“I don’t know what he’s thinking, but in any case, I don’t want his things.” Ethan Clark spoke, his tone gradually calming, a confident light appearing in his eyes. “For me right now, a low-grade treasured weapon is certainly good, but what’s more important is my own cultivation.”

Alice Warren said, “That’s quite true. If your mind is clear, your heart will naturally be open; if you’re stifled inside, your cultivation will easily be affected. It’s better to simply let go and act according to your own will.”

Ethan Clark clenched his fist and said, “Eric Dawson is indeed stronger than me right now—not only is his strength and realm higher, he’s also revived the method of forging with the inner crystal furnace. But I won’t always lose to him. I will definitely surpass him.”

“A young grandmaster is nothing special. I’ll compete with him and see who becomes a grandmaster first, who can transcend the ordinary and step into the realm of Martial Saint!”

In this world, martial artists begin their cultivation with body refinement, progressing through the three realms of physical body, meridian unblocking, and qi guiding. Each realm is further divided into early, middle, and late stages.

This makes a total of nine stages, and with the final stage of the tenth level of body refinement—the Subtlety Realm—they are collectively known as the Ten Levels of Martial Body Refinement.

Above the Subtlety Realm is a major threshold. Once crossed, a martial artist steps into the realm of Grandmaster.

In a martial arts holy land like Guangcheng Mountain, this might not be so apparent, but in reality, a martial artist who becomes a Grandmaster is already qualified to establish their own sect on the continent.

Many leaders of small factions are at the Grandmaster level.

The Grandmaster realm is divided into three major stages: Inner Gang, Outer Gang, and Innate, each further split into early, middle, and late stages. Adding the final Heaven-Penetrating Realm, there are ten levels in total for Grandmasters.

Above the Heaven-Penetrating Realm lies a vast chasm. Those who cross it are called Great Grandmasters.

At this point, one can become a dominant figure in a region, a renowned person across the continent.

The ten levels of Great Grandmaster are called Transcendence. As the saying goes, transcending the ordinary and entering the sacred—those above Transcendence have hope of advancing to the Martial Saint realm and achieving the position of Martial Saint.

In today’s world, looking across the land, Martial Saints are few and far between.

“His inner crystal furnace forging method can refine treasured weapons and spirit weapons, but can he forge a Saint Weapon? For the sect, no matter how many spirit weapons there are, how could they compare to the importance of a single Martial Saint?”

A brilliant light flashed in Ethan Clark’s pupils. Although he had only just opened his dantian and qi sea, at the eighth level of body refinement and mid-stage qi guiding, while Eric Dawson had already stepped into the Grandmaster realm and reached the late stage of Inner Gang,

Ethan Clark was full of confidence. He believed he could definitely surpass that young man who seemed destined to be his rival.

He had enough perseverance and unwavering faith, and he also had his own trump cards...

Ethan Clark gently exhaled a turbid breath, his fingers rubbing the dark red ring on his right hand.

A low starting point doesn’t matter—as long as you progress quickly, there will always come a moment when you catch up and surpass!

Alice Warren looked at Ethan Clark: “Junior Brother Ye, you have remarkable potential. Remember to aim high and keep your feet on the ground. Then you will transcend the ordinary and enter the sacred, and the Martial Saint realm will be within reach.”

Ethan Clark smiled and said, “I’m just bragging a bit, Senior Sister, no need to tease me. You’ve already reached the Subtlety Realm and are only one step away from becoming a Grandmaster. It seems to me that you’re the one most likely to surpass Eric Dawson, the one most likely to become another young Grandmaster’s disciple of Guangcheng Mountain.”

Alice Warren said, “However, I don’t think Senior Brother Yan harbored any ill intentions this time. On the contrary, when we were at the Hall of Affairs, Elder Cui’s words did seem to be sowing discord. Junior Brother Ye, you should be careful of such hidden arrows in the future.”

“Many interpersonal relationships within the sect are hard to see clearly. It’s easy to get caught in hidden whirlpools without realizing it.”

Ethan Clark nodded. “I understand.”

Chapter 8: The Former Old Rival

No matter what Ethan Clark, Alice Warren, or anyone else thought, Eric Dawson didn’t pay much attention.

Although the matter of Zhenlong Abyss was urgent, since he was passing through the Eastern Tang Kingdom, others might not care, but as for the current monarch of the Eastern Tang, Eric Dawson absolutely had to pay a visit.

The other party was not only the ruler of the Eastern Tang, a hero of Tiandong Continent, but also an old acquaintance of Yan’s father from his youth, and had always admired and cared for Eric Dawson.

With the upheaval at Zhenlong Abyss, the martial experts of the Eastern Tang, being the closest, along with the martial artists stationed there from Guangcheng Mountain, naturally arrived at the first moment to suppress and investigate. For Eric Dawson and the others to enter such a perilous place, they first needed to understand the latest developments there.

After meeting the Eastern Tang monarch, Eric Dawson then paid a visit to the chief elder of Guangcheng Mountain stationed in the Eastern Tang.

This meeting was not as relaxed and harmonious as the previous one, because this chief elder of Guangcheng Mountain in the Eastern Tang was from the faction of Eric Dawson’s second master uncle.

The chief elder of the Eastern Tang appeared to be a stern old man. He looked at Eric Dawson and, without much small talk, succinctly explained the situation he had grasped. Eric Dawson listened while pondering.

“Samuel Grant of the Great Sun Sacred Sect has also appeared at Zhenlong Abyss. You’d better stay alert.” After introducing the changes at Zhenlong Abyss, the old man finally said calmly.

Eric Dawson smiled and said, “Isn’t it precisely because of him that the sect sent me to lead the team this time?”

In the present age, several great sacred lands stand side by side. The Great Sun Sacred Sect is a colossus on par with Guangcheng Mountain, its influence even surpassing Guangcheng Mountain, faintly regarded as the foremost sacred land of the time.