Within the True Martial Dao Haven.
The voice of the furious master, Master Azure Green, echoed throughout.
The four young disciples standing aside looked pale and fearful.
Though Master Azure Green had always been strict, he had never been this angry, let alone scolded them.
Even when they couldn’t comprehend the Moon Infinity or the Sun Infinity techniques, he merely gave a few words of advice, always encouraging more than chastising.
"Zhang Shanfeng, you've been chosen by the True Martial Sword, a rare blessing indeed," Master Azure Green's voice was deep and steady.
"Even I don't feel confident in guiding you thoroughly, so I sent you to study the insights and reflections left by generations of Heavenly Masters on the stone walls."
"In those reflections, did anyone suggest mastering both Moon Infinity and Sun Infinity together?"
"Indeed, they did not," Lin Yuan nodded.
Within the collected wisdom of all the Heavenly Masters, each was focused solely on either Moon Infinity or Sun Infinity.
None had spoken of mastering both simultaneously.
The reason being, the Heavenly Masters of old, too, treaded only one path, whether it was Moon Infinity or Sun Infinity.
"If not, why did you act on your own accord?" Master Azure Green's gaze was filled with disappointment as he looked at Lin Yuan.
"Shanfeng, being acknowledged by the True Martial Sword, all you need is to follow the established path, whether it's picking Moon Infinity or Sun Infinity, it would take, at most, eighty years for you to become a Heavenly Master."
"You are the hope of our Heavenly Master Mansion, the hope of the world. We all have high expectations of you, yet what have you done?"
Emotions surged within Master Azure Green, including anger, incredulity, and heartache.
The young disciple Qingping beside him shivered, realizing Lin Yuan might have strayed on his cultivation path, the thought of which pained Master Azure Green more than if he himself had gone astray.
"Moon Infinity and Sun Infinity are two entirely opposing paths. By practicing both, you've already affected your foundation. Even if you realize something amiss in the future, do you think you can start anew?" Master Azure Green regretted deeply.
He should have informed Lin Yuan of this common knowledge at the very beginning of his training.
In truth, it was not really an oversight, since for most people, just stepping onto either Moon Infinity or Sun Infinity was a challenge.
It took a genius like the young disciple Qingping, who was qualified to step into the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm, nearly a year to make progress.
To try mastering the opposite path after entering one was an endeavor exponentially harder.
For this reason, Master Azure Green had never thought Lin Yuan would attempt to practice both Moon Infinity and Sun Infinity.
And with no precedent in the insights passed down by former Heavenly Masters, Master Azure Green couldn't comprehend how Lin Yuan managed to bring the two together.
"I know," Lin Yuan frowned slightly.
"But I believe that mastering both Moon Infinity and Sun Infinity is the correct path."
His Heaven-Defying Comprehension wouldn't deceive him.
Since he could comprehend both paths through it, the road ahead wouldn’t be a dead end.
"You believe?" Master Azure Green let out a disbelieving laugh.
Even ordinary folks know to learn from history.
Six thousand eight hundred years of the Heavenly Master Mansion’s history, thirty-six Heavenly Masters undefeated in the world, the path chosen for the disciples of the future, was lightly denied by Lin Yuan?
Perhaps, if one were to argue far enough, combining the Moon and Sun could indeed form a path grander than Moon Infinity and Sun Infinity alone.
However, the effort required, the sacrifices from countless generations, would be unimaginable.
Just like the third-generation Heavenly Master attempting to balance both Yin and Yang, only to explode and perish.
Sacrifices in exploring new paths were inevitable, even Heavenly Masters couldn’t escape that.
But Lin Yuan, who had been recognized by the True Martial Sword, had a surefire path to becoming a Heavenly Master, with no need to take such risks.
Better a bird in hand than two in the bush, why ignore the certainty of being a Heavenly Master to pursue a vague future?
“From today onwards, Shanfeng, you will stay by my side. I will use my True Qi daily to refine your body and minimize the impact of the Moon and Sun energies. In about ten years, your foundation will be remodeled, and you can begin your training anew,” Master Azure Green said after a long silence.
“Huh?” A rotund Daoist nearby looked at Master Azure Green in surprise.
Even for a peak Heavenly Phenomenon Realm expert, refining another with True Qi daily demanded a significant toll, let alone maintaining it for ten years.
Master Azure Green, willing to do so, would ruin himself, possibly dropping his cultivation and shortening his lifespan greatly.
“Senior Brother, you…” Daoist Pingyang, dressed in a tattered robe, sighed.
Master Azure Green, despite being stern, genuinely acted for the Heavenly Master Mansion’s benefit.
Lin Yuan, the first in five hundred years recognized by the True Martial Sword, even if astray, Master Azure Green wasn’t giving up, determined to bring him back.
“Master,” Lin Yuan glanced at Master Azure Green, shaking his head. “I still believe that balancing Moon and Sun isn’t a dead end. If Master forces this upon me, I’m afraid I’d lose interest in cultivation.”
Lin Yuan directly refused Master Azure Green’s offer.
Mainly because, if he permitted Master Azure Green to refine his body, Lin Yuan’s secrets would be exposed for sure.
Moreover, Lin Yuan didn’t think practicing both Moon and Sun was incorrect.
His Heaven-Defying Comprehension’s continuous feedback assured him this was a path greater than all before.
“Very well,” Master Azure Green shook his head. “This is your choice. Do not regret it in the future.” Though he was deeply unwilling, he couldn’t force Lin Yuan to do anything.
Cultivation is deeply personal, and with the True Martial Sword’s recognition, he couldn’t compel Lin Yuan.
Soon, Master Azure Green and the other three Heavenly Phenomenon experts left the True Martial Dao Haven.
Lin Yuan returned before the Heavenly Masters’ stone wall, contemplating deeply.
He wasn’t frightened by Master Azure Green’s words.
With only his consciousness present, even if his body in the Traversal World exploded from the dual practice, his true self in the Main World remained unharmed.
Simply put, Lin Yuan had countless chances to start over.
Besides, Lin Yuan didn’t believe he would follow the path of the third-generation Heavenly Master.
The third-generation Heavenly Master, being a master, forcibly introduced the power of the moon to merge with his existing solar power, which was cultivated over a century.
The imbalance caused by the abrupt addition of an ungrounded moon power naturally led to his demise. (End of chapter)