After taking a shower, he found that Li Hu had added him to a group named Tayue Squad.
Including him, there were eight people in the group. Other than the group owner Li Hu, the rest were all students recruited by Zhou Wuliang.
No one in the group was speaking, only Li Hu sent an emoji.
Privately, a few people added Su Tu as a friend, and after he accepted, he paid them no further mind.
Instead, he opened a website sent by Li Hu.
It was a forum-like website with various posts.
There were posts discussing science popularization.
"The Three Theories on Establishing Martial Arts Dao Foundations with Basic Skills."
"The Benchmark Between Techniques and the Physical Body"
Of course, there were also attention-grabbing posts like those on marketing accounts!
"Shocking!! The Federation actually has such a conspiracy, the truth behind the Celestial Pride List is!!"
"The Truth of Martial Arts on Ancestor Star Being Released... The Purpose Is Actually!!!"
"So That’s How It Is, The Pride Was Trained !!"
Su Tu opened some of the posts, and honestly, they were indeed similar to those marketing accounts, full of phrases like a small editor’s bold guess, let’s connect the dots, and so on.
However, pinned at the top of the forum was a post called "Martial Arts Miscellany."
This post provided detailed records of much foundational information about the Martial Arts Dao.
Su Tu carefully browsed through the content of the post.
He gained new insights into the Federation and Martial Arts Dao.
It turned out that as early as three thousand years ago when humanity first attempted interstellar colonization, the initial Martial God discovered the power of Martial Arts Dao. All races under the heavens considered themselves the foundation; although technology was strong, one’s own body was fundamental, a powerful martial artist could destroy an entire race single-handedly. From that day on, Martial Arts Dao quietly spread in the Federation.
After over three thousand years of development, the Federation Martial Arts Dao has become extremely perfected, with all kinds of nutritional supplements, scientific instruments emerging accordingly, and the major directions of Martial Arts cultivation, genetic warriors, and mechanical enhancements forming almost the entirety of the Federation’s focus.
For various reasons, the Martial Artists on Blue Star were limited in number, and no one could disclose this in any form. The Federation regularly blocked and investigated Ancestor Star to ensure the public remained unaware.
Until a month ago, when the Federation suddenly announced the lifting of Ancestor Star’s blockade.
The intricacies of these events were not Su Tu’s concern.
He continued browsing through the posts, and soon another post caught his eye.
"On How to Achieve the Strongest Peeping Branch Realm"
The first tier of Martial Arts Dao is the Peeping Branch Realm, meaning that all truths of the world are like towering trees, unknown to the mundane, but entering this realm allows one to glimpse a fragment of the branches and leaves.
Currently, Su Tu only had a thread of Qi within him, unable to use it, only enhancing himself, so he had not yet entered the tier. He needed to cultivate Basic Skills to guide Qi into the apertures to be considered having entered the tier.
After entering the tier, one must fill all 108 apertures in the body with Qi to enter the Peeping Branch Realm.
The post suggests that the human body has more than 108 apertures; besides these, there are 36 hidden apertures unseen by common folk, which the prideful can infuse with Qi. Each additional aperture increases the innate talent level.
There are many comments under the post, both malicious and benevolent, but none provide a successful response.
"It’s too early for me to consider these things; once I guide Qi into the apertures, I can try exploring these so-called hidden apertures." Su Tu bookmarked the post.
He continued browsing as he was previously curious about the connection between observing Dao and Martial Arts Dao, having heard the term from Zhou Wuliang before without further explanation.
This forum should contain explanations about observing Dao.
Indeed, before long, Su Tu found a post.
It provided a detailed introduction to heart and spirit observation Dao.
The opening sentence of the post caught Su Tu’s attention.
"Cultivating the physical body can shatter stars and destroy realms, while the path of heart and spirit leads to the roads of immortals and gods!"
"Martial Arts cultivation is divided into inner and outer; the outer is based on Basic Skill, honing the physical body and blood, while the inner focuses on harvesting Dao, refining heart and spirit."
"So-called harvesting Dao combines Qi collection, feeding on mist, meditation, and various mental techniques, creating a cultivation method intended to harness the cosmos and make Dao the heart."
"Martial God under the crown believed that life within the cosmos is confined by the skies as a cage, and the spirit is bound by the physical body as a restraint, while harvesting Dao may free the heart and spirit from these bonds, witnessing all beings and the cosmos."
Reading the post’s content, Su Tu finally understood that observing Dao is about honing and refining one’s heart and spirit to gain unimaginable abilities.
A person with strong heart and spirit could be called a great divine power user; even standing in front of you, if he doesn’t wish it, you won’t see him, like separated by a cosmos.
Previously, the reason Zhou Wuliang could stand next to him without being discovered was due to the vast difference in heart and spirit.
The post also mentioned that the first step in harvesting Dao is using a secret painting as a guide to glimpse its mysteries, honing the mind...
"Is the painting Brother Feiyang placed in the office a secret painting...?"
"But, it seems different from what the post says..."
He closed his eyes slightly, and the image from that day appeared in his mind, and the next moment he was in that world.
"It seems I don’t need to glimpse the supernatural anymore...because it seems I’ve moved this so-called supernatural into my inner world..."
Su Tu thought to himself.
He suddenly realized that he could now move freely on Heishan, instead of being forced to comprehend, with his body enveloped in a mist.
"It’s Qi!" Su Tu sensed the presence of Qi. It was because of this Qi that he could break free from the previous state of forced comprehension.
The tempering of the body with Qi and the visualization of the heart and spirit, indeed complement each other.
Su Tu thought secretly.
But my situation is somewhat different from what the post says; hopefully it’s not a bad thing.
Su Tu watched the White Tiger crouching and the Cyan Snake transforming into a dragon, only feeling an inexplicable understanding in his heart, the rhythm of his breath was more at ease.
His body warmed slightly, and he suddenly looked towards the foot of the mountain, wondering if it was an illusion—had the crouching White Tiger moved a bit...
This time, Su Tu persisted a little longer.
[You’ve completed an Observation Dao, Observation Dao skill level +10]
[Observation Dao (Initial Tier): 30/300]
After the Observation Dao, Su Tu felt refreshed. He glanced at the time; it was almost twelve o’clock.
Then he closed the forum.
Of all things, sleep is the greatest; even if the sky falls, it can’t stop Su Tu from sleeping before midnight.
That said, health care really isn’t a skill.....
"Hahahahahahahaha, Su Tu, are you possessed by a hungry ghost!!" Chen Xi laughed uncontrollably, waving a video with over a million views in front of Su Tu.
It was a scene of Su Tu eating heartily in a restaurant yesterday.
Su Tu only felt speechless about this.
"Let me see what everyone is saying about you!" Chen Xi said mischievously, his habitual manner of avoiding "I" and saying "me" instead persisted for many years.
He opened the comments section, wanting to see the netizens’ humorous remarks about Su Tu.
But as soon as he opened it, he was greeted by overwhelming...’proposals.’
"Damn!!! This brother is too handsome!!"
"Excuse me, looking , can I have a meal with this brother? Attached are photos of stockings and curly-waved legs."
"This husband of mine is acting weird; I suggest you come to Chuandu for me to check on you."
"You’re checking now?? Husband, let me check!!"
Looking at these messages, Chen Xi felt himself turning red-hot, baring his teeth as he looked at Su Tu.
But before he could speak, Su Tu had already anticipated what he was going to say.
He said, "Being handsome is undoubtedly impressive."
Su Tu opened his phone and found that video, being someone who doesn’t like trouble. If an ordinary person got famous, they might be very happy, but Su Tu’s mind was elsewhere, otherwise, with his Ancient Greek soft-food god-like looks, he would have started streaming to make money long ago.
So, he sent a private message to the creator asking them to take down the video; the person probably hadn’t seen it and hadn’t replied, and Su Tu wasn’t in a rush.
Just as he put down his phone, a ’bang’ was heard as the classroom door was kicked open.
A stocky teenager stormed in from outside, followed by seven or eight students, their school uniforms painted in colorful designs, each looking like street punks.
"You’re Su Tu, right!!" The leading teenager stormed toward Su Tu, carrying a bat.
"Yes, I’m Su Tu, is there anything I can help you with?" Su Tu asked calmly.
Hearing this, the teenager’s face twitched with anger, the corner of his mouth curling up: "Damn..."
He was about to curse Su Tu’s family, but before the filthy words could leave his mouth, suddenly he lost sight of Su Tu, seeing instead a...chandelier...
Then a sharp pain shot through his abdomen.
Su Tu, who had stood up at some point, kicked the teenager backward before he could speak inappropriately.
This was still done with restraint, otherwise, with his current strength, a full-force kick would have directly shattered the teenager’s internal organs.
"If you want to talk properly, before class starts, I’m willing to listen; but if you can’t speak properly, I don’t mind making sure you...can’t speak..."
Su Tu’s voice remained calm, but in the ears of those there, it seemed like the murmurs of a demon..
His dark eyes inadvertently swept over the crowd, chilling them to the bone like a cold wind, the students who had previously posed rebelliously.. now silent like cicadas in the cold..