Myriad Beasts Bronze Statue Art

Chen Xu could not possibly let Yu Yanran go. Not only had she incited that old man to kill him, but he also did not want to run into a prince of Great Abyss with his current strength.

A Martial Artist was powerful compared to an individual, but before Great Abyss's endless array of technological weapons, they were still rather fragile. The only difference from ordinary people was that they could take a few others down with them.

After reaching a deserted place, Chen Xu dealt with the still-unconscious Yu Yanran.

Just as when he had handled Xu Lie, the firelight illuminated Chen Xu's face.

With trembling hands, Chen Xu took out a crystal-clear little bottle and could not help swallowing.

Around a hundred points of spiritual energy was undoubtedly a huge fortune.

Summoning Tianwu, Chen Xu checked which martial arts were worth upgrading.

Strength: 20.1

Constitution: 25.6

Agility: 19.4

Energy: 16.0 (power of qi and blood)

Spiritual Energy: 103.16

Martial Path: Martial Form (Bronze-Armored Blood Tiger)

Martial Arts: Tiger Howl Fist Evolution (MAX, can be fused), Bronze Body Technique Evolution (MAX

, can be fused), Great Stone-Stele Smash (not initiated), Great Strength Eagle Claw Technique (not initiated), Nine-Step Body-Leaping Technique Evolution (MAX, can be fused), Shadow-Following Leg (not initiated), Incomplete Life-Nourishing Breakthrough Method (not initiated), Blood Surge Through the Nine Apertures (MAX, can be fused)

Special Effects: Level 2 Great Strength, Level 20 Tiger Might, Level 4 Blood-Bronze Martial Body, Level 11 Aerial Leap

With plenty of spiritual energy, he could afford to be extravagant. Chen Xu upgraded the three uninitiated martial arts to the tenth level in one go, and fusion options appeared.

The incomplete Life-Nourishing Breakthrough Method was likewise raised to the highest level currently attainable. What frustrated Chen Xu was that he lacked precisely the most crucial breakthrough portion.

Glancing at his remaining spiritual energy, Chen Xu tried focusing his gaze on fusion.

In its design, fused martial arts were unrestricted. Theoretically, any martial arts of the same type could be fused, but there was one prerequisite: one martial art had to be chosen as the core of the fusion.

After a brief hesitation, Chen Xu chose [Bronze Body Technique] as the core and fused [Tiger Howl Fist], [Great Stone-Stele Smash], [Great Strength Eagle Claw Technique], and [Shadow-Following Leg].

Nine-Step Body-Leaping Technique belonged to movement techniques, while the other two were breakthrough methods. None of them could be fused into it.

Perhaps once he obtained higher-tier martial arts in the future, they could all be incorporated.

The reason Chen Xu chose [Bronze Body Technique] as the core was simple. It was the only martial art that could cover his entire body. Compared with strengthening a single aspect, he felt that all-around enhancement was more reliable.

At least it would not leave any obvious weaknesses, right?

The small text on the panel turned blurry, and five martial arts vanished from it.

About five minutes later, the panel became clear again, displaying the words [Myriad Beasts Bronze Statue Art], Third Level.

The five martial arts had become one. Not only did Chen Xu not feel his strength decrease, it had actually risen by quite a bit.

A total of 95 points of spiritual energy had been consumed, raising his strength to an exceptionally formidable level.

Strength: 23.9

Constitution: 30.2

Agility: 20.5

Energy: 16.0 (power of qi and blood)

Spiritual Energy: 5.16

Martial Path: Martial Form (Beast Bronze Statue)

Martial Arts: Myriad Beasts Bronze Statue Art (Third Level), Incomplete Life-Nourishing Breakthrough Method (Ninth Level), Blood Surge Through the Nine Apertures (MAX, can be fused)

Special Effects: Level 2 Beast's Will, Level 5 Colossal Beast Battle Body, Level 11 Aerial Leap.

Chen Xu reckoned that if he fought Elder He again with his current strength, he could put him in his place in just a few punches at most.

The spiritual energy he had only just obtained had all been poured into the panel before it could even warm in his hands. Chen Xu's craving for spiritual energy flared up again.

There was truly no such thing as too much spiritual energy.

Once the upgrades were complete, the flames had nearly gone out as well. After carefully checking everything over, Chen Xu returned to Chen Martial Arts Academy.

The next day, at the Martial Hall Exchange Tournament venue.

Aside from a handful of people, no one cared at all about Yu Yanran's "disappearance." Chen Xu had handled things very cleanly. Barring any surprises, her bizarre disappearance would become one of Jinning Commandery's many unsolved mysteries.

"The preliminary results are out. Jinning Commandery's new top one hundred martial halls."

Upon hearing this, everyone craned their necks toward the massive screen in the tournament venue.

"The top ten from last time are still holding steady. Most advanced with ten wins."

"Huh? Great Abyss Women's Martial Arts Academy only has nine wins? They lost one match?"

"Five martial halls with ten wins have risen this year. This year's going to be interesting."

"A martial arts studio owner can make the top hundred too? Could there be some shady dealings?"

The venue was filled with noisy chatter as small groups gathered to discuss it.

About ten minutes later, a staff member's voice came through the loudspeakers around the venue.

"To ensure fairness and impartiality, owners of the top one hundred martial halls, please proceed to the drawing area to draw your preliminary-round opponents."

The announcement played three times in succession, and the crowd began moving toward the drawing area.

There were ten staff members at the drawing area. Six were responsible for maintaining order, while the remaining four stood at the four corners of a square table, guarding the opaque box containing the lottery canister and monitoring the hall owners who came to draw.

Seeing that no one stepped forward to draw, a bearded hall owner strode out. "Since no one's going, I'll be the first to take the plunge!"

He walked forward and reached his hand inside.

Unfolding the slip, he saw the number 20.

Stepping aside, the bearded hall owner watched the others come up to draw.

There were fifty numbers in total. The two martial halls that drew the same number would become one another's preliminary-round opponents.

The martial hall owners gradually finished drawing. Chen Xu glanced at the number 11 in his hand and casually slipped the paper into his pocket.

He did not care who his opponent was. He only knew that none of them could possibly be his match.

No one would dare believe that the tall youth beside them was a powerful Martial Artist capable of sweeping through the entire venue all by himself.

No, more accurately, they did not even have a concept of what a Martial Artist was. They only knew that the owners of Jinning's top three martial halls were all ninth-level experts, the highest rank among martial practitioners.

By relying on their own strength, Martial Artists could contend with certain modern technologies. Even some low-powered, slow-firing guns would find it difficult to pose much threat to them.

Only modern military squads of sufficient size could intimidate Martial Artists who were gradually transforming into something beyond human.

Once the drawing ended and the opponents appeared on the large screen, the bearded hall owner's expression changed from calmness to shock, then gloom, before finally settling into a despairing smile.

"Nine Heavens Martial Arts School, Ring Two."

He had struggled to earn eight wins, intending to bring his martial hall into the top twenty in this Martial Hall Exchange Tournament. Who could have expected him to encounter Jinning's number-one martial hall directly—the Nine Heavens Martial Arts School?

In the tenth year after its establishment, Nine Heavens Martial Arts School had seized Jinning's top martial hall position and held it for years. Even in its lowest period, it had never fallen out of the top three. It was the uncrowned king of Jinning's martial hall world.

In its most glorious era, some of its members had even entered major capital-level tournaments.

Many people from Jinning believed that even if Nine Heavens Martial Arts School went to the strongest provincial city in Heavenly Stems Province, it could still secure a place for itself.

"Tyrant Blade Martial Arts Academy," Chen Xu murmured. This was his preliminary-round opponent.

The memories of his previous body had never heard this name. It was probably not some famous large martial hall.