Innate Martial Technique

An inexplicable sense of dread rose in Wu Qi's heart. It felt as if she were being watched by some terrifying creature. Goosebumps surfaced on her smooth, fair skin. She looked at Qi Yuan, her breath quickening slightly. "What about me is special?" "Your... blood." Qi Yuan gazed at Wu Qi. Her skin was so fair that faint blue veins were visible beneath it, blood coursing slowly through them. Wu Qi was dumbfounded. "My blood?" She couldn't understand, and she even began to wonder if Qi Yuan was one of those powerful elites with bizarre fetishes. "To me, the most special thing about you is your blood." Qi Yuan shrugged. "How about you give me some blood, and I'll grant a few small wishes of yours? "Oh, by the way... period blood doesn't count!" Qi Yuan added that last sentence at the very end. If Wu Qi cut corners and just brought over menstrual blood, that would be going too far. Qi Yuan never underestimated the deeply rooted flaws of human nature. Hearing his words, Wu Qi—who had always considered herself poised, composed, and ready to accept anything—felt a blush burn all the way to the tips of her ears. She lowered her head, not daring to look into Qi Yuan's eyes. His words had given her far too great a shock. Her mind was in complete disarray right now, imagining all sorts of wild scenarios. Could it be... that Mr. Qi was a monster who loved to drink young women's blood? "How about it? Have you made up your mind?" Qi Yuan asked with a faint smile. Wu Qi's heart pounded erratically. In the end, she gritted her teeth, leaned forward toward Qi Yuan, pulled down the neckline of her shirt slightly, and bared her fair neck. "Mr. Qi... take my blood!" She looked as if she were facing death with resigned acceptance. She had chosen this path, and she had to walk it to the end. Compared to losing a bit of blood, she wanted far more to become someone of elite status. With opportunity right before her eyes, she refused to let it slip away. "I may be an omnivore, but I don't drink human blood. Drinking human blood... is against the law. "I never break laws or regulations. "Pull your neck back. When I need blood in the future, I'll ask for it." His current strength was still too weak. Although he had noticed something special about Wu Qi's blood, even if she gave it to him now, he would have to expend considerable energy to figure out why. For him at present, that was hardly a priority. So he would simply leave it as a hook for later. Right now, increasing his strength was the most critical task. Once his strength grew, he would be able to see through its specialty at a single glance. Hearing Qi Yuan's words, Wu Qi breathed a sigh of relief. "My blood will always be reserved for you, sir!" Wu Qi said earnestly. "I live in Jun'an Community. Start driving." "Jun'an Community?" She set Jun'an Community as her destination. When she saw its general location, Wu Qi's heart skipped a beat. Back in high school, she had heard from classmates that Qi Yuan was an orphan of a martyr. However, after seeing Qi Yuan on the cruise ship, she had assumed that he had deliberately concealed his background to attend school. Yet now, hearing that Qi Yuan lived in Jun'an Community, countless thoughts raced through her mind. How could such a prominent figure—someone even a hereditary viscount went out of his way to fawn over—live in such a mediocre community? Could there be some hidden reason behind it? "Yes, Jun'an Community." Qi Yuan closed his eyes slightly and said nothing more. Seeing this, Wu Qi was filled with doubts and utterly bewildered. She desperately wanted to ask why he lived in such a place. Yet no matter how confused she was, she didn't dare ask. After all, if she accidentally offended Qi Yuan, she wouldn't even know how she died. In the Qinyuan Kingdom, a noble killing a celebrity was truly no big deal. In this ancient empire, the divide between the upper and lower classes was as clear as day and night. With her heart pounding, Wu Qi drove toward Jun'an Community. As night began to fall and multicolored neon lit up the modern metropolis, the car finally arrived. Unlike the brightly lit avenues that were dazzling as day, as dusk settled, not even all the streetlights around Jun'an Community were lit. Compared to where Wu Qi lived, it was like a completely different world. Looking at this ordinary community, her doubts deepened. It had nothing in common with affluent residential districts. It couldn't even compare to her own neighborhood. Just then, Qi Yuan stretched, a smile breaking out on his face as he looked at the familiar neighborhood. "We're here." Qi Yuan got out, and Wu Qi hurried to step out as well. She seemed to want to say something, but hesitated. "Thanks for driving me. Sorry for the trouble," Qi Yuan said politely. Wu Qi quickly replied, "It was no trouble at all." "Here... twenty-seven yuan for the fare." As Qi Yuan spoke, he pulled out twenty-seven yuan from his pocket, exact change with bills and coins. Wu Qi was stunned. Fare? "Go on, take it. I'm no freeloader," Qi Yuan said, always a law-abiding citizen. "Don't go calling me out online as a cheapskate, either. When I went to the dojo earlier, the cab fare was twenty-six, so I even added an extra yuan!" Qi Yuan handed the money to Wu Qi. He gave cash rather than doing an online transfer. After all, he was worried about the police misunderstanding. Wu Qi took the money, completely dazed. Qi Yuan's behavior was utterly beyond her comprehension. Was this some quirk of high-society figures? "I don't have a cat that knows how to cook at home, so I won't invite you inside. Bye." Qi Yuan was very courteous, and he walked off just as briskly, leaving Wu Qi standing bewildered in the wind. Gazing after Qi Yuan's retreating figure, complex emotions churned within her. Does he really live here? She felt apprehensive. After all, her manager had told her that morning that Qi Yuan might just be... an ordinary person who had done Viscount Carnival a favor, which was why Viscount Carnival held him in high regard. ... "Mr. Qi, Zhao Shiqi... asked me... he hopes to meet with you and offer an apology." On the phone, Carnival's voice carried a mix of trepidation and delight. Yesterday, he and Qi Yuan had been ambushed by a sniper. When he learned Count Black Crystal was behind it, the only thought Carnival had was to take Qi Yuan away to ride out the storm. Yet who would have guessed... Count Black Crystal, Zhao Renji, had died suddenly and violently that very day. If someone claimed Qi Yuan had nothing to do with it, Carnival wouldn't believe it for a second. It made Carnival realize that Qi Yuan truly was an immortal cultivator who could kill invisibly without leaving a trace. Count Black Crystal, Zhao Renji, had so many bodyguards around him, yet Qi Yuan had still killed him. "Who is he? Never heard of him." Qi Yuan had never once heard this name. "He is Zhao Renji's younger brother, and the current... patriarch of the Zhao family." After Zhao Renji died, power hung in the balance. Zhao Shiqi was no incompetent either. Though he had his own convictions and ideals, he naturally wouldn't let the Zhao family's power fall into outside hands. In just a single day, he had brought the entire Zhao family firmly under his control. "Oh, him. Can't be bothered to meet. The person I wanted dead is already dead, so why should I meet him? "What, does he want to avenge his brother? "Tell him I have a psychiatric certificate, so I'm not afraid of him," Qi Yuan replied. Hearing this, Carnival felt both thrilled and shocked. Sure enough, Zhao Renji was killed by Qi Yuan. It was fortunate that he hadn't balked at parting with that hundred million back then or tried to double-cross him. If Qi Yuan could kill Zhao Renji with ease, killing him would be just as effortless. "I'll relay your words faithfully to Zhao Shiqi. "By the way, Mr. Qi, I'm afraid Zhao Shiqi still doesn't know... that Zhao Renji was killed by you. Should I... conceal it a bit?" Carnival paused on the line. "I'm not playing the pig to eat the tiger, so why hide it? "Besides, I have a psychiatric certificate. What is there to fear?" Qi Yuan spoke casually. With no parents, no children, and a psychiatric certificate to boot, Qi Yuan was practically invincible in modern society. "Understood," Carnival agreed over the line. Qi Yuan hung up and went back to immortal cultivation. Over the following days, Qi Yuan cultivated according to routine. By day, he trained at the dojo; by night, he returned home to refine medicinal herbs and cultivate immortality. Life was peaceful and unruffled as a calm well. If anything was different, it was that he had acquired a dedicated chauffeur: Wu Qi. And on one occasion when Wu Qi picked him up to drive him home, other people from the dojo spotted it. In Tianyue City, Wu Qi was a celebrity of some renown. This caused quite a stir in the dojo. Everyone said that Qi Yuan was dating the celebrity Wu Qi. Wang Shiqiao looked at Qi Yuan with completely different eyes, staring straight at him with an odd expression as she said, "No wonder! Turns out you're dating a big celebrity." In the circle of Mingwu Dojo, aside from someone of Xu Tiehua's status, the rest of the second-generation rich lacked the standing to look down on Wu Qi. Wu Qi picking Qi Yuan up and dropping him off every day genuinely astonished the people at the dojo. Especially Wang Shiqiao, who had already learned from her best friend Xing Yu that Qi Yuan came from an ordinary background. Xing Yu's gaze toward Qi Yuan had shifted as well. She believed Qi Yuan was walking the same road as her. Toward Qi Yuan, she inexplicably felt a bit more warmth. Around dusk, Qi Yuan got out of Wu Qi's car once again and stepped into the community. The neighborhood's lights were dim and warm with an orange glow. On a patch of open ground, a burly man was practicing punches. His strikes were fierce and exceptionally sharp. Qi Yuan even felt that Xu Tiehua, the number one person at Mingwu Dojo, lagged far behind this burly man. "Still training, Brother Yang?" Qi Yuan walked straight over. The burly man was named Yang Shan. He had moved in next door to Qi Yuan a week ago, making him Qi Yuan's neighbor. Yang Shan was in his thirties, powerfully built, with the distinct demeanor of a military man. However, he had suffered injuries and retired from the military early. Because he practiced martial arts and Qi Yuan practiced martial arts, the two had grown familiar with each other. After all, Yang Shan had walked much farther along the martial path. Qi Yuan would occasionally ask Yang Shan questions. "You're back? Hmm, another breakthrough?" Yang Shan glanced at Qi Yuan, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes. "Yeah." Qi Yuan nodded. "Your talent... is terrifying." Yang Shan's expression was complicated. "Just average—number three under heaven," Qi Yuan said, not the least bit modest. "You probably want to ask me how to break through and become a martial artist, right?" Yang Shan said, his expression turning solemn. "Yeah." By now, Qi Yuan had trained the Mingwu Resonant Fist to the sixth layer. He was just one step away from breaking through to the seventh layer. Once he broke through to the seventh layer, he would be able to claim his martial artist certificate. As for breaking through to the seventh layer, Qi Yuan still harbored quite a few questions in his heart. "To become a martial artist, you need to form your own innate martial technique! "An innate martial technique surpasses human physical limits and can unleash terrifying energy. "Rumor has it that in ancient times, once a martial artist reached a certain realm, they could even form an innate ultimate move—severing rivers with a single finger! "Of course, after research and debate, those experts all claimed this was utter nonsense and that an innate martial technique could never advance into an innate ultimate move." As Yang Shan spoke, a flash of disappointment crossed his eyes. He was not only a retired soldier, but also a peak martial artist. Along the path of a martial artist, he had reached almost the very limit. Yet even so, when facing those who had taken high-grade gene medicine, he could no longer triumph over them. After suffering his injuries, he chose to return to his hometown neighborhood, Jun'an Community. "Telling you about innate ultimate moves now sounds a bit like telling myths; I've strayed too far. "Let's get back to innate martial techniques. "This is the core of every martial artist, and every martial artist's innate martial technique is unique. "For example, the champion of the previous Martial Arts Tournament had an innate martial technique called Phantom Sound Fist. "When thrown, countless phantom afterimages appear, making it impossible to counter. "You could say that an innate martial art like that is already close to the Dao, surpassing the limits of the human body. "After all... without taking high-grade gene medicine, we carbon-based organisms are actually... exceedingly weak." As Yang Shan spoke, a look of reminiscence and longing appeared in his eyes. When he first unleashed his innate martial technique, it was the first time he felt martial arts was so mesmerizing. He had even felt that he was... stepping onto the path of the extraordinary. After all, an innate martial technique was not ordinary fist fighting, nor was it mere technique. It was... the extraordinary. Indeed, that was how Yang Shan defined innate martial techniques. Even though this extraordinary power was very weak, it was truly extraordinary. Unfortunately, after toiling for over a decade, having stood at the pinnacle of martial arts, he still couldn't break through the limit. Above all, after laboring and training for half a lifetime, someone taking a single injection of high-grade gene medicine could defeat you with ease. Even an innate martial technique was useless in front of such people. Consuming gene medicine could even awaken a gene martial technique, thoroughly crushing innate martial techniques. Only then did Yang Shan grow disheartened, feeling that the road of martial arts... had reached its end. For so many years, even with researchers studying martial arts, and even with some big shots at the pinnacle of martial arts pouring huge sums of money into setting up laboratories to find ways to break through martial limits, they had never succeeded. Martial arts had even been reduced to a protected piece of folkloric heritage and a competitive sport. "Extraordinary?" Qi Yuan's eyes lit up. To be honest, he had yet to see an innate martial technique. At Mingwu Dojo, there were only a handful of certified martial artists, none of whom he was close with, and nobody casually displayed an innate martial technique. "Calling it extraordinary is really just flattering martial arts," Yang Shan smiled self-deprecatingly. If martial arts were truly extraordinary, how could someone just take gene medicine and unleash gene martial techniques similar to innate martial techniques? "Explaining it a hundred times is no substitute for seeing it yourself. "I'll demonstrate my innate martial technique for you. "Grand Thunder Palm!" With Yang Shan's words, his gaze turned sharp in an instant. A powerful aura spread, and Qi Yuan sensed a presence surpassing ordinary mortals. "A bit stronger than people from the Blue Star..." Qi Yuan judged. Of course, it was only marginally stronger; it wouldn't even stop blades. "Ha!" Yang Shan let out a loud shout. A powerful palm thrust forward. The air seemed to tremble, and a muffled clap of thunder faintly echoed in the air. Grand Thunder Palm, true to its name. A strike like this was enough to astonish ordinary people; smashing bricks with a single palm would be child's play. Landing on an ordinary person, it could easily kill them in a single blow. Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes. In that palm strike just now, he had seen something different. "What a pity. If you lived on the Blue Star and performed brick-splitting palms every day on short-video channels, you'd definitely become a Qigong master of a generation—a top streamer with tens of millions of followers. "Too bad this is Arch Star." Qi Yuan offered his critique. Yang Shan's strike did indeed possess a hint of the extraordinary. On the Blue Star, such power would easily hoodwink many people into believing he possessed real kung fu. But this was Arch Star, where many people had taken gene medicine. Some could even demonstrate crushing rebar with bare hands. A peak martial artist simply amounted to nothing. "What is the Blue Star?" Yang Shan asked in confusion. "A blue planet. Mm, my hometown. Actually... I'm an alien." "...Your psychiatric certificate isn't real, is it?" Yang Shan asked in astonishment. From the start, someone had warned him that this neighbor had a psychiatric certificate. Then Qi Yuan claimed he had faked it because having a psychiatric certificate made things convenient and came with subsidies. Yang Shan had believed him. Now, it seemed Qi Yuan's mental illness didn't look fake at all.