"That’s enough." Emperor Jiang grabbed Zhang Rongfang’s arm and lifted it up.

He carefully observed Ostend’s shoulder.

The flesh there appeared aged, losing its luster and vitality, as if it had died.

Swoosh!

He swiftly struck, completely excavating that small piece of flesh.

"Recover." He spoke to Ostend.

".....Alright."

The wound on the latter’s shoulder quickly healed and regenerated.

However...the flesh there remained unchanged, devoid of vitality, lifeless, like a withered flower, incapable of recovering to its original state...

"This feels...like some sort of epidemic! An epidemic specifically targeting those who worship gods!!" A trace of shock flickered in Emperor Jiang’s eyes.

He looked again at Zhang Rongfang, the tremor in his eyes clearly visible.

This man...was born to oppose those who worship gods and Buddhas!

He could imagine what kind of terrifying things would happen if those who worship gods learned of Zhang Ying’s ability and talent!

They would stop at nothing to hunt him down to death!

Countless thoughts collided in Emperor Jiang’s mind.

Soon, he seemed to make an important decision.

"From today onward, you will stay here and are not allowed to go anywhere."

This was directed at Zhang Rongfang.

"!? Senior, what do you mean!?" Zhang Rongfang’s heart skipped a beat, unsure of what the other meant.

"Within a month, if you can safely protect yourself from his final move and withstand fifty moves from my normal state, I’ll let you go." Emperor Jiang calmly replied.

"As for you," he suddenly turned to look at Ostend. "Help him with all you’ve got...if he can’t do it by then, I’ll kill you."

Ostend’s heart trembled, a forced smile appearing.

Despite various curses and complaints in his heart, at this moment, he could only smile.

"Oh, by the way, you can try the Descent of the God, after all, my blade hasn’t tasted anything in a long time...a change in flavor will do." Emperor Jiang’s words dashed Ostend’s last hope.

This guy... simply found it bothersome and found someone to teach instead of himself!

Seeing the root of the matter, Ostend felt much better.

At least there was hope for survival.

Although he believed that even after preparing everything before the Descent of the God, he would still not fear Emperor Jiang, at this moment, he did not want to engage in a mutually destructive battle.

As for the verbal insult of being weak, let him say what he wants.

Words do not cause physical harm.

He was merely weighing the pros and cons, finding that a fight would not be worth it.

Thinking of this, Ostend felt his final stance stabilizing again.

It’s said that those in the Extreme Realm are insane, but now it seems, what if they’re strong?

It’s still not as good as being rational and clear-minded, isn’t it?

With this thought, he looked at Emperor Jiang with a hint of pity in his eyes.

’Why bother arguing so much with a mentally unstable person? I’m a normal and healthy person; letting a handicapped person take advantage is no big deal.’

"Alright, that’s it then." Emperor Jiang concluded.

"Now, explain to him the biggest difference between a Grandmaster and Grandmaster Level. Let him understand where his weakness lies."

He pointed at Ostend, then yawned and left with his hands behind his back.

Not long after, Emperor Jiang disappeared, jumping off the cliff, unaware of his intentions.

Only Zhang Rongfang and Ostend were left, looking at each other.

Ostend forced a smile.

"Since you’ve sincerely requested it, I’ll begrudgingly give it a try."

"....." Zhang Rongfang looked at him with sympathy; this self-consolation at such a level could be considered extraordinary...

"Actually, when you advance from Grandmaster to Grandmaster Level, there’s nothing lacking in your mind. The key lies in the realm of martial arts." Ostend explained.

"The realm of martial arts?"

"Exactly." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Ostend organized his thoughts and explained in detail: "The so-called realm of martial arts can generally be divided into several stages."

"Initially, you follow martial arts maneuvers, winning with pre-designed routines and special moves."

"Later, you gradually understand the principles of fighting, eliminating styles unsuited to you, forming your own system, your own routines, and special moves."

"Further on, you no longer adhere to routines; many moves and the body naturally align, allowing you to execute powerful moves and final kills."

"Then comes the Grandmaster stage. You begin to realize the influence of spirit, will, emotion, state on victory or defeat.

Once pure physical and move refinement reaches the extreme, further progress becomes incredibly difficult. At this point, we shift to researching will, state, and emotion."

"All things in the world flow like clouds, endlessly changing and varied. Changes create weakness and strength. Using your strength to strike the enemy’s weakness is the art of war, and similarly, it’s the mental combat art of us Grandmasters."

"And how to use your strength to exploit the enemy’s weakness requires achieving many things. Therefore, Grandmasters cultivate an invincible will, ensuring their will always remains at its strongest peak."

"This is how to maintain strength. But consequently, every Grandmaster has a fatal weakness.

If the state of mind is broken, their strength instantly declines.

All things in the world have balanced principles; with gains come inevitable sacrifices.

When ordinary consciousness is broken, at most one becomes dispirited for a while. But when a Grandmaster’s consciousness is broken...the impact is overwhelming."

If Ostend is not in an antagonistic camp, his explanation reveals a scholarly demeanor.

His words are eloquently expressed using a style combining both Eastern and Western influences.

"Then how do you find the enemy’s weakness?" Zhang Rongfang asked in a deep voice.

"Regarding this point," Austins continued, "so originally, there were two proposed approaches."

He extended his index finger.

"The first approach: Everything is unpredictable, with no one being omniscient. Therefore, the only thing we can grasp is ourselves. Extending this theory gives rise to the concept of the Absolute Defense Circle!"

"First, ensure that you make no mistakes, then wait for the opponent to err, for the opponent to show flaws and weaknesses. This is the fundamental reason for the existence of the Absolute Defense Circle."

"The second approach: Some people believe that everything is in a state of flux, with nothing absolutely stable. As long as there is instability, there is bound to be a gap between strength and weakness, an absolute weakness.

Hence, they think failing to find a weakness means we haven’t observed closely enough.

Thus... the concept of a preemptive strike arose."

"So, the reason I couldn’t defeat you earlier was because of the preemptive strike?" Zhang Rongfang instantly understood.

"Yes. Your martial arts, everything about you, is too clumsy in my eyes. The preemptive strike is a terrifying realm.

Even among Grandmasters, the gap in preemptive strikes could create a huge disparity, leading to a significant difference in power."

Austins remarked thoughtfully.

"This is the level of consciousness, where the world seen by some is different from that seen by others..."

"Like between you and Elder Emperor Jiang?" Zhang Rongfang asked in a deep voice.

"...You don’t understand. At this level, if the gap in preemptive strikes is large, you may never hit the opponent while they are conscious.

You cannot even touch the opponent, only repeatedly exposing your own weaknesses. You can imagine what the outcome would be." Austins was momentarily embarrassed but quickly regained his composure.

"Elder Emperor Jiang is truly formidable..." Zhang Rongfang sighed.

"Yes, Extreme Realm Grandmasters are generally terrifyingly adept at preemptive strikes," Austins nodded, "Let alone Mr. Emperor Jiang being a top contender among them."

"In fact, the directions taken by Grandmasters on the paths of the Extreme Realm and the Worship can generally be summarized into two approaches."

He sighed with a sense of finality.

"The Extreme Realm advocates that the best defense is offense. They might deliver a lethal blow at any time while dodging.

The Worship approach advocates the best offense is defense. We believe in employing a strong physique and resilience to withstand strong enemies, waiting for them to make mistakes, and then seizing the opportunity to kill them."

"The extreme powerhouses on both sides are very frightening."

Zhang Rongfang suddenly gained a rough outline of understanding.

Indeed, the Extreme Realm seeks maximum lethality, often defeating the enemy in one move without any unnecessary action. Demonic soldiers are methods devised to compensate for the lack of damage to Spirit Generals.

But the Worship approach is much more methodical.

"And what about you?" Zhang Rongfang, having benefited greatly, suddenly had a newfound respect for him.

"Which level do you belong to? Why do I feel there’s a part of you possessing the Preemptive Strike?"

"Me?" Austins smiled slightly, his handsome face under the sunlight carried a touch of gentle elegance.

"I wanted to advance on both paths; I had the audacity of ambition." He pointed to the sky with his finger, then touched his heart.

"I once thought I was the most talented in the world, but unfortunately, reality delivered a cruel blow. When there was no further advance, I finally gave up and chose Worship."

"Why?"

"Because Worship is safe and allows you to live longer... Although there are rumors that the top-ranked masters of the Extreme Realm experienced an extension of life due to the Light from the Heavens shining upon them."

"Of course, this is just hearsay. Take it as you will," Austins’ expression was gentle.

In fact, more often than not, he preferred to study things of personal interest than engage in constant fighting and killing.

Unfortunately... this era, this world, does not allow him to live that way.

"Alright, enough talk, let’s have a practice fight. Since the master assigned it, my role is to help you quickly improve your martial arts realm."

Standing up, Austins said calmly, though he doubted what could be achieved in a month.

From Zhang Ying’s previous performances, even the spirit of self-improvement at a Grandmaster’s heart was not yet gathered, let alone reaching the high-level preemptive strike realm of a Grandmaster level.

But that peculiar powerful ability on the other side could significantly suppress Worship. His physique was extremely formidable, comparable to a Worship Grandmaster.

No... even stronger than many of the typical Worship Grandmasters...

So...

"Be careful. Even among Grandmasters, a significant gap in preemptive strikes can sometimes decide victory or defeat instantly. Winning or losing, life or death, often just depend on a moment or a step."

"Please instruct." Zhang Rongfang cupped his hands in a traditional martial salute.

In fact, from the beginning, when he learned he was being framed and that his ability to repair his flesh and blood hindered Worship, he immediately thought of this place.

The Extreme Realm doesn’t favor Worship.

They are human.

Unwilling to submit beneath gods and Buddhas.

So, those supporting his anti-Worship ability would most likely come from these people!

No warrior who practices Worship would allow a threat of such magnitude to exist in the world.

So...

Initially, he planned to rely on his powerful and terrifying life recovery to grind Austins down to death.

But in the middle, the thought suddenly occurred to him, so he turned and left.

He did not seek out Shangguan Feihua, nor did he go to the Jade Void Palace, but instead came to the top of Linghua Mountain.

And now...

It seemed he bet correctly.

Emperor Jiang’s gaze had already changed from before...

This is the principle of maneuvering based on the situation in military strategy, turning waste into treasure.

Since he was exposed, he might as well leverage Austins’ injuries to showcase his unique restraint.

To gain the Extreme Realm’s attention.

In anticipation of eventual conflicts with gods and Buddhas, this might be a future escape route.