Chapter 240 - 212: Seeking an Audience

From that point on, Zhao Xuanqi no longer cared about the world’s judgment, nor did he want to integrate into a society he could not fit into. Instead, he embarked on his own journey to pursue his goals and ideals—to break through the fabled Heavenly Human Limit of the Martial Dao.

And this became a path of no return.

He disregarded laws and scorned convention, following only the path in his heart. With the Seven Kills of the Hundred Beasts Fist as his code, he began to hunt the world’s strongest as his prey, attempting to break through to that fabled realm through constant challenge.

The masters who died by his hand were by no means saints.

A decorated major general from the Eagle Nation who had slaughtered hundreds, even thousands, of innocent civilians in a regional war; the strongest champion boxer, imprisoned for his cannibalistic habits; the leader of the world’s most notorious mercenary corps; the head of a global dark web organization...

Through one battle after another, he gradually climbed to the absolute peak of Harmony, standing at the very pinnacle of Blue Star. Yet, he was still unable to breach the barrier of the Heavenly Human Limit.

His uncontrollable nature and immense martial power drew the intense wariness of the world’s major governments. This ultimately led to a multi-national coalition hunting him down, sparing no expense. The cause of his eventual death was his infiltration of the mansion of the Eagle Nation’s president—a residence protected by countless high-tech safeguards—where he cut off a lock of the president’s hair as they slept.

He did it because there was no longer any single individual in the world who could be his opponent. He wanted to try his hand at fighting the collective.

In the end, he failed.

Such was his past life.

These memories flashed through his mind, scene by scene, yet his expression remained completely unchanged.

In this life, reborn as Zhao Qi, his path had been fraught with peril and offered no peace. To recover his strength, he had made countless concessions and compromises.

But now, having reached the realm of Harmony, he was finally qualified to unleash his true self once more and pursue that state of unfettered freedom.

Pulling his thoughts back to the matter at hand, Zhao Xuanqi shook his head slightly.

"The realm of Harmony... everyone finds their own path to it. It’s precisely because the process cannot be replicated that so few people ever reach Harmony, and why the realm is considered such a great chasm to cross."

"Some find enlightenment in a moment between life and death. Some come to understand the Dao after years of hardship. And some are even born with the knowledge, achieving it naturally and without obstruction. All I can say is this: you must possess a will that would not waver in the face of ten thousand deaths. You must understand the path of your own heart, knowing when to follow and when to rebel. Then, when the opportunity arises—when under intense stimulation, your Qi and Blood surges and your Spirit blazes bright—you must be willing to cast everything aside, even to die for the Dao. That is the moment of breakthrough."

"Zhao Yuan, Xiang Ji. The two of you have the requisite strength, but you are still young. You have not yet witnessed splendors rise and fall, so it is difficult for you to truly know your own hearts," Zhao Xuanqi said to Zhao Yuan and Xiang Ji.

"Our wills are firm. We are so dedicated to the martial path that we would die without regret. How can you say we don’t know our own hearts?" Xiang Ji said, frowning.

"That’s just momentary bravado. Once your Qi and Blood subsides and your Spirit slackens, you will revert to your former selves. Such bravado cannot be sustained indefinitely, so it cannot be called ’knowing your own heart.’ Let me ask you a question: in this life, what is it that you truly want?"

Zhao Xuanqi asked the two. Seeing them about to speak, he added, "Don’t be so quick to answer. Truly ask your own hearts: is what you’re about to say what you genuinely desire?"

Hearing Zhao Xuanqi’s words, they swallowed what they were about to say. They lowered their heads in thought, their expressions flickering with uncertainty.

’What is it that I truly want?’

’What is the true meaning and purpose of my life?’

What one blurted out was mere bravado. Only with careful, rational thought could the truth be discerned.

They discovered, to their surprise, that they couldn’t answer.

After all, they were not Zhao Xuanqi.

Then, Zhao Xuanqi turned to the strongest masters of the other Five Great Schools. "Actually, at your age, having experienced the world’s ups and downs, you all should have an answer in your hearts. It’s just that you’re trapped by worldly affairs, bogged down by mundane struggles, unable to let it all go for one final gamble. Am I wrong?"

The five masters exchanged bitter smiles. At their age, they had parents, relatives, friends, and disciples. They shouldered the heavy responsibilities of their Schools. Their lives had long since ceased to be their own. Even if they knew what they wanted, could they truly cast everything aside for such a gamble?

Perhaps they would rather forsake the realm of Harmony just to ensure the people they cared for could live in peace and safety.

Such is a person’s lot. To live in this world is to be bound by ties, from which it is difficult to break free.

Difficult, so very difficult!

"Therefore, you can only wait for the right opportunity," Zhao Xuanqi said.

"That is indeed true. But your words have been enlightening. At the very least, if that critical juncture does arrive and the opportunity presents itself, we won’t let it pass us by so easily."

Yu Huang let out a breath and nodded.

"Then, if I may be so bold, Mr. Zhao, how is it that you were able to break through to the realm of Harmony before the age of twenty?"

Lv Mingsheng asked, looking at Zhao Xuanqi for instruction.

"I was born with the knowledge."

Zhao Xuanqi’s answer was simple and direct.

Carrying the memories of his past life, reborn in the body of Zhao Qi, his situation was truly no different from being born with the knowledge. As long as the latent problems with his body were resolved, everything else would naturally fall into place.

The crowd’s mouths fell slightly agape. Had anyone else said such a thing, they would have found it outrageously arrogant. But coming from Zhao Xuanqi, it sounded perfectly matter-of-fact.

Reaching Harmony before the age of twenty was as rare as a phoenix feather in the entire Martial History of the Divine Land. Being born with the knowledge was the only possible explanation.