High Martial: I Grind Professions

Fang Chengwu’s words boomed like a great bell, echoing in Li Wen’s mind and outlining a magnificent path. A path he called the "Realm of Force."

One hundred percent control of the physical body... the Realm of Force... Flying Star Level... Torchbearer University... Higher peaks now loomed before him, the path arduous yet clear.

Fang Chengwu was already turning to leave. He had given Li Wen more than enough information to digest for one night.

But just as he turned, a thought suddenly flashed through Li Wen’s mind.

Fang Chengwu had given him a new lease on life, and today, he had illuminated the path forward.

Meanwhile, he himself possessed this unheard-of ability called "Divine Sense," which was not only a trump card but also a potential source of great opportunity—or risk.

’Rather than fumbling around on my own, or even accidentally revealing it at some inopportune moment and inviting disaster, it’s better to... ’

"Teacher Fang." Li Wen’s voice broke the silence.

Fang Chengwu stopped and turned back, a hint of a question in his eyes. "What is it? Do you have another question?"

Li Wen took a deep breath, his gaze calm but carrying an unprecedented gravity.

"It’s about... physical control. I previously tried a, um... special method to perceive the subtle parts of my body... something like... internal vision?"

He chose his words carefully, testing the waters. "It feels like I’ve opened a special observational space between my eyebrows, one that lets me see the flow of blood and qi inside my body, the minute changes in my muscles and bones, and even the fine particles in the surrounding environment..."

He didn’t directly use the term "Divine Sense," instead describing its form and function.

The gentle smile on Fang Chengwu’s face instantly froze, his eyes flashing with incredulous astonishment.

He spun back around, his gaze like lightning, locking onto the spot between Li Wen’s eyebrows as if to burn a hole right through it.

That gaze was no longer that of a gentle teacher, but of a hawk that had just spotted a priceless treasure, filled with utter shock and... ecstasy.

"You... what did you say?!" Fang Chengwu’s voice went off-key, a faint tremor running through it.

"An observational space? Microscopic internal vision?! You can clearly perceive every single detail of your own body and your surroundings?!"

He strode right up to Li Wen, a fraction of his powerful aura leaking out unintentionally, pressing down on Li Wen with a heavy weight.

Startled by his teacher’s intense reaction, Li Wen subconsciously nodded.

"Yes, I can perceive clearly within a radius of about... fifty meters. Further out, I can vaguely perceive the vital energies of living things..."

"HAHAHAHA!!!" Fang Chengwu suddenly burst into a peal of unprecedented, wild laughter. The sound echoed in the empty, private Martial Arts Room, filled with an inexpressible excitement and delirious joy.

"An Awakening! He actually Awakened! A Primordial Spirit Awakened! Heaven bless the Human Race! Heaven bless our nation!"

"Primordial Spirit? Awakened?" Li Wen was completely bewildered.

Fang Chengwu struggled to calm his heaving chest, but the light in his eyes shone as brilliantly as the stars.

He gripped Li Wen’s shoulders tightly, his tone incredibly fervent and solemn. "Li Wen! You are one of the Awakened! And an extremely rare ’Primordial Spirit Awakened’ at that!"

"Awakened?" Li Wen grew even more confused, a hint of wariness rising within him.

"That’s right!" Fang Chengwu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down as he began to explain in detail, his voice still unable to hide his excitement.

"The so-called Awakened are ’mutants’ among humanity who, in a specific domain, suddenly gain abilities far beyond ordinary comprehension in an extremely short period of time.

There are many types of Awakened:

Technique Awakened: After awakening, their understanding and mastery of a certain Martial Dao technique advance by leaps and bounds.

Divine-Demon Body Awakened: They awaken some traits or instincts of a Divine-Demon Body before cultivating to the corresponding realm.

Elemental Affinity Awakened: They are born with an extremely high affinity for the elemental energies of the world, like metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

Precognition/Spiritual Sense Awakened: They possess a vague premonition of danger or superhuman intuition."

"And you," Fang Chengwu said, his eyes burning as he looked at Li Wen, "belong to the rarest and most precious category—a Primordial Spirit Awakened!"

"Primordial Spirit?" Li Wen seized on the key term.

"Yes! The Primordial Spirit!" Fang Chengwu nodded heavily, his eyes filled with awe.

"That internal space you described, that core of observation, is the embryonic form of the very thing our Martial Arts System ultimately pursues—the ’Primordial Spirit’ in the sea of consciousness! You’ve awakened it ahead of schedule!"

"Normally," Fang Chengwu’s tone grew steady but remained solemn, "the birth of a Primordial Spirit requires one’s technique to reach the Fifth Realm—the ’Realm of Dao.’ Only then can one rely on a profound comprehension of and inquiry into the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, the source of all things, to naturally coalesce it!

The first five realms of technique are the Unity Realm, the Realm of Force, the Realm of Intent, the Realm of Soul, and the Realm of Dao! Beyond the Fifth Realm lies a boundless expanse..."

"That’s incredibly difficult!" Li Wen couldn’t help but exclaim.

He had only just entered the Unity Realm. Each subsequent realm was like another step up a ladder to the heavens.

"Yes, it’s as difficult as ascending to the heavens!" Fang Chengwu nodded, his expression grave.

"Therefore, the world gave birth to another, more niche path—reaching the realm of Dao through a specialized skill.

For example, those calligraphy grandmasters, master painters, or national-level chess champions who don’t cultivate martial strength... they spend their entire lives dedicated to a single craft. If they can reach the pinnacle, they too may touch the edge of ’Dao’ within their spiritual state, then question their own hearts and condense a faint sliver of a Primordial Spirit.

This is also why the country and society hold true masters of arts and culture in such high esteem, and why the various martial universities are willing to grant them special treatment and recruit these top-tier ’specialty students’! It’s because they have the potential to give birth to a Primordial Spirit!"

Fang Chengwu’s tone shifted, tinged with a hint of regret.

"However, this path is even more difficult than the pure Martial Dao. How many have spent their entire lives poring over their craft, only to finally, in their seventies or eighties, frail and old, barely touch the edge of Dao and condense a wisp of a Primordial Spirit?

By then, their physical body and lifeblood have long since decayed. They’ve missed the optimal window for practicing the Martial Dao. The hope of relying on that belated Primordial Spirit to break through to higher realms is slim to none."

Fang Chengwu’s gaze toward Li Wen was filled with disbelief and immense expectation.

"But you! Li Wen! How old are you? Eighteen! You haven’t even officially entered the Martial Artist Realm! And yet you’ve already awakened your Primordial Spirit! Even if it’s currently only in its most initial state—the first layer—this is a miracle sufficient to shake the entire Human Race Alliance!"

"The Primordial Spirit has layers?" Li Wen asked.

"Of course!" Fang Chengwu affirmed.

"After the Primordial Spirit is condensed, it must be continuously strengthened and nourished. As a Martial Artist’s realm advances and their Spiritual Power is refined and integrated, the Primordial Spirit will gradually solidify and sublimate. It is generally believed that the Primordial Spirit can be divided into at least the 7th Layer.

First Layer of Primordial Spirit: The form first appears, granting the ability of internal vision, microscopic observation, and greatly enhanced perception and mental control. This is the foundation.

Second Layer of Primordial Spirit: The Primordial Spirit stabilizes, allowing one to attempt to release Spiritual Power externally for rudimentary mental interference, probing, and even telekinesis assistance.

Third Layer of Primordial Spirit: The Primordial Spirit is condensed as if it were tangible. A nascent spiritual domain is formed, the range of perception expands dramatically, the might of one’s Spiritual Power skyrockets, and one can even engage in ’night travel,’ which is also known as the Night Travel Realm!

Fourth Layer of Primordial Spirit: This is called the Day Travel Realm...

..."

An even more fervent light erupted in his eyes.

"More importantly, a Primordial Spirit Awakened is, by definition, also a Technique Awakened! Because the very core of the Primordial Spirit is the ultimate expression of focus, insight, and control.

When you cultivate any kind of technique, it gives you the potential to turn the mundane into the miraculous, allowing you to master skills to a depth far beyond that of ordinary people."