Chapter 688: Three Realms of Grandmaster

The old lady narrowed her eyes at the blue pillar of fire, a gleam in her gaze.

"Incinerating Order..." she murmured. "Such an ability exists in this world?"

She had lived for nearly two hundred years, met countless Grandmasters, and witnessed countless Heart Images. But this was the first time she had seen one capable of burning Order.

That kind of ability was far too dangerous. If her perception was correct and the Flame was burning Order itself, then the level of this newly advanced Grandmaster's ability was simply unparalleled in the world. Tightening her grip on her cane, the old lady's figure flashed as she sped toward the pillar of fire.

In just a brief moment, over a dozen Grandmasters had already gathered in the skies above Xingjing. And the focal point of their convergence was precisely that secluded small courtyard.

***

In the small courtyard.

Xu Wuyi withdrew his gaze from the monstrous pillar of fire.

A Grandmaster could connect with Heaven and Earth Energy to form a massive visual spectacle known to the world as a Dharma Form. This was the first Realm of a Grandmaster. Following this were two steps: compressing the Dharma Form into a Domain, and then condensing it into one's own Divine Intent. However, once at the Grandmaster level, it became difficult to strictly categorize progression using Realms. Even combat power did not rely entirely on one's Realm; it was merely a rough distinction.

Now, Xu Wuyi had reached the step of the Dharma Form. Although he was just starting out, this was already a qualitative Transformation. From this day forward, he was no longer a Martial Artist who could only passively accept Order, but a Grandmaster who could actively establish it.

He lowered his head and looked at his hands. The pillar of fire was still burning, but he could clearly sense that the strength consumed to maintain it was far less than he had imagined. That was because the strength was not his own, but rather the Power of Heaven and Earth. He was merely a catalyst, a bridge—a medium that allowed the Power of Heaven and Earth to manifest.

This was what it meant to be a Grandmaster. He finally understood why there was such a chasm-like gap between a Grandmaster and an ordinary Martial Artist. It was because a Grandmaster no longer relied solely on their own strength.

With another thought, the pillar of fire shooting into the sky began to compress. It did not extinguish, but rather retracted inward, its height gradually dropping from fifteen hundred meters and its thickness shrinking from a two-person embrace. It was as if time were flowing backward, as if everything were returning to its origin. The pillar of fire grew shorter and thinner, until it completely withdrew into his palm, turning back into that small wisp of blue Flame.

The wisp of Flame danced in his palm, its color purer and more profound than before. But Xu Wuyi knew it was no longer the same. Because it hadn't just brought itself back; it had also brought back the things it had incinerated. The Chaos of air, light, and sound, the bewilderment born in the hearts of ordinary people, and the Order Fragments between heaven and earth—it had brought them all back.

They gathered around Xu Wuyi, concentrated within the small courtyard beneath the shadow of the old locust tree, forming an extremely subtle and delicate state.

In this small space, everything was different from the outside world. The flow of air, the transmission of light, the echoing of sound—none of them followed the Rules. Even time seemed to have lost its original rhythm. This was a space that had been incinerated by the Flame of Order, plunging it into a state of absolute Chaos. And Xu Wuyi stood in the very center of this Chaos like a statue that commanded it all.

Closing his eyes, he carefully sensed everything within this space. The turmoil, the Chaos, and the broken Rules were all clearly presented in his perception. Even more miraculously, he could feel that his strength within this space was vastly greater than it was outside. Because the Order Fragments he had incinerated were all gathered here, serving as resources he could call upon. If, on the outside, he could only use his Heart of Order to connect with the Power of Heaven and Earth, then here, he could directly mobilize these already-broken Order Fragments. They were like a pile of scattered building blocks. Although formless, they were much easier to assemble into something new than solid blocks would be.

Opening his eyes, he raised his right hand and gave it a gentle wave.

The Order Fragments scattered throughout the space suddenly began to move. As if answering a summons, they surged from all directions, coalescing above his palm to form a continuously rotating sphere. The sphere was highly unstable—expanding, shrinking, distorting, and then reverting to its original shape. Yet, Xu Wuyi could feel that it was slowly taking form. Given enough time, he could reassemble these fragments into a brand new Order entirely under his control. When that happened, this space would no longer be a land of lawless Chaos, but a Domain totally dominated by him.

This was the second step of a Grandmaster.

The Domain.

Taking the Heaven and Earth Energy connected after externalizing the Heart Image, and subjecting it and one's own power to extreme Compression and Refining to construct an absolute Domain governed entirely by one's own Rules. Within this Domain, he was the Rule, and the Rule was him. Anyone else would have to abide by his Rules, or face being repelled, suppressed, or even obliterated by the Domain.

As Xu Wuyi watched the rotating sphere above his palm, a wave of enlightenment welled up within him. He had taken this step too quickly. He had only just set foot in the Grandmaster Realm and completed the externalization of his Heart Image, yet he was already beginning to construct his Domain. Although this Domain was still extremely fragile—so weak it could barely withstand a single blow—taking this step meant he had already touched the threshold of the second step of a Grandmaster.

This was not a coincidence, but an inevitability. Before advancing to a Grandmaster, his accumulation of his Heart Image had already been incredibly profound, far exceeding that of a normal Quasi-Grandmaster. Now was the time to reap the rewards. That accumulation gave him an understanding of Rules that far surpassed those who had ordinarily just entered the Grandmaster Realm. Therefore, he was able to march toward a Domain the very moment he became a Grandmaster.

With another thought, the rotating sphere slowly dispersed, turning back into countless fragments that scattered to every corner of the space.

Now was not the time. Having just set foot in the Grandmaster Realm, he still needed time to adapt, stabilize, and digest his gains. The matter of the Domain could wait.

Right at that moment, he suddenly sensed something. He raised his head and looked toward the sky.

Gazes cast from all directions fell upon him, descending from the sky above the small courtyard. Some of these gazes were distant, some near; some strong, some weak. But without exception, they all carried an indescribable sense of oppression. It was a kind of oppression that could only be perceived by those standing at the same height—the resonance between Grandmasters.

Xu Wuyi stood quietly, allowing those gazes to land on him, feeling no surprise in his heart. Xingjing was the Capital of the Federation; it was the place where the most Grandmasters gathered. How could the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar Grandmaster's aura—especially one that manifested in such an earth-shattering manner—not attract attention? The masters of those gazes held various intentions: some were curious, some vigilant, some scrutinizing, and some on guard.