Chapter 27

As winter gave way to spring, half a year had passed in the blink of an eye. Under the brilliant starlit sky, Xiao Zhan repeatedly practiced the "Thirty-Six Postures Star-Gathering Fist." Compared to when he first started, he was only six years old now, but he gave off a strong and robust impression. Especially when he threw a punch, it seemed slow, yet it was filled with power.

With each punch, countless stars in the sky poured their energy into his body, then divided into numerous streams, flowing into fixed acupoints. As he continued to punch, he quietly felt the star energy refining his acupoints, and a happy smile appeared on his face.

Through half a year of cultivation, Xiao Zhan had achieved remarkable success. He had successfully opened thirty-six acupoints, gaining 360 crystal units of strength. He also gained a deeper understanding of the mysteries of the "Star-Gathering Fist."

The thirty-six postures of the fist technique were not all suitable for nighttime cultivation; one of them required absorbing sunlight. Each posture contained fifty acupoints, and he had opened one for each. Since each acupoint was independent, although his physical strength had reached a terrifying 360 crystal units, the true qi power that each posture could unleash was only ten crystal units.

Faced with this situation, Xiao Zhan felt quite helpless.

True qi not only enhanced physical strength but could also injure others through the body. Unless he had a glove that could block true qi, he would definitely be at a disadvantage when encountering those with stronger true qi.

Although he was somewhat disappointed, with the opening of each acupoint, Xiao Zhan had bid farewell to his frail body. Now, he was highly motivated to cultivate this fist technique. During the past half year, he discovered that each acupoint corresponded to a star in the sky, and the star energy he absorbed came from the corresponding star. This discovery delighted him. If he could find a star map, his cultivation would surely be much more efficient.

After practicing several more times, Xiao Zhan found no signs of the next acupoint opening. He stopped and ended his cultivation for the day, then turned to head in the direction where his mother was.

This time, when they traveled to the Zhan Clan, his mother took them and their brother without rushing, instead taking their time, enjoying the journey as if they were sightseeing. A journey that should have taken two or three months took them half a year.

Xiao Zhan practiced his fist technique in an old estate. Not only were they three there, but there was also a group of travelers. When he entered, everyone was gathered around a campfire, chatting idly. He did not disturb anyone and quietly approached his mother.

At that moment, an elderly man, who seemed to make a living by telling stories, was speaking with a ruddy face: "The world we live in is called Tianyuan. It is said to be the center of the universe, with all other worlds and planes existing around it. In the distant past, it was the legendary Heavenly Realm, the holy land of all cultivators."

"At that time, there were many powerful martial artists who could fly and perform all sorts of incredible feats..."

"Haha, old man, you're just making things up again."

Suddenly, the old man's words were interrupted by a rude voice, and his old face turned dark.

"How is it you again, you scoundrel!"

The one who interrupted was a burly man with a scarred face. He was holding a large saber and leaning against a broken wooden door, sneering: "Heh, what, you're not convinced? I've traveled far and wide, and I've never seen anyone who can fly. Damn it! You should have some limits to your exaggeration."

The others, seeing the tension between the two, all showed expressions of anticipation.

Was the old man one to be trifled with? He said sarcastically, "Oh! It's my business how I tell my stories. If you don't believe me, you don't have to listen. If you've seen it, it just means you lack knowledge."

The burly man's face turned murderous, and he glared at the old man, a chilling aura emanating from him.

"Old man! Who do you say lacks knowledge?"

The old man retorted, "Whoever answers, I'll say it's them."

The burly man, enraged, shouted, "You're asking for death!"

"Old sir! What kind of martial artist can fly in the sky?"

Just as the tension was about to escalate, a cheerful voice suddenly rang out.

Hearing this, everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice. They saw another campfire not far from them, where Zhan Wan'er, dressed in white and veiled, was sitting with her two sons. Everyone's eyes were immediately drawn to Zhan Wan'er, and their gazes became heated almost instantly.

Though they couldn't see her true face, everyone had a strong intuition that she was a stunningly beautiful woman. Her hair was styled in a common bun for women in Tianqi, and her exposed eyes were so alluring that they made hearts race.

It was already spring, and the weather had warmed up, so Zhan Wan'er was dressed more lightly. Even though she was sitting sideways, her graceful figure was hard to miss, making everyone's mouths water and their hearts race.

What was most captivating were her hands, which seemed to be carved from white jade. The moment their gazes met, a sense of smoothness and tenderness seemed to seep into their hearts, making them lose control. If they could hold such a woman in their arms, their lives as men would be worth it. If they could have her hands...

However, no one dared to act. They were all seasoned travelers with sharp eyes, and they knew that a woman who dared to travel at night with her young sons must have extraordinary courage and skills. Moreover, whenever Zhan Wan'er's gaze swept over them, they felt an indescribable pressure.

This woman was a formidable expert they couldn't afford to provoke.

The one who asked the question was Xiao Jian, who was sitting beside Zhan Wan'er. Compared to half a year ago, he was now more muscular and tanned, looking like a young man of seventeen or eighteen.

Seeing someone ask, the old man immediately smiled and said, "Do you know what realm of martial artist is the most powerful?"

A muscular man beside the campfire blurted out, "Naturally, it's the ones who have broken through the Tribulation Realm."

The old man laughed coldly, "Wrong! The most powerful martial artists in the world are the Immortal Martial Artists."

"Immortal Martial Artists? What kind of martial artists are they? We've never heard of them."

Seeing everyone's eagerness to learn, the old man said proudly, "There are eighteen levels of Immortal Martial Artists. It is said that after breaking through the Tribulation Realm, one enters the Immortal Martial Realm. Anyone who can break through to the Immortal Martial Realm can break free from the constraints of heaven and earth and soar through the sky."

"Fly in the sky? How is that possible?"

Everyone was amazed, finding it hard to believe such a capability.

Hearing the old man's words, Xiao Zhan also became interested. He remembered that his adoptive master seemed to be able to fly. So, this was a capability of Immortal Martial Artists.

Xiao Jian, with an excited look, asked, "Old sir, have you ever seen an Immortal Martial Artist?"

Hearing this, everyone looked at the old man expectantly.

Feeling the pressure of everyone's gaze, the old man felt awkward and stammered, "Well, actually, I haven't seen one. But in the memoirs of my ancestors, there are descriptions of such martial artists."

The crowd was immediately in an uproar. Someone jeered, "So, it's just a legend."

The burly man, leaning against the door, mocked, "So, you're just trying to fool us with an old book."

The burly man's words made the old man's face turn red with anger. He jumped up as if someone had stepped on his tail, pointing and shouting, "Damn it! If you have the guts, say it again, and I'll fight you!"

The burly man was not afraid and shouted back. A fight seemed imminent, and the estate was filled with tension. Seeing the situation about to get out of hand, Zhan Wan'er frowned.

"Humph!"

A light hum sounded, and the two men felt a thunderclap in their ears, almost falling to the ground. In shock, they looked at Zhan Wan'er by the campfire. The hum had come from a woman, and the only woman present was Zhan Wan'er.

The two men were extremely shocked!

They were both at the Tribulation Realm, yet Zhan Wan'er's single hum had subdued them, indicating a far superior cultivation. After probing, they could not sense any cultivation from Zhan Wan'er, which terrified them even more.

Could she be an Immortal Martial Artist?

This thought frightened them, and they exchanged glances before sitting down. The old estate fell silent, with only the campfire burning brightly.

The next morning, everyone left, leaving only Zhan Wan'er and the Xiao brothers in the old courtyard. Xiao Jian stood alone at the door, lost in thought. Seeing Zhan Wan'er approach, his eyes lit up, and he asked excitedly, "Mother, are there really Immortal Martial Artists in this world?"

Zhan Wan'er smiled and nodded.

Xiao Jian immediately asked, "Can Immortal Martial Artists really fly and perform incredible feats?"

Zhan Wan'er nodded and said, "Once a martial artist breaks through to the Immortal Martial Realm, they can fly and perform incredible feats."

Xiao Jian, with a look of admiration, asked, "So, Immortal Martial Artists are the most powerful martial artists in the world, right?"

Zhan Wan'er shook her head and said, "No, there are even more powerful martial artists above the Immortal Martial Realm."

Xiao Jian was amazed for a while before asking, "Mother, I've always been curious, what realm are you at?"

Zhan Wan'er smiled calmly and said, "Eighteenth level of the Immortal Martial Realm."

Xiao Jian's eyes widened in disbelief. After a moment, he understood and thought to himself, no wonder Grandfather was so afraid of Mother. Mother's strength is so high. Eighteenth level of the Immortal Martial Realm, that means Mother can fly and perform incredible feats!

Thinking of this, Xiao Jian felt a surge of excitement.