High atop the building, Qi Yuan gazed at the sky, lost in thought.
If he were truly just an ordinary Resetter, perhaps... after tasting the sweetness of killing Wang Wei, he might have gone off to hunt down the other Resetters.
"This pathetic sliver of karmic fortune isn't even as useful as a psychiatric certificate. I'd have to be sick in the head to go hunt other Resetters."
As for the other Resetters, most had been mortals in their previous lives and lacked Qi Yuan's extraordinary perception.
They had no idea that hunting other Resetters could plunder their fortune.
Qi Yuan looked down at Wang Wei's corpse, a look of disappointment on his face. "What a rip-off. Not even a single experience point. And here I thought you were someone impressive."
Murmuring, Qi Yuan walked over to the corpse of the black-coated sniper and picked up the communicator.
...
Two hours later.
Standing in a spacious room filled with piles of various medicinal herbs and sea monsters, Qi Yuan felt a peculiar sense of satisfaction.
Beside him, Carnival still seemed shaken by lingering fear.
What had transpired today had completely exceeded his expectations.
Moreover, during these past two hours, various reports had been pouring in nonstop.
He already knew who had orchestrated the ambush on Qi Yuan: Count Black Crystal, Zhao Renji.
Zhao Renji belonged to an established aristocratic house. Thirty years ago, during the Qin-Cui War, Zhao Renji's father had distinguished himself with military exploits.
Today, Zhao Renji was the head of the Zhao family.
In Tianyue City, the Zhao family was an undisputed hegemon.
Even Carnival, an inherited viscount, had to yield before Count Black Crystal here in Tianyue City.
"Mr. Qi... should we leave Tianyue for now?" Carnival ventured tentatively.
This was Count Black Crystal's territory. If the count was determined to keep Qi Yuan here, Carnival would have no way to rescue him.
The handful of mercenaries at his disposal could not stand against Count Black Crystal at all.
Once he brought Qi Yuan back to Xinyang, however, he was confident he could ensure Qi Yuan's safety.
"Why should I leave?" Qi Yuan shook his head. "Nobody saw me kill anyone, and I was especially careful.
"There are no witnesses and no physical evidence. How could the police ever trace it to me?"
Hearing this, Carnival fell silent for a moment before replying, "They don't care about evidence when making arrests."
Evidence was something only spoken of between equals.
Great nobles did not care about evidence when dealing with lesser nobles, just as lesser nobles did not care about evidence when dealing with commoners.
"They don't care about evidence? Well, they have to care about this, don't they?"
Qi Yuan pulled out his universal protective talisman.
With this in hand, he was brimming with confidence.
Carnival lapsed into silence once more.
In Qi Yuan's presence, he felt an unfathomable depth.
"Count Black Crystal can mobilize not only a squad of gene soldiers, but also heavy firearms," Carnival pressed on.
There was no need to elaborate on the squad of gene soldiers. Given the military might of Qinyuan Kingdom, a standard gene squad could roll over an entire army battalion from weaker nations.
As for firearms, that was even less of something mortal strength could withstand.
Before firearms, all living beings were equal.
Even immortal cultivators were no exception.
Certain weapons on Arch Star had been developed using designs from Can Star. Experts had once claimed they could slaughter gods.
"Those weapons are indeed troublesome," Qi Yuan admitted honestly.
Take today's sniper rifle: in his body's current state, taking a single hit would mean certain death.
Not to mention even heavier weaponry.
At present, encountering them would be quite tricky for him as well.
"So Mr. Qi is willing to leave with me?" Carnival's eyes lit up.
If so, his relationship with Qi Yuan would grow even closer.
"Firearms are troublesome, but people... are very simple.
"My enemies aren't weapons, merely people."
A smile played across Qi Yuan's eyes.
Arch Star's technology was still insufficiently developed.
Its countermeasures against immortal cultivators were far too lacking.
"Huh?" Carnival froze.
"You're in luck today. If you go to the Zhao residence tonight, you might even catch a funeral banquet." Qi Yuan shrugged.
The firearms at the Zhao family's command could indeed pose a problem for the current Qi Yuan.
However, the Zhao family members... were merely ordinary mortals.
What did it matter if they were guarded by gene soldiers?
Qi Yuan had played through so many games and had even slain two Yang Gods.
His methods were unpredictable—even a Yang God could not necessarily guard against them, let alone mere mortals.
When he had picked up the communicator, Qi Yuan had placed a call to the mastermind on the other end.
The person who answered had been Zhao Renji.
Over the phone, Qi Yuan had demanded that Zhao Renji kill himself in atonement and make an apology.
Zhao Renji, naturally, would never agree, nor did he possess the slightest remorse.
Since that was the case, Qi Yuan showed no mercy.
In mythical legends, hearing the voice of a demon would bewitch a soul and cast them into the abyss.
Qi Yuan's true form was far stronger than any demon.
His methods surpassed even the demons of myth and legend.
With the communicator serving as a medium, Qi Yuan could weave illusory spells and other techniques into his voice, easily entrapping Zhao Renji.
Zhao Renji had possessed no guard whatsoever, nor had he taken Qi Yuan's words to heart.
After all, he would never have imagined that someone could actually kill through a telephone line.
***
Meanwhile, within the Zhao family manor.
Zhao Renji was flushed with excitement, a gleam of murderous intent in his eyes as he looked at Zhao Shiqi. "Just a worthless commoner. I kill them whenever I want."
"He isn't a commoner—he's the orphan of a martyr!" Zhao Shiqi retorted, his voice thick with indignation.
Zhao Shiqi had always served in the military and loved his soldiers like his own children.
He refuted Zhao Renji's words without a second thought.
"Hmph, just a bunch of country bumpkins. If I choose to praise them, they're heroes. If I don't, they're nothing more than potential rioters and volatile elements." Zhao Renji stared at Zhao Shiqi, his tone abruptly turning chillingly cold. "This time... did you intervene?"
Zhao Renji had never cared about Qi Yuan.
He was just an ordinary person.
What he cared about most was whether Zhao Shiqi had played a hand behind Qi Yuan's survival.
He had always been wary of this younger brother of his.
"I..." Zhao Shiqi looked at Zhao Renji with indignation. He could clearly see his elder brother's thoughts, which only deepened his disappointment.
Even now, all his elder brother thought about was vying for power and profit.
"I wish I had!" Zhao Shiqi looked straight into his brother's eyes. "Now that he survived, Brother... I don't want to see you make another move against him!"
A mocking look flashed in Zhao Renji's eyes. "I didn't plan on making a move against him, but he won't let me off.
"Just a moment ago, he threatened me over the phone to kill myself in atonement!
"Heh... This is the first time I've ever met a young man with such guts.
"Resolving this is simple. You... bring him here yourself to apologize to me.
"If his attitude is sincere enough, perhaps I might spare his life!"
Zhao Shiqi's heart clenched. At this moment, his feelings of disappointment and fury reached their peak.
He lowered his head and said nothing.
Beside his ear, Zhao Renji's callous voice rang out once more.
"Aristocrats are never wrong. Even if we are wrong, we cannot admit it. We must carry the error through to the very end. Once a precedent is set, won't those commoners think we're easy to bully and push their luck? In the long run, who would still fear us?"
To Zhao Renji, an aristocrat's face and authority were paramount.
Compared to that, a single human life was not worth mentioning.
Although there were many bizarre aspects to the failed assassination of Qi Yuan, Zhao Renji did not care in the slightest.
In Tianyue City, his word was law.
Zhao Shiqi looked at his elder brother in silence.
Their father had repeated those exact words countless times.
"Bring Qi Yuan's head here, and this matter will be settled. Otherwise... the subsidies for the children of Tianyue City's martyrs... tsk, tsk..." Zhao Renji made an outright threat.
Years of lording over others and exercising absolute control over the lower classes had made him utterly fearless and swollen with arrogance.
"Tsk, tsk. You're not dead yet?"
Suddenly, an ethereal voice drifted into Zhao Renji's ear.
"Who is it?!"
He let out a sharp roar, his eyes bloodshot.
Zhao Shiqi was startled, having no idea what had come over his brother.
The others outside the room exchanged puzzled glances, equally baffled by Zhao Renji's sudden outburst.
"My Lord Count, what's wrong?" someone inquired.
Yet no sooner had the words left the man's mouth than his expression changed drastically.
The count suddenly drew a gun. His eyes were filled with sheer terror, and his hands moved as if completely beyond his control. Tears of blood even welled up in his eyes.
This sight horrified everyone present.
Zhao Shiqi was stunned, completely at a loss as to what was happening.
"I... kill myself... no... help... in atonement!"
As if entirely puppeted, before anyone in the room could react, Zhao Renji fired a shot straight through his own skull.
"My Lord Count!"
"Quick, call a doctor!"
The room erupted into chaos.
Zhao Shiqi froze in shock. What had just unfolded before his eyes was too bizarre.
His elder brother... had suddenly pulled a gun and committed suicide, his body seemingly outside his own control.
A chilling sensation welled up in his heart.
Suddenly, he thought of something, and an eerie dread gripped his soul.
***
One day later.
Inside the room.
Qi Yuan finished practicing another set of the Mingwu Resonant Fist.
At this moment, sweat soaked his clothes. He was invigorated, white vapor rising from his body.
"The blood of the mutated sea monster really provides a huge boost to me."
After devouring the mutated sea monster's blood, Qi Yuan practiced the Mingwu Resonant Fist with much greater efficiency and saw far greater improvements.
The blood of mutated sea monsters seemed to possess the effect of elevating one's martial aptitude and upper limit.
"What a pity. The other ordinary sea monsters don't seem to have this effect."
Qi Yuan had also processed the remaining sea monsters, extracting their essence blood.
Unfortunately, consuming it yielded almost no noticeable improvement for him.
"This is probably because the bloodlines don't share the same origin.
"The blood of these ordinary sea monsters might be suitable for other martial artists."
Though he had not been practicing martial arts for long, Qi Yuan had already vaguely deduced that the martial path of this world followed a bloodline-based route.
Of course, this was only what he had observed so far, not the full picture.
"Still, with the Devouring Primordial Physique, drinking more blood... is a good thing. Maybe I can fuse and create some new bloodline of my own."
Qi Yuan thought to himself.
Back in the Mortal Heart Realm, the Holy Mother of Inedia had ultimately transferred that terrifying constitution, the Devouring Primordial Physique, to Qi Yuan.
By devouring these bloodlines, he could make them his own.
"Time to go to the dojo and exchange for the subsequent techniques."
After devouring the mutated sea monster's blood, his progress in the Mingwu Resonant Fist had been rapid.
In just a single day, Qi Yuan had broken through to the third layer.
To acquire the subsequent techniques, he had to visit the dojo.
In any case, the dojo was very lenient. There was no need to inspect one's cultivation realm; as long as money was paid, the subsequent manuals would be handed over.
People like Qi Yuan, who bought the later techniques just days after joining the dojo, were not uncommon.
There were plenty of wealthy people in this world.
So long as they didn't start a business or gamble, their fortunes could never be squandered away.
Before long, Qi Yuan changed his clothes and headed out.
The sun shone brightly today as the taxi sped along the road.
"Did something big happen? There are several times more drones in the sky than usual," the taxi driver couldn't help complaining as he glanced up at the sky.
"More drones are a good thing. Tianyue's public security is terrible—yesterday someone even opened fire and killed someone right on the street!"
"What? Where did that happen? How come I didn't hear about it!" The driver's interest was piqued.
"Right on Lanxi Avenue."
"Probably those damn dignitaries again. Only they'd have the guts to murder someone in broad daylight on the street!" the driver said indignantly, clearly full of grievances toward the world.
Soon, the taxi pulled up in front of the Mingwu Dojo.
Just as Qi Yuan stepped out of the car, a robot walked over, speaking in an electronic voice:
"Kongjing Smart Taxi. Smart driving, electronic and safer. We welcome your patronage."
As the robot spoke, it extended a flyer toward Qi Yuan.
Before Qi Yuan could take it, the taxi driver, who had stepped out to buy a bottle of water, kicked the robot forcefully.
"Damn it, even robots are stealing my work now?"
Cursing up a storm, the driver kicked the robot and strode off.
Kongjing Smart Taxi was a burgeoning ride-hailing company in Qinyuan Kingdom.
Not only did its ride-hailing service employ an autonomous driving system, but it also used robots as drivers, which drew fierce opposition from human cabbies.
Of course... the protests were futile.
Qi Yuan felt largely indifferent toward it.
Entering the Mingwu Dojo, he sought out Second Senior Brother, stated his purpose, and paid a large sum of money to purchase all nine remaining layers of the Mingwu Resonant Fist.
"Didn't realize you were so well-off.
"All twelve layers of the Mingwu Resonant Fist are yours now.
"If you can train it to perfection and enter the Martial Arts Tournament, you might even break into the top thirty." Second Senior Brother couldn't help picking his left nostril, his attitude toward Qi Yuan noticeably warmer.
After all, Qi Yuan had previously seemed like he was just playing around.
Now that he had spent so much money, he was practically one of their own.
In ancient times, this would have qualified him as a true disciple.
"The qualifiers for the Martial Arts Tournament seem to be starting soon. When is registration, and when the dojo registers, could you add my name?" Qi Yuan stated his objective.
Registration for the Martial Arts Tournament was submitted under the names of dojos and schools.
This tournament was about to begin, and Qi Yuan intended to seize the championship and subsequently become the Human Dao Martial Master.
"There are only three months left, and you want to participate? With what you've learned so far, you'll probably get knocked out in the first round. Even making the city's top one hundred would be a stretch." Second Senior Brother blinked, staring at Qi Yuan's handsome face before continuing, "Mm... you're going just to gain experience, right? Fair enough. When we register this time, the dojo will include your name. Remember to fill out the application form in a bit."
Naturally, Second Senior Brother had no idea that Qi Yuan was aiming for the championship.
Qi Yuan, of course, couldn't be bothered to explain.
"Thank you, Second Senior Brother. I'll go train now."
Taking his leave from Second Senior Brother, Qi Yuan headed back to the training room.
Seeing Qi Yuan, Wang Shiqiao, her hair tied in a high ponytail, immediately stood up to greet him. "I just had a touch-up on my nose. Can you tell it's plastic surgery now?"
Last time, Qi Yuan had pointed out that her nose wasn't original, which had sent her running to the beauty clinic in a furious rage.
The doctor had given her a free adjustment and touch-up. Feeling that it looked better than before, she had asked Qi Yuan the moment she ran into him.
"Uh... don't ask me that question. My eyesight is too good," Qi Yuan replied offhandedly.
Wang Shiqiao was struck dumb for a moment before snapping, "Damn it, I don't even want this nose anymore!"
Hearing Wang Shiqiao's outburst, the surrounding students couldn't help bursting into laughter.
Qi Yuan paid her no more attention and began executing the Mingwu Resonant Fist with full concentration.
An hour slipped by as he practiced.
During this time, Second Senior Brother came over with a tournament application form for Qi Yuan to fill out.
Under the astonished gazes of Wang Shiqiao and the others, Qi Yuan completed the application.
"You've got quite the nerve, kid. Entering the Martial Arts Tournament in your very first year—aren't you afraid of getting your bones broken?" Wang Shiqiao stretched her back. Her snug training outfit clung tightly to her curves, accentuating her figure and the firm cleavage on her chest.
Qi Yuan furrowed his brows. "Don't stretch your armpits toward me. The sweat stinks too much."
"I shaved all the hair here, how could it stink?!
"You jerk... no wonder you're so handsome yet don't have a girlfriend!" Wang Shiqiao couldn't help venting.
Who on earth talked to people like that?
Qi Yuan didn't reply. Instead, he expressed his thoughts through action, moving to another spot to continue his training.
Wang Shiqiao stamped her foot in frustration. "Go spend the rest of your life with Madam Five!"
Chapter 290