Chapter 008: A New Understanding

Swish!

Suddenly, two dark red beams shot out from the iron box, overlapping with Mu Tianhen’s gaze and, before he could react, surged into his eyes.

“Ah—!”

In that instant, Mu Tianhen felt as if his head was struck by a heavy hammer; an immense pain swept through him. Instinctively, he clutched his head, letting out a tortured scream.

Strange and unfamiliar scenes flashed through his mind, bringing laughter, sorrow, and fury...

His expression shifted rapidly, tears streaming down his face and falling to the ground.

Only after the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn did the pain gradually subside; those images faded from his mind, and normalcy slowly returned.

At this moment, Mu Tianhen’s eyes were blurred with tears, sweat pouring down his face as if he had just undergone a life-altering ordeal.

His body was shrouded in a faint black mist, his eyes glowing red, murderous intent surging skyward. His hair floated as if moved by an unseen wind, making him appear possessed—a frightening sight.

After another quarter hour, all returned to normal.

Mu Tianhen slowly bent down, retrieving the item from the iron box—a human skull. The earlier red beams had emanated from the empty eye sockets.

"You are the Azure Lotus Emperor?" Mu Tianhen gazed at the skull in his hand. "A peerless warrior who reached the ninth tier of Martial God, ultimately falling beneath the holy thunder tribulation?"

Through those images, Mu Tianhen had come to understand the life of the Azure Lotus Emperor.

Originally, the Azure Lotus Emperor was a martial prodigy, surging ahead of his peers, creating legends, and becoming the youngest Martial God.

He possessed a wife of unparalleled beauty and an extraordinary son, ruled his realm, and pursued the supreme martial realm—the Martial Sage—amidst a life of happiness.

Moreover, he wrote his insights into the Infinite Heart Method and the Azure Lotus Sword Technique, hoping to benefit all, leaving his legacy to the world.

Yet his brilliance drew envy; enemies conspired, spreading rumors so that almost everyone believed he cultivated demonic arts and was a great demon.

Thus, all sides rallied to destroy the 'demon,' besieging the Azure Lotus Emperor with every manner of vile trick, seeking his annihilation.

Even so, the Azure Lotus Emperor led many warriors against the Demon Clan, saving countless lives in the war between gods and demons, though he was gravely wounded.

Those so-called 'divine' powers not only showed no gratitude, but slandered him, claiming the great war was a cover for his demonic identity, and continued their relentless pursuit.

As he fought on, those despicable villains murdered his wife and son, sparing not even his servants, their cruelty boundless.

This ignited the Azure Lotus Emperor’s fury; he retaliated with all his might, slaughtering countless gods, forcing them to retreat for a time.

To avenge his fallen loved ones, the Azure Lotus Emperor trained day and night, ascending through the martial ranks to reach the ninth tier of Martial God, drawing the holy thunder tribulation in pursuit of Martial Sage.

During the tribulation, scenes of his past flashed ceaselessly through his mind—bliss, his family’s smiles, the laughter of his enemies, his loved ones' tears, the blood spilled...

All these tormented his heart, feeding his rage and inner demons, ultimately causing him to succumb to the tribulation, perishing beneath the sacred thunder.

Yet, consumed by endless resentment, his soul did not fade, but attached itself to his skull, awaiting the chance for rebirth. The rest of his body scattered across the realms, whereabouts unknown.

Had Mu Tianhen not cultivated the Infinite Heart Method and the Azure Lotus Sword Technique, he would have been slain instantly upon opening the box, his power drained to revive the Azure Lotus Emperor.

Of course, the Azure Lotus Emperor would not spare Mu Tianhen simply because he practiced these arts. His intent was to enter Mu Tianhen’s body, seize his flesh, and return to life.

But, this lingering divine sense failed, and was instead absorbed by Mu Tianhen.

Mu Tianhen examined the skull in his hand once more. “How similar our experiences are, how ugly human nature can be. If one cannot even protect their loved ones, what use is great power?”

“If the world treats me with malice, why should I be kind to the world? Receiving your inheritance, it is as if we have both been reborn. In this new life, I will not allow anyone to harm those by my side!”

“The grudges of the past shall be avenged! If the gods forget their hearts, why should I fear becoming a demon?”

Swish!

In that instant, the skull in Mu Tianhen’s hand flashed with a faint golden light and swiftly shrank. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a thin slice, no larger than his palm.

Swish!

The golden light flickered again; the thin bone flew from his hand, swiftly merging into Mu Tianhen’s skull, fusing completely.

At the same time, an ancient voice echoed in his mind: “Pass on my arts, avenge me, cut down all unjust gods and demons! But your cultivation is shallow—you must not rush.”

“Before reaching Martial Emperor, never use the Azure Lotus Sword Technique, lest powerful foes crush you. You may forge new moves from the sword art and strike down those who block your path.”

“May you study diligently and reach the heights!”

The voice came and went quickly, a handful of words, like a dream.

Yet Mu Tianhen knew this was no dream, but the final exhortation of the Azure Lotus Emperor’s divine sense.

He also discovered that his understanding of the Infinite Heart Method and Azure Lotus Sword Technique had leapt to new heights, as if he himself were their creator.

Furthermore, he gained a deeper comprehension of martial cultivation realms.

Previously, people believed the martial realms consisted of nine stages: Meridian Opening, Blood Ignition, Celestial Visage, Thunder Tribulation, True Martial, Martial Marquis, Martial King, Martial Sovereign, and Martial Emperor.

In truth, above Martial Emperor lay Martial Lord, Martial God, and Martial Sage—twelve realms in total.

Moreover, according to the Azure Lotus Emperor's memories, there seemed to be even higher realms, though this was only speculation, with no known name or evidence.

Within these twelve realms, each was divided into nine tiers, making twelve realms and one hundred and eight tiers altogether.

Every tier marked a vast difference in power, especially the final three—seven, eight, and nine—which were nearly insurmountable.

With different understandings of the realms came disparities in other related perceptions, such as the circulation of vital energy, the storage space for meridian power, and so on—all greatly differing from common knowledge.

“Perhaps only after reaching a certain domain does one truly enter the world of martial artists,” Mu Tianhen mused, a bold plan forming in his heart.

But for now, that was only a plan; the most urgent task was to cultivate, to grow strong enough to protect his sister and face all challenges that might arise.

Calculating the time, only a day had passed; he still had two days left. Thus, Mu Tianhen chose a spacious spot, sat cross-legged, summoned his heart method, and began to train anew with his fresh insights.