Previously on Martial Arts Genius with Proficiency System...
Su Tu discovered the limitations within the Human Race's Heart and Spirit cultivation, a path deemed stable but ultimately restrictive. Ancient voices revealed their plight as lost seekers, begging Su Tu to extend their Dao. Witnessing the Eastern Emperor's sacrifice and the collective struggle of Great Divine Power Users, Su Tu realized their flawed path and his unique opportunity to break free. Now, with a vast number of followers under his grasp, Su Tu contemplates assimilating their Heart and Spirits to vastly increase his skill level.
The Realm of Inference of Heaven features no distinct levels, only a progress bar requiring a million skill points. This fact filled Su Tu with intense curiosity; what would truly manifest when this skill level reached its maximum capacity?
Even in its current state, the abilities granted by Inference of Heaven were already disconcertingly potent, almost to a grotesque degree. As its progress bar neared completion, would the ability simply reach its zenith, or would it undergo a transformation into a higher-tier skill?
All of these possibilities left Su Tu brimming with eager anticipation.
However, following the tumultuous events involving the Three Deceits Cult, Su Tu found himself without any viable avenues to easily acquire such substantial amounts of skill proficiency.
And now, the perfect opportunity presented itself.
Under the veil of absolute divinity, Su Tu was expected to refine the hearts and spirits of all present without hesitation. This would undoubtedly yield the most favorable outcome and represent the optimal strategic choice.
Yet, as he observed these formidable Great Divine Power Users, individuals who willingly placed themselves in peril for the sake of humanity's future, and the Eastern Emperor, whose relentless perseverance knew no bounds,
a surge of profound and indescribable emotions began to stir within his heart.
Drip~
It was akin to a solitary drop of mystical living water falling unexpectedly upon the surface of an otherwise placid Dead Sea.
Su Tu's entire demeanor shifted in an instant.
His heart and spirit constricted simultaneously, and propelled by this internal transformation, he surged upstream against the prevailing current. Grasping at an intangible concept along a mysterious, winding trajectory, he seemed to ensnare something significant.
The very next moment...
Su Tu's lips curved into a subtle smile, devoid of any artifice or pretense. It appeared to emanate directly from his core, defying all common sense and expectation.
An entity of absolute divinity, supposedly unburdened by passions or desires, displaying such a genuine smile was utterly preposterous.
"So that's how it is, so that's how it is!!"
"I am undeniably 'myself'. I possess the capacity to engulf them all; from every conceivable angle, this appears to be the most advantageous path, yet... I refuse!"
"As a human being, one may refrain from striving for the sake of future generations, one may fail to grasp the mentality of those burdened with the responsibility of progress, and one may even undermine their own efforts, proclaiming a self-centered understanding of human nature.
But one absolutely cannot obstruct the path for those who come after; this has no bearing on notions of righteousness or morality. It is simply because I... am human."
Su Tu articulated these words from the depths of his being, as if conversing with himself or perhaps with some unseen entity.
Upon the conclusion of his declaration,
his heart and spirit experienced a sudden vibration, and subsequently, the hearts and spirits of each Great Divine Power User who had ventured within were forcefully expelled, compelled to return to their respective physical forms.
Each Great Divine Power User abruptly snapped their eyes open. Their gazes, however, were not filled with the elation of regaining their bodies, but rather with a palpable sense of profound loss.
"Could it be that this path of Immortal Divinity is truly a continuous series of mistakes!!"
"Absurd, utterly absurd. I clung to my life meticulously, and finally mustered the courage for this one endeavor, only to find myself in a state of neither living nor dying, my journey left incomplete."
"It defies comprehension, utterly unfathomable. Though it is demonstrably the same Power of the Heart and Spirit, its level of existence radically surpasses our grasp. Even if granted the opportunity for comprehension, it remains impossible to unravel."
"This is utter subjugation, akin to a two-dimensional creature's inability to comprehend the third dimension. Even if observed or recognized, it produces no tangible effect."
The collective hearts and spirits of the Great Divine Power Users voiced their deep dissatisfaction.
Then, the strongest and most ancient heart and spirit reappeared.
The assembled individuals understood that the heart and spirit of the Eastern Emperor had returned. If even he could glean no understanding from this experience, then...
All the Great Divine Power Users eagerly awaited the Eastern Emperor's verdict, but they were met only with a sigh heavy with an overwhelming sense of frustration....
Silence descended, thick and solemn...
These individuals, blessed with extraordinary gifts and unparalleled talents as Great Divine Power Users, now experienced an indescribable sense of despair.
True despair and helplessness do not stem from treading a misaligned path, but from the agonizing realization that the path is indeed wrong, the sight of a potentially correct route, yet the utter inability to grasp even a sliver of that correctness.
And what amplifies this despair even further is the knowledge that their descendants, the very future of the Human Race, are still compelled to traverse this flawed road, simply because no alternative path exists!
This is a despair that transcends the limitations of language, a despair that extends beyond the boundaries of life and death itself.
"We are not resigned!! We refuse to yield!!"
"Ahhhhh!!! Why must it be this way, why is it so!! If this truth was never meant to be sought, why reveal its utter falsehood to me; I would have far preferred to remain in ignorance forever!!"
Some Great Divine Power Users cried out in anguish. They possessed sufficient strength and resilience; reaching their current stage was a testament to their formidable mental fortitude, enabling them to exert control over every aspect of themselves.
However, when the future of the Human Race was at stake, they found themselves incapable of averting their gaze.
In this vast world, there exist those in positions of power who view all beings as mere pawns, but there are also those who walk a different path, willing to meticulously pave the way for the benefit of all beings.
The Dao of Heart and Spirit dictates that even a flicker of doubt within one's heart prevents reaching the realm of a Great Divine Power User.
"I shall strive once more for the Other Shore. Do not be perplexed, do not doubt. Allow me to use this broken heart and spirit one last time for all of you... to pave the way one final time!!"
Zhang Wendong's voice echoed in the minds of many Great Divine Power Users. His voice, no longer aged, now brimmed with indescribable vitality, sounding incredibly youthful.
Yet, they all understood: this was the Eastern Emperor mustering all his heart and spirit for a final, brilliant burst.
After this, the Eastern Emperor would cease to exist in this world.
They yearned to persuade him, but their wills were powerless to speak. They could only feel resentment—resentment for their own weakness, resentment for lacking the qualifications to challenge the Other Shore.
At this precise moment, in a desolate village on the Emperor Star, the lifeless elderly man's body began to straighten. He was Zhang Wendong, the Eastern Emperor of the Human Race, a figure comparable to the ten suns.
He was the pioneer, the trailblazer of the Dao of Heart and Spirit. Facing eternal catastrophe, he still sought to forge a path one last time for the Human Race.
The aura of heart and spirit surrounding him intensified, and under its influence, even his aged form seemed to regain its youth. He had already reached the zenith of the Dao of Heart and Spirit, manipulating the flesh's lifespan with the power of heart and spirit—a technique beyond anyone's comprehension.
In the eyes of some, this technique was already immeasurably close to an Immortal Divine art, yet he had never revealed it publicly.
He feared others would mistake it for an Immortal Divine technique, potentially causing other Great Divine Power Users to abandon their own quests for new paths.
Having reached the conclusion of this difficult path of heart and spirit, he finally grasped just how fearsome its true power was. The end of the heart and spirit was by no means as simple as it seemed.
The first instance of employing this technique had barely allowed him to survive after failing to reach the Other Shore. This time...
"Great world, you shall bear witness to me..."
Zhang Wendong gazed with reluctance towards the Ancestor Star, his eyes as clear as a child's. He was poised to ignite his final fervor for ultimate sublimation.
Hum hum hum!!
Phantom images of heart and spirit materialized around him. These represented Great Divine Power Users from distant regions, unable to arrive in person but projecting their True Spirits.
Despite the immense danger, they had still come, solely to bid farewell to the elder on his final journey.
Ultimately, including the Eastern Emperor, thirty-two figures appeared in this deserted village, embodying all the Great Divine Power Users of the Human Race.
Zhang Wendong surveyed these figures, a smile gracing his lips, his eyes trembling slightly.
He wished to speak but found himself momentarily speechless. Truly, he was merely an honest, ordinary individual, unable to be like his cousin, the 'outstanding person' admired by all.
His master had once said that he, someone not particularly bright, walking the path of heart and spirit was already a divine blessing. Yet, this 'fool' had ultimately become the very trailblazer of heart and spirit.
Never mind, never mind. Thinking too much is futile. To embark on this road... this is also good.
Just as Zhang Wendong contemplated this, about to fully sublimate his heart and spirit...
Hua la la!!
Streams of flowing light emerged from all the Great Divine Power Users, and Zhang Wendong experienced the same. However, the flowing light emanating from his heart and spirit was the most dazzling and radiant.
"This is!!"
A sense of stifled amazement seized all the Great Divine Power Users as, enveloped once more in the flowing light, they perceived that transcendent power of heart and spirit.
All the flowing light slowly coalesced into a radiant humanoid figure. Its aura was vast yet subtly imperceptible, clearly visible before their eyes, yet it seemed to defy direct perception.
It appeared utterly beyond this world; no one present could fathom the existence of this figure.
"With sincerity in the heart, the Dao opens. Today, I shall rectify the wrongs for the Human Race and reopen this path!"
