In the dilapidated temple,
Zhong Shenxiu’s expression became somewhat vacant.
At the same time, the Inner Strength within his body began to circulate slowly yet firmly, eerily and swiftly on its own.
Slow and swift, originally antonyms, were now genuinely coexisting in parallel.
This time, the route of energy circulation was completely different from the past, fundamentally unlike the Five Elements Thief Palm or the Liangyi Huaji Hand.
It moved erratically, like sand forming into lines, each grain possessing its own life, sequentially breaking through the hidden barriers within Zhong Shenxiu’s body, unlocking and blooming fountains of life.
Occasionally, upon encountering truly treacherous obstacles, it would not linger but disperse and simply bypass them.
Finally, these strands of Inner Strength converged upon Zhong Shenxiu’s palms, bringing about a wonderfully strange transformation.
And all this escaped the perception of Zhong Shenxiu, lost in comprehension, completely unaware.
As if all of this happened naturally on its own.
Just like fierce winds, torrential rains, earthquakes, tsunamis... They happen not by someone’s deliberate actions but in the natural course of the world.
As natural phenomena, they do not specifically target humans nor intentionally spare anyone.
What exists is merely the concept of ’happening,’ and indifference.
’This set of martial arts could probably be named the "Ten Thousand Gu Hand"!’
’Its principle seems to be using one’s hands as the medium to cultivate many tiny Gu, eroding the enemy... Perhaps calling it Bacteria Hand, Virus Hand wouldn’t matter much...’
’If extended further, there could be the Heavenly Flower Palm, Black Death Palm, among various other styles... Its forte does not lie in targeting individual enemies, but rather, with a sweep of palm, an entire city perishes?’
’Why is it always palm techniques?’
’It is said that the Heavenly Stele encompasses everything, and different people often comprehend different martial arts from it... Could it be because I’ve practiced palm methods too much, the insights derived from the rubbings, are also palm techniques?’
Zhong Shenxiu’s thoughts continued to disperse, expand...
He seemed to witness supernova explosions, the birth of universes, infinite civilizations being destroyed by plagues, disasters, and wars...
Finally, he managed to grasp that moment of clarity, slowly gathering his thoughts.
In the dilapidated temple.
Zhong Shenxiu’s eyes gradually brightened, "Ten Thousand Gu Hand, huh? Finally, a martial art that deserves its place among the extraordinary and unique skills!"
However, he soon realized that he had rejoiced too soon.
Because his own body seemed to be undergoing subtle changes.
As if every inch was disintegrating, breaking down into the tiniest particles, escaping from his body’s control.
If the entire body were to collapse into tiny Gu, where would the host consciousness reside?
’Did I practice the technique recklessly and become possessed? No... this new Inner Strength and power? I understand now... I had accumulated enough skill and experience, and once I acquired the Ten Thousand Gu Hand like a key, I unwittingly unlocked the body’s hidden potential and began breaking through to Grandmaster?’
Zhong Shenxiu was startled.
He had not anticipated that the "Ten Thousand Gu Hand" would be so abnormal that simply imagining its content caused his body to begin practicing it.
Now, even the unique transformation that Grandmasters experience was triggered.
Next, he would either overcome and achieve Grandmaster status or his body would collapse outright, dissipating into tiny Gu, and Xun Liuyi would cease to exist in this world!
’This kind of Grandmaster transformation could perhaps be named – Ten Thousand Gu Devouring Body?!’
Although Zhong Shenxiu felt he couldn’t even lift an arm, as if every pore on it had developed its own consciousness, resisting and rebelling, he remained calm and composed.
’This Grandmaster transformation’s power is far more terrifying than any six arms and three heads...’
He struggled to gather his scattered thoughts while laboriously mobilizing his inner strength to suppress the transformations beginning in his body.
The north wind howled outside the window, while flames blazed fiercely inside.
Beneath the glow of the fire, a terrifying event was taking place.
Zhong Shenxiu’s entire body seemed to be melting, disintegrating...
Yet, there seemed to be a force barely maintaining his human form, enabling him to cling to the figure of a man.
Disintegration and aggregation, these two inexplicable forces, appeared to be incessantly tugging at Xun Liuyi’s body.
Were someone to burst in at that moment, they would surely be driven to collapse or even insanity by the bizarre sight before their eyes.
The fire gradually died out.
The human-shaped pile still could not re-assemble, resembling a blurred corpse with a mosaic of flesh, where various tiny granules and insects continued to wriggle.
’It seems that becoming a Grandmaster with the Ten Thousand Gu Hand is indeed difficult...’
’In another place, perhaps I could have broken through in peace, but here, should an outsider interfere, it would truly be unfortunate...’
’Heavenly Show System!’
’Enhance my Ten Thousand Gu Hand!’
Zhong Shenxiu’s thoughts fiercely commanded.
The next instant, he saw his Heavenly Show Points decrease by 5 in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, the rebellious consciousness of those tiny particles seemed to be completely eradicated, allowing Zhong Shenxiu to easily reconstruct his body with his own consciousness as the core.
In this process of disintegration and recasting, Xun Liuyi’s body’s original minor defects, including inherited physiological traits, could all be modified.
Because... this was a fundamental change in the essence of life!
Zhong Shenxiu came to understand the true meaning of the Ten Thousand Gu Hand.
Since heaven and earth were composed of fine Gus, there was no essential difference between a human body, a stone, and a river.
By simply altering the arrangement of the fine Gus, one could easily proceed with marrow refining.
At this moment, he could feel grains of fine Gus from the void burrowing into his body, altering the essence of his very life.
’This marrow refining secret technique of the Ten Thousand Gu Hand is very powerful, but as a price, the backlash suffered by a Grandmaster’s alien body is terrifying and mishaps can easily occur...’
Dawn broke, and the morning light was faint.
Zhong Shenxiu stood up, and now, his Heaven was full, his eyes bright and spirited, feeling as if there was an inexhaustible force within him.
At this moment, he had indeed achieved the body of a Grandmaster!
Situated in the Great Wu Dynasty, no matter where he went, he would receive a grand reception, after all, in the times when the Heavenly List Martial Artists were as elusive as the Divine Dragon, the Earth List Martial Artists were the absolute peak in the world!
"One year away from home, breaking through to Grandmaster... not bad at all."
Zhong Shenxiu walked out of the dilapidated temple, under the dim morning light, he saw white snowflakes falling gently.
The fierce wind swept through, stirring up thousands of flowers and trees, pear blossoms in full bloom.
"Snowfalls as the Grandmaster ascends..."
Zhong Shenxiu exhaled a long breath, looked around, and saw nothing but a stark white desolation in the world, and not a single living person, which made him smile wryly to himself.
"I tried to impress, but ended up just looking lonely..."