"Perhaps. There’s always someone better, after all. Who knows what kind of masters are hidden away in those other nations."

"But I must say, conquest achieved through military might alone never lasts."

Zhou Yuanjue said slowly.

"Do you have a better idea?"

The Chief Commissioner’s voice held a note of curiosity.

"Legend says that thousands of years ago, Suiren drilled wood to make fire. It was then that the first Fire Seed of civilization was lit by human hands on this land, illuminating the dark night sky."

"Afterward, countless ancient heroes began to explore the world. They built houses, cleared land for farming, wove cloth to make clothes, and tasted a hundred herbs. The flame of civilization began to burn fiercely."

"Later still, countless people in both the East and the West began to transform the world. They started with philosophical exploration and eventually moved to scientific exploration. Human civilization grew more and more prosperous, and the weapons we wielded became more and more powerful, leading us to where we are today."

"But compared to this ever-changing world, the Martial Dao remains stuck in its most primitive stage. This land is the birthplace of the world’s Martial Dao, yet there has been no major progress since a thousand years ago, when Zhang Dongwei consolidated the true principles of cultivating the Dao and introduced the concept of the Martial Dao."

"Even with the recent reforms and some of the theories I’ve proposed, it still hasn’t fully developed into a universal system. A Martial Arts University established so hastily, with the Human Life Research Committee at its core, will probably lack fundamental appeal to foreign powers. It will still fall a step short."

"The Donghua Martial Dao is still trapped in a cultural cage. In fact, the martial arts cultures of most countries are the same. If we truly want to connect the nations through the Martial Dao, we need a complete system that can break free from these cultural cages and allow for simple, mutual exchange. Without it, our so-called Human Life Research Committee, much like the Starry Sky Country’s Celestial Beings Joint Research Committee, is just another way to form alliances. It can’t fulfill its true purpose."

Zhou Yuanjue said.

"We know that, but with the current changes in the international situation, some processes have to be accelerated."

The Chief Commissioner said with a sigh.

"But our ability to ally with more neutral nations depends on this."

"You must understand, what truly conquers a person, a people, or even a nation is not the fist, but spirit and ideas."

"From the looks of it, everyone is still fumbling their way along the path after Saint Awakening. The effects of the magnetic field are too varied and unpredictable to be summarized into a proper system in a short amount of time."

"But we have countless examples of the process from an ordinary person to Saint Awakening. And this is precisely the stage that all nations are most desperate to understand."

"Just give me some time. Before the Martial Arts University officially opens, I will put something together."

Zhou Yuanjue said after a moment of thought.

"How confident are you? Time waits for no one. According to discussions at the higher levels, the originally scheduled opening date for the Martial Arts University is in three to five days."

The Chief Commissioner said.

"Let’s say one week. I can’t guarantee a completely detailed framework, but finishing the general skeleton won’t be a problem."

Zhou Yuanjue said.

"Alright, then it’s set for one week from now."

The Chief Commissioner agreed after a moment of consideration.

······

······

「Back at his residence.」

Zhou Yuanjue had Ning Muqing prepare the necessary equipment and began another period of seclusion.

This time, he was going to propose a viable systematic framework for the Martial Dao.

Sitting before his desk, he didn’t pick up his pen. Instead, he slowly closed his eyes.

He was recalling and summarizing his entire life’s experience.

’The process of going from weak to strong.

’The sweat-drenched training, the nearly ten years of an ascetic lifestyle, the tireless study of various theories, stepping into the ranks of Decisive Fist without thought for life or death, facing mortal danger to accumulate combat experience step by step, growing stronger and stronger.

’And through all these trials, I finally forged the most tenacious will and calmly took that most crucial step.

’I broke with the organization, prepared to kill until the fields were filled with bodies. I quit the job countless people dreamed of, giving up the peaceful, respectable life many desire for a lifetime. I cut off contact with friends and family, and set off alone on a path with almost no hope of survival.

’At a time when Saint Awakening had not yet appeared in the world, when individual strength was seen as little more than a plaything, I moved forward resolutely, without hesitation.

’In the end, my wish was granted. I broke through the final barrier and achieved Nirvana between life and death.

’Even after breaking through to Saint Awakening, I never allowed myself a moment of relaxation. I maintained my intense self-discipline, dedicating almost all my time to exploring the unknown mysteries.

’At my age, with my achievements, I should have been eager to enjoy the spotlight, the applause, and the praise. But in truth, I cast it all aside.

’I constantly explored the boundary between life and death, constantly clashed with powerful enemies to find inspiration, and then poured all my energy into developing that inspiration.

’Again and again, the cycle repeated.

’In a short amount of time, I had walked a path that takes others decades to complete.

’To outsiders, my life seemed monotonous and dull. I myself must have seemed like an obsessive monster.

’But in reality, I was simply chasing a higher ideal.’

Scene after scene flashed before his eyes like clips from a movie, and an indescribable understanding bloomed in his heart.

’I once thought the secret of Saint Awakening was to break through the barrier of life and death.

’But later, I realized the secret of Saint Awakening is actually to suppress the body’s powerful instincts. It’s about wielding the flesh with the Spirit, undoing the self-preservation mechanisms that cocoon us like a placenta, and using a grander Heart Intent to explore the true meaning of this world, this universe.

’Even after reaching Saint Awakening, a person is still fighting against their ever-growing instincts.

’Some say human nature is inherently good. Others say it’s inherently evil.

’But in reality, a person is born like a blank slate, with no inherent good or evil.

’There is only instinct.

’The desire for comfort, the desire for food and warmth, the desire for a better life... ’

’But the division between strong and weak in nature, the finiteness of resources, causes instinct to warp into evil.

’Unrestrained instinct is evil.

’And what makes humanity great is our ability to conquer our own instincts, to do things our bodies would not normally allow us to do.

’This is will. This is Spirit. This is thought. It is the wellspring from which humanity constantly transcends its original concept of life and creates miracles.

’The Martial Dao is even more so. What it creates is a miracle of life and flesh.’

All arduous training has but one purpose.

He had once written a thesis related to instinct, but it was too crude and simplistic to form the foundation of an entire system.

Now, he was going to create a more complete synthesis of these ideas.

Zhou Yuanjue’s eyes snapped open. He wrote down the first line, a sentence destined to become the motto of this era:

Wield the flesh with Spirit, reach the infinite with the finite, and humanity itself can transcend all.