Chapter 264: Ambition of the Bright Ghost (Part 3)

Chapter 264: The Aspirations of the Bright Ghost (Part Three)

The sun gradually sets, and the night curtain rises.

A red-eyed crow glided through the faint moonlight, its sharp beak clutching an injector as long as a palm, gently alighting on Li Jun's shoulder.

"You little rascal, you were already prepared for this?"

Li Jun chuckled bitterly, glancing down at the injector in his palm.

"Is this the thing you've been researching? Mimetic Martial Arts?"

"Not Mimetic Martial Arts—it's a new creation I developed with Duo Duo. It functions similarly to a martial arts injector, but it contains a special elixir designed to awaken the Bright Ghost Aspirations."

"Bright Ghost Aspirations."

Li Jun lifted the injector to eye level, its translucent chamber swirling with inky black liquid.

"Actually, during my research on Mimetic Martial Arts, I've been pondering the nature of martial abilities—whether they're innate in our genes or bestowed through injectors."

"Through my exchanges with Duo Duo, we concluded that all martial genes have always existed within the human body, but most remain dormant. Only a small fraction, more active and easily awakened, are termed 'Sequence Initiates.'"

"Before the 'First Imperial Tide,' martial practitioners awakened these genes through rigorous training. The martial arts injector emerged as a shortcut, bypassing the need for cultivation by directly activating the body's martial genes."

Zhao Qingxia's voice grew increasingly fervent, "We even believe this principle applies across all sequences. For millennia before the empire's founding, predecessors inscribed the abilities of sequences into genes through generations. When enough accumulated, the advent of mechanical prosthetics finally triggered a qualitative leap, forming the present Three Teachings and Nine Schools."

Li Jun furrowed his brow, struggling to keep pace with Zhao Qingxia's words.

"So you're saying this can awaken genes beyond my martial sequence?"

"Provided nothing goes awry, yes."

Li Jun's lips parted slightly, his inner turmoil far more intense than his expression suggested.

Unbidden, a vision flashed in his mind: himself astride a flying sword, a Buddha wheel hovering above, his right hand gripping the Xiu Chun Blade, his left clutching the Great Ming Code, his muscular frame clad in Mo Sequence armor, a mechanical heart thundering in his chest, and the Yin-Yang family's abacus constantly calculating behind him.

Though it might seem odd, there was no doubt—it was overwhelmingly formidable!

Listening to Li Jun's labored breathing through the transmission, Zhao Qingxia seemed to sense these impractical notions and sighed helplessly, "It won't be that dramatic. The barriers between sequences are far more insurmountable than we imagine."

"Though these abilities are etched into genes, some are active, others deadened during evolution, nearly becoming vestigial genes."

"Take a scholar whose ancestors for eighteen generations were all literati—attempting the martial path would not only trigger his body's rejection but also provoke the dominant Confucian genes within him. In such a case, even forcibly awakening martial genes would only yield a muscle-bound brute reciting the Analects."

"After the spread of brain-machine interfaces and mechanical prosthetics, the barriers between sequences became even more formidable. At minimum, major sequences require some correlation to enable cross-sequence awakening."

"Like the martial and military sequences, or the Dao and Yin-Yang sequences. And as sequence ranks rise, the dominant gene's suppression of others grows stronger, making cross-sequence awakening increasingly difficult."

"Brother Jun, you're currently at Martial Six. Awakening genes related to Dao cultivation or Buddhist chanting would likely trigger genetic upheaval, plunging you into collapse."

This bucket of cold water doused Li Jun's impractical fantasies entirely.

"Is there a correlation between the martial and Mo sequences?"

"The Mo Sequence originated as a wandering knight, though its achievements in invention and craftsmanship surpassed others. For a long time before the 'Division of Martial Arts,' the Mo and martial sequences remained closely intertwined, with frequent genetic exchanges. Their correlation is slightly higher than other sequences."

"Do you have confidence in this?!"

Tired of the vague explanations, Li Jun cut straight to the heart of the matter.

"That... I'm not sure yet."

Zhao Qingxia's fervent tone finally cooled.

Li Jun's brow arched, "So you're planning to use me as a test subject?"

At that moment, Duo Duo's voice interjected.

The girl spoke with certainty, "Though this elixir hasn't undergone clinical trials, it won't harm your original body, Brother. At worst, you'll just have a stomach ache. No other issues."

For no reason, Li Jun suddenly recalled the days in the Crow Clinic on Gui Street in Chengdu, where Duo Duo had dissected her own body with the same fervent expression.

What is this? Are you research partners? Have I become your pet lab rat?

How infuriating!

"Duo Duo, are you certain there's no problem? Though I'm robust, this injection might not kill me, but I'm your brother, your only kin."

Li Jun eyed the ink-black elixir in the injector, finding it increasingly dubious.

Duo Duo reassured, "Rest assured, Brother. I've already tested it on Zhao Qingxia. Though it had no effect on the same sequence, there were no adverse reactions either."

"What the hell? No wonder I was having diarrhea those days, nearly lost my sequence. You injected me with this?!"

"Slap!"

A crisp slap echoed in their ears.

Ma Wang Ye sighed with sympathy, while Li Jun felt a mix of relief and satisfaction.

With Zhao Qingxia having paved the way, Li Jun saw no need to hesitate further.

Pfft!

The elixir entered his body without the emotional surge of martial injection or the searing pain of genetic conflict.

Everything unfolded as naturally as a gentle breeze.

[Bright Ghost Aspirations (Eight-Grade Skill Strike) learned. Eight-Grade Initial Stage 0/200]

Due to Zhao Qingxia's sequence, his skill grade was only Eight-Grade, and the mastery points required for advancement doubled! Yet this didn't hinder Li Jun from truly acquiring this ability!

"Zhao Qingxia, I have a question."

Li Jun suddenly rose, "If I capture a Mo Sequence Six, could you distill Six-Grade Bright Ghost Aspirations? Could you mass-produce them?"

"My current sequence is too low to achieve that, but theoretically, it should be possible. Though mass production might be a bit cruel—this requires extracting bone marrow, and it's painful."

Zhao Qingxia's voice carried deep lingering fear.

The sky darkened, and the sea wind cut like knives.

Li Jun's eyes turned cold, and a sudden thought struck him: Zhao Qingxia's technique had likely been researched by the Mo Sequence long ago and already spread throughout the empire!

Between vague glimpses, he seemed to glimpse a buried secret from history, slowly unfurling before him.

Against a crimson backdrop, countless desperate, gravely wounded martial initiates, one after another, approached operating tables, pleading with Mo Sequence artisans—once comrades-in-arms—to use their decades of cultivated genes as blueprints, crafting injectors stained with mottled blood.

These injectors, originally intended to revitalize the martial sequence, were taken by survivors to their sects, while others flowed into the underground black market.

This bloody technology, due to its exorbitant profits, transformed from a revitalization opportunity into a blood-debt cage.

Li Jun suddenly remembered a phrase Gu Yong had once said during his time at Shudao Logistics: "The northern great gate lords love to breed martial sequence initiates."

"The reason martial arts never die out—it turns out there's this bone-sucking, marrow-extracting layer to it!"

This is a conspiracy!