The pitch-black night enveloped the little house.
Andrew Han stood in the exact center of the tidy rooftop, hands clasped behind his back, his thoughts surging as he couldn't help but gaze at the moon, silvery and delicate as flowing water.
The half-moon hung in the sky, resembling a silver hook.
"To extend life, is truly difficult."
"The ancients could not do it, nor can people today, but that does not mean there is no hope!" Andrew's clear gaze swept across the star-studded sky.
Today, there is no need to imitate the ancients.
Why measure oneself against others?
Andrew Han's clear, black-and-white eyes glimmered faintly. Only at this moment, after a year and a half of tempering and growth, did his path in life become truly clear to him.
"I do not compare myself to others. I am only myself."
"In my life dictionary, there is no such word as impossible."
In that moment of sudden clarity, it was as if he had attained true enlightenment.
This was the establishment of unwavering confidence—a recognition and appreciation of himself, a decisive courage to face fate head-on. As if daring to venture alone into dragon’s lair or tiger’s den, as if with a single palm he could overturn the heavens.
Just imagine—
If a person cannot even believe in themselves, who else could possibly believe in them?
With memories of his past life, Graywhite Aura, and the abundant martial resources provided by Miles Ning, Andrew Han had always struggled to recognize his true self, always believing he was merely lucky, unwilling to see himself as a Peerless Paragon.
But now—
Andrew’s heart was clear. Unnamed waves of emotion surged through his mind; his Inspiration shifted, his consciousness grew more direct—like the Milky Way washing through the heavens, cleansing his soul.
"Mm."
"If my intuition is correct, my Inspiration has fused with my will and conviction. And the force behind all this is the Berserker State—shattering Inspiration, breaking down and rebuilding." He gently closed his eyes, feeling as if the clouds had parted and the moon shone clear.
In the Martial Arts World, true enlightenment is extremely rare.
At least within the Three Martial Realms, if you want to advance, you must climb step by step, inch by inch. There’s no such absurdity as awakening to the Dao in the morning and becoming a powerhouse by night.
Sudden enlightenment is nothing more than a flash of insight in the heart.
Subjective emotions cannot change objective reality.
"But I am different."
"That’s right. My Inspiration has already surpassed the limits of what the Martial Arts World calls Inspiration. Even those titled third-step Martial Lords can only sense their surroundings and exert a faint suppression—but now, my Inspiration is beginning to show signs of substantialization."
Even at its current stage, my Inspiration is already terrifying.
If it truly becomes substantial, it will be utterly monstrous.
"However."
"Substantialization is akin to transcendence—a qualitative leap beyond mere accumulation. Right now, it’s still far off. I need to hurry and collect more Graywhite Aura." Andrew Han’s eyes flashed open.
Crack!
The air snapped crisply, like a burst of light and electricity before his eyes.
This was Inspiration manifesting at a certain threshold—a visible sign of Inspiration reaching its peak below the Law Realm. Even the top ten on the Titled Sequence would be hard-pressed to match it.
"Just a fleeting flash of brilliance, nothing more."
In recent days, he had absorbed untold amounts of Graywhite Aura at Purple Aconite Mountain, strengthening himself by the thousands—hence his current formidable Inspiration.
For this reason, he mused silently to himself: "The Graywhite Aura from the Purple Aconite Mountain Ancient Battlefield has fully merged into my body. Perhaps it’s time to seek out another ancient battlefield, or a place like it."
As for the true origin of Graywhite Aura, Andrew still didn’t know.
But as he grew day by day, he gradually formed a preliminary theory—Graywhite Aura is never determined by age alone.
That much must be understood.
He once naively guessed that antiques and relics possessed Graywhite Aura… but what truly determines its existence is the frequency and intensity of fate-shaping upheavals.
"This trip to the Imperial Capital is the perfect chance to see the Great Wall for myself."
"Ordinary people may not know this, but in the Martial Arts World, the Great Wall is legendary. It is ancient Sinovera’s most successful defensive structure against Demons and Specters—without equal. It must be saturated with vast amounts of Graywhite Aura."
At this thought, Andrew Han’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.
While pondering, he spread his jade-like palm and gently clenched his fist, as if grasping all the air within a hundred meters—the night wind stilled, and the currents ceased to flow.
"Can technique merge with technique?"
"If Cascade of Three Thousand Streams fused with Raging Downpour, what kind of phenomenon would emerge?"
As his Internal Power circulated, the air within a hundred meters grew thick with humidity, forming miniature clouds. Above them, a tiny whirlwind spun.
Under the night sky, atop the rooftop, a mysterious vision appeared.
Internal Power surged, the wind swirled, and the clouds churned and rolled.
Boom!
But in an instant, a thunderous sound erupted overhead, and the vision collapsed. Andrew didn’t pursue it further; instead, he turned toward the rooftop’s wooden door. After about half a minute, Monica Zhang appeared, rubbing her beautiful eyes.