense fortune!

Ordinary people couldn't even dream of it.

Yuan Marquis sat right there.

Who would dare disturb Li Rui's sudden enlightenment?

Only the Lord of Donghai City might dare—anyone else who approached would be slapped to death by Yuan Marquis.

The Soldier Saint is another name for the Killing God—do you really think Yuan Marquis has a gentle disposition?

An hour passed.

Li Rui finally opened his eyes slowly.

Then he rose and bowed to Yuan Marquis: "Thank you, Marquis."

In truth, what he experienced wasn't true sudden enlightenment—but it was close.

His insight came from talent, yet couldn't be attributed solely to it.

Though his talent was high, he could not possibly grasp Yuan Dingting's True Meaning—the tenth-ranked Soldier Saint's—after just one day.

It was thanks to the Hundred-Battle Killing Intent.

The Hundred-Battle Killing Intent and the Soldier Saint's True Meaning shared the same origin—both belonged to Yuan Marquis. Li Rui had daily refined his body with the Hundred-Battle Killing Intent, so the moment he entered Yuan Dingting's True Domain, he felt an inexplicable familiarity.

Yuan Dingting regarded Li Rui with approval:

"Good."

The Soldier Saint's praise!

Instantly, the envious eyes turned as red as rabbits'.

Li Rui's expression remained calm, unperturbed by praise or blame.

He sat down slowly.

Comprehending the Soldier Saint's True Meaning was a great fortune.

Though it wouldn't instantly boost his combat power, it pointed the way for future cultivation—certainly, at the very least, Earth Immortal was now within reach. That's why everyone around him was envious.

There are only five hundred and thirty-seven earth immortals in the world; who wouldn't want to be one of them?

Li Rui has already glimpsed the door to earth immortality.

The martial lecture lasted three full days.

Though some continued to break through, no one else could comprehend the true intent of the Martial Sage as Li Rui did.

For a time.

Li Rui's name surged in fame.

The world learned that Li Da Ren of Qinghe Anning Guard was a true dragon of the mortal realm, with extraordinary talent.

Li Rui did not care.

Because he had always intended to do this; the Martial Sage's lecture was simply a perfect opportunity.

His ambition was to climb higher.

Not a single word, note, or detail was overlooked!

One cannot remain hidden forever; one must reveal potential appropriately.

What if he becomes a primordial cultivator? What then?

It's better to reveal his talent early than wait until others suspect him of possessing a miraculous treasure.

Moreover.

He is no longer the old stable hand that children could bully—he has many patrons now.

As long as he doesn't defy heaven too blatantly, no one dares move against him lightly.

Hiding one's true strength too much is not a good thing.

Do what befits your position—that is the way. Otherwise, what's the point of holding office? All these connections would be wasted.

After the martial lecture.

There was a three-day rest.

Three days later came the inspection matches; the camp no longer observed fasting, and the atmosphere grew relaxed.

"Old Brother Li, you're a man of great ability—your future is limitless."

"Old Brother Wang, you're teasing me, aren't you?"

Li Rui smiled warmly at Wang Li.

Wang Li was referring to the enlightenment in the training ground yesterday—word had spread far and wide.

"We old men don't dream of futures; we just live well in the present."

Wang Li couldn't help but feel melancholy.

"Old Brother Li, don't belittle yourself."

Cultivators live far longer than mortals; he estimated he'd be dust in another decade or so, while Li Rui would still be at his peak.

Otherwise,

why has Yu Kingdom always revered martial prowess above all?

Civil officials are merely the imperial family's appendages; compared to them, military officers have far more backbone.

To say he wasn't envious would be a lie.

But the path of the cultivator is mostly decided before forty; not everyone can walk it at seventy like Li Rui—he was doomed to never make it.

"In two days it's the inspection match—youth is wonderful."

Wang Li sighed.

Born into the Wang clan, he understood many of these rituals and customs.

The autumn hunt matches, though unrestricted by age, typically involve younger participants, and their realms are generally below fourth rank.

Those too powerful have long since become sect elders or even sect masters.

Once they step onto the arena, there must be a winner and a loser.

Winning is fine.

But losing means utter humiliation—you'd have to bow your head every time you meet them afterward. Who could bear that?

Though martial arts admit no second place, to avoid too many such embarrassing moments, disciples usually fight instead of the masters themselves; as long as the master doesn't fight, it doesn't count as a defeat.

This has become an unwritten rule in the martial world.

It's much like the principle in officialdom: leave a little room for others.

Thus, the higher one's martial skill, the fewer times one actually fights.

That's why Wang Li felt this way.

Li Rui smiled faintly.

He certainly wouldn't enter the autumn hunt matches—first, his age would make him look ridiculous; second, he'd already claimed the greatest prize of this hunt, so there was no need to draw more envy.

'Let the young ones have it.'

He thought to himself.

Wang Li smiled at Li Rui: "Old Brother Li, why not step up and show a little skill? Just take third place."

Li Rui waved his hand.

"I'm too old—this old body can't take any more pounding."

The day of the autumn hunt matches arrived.

Three fighting platforms were set up in the center of the camp.

The rules were simple.

The last three people standing on the platforms would be the top three, without formal rankings like the imperial examinations.

The top three would receive rewards from Marquis Yuan.

The camp was now bustling.

Young men flushed with excitement, eager to climb the platforms and make their names known.

If one could secure a top-three finish on the Qinghe training ground's platform, though not as prestigious as Tian Nan's, it would still make one famous across several provinces.

For these sect and clan disciples,

reputation equaled resources.

A sect master or clan head would never give resources to someone unknown and unheard of—this held true even in the Yu Kingdom's imperial court.

Otherwise, everyone would flood the platforms like they had nothing better to do.

Isn't that exactly why they're here—to catch the eye of powerful patrons?

Not just Marquis Yuan, but other strong cultivators as well, once their name spread.

Blades flashed, swords gleamed, and various qi forms bloomed across the platforms.

The scene was magnificent.

Ning Zhongtian looked eager to join—he was still a youth among cultivators, the perfect age to compete.

Watching Ning Zhongtian eagerly climb onto the platform,

Li Rui and Wang Li, two old men, sat on a distant hill, smiling calmly.

They looked utterly detached, leisurely at ease.

In stark contrast to the scene before them.

"Damn, looks like my fourth brother will lose."

Ning Zhongtian's opponent was a senior disciple of a major sect.

Even though Ning Zhongtian was talented enough, he was merely a genius from a single prefecture—still far behind these major sect disciples.

He was spent.

After five rounds, he was kicked off the platform.

Hmm, quite a tumble.

This is precisely why people like Li Rui, already with some reputation, avoid the platforms—face matters greatly; otherwise, every time you drank with your peers, you'd be mocked.

"Poor fourth brother of mine."

Li Rui cracked sunflower seeds, sighing sympathetically for Ning Zhongtian.

Next time he drank with Ning Zhongtian, he'd have complete dominance over him.

"Good, good."

Just as Li Rui and Wang Li were enjoying the spectacle—

Two figures slowly approached them.

Yuan Xiong looked at Li Rui and spoke slowly:

"Yuan Xiong, here to test your fists."

(End of Chapter)