In the living room, Xie Xinsu's eyes were brimming with tears.
A Foundation Establishment spiritual item had been tossed into the trash; her heart ached to no end.
She resented so much—resented that she was a mere cat, utterly helpless.
She also resented that cold, heartless man, a country bumpkin who didn't recognize treasure when he saw it.
Martial arts training had probably fried his brain.
Right then, the doorbell rang.
Xie Xinsu looked toward the door, listless and weak.
With the Foundation Establishment spiritual item gone, the spiritual energy in the apartment had grown considerably thinner and more elusive.
Yet with her former Origin Core strength and discernment, Xie Xinsu still sensed that the dharma treasure she had previously perceived was still here.
Qi Yuan stepped out of his room. He opened the door, looked at the young man outside, and yawned. "Who're you looking for?"
"May I come in and sit for a moment?"
The man outside was, naturally, Luo Ping.
This time, he had come alone.
All his subordinates had been left at Yang Shan's place.
"Sure," Qi Yuan replied casually, looking at the unfamiliar man.
His response surprised Luo Ping slightly.
If it were him and a strange man knocked asking to come inside and sit, he would have insisted on getting to the bottom of the visitor's purpose first.
Yet the moment he recalled that the other party might be mentally ill, everything became perfectly reasonable.
Luo Ping entered the apartment, swept his gaze across the place, and sat down on the sofa.
Introducing himself, he said, "My name is Luo Ping. Two months ago, I was just an... ordinary civil servant.
"You know, I grew up without a mother-in-law. So, I went to see a high-ranking official—yes, that's right, a very high-ranking official.
"And then, that official's wife became my mother-in-law.
"Life... is truly unpredictable. It gives you hope, swells your pride, but deep down... I live walking on eggshells, terrified that everything will vanish into thin air."
Whenever he was at his father-in-law's home, Luo Ping always projected boundless confidence, as though everything were under his control.
Yet only he knew the torture of dancing on the blade's edge, his heart constantly in his throat.
After all, back then, while he hadn't been filthy rich, he had enjoyed a peaceful, carefree life with nothing to lose sleep over.
In this life, however, he had earned the moniker of Brother Treading on Thin Ice.
"And then?" Qi Yuan glanced at Luo Ping.
Not far off, Xie Xinsu looked at Luo Ping with eyes that practically screamed: *What a pretentious poser.*
"You and I... can be considered people of the same kind. Or perhaps, half of the same kind.
"Qi Yuan... don't you find it strange that you died one year in the future... only to return to the present?"
Luo Ping felt that sense of total control returning.
Before Qi Yuan could speak, Xie Xinsu's cat neck stiffened.
Return to... the present?
Wait... this man was also a Resetter?
And her cold, heartless, clueless bumpkin of an owner was one too?
If he was, how on earth could he have thrown out a Foundation Establishment spiritual item like garbage?
"I come from the future. People generally call us Resetters.
"And you... can also be considered one of us.
"However... you didn't live ten years into the future. You died after just one year.
"Because of that, you know nothing of what transpires in this world over the coming decade.
"It's a pity, and it destined you to not be a true, qualified Resetter," Luo Ping said calmly.
Looking at Qi Yuan, he saw a reflection of his former self; in a way, he actually felt a touch of envy toward Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan looked at Luo Ping. "Oh, so you're a Resetter?"
Nearby, Xie Xinsu also seemed to grasp something.
Qi Yuan was actually a Resetter as well.
Unfortunately, he had died after just one year.
No wonder he had chosen martial arts instead of the immortal path.
Suddenly, she felt Qi Yuan was even more pathetic than she was.
"Would you like to come work for me?" Luo Ping asked tentatively.
Though an incomplete Resetter like Qi Yuan didn't qualify to be his partner, Luo Ping was willing to offer him a chance.
"Work for you?" Qi Yuan chuckled and shook his head. "Working a job? Never in this lifetime. Living leisurely like this, playing games every day, practicing a bit of martial arts now and then—you have no idea how great it feels!"
Qi Yuan declined without hesitation.
Work for someone else? As if!
Besides, so what if he was a Resetter?
No matter how impressive the title sounded, wasn't he just an NPC in a game?
The sole purpose of an NPC's existence was to make Qi Yuan's gaming experience fun.
Hearing Qi Yuan's reply, Luo Ping didn't know whether to feel regret or satisfaction.
"A life like yours is indeed enviable," Luo Ping nodded. "In that case, I won't disturb you any further. Nor will the other Resetters trouble you."
After chatting for a few more minutes, Luo Ping felt deeply reflective.
His current life was undoubtedly thrilling, but a life like Qi Yuan's... was also enviable.
Yet once he became a Resetter, even if he wanted to take things easy... he couldn't.
If he didn't advance, if he didn't grow stronger, he would eventually be crushed to death.
Qi Yuan, on the other hand, had none of that pressure. In a sense, it was a stroke of fortune.
Before leaving, Luo Ping looked at Qi Yuan with a smile in his eyes. "Then I wish you victory in the Martial Arts Tournament!"
Having said his piece, Luo Ping left Qi Yuan's apartment without looking back, as if bidding farewell to his past self.
After Luo Ping left, Qi Yuan sat on the sofa, stroking the cat in utter relaxation. "Having a mental illness certificate really is great. Pretending to be crazy... is so much more fun."
Hearing this, Xie Xinsu rolled her eyes.
She desperately wanted to tell him: *You're not pretending to be mentally ill, you really ARE mentally ill!*
Over the following days, life proceeded on course.
Robot Zero-One forced Xie Xinsu to film videos every day, leaving her utterly unable to focus on cultivating.
Because of this, Xie Xinsu dreamed constantly of flipping the tables and becoming the master.
Alas, she was far too weak. Zero-One bullied her ruthlessly, and she had zero ability to resist.
As for the dharma treasure, she hadn't made the slightest headway.
She hadn't even managed to enter Qi Yuan's bedroom, let alone hunt for the treasure.
A cat's life was bleak; only cultivation offered any hope of breaking free from this misery.
Xie Xinsu had already resolved that once her cultivation bore fruit, she would definitely pin Zero-One beneath her paws.
Meanwhile, Qi Yuan's martial arts cultivation climbed steadily.
He remarkably reached the twelfth layer of the *Mingwu Resonant Fist*.
Past the twelfth layer, his cultivation progress slowed down noticeably.
Qi Yuan knew this meant he was approaching what Yang Shan called the martial arts limit.
Continuing to cultivate the *Mingwu Resonant Fist* alone was pointless.
In the residential complex, Yang Shan looked at Qi Yuan, whose aura grew more imposing by the day, and couldn't help but marvel.
"You are definitely the most talented martial artist I've ever seen...
"In just a few months, you've reached heights that took me over a decade!
"The martial arts limit—this is the martial arts limit!"
He still remembered when he first met Qi Yuan, who had barely set foot on the path and wasn't even a true martial artist.
Yet in just a few months, he had reached the martial arts limit and stood on equal footing with him.
Qi Yuan shrugged. "It's nothing special. The path from martial artist to the martial arts limit is just... too short."
Qi Yuan was telling the truth.
The journey from martial artist to the limit was indeed far too short for him.
He had barely trained before reaching the end of the road.
"Short?" Yang Shan shook his head helplessly. "Generally speaking, someone with ordinary talent might not even reach the martial arts limit after thirty years of effort.
"And after thirty years, with their vitality waning, how could they even maintain it?"
Yang Shan was speaking facts.
Reaching the martial arts limit before forty, as he had, was a rare and precious feat.
If someone possessed mediocre talent, diligent training might still give them a shot at the limit.
Yet by then, they would likely be in their sixties.
As the saying went, a fist fears youth—what use was a martial artist in their sixties?
"So, as for you..." Yang Shan wore a complex expression. "You might actually have a shot at breaking past the martial artist limit!"
Since the founding of Qinyuan Kingdom, the youngest person to reach the martial artist limit had been thirty years old.
Qi Yuan was terrifyingly young.
Of course, having a chance was merely having a chance.
Back then, hadn't that particular individual also been hailed as the one most likely to break past the limit?
And the result? Failure nonetheless.
Several years ago, a billionaire had even poured immense wealth into researching the martial artist limit.
The final research conclusion was that the human body was incapable of breaking past it.
Which meant breaking past the martial artist limit didn't exist at all.
"If you ground yourself for another year or two, you might truly win the championship in the Martial Arts Tournament.
"The city-level competition is a given; taking first place will be effortless.
"In Tianyue City, there are only a handful of people at the martial arts limit, and they're all too old to take part in such competitions," Yang Shan kindly advised.
"I'm not worried about the Martial Arts Tournament. I came here to sponge off your knowledge. Do you have any research on breaking past the martial artist limit?" Qi Yuan asked.
Regarding breaking through the limit, he had his own ideas, but he also wanted to synthesize them with others'.
After all, three cobblers with their wits combined surpassed Zhuge Liang.
True Monarch Dazhi had provided him with plenty of good ideas.
Along the martial path, Yang Shan had helped him considerably as well.
"The martial arts limit..." At this mention, Yang Shan fell silent, only speaking after a long pause. "In the martial arts world, a theory has always circulated: if you want to break past the martial artist limit, you must temper a martial will.
"Use a powerful martial will to drive the physical body's elevation.
"A martial artist's advancement lies in improving the physical body.
"Yet relying solely on martial techniques yields limited physical improvement. That's why we reverse the approach, using martial will to elevate the body in turn.
"Therefore, after reaching the martial arts limit, us old fogies have spent all our time tempering our martial will.
"Martial will is something very abstract and mystical.
"Watch out now. I'm going to channel my martial will into my eyes and look at you.
"A gaze like this is enough to make the faint of heart shudder and lose their composure!"
Speaking of martial will, Yang Shan regained his confidence before Qi Yuan.
His martial arts talent might fall short of Qi Yuan's.
However, his martial will was unassailable.
He was a soldier who had been on the battlefield and killed people!
The martial will he had tempered was definitely not something an inexperienced young man like Qi Yuan could hold a candle to.
A single glance would probably scare the kid senseless.
As Yang Shan spoke, he looked toward Qi Yuan.
His entire mind, spirit, and vitality coalesced at that moment, gathering in his eyes.
His temples bulged slightly.
Yang Shan's gaze brimmed with murderous intent, intensely bright and almost piercingly sharp.
It looked exceptionally terrifying.
In a martial contest, such a gaze was sufficient to stun an opponent into losing their wits.
Against a youngster like Qi Yuan, it was bound to be overwhelmingly effective.
"What're you staring at?" Qi Yuan suddenly asked, looking at Yang Shan with curiosity.
Yang Shan froze.
Qi Yuan's reaction was far too calm.
He hadn't been fazed by the gaze in the slightest.
Thoroughly baffled, Yang Shan asked, "How are you completely fine?"
"It's just a look... what could possibly happen? Looks like your martial will isn't very firm," Qi Yuan remarked casually.
Indeed, he had met countless supreme experts and had even encountered Yang Gods.
Yang Shan's so-called martial will was child's play in comparison.
"Still, you did give me some ideas."
Yang Shan's mention of martial will had sparked some inspiration.
Lately, Qi Yuan had been researching martial arts and studying the bloodlines of mutated sea monsters.
He had realized that for a martial artist to break the limit, upgrading the bloodline alone wasn't enough.
Bloodline wasn't everything to a martial artist.
Hearing Yang Shan mention martial will made him think of many things.
Especially his innate martial technique.
The Explosive Bird-Killing Fist.
To break the martial arts limit, he needed to elevate not just his bloodline, but also his innate martial technique.
Did elevating an innate martial technique... have something to do with will?
"How on earth did you withstand my martial will?" Yang Shan paid no heed to Qi Yuan's thoughts, still consumed by how Qi Yuan had completely brushed off his formidable martial will.
"Did I even need to withstand it?" Qi Yuan chuckled, then added, "It's actually very simple. Just kill more people—kill hundreds of thousands, millions..."
Qi Yuan had already deduced that Yang Shan's so-called martial will was essentially killing intent.
Killing intent was something Qi Yuan never lacked.
In fact, having slaughtered so many lives in the game, when he cultivated the Palace of Light's Resplendent Sword, others shone with white light while his emanated direct, blood-red light.
"So... at the end of the day, it's just that you haven't killed enough," Qi Yuan said with a smile, patting Yang Shan on the shoulder with the air of an experienced veteran.
Yang Shan was dumbfounded, then retorted indignantly, "What kind of tall tales are you spinning, kid? If you don't want to tell me, just say so!
"Me, not killing enough?
"Do you know the Guiran people who've been acting so cocky online lately?
"I've killed more than ten of them myself—heh, including a priest!"
At this mention, Yang Shan raised his head proudly.
This was his greatest military exploit, something worth boasting about forever.
Now that he was well-acquainted with Qi Yuan, he didn't mind showing off a little.
Currently, Arch Star's Yuelang Kingdom was at war with Wugui Kingdom.
Wugui Kingdom held the upper hand.
Meanwhile, the netizens of Qinyuan Kingdom had been losing the flame wars online against people from Wugui Kingdom and Guwu Kingdom.
Public indignation ran rampant online; everyone wished they could tear the Guiran people limb from limb!
If Yang Shan were to reveal online that he had slain Guiran people, without a doubt, he would become a massive online celebrity within days.
"Fewer than a hundred... that's pretty few," Qi Yuan replied honestly.
"You kid have spent too much time on the internet! How is fewer than a hundred 'few'?
"Slaying a hundred enemies—do you know what that means?
"In ancient times, if any soldier wiped out a hundred foes, they'd easily be granted a noble title!" Yang Shan felt Qi Yuan had simply watched too many short videos.
A guy who hadn't killed a single person had the nerve to tell him he hadn't killed enough?
One had to realize that those serial killers who shocked the entire nation had only killed a dozen or twenty people across multiple provinces before being caught.
Even they were labeled bloodthirsty maniacs.
And he, Yang Shan, hadn't killed enough?
"You're just narrow-minded and haven't seen people with high kill counts. I..." Qi Yuan was about to say that he had killed plenty.
Then, remembering that murder was illegal, he pivoted.
"I know someone who has killed well over ten thousand."
"Haha... 'you have a friend,' right? Why not just say it's you!" Yang Shan laughed heartily, taking none of Qi Yuan's words seriously.
He figured Qi Yuan was just meming with him.
"Someone who hasn't even killed a single Guiran isn't worthy of talking to me!" Yang Shan bantered back.
Chapter 298