Accidentally invincible!

"Go!"

"Quickly return and report the situation here."

The inspectors were terrified. They scrambled to their feet and ran off, without even a trace of hesitation. For them, escaping this place was the only real option.

"Thank you, Ancestor, for your assistance," the Old Sword God knelt down deeply once again in gratitude.

Lin Fan said, "No need for such formalities. Since I've erected this Stele here, I only hope that you all can continue walking the path of Martial Arts. I will keep watching over you from afar. In the meantime, focus on comprehending the Martial Arts legacy inscribed on the Stele."

As soon as he finished speaking,

he disappeared from where he stood.

In that moment, an inexplicable sensation descended upon him.

It wasn't as if some mysterious power had taken notice of him, but rather a gaze from the heavens themselves. The Heavenly Dao is impartial; since Martial Arts exists, it must be something accessible for all under the heavens to learn.

In Immortal cultivation, great merit is emphasized.

By spreading the Martial Arts legacy and offering future generations the opportunity to cultivate it, he had performed an act of immense merit—a merit so great that its descent was inevitable.

However, as he appeared in the distance,

a mysterious golden light, profound and unfathomable, cascaded down from the heavens and enveloped him.

He checked his own status.

[Name: Lin Fan]

[Spirit Root: Ninth Grade Metal Spirit Root, First Grade Thunder Spirit Root, Eighth Grade Earth Spirit Root, Ninth Grade Water Spirit Root, Ninth Grade Fire Spirit Root, Eighth Grade Demon Spirit Root]

[Immortal Cultivation Realm: Ninth Layer of Eternal True Immortal Realm]

[Mana: 161,298]

[Martial Arts Realm: First Layer of Immortal Martial Realm]

[True Yuan: 1,187]

[Cultivation Techniques: ...]

[Innate Divine Abilities: ...]

[Skills: Artifact Refining Technique (Small Mastery), Array Formation (Great Mastery), Corpse Refining (Great Mastery)]

[Items: ...]

Because he had inherited the Martial Arts legacy, his Martial Arts Realm underwent a dramatic shift. Previously, he had over a thousand years worth of inner strength. Now, it had transformed into True Yuan, and astonishingly, it hadn't diminished over all these years.

This was indeed peculiar.

Yet he discerned the root of the issue.

Martial Arts was no easier than Immortal cultivation.

To still remain in the First Layer of Martial Arts after having a thousand years' worth of True Yuan demonstrated that breaking through to a higher realm would require an immense amount of True Yuan—immensely difficult and challenging.

As for those contemplating the continuation of the Martial Arts path,

trying to step into higher realms would likely take an extremely long time.

"Strange. Logically, the Heavenly Dao is impartial. It should understand that this Martial Arts legacy isn't mine. Even if I was the one who passed it along, I'm only a medium for its dissemination."

"The vast majority of the merit should have been bestowed on Yuan Gu, the child king of the Source Tribe."

"It absolutely should not fall upon me."

Lin Fan furrowed his brow, delving deep into thought.

The immense merit he received didn't feel like something he deserved, unless...

He shook his head at the thought.

Impossible.

The Source Tribe lived in desolation for so long; how could they possibly be discovered? If someone were to truly annihilate them, it's unlikely he would have encountered them in the first place.

But...

A troubling notion crept into his mind. The unpredictability of fate suggested that, by sheer chance, his appearance at the Source Tribe could have marked the end of the tribe's safety.

There was a chance they could be discovered by some mysterious power.

He strongly desired to return to the Source Tribe to check the situation.

But the pathway leading there had already disappeared.

He couldn't find a way to get back there.

Even traveling across the lands would take 30 years.

Which, of course, was impossible. He could only hope the Source Tribe remained unharmed.

At this time,

he used the merit to elevate his Immortal Martial Realm.

To advance in the Immortal Martial Realm, one could absorb others' True Yuan, but at the moment, who could he possibly "burst" for their True Yuan?

There was no one to "burst."

He could only rely on self-cultivation.

Instantly,

his merit transformed into boundless True Yuan, surging into his body and further elevating his Immortal Martial Realm.

In the distance,

the group contemplating the Stele felt an awe-inspiring power emanating from afar, each wearing an expression of aspiration.

That was the strength of the Martial Arts Ancestor.

They all dreamed of becoming someone like the Martial Arts Ancestor, though they had no idea how long or how hard they would need to strive for such a level.

While the crowd marveled,

suddenly within their ranks, a sharp and overwhelming Sword Intent pierced straight into the sky.

The Old Sword God, sitting cross-legged, locked his gaze on the Stele, seemingly entering an indescribable and mystical state.

"Hahahaha..."

"I've realized it. This old man has finally realized it!"

From the Stele, he had comprehended the essence of Sword Dao, taking swordsmanship as the foundation to ascend to the zenith of the Martial Arts path. His inner strength underwent a transformation, converting into True Yuan.

"The Old Sword God is indeed the Old Sword God. To comprehend it in such a short time is incredible."

"Indeed. It seems we'll have to work even harder. I felt like I was on the verge of understanding something profound, but I just couldn't quite grasp it..."

"The Martial Arts Stele is here, so we can take our time to comprehend it. The Immortal Sect Envoys wanted to take the Stele away, but with the Martial Arts Ancestor protecting us, what's there to fear?"

A group of Martial Artists brimmed with hope for the future.

Even if they hadn't yet gleaned the Martial Arts essence from the Stele, they felt no impatience.

Subsequently,

another senior Martial Artist experienced an astounding transformation in their aura.

Although they were older in years,

their Martial Arts talent was exceptional. Had they not faced a dead-end before, they likely would have already reached higher realms. Now,

with the Martial Arts Stele, such talents had no trouble comprehending the next steps of Martial Arts.

Lin Fan, using merit to convert it into Martial Arts cultivation, was exceptionally pleased.

He had also observed many Martial Artists undergoing transformations.

"Such geniuses."

"Just as Immortal cultivation boasts prodigies, Martial Artists also have countless talents."

He felt as if he were witnessing the dawn of a grand era.

There was no doubt in his mind—

one day, Martial Arts would become the path tread by all.

Of course,

this would surely bring profound tremors to the Immortal Sects, potentially redefining how they selected disciples.

But to him,

these matters held no relevance.

Days later,

in the Inspection Office.

Liu Hu furrowed his brow deeply, solemnly staring at his underling before him.

He hadn't expected such a development.

"Sir, that's the situation. The Martial Arts Stele is standing tall on Taihang Mountain. Even Immortal Sect envoys were no match for the one protecting it. They were directly suppressed, and the protector left a message—Martial Arts is his legacy, and anyone daring to interfere will face death."

"Currently, at least tens of thousands of Martial Artists are gathering at Taihang Mountain,"

"and that number is sure to keep rising over time."

"Once the word spreads, it will truly be unstoppable."

Liu Hu, listening to the report from his subordinate, deeply knitted his brows.

He waved his hand, dismissing his men for now.

For the time being, all he could do was escalate the matter to the Immortal Sects to let them make the decision.

As the news spread,

an increasing number of people learned that Taihang Mountain held the continuation of Martial Arts.

Some came from great distances, undeterred by the journey.

For that reason, Taihang Mountain quickly became overwhelmed with people over this period. Numerous Martial Artists surrounded the Stele, silently contemplating it. Even if they couldn't grasp anything in the short term,

for them,

just knowing that the hope existed was enough to make everything bearable.

For the great Martial Arts Ancestor who passed down this Martial Arts legacy, they were deeply grateful. In fact, many Martial Artists were beginning to genuinely venerate Lin Fan as the Martial Arts Ancestor.

The significance was extraordinary.

Lin Fan didn't leave Taihang Mountain. Instead, he continued to guard it, determined that, at least until the Martial Artists had grasped the path from the Stele, he wouldn't leave.

Moreover,

he knew some things were unavoidable.

It was inevitable that the Immortal Sects would learn of this.

And they would never allow it to develop unchecked.

In the Xuankong Immortal Sect,

an elder responsible for liaising with the mortal Inspection Office rushed toward the Teaching Hall with a grave expression.

At this moment,

in the hall,

the Sect Leader was discussing the sect's future direction with the gathered elders.

"Sect Leader, a situation has arisen in the mortal world." The elder responsible for monitoring the mortal world entered the hall, his expression severe.

The Sect Leader asked with a hint of confusion, "What matter has you in such a panic?"

The elder reported, "I've just received word from the Inspection Office. Someone from the Immortal Sect has erected a Martial Arts Stele in the mortal world and has passed down the legacy of Martial Arts. The continuation of Martial Arts has been discovered, and many Martial Artists have already found the way forward and broken through on the spot."

The Sect Leader was stunned, momentarily unable to respond.

It was as if he were lost in thought,

perhaps pondering the implications.

To him, Martial Arts was a trivial matter, something not even worth considering. After all, in the Sect Leader's eyes, Martial Arts was nothing more than a joke.

But moments later,

he came back to his senses, exclaiming in shock, "What did you say? The continuation of Martial Arts?"

"That's correct. The continuation of Martial Arts. In the future, even those without Spirit Roots will be able to reach the Martial Arts to God realm simply by continuing to cultivate Martial Arts. They'll be able to rival us, the Immortal Sects." The elder had already grasped the gravity of the situation.

What did this mean?

The meaning was clear:

It meant that as long as one continued cultivating, even if they didn't join the Immortal Sect, they could still rival the sects in strength.

By that time,

the Immortal Sects would no longer hold their former dominance.

Even mortals with Spirit Roots might no longer choose to join Immortal Sects but instead opt for Martial Arts.

Meanwhile, mortals without Spirit Roots would only have the choice of Martial Arts, meaning that over time, as the advantages shifted, the dominance of the Immortal Sects would diminish significantly.

The surrounding elders exchanged uneasy glances.

Clearly, the news they had just heard sounded like a pipe dream to them.

Martial Arts?

How could it be?

The Sect Leader asked, "Who passed it down?"

The elder replied, "Sect Leader, according to the reports, it's the Taiwu Immortal Sect disciple, Lin Fan, who passed down the Martial Arts. He erected the Stele on Taihang Mountain for all Martial Artists to cultivate. He even proclaimed that anyone who dares to obstruct him will face death."

"Lin Fan..." The Sect Leader's eyes widened. How could it be him?

He naturally remembered that Lin Fan had once saved his life.

But that wasn't the point.

The point was that Lin Fan's personal strength was overwhelmingly powerful. Attempting to obstruct his transmission of Martial Arts as an individual was clearly an impossible task.

"Are you certain it's Lin Fan of the Taiwu Immortal Sect?" The Sect Leader pressed for confirmation.

It wasn't that he didn't believe it;

he simply wanted to make sure.

The elder responded, "Without a shadow of a doubt, Sect Leader. He claimed it himself."

For the Sect Leader, regardless of Lin Fan having saved his life, this couldn't be allowed.

It couldn't be allowed, no matter what.

He left the Xuankong Immortal Sect and went straight to the Taiwu Immortal Sect to confront Bai Qiu directly,

to see if the sect leader there was aware of this matter,

and to gauge their stance.

After all, this matter was initiated by a disciple of the Taiwu Immortal Sect. It naturally came with responsibilities.

And this news wasn't confined just to the Xuankong Immortal Sect's Sect Leader.

The other sects had also begun receiving word of this incident.

Of course,

their initial reactions all shared the same thought:

This was impossible.

PS: There's so much going on in 2020; my head's spinning.