Chapter 150 - 130: Deducing Martial Arts

Chapter 150: Chapter 130: Deducing Martial Arts

After stowing away the Great Formless Scripture, Zhang Ji’s spirit particles rummaged around and found two more items inside.

Two pristine white jade vials.

Both vials had their names inscribed on them.

’Cyan Spirit Powder, Primordial Blood Ointment... they match the guide. But I feel like I’m forgetting something.’

Zhang Ji put away the jade vials and thought for a moment, then remembered what else was supposed to be here.

Besides these two vials of medicine that hadn’t spoiled, there should have been two types of special, extraordinary medicinal plants.

After such a long time, not only had they not died, but one’s medicinal effects had actually grown stronger, while the other had propagated over a large area.

However, those two extraordinary plants were in a medicinal field. He’d have to go look for them in a bit.

Using his spirit particles, he levitated the mortal remains of Master Wu Xiang outside. Then, Zhang Ji had the Ark of Hope swallow the entire jade residence whole.

Fortunately, the residence wasn’t large—only about two hundred square meters. Any bigger and it would’ve been a real hassle for him.

Since he had taken the man’s possessions, it was only right for Zhang Ji to do the decent thing.

With a single palm strike, he blasted a pit in the ground and buried Master Wu Xiang’s body on the spot.

"May you rest in peace," Zhang Ji said, then went off to find the two extraordinary plants.

After searching for a while, he finally found the medicinal field, which was covered in glowing moss.

Beside the medicinal field was a cold pond, where a single, pale blue lotus flower grew.

’Ice Soul Lotus. A plant that increases one’s Spirit attribute and low-temperature resistance after being consumed and undergoing Refinement.’

’This kind of thing is almost always a foreign import.’

’It must have arrived through the space-time rifts.’

Other than the lotus, there was the glowing moss that covered the entire medicinal field.

This stuff was called Star Moss. It could be used to neutralize certain poisons and to extract special antibiotics. It also had another function: to concoct the [Star Vein Resonance Elixir].

That was an Alchemy Potion that only started being mass-produced in the later [Space-Time Rift] patch.

Its only function was to allow the human body to temporarily absorb energy from the light of celestial bodies and convert it into bio-energy.

The effect was similar to that of the Moonlight Cup or the Dela bloodline, but far, far weaker.

The upside was that it could absorb light from almost any celestial body, anyone could use it, and it was easy to produce—even an apprentice could make it.

Zhang Ji planned to use this as a perk to develop the forces under his command.

Zhang Ji moved everything—the Star Moss, soil and all—into the Ark of Hope. He transplanted the Ice Soul Lotus from the cold pond as well.

This lotus had been growing for at least five thousand years. If he could digest it more or less completely, it could probably boost his Spirit attribute straight to B+ rank.

That would save him ten to twenty days of effort.

Besides, this wasn’t a one-time deal. He could continue to propagate it and grow more on a larger scale!

’It’s just that the space inside the Ark of Hope feels like it might gradually become insufficient.’

But the Ark of Hope was special. It was a nascent universe in its own right, with incredibly tough barriers. Even a true S-rank powerhouse couldn’t fuse it with other spatial fragments. It could only grow naturally or by being fed world origin.

Natural growth meant giving the world an AI—or a "Celestial Dao"—to get the Ark of Hope up and running.

Right now, the Ark of Hope was like the empty shell of a small universe, lacking anything resembling a soul. As a result, it could only instinctively filter and absorb energy from the outer void, converting it into energy beneficial for plant growth and just maintaining its current state.

But if it had a Celestial Dao, it could begin to operate actively, absorb vast amounts of void energy and matter, and automatically grow and expand.

Sooner or later, it would grow into a full-fledged universe.

’However, there really aren’t many "AIs" I can use for it.’

’Considering that some of those things have hidden contingencies and are hard to obtain, I have to narrow down the options.’

’Things like cosmic treasures, Dao-fusing jade slips, and the cores of Divine Countries are all out of the question.’

In fact, Zhang Ji already had a target in mind.

He was determined to obtain that (Legendary)-rank World Tree sapling.

...

「September 25th.」

Capital City, Shenxi Base Headquarters.

Zhang Ji dismissed the several proposals that Shen Xi had just finished analyzing.

"Don’t worry about the practical difficulty of cultivation. Feel free to lean toward the theoretical maximums. You can also break things down into more detail. There’s no need to cram too much into a single Cultivation Technique," Zhang Ji said.

In response to Zhang Ji’s words, a cold, rational, and emotionless voice sounded out.

[Reconstructing task... Reconstruction successful. Based on your parameters, I have generated the following results...]

Instantly, a vast amount of data and text flashed across the screen.

The Shen Xi AI model.

Originally the most powerful AI created by the Eastern Extreme Country.

Even in the future interstellar age, this thing would still be impressive.

It had completed part of the design for the world-class Spirit Gathering Array, the [Qiankun Nine Heavens Void Tide-Inducing Array]. This allowed the world known as [Celestial Essence] to seize control of its Spiritual Qi tides, which no longer fluctuated with nature but were entirely in human hands.

From then on, there was no more so-called End of the Dharma Era. The concentration of Spiritual Qi everywhere was like that of a grotto-heaven or blessed land. Heavenly materials and earthly treasures grew in abundance, and even those with pseudo-Spirit Roots could form a Golden Core with relative ease, officially heralding the grand age of cultivation.

Although the current Shen Xi wasn’t that powerful yet, its potential was already apparent.

Using it to formulate martial arts techniques was child’s play for Zhang Ji.

After inputting a massive amount of martial arts data, combined with his own understanding and requirements, Shen Xi devised nine (Excellent)-rank martial arts for him. These would be used to forge the nine combat crystals he was missing.

One: The [Primordial Qi Melting Furnace Skill]. Zhang Ji had Shen Xi devise this martial art by studying Elaven’s furnace structure, feeding the rough data to the AI, and having it combine the information with other martial arts knowledge.

This required opening an independent acupoint at the Danzhong to store energy. He would then use Primordial Qi to reshape it into a furnace for holding Primordial Qi energy, which would greatly increase his maximum capacity.

Two: The [Qi Vein Reconstruction Skill]. With this martial art, Zhang Ji could generate new Qi Veins within his body, creating more efficient energy output circuits and increasing his maximum output.

Three: The [Five Elements Circulation Skill]. This technique would use the Five Elements Primordial Qi to construct a circulatory system within his body, creating a self-operating system. At that point, the Cultivation Technique would run automatically without Zhang Ji needing to actively practice.

Four: The [Yin Yang Union Skill]. This technique used a strand of Xiantian Qi to isolate yin and yang Primordial Qi while cultivating both simultaneously. When he needed to use it, he could withdraw the Xiantian Qi, releasing the two conflicting types of Primordial Qi to create a terrifyingly destructive effect. It would also lay the foundation for synthesizing advanced crystals later.

Five: The [Formless Mimicry Method]. This Cultivation Technique mimics the Great Formless Scripture. It has the same effects, but its upper limit has been slightly lowered to make it easier to cultivate.

Six: The [Qi Vortex True Skill]. This allows him to transform Primordial Qi into a Qi Vortex that spins within his Danzhong, continuously purifying and condensing the Primordial Qi. It serves as a supplement to the [Primordial Qi Melting Furnace Skill], [Qi Vein Reconstruction Skill], and [Five Elements Circulation Skill].

Seven: The [Indestructible Body Forging Skill]. A simple and brutal technique for forging the body with Primordial Qi, it was even more vicious than the [Vajra Indestructible Body]. Even a B-rank fighter who had mastered Horizontal Training would be unable to withstand it. Only Zhang Ji, with the Recovery Power of his [True Solar Flame], dared to practice it directly.

Eight: The [Intent Gathering and Spirit Condensing Skill]. It allows one to gather and condense their Spirit, making it more focused while also continuously strengthening its attributes and promoting further growth.

Nine: The [Returning to Truth Skill]. This technique is used to enhance one’s Control and build a better physical foundation—a martial art for laying the groundwork. It was derived from the Heart Stabilizing and Body Lowering Method, but its techniques feel more refined and closer to their theoretical peak, with some aspects even surpassing it. The only catch is that the learning threshold is absurdly high. This isn’t a technique for ordinary people; despite being only an (Excellent)-rank combat skill, it requires at least an A-rank Spirit attribute to cultivate successfully.

These nine martial arts, combined with the combat crystal from the Five Elements Evergreen Skill, would form the basis for Zhang Ji’s next (Epic)-rank combat crystal.

"Technology really does change your life," Zhang Ji remarked with a sigh.

He had previously planned to devise these nine martial arts himself, but after repeated attempts, he always felt something was off. He even tried to practice his creations twice, only for them to backfire spectacularly.

Yep, the exploding Primordial Qi had blasted his chest open.

If it weren’t for the top-tier defense of his Qi Body, anyone else would have been killed instantly.

Creating new techniques was no easy feat.

Fortunately, he got a tip from someone at the Physics Department and rushed over to the Shenxi Base to have the computer run the calculations for him.

"Are you satisfied with these results, Saint?" a white-haired old man asked Zhang Ji.

The old man’s name was Yun Bo, and he was one of Shen Xi’s core developers.

"I’m very satisfied," Zhang Ji said. "Record this data for me. Every staff member at the Shenxi Base gets one hundred contribution points. The core developers each get ten thousand."

Contribution points were a new system recently implemented in Dragon Country.

They weren’t available to the general public; one could only earn them by serving Zhang Ji.

With enough contribution points, a person could directly mobilize Dragon Country’s rare resources, get promotions and raises, and even make the conventional rules of society bend for them.

If you had enough points, you could even requisition a military armored vehicle to take home.

This was a system Liu Hetong and the others had set up for Zhang Ji, and so far, he found it quite useful.

When people performed a service for him, he could simply say, "I reward you with ten thousand contribution points," which felt a bit like an ancient emperor granting "a reward of ten thousand taels of gold."

"Thank you for your generous gift, Saint," Yun Bo said, bowing respectfully to Zhang Ji.

The other staff members nearby also bowed deeply.

Liu Hetong and the others had originally intended to reinstate rituals like kowtowing, but Zhang Ji didn’t make them, which could be considered an act of mercy on his part.

He couldn’t be bothered with such minor details.

He’d rather they saved their energy to do more work for him than waste time on systems of etiquette and domestication.

Within Dragon Country, the common people were now full of praise for Zhang Ji.

After Zhang Ji came to power, the four great nations—the Roman Country, Dragon Country, Guning Country, and Xia Yu Country—had become completely friendly and cooperative. Where they once engaged in all manner of overt and covert struggles, they were now practically united as one.

With no conflict at the national level, the majority of their national resources could be dedicated to improving the lives of their people.

The common folk were living much better lives than before.

Now, Zhang Ji didn’t even need to bother rewriting history books to tell flattering stories about himself. Many contemporary great scholars had already started hailing him as the reincarnation of a sage.