Chapter 102: Martial Arts and Demons

A foul smell of blood permeated the air.

It was pungent and stinking; traces of dried blood were everywhere.

Fragments of shattered sabers and swords reflected bright white spots under the sunlight.

Even more were either deeply embedded in the trees lining the road or buried by wind and sand among the weeds.

Xu Xi walked along the gravel road.

But the further he walked, the filthier the road became.

It was as if some fierce battle had taken place here.

Xu Xi frowned deeply and slowed his pace. "What happened here?"

Recalling the hurried figures he had seen earlier galloping on horseback, Xu Xi speculated that perhaps some conflict had broken out ahead.

"Is it between humans, or…"

[On your way to find a town, you discovered traces left by a fierce battle.]

[Vigilant, you slowed your pace and picked up a barely usable broken saber from the roadside just in case.]

[You walk slowly.]

[You continue to walk.]

[Persistence activating… Soaring Blood Qi activating…]

[Your Persistence brings you a slight increase in stamina; your abundant Blood Qi keeps you from the weakness of hunger, and your travel speed increases slightly.]

[After 45 minutes of cautious walking, you successfully arrive at a town.]

[After some inquiries, you learn that this is Qingniu Town, located on the outermost edge of the "Great Qian," bordering the Hundred Thousand Mountains where demons roam.]

[The traces of flesh and the fierce destruction you saw were all caused by demons and Martial Artists.]

[This was a terrifying Demon Tide; Qingniu Town was mostly destroyed by demons, and many Mortals were brutally slaughtered. This is the truth behind the thick scent of blood you smelled.]

Rip—!!

The battle between Martial Artists and demons continued.

A burly, bare-chested man leaped high into the air, delivering a sharp, whistling heavy strike.

The blade light stretched out, intersecting with the bright sun.

It powerfully severed the neck of a horned tiger, causing its head to fall as blood sprayed.

"Excellent saber technique!"

"As expected of Sect Leader Ji, this Tiger-Slaying Saber Technique is truly a masterpiece!"

"Hahaha, you all overpraise me!"

Onlooking Martial Artists clapped and cheered.

Many commoners also cast eager gazes.

The man surnamed Ji clearly enjoyed this; he laughed heartily and pursued other directions with his saber.

This was Blood-Qi Martial Arts. The practitioners were mostly straightforward and hearty; they would become hot-blooded upon encountering battle, unable to resist wanting to tear apart all enemies before them in the most violent way.

Compared to Cultivators who practiced the various arts of Cultivation.

Compared to magicians who used knowledge to control the world.

Martial Artists seemed too extreme, pouring all the skill points of this supernatural system into the Physical Body.

"Tools are weak, flesh brings Ascension?"

"That sounds somewhat interesting."

After observing for a while, Xu Xi endured his hunger and walked into Qingniu Town.

Before the simulation, he had prepared himself early with various types of Cultivation methods, including those of the Martial Arts path.

Whether it was Cultivation Techniques for training or Martial Skills for life-and-death combat.

Everything was etched in his mind.

But before truly starting his Cultivation, Xu Xi needed to find a place to stay and, at the same time, gain a more detailed and profound understanding of the background of this third simulation.

…

[You have taken an important first step.]

[Qingniu Town, ravaged by demons, is in need of young labor. Using your healthy body full of Blood Qi, you exchange labor for your first bit of money.]

[You buy food, eat heartily, and successfully eliminate your body's hunger.]

[In the time that follows, you follow your original plan, silently accumulating money while learning about the state of the Great Qian Imperial Dynasty from others.]

[At the same time, you begin to persist in learning the script of Great Qian, flipping through books and researching ancient texts yourself.]

[Persistence activating…]

[Heaven rewards the diligent. Your Persistence has paid off; after a month of hard work, you have roughly mastered the mainstream script and several ancient scripts of the Great Qian Dynasty.]

[Now, you have the most basic understanding of this world.]

[This is an infinitely vast world of unknown limits. The Human Race tempers itself through Blood-Qi Martial Arts, and through countless generations of passing on the torch, they have carved out an exclusive safe zone for the Human Race.]

[Great Qian was born from this destiny.]

[The Great Qian Imperial Dynasty is an extremely powerful Dynasty that governs the human territories and maintains human stability. Under the rule of Great Qian, the lives of the Human Race are full of order, no longer as dark and difficult as in ancient times.]

[But outside of Great Qian lie the Hundred Thousand Mountains, where countless demons and ghosts reside.]

[The mountains are majestic, and the peaks are jagged.]

[Spirit Monsters abound, and demons run rampant.]

[The Hundred Thousand Mountains are a Forbidden Land in the absolute sense. Even Martial Arts experts in the Human Immortal Realm do not dare to step into them lightly, because the demons inside are endless and simply impossible to clear out.]

[Areas bordering the Hundred Thousand Mountains, such as the remote Qingniu Town, suffer from demon incursions from time to time.]

[You suddenly realize and understand the beginning and end of the Qingniu Town tragedy.]

For Mortals without power.

Living in a remote place like Qingniu Town is undoubtedly dangerous.

Whether they are the elderly or children, they all yearn for the prefectures and counties deeper within Great Qian, but the Great Qian Imperial Court has placed restrictions on this, forbidding commoners from migrating at will.

Therefore, they have no choice but to stay put.

But Xu Xi was different.

"I have Persistence and Martial Arts Evolution; these two traits complement each other. If used well, the gains from this simulation will definitely not be low."

"And the lineage of Blood-Qi Martial Arts emphasizes life-and-death practical combat the most."

"Living here is more suitable for me to Cultivate martial arts."

As his thoughts flowed, Xu Xi quickly made arrangements, but he was in no hurry to start Cultivating.

The so-called Blood-Qi Martial Arts.

Is essentially the development and excavation of the human body.

Xu Xi had just transmigrated; his body was weak and ordinary, and he lacked the medicines to replenish Blood Qi. He would settle down for a while first.

…

[You choose to settle in Qingniu Town.]

[You work every day, exchanging labor for money. Your Persistence and sweat leave a deep impression on people.]

[Due to your long-term labor, your physical fitness has improved.]

[Day after day, month after month.]

[You persist in practicing your punches and kicks for a long time. Although you lack the enhancement of Blood Qi, your understanding of basic martial arts has deepened, and your body has begun to remember the techniques for generating power in a punch.]

[A year and a half has passed, and you have accumulated a small fortune. You judge that it is time to Cultivate Blood-Qi Martial Arts.]

[You exhaust all your money to purchase medicines for tempering Blood Qi.]

[Following a specific order and technique, you prepare doses of Blood Qi Powder and corresponding medicinal baths that can help you stimulate your body's Blood Qi.]

[You use both simultaneously, a two-pronged approach.]

[Your Blood Qi potential is rapidly stimulated, instantly breaking through the first shackle of the Mortal body. Blood Qi surges throughout your body, your muscles and bones chime in unison, and you step into the first Realm of martial arts.]

A year and a half passed in what felt like an instant.

Xu Xi sat cross-legged inside the dilapidated wooden hut.

His entire body was flushed red.

Things surged beneath his skin.

He was circulating the Martial Arts True Technique he had exchanged from the real world.

He slowly gathered the dissipating Blood Qi back into his body, circulating it at a specific frequency to form a rushing river of Blood Qi.

The Meridian Opening Realm was achieved.