For half a day, Shen Changqing remained in his room, dedicating all his efforts to upgrading his Great Sun Golden Body.
It was worth mentioning that, as one of the top Martial Arts, the consumption for upgrading the Great Sun Golden Body was about twice as much as that for the Great Sun Scripture. Upgrading the Great Sun Scripture by one level only required fifteen Slaughter Value points. However, when upgrading the Great Sun Golden Body, the consumption jumped directly from fifteen to thirty points.
Shen Changqing suspected that this change meant that at his current Realm, the difficulty of upgrading Outer Techniques might be slightly higher than that of Inner Strength, which would explain the corresponding increase in consumption. This was just like usual Martial Arts upgrades; the consumption differed depending on whether Perfection had been reached. Simply put, once a Martial Art reached Perfection, the boost it provided was considerably stronger than when it was not perfected, so the consumption also increased accordingly.
The current enhanced consumption of the Great Sun Golden Body was likely related to the difficulty of the upgrade and the boost it provided.
Regardless, the current consumption for upgrading the Great Sun Golden Body was still much less than that for subsequent upgrades of the Invincible Golden Body. This was without even counting the fifty Slaughter Value points consumed during the fusion—of course, even including that fusion cost, upgrading the Great Sun Golden Body was more cost-effective than the Invincible Golden Body.
Sixty Slaughter Value points were just enough to upgrade the Great Sun Golden Body by two levels.
A thunderous roar of qi and blood emanated from his Flesh. It sounded like the roar of a Fierce Beast, and also like tidal waves continually crashing against shoreline rocks.
The surging, rich qi and blood had already become viscous. The gold within the blood was also becoming increasingly conspicuous.
I have a feeling that if I upgrade the Great Sun Golden Body a few more levels, my qi and blood might undergo a qualitative change! Shen Changqing mused.
He then drew out the Lengyue Blade and made a cut on his left index finger. Unlike before, the sharpness of the Lengyue Blade could no longer breach his Flesh’s defense; only when True Qi was employed could it break through the skin. This showed that with the Great Sun Golden Body, Shen Changqing’s physical defense had risen to a new level.
As the skin broke, a drop of blood containing a faint gold hue was forced out of the wound. As soon as the blood appeared, a powerful aura emanated from it, as if this single drop of blood encapsulated a terrifying Fierce Beast.
When the blood hit the ground—CRACK!—a floor tile fractured instantly.
This scene caused Shen Changqing’s pupils to constrict slightly. The floor of the bedroom was paved with bluestone tiles; to crack one without any tools was not an easy task for the average person. Only a Martial Artist in the Body Tempering Realm might be capable of splitting a stone tile with their bare hands. And it definitely wouldn’t be someone who had just entered the Body Tempering Realm; they would need to be at least in the mid-stage of the Body Tempering Realm or beyond.
Simply put, the power contained in that single drop of his blood was at least comparable to the strength of a mid-stage Body Tempering Realm Martial Artist.
A drop of blood that can fracture a stone tile must weigh at least several hundred pounds! Shen Changqing’s eyes flickered. If a single drop of my blood now contains the weight of several hundred pounds, how powerful must the blood in my body become after further upgrades? A drop of blood to suppress a Pulse Condensation Warrior? Or a drop of blood to suppress an Innate Martial Artist?
For the first time, he realized that the benefits of breaking through after stepping into the Physical System were not as simple as he had imagined.
By the same logic, if the blood in my body is already so potent while I’m only at the Tiger Leopard Thunderous Roar stage, how much stronger will I become when I reach the Great Sun Furnace stage? By that time, a drop of blood comparable to a Pulse Condensation Warrior might not just be an empty phrase. As for suppressing an Innate Martial Artist with a single drop of blood, it seems unlikely. After all, Innate Martial Artists are far stronger than Pulse Condensation Warriors. Even for a peak powerhouse of the Physical System, suppressing them with just a drop of blood would not be easy.
Suddenly, another thought surfaced in Shen Changqing’s mind.
What is the limit of the human body? According to the people in the Martial Hall, there is a limit to the human body; reaching a point where no further progress can be made marks the limit of human potential. The Grandmaster Peak is currently recognized as the limit of human potential—
Whether the human body has limits... In my view, it certainly does. Every single thing has a so-called limit. But then again, the presence of limits often signifies the absence of limits. It’s just like what the Martial Hall is currently pursuing. The Grandmaster Peak is considered the limit of the human body. So, if one broke through the Grandmaster Peak, could one transform from a human into a god? That’s impossible.
Regardless of whether it’s the human body or a Divine Body, they are just names. Even if one were to break through the human body’s limits, a human is still a human. Therefore, if there truly is a limit to the human body, then this limit should be unbreakable. But if a limit can be broken, then it’s not a true limit.
Shen Changqing murmured to himself. Such a statement, while seemingly convoluted, provided him with a new understanding of the human body’s limits.
It’s like a multi-layered labyrinth. People of the current stage exist within the first layer. At its end, there’s a locked door. Lacking the key, they assume it’s the end of the labyrinth. This end of the labyrinth is the ’limit of the human body.’ But if one could find the key and open the lock, they could enter the second layer of the labyrinth. This next labyrinth is what the Martial Hall has always sought: breaking the human body’s limits. But the question is, is the second labyrinth not a labyrinth anymore? Of course, that’s not possible. Whether it’s the first labyrinth or the second, both are parts of the overall labyrinth. That is to say, regardless of whether it’s before or after breaking through the limits, a human ultimately remains human.
But human strength is finite. Each layer of the labyrinth to be unlocked is more complex than the last, requiring correspondingly more time. Without enough time, successfully unlocking it is impossible. To unlock it, one needs either ample time or a sufficiently brilliant mind. In this analogy, time equates to a human’s lifespan, and the mind to a person’s talent.
The lifespan of ordinary people is generally seventy to eighty years at most, perhaps a hundred. Success in the Martial Dao might extend it slightly, but living to one hundred and fifty years is very difficult. If one’s lifespan could be doubled, perhaps there would be enough time to advance to another level. However, nothing is absolute. Time is one factor, and talent is another. Without sufficient talent, even with ample time, breaking limits isn’t guaranteed, but at least the possibility exists.
Shen Changqing sat cross-legged on the bed, his mind clearer than ever at this moment.
Similarly, what does ’breaking the limit’ truly mean? If the so-called limit isn’t the true limit, then as long as one becomes stronger than current Martial Artists, that counts as breaking the limit. The ’limit’ is something one sets for oneself. As long as each breakthrough surpasses the last, that is breaking the limit. Take the current ’limit of the human body,’ for example. A peak Physical System expert can suppress a Pulse Condensation Warrior with a drop of blood. If I can suppress an Innate Martial Artist with a single drop of blood, then I would be stronger than all Grandmasters. In that way, I would have broken the human body’s limits!
Shen Changqing’s expression shifted unpredictably.
What the Martial Hall pursued as the ’limit of the human body’ was essentially how to make a Martial Artist stronger. Now, he had understood how to make a Martial Artist even stronger.
And that was—compression! If the Flesh is likened to a container, how does one make the container stronger without increasing its volume? There’s only one way: improve the quality of what it contains. At the peak of the Physical System’s first stage, one can achieve a drop of blood comparable to a Body Tempering Realm Martial Artist. At the peak of the Physical System’s second stage, one might very well be able to suppress a Pulse Condensation Warrior with a drop of blood. Then, on this basis, I could continuously compress and elevate the quality of my qi and blood. If I eventually reached a point where a single drop of my blood could suppress an Innate Martial Artist, or even a Grandmaster, that would mean I’ve broken the limits of current Martial Artists. Commonly known as breaking the human body’s limits!
But Martial Artists have limited lifespans. Both the Flesh and the spirit require time to be honed. It’s already difficult enough to fill a container, let alone to further compress and improve the quality of its contents once full—that difficulty is even greater. Martial Artists have limited lifespans; many only take the first step, just managing to fill their ’container’ before running out of time for compression.
However—others may not have the time to compress, but I do! I have the panel! As long as I have Slaughter Value, I can continuously improve my Martial Arts. Then, on the existing foundation, I can further compress the power of the human body, thereby transforming to an even higher level!
Glee grew increasingly evident on Shen Changqing’s face.
Previously, he had harbored some worries that the panel might not be able to break the human body’s limits. But now, he saw that his former concerns were unnecessary. Currently, no one has broken the limit mainly because there isn’t enough time. And the reason for the lack of time is simple: they lack a method. Yes! A method!
The method to fill the ’container’ has long been figured out step by step by predecessors, thanks to the well-established Martial Dao lineage. However, once the container is full, no method for compression exists. All Martial Artists who have filled their containers are like blind men feeling an elephant, slowly fumbling their way along an unknown path. Thus, the time required for any progress increases exponentially.
If—at this moment—a method to compress capacity and improve quality were to appear, then there would undoubtedly be Martial Artists who have reached the Grandmaster Peak who could successfully break through to the next stage!
Shen Changqing was certain in his heart. What everyone lacks now is simply a method. In Martial Artists’ terms, it’s a Martial Art that directly points to that profound and mysterious Realm.