Martial Ascent to Divinity

In the vastness of the cosmos, an ordinary Martial Saint still needs to simulate the movements of running to advance.

But now, with just a thought, all force is seamlessly converted into the power of starflight.

Zhou Leng keeps accelerating, and eventually, without using the Great Sun Divine Skill, his starflight speed exceeds Mach 40, far surpassing his speed on Earth.

This speed has already surpassed the second cosmic velocity, enabling him to break free from Blue Star’s gravity and roam the Solar System.

Any Martial Saint can "run" this far.

But only with special Divine Techniques can one truly "fly" here.

Zhou Leng continues to fly until he reaches Blue Star’s geosynchronous orbit more than 30,000 kilometers away, stops, sits cross-legged in the void, and begins his cultivation.

A vast amount of Star Power, far greater than on the ground, pours in and surrounds his entire body.

This brilliance is quickly observed by various nations on the ground.

Zhou Leng cultivates in the starry sky while major forces prepare for the Middle-Rank Demigod Ten Sovereigns Battle.

The Supreme Court and the Dragon Country Martial Saint Association have discussed holding a Martial Saint Conference in Rucheng.

The conference will be held when Zhou Leng returns.

A day and a night later, Zhou Leng slowly opens his eyes.

In the starry sky, he alternates practicing the Great Sun Divine Skill, Undying Star Body, and Star Phoenix Rejuvenation Technique.

The effects of all these techniques are far higher than on the ground.

Comparable to the effects under the Frost Giant Tree.

Especially the true energy of the stars, whose conversion efficiency greatly increases under the Stellar Traveler’s influence.

Although it’s not inexhaustible, it can already support several high-intensity battles.

The body’s power finally reaches a certain "absolute" limit.

Now he can clearly perceive that every aspect of himself has reached the level of the Three Sons of Ancient River.

In terms of Martial Arts Will, he might even slightly surpass them.

Zhou Leng opens his eyes, sits cross-legged in the starry sky, gazing at Earth, seemingly nostalgic.

After a while, he lets out a light sigh in the void and heads towards the ground.

Upon landing, he learns of the upcoming Martial Saint conference and looks for Zhu Shiji to head towards the meeting hall together.

As they near the meeting hall, a familiar Martial Saint approaches.

An Tianzhi, who had previously gone with Zhou Leng to the Dragon Elephant border, was unfortunately captured and seriously injured, ultimately rescued by Zhou Leng.

His face still looks somewhat pale, but overall he has recovered.

An Tianzhi walks up to Zhu Shiji and suddenly bows ninety degrees.

"Senior Shiji, I will never forget your life-saving grace."

Zhu Shiji quickly steps forward to support An Tianzhi, his face flashing an uncontrollable embarrassment, and asks, "Didn’t anyone tell you?"

"What?"

Zhu Shiji points at Zhou Leng and says, "At that time, it was him disguised as me fighting the Elephant Country Martial Saints and then saving you."

"Uh..." An Tianzhi looks at Zhou Leng, the Martial Saint’s mind unable to process, "Wasn’t he not yet a Martial Saint at that time..."

"He had already ascended, we just didn’t know. Recall his aura at that time carefully."

"But... even if he is a newly ascended Martial Saint, how could he have slaughtered three Elephant Country Martial Saints and exceeded lower-rank Martial Saints..."

"How do you think he earned his two Sovereigns’ Thrones?"

An Tianzhi looks dumbfounded at Zhou Leng, as the relevant information streams past his eyes.

He glances up at the Ascension Divinity Ladder and suddenly understands.

It wasn’t Zhu Shiji and Zhou Leng who failed to conceal it; they simply couldn’t hide it anymore.

A trace of shame appears on his face.

A堂堂 Martial Saint, actually deceived by various information and opinions.

But on second thought, he lets it go. No one is omniscient, and there are only a few truly clear-headed people in the world.

He looks at Zhou Leng’s young face, hesitates for a moment, and bows.

"Senior Zhou Leng, I will never forget your life-saving grace."

"Hmm?" Zhou Leng reaches out to help, confused by An Tianzhi’s addressing him as a senior.

An Tianzhi, seeing Zhou Leng’s expression, asks puzzled, "Aren’t you already ascended to the lower rank? I’m a newly ascended Martial Saint, naturally, I should call you senior."

"I... will ascend in a few days, not yet," Zhou Leng replies.

An Tianzhi looks towards Zhu Shiji.

"You haven’t ascended to a lower-rank Martial Saint yet?" The confusion in Zhu Shiji’s eyes is no less than An Tianzhi’s.

The cold creeps down An Tianzhi’s back.

A newly ascended Martial Saint surpassing ordinary lower-rank ones is understandable, but to overpower all lower-rank ones in the Ten Realms, only Saint Zhao has done so, and he was over forty at the time.

"I want to lay a solid foundation during my new Martial Saint phase," says Zhou Leng.

"Don’t end up punching a hole through Earth..." Zhu Shiji whispers, his gaze still clouded with confusion.

An Tianzhi says, "So, you’re saying, during your new Martial Saint phase, you took both the new and lower two Sovereigns’ Thrones, and when you ascend to the lower rank, wouldn’t you seize the middle rank Sovereign position?"

Zhou Leng shakes his head and replies, "At the middle rank, with Lin Yinghou there, I won’t compete for the new human Sovereign. After all, I already have... several new Sovereigns. Besides, ascending might take many days to complete, and there isn’t enough time. Even if there were, I couldn’t go to the Demon World and Beastman World; both are on guard against me now."

"That’s true," An Tianzhi acknowledges.

Zhu Shiji nods but suddenly says, "If there’s still time, there are ways."

The two turn in unison to this seemingly rustic old man.

"The Demon side won’t work; their demigods are too strong. But don’t forget, the worlds of the Beastmen and Steel Dwarves are connected. If time permits, let the Dwarf Demigods mobilize, withstanding the Beastman Demigods, you can fully escape."

"Seems like it could work. I’ll contact the Dwarf Demigods and see if they are interested." Zhou Leng gets to it immediately.

Zhu Shiji says, "As long as it harms the Beastmen, they’ll take action with full force. Furthermore, this is the beastmen’s weakest period, with many newly ascended and lower-rank demigods fallen."

Zhou Leng adds, "If they agree, tell them before I go in, to let them go to the Beastman Royal Court."

"Sounds good."

An Tianzhi looks blankly at Zhou Leng and Zhu Shiji.

As a Martial Saint, he’s seen it all, but he has never witnessed anything like this.

"Isn’t it a bit risky..." An Tianzhi comments.

"If the Dwarf Demigods dare to act, I dare to go," Zhou Leng replies.

"It’s been exposed anyway," says Zhu Shiji.

An Tianzhi, at a loss for words, doesn’t know if Zhou Leng revealing his strength is a good or bad thing for the Beastmen.

Zhou Leng sends a message to the Dwarf embassy and says, "Waiting for their response."

An Tianzhi adds, "If, just if, if you get the middle-rank Sovereign position, wouldn’t it be a bit too ostentatious?"

Zhu Shiji casually replies for Zhou Leng, "When you’ve got so many bugs, you’re not afraid of itching, and with debt, you’re not worried. It’s already exposed, one more time makes no difference. I’ll tell them to hurry the meeting, and once it’s over, quickly retreat to ascend. If there’s time, do it; if not, let the Beastmen count themselves lucky."

Zhou Leng and Zhu Shiji stride forward.

An Tianzhi stands dazed for a moment before catching up quickly.

He glances at Zhou Leng’s upright figure, then at his own shoulders.

Somehow, it seems Zhou Leng’s posture is even straighter.

He vaguely feels that Zhou Leng has merely exposed a fraction of a vast ocean.