Invincibility Begins with Mastery of Fist Techniques-Chapter 211 - 204: The Situation

Why was this video spreading so fast? Why hadn't it been banned by the relevant authorities?

Seeing the video go viral, many in the Martial Arts Realm couldn't help but ask themselves these questions.

The higher-ups had always employed a strategy of suppressing information about the Martial Arts Realm. Everything about the true Martial Arts Realm was kept hidden. If anything ever did make an impact on the public, they would quickly employ various methods to stamp it out and restore the peace.

"Vigilantes use martial arts to challenge the law." This was a consensus among rulers throughout history, and thus, some boundaries were never meant to be crossed.

Most people in the Martial Arts Realm had a tacit understanding of this. They wouldn't cross that line, content to pass down their arts in secret.

After all, this was an age of firearms. For an individual's strength to clash with the power of a nation was undoubtedly a foolish choice. No one was that stupid.

Therefore, those in the Martial Arts Realm would never openly publicize its affairs. They kept things within their own circles, because if word ever got out, it would likely spell trouble.

This incident, however, was beyond anything they could have imagined.

The promotions for the Hero Assembly had been extravagant, but they had at least remained within their circles. This video's spread on social media, however, had broken into the mainstream completely.

Whether or not the person who posted the video knew of the Martial Arts Realm's "unspoken rules," the authorities must have noticed it once it started trending. The fact that it hadn't been taken down could only mean one thing: the video was being allowed to spread with their tacit approval.

The implications of their attitude were intriguing.

It was as if the authorities themselves were erasing the very line they had drawn.

Combined with the recent upheaval throughout the nation's Martial Arts Realm, such as the appearance of a twenty-five-year-old who had reached Saint Awakening and other extraordinary events, even the least perceptive person could sense that something was amiss.

'Are the higher-ups planning to gradually reveal the Martial Arts Realm to the world?'

'And for what purpose?' Even they, as members of the Martial Arts Realm, had to admit that bringing their world into the open would not be conducive to social stability.

More Martial Artists would mean a wider range in character and skill, making them difficult to manage.

Though they didn't understand why the higher-ups were doing this, it didn't stop some martial arts schools from beginning to test the authorities' boundaries.

Given the chance, not everyone wanted to remain hidden in obscurity.

Honor, fame... how many could truly remain unswayed by such things?

As a result, content related to the Martial Dao—videos, articles, and more—suddenly proliferated across social media. An increasing number of curious individuals began to follow these topics, gradually learning some of the true secrets of the Martial Arts Realm.

Discussions about the Martial Dao, individual power, the Martial Arts Realm, and Martial Artists were steadily on the rise.

Meanwhile, the aftershocks of the Hero Assembly continued to spread. Zhou Yuanjue's reputation was pushed to the pinnacle of the Martial Arts Realm after the event. Despite his youth, he was already showing signs of becoming a preeminent authority in the Martial Arts Realm.

Thanks to the attendees from all over the country who spontaneously spread the word, the entire Martial Arts Realm gained a more direct understanding of the Saint Awakening Realm—a state that had always been spoken of as abstruse and ethereal. They were all in awe of its immense power.

Everyone coveted such power.

The confidence of Martial Artists, once shattered by the power of modern technology and firearms, was reinvigorated by Zhou Yuanjue's performance. They now knew that humanity itself was not weak; by reaching the highest realm, one could possess the formidable power to challenge even modern weaponry.

With hope came motivation. A frenzy of rigorous training swept through the Martial Arts Realm.

The spark ignited by Zhou Yuanjue at the assembly had now grown into a fire, spreading throughout the entire Donghua Martial Arts Realm.

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「Zixiao Mountain Peak.」

A burly, white-haired old man in a long green robe stood before the Chief Commissioner's courtyard. Leaning on a cane with his eyes half-closed, he spoke:

"Elder Tang, isn't this timing a bit rushed? We've gone beyond the original plan. There are many things we haven't fully prepared for. You know as well as I do that the impact of the Martial Arts Realm entering the public eye will be like a tidal wave."

This old man was a pillar of the Secret Protection Bureau, yet he was more than twenty years younger than the Chief Commissioner.

"It's not too soon. We don't have the luxury of time to fully prepare,"

the Chief Commissioner's voice said, vibrating the magnetic field.

"The original plan was to wait until after the grand North-South martial arts conference. A new generation would have reached Saint Awakening, and the enthusiasm and momentum of the Martial Arts Realm would have reached its peak. Only then would we consider letting its affairs surface, followed by a national campaign to popularize the Martial Dao, and finally, we would gradually reveal the existence of the Celestial Demons."

"But now, we're out of time. You've seen it yourself: the Haisa Island incident, the Beiwei Kunlun Mountain incident, and all the various minor incidents popping up everywhere. The North-South martial arts conference was delayed, and the Beiwei Kunlun incident in particular exposed many problems. Blindly seeking stability has become the worst possible strategy. We can't afford to wait,"

the Chief Commissioner continued.

"Is there really a traitor in our midst?"

the green-robed elder asked, frowning.

"I don't know. The human heart is the most difficult thing to fathom. But even without a traitor, the international situation is already dire. During the Beiwei Kunlun incident, various nations all happened to obtain information on the Elixir of Immortality. Do you think that was a coincidence?"

the Chief Commissioner asked.

"Could it be..."

the green-robed elder said, his pupils contracting.

"It's just speculation for now, but I'm fairly certain I'm right."

"We once believed that only the Ya'an Empire had cooperated with the Celestial Demons, and that the other nations today had merely obtained the Ya'an Empire's old research Data."

"But facts have proven otherwise. The secrets behind the Starry Sky Country's Super Warriors are beyond what could be achieved with that Data alone. And this Kunlun Mountain incident indicates that many countries around the world likely have some kind of secret connection to the Celestial Demon Organization,"

There was a mocking tone in the Chief Commissioner's voice.

"Publicly, they fly the banner of exterminating the Celestial Demons, but secretly, they trade or even cooperate with the Celestial Demon Organization. That's why their technology in fields like life sciences has advanced by leaps and bounds, leaving us struggling to keep pace."

"The power of a Celestial Demon is a terrifying shortcut. Who wouldn't be tempted to take it? After their leaders have tasted the wonders of this power, can they truly remain firm in their stance as humans? Perhaps, silently, they are already on the brink of corruption."

"As one of the few nations that has never cooperated with the Celestial Demons, we will undoubtedly become a primary target in this environment. Neither the Celestial Demons nor the other nations will simply stand by and watch us develop at our own pace."

"Mark my words, a new storm is coming. If we continue to hesitate and drag our feet, it will only diminish our ability to face the crisis."

"By refusing to cooperate or trade with the Celestial Demons, we can't hope to keep pace with the world's top powers in terms of technology. Our greatest asset is our people—it's the Martial Artists who have no fear of death, and it's their inexhaustible and precious Spirit. Therefore, no matter the difficulties, the training of Martial Artists cannot be allowed to stagnate. They will be the key to our resistance against foreign enemies in the future. This is the conclusion the Grand Elder and I reached after our discussion."

"Shuming, prepare yourself. What we may have to face next... is the entire world."

The Chief Commissioner's voice drifted over, filled with a profound gravity.