Martial Ascent to Divinity-Chapter 720 - 699: New Heaven

Twenty days, twenty-one days, twenty-two days...

Zhou Leng maintained a speed of about seven hundred kilometers per day, originally able to complete the journey in just over twenty days.

But because he stopped to read the stories of fallen heroes, to look at their relics, and to feel the spiritual imprints, the actual time spent exceeded twenty days.

The stories of the past, the content of history, eyewitness accounts, spiritual imprints...

Countless powers, intertwined together.

Like a great hammer, constantly forging Zhou Leng’s heart, while also continuously tempering his Martial Arts Will.

Over twenty days without eating or drinking, without sleep or rest, an average Grandmaster Martial Artist would surely become emaciated.

Zhou Leng was only slightly thinner than before, with slightly dark circles around his eyes, yet his gaze was brighter, his spirit more vigorous.

However, occasionally a hint of confusion flickered in his eyes.

Long periods without rest caused his brain to engage in brief, forced rest.

The stronger the body, the more nutrition it requires.

Zhou Leng went several days without eating or drinking, initially enduring waves of hunger, but gradually becoming numb.

As he drew closer to the final destination, Yan’an, his sense of physical weakness grew heavier.

Eventually, his head felt heavy and his feet light; people kept asking if he needed help, but Zhou Leng refused all of them.

Meanwhile, his powerful body began to undergo self-evolution.

If external energy couldn’t be absorbed, he would optimize his own physiological operation mechanisms.

If rest was impossible, he would conduct dynamic recovery.

If sleep was unattainable, then different zones of the brain would rotate to rest.

The suffering continued.

Yet because of the strong mental support, his body underwent a transformative change akin to the High-level Tree-man trial.

The individual was affected by genetic limits; even if following the principle of use it or lose it, once reaching body limits, breakthrough becomes difficult.

Zhou Leng’s body was different; it already possessed a slight starry sky trait.

When the body was pushed to its limits and felt the crisis of death, like being in the dangerous starry sky, the originally weak starry sky trait was activated, beginning to fully influence his entire being.

In his vague perception, the body seemed to host a monster growing, slowly devouring his ordinary body, converting it into part of the monster.

This process continued uninterrupted.

Enduring immense pain, Zhou Leng finally reached the end of the Enlightenment Path, Yan’an.

Zhou Leng, dragging his nearly collapsing body, slowly ran to the site of the Great Men.

Nearing it, due to days without eating or drinking, without sleep, Zhou Leng’s consciousness began to dim.

His eyes, long deprived of rest, showed significant visual impairment.

In front of him, darkness flickered until his vision went black, vision function disappeared.

In that instant of complete blackness, the dark world in front of him suddenly exploded.

Scarlet divine light surged across the land, rushing towards the sky, permeating the world.

Among the red light descended massive figures, watching over the world, guarding the territory.

Zhou Leng, with closed eyes, could see familiar yet unfamiliar silhouettes amid the red light.

Zhou Leng stood for a long time, silently reciting one name after another in his mind.

Recite one name, one shadow smiled faintly, then dissipated into the world.

Recite another, another disappeared...

After reciting the last great figure, the world roared, the red light like crimson clouds in the sky rapidly condensed into a billowing scarlet flag standing between heaven and earth.

The world was still black, countless forces surged from all directions, the scarlet flag swayed, the world trembled.

Suddenly, new scarlet divine energy rose to the heavens.

Led by Zhao Dongjun, the human Martial Saints’ phantom formed a spiritual imprint, standing between heaven and earth.

The vast array of Martial Saints dispersed the external forces from every direction.

Zhao Dongjun reached out, grasped the scarlet flag, and looked towards Zhou Leng.

High up in the heavens, the saints watched.

The rising red sun cast light over the world.

Boom...

The world turned scarlet, warm light merged into the body.

An ocean-like strength filled the world, and everything turned bright.

The world seemed to stand still.

Zhou Leng’s heart calmed down.

Fearless, at peace for a lifetime.

That fiery red sun hung high in the sky, enduringly unfaltering.

It seemed to imprint on the front of Zhou Leng’s eyes.

A long time later, the spectral figures of East Wind Fist appeared before him.

The first move, fist rising against the green mountains, very slow, taking over ten seconds to complete.

But within those ten seconds, Zhou Leng seemed to "see" all the details, essences, changes, and corrections regarding this move, imprinting them in his mind.

Never to be forgotten.

Then, the second move, the third move...

The tenth move, I bestow destiny.

With this punch, many unclear parts suddenly became coherent.

It wasn’t destiny bestowed by heaven, wasn’t divine right of kings, wasn’t heavenly orders carried out below, but rather, I bestow destiny.

What is called destiny originates from human life.

Heaven’s right, granted by man.

King’s right, granted by heaven.

Man, above the king.

Zhou Leng felt as though he had opened a whole new world.

Previously, he always felt his understanding of East Wind Fist wasn’t enough, using many techniques, yet always missing something.

Until now, he realized what was missing.

East Wind Fist requires a concept greater than the king, greater than heaven.

Without this grandeur, what East Wind Fist are you practicing, what kind of person are you?

Countless cosmic miracles, the splendor of life, the beliefs of all beings gathering into a person—if evolved for billions of years, yet still willingly kneel as slaves, only deserve to sit with pigs and dogs.

Zhou Leng gazed at the saints in the sky.

I stand atop the heavens.

Within the body, an unimaginable torrent of heat surged, impacting the body, the brain, and the mind.

In front of him, the East Wind Fist continued to advance.

The first eight moves ended, and the middle eight moves continued.

Starting from the seventeenth move, hardly anyone below Martial Saint learned it.

Starting from the seventeenth move, it is the punch of a Martial Saint.

After completing the sixteenth move, Mighty Progress, a towering city tower erected before his eyes.

On the tower, the sages gathered, presenting myriad scenes.

The world was crimson, suppressing impurities in all directions.

The seventeenth move of the East Wind Fist, New Heaven Eternally Established.

The core punch momentum of the East Wind Fist.

I shall be bestowed by destiny to establish a new heaven today.

Zhou Leng’s body uncontrollably advanced this move slowly.

Behind Zhou Leng, the grand Martial Arts painting, a city tower with a red flag, shone brightly on the world.

New Heaven Eternally Established, officially learned.

Zhou Leng realized that he seemed to have gained something remarkable.

An invincible power arose within, spreading throughout the body.

A power not inferior to the mighty force of the stars took root within the body.

On the Mountain of Will, a red star rose slowly.

With the sweep of the red light, all remaining impurities and evil Qi in the Will World, along with residual forces from the Celestial Calamity Envoy and Great Battlefield, dissolved.

Darkness dissipated.

Before him, sunlight shone, and the site of the East Monarch stood quietly.

Everything was ordinary.

Everything that happened seemed like an illusion.

Yet a never-before-seen power emerged within the body.

The long path of enlightenment was completed.

"Phew..."

Zhou Leng exhaled deeply.

Released the body’s limitations.

Centered on Zhou Leng, the space within a radius of over a hundred meters suddenly darkened.

Everyone looked at Zhou Leng with confusion.

The world was dark, only I remained bright.

All surrounding light concentrated on Zhou Leng, entering the body, and transformed into body power.

Starry power nurtured the whole body.

All injuries, hunger, fatigue within the body rapidly dissipated.

Zhou Leng’s body swelled at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Soon, it returned to the state before the long path of enlightenment.

Only due to lack of sleep, he lost some hair.

The martial artists present looked at Zhou Leng enviously, knowing this person gained insight and inherited the power of the sages.

They observed secretly but never saw it, guessing it might be a disguise.

Zhou Leng turned and left.

Zhou Leng seemed like a human light bulb, glowing himself yet absorbing surrounding light, forming a giant dark area.

Ran into the wild, still not eating or drinking, nor resting, began to run at supersonic speed. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Before long, he reached Shaoshan, paying homage to the residence of great figures.

Then, placed down the Demon Spirit Cabin in a secluded place, slept soundly for three days and nights, fully recovering.

After a little tidying, still did not open the internet, directly rushed to the northeast.

Sprinting speedily, walking over the sea, directly reached the Silla Peninsula, heading for the second location of the Martial Saint Battle Path.

Shangganling.

Unlike the long path of enlightenment, Shangganling was quiet.

Around the mountain peaks, many martial artists were meditating and cultivating.

People from all over the world were there, even a few Giants.

When demons invaded, the Silla Peninsula, like the Nuclear Island, was almost destroyed by Sea Sirens, forming a Peninsula Demon City.

Most residents of the Silla Peninsula were slaughtered by demons, then Dragon Country set up a defense at the Peninsula Demon City to prevent demon invasion.

Unlike West Sea Demon City, the Peninsula Demon City had a very small range, making entry by Grandmasters extremely difficult, so it was not the main defense point of Dragon Country.

Nearly a hundred years ago, around Shangganling and surrounding areas, a rare major war happened in human history.

Dragon Country, with support from some weapons of Xiong Country, resisted numerous countries with rich war experience.

The final result was a draw, but realistically, it established an authentic international status for Dragon Country.

Without this great war, the northeastern territory of Dragon Country would not only be threatened but also unlikely to secure one of the five seats, thus affecting future developments.

If the long path of enlightenment and later stage war represented the pinnacle of internal battles.

Then the war of the Silla Peninsula represented the pinnacle of Dragon Country’s external battles.

These warriors repelled enemies outside the national gates, carving out decades of status and peace for Dragon Country.

Later, Eagle Alliance held a significant advantage, with many opportunities to weaken Dragon Country but still dared not to attack, due to this former Silla Peninsula battle.

Only those who truly understand tactics and strategy realize the war’s significance, not less than the war of resistance.

In some ways, even more so.

If the 12,500-kilometer long path of enlightenment was bitter, difficult, then for here, it only had one word: tragic.

Unimaginably fierce battles unfolded on this land.

Zhou Leng found a solitary place to sit down, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply.

Three days and nights, no change.

Zhou Leng was not anxious, just continued to meditate.

Within, starry true power shone like light, constantly tempering the body.

Whether sunlight or countless starlight, were excellent nutrients, nurturing the body.

Four days, five days, six days...

When the eighth day came, the red sun rose, and a shimmer ascended before his eyes.