Source Art Deduction

"Flowing Water Shattering Rock Palm (Incomplete), Mid-grade Origin Art... This name sounds a little familiar." Mu Chen browsed through the place where the Great Zhou Mansion stored Source Arts. Most of them were Low-grade and Mid-grade.

In the Yuan Zun World, the lowest-ranked Source Arts were Common Origin Arts, divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower Grades. These were also the easiest Source Arts to obtain and learn. Above them were Profound Origin Arts, which were far more difficult to acquire and cultivate than Common Origin Arts.

Right, there was a fist technique in some anime with a very similar name—Flowing Water Rock Shattering Fist. Could it have been left behind by some senior transmigrator?

Mu Chen shook his head with a laugh. Unlikely. Since it was incomplete, its power was only that of a Mid-grade Origin Art. If it were complete, it should be able to reach the level of a High-grade Origin Art, or perhaps even a Low-grade Profound Origin Art.

For an offensive Source Art, he chose this one. Later, he could use the Ancestral Stone to deduce and restore it. If it succeeded, he would have struck it rich.

As for movement-type Source Arts, Mu Chen found none of the ones stored here appealing. Their grades were too low.

For the next Ancestral Symbol, Mu Chen most wanted to choose the Space Ancestral Symbol. The Lord of Space was not the strongest among the Eight Ancient Lords, but with the Space Ancestral Symbol in hand, he had been the most troublesome to deal with.

To Yimo and his enemies, the Lord of Space had been as slippery as a loach. With his control over the Power of Space, his agility in advancing, retreating, and shifting positions surpassed that of most movement techniques.

However, the trial for the Space Ancestral Symbol would not be so simple. Before he was absolutely certain, he did not plan to attempt refining any other Ancestral Symbols. The Devouring Ancestral Symbol was enough for him at present.

At the Meridian Opening Realm, his control over the Devouring Ancestral Symbol was not even one-tenth complete.

Mu Chen would not force the issue with movement-type Source Arts. It would be best if he found a suitable one, but if he did not, there was no need to panic. As long as he was strong enough, a slight lack in agility could be made up for.

Su Youwei chose the Mid-grade Origin Art Jade Breaking Finger. It used a point to break through a surface, making it exceptionally nimble yet extremely lethal. For a girl, this kind of Source Art was very suitable.

The Flowing Water Shattering Rock Palm he had chosen, meanwhile, should have been the sort of Source Art that emphasized broad, powerful movements.

Zhou Yuan was envious, but when he remembered that his Eight Meridians Not Yet Manifested, he did not choose a Source Art. At the very least, he had to wait until after Meridian Opening before choosing a suitable Source Art. Otherwise, even if he chose one, he would be unable to use it and could only stare at it.

He did not know when he would be able to begin cultivating. Seeing others able to undergo Meridian Opening, it was impossible to say he was not envious.

Mu Chen saw the desolation in Zhou Yuan's eyes and understood how he felt. However, it would not be long. Once you meet your future master, you will be able to undergo Meridian Opening and embark upon the path of cultivation.

Within the Ancestral Stone's space, a mass of light and shadow stood before Mu Chen. It looked exactly like him, except there was not the slightest change in its expression. It was as stiff as a puppet, making it especially eerie.

"Uh... I can't imitate it."

Mu Chen rubbed his stiff face. Keeping an expressionless, icy face was truly a little difficult.

"Ha ha ha! Were you sent by the monkeys to be a comedian?" Little Marten covered his little belly with both paws, laughing so hard that he spiraled into the air.

Mu Chen's ridiculous behavior nearly made Little Marten laugh himself to death.

"Bang!"

Mu Chen conjured a stick with Soul Power and, without a word, sent Little Marten flying with a swing.

"Hey, you won't even let me laugh?" Little Marten flew back and said unhappily.

"No. It's just that your laugh is too unpleasant, so you'd better not laugh." Mu Chen flashed his white teeth.

Little Marten's mouth twitched. That was just an excuse. If he had not been useful, Mu Chen would probably have killed him to silence him.

"I think 'heh heh heh' suits your current image quite well," Mu Chen said with a mischievous grin.

"Get lost!"

Little Marten rolled his eyes. Heh heh heh? That sounded like a villain's laugh the moment one heard it.

"Whoosh!"

The light-shadow suddenly moved. Its figure flickered like flowing clouds and running water, its movements never pausing for a single moment. Every palm strike seemed capable of shattering rock.

Mu Chen's eyes lit up. This Source Art had some real substance. If someone became entangled in it, they would have to face an endless barrage of palm strikes. However, it was suited for close-quarters combat.

This Flowing Water Shattering Rock Palm mainly balanced hardness and softness. It was not a straightforward, brutal technique, and it could also deflect the force of an enemy's attacks.

It would do for now.

Mu Chen focused and memorized the details of the moves displayed by the light-shadow. This deduction function truly was powerful.

He just did not know whether Heaven Origin Arts and Saint Origin Arts could also be deduced. If they could, that would be absurdly awesome.

"How about it? Just based on that alone, this Stone Talisman is a priceless treasure," Little Marten said.

The light-shadow evolved by the Stone Talisman was like having an experienced teacher personally explain and instruct him.

"Mm. I just don't know whether high-grade techniques can be deduced." Mu Chen nodded in complete agreement. The Second God truly lived up to its reputation and had not disappointed him.

"I don't know. Before I could study it in detail, I was hunted down by experts. You can try it when you get the chance in the future."

As a Heavenly Demon Marten, Little Marten did not know many martial arts. Most of what he possessed were the Heavenly Demon Marten's Bloodline Divine Abilities.

Unlike humans, most divine abilities of demon beasts were inherited through their bloodlines, while humans rarely had such inheritances. Most of theirs were acquired through later learning.

Mu Chen naturally knew that the Ancestral Stone Spirit Liquid and the deduction of techniques were merely minor functions of the Ancestral Stone. The Ancestral Stone's main purpose was to inflict immense damage upon Yimo.

The deduction of martial arts or Source Arts should also have its limits. It would be extremely useful in the early stages, but in the later stages, he would still have to rely on his own comprehension.

Watching Su Youwei cultivate Jade Breaking Finger, Mu Chen also felt like learning a finger technique with a great deal of style.

Su Youwei's talent was beyond question. Not long after she began cultivating, a faint jade glow appeared on her slender fingers. She would likely master it before long.

"Kid, why aren't you hurrying up and undergoing Meridian Opening? Why are you running around everywhere?"

Seeing that Mu Chen was not cultivating, Little Marten was speechless. Had refining the Devouring Ancestral Symbol made him start getting carried away?

"I'm going to visit the royal palace and mooch some resources while I'm at it."

"Little Marten, don't you want Beast Soul Crystals?" Mu Chen said calmly.

"That's true. You need to balance work and rest. You can't just cultivate all the time."

The moment he heard that Mu Chen was going to the royal palace for Beast Soul Crystals, Little Marten's attitude took a complete one-eighty. He strongly supported Mu Chen taking an appropriate rest instead of cultivating nonstop.

Little Marten had already eaten all the Beast Soul Crystals from last time, so this was the perfect chance to replenish his stock.

"Tch, look at that face of yours, Little Marten. If you want to eat them, you can go catch some in the wilderness yourself. The Beast Soul Crystals produced by freshly slain Source Beasts are still nice and warm." Mu Chen said disdainfully.

"If there's something ready-made, who would bother doing it themselves?"

Little Marten felt that if he could get something for free, why would he trouble himself with hunting it personally?

He was not a fool. In his current state, a moment of carelessness could get him eaten as a snack by another Source Beast. He could not be arrogant now; he had to keep a low profile.