Genes are inheritable, but is a martial artist's activity level also inheritable? While countless scientists were engaged in endless research on how a martial artist's peak power surge is formed, Asura had already begun to study this deeper subject, reaching profound depths in her research.
Feng Hua Danyun was curled up in **that pink quilt, quietly observing the numerical changes floating in the virtual projection before her. Based on years of research, it was clear that genes differed greatly from a martial artist's activity level; on the surface, they seemed utterly unconnected.
But was that really the case? Absolutely not!
The activity level was indeed connected to genes, but their relationship was far more profound. Unless one could thoroughly unravel the mystery of the activity level, the link between the two could never be discovered.
Genes are easily passed down, but the inheritance of activity level is exceptionally difficult. First, the two greatest factors determining activity level: one, the martial artist's activity level must exceed three thousand!
If all martial arts masters were included, many would still possess an activity level well above three thousand after passing through the second surge period. However, in Asura’s view, the second growth surge or the mature stage were useless metrics.
The second factor was that the martial artist's activity level of three thousand must be achieved during the first power growth surge. If the first power growth surge had already ended, then even an activity level of ten thousand would be meaningless; these levels must be vibrant and currently on an upward trajectory.
Wu Fengzi was one option; Qin Fen was another. After his first intensive training, Wu Fengzi's rating soared past thirty-five hundred.
Asura calculated that the resulting child should be above the Asura Fetus level, potentially reaching the Asura Demonic Fetus stage, but still insufficient for the Asura Sacred Fetus. To produce an Asura Sacred Fetus, the child's father must possess an activity level exceeding ten thousand!
When Asura first reached this conclusion, she believed this value was forever out of reach. Yet, she never expected heaven to send her such a monster, and moreover, someone she happened to love.
The Asura Sacred Fetus is not born with an activity level of ten thousand; rather, when they enter their power surge period, their activity level rapidly activates, doubling their current level at an extreme pace, instantly leaving their peers far behind. Of course, the birth conditions for the Asura Sacred Fetus are even more stringent.
Besides the basic requirement for the father, various pharmaceutical agents must also be used in conjunction for it to take effect. Simultaneously, the mother carrying the Asura Sacred Fetus also faces extremely high prerequisites.
Asura lay curled in the pink duvet, her cheeks alternately flushed with shy delight, clouded with melancholy, lost in vacant thought, or occasionally accompanied by a soft chuckle. Qin Fen leaned against the headboard, positioned somewhere between sitting and lying, facing the white wall opposite.
Last night’s events felt like a dream, yet they were intensely real. It wasn't merely a spiritual reality; even the faint, burning scratches left by fingernails on his back served as a constant reminder that it had absolutely not been a dream.
Asura Feng Hua Danyun… Qin Fen rose, showered, dressed, vaulted out the window, and headed straight for Asura’s residence, needing to understand what Feng Hua Danyun was thinking. After half a year of intensive training, his martial path had succeeded.
Qin Fen was constantly shifting his personality, becoming much more proactive than before. This time, he was determined not to remain passive.
Floating before the door of Feng Hua Danyun’s room was a massive projection screen displaying a line of characters that would appear highly perilous to any onlooker. [I'm in a bad mood today.
Anyone who wants a beating should come and disturb me and try it.] This simple sentence held a power far exceeding the superstitious talismans of the Maoshan Daoists; it possessed an almost exorcising ability. Nearly every passing martial artist detoured around the area, fearful of trampling a single blade of grass or triggering the ire of the Chief of the Martial Theory Department of the Sacred Martial Hall, inviting an arbitrary beating for stress relief.
Knock, knock… No response. Knocking again, still no reply.
Qin Fen glanced around. With the Dragon Elephant Body Skill honed to his legs, he delivered a full-force kick to the door.
The world contained countless types of door panels, but few could withstand the might of a fifteen-star level practitioner. Asura’s room was no exception.
With one kick, the door panel fell inward. No sounds of Asura’s frustrated anger emanated from the room; it remained as quiet as before.
Qin Fen stepped inside and paused briefly. No one was here.
Asura Feng Hua Danyun was absent; only a note lay on the desk. Thanks to his exceptional eyesight, Qin Fen could clearly read the inscription on the slip, left specifically for him.
[Heh heh… Qin Fen, I knew you would come. But I’ve already left.
Naturally, I must hide after doing something naughty. So don't look for me, okay?
Remember, if you don't want to force me into endless hiding, don't search for me. I won't need a full year to reappear.
Give me some space and time for now.] [Danyun] Seeing the signature, Qin Fen carefully folded the note. For a Chief-level martial artist to intentionally disappear meant finding her would be no easy task.
The brief words conveyed Feng Hua Danyun’s unrestrained will, her petulance, and her autonomy. Qin Fen made a "call" to the Maintenance Department of the Sacred Martial Hall, reporting the damaged door panel that needed repair, before turning and exiting the room.
Composing himself, Qin Fen left the quarters. He couldn't let Feng Hua Danyun outdo him.
If she could take such decisive action, how could he afford to hesitate? One year wasn't a long time; he could afford to wait.
He would revisit this matter thoroughly when the time came. Putting everything else aside for the moment, Qin Fen headed directly for the Sacred Martial Hall's Supreme Techniques Pavilion.
As the direct disciple of two Chiefs, Qin Fen possessed ample qualification to enter the Pavilion; his status permissions were already stored in his identification badge via the system. Returning to the Supreme Techniques Pavilion, Qin Fen felt a long-forgotten sensation swell in his heart.
Half a year ago, he had benefited immensely here under Tai Xu; what harvest awaited him on this return visit? It was evident that everyone overseeing the Pavilion was already aware of Qin Fen’s identity, and they offered no obstruction to his entry.
Entering the Pavilion, Qin Fen slowly wandered through the various floors. Unlike his previous hurried visit, this time he needed to first carefully examine the summaries of each chamber before making a sequence of choices.
He moved past room after room, not rushing into those dedicated to Dragon Fist techniques. Martial Emperor Dragon Fist was not merely a Dragon Fist technique!
When Qin Fen created this style, his goal was to absorb the strengths of every fist art under heaven to form a Dragon Fist befitting an Emperor of Martial Arts. At that time, Qin Fen’s martial path closely mirrored the shadows of the Emperor and the Dragon Fist.
However, as his strength grew and his martial exploration became clearer, his Divine Dao Martial Path and the Martial Emperor Dragon Fist were no longer a perfect one-to-one match. It could be said that this Martial Emperor Dragon Fist could embody many of Qin Fen’s martial concepts and spiritual imprints, but it could not bear the weight of his entire martial path and spiritual essence.
After all, the Emperor of Martial Arts was not a god, merely walking a path closer to the Divine Dao. Otherwise, during his battle with Wu Fengzi, his martial aura might have climbed even higher, and the techniques he unleashed would have been truly invincible.
He must create a fist art that belonged entirely to him, one suited to him, one capable of fully supporting the Divine Dao. Therefore, relying only on the Dragon Fist or a few established fist styles would not suffice!
Qin Fen did not believe that relying solely on the Martial Emperor Dragon Fist would be enough to conquer the Qilin Gate. He needed to astonish the world.
Qin Fen settled his mind and once again chose to enter the most fundamental striking arts rooms. Even a towering mansion requires a solid foundation.
Even a towering tree originates from roots, branching out to establish its existence. The more a feat is acclaimed globally, the more robust its foundation must be!
Yet, people often only notice the splendor high above, ignoring the source! Only by truly mastering the source can one achieve proliferation.
Martial arts are the same. Any Grandmaster who founded a school of martial arts chose a single seed from these springs of martial endeavor to cultivate.
What Qin Fen was doing today was precisely what many founding martial arts masters had done in the past. If there was any difference, it was that Qin Fen’s ambition dwarfed that of many founders!
Others only needed one seed from the ocean of martial arts to grow a towering tree; Qin Fen required a multitude of seeds. Or perhaps, Qin Fen aimed to find the single, most primal seed from which all these martial arts seeds sprung.
If there were many seeds, what entity generated those seeds? A single giant seed?
Qin Fen’s ultimate goal was to find this, and if he couldn't, he would gather several seeds and integrate them to form a new one. Qin Fen had already decided on a name for this seed: Divine Fist Dao!
The fist art of a god, reaching the extreme limit of the martial path! This compilation process could not be achieved in a day or two.
Qin Fen lodged himself within the Supreme Techniques Pavilion, taking his meals and sleep there, only occasionally meeting with Caesar and the others in different rooms. Whenever they met, they exchanged knowing smiles before each returning to the secret manuals and insights they required.
The half-year intensive training had not only benefited Qin Fen; Caesar and the others were also growing at a rate that defied belief. If they were to progress further with the martial paths previously established, they needed vast supplementation beyond self-comprehension gained through combat.
The Supreme Techniques Pavilion was this massive reservoir of martial nutrition. Turning into another room, Qin Fen encountered Solomon.
The most taciturn martial artist in the group puffed out his chest slightly upon seeing Qin Fen. Three!
A metal badge, the size of an infant's fist, hung on his left chest. Qin Fen had seen similar badges on Caesar and the others, marked with numbers like four or five.
The number three signified that Solomon was the third strongest member of Qin Fen’s squad! During the ranking battle at Blade Peak, Solomon had secured the third position, simultaneously marking him as the most qualified person—besides Xue Tian—to challenge Qin Fen.
Because Xue Tian actively avoided or delayed the challenge, Solomon became the first in line from Qin Fen's squad entitled to issue a challenge. Brooks, wearing a number four badge, happened to enter the same room just then.
The moment he saw the number three badge hanging on Solomon’s chest, two sharp, sword-like glints shot from his pupils. There were few things in this world capable of drawing such intense interest from Brooks as the badge on Solomon’s chest.
After the battle at Blade Mountain, Qin Fen’s squad had agreed to hold these internal ranking fights once every six months to determine the ownership of these numbered tags. The six months of intensive training had deepened their camaraderie while simultaneously heightening their internal competition.
Solomon felt the sword-like gaze from Brooks and, with a deliberately subtle gesture, puffed out his chest, his handsome features radiating an indescribable pride. Number Three!
A number coveted by the Qin Fen squad, enough to make Solomon proud. “Wear it well, and cherish these six months,” Brooks said, pulling a book from the shelf with a slight smile.
“In six months, you won’t have a chance to wear it. By then, you can only watch it hang on my chest.” Solomon gently wagged his index finger, his smile seeming to imply Brooks was bragging.
“Three.” From outside the door came Yang Lie’s icy voice. Qin Fen selected a book from the shelf, turned, and quickly walked out of the room.
Every time these individuals started discussing the ownership of the number three spot, even if they were in different rooms, they seemed to have exceptional hearing; Caesar would likely appear here soon as well. Time flowed meaninglessly within the Supreme Techniques Pavilion.
Qin Fen hadn't realized he would stay within its confines for another full two months. He frantically absorbed massive quantities of martial arts notes, whether it was the simple Arhat Fist or the profound Indra Claw, wildly integrating them into his martial path.
The embryonic form of the Divine Fist Dao gradually began to take shape and perfect itself, moving beyond mere initial speculation. Qin Fen pushed open the door of the Supreme Techniques Pavilion and looked out at the bright light.
His eyes showed no sign of discomfort; he descended the steps calmly, one step after another. The guard watching the Supreme Techniques Pavilion rubbed his eyes repeatedly as he watched Qin Fen's receding silhouette from a distance.
It was the same person, yet after just two months, his back view carried a sense of unfamiliarity? This was not an illusion caused by an increase in his martial star rating.
The guard had watched over the Pavilion for years and frequently saw Chief-level martial artists, but none had ever given him this strange feeling. Seemingly strong yet not, seemingly weak yet not—a chaotic blend of reality and illusion!
The guard shook his head repeatedly, feeling utterly unable to discern the man’s aura, a peculiar sensation. Staring intently seemed to draw a strange attraction, as if looking longer would cause him to be pulled in and mercilessly devoured.
Quiet, peaceful, composed! Yet, it also evoked the sense of a colossal beast awakening from the primordial chaos… The guard, unable to comprehend it, turned back to his post.