Chapter 739: Martial Arts Takes Shape

At the moment the Profound Abyssal Rift closed completely, Xu Wuyi stood at the back of the crowd, looking at the newly healed space with a profound sense of relief washing over him.

It had been nearly a month from receiving the initial mission, to the series of fierce battles, and finally suppressing the charge of that mysterious Beast King. The entire process was far longer and much more difficult than he had anticipated, but the outcome was good.

The rift was closed, and those Star Beasts would never again pour out of that tear in space. The people in this region could return to their normal lives, and the Martial Artists stationed here could return to their respective homes to do what they needed to do.

Cheers continued to ring out. The technicians hugged each other, jumping and laughing, while the Martial Artists brandished their weapons and roared toward the sky. Even the usually composed Ren Bai had a relaxed smile on his face.

Shen Jin stood at the very front with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze falling upon that expanse of empty space. Then, he turned and walked toward Xu Wuyi.

“Where are you planning to go next?” Shen Jin asked, his voice hoarse but strong.

Xu Wuyi thought for a moment before replying, “I’ll go to Xingjing first to visit the research institute.”

Shen Jin nodded without pressing for details. He knew Xu Wuyi had only recently advanced to Grandmaster and still had many things to perfect. A place like the research institute was indeed the most suitable choice.

“Go ahead,” Shen Jin said. “Contact me anytime if you need anything.” He patted Xu Wuyi on the shoulder and turned to leave.

Xu Wuyi stood there, watching the cheering crowd for a while longer, before turning and heading toward the outpost. He needed to pack up and then leave this place.

Early the next morning, before the sun had even risen, Xu Wuyi departed from the Profound Abyssal Rift.

He left without disturbing anyone or saying any formal goodbyes; he simply gave a brief notice to Shen Jin and Ren Bai before boarding the special vehicle sent by the military and heading toward the nearest spaceport. The car drove through mountain roads shrouded in morning mist, passed sleeping towns, and traversed stretches of farmland and villages, finally arriving at the spaceport around eight in the morning.

A small military aircraft was already waiting on the tarmac.

Xu Wuyi boarded and took a window seat. Outside the porthole, spaceport staff were making their final pre-flight checks, and several ground service vehicles shuttled back and forth across the tarmac.

A few minutes later, the aircraft took off.

The scenery outside the window began to recede, and the buildings on the ground grew smaller and smaller until they became a blur of colors. After breaking through the cloud layer, the sunlight became exceptionally glaring, and the entire sky was a stretch of brilliant azure.

Xu Wuyi leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

The events of the past few days flashed through his mind scene by scene—the Tiger-shaped Beast King, the Ape-shaped Beast King, and finally, that High-tier Beast King that even Shen Jin didn’t recognize. Every battle and every clash on the level of rules had deepened his understanding of the Power of Order.

This was especially true of that final moment when he used the Power of Order to suppress the Beast King’s charge; he had clearly felt a sense of absolute control.

To render the opponent’s rules ineffective in the face of his own, to make their strength crumble before his power.

This was Order.

It wasn’t about destroying order, but redefining it. Within the area he suppressed, his will was the order, and his rules were the rules. Anything that entered that domain had to abide by the rules he established.

The reason that Beast King had been forced to reveal itself wasn’t that it wanted to come out, but because it realized that in the space suppressed by Xu Wuyi, its own rules could no longer function normally. If it didn’t come out, it would be trapped to death within that ever-shrinking rift.

This feeling was far more powerful than any application of rules he had used before, and it was also far more exhausting.

Xu Wuyi opened his eyes and looked out the porthole at the boundless sea of clouds.

In his sea of consciousness, the pale blue Heart of Order had recovered significantly, its rotation returning to a steady rhythm. He had gained a considerable amount of insight over the past few days, making a trip to the research institute perfectly timed to see if he could perfect his own Martial Arts.

The aircraft flew smoothly above the clouds, heading toward Xingjing.

By the time they arrived in Xingjing, it was already two in the afternoon.

The aircraft landed at the military spaceport in the eastern suburbs of Xingjing. As Xu Wuyi descended the boarding stairs, he immediately spotted Ye Guanlan waiting at the edge of the tarmac. The youngest top-tier researcher in the Federation stood with his hands clasped behind his back, wearing a gray institute uniform and a faint smile on his face.

“Grandmaster Xu, long time no see,” Ye Guanlan said, stepping forward with his hand outstretched.

Xu Wuyi shook his hand and said, “Senior Brother Ye, I’ll have to trouble you again this time.”

Ye Guanlan shook his head and laughed. “It’s no trouble at all. It’s our honor to have you at the research institute. Last time, when I helped you perfect the Golden Crow Burning Heart, I knew you’d be back sooner or later. I just didn’t expect that you’d have already advanced to Grandmaster by the time you returned.”

As he spoke, he looked Xu Wuyi up and down, a flash of admiration in his eyes. “A twenty-three-year-old Grandmaster—the youngest Grandmaster in the history of the Federation. Junior Brother Xu, your progress is even faster than I anticipated.”

Xu Wuyi shook his head. “It was just good luck.”

Ye Guanlan smiled and didn’t press the matter further. He turned to lead Xu Wuyi toward the parking lot, saying as they walked, “Your accommodation has already been arranged. It’s the same courtyard as last time. Rest up first, and we’ll officially begin tomorrow.”

Xu Wuyi nodded and followed him into the car.