Cultist, Innate Martial Seed!

"Compete?"

Fang Qingyu paused, surprised.

"Compete with people from other Martial Halls?"

"No, no, no."

Old Qiao shook his head as if he were a bell.

"I shouldn't have told you this so early, but since you've chosen to continue down the Martial Path, you'll have to learn about them sooner or later."

With that, Lu Chen handed him a tablet.

Fang Qingyu took the tablet, a guess forming in his mind.

He tapped to play.

The video began with a shaky camera, as if filmed with a handheld device.

The setting was an alley in an old district late at night. The streetlights flickered erratically, and a thin mist hovered over the damp ground.

A man in a hooded sweatshirt stood with his back to the camera, his right hand hanging by his side.

Dark liquid dripped from his fingertips, spreading small bloodstains on the concrete floor.

Suddenly, the camera jolted violently.

The cameraman let out a short gasp, and a distorted black shadow flashed at the edge of the frame.

The creature was vaguely humanoid, but its limbs were all bent backward, and purple-red veins like earthworms bulged beneath its decaying skin.

It lunged at the hooded man with incredible speed.

"It's here!" the cameraman suddenly warned.

But the moment the Life Spirit's claws reached his nape, the man vanished.

It wasn't teleportation, more like some kind of refraction.

The man's reflection in a puddle beneath the streetlight suddenly distorted, and he leaped out from another patch of dampness three meters away, water droplets flying from the hem of his soaked hoodie.

These droplets condensed into ice needles in mid-air and, with a flick of his hand, pierced the Life Spirit's forehead.

The Life Spirit let out a screech like metal scraping against metal.

The ice needles were swallowed by black mist about two inches from its brow.

But the hooded man had already vaulted behind it, using the alley wall for leverage. In his left hand, he held a ball of swirling blue ice.

This attack came from an extremely tricky angle.

The ice cone burrowed into a depression along the Life Spirit's spine.

The monster immediately went limp for half its body, like a snake that had its bones removed.

At this point.

The camera feed was suddenly overwhelmed by a bright light.

The video ended.

"That's not movie special effects,"

Old Qiao thoughtfully added after seeing Fang Qingyu finish watching.

"I know,"

Fang Qingyu nodded calmly.

It matched his own suspicions.

In this world, besides Martial Practitioners, there were also humans with superpowers.

People like Zhao Feng.

"So, we have to compete with these people for Life Spirits?"

After gathering his thoughts, Fang Qingyu looked at Old Qiao.

"Yes."

"You should know by now that we Martial Practitioners need to engage with Contemplation Methods to even step onto the threshold of transcending, but these people…"

"Are Transcendent from birth!!"

Fang Qingyu looked up sharply upon hearing this.

"From birth!?"

"Yes, from birth!"

Old Qiao nodded emphatically, confirming Fang Qingyu's words.

"These people are called Cultists."

"Like us Martial Practitioners, they are all regulated by the Regulatory Bureau, but they are naturally powerful, so often, the Regulatory Bureau sides with them."

Fang Qingyu looked thoughtful.

So, what Instructor Qin said about Song Ming being one of the few people on the Martial Practitioners' side meant this.

"If we compete with them for Life Spirits, will we fight?"

"Yes, that's why all the Martial Halls are united; they don't compete with their own people. When it comes to a situation where we have to fight Cultists for Life Spirits, we can directly call for backup."

Old Qiao was unfazed, stating it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Fang Qingyu's lips twitched.

This whole setup...

It felt a bit like a gang.

But judging by what he said, the Martial Practitioners and these Cultists must have a very bad relationship.

Was Zhao Feng an exception then?

"But we can't cause too much trouble. At most, we'll just compare strength. Whoever is weaker backs down."

Old Qiao quickly added to clarify.

"Understood."

Fang Qingyu could grasp this without Old Qiao needing to explain further.

If things got too heated, the Regulatory Bureau would likely intervene.

Therefore, it was probably usually the case that... Martial Practitioners were at a disadvantage, which is why they had no choice but to yield.

"You don't need to worry too much. Actually, we're not without our own people."

"What do you mean?"

Fang Qingyu looked like he was all ears.

Everything Old Qiao was saying today was new to him.

"Do you know why the Federation hasn't widely promoted the Martial Path?"

Old Qiao suddenly posed a question to pique his interest.

"I'm not sure."

Fang Qingyu frowned slightly.

"Because those naturally suited for martial arts, just like the Cultists, were already selected the moment they were born."

"It's just that the entry barrier for the Martial Path is low, so the Federation hasn't cut off the path of martial arts. They even provide funding to cultivate those who voluntarily choose to learn martial arts."

"For example, you and people like us."

Old Qiao spoke with evident resentment.

This was the first time Fang Qingyu had heard such a claim.

He could understand if those Cultists were naturally Transcendent; perhaps there were some supernatural phenomena involved.

"How can you tell if they are naturally suited for martial arts?"

"Martial Seeds! People born with Martial Seeds have no barriers from the very beginning of practicing martial arts, and their progress is incredibly fast. The path to becoming a Martial Practitioner is smooth sailing!"

Old Qiao's eyes, initially filled with resentment, now gleamed with longing as he said this.

Who wouldn't want a clear path to Transcendent?

That kind of power was what all martial artists pursued.

"Uh..."

Fang Qingyu was momentarily speechless.

So, my talent is something martial artists dream of.

No wonder it's so effective.

Old Qiao, thinking Fang Qingyu was discouraged, turned to comfort him.

"While your talent might not compare to a Martial Seed, among ordinary people, you're already top-tier. You have a chance to break through to become a Martial Practitioner, so don't be disheartened."

"Understood."

Fang Qingyu took a deep breath and nodded.

Seeing that Fang Qingyu wasn't too affected, Old Qiao nodded with relief and continued.

"After discussing competition, we have killing and running. There's not much to say about killing; it's a test of combat strength. The main thing is running."

"Running from what?"

Fang Qingyu was also curious about this.

Logically, after killing a Life Spirit, shouldn't it be safe?

"There are two reasons we need to run. First, after killing a Life Spirit, the aura from the Life Pearl and the corpse might attract other Life Spirits, so we must move quickly."

"Second, if we encounter Cultists right after a fight, they might try to snatch it."

"They can still steal things?"

Fang Qingyu found it a bit unbearable.

If they encountered each other before a fight and divided the spoils based on strength, he could understand that.

But to steal after the fight? Where was the order in that!?

Hearing this, Lu Chen, who was nearby, suddenly stepped forward and lifted his T-shirt.

His stomach was wrapped in layer upon layer of bandages.

"They can steal."

"If it's a Life Spirit from a remote area, the Regulatory Bureau won't arrive quickly. If they steal and then break their action recording device, they can twist black into white."

"This is our current ecosystem."

"Survival of the fittest!"

Old Qiao stared intently at Fang Qingyu, trying to discern something from his eyes.

Fang Qingyu, however, didn't meet his gaze.

After a moment of thought, he suddenly looked up and asked him.

"So..."

"We can steal from them too, right?"