Martial cultivation, in essence, was a vital component of the cultivation world, standing alongside disciplines like alchemy, Qi refinement, artifact forging, and swordsmanship, a true pillar of the immortal cultivation sphere.

In the words of Zhang Hengguang, the Dao boasts three thousand paths; no one decreed that the pursuit of immortality must be restricted to a single route! Though the cultivation world has waned in recent times, the legacy of many sects remains. However, the martial cultivation lineage, due to its stringent requirements and high barrier to entry, compounded by increasingly hostile external conditions, has died out.

“According to the elders of my sect, the last remaining martial cultivation school severed its lineage three hundred years ago. Its master, Zhao Hengyang, died with his eyes wide open, unable to ensure the sect’s continuation!”

A sigh followed this recollection, before he continued, “Yet, I never expected Senior Ye’s lineage to also be one of martial cultivation. It seems Senior Ye has been diligently cultivating over these past centuries, which is why outsiders have been unaware of your sect’s existence!”

Ye Wen nodded, following Zhang Hengguang’s lead, “My emergence now is precisely to continue my sect's heritage and re-establish its renown! All necessary preliminary matters are settled. After a period, I plan to return home to establish schools, selecting talented and virtuous youths from among them to accept as my sect's disciples.”

Zhang Hengguang didn't pick up on this point. While he desperately wanted to interject that in the current climate, achieving Qi sense through martial practice was exceedingly rare. To spontaneously sense Qi and cross the threshold into internal arts required truly prodigious talent. Even so, few managed to achieve significant progress within their lifetimes. The harsh environment made internal cultivation efforts yield diminishing returns; many practitioners spent their entire lives merely attaining Qi sense, never progressing further.

But the sight in the courtyard—Chris and Tommy trading blows, their bodies wreathed in swirling white Qi—made Zhang Hengguang realize that this venerable senior possessed the ability to usher someone entirely ignorant of cultivation methods into the ranks of martial cultivators.

As for Chris, Zhang Hengguang had some understanding of his situation; his pure infusion of dark energy provided considerable advantage. But that Black man… He couldn't possibly have also stumbled upon some extraordinary encounter granting him formidable energy, could he? If not, then Ye Wen must have personally taught him.

Since Ye Wen could guide a foreigner, who initially couldn't even articulate what internal arts were, into the realm of martial cultivation, then teaching those students back home… well, that might require careful discretion, wouldn't it?

Ye Wen seemed to discern his thoughts, noticing Zhang Hengguang repeatedly gazing at the two training in the courtyard. Ye Wen directly articulated his plan: “Initially, the students will only learn standard external martial arts—at best, they will become more refined and physically stronger! As for internal Jing Qi... that I will impart depending on the situation!”

What he intended to establish was a school of both letters and martial arts. Given the current societal context, the term 'martial' often conjured images of performance-based stage fighting. No one would suspect that Ye Wen intended to teach killing techniques. In truth, even existing martial academies didn't exclusively teach performance arts; genuinely combative, hard-style martial arts still existed, though whether one could learn them was another matter.

He had considered whether such actions might invite trouble, but upon deeper reflection, how else could he hook those bigger fish without creating something truly exceptional?

Ye Wen had considered establishing contact with the cultivation world through Zhang Hengguang and his sect. However, after weighing it all, he would still need to take the step of opening his doors to disciples. Ultimately, it circled back to the same point, so he avoided getting too close to the Tianfu Sect, maintaining only a personal connection with Zhang Hengguang.

Over the past two years, Zhang Hengguang’s cultivation had improved considerably, thanks to a wisp of Primordial Qi received from Ye Wen. During his last visit back to his sect, although the elders were still displeased with Zhang Hengguang’s habit of dabbling in all sorts of extraneous matters, they were happy to see another outstanding disciple emerge. Reportedly, the Tianfu Sect had already begun discussions about inducting Zhang Hengguang into the Inner Sect, though the specific master under whom he would study was still under deliberation; a decision should be reached soon.

Just then, that dark-skinned fellow Tommy, with utterly terrible timing, suddenly shouted: “Watch my Rising Dragon Fist!”

He pulled his right fist back to his waist, lunged forward fiercely with his left foot, and with the white Dou Qi erupting, Tommy’s speed instantly surpassed double his normal pace. In a near blink, he closed the distance to Chris and unleashed his right fist, enveloped in dense white Dou Qi, in an upward sweep. Caught completely off guard, Chris took the blow squarely, his entire body sent soaring by this rising uppercut.

“Ri-Ri-Rising Dragon Fist…”

Zhang Hengguang pointed at Tommy, who had executed a stylish mid-air spin before landing lightly and striking a pose, then turned to look at Ye Wen.

“Nothing much, just a knock-off!”

While Ye Wen said that, only he knew that this Rising Dragon Fist was the genuine article, a product of the Ring, and its power was identical to the technique depicted in Hong Kong comics.

Assuming it was the old senior’s whimsical taste, Zhang Hengguang turned back, but Chris, who had been sent flying, performed an action that nearly broke him.

Using the force of Tommy’s punch, Chris executed a sharp backward flip in the air. Before even landing, he positioned both palms vaguely clasped near his waist, and the white Dou Qi on his body suddenly vibrated, shifting to yellow.

“Oh?”

Ye Wen seemed slightly surprised, having not expected Chris to deploy Yellow Dou Qi. The power of Yellow Dou Qi was significantly higher than white. However, Chris’s Yellow Dou Qi was only at the nascent stage—it was less true Yellow Dou Qi and more like white Dou Qi lightly tinged with yellow.

“Ah-Nee-Doo-Gen!”

As Chris shouted, Zhang Hengguang stumbled backward, mouth agape, watching Chris mold a spherical burst of Qi between his palms, which he then slammed directly into Tommy’s face, who was still posing.

“Hey! Chris! You almost ruined my handsome face!”

Chris’s Hadoken () hadn't used much force, and Tommy was protected by his white Dou Qi. The blow only caused a slight sting and inflicted no actual damage.

“Don’t exaggerate, Tommy. Even if I used all my Dou Qi to throw a Hadoken, I couldn't punch through that face of yours!” Chris’s condition was clearly improving, and mastering a power ordinary people could never attain filled him with elation.

Over these two years, besides cultivating under Ye Wen, Chris occasionally performed tasks for the Vatican as a side job. Due to his history with Mudrak, Chris now harbored deep loathing for creatures of the dark world. If he received news, he would proactively strike and eliminate them completely.

Ye Wen had never voiced opposition; on the contrary, he strongly endorsed such activities. This was because the cultivation of the Seven-Colored Dou Qi could be advanced through slow accumulation, or through constant, intense combat that continually challenged one’s limits. The more danger involved, the greater the possibility of breakthrough—it was a cultivation method where danger and reward coexisted.

Chris’s frequent battles against low-level vampires, werewolves, and the like actually accelerated the growth of his power, helping him convert the dark energy within his body into Dou Qi more quickly. Ye Wen calculated that if all the dark energy were digested by the Dou Qi, Chris’s strength would reach at least the Red Dou Qi stage.

According to the standard progression of the Seven-Colored Dou Qi—White, Yellow, Green, Red, Blue, Purple, Black—and certain benchmarks from the original texts, reaching Red Dou Qi was already a formidable state. By making constant lateral comparisons, Ye Wen estimated that achieving Red Dou Qi would equate to at least the pinnacle of the Innate Realm.

If this were the case, Ye Wen suspected that without some unique, world-altering fortune, it might be impossible to bring the Seven-Colored Dou Qi to its absolute zenith in this world. If that were true, then the most ridiculous drawback of the Seven-Colored Dou Qi could be neatly avoided: reaching Black Dou Qi causes idiocy!

Seeing both men cease their spar, Ye Wen opened the sliding window and stepped into the courtyard. He addressed Chris, “Your Hadoken technique is well-practiced. It seems these past years of minor skirmishes have allowed you to master your Dou Qi control sufficiently!”

After speaking, he stood still with his hands clasped behind his back and instructed Chris, “Gather all your Dou Qi, and strike me!”

“This…” Chris was initially pleased to hear his master praise him; everyone enjoyed compliments. But he was taken aback by Ye Wen’s subsequent command.

Ye Wen smiled faintly, “Don’t hold back. With your current strength, you couldn’t possibly harm your master! Attack with everything you have!”

Chris realized this made sense and stopped talking, immediately exploding with all his Dou Qi. Yellow Dou Qi, like flames, billowed around him—and this time, it wasn’t the faint yellow from before, but genuine Yellow Dou Qi.

“Has he completely mastered Yellow Dou Qi?” Ye Wen observed Chris. “Although his progress is fast, considering the sheer volume of energy contained within his body, it shouldn't be this slow!”

Ye Wen had specifically wanted to test Chris’s true combat potential, recalling the vast reserves of dark energy within him. However, the situation seemed different from his estimation: the immense dark energy in Chris's body seemed to sense danger and had learned to conceal itself during the continuous process of being consumed and converted.

It was now very difficult for Chris to continue absorbing and converting the dark energy within him, which was why his advancement was slower than Ye Wen had projected.

This time, Ye Wen intended to force out Chris’s latent potential.

Chris channeled his focus between his palms, where a visible surge of potent Qi contracted until it formed a sphere. This Hadoken technique, obtained from the Ring, was inherently powerful, and its strength increased proportionally with the user’s skill.

The technique Chris unleashed now demonstrated formidable might; Qi radiated outward, strong winds swept the ground, and subtle indentations and cracks began to appear on the stone tiles beneath his feet.

With a roar, Chris thrust his palms forward. This classic move familiar to countless gaming enthusiasts manifested in reality, and even more breathtakingly, a true wave of force was projected, not just a posture.

The yellow Hadoken shot toward Ye Wen, who remained standing tall, hands clasped behind his back in that pose reminiscent of a man struck by lightning. While Zhang Hengguang watched curiously, wondering how this old master would neutralize such a formidable attack, he was shocked to see Ye Wen neither dodge, block, nor parry, but simply absorb the blow head-on.

Everyone present was stunned, including Chris, who had launched the attack. He had expected his master to casually disperse the Qi with a wave of his hand or something similar, not simply take the full impact.

What shocked them even more was the utterly bizarre way Chris’s Hadoken vanished upon touching Ye Wen’s body. The immense pressure abruptly disappeared, creating an unsettling sensation, as if a knot had tightened in everyone’s chest.

Ye Wen suddenly nodded and stated, “Not bad!” Then, before anyone could react, he raised his right hand, flicked it casually, and tapped lightly toward Chris: “…Now, let’s see how you handle this one!”

The palm strike was unleashed before the words even finished. Chris, still seven or eight meters away, felt a powerful gust of wind slam into his face, making breathing momentarily difficult. Immediately following, a massive yellow Eastern dragon roared out from his master's palm and charged straight toward him.

The sheer might emanating from this yellow dragon gave Chris an overwhelming sense of helplessness. For a split second, he felt his master intended to kill him, as the dragon, mouth wide open and roaring, resembled a mythical beast poised to devour its prey!

Chris froze for a moment, then hastily unleashed another Hadoken for defense. This time, however, it was a rushed effort, and his Dou Qi wasn't channeled effectively. His spontaneous Hadoken was swallowed whole by the yellow dragon almost instantly.

“It’s over, I’m going to die!”

Faced with mortal danger, Chris felt an intense unwillingness to yield. This reluctance seemed to fuel him with boundless power. A torrent of formidable energy suddenly surged into his Dantian, and after a quick internal cycle, his Dou Qi shifted again. The flame-like yellow aura slowly transformed into green, and with a subsequent wave from Chris, a sharp, blade-like green energy was released.

As this green blade-energy appeared, the yellow dragon was split neatly in half and slowly dissipated into nothingness. Chris then realized that the yellow dragon had been composed entirely of Yellow Dou Qi!

“This…”

Ye Wen had never used the Seven-Colored Dou Qi; he had made this clear when teaching Chris. Chris couldn't believe his master would lie, especially given that the power Ye Wen displayed was beyond description; even if his master did know the Seven-Colored Dou Qi, it would certainly be far beyond the low-tier Yellow stage.

This meant his master must have used the very Dou Qi Chris had just released against him. The crushing sensation he felt was likely Ye Wen deliberately exaggerating the technique's oppressive aura to scare him and force out the newly emerged power within him.

“This…”

Staring at his current state—now possessing Green Dou Qi—Chris felt slightly bewildered. Finally, Ye Wen approached and offered an explanation: “The dark energy within you hasn't been fully converted; it has been lying dormant! Now that your Dou Qi is full, you can maintain a normal state. But if your body ever becomes critically weak, that dark energy could very well rise up to cause trouble!”

“So, Master used this method to force that dark energy out, allowing the Seven-Colored Dou Qi to convert it into power I can control?” Chris fully grasped Ye Wen’s intent. Coupled with the issue of the lingering dark energy, he was even more concerned: “Has this energy been purged then?”

Chris felt that energy had been capable of advancing his Dou Qi a full rank; surely, this time it must have been completely expelled. But reality is seldom as accommodating as imagination. Ye Wen’s subsequent answer informed him the situation was far more complex.

“No… only a portion was forced out. And next time, trying this same trick to draw out the dark energy will likely be impossible. From now on, you must rely on yourself to continuously explore your body and subdue all energies not under your control. Only then can you resolve the crisis that looms!”

Ye Wen estimated that by mastering Green Dou Qi, Chris now possessed the ability to actively fight those residual energies. Previously, he worried that even if Chris located the dark energy, he wouldn't have the strength to neutralize it. But now, that concern was gone.

As for why he didn't use this method to pressure Tommy, it was because Tommy had no massive, readily accessible energy reserve acting as a backup. If he had injured Tommy by trying to force out potential without that backing, it would have been too upsetting.

Next, Ye Wen could properly teach Chris other things, such as the countless forms and routines from his own sect. If Chris could master several of these, combined with his Green Dou Qi, ordinary Blood Clan members or werewolves would truly pose no danger. Even if he encountered a genuine powerhouse, he would possess the ability to save his own life.

“Starting tomorrow, I will teach you new things!”

“What about me?” Tommy trotted over eagerly, hoping to learn some good stuff too.

Ye Wen looked at the Black man. He genuinely admired Tommy’s natural talent, but his penchant for showboating was a headache: “You… you too!”

He pondered for a moment. Perhaps teaching him some flashy, visually impressive techniques would be best. It was a pity Xu Xian wasn't here; otherwise, his junior martial brother would be perfect to teach Tommy.

After giving a few final instructions to Zhang Hengguang, Ye Wen, who was preparing for his return home to build the school, touched the spot where Chris’s Hadoken had struck him. There was no trace of injury there now, as if nothing had ever made contact.

“This Eternal Undying Body really is excellent; it was worth using my once-in-half-a-year summoning opportunity!”

Compared to this martial art, that Divine Race Undying Body technique was a major frustration. It required the blood of a Celestial Being to master, but where was he supposed to find such a rare substance?

“Why does this damned Ring resort to random draws after upgrading?”