"Who the heck is the God Fist?" Deion asked as he listened to the conversation between Bruce and Headmaster Steven.
"The God Fist used to be a powerful figure that existed in this continent million of years ago" Headmaster Steven began to explain the legends.
"The Imperial Academy has a much deeper background than you guys can imagine"
"In the library, there exist records of the God Fist, but the records are only available to a selected few of every generation"
"As the name implies, the God Fist was an unarmed cultivator who dominated the continent with just his fist"
"Unlike Bruce, who relies on his elemental affinities, speed, and power, the God Fist relies heavily on his fighting techniques"
Headmaster Steven teleported both of them out of the Imperial Academy. He took them to a nearby city where mortals were conducting their businesses.
"Take a look below and do you see any powerful cultivator down there" Headmaster Steven pointed at the city square.
"There are a few Soul Manifestation and Divine Kings in the town" Bruce replied.
"What if I told you that a mortal could defeat one of those cultivators if he or she had the skills of the God Fist?" Headmaster Steven asked.
"Impossible!" Both Bruce and Deion answered.
"What about winning one round out of 100 rounds?" Headmaster Steven smiled.
"It still should be impossible because the gaps between both are too large" Bruce shook his head.
"And that is why the God Fist is known as a legend" Headmaster Bruce brought the two back to the Imperial Academy.
"By knowing your limits and mastering your techniques to the pinnacle, you can create opportunities against a much stronger opponent to win the fight"
"You both should not only rely on your powers and bloodlines to win a fight. There are plenty of others who are more powerful than you two"
"I know that you both will surpass me one day, but I want you both to realize that there's much more to this world than bloodlines and natural talents."
"You should never underestimate someone who is weaker than you. Likewise, you should never be complacent with your techniques" Headmaster Steven ended the lecture.
Both Bruce and Deion fell into deep contemplation as they digested the words of Headmaster Steven.
"Contrary to what your teacher said earlier, the Imperial Academy cannot protect both of you forever."
"Both of you need to get much stronger to defend yourselves against any threat"
"Thank you for the lesson, Master Steven" Both Bruce and Deion bowed to Steven. They both thought that Steven was weaker than their teacher but turned out, Steven was much wiser.
Headmaster Steven smiled lightly and left the boys to their own.
"Deion, I'm going to go to the Imperial Academy" Bruce said.
"I figured as much. I'm coming with you" Deion replied with great enthusiasm.
"Weird, you've never shown any interest in the Imperial Library before"
"I want to learn more about this God Fist" Deion chuckled as this was out of character for him.
"Alright, let's head out"
The two made their way to the Imperial Library. The librarian stopped them from going to the highest floor until Bruce showed his token to the librarian. Afterward, they were allowed to enter the highest floor of the Imperial Academy
"It's right here" Bruce pointed to a book covered by dust.
"Looks like no one ever touched this book for a long time" Deion commented.
"I mean it's right next to top-ranked cultivation manuals. Why would anyone read this?" Bruce found it weird for this book to be located on the highest floor.
Bruce opened the book and read the first page which contained the author's introduction to the book.
'This book is titled, The Way of the World because the world that we live in is structured in a certain way. If you master the way of the world, then you will be able to master yourself'
'How mysterious, shouldn't it be the other way around? If you master yourself then you can master the world' Bruce frowned.
'There are many beings in this world. Dragons gravitate toward the sky while tigers gravitate toward the mountain. Every living being is born for a reason. They all fulfill their respective roles in the world. Likewise, all cultivators are born for a reason.'
'To master the world, you must know how the world works and most importantly, what is your role in the world. Those who don't fulfill their intended purposes in the world are doomed to fail. Those who live up to their potential and fulfill their roles in the world are bound to prosper.'
As Bruce read through the book, he did not find any cultivation method or technique created by the God Fist. Instead, he found the book to be much more philosophical which greatly intrigued him. After one hour, Deion got bored with the book and decided to look at other cultivation manuals on the floor. Meanwhile, Bruce kept reading through the book.
'Is the way the world works correct or is it incorrect? Who knows. But I do know to achieve the pinnacle of this world, one needs to understand the way of the world'
'Dragons can create the strongest fire known to the world using only their bellies. How come a human can't do that? Why can't we change our body to be like that of the dragon to create the strongest fire?'
'Some beings in the world have connections with various gods. How come this is the case? Why can't regular humans have connections with the gods and use their powers? Why are the weak and strong determined the moment they are born? Why can't we change the way of the world?'
'To master the way of the world, you must be self-aware of your own limitations and talents. You should hone your talents to the utmost limits and remove your limitations. Only then can you break through the shackles of this world.'
'What does he mean by breaking through the shackles of this world?' Bruce stared intently at that phrase and began to guess the author's intention.
He finished reading the book, but still couldn't figure out the intention of the author when he mentioned breaking through the shackles of the world. After a few more moments, an epiphany came to his head.
'So that's how it is. To reach the pinnacle of the world, you must understand the way of the world. However, you will forever be stuck at the pinnacle and be shackled by the world because you follow the world's order. To conquer the world, you must escape the natural shackles by breaking the way of the world'
Bruce stood still as he had gained enlightenment from the book. Many students and faculties have read the book throughout the history of the Imperial Academy, but none managed to understand the message of the book.
Deion saw something bright flashing behind him, so he turned around. He saw that the book began to glow in Bruce's hand.
"Bruce, what is happening?" Deion touched Bruce's shoulder, but he still didn't move.
At that moment, Bruce entered enlightenment and the book began to transmit knowledge to his mind. Bruce stood still in his mind as he digested the new information flooding endlessly into his head.
'The Art of Heavenly Beasts
'1st Art: Dragon Ascend – Your body becomes as powerful as the dragons and your attacks will be as ferocious as those of dragons.
2nd art: Tortoise Stance – Your defense becomes impenetrable as that of the Tortoise. You will become an immovable force.
3rd art: Vermillion Fusion – Your soul and body combine into one. Nothing will escape your eyes as you rule the world.
4th art: Tiger Descent – Your speed increases tremendously to match that of the tiger. Even the heavens cannot catch you.
5th art: World Breaker – This technique goes against the natural laws and allows you to become a force that's capable of contending against the world.'
Bruce was amazed by all the techniques he had just learned. Every single one of the techniques was so advanced that each one of them must be at least at the Worldly Supreme level. His teacher had shown him techniques at the Great Emperor level, but none of those techniques could even compare to the ones he had just learned.
'Wait… don't tell me that the secret to breaking through to Worldly Supreme is by ruling the world?' Bruce gasped.