"Yuan Jue! What nonsense are you spouting?"
Hearing Zhou Yuanjue's words, Zhou Shiyou's brow furrowed deeply. He couldn't help but scold him, but then, feeling his tone was too harsh, he softened his voice. "You know I'm a man who values family deeply. We're all one family. If something has happened, we can talk it out and solve it together. Why say something so extreme? Am I really that much of a coward in your eyes, someone who wouldn't even care about his own family's safety?"
"This isn't a question of safety. This matter is not that simple. You can't understand. Perhaps Gong Shouzhuo can," Zhou Yuanjue said, shaking his head.
"You're talking about…"
Gong Shouzhuo frowned, a look of understanding dawning on his face.
"Saint Awakening… On this path, I cannot allow myself any attachments. Any attachment can become a weakness. Even if I could ignore it, the things I must do next will very likely bring a cataclysm down upon you all—one the Zhou Family cannot withstand."
Zhou Yuanjue lifted his head, his gaze turning to the vast, azure sky.
"'Holy and Bright. Awaken and Guard It. To know foolishness, yet act. To live for the Dao. Everything in this world is but a passing cloud; only one's nature and life persist. To hear the Dao in the morning and die content by evening…'"
Gong Shouzhuo spoke slowly, his voice filled with a mix of fear and longing. A storm of emotions raged in his heart, difficult to quell. He asked, "What are you planning to do?"
"To measure the world with my steps, and challenge it with my fists."
Zhou Yuanjue's expression was calm, but his words landed with the weight of a thousand pounds, each one resonating with power.
Hearing this, Gong Shouzhuo's face was a mask of horror. He never imagined the path Zhou Yuanjue intended to walk was so insane. In a grim voice, he said, "The world is vast. There is always someone stronger out there. Don't you know this is a path to certain death?"
"You said it yourself. On the path to Saint Awakening, one must be willing to hear the Dao and die for it. Without that Heart Intent, how can one ever hope to perceive the profound mysteries?"
"My mind is made up. After today, I have no more connection to the Zhou Family. Life or death, love or hate—we have nothing to do with each other!"
Zhou Yuanjue's voice was like ice. With a light tap of his toes, his body floated, and in an instant, he was beside the courtyard wall.
SCRAPE! SCRAPE! SCRAPE!!
His fingers were held together like a sword. As he waved his arm, sand and stone crumbled from the wall. Dust flew, obscuring everyone's vision.
When the dust settled, Zhou Yuanjue was gone.
They looked back at the wall and found a line of writing carved into it: As of today, Zhou Yuanjue has severed all ties with the Nanjiang Zhou Clan.
The characters looked as if they had been hewn with a blade or an axe; it was hard to imagine they had been carved in such a short time by one person using only two fingers.
"Younger Brother Gong, what in the world is going on?"
Seeing that Zhou Yuanjue had vanished, Zhou Shiyou could only turn and ask Gong Shouzhuo.
"You can't possibly understand. There are some things that are very difficult for me to explain, because you and he live in two different worlds."
"You only need to know this: his goal, his path, will inevitably be paved with bloodshed. If he succeeds, it will be like a carp leaping over the dragon gate—the world will be his to roam. If he fails, he will die without a grave, and everyone connected to him could be dragged down with him. For him to do this… it is truly a good thing for you," Gong Shouzhuo said, shaking his head.
"Younger Brother Gong, please, speak plainly. He is my grandson, my family. I can't just ignore what happens to him…"
Elder Zhou did not relent at Gong Shouzhuo's words, but instead pressed on with a worried expression.
"Let me put it this way, Brother Zhou. You know that I teach Fist Techniques. My school is a branch of the Profound Heart Fist, and I can be considered the founder of my own sect. In all of Tianlu Prefecture, I have some standing. This is what a Martial Arts School is. A school like mine is considered second-rate in our circles. There are many who are stronger than us. More importantly, these major schools have long histories. Their power and influence have long since spread through every level of society."
"And what your grandson wants to do is challenge these schools. This goes far beyond simple sparring. There's no clear 'best' in scholarship, but in the Martial Dao, there is no 'second best.' A school's reputation is at stake, making it a matter of life and death, and every action has far-reaching consequences. I urge you, Brother Zhou, to give up any idea of wading into these muddy waters. This is a storm. And to put it bluntly, if the Zhou Group, with all its power and Energy, were to get involved… it would end in four words."
Gong Shouzhuo paused, holding up four fingers. He spoke one word at a time:
"Shattered. To. Dust. And. Bone!"
Hearing those four words, everyone's face filled with horror.
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After leaving the Nanjiang Zhou Family, Zhou Yuanjue drove his car and quickly returned to Wuhai Longyuan District.
Dealing with the Zhou Family this way was something he had prepared for long ago. In fact, his reasons for never telling Elder Zhou what he was doing, for deliberately reducing contact with the family, and for distancing himself from them were all based on this same consideration.
He knew that the path he walked was destined to be anything but ordinary, and that the storm lurking behind it would tear apart anyone who got caught in it.
Returning to his small villa in Longyuan District, Zhou Yuanjue didn't rest for a moment. He changed into a simple training uniform and entered the room he had specially set up as a training hall.
The comprehensive vertical air purification system was running at full power, making the air in the room feel incredibly fresh.
Zhou Yuanjue stood in the center of the room in a loose stance, his eyes slightly closed, recalling his brief exchange with Gong Shouzhuo.
For the first time in a long while, he had felt pressure from an opponent. He once again felt that long-lost excitement and passion.
That mesmerizing, intense pressure and thrill that comes from the verge of life and death—that was what he craved. Only in such moments could he feel his own life ascending to a higher level.
Every punch and kick from their clash resurfaced in his mind.
The Profound Heart Fist. Its defining characteristic was the suddenness of its attacks, its hidden attack lines, and its unpredictability.
Furthermore, he could see that Gong Shouzhuo's branch of the Profound Heart Fist school had integrated other elements.
A heart like gunpowder, ready to ignite at a touch.
Gong Shouzhuo's Fist Technique incorporated the imagery of modern firearms, making his attacks even faster and more covert.
Just as you might be able to predict the arc of a person's punch, you can't predict when they will pull the trigger.
And the root of it all lay in how the Profound Heart Fist drastically changed the method of generating power.
It used the "heart" to generate power. Physically, the heart would beat like a powerful pump, instantly sending blood and vital energy to the limbs, providing immense physical support for an explosive burst. Spiritually, the Heart Intent was kept withdrawn and killing intent concealed, erupting only in the instant of attack.
The final killing blow, a multi-hit combo, was especially noteworthy. It used the same method repeatedly, placing extremely high demands on one's stamina, skill, and mental Cultivation. If Gong Shouzhuo hadn't revealed a flaw in his Heart Intent at the last moment, this would have been a different fight. In a true life-or-death battle with no escape, Zhou Yuanjue wouldn't have been able to seize his opponent's hands so easily and win so crushingly. He would have undoubtedly faced more trouble and had to pay a price.
"The Profound Heart Fist… it certainly has aspects worth learning from…"
Zhou Yuanjue muttered to himself. This was a habit he had developed over many years. After every battle that stirred his soul, even in victory, he would always quiet his mind. He would recall the fight, analyze his opponent's strengths and advantages, and consider all the possibilities. He did this to deepen his understanding and constantly improve himself.
He didn't believe there was any perfect Fist Technique in the world. As the saying goes, when three walk together, one will always be my teacher.