Chapter 320

StarSea Corporation.

Fang Xing stepped out of the virtual pod, his expression grim.

"What could make a Martial God sigh with such urgency?"

"They couldn't wait centuries… Could the Blue Star Federation be facing catastrophe?"

A martial artist's spiritual intuition is mysterious beyond words.

Even low-grade martial artists might sense a sudden premonition and evade disaster.

A Martial God's instinct is not to be underestimated!

"This is surely the primary reason Master Ye is forcing a breakthrough!"

Thinking of Master Ye's final request, Fang Xing's face softened with emotion.

Master Ye was a truly good man.

…

Three months later.

Fang Xing sat cross-legged; the "Gate of All Worlds" rune in his attribute panel blazed with light.

Then, a stream of information emerged.

"What? I cannot physically enter the new world—only my consciousness can descend… When my consciousness arrives, my original body will fall into deep sleep?"

His expression flickered with surprise.

This third world seems peculiar.

"I originally planned to send my cultivation avatar ahead to scout… Now it seems I must go myself."

Fang Xing walked to the nearby sleep pod and lay down inside.

The sleep pod not only sustains bodily functions but also offers limited defense.

It even has an awakening function—perfect for this situation.

After instructing Xiao Lan, Fang Xing stared at the sealed sleep pod and closed his eyes.

The next instant, he slipped into deep sleep, his breathing steady and prolonged.

…

Great Xia.

Third Defense City.

Piercing air raid sirens echoed across the city.

"It's the Borderland! Ferocious beasts have appeared—get to the shelters!"

On the streets, crowds scrambled like headless ants.

"Roar! Roar!"

A black-furred tiger, over five meters tall with twin saber-like fangs, let out a deafening roar.

Its voice carried immense force, shattering nearby glass windows.

Many people screamed and collapsed instantly.

"Ahh… Kill the beasts!"

A middle-aged man in martial attire roared, lunging forward like a tiger leaping through mountains.

"Howl!"

Human and beast shadows clashed—then the man was slammed to the ground, his neck artery pierced by the tiger's fangs, blood spurting meters high like a crimson rainbow.

Whoosh!

A black shadow flashed—the tiger's tail, like a steel whip, severed two would-be attackers at the waist.

The scene was a mountain of corpses and blood, radiating an apocalyptic terror.

"Howl!"

The saber-toothed tiger roared again, crouched on the ground, and began feasting.

In a nearby concrete high-rise, fifth floor.

Glass lay shattered everywhere; wind howled, curtains flapping with eerie moans.

A boy, seemingly sixteen or seventeen, lay in a pool of blood, unconscious.

Suddenly!

His wounds healed rapidly; his eyelids trembled violently.

Finally…

Fang Xing opened his eyes, memories flooding his mind: "Great Xia, New Calendar 42? I never imagined… I'd descend in this way…"

He struggled to his feet, staring at his hands: "What a… pitiful body. How long has it been since I felt this weak?"

Through the memories, he learned humanity here had not yet left their planet.

The planet's strongest nation was "Great Xia"—its technology matched his past world, but it possessed "Ancient Martial Arts."

Of course, even the greatest Ancient Martial Masters remained flesh and blood, helpless against armor-piercing rounds and missile barrages, so societal order remained stable.

Until New Calendar Year One—the Borderland appeared!

According to this world's scientists, the Borderland was a phenomenon of overlapping spacetime, where another world partially merged with this one.

If that were all, it would be the greatest discovery of the century.

But accompanying the Borderland came terrifying ferocious beasts!

Even more shocking: within the Borderland, the more advanced the weapon, the less effective it became!

Human civilization was swiftly overwhelmed, casualties numbering in the hundreds of millions… Fortunately, Ancient Martial Artists made rapid progress within the Borderland… and the beasts' remains proved potent nourishment, revitalizing Ancient Martial Arts.

After forty years of brutal struggle, Great Xia successfully established human settlements, heavily promoted martial cultivation, and trained "Beast Hunters" to guard against Borderland beasts.

Regrettably, new Borderlands kept appearing, and existing ones continued expanding.

The most pessimistic estimates predicted the Borderland would eventually engulf the entire planet.

Then, Great Xia would become a beast's paradise—weaklings would have no right to survive…

In response, Great Xia and other nations launched nationwide promotion of martial arts, establishing martial academies and encouraging private dojos.

"This body is named 'Li Ying,' an apprentice of 'Eagle Soaring Dojo'? His parents died in a beast attack; he lives with his uncle, aunt, and cousin…"

"Tragically, when this new Borderland appeared, his uncle and aunt fled with his cousin 'Wang Wang Xiner,' leaving Li Ying behind—caught off-guard by the saber-toothed tiger's sonic blast, nearly dead…"

"No… they didn't just flee—they never called for me?"

Fang Xing touched the door handle—it wouldn't open; it had been locked from the outside.

"Tsk tsk… This isn't childish mischief—it's murder for inheritance and compensation money."

"Who did this? Or was it a group?"

Fang Xing's lips curled slightly: "Your vengeance—I'll take it… No…"

His expression changed—he felt a pulling force, like a stretched spring, intensifying rapidly.

Though initially faint, his consciousness would eventually be "snapped" out of this world!

"Strange teleportation… There's a time limit?"

"Will I even be able to return after I go back?"

"After I leave, will Li Ying's consciousness resume control? If I return again, will I descend into this body—or another?"

Fang Xing felt like he was playing a full-immersion holographic simulation game.

"Actually… it's easy to tell if you're in a holographic VR game: just unleash seventh- or eighth-tier combat power. The Federation's network couldn't possibly support it…"

"Forget it—I crossed through the Gate of All Worlds. This isn't a game."

Fang Xing sighed.

Then he heard screams from the hallway—and the horrifying sound of chewing.

Clearly, the beasts weren't just one—they'd begun spreading through the residential building, turning it into a buffet.

"My strength… shouldn't be enough to die on spawn, right?"

Fang Xing carefully sensed his own blood qi.

His consciousness had descended; his original Saint body was gone, and even his spiritual force was this body's.

The only things he brought were his will and his supreme martial experience.

"Will and spiritual force are different—will is closer to the 'true self'; spiritual force requires a physical vessel… Without sufficient physical strength, overwhelming spiritual force will simply kill you from weakness…"

Fang Xing touched his third eye—this body's Lower Dantian had not yet opened.

But he felt certain: once his physical foundation accumulated enough, he could break through and re-enter the Fourth Stage—Martial Artist realm.

"Interesting… The main universe's martial arts seem to have zero conflict here…"

"Could it be… I haven't left the main universe?"

A theory surfaced in Fang Xing's mind.

At that moment, heavy footsteps drew nearer.

"There's no time to restore my martial arts now."

"But this body still holds some muscle memory and instinct—there's a foundation here."

Fang Xing stared at his right palm—his fingers were thick-boned, rough-skinned, faintly tinged with blackish-blue.

"Eagle Soaring Dojo's 'Eagle Claw Technique'?"

"Hmm… This Li Ying really is a dojo apprentice… Originally a laborer, the master noticed his diligence and decent character, and took him on as an apprentice?"

Memories surfaced.

Among them: the collapse of Great Xia's order, the exorbitant cost of the new Defense City martial academy—his aunt refused to send him; and scenes of "himself" working hard at Eagle Soaring Dojo.

Finally, it froze upon each and every claw technique!

"In this world, martial arts begin with Ming Jin, then progress to An Jin, Hua Jin... then to Martial Master, and finally Martial Grandmaster. The feeling... is far inferior to the main universe..."

"It seems to be in an early developmental stage—even before the New Calendar, Ming Jin martial artists were regional experts. After the New Calendar, Great Xia heavily promoted ancient martial arts, introducing high-tech devices like Blood Qi measurement instruments and auxiliary resources from the Borderlands, reviving the ancient martial path and giving rise to Martial Masters and even Martial Grandmasters."

"Yet even Hua Jin experts... seem to match only the third realm of martial arts in the main universe—that is, Puyu Realm? In the cultivation world, this would be Martial Primordial?"

"In this world, ancient martial arts all revolve around 'Jin power'... Though lacking somewhat, if developed further, it might well serve as a supplement to my 'Star Martial Six Extremes'..."

Fang Xing was still pondering what benefits this world could bring him.

If consciousness descended, no physical object could be taken—only techniques and experience remained...

As he pondered, Li Ying's entire muscular and skeletal system hummed with vibration.

If other martial arts academy students saw this, they would be utterly stunned.

Because Li Ying was cultivating 'Zheng Jin'!

Harmonizing the strength of all muscles and bones, breaking through human limits—that is 'Ming Jin'!

The upper limit of a normal person's punch power is hundreds of kilograms.

But the upper limit of a Ming Jin expert is several tons!

Without such strength, ancient martial artists could never fight ferocious beasts head-on!

(End of Chapter)