Stab!

The fields on both sides of the railway had long since gone barren, with weeds shooting up over half a person's height.

The villages lay in ruins, walls collapsed and buildings reduced to rubble.

Beast roars rose and fell one after another, and huge, savage figures could vaguely be seen moving through the village.

Jiang Zhe carried a sack over his shoulder and surveyed the scene. His eyes were filled with wistfulness, revealing a look that did not belong to someone his age.

It vanished in an instant, replaced by curiosity, as though that expression had only been an illusion.

"Forty years ago, I could travel by train. I carried hiking packs, wielded decorative spears, measured the wilderness with my footsteps, and sought the Dao among famous mountains and blessed lands..."

Grandpa walked ahead with his hands behind his back, his figure somewhat lonely. He suddenly shook his head and laughed at himself.

"Why am I telling you this? You never experienced it, so naturally it's hard for you to relate..."

"But, Little Zhe, remember this. Once you have the strength, you must eradicate the beast disaster and reclaim humanity's lost lands. We cannot let animals trample over our heads!"

Jiang Zhe immediately replied, "Grandpa, just watch. That day will come."

"Haha, I'll be watching. The future is yours."

Visibly, the figure ahead of him relaxed considerably, as though a heavy burden had been lifted and a light boat had passed beyond ten thousand mountains.

Grandpa truly saw hope in me, Jiang Zhe sighed inwardly.

But there was more to Jiang Zhe's reply. He had his own plans. He would not let Grandpa's words go to his head and start organizing a monster purge the moment he advanced to the Planetary Level.

When would they kill the Beast Emperors and Beast Kings?

How would they deal with the remaining rank-and-file monsters?

There were ways to handle all of that.

Otherwise, once the martial artists had nothing to do, were they supposed to watch them fight among themselves?

Let them come into contact with the universe?

Wouldn't they first need to buy Earth and secure a legal identity in the universe?

Many things were interconnected. Tug one thread, and the whole body moved. Everything had to be done step by step.

As Jiang Zhe pondered, Grandpa, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and tilted his head toward the shade beneath a nearby tree.

"Little Zhe, there's work."

Jiang Zhe looked over.

He spotted a Yellowscale Python coiled up beneath the tree. It was more than ten meters long and as thick as an adult's thigh, its coiled body roughly the size of a small car.

Grandpa was testing him. "Recognize it?"

"Yellowscale Python. Nonvenomous. Larger than others of its kind, it specializes in constriction and possesses astonishing strength and speed. That one over there should be around the Junior Battle General level."

"Not bad. You've studied well." Grandpa nodded approvingly. "It's probably at the peak of Junior Battle General. I want you to kill it. Can you do that?"

"Easy."

"Don't use Psychic Power. Use a martial artist's methods."

"Got it."

"Use the bludgeon I gave you."

"Sure."

Jiang Zhe agreed readily, but his strange tone made Grandpa increasingly suspicious.

Jiang Zhe weighed the golden bludgeon in his hand, found a suitable center of gravity, and suddenly unleashed his force. It traveled into his arms, swelling his muscles as he fiercely hurled the weapon—

Thrown Bludgeon!

His sevenfold force amplification erupted in full, producing a sonic boom as the golden bludgeon howled toward the dozing Yellowscale Python.

The Yellowscale Python woke with a start, but it was already too late.

Golden light bloomed in its weak vision!

The snake head, as large as a washbasin, was pierced through by the golden bludgeon. Then, like a bursting watermelon, it exploded, leaving only the headless snake body writhing painfully on the ground.

Jiang Zhe curled his lips, looking satisfied.

But not because of that strike.

It was because countless light points, visible only to him, surged from the snake's body.

They were all stored within the special rune drawn across his chest.

He had taken the time to draw it at Villa A8, determined not to waste any opportunity to Enhance Life Gene Level.

Grandpa glared at Jiang Zhe. "You used that Thrown Bludgeon well. Don't use it next time."

"Oh, got it."

Jiang Zhe did not find it a pity. This move had the same nature as a Returning Spear—it was not a conventional method.

Grandpa added, "You looked very impressive when you threw it, but you'll look quite pathetic when you go pick it up."

"Uh... Grandpa, is there a possibility that I never planned to pick it up? You just mentioned it—I'm a Psychic Master."

Oh no!

That move might have overloaded Grandpa's CPU.

After that little episode, grandfather and grandson continued along the abandoned railway.

In fact, there were not many monsters in open, desolate areas, and their strength was not high either. Running into a Junior War Marshal Level python earlier was like winning a hundred yuan on a scratch-off ticket.

Monsters were intelligent. They feared humanity's thermal weapons, so they hid among clusters of buildings where there was cover to use.

Small county towns were playgrounds for War Marshals;

In major urban districts, War Marshals roamed everywhere, and Lords ruled supreme.

But even a weak "sparring group" had its own training methods. Facing groups made up of High-Tier Beast Soldiers and mid-tier Beast Soldiers, Jiang Zhe learned from Grandpa how to kill monsters efficiently.

In summary—"Evade effectively, strike vital points!"

Striking vital points was not difficult.

Grandpa only explained it a few times before Jiang Zhe was able to carry it out perfectly in battle.

He held a bludgeon in one hand and a shield in the other, engaging in true close combat.

The spine, neck, limbs, lower abdomen, anus... all these body parts that could inflict tremendous damage became his targets.

Still, Jiang Zhe especially loved smashing skulls with the golden bludgeon.

"Effective evasion" was Subtle Realm movement technique, and Grandpa drilled it into him until he became proficient.

—The kind of drilling where Grandpa took away your weapons and threw you, wearing only a Combat Suit, into a pack of High-Tier Beast Soldier tiger cats.

A Dao Protector was strong and creative with his methods, leaving Jiang Zhe utterly miserable.

What?

You said that wouldn't let him experience the great terror between life and death?

Did they think the three vials of Water of Life Grandpa carried were just for decoration?

Grandpa's attitude was clear: as long as you still had one breath left, train until you were dead!

What should have been a two-day journey took grandfather and grandson five days before they reached the outskirts of County Town 0177.

Jiang Zhe was still carrying that sack of soybeans.

Grandpa still had not told him what he intended to use them for. Along the way, he had not taught Jiang Zhe the more refined "Dragon" and "Tiger" true-form Force Amplification Techniques, nor had he mentioned spear techniques or whip techniques.

Oh, and Jiang Zhe had not even used a spear during those five days. It was nothing more than decoration on his back.

Still, his gains over those five days were far from small.

Feeling the surging energy stored within the special rune on his chest, Jiang Zhe smiled with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

"Two hundred thirty-six..."

"What? You killed more than that these past few days, didn't you?" Grandpa turned back in surprise.

"I mean monsters at High-Tier Beast Soldier level or above. I'm a High-Tier Warrior, so they count as kills at my level or above it. They're worth recording," Jiang Zhe explained.

In truth, only conquering targets of the same or higher Life Level provided enough light points to count as a proper Main Course.

"What an odd habit!"

"Psychic Masters are best at rapid killing. Let's see how long you can keep counting. You'll definitely get tired of it soon enough."

"Look over there, two hundred meters away."

"A herd of Ironclad Oxen led by a mid-tier War Marshal. I'll allow you to use Psychic Power. Let's see how long it takes you to slaughter them all."

There were an estimated forty or fifty Ironclad Oxen in that abandoned gas station. Jiang Zhe was completely unafraid. As long as he could use Psychic Power, even twice as many would be no better than chickens and dogs.

Psychic Power attached itself to his round shield, and he stepped onto it and flew toward the gas station.

Jiang Zhe's high-profile approach instantly enraged the herd of violent old bulls. Their bellows were like muffled thunder, deafening as one after another rose and charged at him.

But in Jiang Zhe's eyes, they were simply lining up to be executed.

Fifty meters, forty meters...

The ten S-Rank Throwing Knives at Jiang Zhe's waist flew from their sheaths, streaking out as silver afterimages and piercing through the heads of one Ironclad Ox after another.

What had been a grand scene of a stampeding herd became like mowing wheat. One after another crashed to the ground, their bodies still carrying forward momentum as they slid more than ten meters.

Even High-Tier Beast Soldier Ironclad Oxen had no ability to resist the casually launched throwing knives.

Even the only mid-tier War Marshal on the field found its skull as fragile as paper beneath his Full Burst throwing knife.

As silver streams of light flickered, the eyes of three War Marshal Level Ironclad Oxen dimmed amid panic and terror, their lives extinguished.

This was a Psychic Master!

The class advantage in the early stages was simply too great. Against martial artists of the same level, it was practically slaughter. Only after reaching the stage of wielding domains and Comprehending Laws could the gap be narrowed somewhat.

What delighted Jiang Zhe was that the light points flowing toward him had not decreased.

That meant the judgment was not based on his Psychic Master cultivation.

Killing three War Marshals and slaughtering more than forty High-Tier Beast Soldiers was judged according to his Life Level as a High-Tier Warrior. They were standard and above-level kills.

That meant he could farm points!

After Jiang Zhe flew back without a speck of dust on him, Grandpa glanced at the time on his communication watch.

"Less than two minutes?"

"Hehe, a Psychic Master indeed lives up to the reputation!"

"Little Zhe, enjoy yourself for a little longer. Once training begins, don't even think about using Psychic Power again."

Sure enough, Psychic Masters were getting banned.

Jiang Zhe shrugged with his hands spread, but he had no objections. After all, using a Psychic Master's strength truly could not train him. His only gains were those "light points."

A War Marshal Level Psychic Master and a Planetary Level martial artist, working together, could slaughter every monster in this county town.

Grandfather and grandson strode openly down the county town's asphalt roads. Anything that dared block their path or cause trouble was slaughtered!

Jiang Zhe feasted to his heart's content!

By the time they reached their destination, the count had already reached "723," including thirty-nine War Marshals.

"Little Zhe, remember this place. Our Jiang Family has a Safe House here."

As he spoke, Grandpa entered an ordinary six-story commercial building and headed straight for the underground garage. In the empty elevator shaft, he swept away the thick layer of accumulated dust on the floor, revealing the outline of a cellar door.

There was no lock. One only needed to grip the edge and lift it open. The iron door was a full forty centimeters thick.

The Safe House was large, with a living room, training room, storage room, and five bedrooms. Most importantly, it had a generator. There was electricity, and the place was brightly lit.

Even now, apartment complexes in the Base City still enforced electricity restrictions. Even in 2056, power shortages were nothing unusual.

The walls surrounding the Safe House were joined together from Metal Plates. Unless they were unlucky enough to encounter a burrowing monster that happened to crash straight into the Safe House, it was secure.

"Rest for an hour, then come to the training room. I'll begin instructing you."

"Mm, got it."

After returning to his room, Jiang Zhe hurriedly cultivated the "Life Blueprint," using up every accumulated light point before wiping away the rune drawn on his chest.

Inside the ten-meter-square training room.

Jiang Zhe first demonstrated the "Chicken-Form Step." Grandpa nodded with satisfaction and even asked him a few questions about its finer details.

Among the three great true forms of chicken, bear, and eagle, Jiang Zhe believed he had performed the chicken form most perfectly, even surpassing Grandpa's level.

That had already been proven on the Punching Power Tester.

After discussing the "chicken form," Grandpa had him practice the Guiding Technique twice, followed by one round each of the "Taiji Posture" and "Three Talents Posture."

Is he going to explain the Gene Primordial Energy Cultivation Method? Jiang Zhe wondered.

After his bloodline level had improved, the Guiding Technique no longer had any effect on him. He had only skimmed through the two manuals after bringing them back and had not studied them carefully.

"Little Zhe, you still don't understand?"

Huh?

What am I supposed to understand?

Seeing Jiang Zhe's confused gaze, Grandpa shook his head. "Practice it again. Don't stop until you understand what I mean."

Jiang Zhe did as he was told.

He first performed the moving stance of the "Three Talents Posture."

Then came the static stance, the "Taiji Posture," where he stood like a tree.

But at that point, Jiang Zhe suddenly froze. He looked down at his legs, recalled the "Chicken-Form Step," and understood Grandpa's intention.

"Grandpa, you mean I need to put more work into my legs and make my lower body more stable."

A smile appeared on Grandpa's face. "That's right. You're teachable."

"They are now Guiding Techniques, but they originated from the Stance Training of Traditional Martial Arts. They are the foundation of an entire martial art system. There's a saying: 'Before learning anything else, stand in stances for three years.'"

"Our family's two SS-rank secret manuals—the White Tiger Wind Summoning Blade focuses on upper-body force generation and needs strong roots. That's why the Guiding Technique I paired with it is the Taiji Posture, which requires you to stand firm like a tree, ever-growing and unceasing."

"And the Six Harmonies Dragon Roar Lance—spear techniques! Aside from mounted spear techniques, all of them emphasize footwork. Your steps must coordinate with your waist and hips. The Three Talents Posture is a perfect match for spear techniques. There are many intricacies within it, and I'll explain them to you one by one."

Grandpa demonstrated the Stance Training for Jiang Zhe and brought over a long spear, using several spear techniques from the manual to explain.

Today's lesson consisted only of this.

After explaining the key points of the two great Stance Trainings, Grandpa left Jiang Zhe alone in the training room to figure them out.

The next day.

In the morning, he hunted monsters using a martial artist's methods.

Grandpa cleared the field for him in advance, ensuring that every battle contained only around twenty High-Tier Beast Soldiers and one War Marshal Level monster leading them.

The count rose to "813."

At noon, he cultivated the "Life Blueprint."

Jiang Zhe tried to condense a second star at his right shoulder. His progress had reached roughly 20%.

In the afternoon, he studied the Force Amplification Techniques of the two great true forms, the Dragon and the Tiger.

By evening, Jiang Zhe had mastered them perfectly and reintegrated the five layers of force.

According to the values displayed by the Punching Power Tester, his force multiplier had reached tenfold!

"Good! Good! Good!"

"Little Zhe, there's nothing more I can teach you when it comes to exerting force with your body."

"I'll give you my final guidance—you should go find your own 'form and intent.'"

"Right now, you're still within the framework of my 'form and intent.' Tenfold should be my limit, but it isn't yours."

"You need to walk your own path and surpass me!"

The third day.

In the morning, he used martial artist methods to hunt monsters.

At noon, he cultivated the "Life Blueprint."

In the afternoon, he learned whip techniques.

But the old man only encouraged Jiang Zhe to familiarize himself with it and use it as a secondary weapon. His main focus still had to remain on spear techniques.

Even though he still hadn't used a spear yet.

The fourth day.

In the morning, he hunted monsters.

At noon, he cultivated the "Life Blueprint."

In the afternoon, after much anticipation, he could finally learn spear techniques!

Only then did Jiang Zhe finally understand the purpose of that sack of soybeans.

First, they marked out a five-by-five area in the training room. He stood at the center of the marked space, scattered soybeans around himself, and then had to use the tip of his spear to crush them.

Four thousand words, but I'm stuck. I'm not very good at writing the Wilderness Zone.

There are a lot of things I want to write, but my instincts tell me this part of the plot needs to move along quickly. I can't drag down the pacing.

The contradiction is making me miserable.

Looking at the few sparse lines written in the outline, I fell into deep thought. I'd assumed it would be easy to write, but who knew the transition would be this difficult.