37: Chapter 37 The Heart of a Grandmaster

Passing through the valley, Lin Wu finally reached the core area of the Martial Arts Holy Land.

The sight before him made him hold his breath involuntarily.

It was a massive plaza, spanning several kilometers. The ground was paved with an unknown green stone, each slab engraved with intricate runes. In the center of the plaza stood a Stone Tower reaching into the clouds, its body built entirely of white jade. Under the sunlight, it emitted a soft, sacred glow, looking like a divine ladder leading to the heavens.

But what shocked Lin Wu the most was the Aura permeating the air.

The Spiritual Qi here was so dense it almost condensed into substance. With every breath, he could feel a surge of majestic energy entering his body. Even more peculiar was that this Spiritual Qi contained an ancient and pure Martial Dao True Intent, like fragments of will left behind by ancient martial arts powerholders, eternally circulating in the void.

"Is this... the core of the Martial Arts Holy Land?" Lin Wu murmured to himself, his voice carrying an undisguisable reverence.

He took a cautious step forward, and the runes beneath his feet immediately lit up with a faint glow. A warm, ancient power surged up from the soles of his feet, giving him a sense of comfort.

"Are these runes... welcoming me?" Lin Wu wondered to himself.

He took a deep breath to calm his excitement and then walked toward the Stone Tower.

The closer he got to the Stone Tower, the denser that Martial Dao True Intent became. Lin Wu felt the True Essence within him become exceptionally active, like a thirsty traveler finding a sweet spring, greedily absorbing the surrounding energy.

"If I could Cultivate here, the speed would be at least ten times faster than the outside world..." Lin Wu remarked.

But he did not forget his purpose. He was here to find the heart of the grandmaster, not to Cultivate.

Arriving before the Stone Tower, Lin Wu looked up. The tower reached into the clouds, its top invisible to the eye. The tower was covered in various profound patterns and scripts, and each floor emitted a different colored light, as if containing infinite mysteries.

On the tower gate, several ancient characters shone brightly: "The Peak of Martial Dao."

"The Peak of Martial Dao..." Lin Wu took a deep breath, feeling the majestic Aura contained within those four words.

This was not just a name; it was an expectation, a summons, and a longing for the Supreme Realm of martial arts.

Lin Wu reached out and gently pressed his hand against the tower gate.

"Buzz—"

The tower gate let out a low rumble and slowly opened.

An even denser Martial Dao True Intent surged out from within the tower, washing over him. Lin Wu felt his Soul tremble within this True Intent, as if facing an ancient Martial Dao Supreme.

"Come..." An ethereal voice echoed in his ear. "Enter, latecomer who seeks the true essence of martial arts..."

Lin Wu gritted his teeth and stepped into the Stone Tower.

The interior was a vast space, dozens of times larger than it appeared from the outside, like an independent Small World. The surrounding walls were covered in various martial arts illustrations, extending from the floor to the invisible ceiling—countless and dense.

There were fist techniques, sword techniques, saber techniques, spear techniques, palm techniques, finger techniques... every kind of martial art was present. Each illustration was lifelike, as if someone were personally demonstrating them on the walls. Lin Wu could even see the figures in the illustrations moving slowly, every move and stance perfectly natural.

"What exquisite martial arts..." Lin Wu observed the illustrations on the walls as he walked.

He stopped before a fist technique illustration; it was a set of martial arts called "Mountain-Collapsing Fist." The figure in the illustration threw a punch, the force of which was like a mountain collapsing or the earth splitting, majestic in its momentum. As Lin Wu stared at the illustration, he suddenly felt a surge of Fist Intent emerge from the wall, striking directly at his mind.

"Is this... a martial arts inheritance?" Lin Wu was shaken.

He quickly circulated the Martial Dao Origin Scripture, guiding that Fist Intent into his body. In an instant, it was as if he had personally experienced countless sessions of practicing the Mountain-Collapsing Fist, from the first glimpse of its secrets to total mastery; every stage was crystal clear.

"I see... the essence of the Mountain-Collapsing Fist lies in the word 'crush'; it's not brute force, but skillful power..." Lin Wu murmured, a flash of realization crossing his eyes.

He continued forward and stopped before a sword technique illustration. It was the "Flowing Water Sword," with a sword momentum that was continuous like flowing water, soft yet firm. Lin Wu once again felt a surge of Sword Intent enter his mind, and his understanding of the Dao of the sword deepened by another level.

"These martial arts... are all legacies of the ancient martial arts civilization..." Lin Wu's heart was filled with reverence.

He discovered that while these martial arts were diverse and varied in style, they all shared one commonality—they all contained an Eternal Indestructibility will. Whether it was a fierce fist technique or a gentle sword technique, they all spoke the same truth: the path of martial arts is endless, and only through eternal indestructibility can one become a Grandmaster.

"Eternal Indestructibility... Is this the true essence of martial arts..." Lin Wu fell into deep thought.

He continued walking, comprehending the martial arts on the walls as he went. With every illustration he passed, his understanding of martial arts deepened. Those martial arts were like keys, opening doors to higher Realms for him.

Gradually, he reached the center of the Stone Tower's first floor.

There was a stone platform made of white jade, emitting a soft light. On the platform sat a jade box; the box was translucent and crystal clear, its surface covered in profound runes, as if something precious were hidden inside.

As Lin Wu approached the platform, he felt a dense Martial Dao True Intent emanating from the jade box. That intent was purer and more powerful than any he had felt before, as if it were the condensed essence of the entire martial arts civilization.

"Is this... the heart of the grandmaster?" Lin Wu's heart raced, and his hands trembled slightly.

He took a deep breath to steady his excitement and then carefully opened the jade box.

Inside the jade box lay a crystal the size of a fist. The crystal was translucent, and inside it, a golden liquid seemed to flow, emitting a soft and sacred light. Just looking at it, one could feel an Eternal Indestructibility will, as if facing an ancient Martial Dao Supreme.

"The heart of the grandmaster!" Lin Wu's eyes widened, his face full of pleasant surprise.

He had finally found the heart of the grandmaster!

The moment he picked up the heart of the grandmaster, the crystal suddenly emitted a brilliant light, enveloping him entirely. Lin Wu felt a massive and pure energy surging from the crystal into his body, resonating with the True Essence within him.

"What powerful energy..." Lin Wu thought to himself. "Is this the key to breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm..."

"You have found the heart of the grandmaster."

An old and majestic voice suddenly echoed through the Stone Tower, seemingly coming from all directions at once. Lin Wu spun around to see an illusory figure slowly stepping out from the wall.

It was a white-haired old man wearing an ancient robe, his expression kind yet majestic, his entire body emitting an indescribable Aura. That Aura was neither True Essence nor an ability; it was a more ancient, purer power—the original Aura of martial arts.

Even though it was only a phantom, Lin Wu could feel that this old man must have been a being beyond the Legendary Realm when he was alive! Just standing there, he gave off a sense of pressure as if one were facing the entire martial arts civilization.

"Junior Lin Wu greets Senior," Lin Wu said, bowing respectfully, his heart filled with both tension and anticipation.

"No need for such formalities." The old man waved his hand, his eyes like torches as he sized up Lin Wu. "I am the guardian of this Stone Tower and the last inheritor of the martial arts civilization. You may call me... the Tower Guardian."

"Senior Tower Guardian," Lin Wu said respectfully. "May I ask, Senior... why did the martial arts civilization decline?"

The old man was silent for a moment, a flash of reminiscence and sorrow in his eyes. "Because the Spiritual Qi was exhausted, and because of a catastrophe."

"A catastrophe?" Lin Wu felt a chill in his heart.

"In ancient times, the Spiritual Qi on Earth was incredibly dense, and the martial arts civilization reached an unprecedented Peak." The old man's voice became low. "Back then, Grandmasters were everywhere, those in the Legendary Realm were as common as dogs, and there were even powerholders at the Great Grandmaster and Martial Saint levels. The martial arts civilization flourished and created countless brilliant achievements."

"But later, the Spiritual Qi began to dry up." The old man sighed. "Like a river gradually running dry, Martial Artists found they could no longer break through to higher Realms. Generation after generation of powerholders fell, yet no one could take their place."

"What about the catastrophe?" Lin Wu pressed.

The old man glanced at Lin Wu, his gaze deep. "You will know soon enough. Now is not the time to tell you."

Though Lin Wu was curious, he did not ask further. He knew that the Tower Guardian must have a reason for not telling him.

"Finding the heart of the grandmaster proves you are qualified to inherit the Legacy of the martial arts civilization," the Tower Guardian said. "But the heart of the grandmaster is only the key to breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm; the actual Breakthrough still requires your own effort. External things can only assist; only your own comprehension is the foundation."

"Please guide me, Senior," Lin Wu said sincerely.

The Tower Guardian nodded and said slowly: "Breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm requires merging the Martial Dao True Intent with True Essence to form a Void Core. The Void Core is not only a condensation of energy but also an embodiment of martial will. Only by truly understanding the essence of martial arts can one condense a perfect Void Core."

"The Void Core exists between the void and reality, serving as the foundation to a higher Realm," the Tower Guardian continued to explain. "Once you break through to the Grandmaster Realm, the Void Core can be refined into a true Golden Core. Once the Golden Core is formed, your Lifespan will increase significantly, and your strength will undergo a world-shaking transformation."

"The true meaning of martial arts..." Lin Wu murmured to himself, falling into deep thought.

"Your Martial Dao True Intent is Eternal Indestructibility; this is very good," the Tower Guardian said with a hint of admiration in his voice. "Eternal Indestructibility is the most important quality of the Martial Dao. No matter how powerful the enemy or how difficult the challenge, the will never fades—that is what a true Martial Artist is."

"But being Eternal Indestructibility alone is not enough." The Tower Guardian's tone became serious. "The Martial Dao is not just the pursuit of personal power, but also an embodiment of Protection and responsibility. A truly powerful Martial Artist must not only protect themselves but also those they cherish. Power itself has no good or evil; the key lies in the heart that uses it."

"Protection and responsibility..." Lin Wu fell into deep thought.

He thought of his parents, Fatty Chen, Su Qingxue, and Chu Tianjiao... these were all people he wanted to protect. He remembered the trial of the Dao Pattern Tiger, the life-and-death battle with Chu Tianhe, and the experience in Ghost Cry Canyon... in every battle, he fought to protect those around him.

"I understand." Lin Wu raised his head, his eyes shining with an unprecedented light of determination. "My Martial Dao is not only Eternal Indestructibility but also about Protection. I will use my hands to protect everything I cherish! Whether it be my family, my friends, or this world!"

"Well said!" The Tower Guardian nodded with satisfaction, a flicker of relief crossing his eyes. "Lin Wu, remember that the path of the Martial Dao is endless. The Grandmaster Realm is only the beginning; in the future, there are Great Grandmasters, Martial Saints, and even higher Realms waiting for you. But no matter how far you go, never forget what you said today."

"This Junior will keep Senior's teachings in mind," Lin Wu said respectfully.

"Alright, begin the Breakthrough," the Tower Guardian said. "Remember, during the Breakthrough, you must be free of distractions and devote all your focus to condensing the Void Core. Any stray thought could lead to failure."

"Yes, Senior!"

Lin Wu sat cross-legged, placed the heart of the grandmaster before him, and began to circulate the Martial Dao Origin Scripture.

As the Cultivation Technique circulated, the heart of the grandmaster seemed to feel his call and began to emit an increasingly intense light. That light shifted from soft to blazing, eventually turning into a golden pillar of light that enveloped Lin Wu entirely.

"Such dense Martial Dao True Intent..." Lin Wu thought to himself.

He felt countless strands of pure energy surging from the heart of the grandmaster, following his Meridians to converge in his Dantian. That energy was not just True Essence; it also contained the wills and insights of ancient martial arts experts, each strand as heavy as a mountain and as vast as the sea.

"Is this the power of the heart of the grandmaster..." Lin Wu grit his teeth, enduring the impact of that majestic energy.

He guided those Martial Dao True Intents to converge toward the True Essence Core in his Dantian. The True Essence Core, which was originally only the size of a fist, began to tremble violently under the nourishment of the Martial Dao True Intent, emitting an increasingly intense light.

But soon, Lin Wu discovered a problem.

The capacity of the True Essence Core was limited and could not accommodate such a massive amount of energy. Forcing it in would only cause the True Essence Core to collapse, leading to a failed Breakthrough or even Qi Deviation.

"What should I do..." Cold sweat broke out on Lin Wu's forehead, and he felt extremely anxious.

Just then, the Tower Guardian's voice rang in his ear: "Compress, refine, merge... compress the True Essence Core to its limit and let it undergo a qualitative change!"

Lin Wu's heart jolted, and he immediately understood the Tower Guardian's meaning.

He no longer tried to accommodate that energy but instead began to compress the True Essence Core. He mobilized all his focus to constantly compress and refine the True Essence Core, causing it to transition from a loose gaseous state to a liquid state, and then toward a solid state.

This process was extremely painful, as if someone were repeatedly striking his Dantian with a hammer. Lin Wu grit his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging, and sweat fell like rain.

"Hold on..." he kept telling himself in his heart. "To break through, to protect those I cherish, I must hold on!"

Time passed minute by minute.

Under Lin Wu's compression, the True Essence Core grew smaller and smaller, but the light it emitted became increasingly intense. Finally, at a certain moment, the True Essence Core underwent a qualitative change—

"Boom!"

A roar echoed in his Dantian, as if the heaven and earth were being created. The original True Essence Core vanished, replaced by a semi-solid golden bead.

That was—the Void Core!

The Void Core was only the size of a thumb, existing between the void and reality, emitting a soft and divine golden light. It rotated slowly, and with every turn, it released majestic True Essence several times more powerful than the previous True Essence Core.

"I succeeded..." Lin Wu felt a surge of joy.

But he knew it wasn't enough. Although the Void Core had condensed, it still needed to merge with his Martial Dao True Intent to truly become a powerhouse of the Grandmaster Realm.

"Martial Dao True Intent, merge!"

Lin Wu took a deep breath and began to merge his Eternal Indestructibility will and his determination for Protection entirely into the Void Core.

This was an even more difficult process. Martial Dao True Intent was not energy, but will, conviction, and Dao. Merging will into the Void Core was like giving it a Soul, so that it was no longer just a mass of energy but possessed life and spirituality.

Lin Wu thought of his cultivation journey. Since his Awakening of the martial arts inheritance, he had experienced countless battles and trials. Every time, he had given his all and never backed down. No matter how powerful the enemy or how difficult the challenge, his will was never extinguished.

"Eternal Indestructibility..." Lin Wu chanted silently in his heart.

He thought of the trial of the Dao Pattern Tiger, the life-and-death battle with Chu Tianhe, the training in Ghost Cry Canyon, and those people he wanted to protect...

"Protection..." Lin Wu's eyes shone with a resolute light.

"Boom!!!"

Another roar echoed in his Dantian, and the Void Core trembled violently, emitting a dazzling golden light. That golden light contained the will of Eternal Indestructibility and the determination for Protection, as if a small sun were rising in his Dantian.

Fine patterns began to emerge on the surface of the Void Core. Those patterns were like natural runes, recording Lin Wu's Martial Dao True Intent and emitting a mysterious and powerful Aura.

"These are... Void Core Patterns?" The Tower Guardian's voice carried a hint of surprise. "To actually condense Void Core Patterns during the Breakthrough, this kid..."

Void Core Patterns were a symbol of a Void Core's quality. The more complex the patterns, the higher the quality of the Void Core and the greater its future potential. When ordinary Martial Artists break through to the Grandmaster Realm, the surface of their Void Core is as smooth as a mirror; only those with extraordinary talent can condense patterns during the Breakthrough.

And on Lin Wu's Void Core, the patterns were dense and numerous, like an exquisite painting, emitting an Eternal Indestructibility golden light.

"I succeeded!" Lin Wu opened his eyes, which were flashing with excitement.

He had successfully broken through to the Grandmaster Realm!

An unprecedented feeling of power surged through him. Lin Wu felt that the True Essence in his body was more than ten times stronger than before, and it was also purer and more refined. The Void Core rotated slowly in his Dantian, autonomously absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, greatly increasing his cultivation speed.

More importantly, his understanding of the Martial Dao had reached a completely new level.

"Is this the power of the Grandmaster Realm..." Lin Wu clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him, his heart filled with pride.

"Very good." The Tower Guardian nodded with satisfaction. "The Void Core you have condensed is of very high quality. It not only contains a dense Martial Dao True Intent but also incorporates the wills of Eternal Indestructibility and Protection. This Void Core is enough to support your cultivation to even higher Realms. Once you break through to the Grandmaster Realm and the Void Core is refined into a Golden Core, your strength will have another qualitative leap."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior." Lin Wu bowed respectfully.

"No need to thank me; this is the result of your own efforts," the Tower Guardian said. "Lin Wu, remember that the path of the Martial Dao is endless. The Grandmaster Realm is only the beginning; in the future, there are Great Grandmasters, Martial Saints, and even higher Realms waiting for you."

"This Junior understands," Lin Wu said.

"Go then, go fulfill your mission," the Tower Guardian said. "This world needs a Martial Artist like you."

After speaking, the Tower Guardian's figure gradually dissipated, turning into specks of light that merged into the Stone Tower.

Lin Wu bowed respectfully and then turned to leave the Stone Tower.