Mysterious Martial Skill in the Blood Pattern Ring

Recalling the overflowing Essence, Shi Yan suddenly glanced at the dark red ring on his left ring finger. This peculiar ring, which he had named the Blood Pattern Ring, came from the Blood Pool and seemed to have a great connection to it.

A thought struck him, and he vividly remembered the moment he first put on the Blood Pattern Ring. Back then, his internal Essence was still very weak. The instant the ring was worn, his Essence uncontrollably surged towards it. However, because his Essence was too weak, it couldn't break through the confines of his skin and flesh, preventing the Essence from flowing into the ring.

Now, having broken through to the Third Heaven realm, his internal Essence had grown much stronger and more refined, to the point where it could overflow…

What would happen if he injected Essence into the ring?

Shi Yan was filled with curiosity, vaguely sensing that this ancient ring held a secret. Perhaps through this ring, he could understand the abnormality within his body's acupoints.

Peeking through the gaps in the leaves, Shi Yan observed for a while and noticed that the Mo Family Martial Artists were moving further away and wouldn't be returning anytime soon.

Shi Yan decided to give it a try!

Essence slowly flowed from his lower abdomen, picking up speed. It surged into his left arm, and as the Essence flowed rapidly, the meridians in his left arm ached faintly. The Essence broke through like a bamboo, rushing all the way to his left ring finger, then suddenly pouring madly into the flesh beneath the ring's surface.

"Chichichi!"

The Essence, like smoke, first emerged from beneath the Blood Pattern Ring's surface. Immediately, strands of pure Essence instantly seeped into the ring.

The Blood Pattern Ring suddenly emitted a scarlet glow. A barrier within the Blood Pattern Ring seemed to be torn apart, and a strange thought surged out from the ring, flowing back into Shi Yan's arm, traveling up his arm to his neck, and finally entering Shi Yan's mind.

Martial Skill—Berserk!

The thought released from the Blood Pattern Ring was actually a set of memory waves. This was a peculiar Martial Skill, and its cultivation method flooded into Shi Yan's mind, imprinting itself deeply into his memory like a brand.

Martial Skills are methods for Martial Artists to utilize Essence, techniques for using Essence to attack. Like Alchemists, Martial Skills are also divided into five levels: Mortal Grade, Mysterious Grade, Spirit Grade, Saint Grade, and God Grade.

The classification of Martial Skills differs slightly from that of Alchemists. Each level of Alchemist is further divided into seven grades, but Martial Skills have no grade divisions, only these five levels.

High-level Martial Skills can maximize the utilization of a Martial Artist's internal Essence, granting them terrifying offensive power. The higher the level of a Martial Skill, the more refined the application of Essence. However, to cultivate high-level Martial Skills, a Martial Artist must possess a considerable realm. The conditions for cultivating higher-level Martial Skills are more stringent.

Generally speaking, Martial Artists in the Postnatal and Innate realms are most suited to cultivating Mortal Grade Martial Skills. Martial Artists in the Human Position and Hundred Tribulations realms are suited to cultivating Mysterious Grade Martial Skills. Martial Artists in the Earth Position and Nirvana realms are most suited to cultivating Spirit Grade Martial Skills. Martial Artists in the Heaven Position and Connecting to God realms are most suited to cultivating Saint Grade Martial Skills. Martial Artists in the True God and God King realms are best suited to cultivating God Grade Martial Skills.

For Martial Artists of lower levels, forcibly cultivating high-level Martial Skills is mostly a waste of time.

Due to insufficient realm and Essence strength, it is generally difficult to successfully cultivate high-level Martial Skills. Even if they manage to succeed, their insufficient realm and power make it difficult to unleash the true power of high-level Martial Skills. It would be more effective to cultivate Martial Skills commensurate with their own realm.

For example, a Martial Artist in the Postnatal realm, even if they possessed a legendary God Grade Martial Skill, would be wasting a treasure. Due to their weak realm and power, they would be utterly incapable of successfully cultivating a God Grade Martial Skill.

Of course, if a high-level Martial Artist lacks high-level Martial Skills and only cultivates low-level ones, they also won't be able to unleash their true power.

If a True God realm Martial Artist only possessed Mortal Grade or Mysterious Grade Martial Skills, their strength would be greatly diminished. Their own power would be restricted by the low-level Martial Skills, only able to unleash seventy to eighty percent of their true strength.

On the Divine Grace Continent, Martial Skills are even rarer than the elixirs and pills of Alchemists. Martial Skills are arguably the most precious treasures on the continent. Generally, Martial Skills are held by major aristocratic families and various factions. The reason some aristocratic families can attract Martial Artists to pledge allegiance is inextricably linked to the Martial Skills they possess.

The higher the level of a Martial Skill, the greater its value. Some Martial Artists with profound realms, if they lack high-level Martial Skills, will be at a disadvantage in any conflict, feeling extremely stifled, and might even be killed.

Therefore, for a high-level Martial Skill that suits them, those Martial Artists with profound realms would do anything.

Shi Yan sat cross-legged amidst the leaves, slowly organizing the "Berserk" Martial Skill in his mind. After sorting out the memories, he discovered that "Berserk" was divided into three stages. What he had in his mind was only the cultivation method for the first stage of "Berserk." He didn't know what grade this "Berserk" was, nor whether it would suit him.

This Martial Skill came from the Blood Pattern Ring, directly infused into his mind via memory transmission. Its arrival was bizarre, and its cultivation required Essence to flow in reverse, which was vastly different from the cultivation methods of ordinary Martial Skills. Shi Yan hesitated, unsure whether to cultivate this Martial Skill whose origins and completeness were unknown.

The Shi Family, as one of the five great families of the Merchant Alliance, naturally had its own Martial Skills. The highest-level Martial Skill of the Shi Family was Spirit Grade, and there was only one. The Shi Family Patriarch, Shi Jian, treasured it like a gem, and currently, only the elder who had reached the Earth Position realm was qualified to cultivate it.

However, besides this single highest-level Spirit Grade Martial Skill, the Shi Family also possessed various Mortal Grade and Mysterious Grade Martial Skills.

Shi Yan had originally planned to return to the Shi Family and, by virtue of his new identity, cultivate the Shi Family's Mortal Grade and Mysterious Grade Martial Skills. Now, with the Blood Pattern Ring suddenly producing such a mysterious Martial Skill of unknown grade and origin, he was unsure whether he should cultivate it.

With a grim expression, he condensed his Essence again and poured it into the Blood Pattern Ring. However, he found that his Essence was blocked by a barrier within the Blood Pattern Ring. No matter how hard he tried, his Essence could not break through that barrier. He vaguely felt that there was something beyond that barrier, but he couldn't find out without breaking through.

Beyond that barrier, there was likely more information about "Berserk," and most likely, the cultivation methods for the other two stages of "Berserk." Unfortunately, it seemed that only when his Essence became strong enough could he break through the barrier.

Helpless, Shi Yan withdrew the Essence he had poured into the Blood Pattern Ring. He then organized the incomplete "Martial Skill" in his memory again, and once more fell into hesitation.

Should he cultivate it or not?

His dark eyes gleamed. Wrapped in leaves, Shi Yan's expression was uncertain. After a long, long time, he decided to try it first, intending to see what changes would occur in his body when he cultivated the first stage of "Berserk."

Essence slowly flowed towards the Jugu Acupoint. Upon reaching the Jugu Acupoint, Shi Yan followed the rotational method of the first stage of "Berserk," slowly injecting Essence into it. The Jugu Acupoint suddenly began to rotate, and the negative emotions of resentment, despair, and madness hidden within the Jugu Acupoint were suddenly triggered, transforming into a surge of power that began to alter the tendons, bones, and flesh around the Jugu Acupoint.

Stinging pain followed!

The flesh in the area of the Jugu Acupoint suddenly contracted, and the muscles seemed to tense up instantly.

Shi Yan's heart trembled, and he quickly reversed the flow of Essence, feeling a tearing pain in his meridians spread throughout his body. The Essence flowed back a few inches, but Shi Yan hardened his heart and forced it forward again. The Essence, like a ferocious beast, instantly swept past the Jugu Acupoint and surged towards the Jianzhen Acupoint.

Essence gathered at the Jianzhen Acupoint, and following the same method of rotation, it triggered the negative emotions of resentment, despair, and rage hidden within the Jianzhen Acupoint. Shi Yan felt that the flesh in that area suddenly contracted, and a misty white vapor seeped out from the pores of his shoulder. The grayish-white mist was mixed with emotions of despair and hatred, soul-stirring!

Essence flowed in reverse again. Shi Yan's right arm throbbed with pain, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and even his back was drenched.

Extreme pain!

Gritting his teeth, the wild side of Shi Yan's bones suddenly erupted. Disregarding the pain in his arm, Shi Yan continued to stimulate the Essence within his body and charged towards the position of the Wuli Acupoint...

After an unknown amount of time, enduring the pain that made him want to roar, Shi Yan's Essence flowed all the way from the Jugu Acupoint to the Yangchi Acupoint at his wrist. It seemed that various negative forces within the acupoints of his entire right arm had been triggered.

Gazing closely, he noticed that the muscles in his right arm had contracted, becoming leaner and thinner by a large margin. Misty grayish-white vapor lingered around his arm, and various negative emotions of resentment, despair, and terror emanated from the mist.

Just looking at it seemed to affect one's mind, inducing fear.

Essence surged back and forth within his arm. A power like a river breaking its banks, mixed with various negative emotions, churned within his arm. Shi Yan felt as if his right arm possessed infinite strength, with an urge to erupt that couldn't be held back.

Deep within his heart, violent and bloodthirsty thoughts suddenly burst forth!

Shi Yan panted, his eyes radiating murderous intent like a rainbow. Hidden in the leaves, he scanned his surroundings like a ferocious jackal, wishing he could crush anyone who appeared below him into powder with the power in his right arm, to the point where they were shattered into pieces and their flesh and blood were blurred.

A moment later, two figures walked slowly from ahead, cursing all the way. These were two Martial Artists from the Mo Family. After searching fruitlessly in other directions, they had been dispatched to this area by Mo Yan Yu.

"That little bastard doesn't know where he ran off to. If I ever see him, I'll cut his head off! Damn it, my old flame is waiting for me at the Merchant Alliance, and this brat made me waste so much time here for nothing. Fuck!" a burly Martial Artist with a thick, bushy beard cursed crudely.

"Zheng Tie, be careful. That kid killed four of our men; he's no easy opponent. He eats more in one meal than both of us combined. This kid is a bit strange; don't let us capsize in the gutter," the other Martial Artist said warily, constantly looking around as he walked, clearly much more cautious.

"Don't worry. Both of us are at the Postnatal Second Heaven realm, and we're together. If that little bastard dares to show his face, he's just asking for death. Hmph! If we finish him off quickly, we can get going. I've had enough of this damn place; I want women! I want women!" the Martial Artist named Zheng Tie seemed to have gone mad from wanting women, roaring loudly in the woods.

"Heh heh, the young lady is also a woman..." the cautious Martial Artist chuckled softly.

"Heh heh, the young lady is indeed a woman, but we're not fortunate enough to enjoy her. I see Master Kalu has been visiting the young lady quite frequently lately. I wonder if he'll get a chance to kiss her fragrant lips. Her face, her ass, tsk tsk, I wonder which bastard will get lucky. It's a pity our realms are too low; I fear we have no hope in this lifetime."

Zheng Tie lowered his voice, a lewd smile on his face, as if secretly fantasizing about something. When he thought of something amusing, he even thrust his lower body forward abruptly and laughed heartily twice.

"Stop dreaming. The young lady has a fiancé. That brat Ling Shaofeng is not someone to be trifled with. If he finds out you're lusting after the young lady, you're dead!"

Hearing Ling Shaofeng mentioned, Zheng Tie's expression changed, and he muttered, "That brat is incredibly wicked. Rumor has it he's close to cultivating to the Human Position realm. I've seen him kill people; his methods are so brutal you can't even imagine. If Kalu encounters Ling Shaofeng, he'll likely be dead as well. We really need to be careful, what if that brat hears what we're saying..."

Zheng Tie couldn't help but shiver, clearly extremely wary of Mo Yan Yu's fiancé.

The two of them discussed Ling Shaofeng in low voices, their expressions somewhat grim. They gradually walked towards Shi Yan's location, completely unaware that hidden among the dense leaves directly above them was Shi Yan, a bloodthirsty beast.