Secret Martial Arts, Heavenly Martial Arts, Demonic Martial Arts

Within the largest library in the entire Hundred Flowers Kingdom, a place everyone avoided, Liu Tian was quietly flipping through books.

After Liu Tian scanned the peeping onlookers with his gaze, causing many whose spirit, energy, and mind were weakened to collapse on the spot, he returned to his original state. No one dared to spy on him from the shadows anymore.

Before, it was because he ignored them; now, it was out of fear.

Heavenly Martial Killing Dao, the culmination of the Heavenly Dao's lifelong achievements, revealed its fangs more and more as Liu Tian's level continuously rose. Those were fangs that couldn't be hidden.

Perhaps, If the Heavenly Dao hadn't been born in this weak world;

If this world had more lenient rules;

If more powerful individuals who could touch the rules appeared;

Perhaps the Heavenly Dao wouldn't be confined to this, like a goldfish tying itself up, but would instead be like a great wave, a giant shark, a god, devouring everything and dominating the world.

An instinctive fear made everyone unwilling to approach this man exuding a cold aura. Within ten meters of Liu Tian, almost no one dared to get close.

But there are always exceptions. At a time when even Alice was entangled by a friend and couldn't get away, a man he had only recently gotten to know, as if he hadn't heard the rumors circulating in the academy, casually approached him, "You're famous today."

"Oh?" Liu Tian, who was troubled by how to control himself or find more Origin Points to directly break through to Fighter, replied indifferently.

"You really don't care at all." Ai Lian shrugged, "Don't you care at all about what rumors are circulating about you?"

"This is just the beginning." Liu Tian was completely unfazed. "Three people can make a tiger; rumors arise from nothing. It's no different if one day I'm rumored to be a heartless, cold, and ruthless demon god."

"If they like it, let them spread it in private. As long as they don't jump around in front of me." Liu Tian unconsciously curled his lips. "Right now, I'm a bit lacking in self-control. If a clown keeps jumping around in front of me, it'll be hard for me to guarantee I can control myself—from not cleaning them up."

He wasn't joking.

Sensing this situation acutely, Ai Lian fell silent for a moment, then continued the topic, "They're all sons of nobles, wealthy people. With your bad reputation, you might run into a lot of trouble in the future."

"That just proves I'm not infamous enough yet."

"If they were truly afraid, truly terrified, their survival instincts would tell them what they should and shouldn't do."

"This is the answer to the question you asked me last time. How about it, I'm quite efficient, right?" As he spoke, Liu Tian tore off a page and handed it to Ai Lian. "The price this time is lower than for your previous antiques. Remember to bring good antiques next time. Small business, no credit."

"How did you change the subject so quickly?"

Looking at Liu Tian's departing back, Ai Lian blew on the paper, stuffed it into his pocket, and swaggered away from the library, completely unconcerned about the gazes of those around him.

What kind of problem should I bring next time? That's quite a difficult question...

At the Heavenly Dao's home, Bai Cinan didn't make his usual surprise visit today. Thus, even though Liu Tian had evolved from Heavenly Martial Killing Dao and Heart Severing Path to Head Severing Path, after the usual session of being beaten by the senior, Liu Tian sat on a stool, brewing tea while asking about his recent doubts.

Unlike before, when he could fight Liu Tian without even his face flushing or his breath catching, with his disciple's strength rapidly advancing, the Heavenly Dao clearly felt a hint of fatigue. A fine sheen of sweat appeared on his face. He listened to Liu Tian's experiences while calmly settling his mind by sipping tea.

"The guy who called himself Mantis yesterday." Liu Tian recounted everything that had happened after they parted yesterday, then asked his most pressing question, "I'm a bit curious about the evolution he mentioned. Master, do you know what it is?"

"Evolution, they actually succeeded." The Heavenly Dao said slowly. "Speaking of which, without realizing it, Tian'er, you've already reached this point. I haven't properly introduced you to the different paths of martial arts yet."

"I originally thought Tian'er wouldn't need to know this kind of knowledge, but now that Tian'er has reached this point, it's time to touch upon related matters."

"Different paths of martial arts?" Liu Tian was stunned. "Isn't it just the classification of beginner, Martial Artist, and Fighter? Are there other classifications?"

"This is the classification of our Secret Martial Arts. Besides Secret Martial Arts, there are also Heavenly Martial Arts, which have continued for thousands of years, and Demonic Martial Arts, introduced by Blue Dream Company in the last twenty years. The practitioners of Demonic Martial Arts call the process of cultivating Demonic Martial Arts 'evolution'."

"Secret Martial Arts? Heavenly Martial Arts? Demonic Martial Arts?"

"Secret Martial Arts are the martial arts we are currently cultivating, divided into internal and external cultivation. Internal cultivation mainly relies on arduous practice with the aid of medicine, while external cultivation emphasizes both medicine and arduous practice. Without suitable medicine, one cannot even begin."

"But regardless of internal or external cultivation, one can continuously strengthen and improve their physical fitness, ultimately reaching a state where the body nurtures the spirit, and the spirit feeds back into the body, achieving the unity of essence, energy, and spirit."

"The classification of Secret Martial Arts progresses step by step, starting from the beginner stage, to Martial Artists who have achieved 'qi' from 'nian', and then to Fighters where the body feeds back into the spirit, achieving the unity of essence, energy, and spirit, and the appearance of battle patterns."

"Among them, Secret Martial Arts are the crystallization of my lifelong efforts, the ultimate of internal cultivation, with Heavenly Martial Killing Dao as the most revered."

"There's no other reason. If you really need to find one reason, it's because I've been the number one under heaven for twenty years, and your senior brother, Bai Cinan, is the next number one under heaven after me."

"What? Master and senior brother are that strong?" This was the first time Liu Tian knew the level of the Heavenly Dao's strength. He certainly wouldn't doubt that the Heavenly Dao, who always kept his word, was exaggerating his own strength. But having one or two number ones under heaven, and consecutively at that, was enough to prove the value of Heavenly Martial Killing Dao.

"That's all in the past." After saying so much in one breath, the Heavenly Dao took a sip of tea before continuing, "As for Heavenly Martial Arts, they are actually rooted in Secret Martial Arts, but compared to Secret Martial Arts, they have an additional talent, a talent called Psychokinesis."

"No one knows its origin, and even the possessors themselves cannot understand it. Even if Heavenly individuals with this talent combine, they cannot guarantee that their offspring will have the same talent. This talent is like a gift from heaven, hence they call themselves Talented Individuals."

"The martial arts of Talented Individuals primarily rely on Psychokinesis, with Secret Martial Arts as a supplement. It is difficult for outsiders to discern their strength classification. However, according to my research, the strongest among them can affect an area of a hundred meters, simultaneously control nearly a hundred different objects, with a power burst limit of about one ton. Although it can be blocked by the unity of essence, energy, and spirit of a Fighter, it can still infiltrate the human body and ensure at least one-tenth of its power."

"Theoretically speaking, even without knowing martial arts, as long as they seize an opportunity and infiltrate their Psychokinesis into the enemy's body, a newly awakened Talented Individual can easily kill a renowned Fighter. It is precisely because of this that they have always looked down upon Secret Martial Arts."

"Of course, Tian'er, you don't need to worry. Heavenly Martial Killing Dao is different from other Secret Martial Arts. As long as Tian'er cultivates to the Fighter stage, Aura will naturally manifest. This is a characteristic possessed only by the most top-tier Secret Martial Arts, and its greatest function is to prevent Psychokinesis from penetrating the body."

"As for Demonic Martial Arts, they originated decades ago, relying on unknown equipment excavated from the Lost Empire. Initially, it was only through transplanting organs and limbs to achieve breakthroughs beyond human limits. Therefore, it was not considered a separate genre."

"But ten years ago, Blue Dream, the second-generation leader of Blue Dream Company, uniquely proposed the theory of genetics during a world war and formally established Demonic Martial Arts after proposing the Gene Modification plan."

"The so-called 'demonic' refers to deviating from the righteous path. To cultivate Demonic Martial Arts, one must obtain the characteristics of other creatures by fusing genes. Eagle claws, eagle eyes, regenerating severed limbs, immense strength, double-layered skin, and so on. Then, based on the acquired characteristics, one cultivates corresponding Secret Martial Arts."

"Practitioners of Demonic Martial Arts call the act of obtaining the characteristics of other creatures 'evolution'. Similarly, in the same stage, Demonic Martial Artists are significantly stronger than Secret Martial Artists. Some heavily modified individuals are even capable of rivaling Fighters at the Martial Artist stage."

Isn't this just gene modification? The black technology excavated from the Lost Empire is truly black. What if some new human plan pops out one day?

Hearing the Heavenly Dao's explanation, Liu Tian, with countless novels as his foundation, found it easy to understand. Heavenly Martial Arts relied on heavenly gifts, Demonic Martial Arts relied on technological gifts, and only Secret Martial Arts were the most miserable, progressing steadily and diligently, thus they could never defeat the former two.

After all, how can ordinary players compare to paying players and cheaters?

If things continue like this, will Secret Martial Arts have any way to survive?

Thinking of those who can only diligently cultivate Secret Martial Arts, a cold sweat dripped from Liu Tian's forehead.

Why do paying players and cheaters have to bully us ordinary Secret Martial Arts cultivators? Oh, I'm also a cheater? Never mind then.

"If Demonic Martial Arts cultivators do this, won't there be any side effects?" Liu Tian asked tentatively, "I've read in novels that they mention things like gene collapse."

"My second son once mentioned it to me. Blue Dream Company's research in this area is still not deep enough. If only one Gene Modification is performed, then naturally there won't be any special side effects."

"But if one's greed is insatiable and they want to 'evolve' continuously, it's natural that they might lose their sanity or experience gene conflicts and a series of other side effects. Otherwise, why would it be called Demonic Martial Arts?"

"Demonic, meaning deviating from the righteous path, taking a risky approach."

"Doesn't that mean that as long as only one Gene Modification is performed, this is a way to become stronger without any side effects?" Liu Tian asked.

"That's what they say, but how many people who have experienced becoming stronger by leaps and bounds just by closing their eyes can control their desires? It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality."

"Moreover, the emergence of Demonic Martial Arts was a frantic attempt by Secret Martial Arts cultivators who were unwilling to be abandoned by history, in order to cope with the ever-strengthening gunpowder weapons. A single Gene Modification cannot achieve the power they require."

As if thinking of something, the Heavenly Dao let out a sigh and stopped discussing the topic. He stood up, took an object from a drawer beside him, which was a rhomboid, a silver rhomboid.