Chapter 2: Ancient Wilderness

The Nine Heavens Divine Realm, above the Mortal Realm and Spirit Realm, was the pinnacle of Martial Realms, unreachable for mortals. The Six Venerables dominated this realm. The Venerable Clowde was one of them. Titus couldn’t believe that he had managed to grind down the soul of the Venerable Clowde. Even though the Venerable Clowde’s soul was on the brink of extinction, he was still the supreme ruler of the Nine Heavens Divine Realm, and a sleeping lion was still stronger than a barking dog. If it were anyone else, the Venerable Clowde would have taken over their body long ago. However, he had the misfortune of encountering Titus, a young man in the depths of despair. Under the darkest of circumstances, Titus unleashed unprecedented potential to confront the Venerable Clowde’s soul, ultimately grinding it into nothingness. “In the Mortal Realm, I am in one of the seven states, Lindblum State, which spans ten thousand miles in every direction, governed by the Yanille Empire. It includes one imperial city, six major cities, nineteen Sects scattered throughout, and one hundred and seventeen vassal states within the empire’s territory.” “The Skynet Sect and my hometown, Sparrow Kingdom, are located in the eastern part of Lindblum State. Apart from Skynet Sect, there are four other Sects and fourteen vassal states in the east.” Titus’s horizons were broadened by the Venerable Clowde’s memories. This was just the Mortal Realm, and even more fascinating were the larger Spirit Realm and the Nine Heavens Divine Realm. Titus couldn’t help but feel a longing for these places. He soon discovered the reason behind the Venerable Clowde’s downfall to a mere soul – it was due to a supreme divine object called the Ancient Wilderness. Which the Venerable Clowde had stumbled upon in a realm beyond. To activate the Ancient Wilderness, the Venerable Clowde had expended his life’s blood and essence, taking a hundred years to unlock it. But before he could revel in his success, he was betrayed and ambushed by his chief disciple, Lauren, and others. Severely wounded and on the brink of death, the Venerable Clowde detonated his the Venerable Martial Body, ultimately sending the Ancient Wilderness, along with his soul, into the endless void. Originally, the Venerable Clowde’s soul would have dissipated in the void, but it was drawn out by Titus’s intense desire for revenge. Feeling the resonance with Titus’s determination, the Venerable Clowde’s soul, along with the Ancient Wilderness, emerged from the void. Eventually, unable to overcome Titus, the Venerable Clowde’s soul shattered, and the Ancient Wilderness merged into Titus’s body. The Ancient Wilderness... A stirring in his heart, Titus’s consciousness was drawn into a mysterious and dark space. “Is this the Ancient Wilderness?” Titus looked around the empty space, feeling a profound aura emanating from its depths. With the Venerable Clowde’s memories, Titus understood the function of the Ancient Wilderness – it could evolve the essence of martial techniques. Thousand Jins Fist! Titus threw a punch. A series of fist shadows appeared, each different, starting from a basic level and progressing through small, large, and peak achievements. The final peak level exceeded the scope of basic martial arts, comparable to a Yatesllow-grade Lower Rank Martial Technique. Titus followed the trajectory of his fist shadows as he struck, with the same strength as before, but the power was greater than ever. Continuing to follow the path of his fist shadows, Titus found that each punch was stronger than the last, and his understanding of the Thousand Jins Fist deepened with each strike. The sensation of rapid improvement filled Titus with exhilaration. Punch after punch, Titus continued to gain insight. After ten thousand punches, the sound of Titus's punches echoed like a surging tide. Perfection... Titus threw his ten thousand and one punch, and he felt a sensation as if his strength had multiplied a thousandfold. “It only took a quarter of an hour to progress from basic to mastery...” Titus took a deep breath. It had taken him three years just to reach the basic level of the Thousand Jins Fist, a fundamental technique of the Skynet Sect. Normally, it would take at least another three years to master it. But in the Ancient Wilderness, it took only a quarter. He realized why the Venerable Clowde had fought so fiercely to protect the Ancient Wilderness – it significantly shortened the time required for Martial Cultivation. With it, the peak of Martial Arts was within reach. Titus withdrew his consciousness from the Ancient Wilderness, not for lack of desire to continue training, but because time was running out. The cloud boat was about to depart in a quarter. If Titus were to be sent back to Sparrow Kingdom, it would take at least three months to return to Skynet Sect. Having his Martial Spirit seed stolen, he needed to retrieve it within three months. Titus had to stay in Skynet Sect. “My Sea of Qi is seventy percent shattered, making recovery difficult. Better to completely destroy it and retain the intact thirty percent,” Titus quickly decided, channeling his Qi. Boom! The remaining part of his Sea of Qi shattered, leaving only thirty percent intact. “Now reduced from the Ninth Level of Qi Refining Stage to just the fourth level...” Titus wasn’t disheartened; with his current foundation, he would quickly regain his cultivation level. As he circulated his Qi, the blood stasis in his swollen organs was expelled, significantly improving his condition. Titus stood up and headed for the cabin door. “Stop!” An Outer Sect disciple blocked him. “I need to see the steward,” Titus demanded. “Titus, do you still think you’re the fifth level disciple of the Heavenly Ultimate Hall? You’re just a cripple now, go back. The steward won’t see you,” the gatekeeper retorted. Though expelled disciples could see the steward before the cloud boat’s departure, the gatekeeper was too lazy to report and thought Titus, now crippled, was an easy target. Pressed for time, Titus ignored the gatekeeper’s words and tried to pass. “Defying me? Get your ass back!” The gatekeeper, enraged, swung his iron rod at Titus. If hit, Titus’s bones would surely break. Thousand Jins Fist! Titus’s punch collided with the rod, denting it and knocking the gatekeeper to the ground with a grunt. “Next time, I won’t spare you,” Titus warned and swiftly left. The gatekeeper clutched his chest, pale-faced. He had intended only to discipline Titus, but the tables had turned. Was he supposed to be a cripple？ Yet he still had strength? Confused but unwilling to provoke Titus further, the gatekeeper stayed put. As Titus defended himself, the plump steward on the deck observed everything. He didn’t intervene, instead watching Titus approach with narrowed eyes. “Attacking a fellow disciple of the Heavenly Ultimate Hall in my presence is a serious offense,” the plump steward spoke gravely. “If the steward wishes to punish me, may I first speak a few words?” Titus asked calmly, bowing respectfully. “Speak,” the steward said, slightly surprised by Titus’s composure. “Steward, you may punish or kill me with ease. I accept your reprimand without complaint. However, if you would spare me and allow me to return to the Outer Sect, I owe you a favor,” Titus stated earnestly. “A favor from you?” The steward scrutinized Titus, then scoffed. “Your Sea of Qi is seventy percent destroyed, leaving only thirty percent intact. Your cultivation has fallen to the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage. Even if you return to Heavenly Ultimate Hall, do you still have a chance to rejoin the Inner Sect?” “Why not try and see if I can’t return to the Inner Sect?” Titus challenged. “Try?” The steward looked at Titus thoughtfully, then said, “You are much stronger than those hiding in the cabin, at least you haven’t given up. Fine, I’ll give you this chance.” He tossed an Outer Sect Disciple Token to Titus. “Take this and thank me later. Now go, before I change my mind.” “Thank you, Steward. I will remember this favor,” Titus bowed and quickly jumped off the cloud boat. "Before I change my mind, get out of here quickly," the portly steward waved his hand without even looking back. Titus no longer wasted any time and swiftly jumped off the cloud boat. At this moment, the cloud boat set sail, and the portly steward above squinted his eyes as he watched Titus stride toward the gates of the Skynet Sect. The reason he had given Titus the token was because of the punch he had just delivered. The punch had the momentum of a surging tide and the strength of a thousand jins. This was the manifestation of mastering the Thousand Jins Fist. It was exceedingly rare for someone to achieve mastery in the Thousand Jins Fist within three years of joining the sect. Only one such person appeared every few years, and these individuals typically possessed a higher level of enlightenment than the average person. In the eyes of the portly steward, even if Titus couldn't enter the Inner Sect in the future, he would still do well in the Outer Sect. By extending this favor, it would make things more convenient for them in the future.