Skill Points: Choosing a Martial Art

Qi Energy was the shared pursuit of the Hundred Thousand Disciples of the Asura Sect. Zhuge Xiang's yearning for it was no less than anyone else's. Born a beggar, with the old beggar killed for no reason and having witnessed the fragility of life, the young Zhuge Xiang had understood the importance of strength. His desire to rise above others was therefore incomparably fierce.

The Asura Sect was his once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity, and Qi Energy was the sole pass through its gates. Fortunately, he had finally succeeded today. Feeling the Qi Energy coursing clearly through his meridians, Zhuge Xiang was overwhelmed with excitement. Its emergence not only meant that he had seized this opportunity, but also that he had truly stepped into the world of cultivators.

"Breakthrough? He actually broke through in battle? Could this be the Battle Genius the sect spoke of...?" Below the Martial Arts Arena, the few spectators all stared wide-eyed. Their faces held envy, but even more shock. They knew that people who could break through in battle were more likely to earn the sect's attention.

The Asura Sect was a sect that revered martial strength. In the Cultivation World, there were countless varieties of geniuses. Some possessed exceptional comprehension of Martial Arts, some were born with special physiques and bloodlines, while some cultivated faster by nature. But if one asked what kind of genius was most prized in the Asura Sect, there was no need to say it: Battle Geniuses.

During the one-year training period, he had only comprehended Qi Energy in the final dozen or so days. In the eyes of the Asura Sect, such talent was not particularly outstanding. But breaking through in battle gave it an entirely different meaning.

Legend had it that the Founding Ancestor of the Asura Sect had once been a person of mediocre talent in the Cultivation World. If others could advance one cultivation realm in a year, he needed three to five years. If others could comprehend one Martial Art in a month, he might need half a year. Such a person should have been destined for mediocrity, yet the opposite happened. By a chance occurrence, the Founding Ancestor of the Asura Sect offended someone stronger than himself and broke through in the midst of a great battle. After that, he became unstoppable. In merely five hundred years, his cultivation had reached the pinnacle of the Cultivation World. He was called a Battle Genius seen once in ten thousand years, having fought no fewer than ten thousand battles, nurturing battle with battle and growing stronger with every fight.

For that very reason, no other sect could compare to the Asura Sect's reverence for battle. Likewise, Battle Geniuses capable of breaking through in combat were figures the Asura Sect valued greatly.

Though he had only broken through in the final dozen or so days of the deadline, the fact that he had comprehended Qi Energy during battle was enough to make him comparable to disciples who had comprehended Qi Energy months ago.

Comprehending Qi Energy was certainly cause for Joy, but standing on the Martial Arts Arena like a monkey for others to watch was naturally not something Zhuge Xiang enjoyed. Without even sparing Li Bin a glance, Zhuge Xiang left the arena directly. The Asura Sect would have someone take injured disciples like him away for treatment.

Though Zhuge Xiang was delighted to have comprehended Qi Energy, he quickly calmed himself. He knew that the road ahead was still long.

Of the Hundred Thousand Disciples cultivating, even if fewer than ten thousand became official disciples in the end, there would still be several thousand. Furthermore, the Asura Sect was said to have three hundred thousand official disciples. He had merely obtained the qualification to become one. His path of cultivation had only just begun; what came next was when he truly needed to work hard.

After settling his excitement and properly positioning himself, Zhuge Xiang identified the direction and headed toward the Martial Arts Pavilion. Though the Hundred Thousand Disciples had a one-year deadline, naturally not all of them would break through precisely after one year. Thus, some simple cultivation methods were kept in the Martial Arts Pavilion, where any disciple who had comprehended Qi Energy could study freely. Of course, to prevent them from biting off more than they could chew, the Asura Sect had an explicit rule: at each cultivation realm, one could only learn two Martial Arts in the Asura Sect.

For someone like Zhuge Xiang, at the Qi Cultivation Realm he could only learn two Martial Arts. Having now broken through to Qi Energy, he could learn one, while the other required him to reach the Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer. This rule was also meant to ensure that disciples did not forget the importance of cultivation while increasing their combat methods. After all, without cultivation as a foundation, even the strongest attack methods were nothing more than castles in the air.

Beside the Martial Arts Pavilion was the External Affairs Department, specifically responsible for the cultivation and daily lives of the Hundred Thousand Disciples. After Zhuge Xiang passed the assessment and received an Identity Token representing that he had comprehended Qi Energy, he entered the Martial Arts Pavilion. As he entered, the guard solemnly explained its rules to him: he could only learn one Martial Art, methods for cultivating Qi Energy were available inside, no loud noises, and so on.

The Martial Arts Pavilion was not very large, only seven or eight zhang across. There were not many people inside either, most of them searching for cultivation experiences concerning Qi Energy and the like. After all, one could only learn one Martial Art. As for breaking through to the Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer within a year and earning the chance to cultivate a second Martial Art? Such a world-shocking genius was presumably impossible.

Zhuge Xiang glanced through the cultivation methods for Qi Energy, but did not commit them to memory. With the Super Game System, Zhuge Xiang knew full well that the fastest way for him to increase his strength was through battle—constant battle to gain experience.

His main purpose in coming to the Martial Arts Pavilion was naturally Martial Arts. Walking to the platforms where Martial Art manuals were displayed, Zhuge Xiang carefully examined them. There were not many manuals in the Martial Arts Pavilion, only a dozen or so. After all, this pavilion was merely a transitional place for disciples who comprehended Qi Energy during the year to continue cultivating. Once the Assessment Assembly ended, these disciples would be taken into the Asura Sect's Official Sect, where they would receive specialized, systematic instruction.

Martial Art manuals rested atop more than a dozen platforms, including sword techniques, fist techniques, leg techniques, and more. Zhuge Xiang saw both Clear Wave Palm and Ghost Step. Each Martial Art had its own strengths, and for a time he did not know how to choose. Seeing the Clear Wave Palm manual, Zhuge Xiang picked it up and casually opened it. After all, it was the only Martial Art he knew a little about.

"Ding. Skill book Clear Wave Palm discovered. Requires Qi Cultivation Realm First Layer. Requires 1 Skill Point. Learn?"

Just as Zhuge Xiang opened the Clear Wave Palm manual, a mechanical system notification suddenly rang in his mind, causing him to pause slightly.

Skill Points? Zhuge Xiang knew of them. When he had just defeated Li Bin and comprehended Qi Energy to make a Breakthrough, the system had notified him that he had gained one Skill Point. But he had not known what it was for. Now he did. It seemed that by spending this Skill Point, he could learn Clear Wave Palm?

He could gain experience by defeating enemies and directly raise his cultivation realm. He could even obtain something like Steel Secret Medicine out of thin air. To Zhuge Xiang, the Super Game System was already an incredibly powerful existence. Yet this Skill Point could actually let him instantly learn a Martial Art? It was beyond his imagination. One had to know that to initially comprehend a Martial Art and reach the Entry Level, one needed at least several months of bitter cultivation.

Though shaken, Zhuge Xiang did not choose to learn Clear Wave Palm. Its special effect was trapping enemies, making them feel as though their feet had sunk into mud, but its raw attack power was not outstanding. For Zhuge Xiang, who needed victories in battle to raise his cultivation, Clear Wave Palm was not a particularly suitable choice. Putting it down, he began examining the other Martial Arts.

Ghost Step tempted Zhuge Xiang somewhat. When he had fought Li Bin earlier, he had deeply understood the awkward predicament of being unable to touch even the corner of his opponent's robes.

Battles between Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators were exceedingly dangerous. Though they had comprehended Qi Energy, their bodies were not much stronger than those of ordinary people who had not. Qi Energy increased attack power, but did not greatly improve the body's ability to withstand blows. Therefore, Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators could not possibly use their bodies as bait in battle.

Blood Thunder Slash had only one move, but Zhuge Xiang was also tempted by this Martial Art. Among the offensive Martial Arts in the Martial Arts Pavilion, it possessed the highest attack power, which suited Zhuge Xiang's requirements perfectly.

Bloodthirsty Technique also tempted Zhuge Xiang. Though this skill came at the cost of damaging the body, it could forcibly raise all attributes for a short time—physical resilience, movement speed, attack speed, and more. However, this Martial Art was extremely dangerous to cultivate.

Looking at these three Martial Arts, Zhuge Xiang found it difficult to choose for a time. Each had its own merits. Bloodthirsty Technique in particular provided a comprehensive enhancement to every aspect of one's abilities. Though its initial increase was somewhat mediocre, it would become extremely powerful as the Martial Art deepened. From a long-term perspective, its value far surpassed the other Martial Arts in the Martial Arts Pavilion.

"So you really did comprehend Qi Energy. But I advise you not to cultivate Bloodthirsty Technique. It may be powerful, but this year alone, more than eighty fellow disciples have died cultivating it." Just as Zhuge Xiang picked up Bloodthirsty Technique and examined it closely, a crisp, familiar voice rang out behind him.

Turning around, Zhuge Xiang saw Lu Yuling standing behind him in a white dress. The hem of her skirt fluttered slightly, like a pure white lotus shining brilliantly. Her exquisite, peerlessly beautiful face was like fine jade bathed in moonlight, making others dare not look at her directly.

"Senior Sister Lu, do you know anything about this Bloodthirsty Technique?" Despite having spent several days with Lu Yuling, Zhuge Xiang was still briefly entranced by her elegance. But he quickly recovered and asked. To him, his foremost goal was to increase his strength; beyond that, he gave no thought to anything else.

"Bloodthirsty Technique is a secret art that activates one's own essence blood and Qi Energy. It can also easily make one's consciousness grow muddled and fill one with aggression. Because it is difficult to grasp the proper measure, many disciples lose consciousness while cultivating it and exhaust all the essence blood in their bodies. Although it is the strongest Martial Art in the Martial Arts Pavilion, every class sees dozens or even hundreds of disciples die from cultivating it. Of those who truly succeed in cultivating Bloodthirsty Technique, only one in a hundred manages it." Looking at the Bloodthirsty Technique in Zhuge Xiang's hands, Lu Yuling explained it to him in great detail.

The chance of successfully cultivating it was one in a hundred, while the consequences of failure were naturally disastrous. Thus, although Bloodthirsty Technique was the strongest Martial Art in the Martial Arts Pavilion, those who truly dared cultivate it could be counted on one's fingers. After all, they had finally comprehended Qi Energy and gained the qualification to become official disciples of the Asura Sect; there was no need to risk their lives. Among the several thousand disciples who had comprehended Qi Energy, only those eighty or so had dared to try. The success rate of cultivating Bloodthirsty Technique was clear enough.

"I see." Having learned this information about Bloodthirsty Technique, Zhuge Xiang nodded in understanding, but he had already made his decision.