Chapter 69 - 68: Selecting Ancient Martial Arts

Lin Xinghai had never imagined someone could be so powerful.

If he could defeat the Blood Demon, did that mean his body was already comparable to a Mecha?

"It’s probably not as simple as just breaking four Genetic Locks. There are several major Realms above the Optimized. He might be a being two whole Realms beyond the Optimized," Roger replied after a moment of thought.

If he were only one major Realm beyond, he normally wouldn’t be able to defeat a Mutated Zombie. Even if he could, it would never have been that easy.

Lin Xinghai grew more and more excited as he listened. If someone else could reach that level, then with his system, there was no reason he couldn’t do it too.

"By the way, what Superpower was that person using? It’s both offensive and defensive—so powerful," Lin Xinghai asked.

He still knew far too little about the various Superpowers.

Lin Xinghai felt he needed to get a better understanding of all the powerful Superpowers out there. That way, if he ever ran into them in the future, he would be prepared.

"That wasn’t a Superpower." Roger’s first words stunned Lin Xinghai.

"After breaking the four Genetic Locks, you can completely unleash your body’s potential and tap into a strange kind of energy hidden within. What he was using for offense and defense was that very energy." Roger’s tone was casual as he spoke, but his eyes were filled with envy and longing.

’Who wouldn’t want to break the four Genetic Locks and reach a whole new level of existence?’

The fundamental reason that level of power surpasses the Optimized is the mastery of this strange energy.

"Strange energy?" Lin Xinghai recalled the crimson light the man had casually unleashed, and his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

To be honest, he wasn’t entirely satisfied with his Speed Superpower. That feeling had become even more intense after he’d witnessed the sheer power of the Heaven-Splitting Superpower.

But now, he finally saw a ray of hope.

"Mhm! That strange energy seems to be called... Blood Qi Power."

"It can be used on its own, but it can also be channeled alongside a Superpower. The combination of a Superpower and Blood Qi Power is what’s truly terrifying," Roger added.

But when Lin Xinghai heard this, his mind reeled. It took an immense amount of willpower to keep his composure.

"What did you just say? Blood... Qi... Power?" Lin Xinghai asked, enunciating each word.

If it weren’t for the video he had just seen and Roger’s casual tone, he would have almost thought his system had been exposed.

Roger gave Lin Xinghai a strange look, but he continued, "If I recall correctly, that’s what it’s called. The Commander mentioned it briefly once. He said, ’Once you reach that Realm, the Cultivation of Blood Qi Power is the true foundation for increasing your strength.’ Oh, right, that Realm is called the Blood Qi Realm."

"’The Cultivation of Blood Qi Power is the true foundation for increasing your strength,’" Lin Xinghai repeated to himself in a low voice.

He remembered a similar phrase appearing in the system’s mission description when he first acquired it.

Of course, with his system, he didn’t need to practice Cultivation—he just needed to collect it.

Jing Huanlian, who had been standing to the side, waited until they stopped talking before she spoke up. "Gentlemen, shall I play the next Martial Arts video?"

"Go ahead," Lin Xinghai nodded.

The next Martial Arts video was about a Hammer Technique. It featured a burly man wielding a Giant Hammer. The man’s strength was equally terrifying, and the Hammer Technique’s destructive power was even greater, but Lin Xinghai only gave it a passing glance. His mind was elsewhere.

He was thinking about his system, wondering what his Cultivation would be like after he broke the four Genetic Locks and reached the Blood Qi Realm.

Others had to painstakingly cultivate Blood Qi Power to increase their strength, but he...

Lin Xinghai shook his head, pushing the thought away. He wasn’t even sure if the Blood Qi Power stored in his system truly belonged to him.

He had many theories, but until he reached the Blood Qi Realm, they were just that—theories.

Jing Huanlian played one Martial Arts video after another, but even after watching ten of them, Lin Xinghai didn’t see anything he particularly wanted.

Roger, on the other hand, was happily munching on fruit. The platter on the table was already more than half empty thanks to him.

"The Martial Art demonstrated in this next video is rather special. It’s the only Body Technique-type Martial Art in our Star Shield Shelter. It’s called the Phantom Body Technique."

Lin Xinghai’s interest was immediately piqued by the introduction.

Jing Huanlian had been watching Lin Xinghai’s expression the whole time. Her spirits lifted, and she began her sales pitch with renewed vigor. "The Phantom Body Technique is characterized by its elusiveness. Your movements become dreamlike and illusory, making it impossible for enemies to predict your path."

Just then, a figure appeared in the hologram, also facing a large horde of Zombies.

But unlike the previous videos, he didn’t charge straight in. Instead, his figure moved erratically, weaving through the dense horde of Zombies.

His movements were not only fast but also incredibly strange.

Just when you think he’s dodging right, he’s actually moving left. When it looks like he’s charging forward, he might actually be retreating.

This disconnect between perception and reality was disorienting to simply watch; trying to lock onto him to attack would be even more difficult.

But what caught Lin Xinghai’s attention the most was that when the user changed direction or even retreated suddenly, their speed didn’t decrease in the slightest.

It was a complete violation of the laws of physics.

But the man in the video managed to do it, relying on that special footwork and... Blood Qi Power.

It was easy to imagine the enormous advantage a Body Technique like this would provide in close-quarters combat.

This was demonstrated in the latter half of the video during a fight with a Mutated Zombie.

This time, a Mutated Zombie appeared that was three meters tall, its arms like scythes.

For a Mutated Zombie, this was definitely on the smaller side. But Lin Xinghai could tell that its ’small’ size was precisely what made it so agile—it was a speed-type Mutated Zombie.

Yet when this speed-type Mutated Zombie faced the expert using the Phantom Body Technique, it couldn’t even touch the hem of his clothing, no matter how wildly it swung its scythe-like arms.

The expert, relying on his superior speed, simply held a Hand Cannon and blasted the Mutated Zombie to pieces, shot after shot.

Against an expert with such speed, the Mutated Zombie didn’t even have a chance to escape.

The more Lin Xinghai watched, the more delighted he became. The moment the video ended, he said without the slightest hesitation, "I’ve decided. I’m buying the Phantom Body Technique."

The smile on Jing Huanlian’s face was brighter than ever before.

But before she could speak, Roger cut in. "Hold on. From what I understand, the Phantom Body Technique is the most difficult to learn of the fifteen Martial Arts in Star Shield Shelter. Apparently, no one has ever managed to practice it to the stage of Minor Success."

"Besides, to truly unleash the power of the Phantom Body Technique, you have to reach the Blood Qi Realm and use Blood Qi Power in conjunction with it."