As he stood stunned on the spot, a chime sounded in his ear, finally confirming his identity as a martial artist to the game system—
"Ding!"
System prompt: Congratulations on successfully stepping into the martial artist's [Body Refinement Realm], gaining the following effects: Agility +10, Stamina +20, Toughness +10, 5% of damage taken will be converted into HP when attacked!
...
He did it!
Lin Zhao was overjoyed. He knew that players becoming martial artists would definitely have benefits, and indeed, there were many advantages. He opened his personal panel to check the relevant attribute values. Agility, a crucial stat for players, determined a player's movement speed, turn speed, attack accuracy, evasion, and so on. In short, the higher a player's agility, the greater the advantage they could gain in combat. As for stamina and toughness, they were both survival-related attributes. He didn't know their exact effects for now, but more was definitely better.
Finally, there was the 5% damage absorption effect, just like in the martial artist system of "Tian Xia." High-level martial artists were thick-skinned and tough, basically having the upper hand against spirit cultivators of the same realm, and even having a chance against sword cultivators of the same realm. It was conceivable that as Lin Zhao's level increased, this damage absorption effect would also increase, making it even more difficult for others to kill him.
In short, after returning to the martial path, Lin Zhao's potential would be elevated to a new level!
He was filled with excitement, yet he was also somewhat puzzled. Who was that old man with the white ape? Why was it that after his casual remark, he, who had been unable to enter the martial path, finally did?
After much thought, with no conclusion, he descended the mountain.
In front of Tian Ran Ju, Zhu Zhi was meditating, nurturing his sword intent. He opened his eyes and smiled, "Congratulations, my lord, on returning to the martial path!"
"Heh heh!"
Lin Zhao scratched his head and sat down beside Zhu Zhi, saying, "Zhu Zhi, I want to ask you something. Is there a reclusive master in the martial world, a martial arts expert who carries a white ape, and is extraordinarily skilled?"
"Ah?"
Zhu Zhi was slightly taken aback and shook his head, "I don't know..."
Just then, Dong Cang walked by carrying a wine jar. Lin Zhao immediately called out, "Dong Cang."
"Young master?"
"I want to ask you something." Lin Zhao sat up straight and said, "When you were cleaning up my dishes today, did you see an old gentleman lying nearby, and the white ape he brought with him?"
"Ah?"
Dong Cang's lips parted slightly, "Wha... what old gentleman and white ape? When I went there, I only saw you practicing punches, with a mess everywhere. There was no one else..."
"Ah?!"
Lin Zhao was struck by lightning. Had he seen a ghost?!
His heart throbbed. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, you can go about your business. I'm going down the mountain."
With that, he took to the sky, mounted his flying sword Hong Ye, and descended the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, he saw Chu Yu, a Heaven Yuan realm martial artist practicing his punches. He landed gracefully, his hands behind his back, and said, "Chu Yu, I want to ask you something. Near the Snow Region Heavenly Pool, have you seen an old gentleman carrying a bamboo basket to gather herbs, who also had a white ape with him? His martial arts realm might be very high."
"Ah?!"
Chu Yu also looked bewildered, "No... The highest martial artist realms in the Snow Region Heavenly Pool are me and Mu Xia. There shouldn't be anyone else. However, it seems you've returned to the martial path, congratulations!"
"Haha, thank you, thank you!"
Lin Zhao got no answer, so he took his sword and left. He flew all the way to the south gate of the mountain and landed. He saw the scruffy man Tang Guangjun holding a bowl of noodles, his eyes fixed on the few speckled chickens kept in the backyard of the widow's house nearby. He was almost drooling. He hadn't had any meat in a long time, perhaps he could steal one tonight and cook it!
"Tang Guangjun!"
Lin Zhao's shout made the twelve-realm soldier-type sword cultivator stand at attention. He slowly turned around and said, "Mountain Master, I, Tang Guangjun, swear... I am absolutely not the kind of person who would steal chickens and dogs!"
"Got it, got it."
Lin Zhao pinched his nose and said, "I wanted to ask you something. Have you seen an old gentleman carrying a bamboo basket to gather herbs, who also had a white ape with him, come to our Snow Region Heavenly Pool recently?"
"No!"
Tang Guangjun was stunned, "The oldest old gentleman in our Snow Region Heavenly Pool is Old Sword Immortal Han, but he doesn't have a monkey. Could it be that the Mountain Master was mistaken and he was carrying Su Shanjun?"
"You imbecile, shut up!"
Su Shanjun's voice floated from the Shanjun Shrine, "Lin Zhao, come to me, I know the answer you're looking for."
"Alright!"
Lin Zhao glared at Tang Guangjun and turned to fly away on his sword.
Tang Guangjun watched Lin Zhao's retreating back, standing at attention. He clasped his fists and bid him farewell, his heart trembling. Could it be that the Mountain Master was displeased with him, Tang Guangjun? It was over. He definitely wouldn't be able to get a seat at the next banquet at the Mountain Peak Villa, not even a chance to crawl under the table.
...
Shanjun Shrine.
Lin Zhao flew in on his sword and saw Su Shanjun and Han Buyu basking in the sun from afar. The cultivation bases of these two deities were extremely profound. Ordinary local gods and river gods would definitely not dare to bask in the sun like this every day. Their golden bodies were already as thin as cicada wings, and after being cleansed by the scorching sun and fierce winds, they would immediately fall apart.
Lin Zhao was very thoughtful. He took out two jars of wine from his pack, both filled with Dongting Green Bamboo wine, and carefully placed them on the table between the two. He smiled and said, "I'm treating the two of you to wine!"
"Congratulations, Third Shopkeeper!"
Old Sword Immortal Han smiled and said, "With your return to the martial path, the martial world will surely be invigorated!"
Lin Zhao scratched his head, "Old Sword Immortal Han, praise me moderately. Aren't you afraid of the wind blowing and your tongue getting twisted."
"Hahahaha~~~" Han Buyu laughed heartily.
Su Shanjun picked up a wine pot and took a sip, "Zi zi." Good, it's not fake wine. Then he slowly smiled and said, "Lin Zhao, in fact, in your previous life, you used your eight-realm martial artist power to draw the Dragon Slaying Sword and slay the thirteen-realm great demon Bai Lan. This itself carried immense karma. Although you killed the demon for humanity, there was still some backlash from the Great Dao. Therefore, this backlash fell upon your eight-realm martial artist cultivation, making it particularly difficult for you to practice punches in this life, and you were always unable to enter the martial path."
Lin Zhao's expression tensed, "That seems to explain it. Then, why after that old gentleman with the white ape appeared, did I immediately return to the martial path, as if it were natural?"
"That old gentleman has been dead for many years~~~"
Su Shanjun's golden eyes looked at Lin Zhao and he smiled, "What he passed on to you was just a wisp of his remaining soul, which lingered because he couldn't let go of the human world. He wanted to do something more for the human world."
"Who was that old gentleman?"
"Thousands of years ago, people called him Mr. Bai."
Su Shanjun smiled and said, "Actually, more than three thousand years ago, there was no such thing as martial artists in this world. There were only a group of brutes who hacked and slashed with swords on the battlefield, with no martial path to speak of. But it was precisely because of this Mr. Bai, who悟 (wu - understood/realized) a set of fist techniques from a white ape, that he opened the chaotic martial path of the human world with a single punch, thus leading to the current martial arts situation in the world. At that time, people called him the White Ape Ancestor."
"White Ape Ancestor..."
Lin Zhao's heart trembled. The person who helped him return to the martial path was actually the progenitor of all martial artists in the world?!
Su Shanjun smiled slightly and said, "The White Ape Ancestor not only pioneered fist techniques and the martial path, he was the ancestor of all martial artists and the first thirteen-realm peak martial artist in the human world. Therefore, for you to see Mr. Bai and his monkey, and to gain Mr. Bai's recognition and receive a wisp of fist intent bestowed by him, it is simply a tremendous stroke of luck!"
Lin Zhao stood there in a daze, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He immediately clasped his fists towards Su Shanjun and Han Buyu, then quickly flew on his sword towards the summit of the Mountain Peak Villa. Upon arriving at the summit, the area was empty, with no one around. However, Lin Zhao still tidied his clothes, his expression extremely solemn, and bowed slightly to the void in front of the cliff, saying in a deep voice, "Lin Zhao thanks Mr. Bai for teaching me his boxing!"
As he slowly lowered his head, wisps of golden sand appeared in the distant wind, converging into an old man in a white short shirt, carrying a bamboo basket, with a white ape baring its teeth beside him. Mr. Bai also clasped his fists at Lin Zhao and smiled, but the white ape was jumping around in the air, "woohoo-ing" at Lin Zhao and imitating Lin Zhao's boxing stance.
Lin Zhao sighed, "This Mr. Bai's white ape is still as annoying as ever..."
"Hahahaha~~~"
The phantom image of Mr. Bai laughed heartily, raised a finger and tapped his forehead, saying, "It's broken here. Let's go, let's go. Lin Zhao, take care on your path ahead. May this world be fortunate to have Lin Zhao, and may Lin Zhao live up to this world."
Lin Zhao straightened his body and clasped his fists towards Mr. Bai, "I will!"
The next moment, the phantom images of Mr. Bai and the white ape gradually dissipated. At this moment, Lin Zhao was probably the only one in this world who could see Mr. Bai.
...
Several hundred li east of Tongjing Lake, in a valley surrounded by mountains, was a place called Dongquan Valley.
At this time, a man and a woman walked slowly side by side on the mountain path in Dongquan Valley. The man was a Nascent Soul sword cultivator wearing a black long robe, with a broadsword on his back. The woman was a ninth-realm martial artist, with a very tall and sturdy build. She was not good-looking to begin with, and coupled with the tempering of her boxing practice, she looked like a village woman. However, these two were a couple, and they were rogue cultivators wandering in the mountains.
They had recently teamed up for a big deal, swindling a Star River realm spirit cultivator, and naturally snatched a lot of Jin Zi coins and magic treasures.
"Husband."
The female martial artist smiled slightly, "Although Jin Zi coins are useless to me, I think... I'd like to spend 200 Jin Zi coins to buy a superior fist manual to continue tempering my fist intent. What do you think, husband?"
The Nascent Soul sword cultivator frowned, "Wife, there's no rush. Let's go to Tianji City with these things and sell them first. That Star River realm rogue cultivator's magic sword is quite powerful. I estimate it can sell for at least five hundred Jin Zi coins!"
The female martial artist nodded with a smile. In fact, her right hand had been hidden in her sleeve behind her back, her fist intent swirling.
The Nascent Soul sword cultivator's left hand hung low, his sleeve concealing a flying sword. Although his eyes were full of affection, he was already looking for an opportunity. Why share this great fortune with two people when one could have it all?
...
Not far away, in the dense forest, a stunning figure was hidden. She poked her little bottom out, her beautiful eyes fixed on the two rogue cultivators, hoping they would make a move soon so she could reap the benefits.
This was none other than Leng Yan!
Our Miss Leng was finally walking the martial world alone!
But Leng Yan didn't know that about 200 meters away from her, a woman in a cyan long dress was also hidden in the forest, holding a long sword. Her beautiful eyes were also fixed on the couple who harbored their own intentions. She was also a rogue cultivator, and moreover, a Star River realm sword cultivator!
Coincidentally, she was also waiting for that dog-and-bitch couple, who had killed their companion, to turn on each other.