Trouble Comes Knocking

Xu Qing cultivated the Gene Guidance Technique again.

He was immediately delighted to discover something.

The effects of this second level Gene Guidance Technique had already surpassed the Perfection realm of the Three Elements Gene Cultivation Method!!

As he felt vast amounts of Cosmic Energy enter his body,

that sensation of craving arose once more within Xu Qing's cells.

He immersed himself in cultivation for the entire night.

Early the next morning,

at the moment the rising sun appeared,

the lifespan limit on his panel changed from 85 to 86.

He had a feeling

that his physical qualities in every aspect had improved tremendously once again!

"Looks like the difficulty of the Night Owl Manual lies in its Combat Secret Technique."

"As for the Gene Guidance Technique, it isn't as difficult to get started with as I imagined."

Xu Qing slowly opened his eyes, a hint of satisfaction showing in his clear black-and-white gaze.

With this Gene Guidance Technique,

his 300,000 had been well spent.

"Next comes the Combat Secret Technique."

Xu Qing went back into the dormitory and devoted himself to studying the Combat Secret Technique.

Sure enough, this time, he truly felt its difficulty.

Just getting started took him a full month.

A month later.

In the woods.

Xu Qing stood holding a Training Battle Sword.

His heart was filled with shock.

"The Night Owl Secret Technique focuses on explosive force. By constantly adjusting one's combat stance, one can ultimately unleash all that power at a single point on the Sword Tip."

"The first form doubles one's explosive power."

"The seventh form can unleash eight times the strength of the user's body."

"If my physical strength is only one ton, then I'm merely a First Order Martial Artist. But once I master the Night Owl Secret Technique, my combat strength can instantly reach that of a Fourth-Order Martial Artist!"

"This, this... fuck, this is way too terrifying."

"Of course, a First Order Martial Artist probably doesn't have the ability to cultivate a secret technique of this level to Perfection."

"But that alone is enough to show how terrifying Combat Secret Techniques are."

"Uncle Luo was right. What true experts care about most is often Combat Secret Techniques!"

Xu Qing swallowed and suppressed the shock in his heart.

He kept reminding himself that he should focus first on cultivating the Night Concealment Gene Guidance Technique, rather than the Combat Secret Technique.

Time flew by.

A year later.

In the woods behind the employee dormitories.

A figure silently darted back and forth through the forest.

He was incredibly fast, like a ghost.

Even in broad daylight,

if anyone truly saw this scene,

they would surely cry out in fright.

That figure was Xu Qing, cultivating the Night Concealment Movement Technique.

Whoosh!

At a certain moment.

He suddenly stopped where he was, frowning as though carefully pondering something.

Very soon.

His brows relaxed, and he revealed a knowing smile.

"So that's how it is. Movement techniques shouldn't rely solely on the human body itself. Making use of the surrounding natural environment is also extremely important. Time to head back."

Xu Qing stretched lazily in satisfaction.

Only then did he turn around, pick up the Battle Spear leaning nearby and a Battle Sword, and head back.

He had borrowed this training sword from the Security Room.

Naturally, it was to hone his Night Owl Swordplay.

When they learned that he wanted to practice swordsmanship again,

Luo Qingshan and Liu Jun from the security team had both objected.

They told Xu Qing that he needed to specialize in one thing.

Yet Xu Qing still stubbornly went his own way, leaving many of the team members deeply disappointed.

Even Uncle Luo had grown somewhat cold toward him recently.

However, Xu Qing knew very well what he was doing.

This was also for the sake of learning the Combat Secret Technique.

Thus, he could only brush aside everyone's advice.

Fortunately, through a year of hard work,

he had finally cultivated the Gene Guidance Technique to the eighth level through his own efforts and by adding points through the panel.

Meanwhile, he had cultivated the Combat Secret Technique and movement technique entirely through his own comprehension.

Now, his Combat Secret Technique, Night Owl, had successfully reached the second form, allowing him to instantly unleash three times his physical strength.

His movement technique, Night Concealment, had reached the fourth realm—Profound Understanding.

If he encountered that Gene Martial Artist among the bandits again,

Xu Qing felt that he could easily kill him even without a weapon.

"Panel."

As Xu Qing focused his thoughts,

several lines of small text gradually appeared before his eyes.

Name: Xu Qing

Lifespan: 17/95

Fist Technique: Ancient Martial Xing Yi (Perfection)

Spear Technique: Xing Yi Five Elements Spear (Perfection)

Combat Secret Technique: Night Owl (Second Form) (+)

Movement Technique: Night Concealment (Profound Understanding) (+)

Guidance Technique: Night Concealment (Eighth Level) (+)

Available Attribute Points: 0

"Mm, not bad. I didn't slack off this year." Xu Qing looked at his lifespan limit, which had risen to 95, with great satisfaction.

Over the past year, aside from cultivating the Gene Guidance Technique diligently every day, he had also taken three sets of Grade D Gene Potions.

His entire body seemed to have been completely reborn.

He now stood a full 1.85 meters tall and weighed 100 kilograms.

Though his weight was nearly that of an overweight ordinary person,

his entire body was packed with lean, powerful muscle, without the slightest bit of flab.

His physique was extremely well-proportioned.

With just a little exertion, the muscles hidden beneath his skin would fully stand out.

A week ago, he had gone to the warehouse in 0121 County.

He had tested his strength.

The result was that

his punch force had reached an astonishing 13,011 kilograms—around thirteen tons.

That placed him at the level of a Fourth-Order Martial Artist, still some distance from a Fifth-Order Martial Artist.

But when combined with the threefold burst of his Combat Secret Technique,

his full-force burst alone could reach nearly forty tons!

That directly met the standard of a Sixth-Order Martial Artist!

Just thinking about it made Xu Qing sigh with emotion.

In just over two years,

he had grown from an ordinary person incapable of even trussing a chicken into someone with the combat strength of a Sixth-Order Martial Artist.

No matter how steady Xu Qing's temperament was,

he could not help but feel swollen with pride.

However, after a week of calming himself down,

Xu Qing settled his heart once more.

He constantly warned and reminded himself.

The world was vast, and the universe was vast. Even true Sixth-Order Martial Artists only dared to keep a low profile in this world.

He was merely a Fourth-Order Martial Artist. He had no right to be arrogant.

Besides, his lifespan was still only a little more than half that of an ordinary person.

He still had to work hard.

Xu Qing sat blankly in the workshop, pondering his next plan.

"Mm, after expenses this year, I've only saved 590,000. I've also used up all the Grade D Gene Potions. It's time to switch to better potions.

But Wang Yang told me that the better C-grade Gene Potions aren't available in any of the nearby counties or districts, and one vial alone costs 100,000!

One set costs 1.2 million!

I thought that once my benefits improved, I wouldn't be short on money.

Now it seems I'm still desperately short of money.

After a year of honing my craft, my skill at making Combat Suits has improved quite a bit.

It's time to talk to the management about being promoted to an intermediate craftsman.

After all, making one C-grade Combat Suit earns me a 50,000 bonus.

If I can participate in making B-grade Combat Suits, that bonus might increase tenfold.

After all, a single B-grade Combat Suit brings in at least over two million in profit."

He frowned at the workbench in front of him, worrying over where to get more money.

"When should I buy a Combat Suit for myself? Mm, there's no need for that yet. I don't need to fight anyone.

I should spend my money where it matters most."

Just as Xu Qing was considering his next plans,

an alarm suddenly rang out across the industrial park.

"Hm? Didn't the Three Great Gangs just collect protection money the day before yesterday? Why are they here again?" Xu Qing listened to the announcement over the broadcast in confusion and looked up in surprise.

"All employees, enter the emergency passageways immediately and return to the dormitory basement!"

"All employees."

Li Yuan shouted as he rushed into the workshop.

With an urgent look on his face, he said to Xu Qing, "Qing Zi, hurry back! Someone's here causing trouble again!"