Fermentation

Chapter 17: Fermentation

"There's a traitor in our group!"

The sub-admin spoke with righteous indignation: "The admin risked his own safety to break the shackles the older generation of martial artists have placed on us young people's pursuit of the martial path. He uploaded fist techniques, breathing methods, sword arts, and mecha arts—and yet someone secretly snitched, sending the admin back to the hospital. This kind of behavior deserves our utter contempt. Don't let me find you out, or you'll understand what the fury of East Must Win means!"

Baili Qingfeng read the sub-admin's post. The sub-admin's nickname was East Must Win.

Just from the name, you could tell he was absolutely a top-tier expert.

Baili Qingfeng looked around and began browsing the latest fist techniques and breathing methods uploaded by the admin, Proud Heaven Sword God.

After a moment, Baili Qingfeng had to admit one thing...

These fist techniques and breathing methods all seemed legitimate. Even if they couldn't match the Rushing Thunder Thirty-Six Forms, Thunder Breath, or the Thunder Sovereign Visualization Method, they probably weren't far off. Some of the fist techniques, body refining methods, and breathing methods even seemed...

More refined than the Rushing Thunder Thirty-Six Forms and Thunder Breath?

"The strength of a body refining technique or breathing method doesn't lie in the technique itself, but in the person who cultivates it... As long as you're good enough, what technique wouldn't work?"

After reading for a while, Baili Qingfeng's gaze fell back on the chat window.

By now, the conversation in the group had gone off track. Everyone was discussing how to visit the admin and bring gifts. Some said they'd bring oranges, some said they'd bring girls, some said they'd offer themselves in marriage...

It had to be said, Bai Yuxiao's efforts were still reaping rewards.

Just then, someone in the group suddenly said: "Martial arts training is too hard. I've been at it for three years and I'm still just a nobody—I haven't even managed to generate inner energy. Is there any top-tier martial art that's fast to learn, hits hard, and is easy to practice? I don't need anything too crazy—just something that'll let me take on eight or ten War-level experts after I master it."

As soon as he finished speaking, a flood of messages popped up.

"Same request. I want that kind of method too."

"I've trained for three years without even getting a proper grip on force—who do I complain to? I can't even hold my head up at home. My cousin sister laughs at me, says I'm not even as good as a girl. If you've got that kind of method, give me a dozen. I'll show them what a real man is!"

"Admin, sub-admin, got any recommendations? I'll buy them. Money's no object."

The crowd immediately started clamoring.

And at that moment, the sub-admin East Must Win seemed a bit annoyed: "We're all young martial artists gathered here for our dreams. Dreams, understand!? Talking about money—that's an insult to me!"

With that, he sent out a big red envelope.

Baili Qingfeng was quick on the draw. He tapped it and got one hundred eighty-six point six six yuan.

"Truly generous," Baili Qingfeng said sincerely.

Nearly two hundred—that was almost a month's salary for a fresh graduate.

"One-cent club. Shame on you."

"Three cents. Shocked me so much I dropped my watermelon!"

"All that flashy action, and you get two bits and a nickel."

"..."

Baili Qingfeng.

"Everyone calm down, everyone calm down. Actually, the admin already found us that kind of method—easy to practice, fast to learn, and with great power. We just didn't look carefully enough."

At this point, another sub-admin, known as Gentleman Sword, appeared and directly posted a method: "Everyone, take a look."

"Heavenly Demon Disintegration Art? The name sounds domineering. Downloading it now."

Someone immediately started stirring things up.

Baili Qingfeng took a look and opened the document.

The Heavenly Demon Disintegration Art was an explosive secret technique that fully met the criteria of being fast to learn and powerful.

As for being easy to practice—not necessarily.

The human body has a self-protection mechanism. For example, if the pain is too severe, you faint; if a bone breaks, you can't exert force; if a muscle is strained, your strength weakens; if you're terrified, your body goes stiff to reduce your threat presence. The most obvious example is that when an ordinary person punches a wall, they can never use their full strength, because their subconscious pulls back the power at the moment of impact to avoid injury.

The Heavenly Demon Disintegration Art was about breaking that self-protection mechanism.

"Fast to learn, powerful, and if your mental will is strong enough, it's easy to master... Even if your will is weak, or you're simple-minded and stubborn, it's still easy to learn. The only downside is that without the self-protection mechanism, you'll definitely be left with a body full of pain and injuries—even disabilities—after using it."

But...

Was that a problem for him, Baili Qingfeng?

"Good technique. I'll practice it."

Baili Qingfeng memorized the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Art while typing: "The admin is awesome! Are there any other techniques like this—ones where taking a little damage gives you a huge power boost?"

"I recommend the guy above, Baili Hengjiang, go practice the Eight Desolations Six Harmonies Supreme Sword. Practice it and you can grow or shrink at will."

"Seven Kill Fist is the true path."

"Avici Path Three Blades."

"We martial artists, why fear danger! Since we've set foot on the martial path, we must have the resolve to give everything and charge forward without looking back! I strongly recommend the Evil Repelling Swordplay!"

"Evil Repelling Swordplay?"

Baili Qingfeng immediately went to search for it.

Soon, he asked again: "There's no Evil Repelling Swordplay on the forum?"

Gentleman Sword sent a coughing emoji: "Martial training carries risks; cultivation requires caution."

Baili Qingfeng searched a few more times. Not only was Evil Repelling Swordplay absent, but the other major techniques were missing too. The moderator probably hadn't uploaded them yet. He felt a twinge of regret.

"I wonder when the moderator will be discharged from the hospital."

Baili Qingfeng muttered.

It was almost time for class, so he stopped searching and returned to the dormitory.

Inside, Batu, Gule, and Momier were already awake. They seemed to have some lingering memories of what happened last night, and when they saw Baili Qingfeng, they looked visibly awkward.

But Gule and Batu said nothing more. They soon left for class, and the distance between them had clearly grown.

"I need to move out."

Baili Qingfeng said.

Practicing martial arts on campus was inconvenient. Besides, he planned to try cultivating the Rushing Thunder Thirty-Six Forms, Thunder Breath, and even Thunder Sovereign with the help of electricity—so the dormitory's voltage, which tripped at the slightest provocation, simply wouldn't do.

Time passed, three days gone.

Since Russell and his group often went out carousing and rarely returned, it wasn't until the third day—three days after they'd gone missing—that anyone noticed. Naturally, personnel from the Guard Division came to investigate and even interrogated Shen Ge and others who had clashed with them.

The students of Xia'er University cheered at the disappearance of those thugs, some even cursing that they'd fallen into a river and drowned.

But the matter truly blew up a week later.

Unable to find Russell and his men, a group of dozens from the Aurora Empire stormed into Xia'er University. In broad daylight, they dragged away Shen Ge—who had previously clashed with Russell—along with over a dozen students, taking them to an unknown location.

This brazen act of the Aurora Empire seizing people from Xia'er University in broad daylight ignited the already tense relations between the two nations. With the Sea World Association secretly fanning the flames, the incident began to sweep across the entire city.