Martial Arts Genius with Proficiency System Chapter 1025 - 457: True Self Enlightened—I Am Myself, and I Exist for Myself! (Part 2)

Within the Emperor Star, an ancient Great Divine Power User awakened. He was so ancient that his entire skin was slack, his back hunched, and the twilight energy surrounding him seemed poised to crush him.

Yet, like the towering heavens, the Power of the Heart and Spirit shone unabated.

As his heart and spirit aura emerged, one by one, the Great Divine Power Users who glimpsed the daylight recognized his identity.

"Eastern Emperor, it’s the Eastern Emperor!!"

"The Eastern Emperor indeed has not died. He attempted to reach the end of the Other Shore thrice with no result, yet he still lives!!"

A Great Divine Power User exclaimed in surprise at that moment.

The Eastern Emperor, a name that was a taboo known only to Great Divine Power Users; even if those below them learned it, it would be instantly forgotten.

He had been hiding behind the scenes of the Human Race, his identity and status in some respects rivaling even the Ten Heavens.

The Eastern Emperor, Zhang Wendong, was among the first Martial Artists of the Human Race to step out of the Star River, and the strongest in Heart and Spirit Cultivation of that era.

After the Martial God departed, the Human Race’s Martial Arts Dao flourished under the Ten Heavens, but Heart and Spirit Cultivation was regrettably neglected. This was due to the Human Race being naturally weak in heart and spirit, overlooking strength for weakness, which is the instinct of all beings.

Let alone the fact that Heart and Spirit Cultivation techniques were monopolized by major races; even if the Martial God left behind a secret painting, it only allowed the Human Race to set foot on the path of the heart and spirit, but to tread further was as arduous as ascending to the sky.

And in such challenging situations, the Eastern Emperor emerged suddenly. His talent in heart and spirit was unparalleled in the world; using an ordinary secret painting, he entered the Dao, glimpsed the Sacred Realm, and subsequently repaired and advanced the Heart and Spirit Cultivation system.

In that era, the Martial God had left behind the Sacred Realm, while the Eastern Emperor developed it, creating heart and spirit Sacred Realms, paving the way for future generations, and finally, stepping onto the Other Shore, leaving behind traces for the Human Race.

In later generations, any cultivator, any Martial Artist treading the path of heart and spirit, all followed the footprints he had left behind.

Then, he broke the yoke of foreign races’ heart and spirit methods, killing his way out and single-handedly slaying fourteen foreign heart and spirit powerhouses.

Making it known to the heavens that though the heart and spirit of the Human Race was naturally weak, the Human Race itself was strong, especially when individuals defied the heavens!

He then vigorously promoted, issued, and studied heart and spirit methods, actively explored ruins, and brought back Divine Techniques for the Human Race.

This title of Eastern Emperor was not his formal designation, but a respectful appellation from all of the Human Race; even the Ten Heavens felt a deep reverence for him.

Later, the Eastern Emperor attempted multiple times to reach the Other Shore, seeking a higher realm beyond it, unwilling for the path of heart and spirit to merely support the Martial Arts Dao.

He mused that this so-called Immortal Divine path should not be so shallow; if the path did not exist, then one must carve a way out.

However... the Eastern Emperor failed.

Each time he attempted to reach the end of the Other Shore, he consumed a terrifying amount of Heart Life. For an average Great Divine Power User, even stepping forward half a step would burn through most of their Heart Life.

But the Eastern Emperor attempted this thrice, venturing exceedingly deep each time.

As the most powerful Great Divine Power User, no one knew the extent of the Eastern Emperor’s Heart Life. Yet, after the third attempt, there was no further news of him among humans.

Some speculated he had perished, while others claimed the Eastern Emperor had succeeded, reaching beyond the Other Shore and observing the Human Race from a higher dimension.

And all such speculations were put to rest as the aura of the Eastern Emperor emerged at this moment.

The Eastern Emperor still remained in the human world, and his heart and spirit aura had become even more formidable and inscrutable, akin to a boundless, deep sea.

If not for the stark contrast with the endless great sun, they would have almost regarded the Eastern Emperor’s aura as divine.

"Is this the ultimate sublimation of heart and spirit?"

"Although the Power of the Heart and Spirit still has a few flaws, the true intent within surpasses me by far too much; I see... I see..."

The Eastern Emperor gazed upon that great sun, his turbid eyes revealing an indescribable expression, devoid of any twilight, but rather lively and spirited, like a young bard brimming with vigor.

"As expected! As expected!!"

"It is not the path of the heart and spirit that has limits, but my chosen path was wrong, our path was wrong. The path of heart and spirit, as an Immortal Divine path, why would there be shackles?"

"The divine is unrestrained, immortals roam freely. Even when stepping forward within the Sacred Realm, are we not still confined?"

"The Other Shore, the Other Shore! There was never a Sea of Suffering, nor a mundane world. We have always been within the Other Shore, trapped. If we do not wish to transcend, how can we surpass it?!!"

The elder's gaze was fixed upon the Light of the Heart and Spirit, as he cheerfully addressed the vast sun.

His voice resonated through the depths of all Great Divine Power Users who were witnessing the sunlight.

Such a statement was incredibly rebellious, maddeningly defiant, completely shattering the established Heart and Spirit Cultivation system and even nullifying the methods left by the Martial God.

Had anyone else dared to utter such words, they would undoubtedly be branded as insane, a heretic lost to delusion. But the speaker was none other than the Eastern Emperor.

He was the very figure who had guided Heart and Spirit Cultivation back onto the correct path. In the eyes of those who cultivated Heart and Spirit, his status was practically on par with the Martial God himself.

Yet, even such a venerable being uttered these words, causing the hearts of all Great Divine Power Users to waver.

"To witness this Dao, my heart holds no regrets! Hahahaha! Everyone, do not squander the beauty of this journey. To reach this point, to step onto the path of Immortal Divinity, has already been my greatest honor."

"I have lived in obscurity until this very moment, for this singular occasion! I, Zhang Wendong, shall take the very first step!"

The Eastern Emperor erupted in hearty laughter, his hesitation vanishing. His Power of the Heart and Spirit surged like a churning tide, plunging directly into the sunlight. However, despite the Eastern Emperor's immense strength, not a single ripple disturbed the surface of the great sun as his heart and spirit merged with it.

All that remained were the Great Divine Power Users, standing in profound silence.

And then...

Buzz!!

"You all fail to grasp the Dao before your very eyes! My heart cannot find peace. The path of the heart and spirit should not end at the Other Shore!"

A low whisper echoed.

An unknown source of the Power of the Heart and Spirit surged into the great sun once more.

"Indeed, indeed. My Heart Life has spanned so long; living has become wearisome."

Another powerful heart and spirit sank into the light.

Then, after a prolonged silence, several more ripples plunged into the sun.

Among the esteemed ranks of the Human Race, the strategist was nearing a state of utter madness. Though not a Great Divine Power User himself, he possessed the highest level of Heart and Spirit Cultivation among the supreme beings, standing merely a single step away from the Other Shore.

At this critical juncture, he could distinctly sense the auras of the Great Divine Power Users being drawn in.

These Great Divine Power Users were precious assets to the Human Race, their numbers even scarcer than those of Daoist Masters. Each one represented an invaluable legacy of the Human Race.

They had journeyed the furthest along the heart and spirit path, sustained the longest Heart Life. Even if a catastrophic disaster were to befall the Human Race, they possessed the potential to escape with their heart and spirit, preserving a flicker of hope for humanity's continuation.

But now, influenced by this enigmatic sunlight, they were making these seemingly irrational choices.

"Madmen!! All of them are madmen!!"

The strategist cried out in furious disbelief. With Zhou Wuliang now missing, the Star River in chaos, the endless slaughter among the various races, the stirring of void spirits beyond the Star River Frontline, the underlying treachery of the five ultimate races, and the imminent return of the gods—

This was undeniably the most chaotic era, the precipice of order's collapse. And now, at such a perilous time, these Great Divine Power Users were instigating such an event...

The strategist slumped onto his throne, powerless. His anger roared, yet not a single word of negation could escape his lips.

This was because he understood that to become a Great Divine Power User, beyond sheer talent in heart and spirit, it demanded a measure of madness far exceeding that of ordinary individuals, coupled with an unwavering obsession for this particular path.

They perceived the potential continuation of their journey, how could they possibly resist the allure? Even without the Eastern Emperor's appearance, someone else would have surely stepped forward. This was the nature of Great Divine Power Users; they were the true pioneers of the Human Race's heart and spirit path.

This, too, was the reason why the Human Race, despite its perceived weakness in heart and spirit, had achieved such rapid growth in recent years. It was precisely because these 'madmen' were relentlessly propelling humanity forward!

A thousand words, in the end, could only coalesce into a single sentiment.

"May blessings be upon you all... good fortune… and may good fortune bless the Human Race..."

At this very moment, Su Tu stood within the grand cathedral, his expression growing strangely contemplative.

Moments ago, his own heart and spirit had undergone a profound transformation, ascending to a new pinnacle. He had failed to contain the overflow of his heart and spirit; indeed, he acknowledged this as his own failing.

But what perplexed him was why so many other individuals' hearts and spirits had seemingly resonated with and comprehended his own Power of the Heart and Spirit?