Chapter 291: Continuing to Practice Martial Arts

Chapter 291: Continuing Martial Training

On the high tower, Qi Yuan gazed at the sky, lost in thought.

If he were truly an ordinary Rebooted, perhaps—after killing Wang Wei and tasting the sweetness—he might have gone on to hunt down the other Rebooted.

"This paltry luck is less useful than a psychiatric certificate. I'd have to be gravely ill to go hunting other Rebooted."

As for the other Rebooted, in their past lives they were mostly ordinary people, lacking Qi Yuan's keen insight.

The fact that killing other Rebooted could steal their luck was unknown to those Rebooted.

Qi Yuan looked at Wang Wei's corpse, his expression disappointed. "What a loss—not even a bit of experience. I thought you were something special."

Murmuring, Qi Yuan walked toward the black-clad sniper's corpse and picked up the communicator.

...

Two hours later.

Qi Yuan looked at the spacious room, piled with various medicinal herbs and sea monsters, feeling a peculiar sense of satisfaction.

Beside him, Carnival seemed still shaken.

The events of the day had truly exceeded his expectations.

Moreover, during these two hours, all sorts of news had been coming in.

He had already learned who had ambushed Qi Yuan on the road—it was Black Crystal Count Zhao Renji.

Zhao Renji was an old-line noble; in the Qin-Cui War thirty years ago, his father had earned military merit.

Now the Zhao family was under Zhao Renji's stewardship.

In Tianyue City, the Zhao family was the undisputed overlord.

Even Carnival, a hereditary viscount, had to yield to the Black Crystal Count in Tianyue.

"Mr. Qi... should we leave Tianyue first?" Carnival asked tentatively.

This was the Black Crystal Count's territory; if the count was determined to keep Qi Yuan here, he could not rescue him.

With the few mercenaries he had, he was no match for the Black Crystal Count.

Once he brought Qi Yuan back to Xinyang, he was confident he could protect him.

"Why should I leave?" Qi Yuan shook his head. "When I killed, no one saw me, and I was especially careful.

No witnesses, no physical evidence—how would the police find me?"

Carnival was silent for a moment, then said, "They arrest people without evidence."

Evidence was only discussed between parties of equal status.

Great nobles did not speak of evidence to lesser nobles, just as lesser nobles did not speak of evidence to commoners.

"No evidence? Then they must consider this, right?"

Qi Yuan took out the Universal Amulet.

With this item, he was very confident.

Carnival fell silent again.

Facing Qi Yuan, he felt he was unfathomable.

"The Black Crystal Count can not only deploy a squad of gene-soldiers but also use thermal weapons," Carnival insisted.

The gene-soldier squad went without saying; given the national power of Qinyuan, a full gene squad could even roll over an infantry battalion of some weaker nations.

Thermal weapons were even less something human strength could withstand.

Under thermal weapons, all beings are equal.

Even cultivators—what of them?

Some weapons on Archstar, borrowed from Canstar, experts had said, could slay gods.

"These weapons are indeed troublesome," Qi Yuan said honestly.

Even today's sniper rifle—given his current physical state, one shot would be fatal.

Let alone those thermal weapons.

Even he would find them difficult to deal with now.

"So, Mr. Qi, are you willing to come with me?" Carnival's eyes lit up.

That way his relationship with Qi Yuan would grow closer.

"Thermal weapons are troublesome, but people... are simple.

My enemies are not weapons, only some people."

There was a smile in Qi Yuan's eyes.

Archstar's technology was still underdeveloped.

There were too few protective measures against cultivators.

"Huh?" Carnival was stunned.

"You're lucky today. If we go to the Zhao residence tonight, you might still catch the funeral feast," Qi Yuan shrugged.

The thermal weapons controlled by the Zhao family could indeed cause trouble for Qi Yuan at his current level.

But the Zhao family... were just ordinary people.

Even if they had gene-soldier guards, so what?

Qi Yuan had played so many games, even killed two Yang Gods.

His methods were unfathomable; even a Yang God might not be able to guard against them, let alone a mortal.

When he got the communicator, Qi Yuan had called the person in charge there.

The one who answered was Zhao Renji.

On the phone, Qi Yuan demanded that Zhao Renji commit suicide to atone and apologize.

Naturally, Zhao Renji would not, and showed no remorse.

Since that was the case, Qi Yuan showed no mercy.

In myths and legends, hearing a demon's voice would lead to being bewitched and falling into the abyss.

Qi Yuan's true body was stronger than a demon.

His methods surpassed those of demons in myths.

With the communicator as a medium, Qi Yuan could infuse his voice with illusion spells or other techniques, easily ensnaring Zhao Renji.

Zhao Renji would never be on guard; he hadn't taken Qi Yuan's words to heart.

After all, he probably never imagined that someone could actually kill through a phone call.

Meanwhile, in the Zhao manor.

Zhao Renji's expression was excited, a hint of killing intent in his eyes. He looked at Zhao Shiqi and said slowly, "Just a commoner—I can kill him whenever I want."

“He is not a base-born man—he is the orphan of a martyr!” Zhao Shiqi’s voice was thick with displeasure.

Zhao Shiqi had always served in the military, loving his soldiers as if they were his own sons.

At Zhao Renji’s words, he refuted without a second thought.

“Hmph, a pack of muddy-legged peasants. If I wish to elevate them, they are glory; if I do not, they are nothing but a mob of potential thugs, unstable elements.” Zhao Renji looked at Zhao Shiqi, his voice suddenly turning icy. “This time… did you meddle?”

As for Qi Yuan, Zhao Renji paid him no heed.

Merely an ordinary man.

What concerned him most was whether Zhao Shiqi had a hand in Qi Yuan’s breaking of the deadlock.

He had always been wary of this younger brother.

“I…” Zhao Shiqi looked at Zhao Renji, his heart seething with indignation. He could naturally see his elder brother’s thoughts, and his disappointment deepened.

At a time like this, his brother still thought only of power and profit.

“I wish I had taken part!” Zhao Shiqi met his brother’s eyes directly. “Since he survived this time, Brother… I do not wish to see you lay a hand on him again!”

A mocking gleam appeared in Zhao Renji’s eyes. “I have no desire to move against him, yet he will not let me go.

Just now, he threatened me over the phone—demanded I take my own life in atonement!

Heh… such a bold young man, I have never encountered one like him.

To resolve this matter is simple: you… bring him here in person, to offer me an apology.

If his attitude is sincere, perhaps I will spare his life!”

Zhao Shiqi’s heart tightened; disappointment and fury swelled to their peak in that moment.

He lowered his head and said nothing.

In his ears, Zhao Renji’s cold voice came.

“A noble is never wrong. Even if wrong, he cannot admit it—he must persist in error to the end. Once the door is opened, will those base-born men think we are easy to bully, push further and further? In the long run, who will still fear us?”

For Zhao Renji, the face and authority of the nobility were paramount.

Compared to that, a human life was truly beneath mention.

Though the plan to kill Qi Yuan had many oddities, Zhao Renji cared not at all.

In this Tianyue City, he held sway over all.

Zhao Shiqi looked at his elder brother, silent.

What his brother said, their father had spoken many times.

“Bring Qi Yuan’s head here, and this matter ends. Otherwise… the subsidies for martyrs’ children in Tianyue City… tsk tsk…” Zhao Renji issued the threat outright.

Long accustomed to standing above, and with a firm grip on the lower strata, he felt emboldened and swollen with arrogance.

“Tsk tsk, you’re not dead yet?”

Suddenly, a ethereal voice reached Zhao Renji’s ears. “Who!”

He let out a sharp shout, his pupils shot through with bloodshot veins.

Zhao Shiqi was stunned, not knowing what had come over his brother.

The others outside the room exchanged bewildered glances, equally at a loss.

“Count, what is it?”

Someone asked.

But no sooner had the words been spoken than the questioner’s face changed drastically.

They saw the Count’s hand suddenly draw a gun, terror filling his eyes. His hand seemed beyond his control, and even bloody tears streamed from his eyes.

This sight froze everyone present.

Zhao Shiqi was dumbfounded, utterly unable to comprehend what was happening.

“I… self-execution… no… save… atone!”

Zhao Renji, as if possessed, before anyone could react, shot himself through the skull.

“Count!”

“Call a doctor!”

The room erupted into chaos.

Zhao Shiqi was stunned; the scene before him was too bizarre.

His elder brother… had suddenly drawn a gun and killed himself, his body seemingly not his own.

A creeping dread arose in his heart.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and an even deeper horror took root.

One day later.

In the room.

Qi Yuan performed another set of Mingwu Resonance Fist.

His clothes were now soaked with sweat, his spirit high, white vapor rising from his body.

“The blood of the mutated sea monster has indeed greatly improved me.”

After devouring the mutated sea monster’s blood, Qi Yuan cultivated the Mingwu Resonance Fist with greater efficiency and gained more progress.

The blood of the mutated sea monster seemed to enhance martial arts talent and raise the ceiling.

“Pity, the other ordinary sea monsters don’t seem to have this effect.”

Qi Yuan had also dealt with the remaining sea monsters, extracting the “essence blood” from their bodies.

Unfortunately, after consuming it, he found almost no improvement.

“This must be due to the bloodlines not being homologous.

The blood of these ordinary sea monsters might suit other martial artists.”

Though he had not been training in martial arts for long, Qi Yuan had already vaguely guessed that this path of martial arts followed the way of bloodline cultivation.

Of course, this was only what he had observed so far—not the whole picture.

“But I have the Devouring Origin Body. Drinking more blood… is a good thing. Perhaps I will fuse and create some bloodline of my own.”

Qi Yuan thought to himself.

In the Fanxin Realm, the Foodless Saint had ultimately transferred the terrifying constitution of the Devouring Origin Body to Qi Yuan.

He could devour these bloods and make them his own.

“Time to go to the martial hall to exchange for the later techniques.”

After devouring the mutated sea monster’s blood, his progress in the Mingwu Resonance Fist had been rapid.

In just one day, Qi Yuan had broken through to the third layer.

To obtain the subsequent techniques, he needed to go to the martial hall.

Anyway, the martial arts school was very lenient—they didn't require checking your cultivation level; as long as you paid, you could get the subsequent techniques.

It wasn't uncommon for someone like Qi Yuan, who had only joined the school a few days ago, to purchase advanced techniques.

There were plenty of wealthy people in this world.

As long as they didn't start a business or gamble, their money would never run out.

Soon, Qi Yuan changed his clothes and headed out.

The sun was blazing in the sky today, and the taxi sped along.

"Did something big happen? There are several times more drones in the sky than usual," the taxi driver grumbled, looking up at the drones.

"The more drones, the better—Tianyue's public security is terrible. Yesterday, someone even shot and killed a person in the street!"

"What? Where did that happen? I didn't know!" The taxi driver perked up with interest.

"Right on Lanxi Avenue."

"Probably those damned aristocrats again—only they have the guts to kill someone in broad daylight!" the taxi driver said bitterly, as if deeply dissatisfied with the state of the world.

Soon, the taxi stopped in front of Mingwu Martial Arts School.

As Qi Yuan stepped out, a robot approached with an electronic voice.

"Kongjing Smart Taxi, intelligent driving, electronic safety—welcome to our service."

The robot said this while handing a flyer to Qi Yuan.

Before Qi Yuan could take it, the taxi driver, who had gotten out to buy a drink, kicked the robot hard.

"Damn it, even a robot is stealing my job?"

The driver cursed, kicked the robot, and walked away.

Kongjing Smart Taxi was a new ride-hailing company in Qinyuan Country.

These cars not only had autonomous driving systems but also used robots as drivers, which had sparked opposition from many human drivers.

Of course... the opposition was useless.

Qi Yuan didn't feel much about it.

He entered Mingwu Martial Arts School, found the second senior brother, explained his purpose, and spent a large sum of money to exchange for all nine subsequent layers of the *Mingwu Resonance Fist* technique.

"I didn't expect you to have such resources.

All twelve layers of the *Mingwu Resonance Fist* are yours now.

If you can master it to perfection and join the Martial Arts Tournament, you might even make it into the top thirty." The second senior brother couldn't help picking his left nostril, his attitude toward Qi Yuan warming up.

After all, before this, Qi Yuan had seemed like just a hobbyist.

Now, having spent so much money, he was one of their own.

In ancient times, he would have been a true disciple.

"The Martial Arts Tournament qualifiers seem to be starting soon. When do we sign up? Can you add my name when the school registers?" Qi Yuan stated his purpose.

Registration for the Martial Arts Tournament was done under the name of the school or faction.

The tournament was about to begin, and Qi Yuan intended to win the championship and become the Human Dao Martial Lord.

"Only three months left—you're joining? With what you've learned so far, you'll probably be eliminated in the first round, barely making it into the city's top hundred," the second senior brother blinked, looking at Qi Yuan's handsome face, and continued, "Hmm... you're going for experience, right? That's fine. This time, we'll add your name to the school's registration. Remember to fill out the application form later."

The second senior brother naturally had no idea that Qi Yuan was aiming for the championship.

Qi Yuan couldn't be bothered to explain.

"Thanks for the trouble, second senior brother. I'm off to train."

Leaving the second senior brother, Qi Yuan went to the training room again.

Wang Shiqiao, with her high ponytail, saw Qi Yuan and immediately stood up to greet him: "I had my nose micro-adjusted again—can you tell it's been done now?"

Last time, Qi Yuan had pointed out that her nose wasn't original, and she had stormed off to the beauty clinic to cause a scene.

The doctor gave her a free micro-adjustment, and she felt it looked better than before, so she asked Qi Yuan again.

"Hmm... don't ask me that. I have good eyesight," Qi Yuan replied casually.

Wang Shiqiao was left speechless: "Damn it, I don't want this nose anymore!"

The other trainees around heard her and couldn't help laughing.

Qi Yuan paid no further attention and began to focus on practicing the *Mingwu Resonance Fist*.

He practiced for an entire hour.

During that time, the second senior brother came over with an application form for the Martial Arts Tournament and had Qi Yuan fill it out.

Under the astonished gazes of Wang Shiqiao and the others, Qi Yuan completed the form.

"You've got some nerve, kid—joining the tournament in your first year. Aren't you afraid of getting your bones broken?" Wang Shiqiao stretched her waist, her tight training outfit clinging to her body, revealing her curves, the cleft between her breasts firm.

Qi Yuan frowned: "Don't stretch your armpit toward me—the sweat smell is too strong."

"I've shaved all the hair there—where's the smell?

You... no wonder you're so handsome but still don't have a girlfriend!" Wang Shiqiao couldn't help complaining.

Who talks like that?

Qi Yuan didn't reply; instead, he moved to another spot to continue training.

Wang Shiqiao stomped her foot in frustration: "You can just spend your whole life with your right hand!"

(End of chapter)