novelraw Chapter 159 - 158: The 7 Major Upper-tier Schools
Chapter 159 - 158: The 7 Major Upper-tier Schools
With the name issue resolved, he turned his attention to the newly added Trait.
It didn’t originate from the Three-Eyed Primordial Snake Spirit Devouring Map, but from the Silver Wolf Secret Martial Arts.
This was the same technique Li Fengtian had used before.
After gaining access to the man’s memories, he now understood that even Inheritance Secret Martial Arts were divided into different classes.
Typically, once an Inheritance Secret Martial Art reached a certain level, it would grant Traits, much like the Wolf Transformation of the Silver Wolf Secret Martial Arts.
However, there was another, more special type of Secret Martial Arts.
This type had a specific name: Divine Secret Martial Arts.
Divine Secret Martial Arts were different from ordinary Inheritance Secret Martial Arts.
Upon mastering this type of Secret Martial Art, one could gain certain mysterious and unpredictable Talents.
’Divine Secret Martial Arts... Innate Divine Techniques?’
A glint appeared in Hu Qi’s eyes.
The Three-Eyed Primordial Snake Spirit Devouring Map he cultivated was derived from the Red Snake Secret Martial Arts.
The original Red Snake Secret Martial Arts lacked this level of power.
His was a version perfected by Crimson.
The benefits he’d reaped from cultivating this Inheritance Secret Martial Art to its current state were self-evident.
For one, it gave him combat prowess far exceeding others at his level.
More importantly, it had granted him two Talents: Spirit Devouring and Twisted Light.
Both had been of immense help to him.
It now seemed that the Three-Eyed Primordial Snake Spirit Devouring Map was clearly a Divine Secret Martial Art as well.
Although the importance of the Three-Eyed Primordial Snake Spirit Devouring Map was self-evident, as his strength grew, the enemies he faced would become more powerful, and this advantage would gradually diminish.
To maintain his edge and become even stronger, Hu Qi wanted to acquire other Secret Martial Arts, extract their essence, and integrate them into the Three-Eyed Primordial Snake Spirit Devouring Map for further enhancement.
It now appeared his plan was indeed feasible.
After confirming this, he glanced at his remaining Modification Points. It wasn’t enough to upgrade the Three-Eyed Primordial Snake Spirit Devouring Map, so he turned his attention to the Bloodline section instead.
At his mental command,
the value for his Three-Eyed Primordial Snake Bloodline, which stood at 31%, began to climb.
32%... 33%... 34%...
A few seconds later,
the climbing value froze.
[Bloodline: Three-Eyed Primordial Snake Spirit Devouring Map (Incomplete 35%)]
...
[Modification Points: 7 (61%)]
Hu Qi reached out, picked up the air conditioner remote from the side, and a flicker of black light flashed over it.
The remote suddenly transformed into an iron ruler. He swung it, and it let out a sharp whistle.
’The power of Twisted Light has gotten stronger,’ Hu Qi mused, his eyes bright. ’Not only can it affect external objects, but it can even distort their fundamental structure.’
Previously, when his Bloodline was at 31%, he could only apply Twisted Light to external objects to create an illusion, like draping a cloth over them for a disguise. The area of effect was also limited.
But now, with the enhancement of his Three-Eyed Primordial Snake Bloodline, Twisted Light could spread over a much larger area and could even distort the very essence of an object.
If he wished, he could even achieve the legendary feat of turning stone into gold.
After experimenting a few more times, he returned the object to its original form.
He stood up and glanced at the QR code for room service on the wall.
He took out his phone, scanned the code, made his selections, and placed his order.
Being a five-star hotel, it had a dedicated twenty-four-hour restaurant.
If guests didn’t want to leave their rooms, they could order directly for in-room delivery.
Hu Qi didn’t have to wait long.
The doorbell rang, and when he opened it, two hotel employees in uniform pushed a serving cart inside, placing the steaming dishes on his table.
Afterward, they bowed to Hu Qi.
"Please enjoy your meal, sir. Feel free to call us if you need anything!"
With that, the two of them closed the door and left.
As they left, however, they gave Hu Qi a strange look.
The reason was simple: the food laid out on the table.
Hairy crab, roasted leg of lamb, caviar...
The spread of sumptuous dishes was dazzling.
There was enough food for ten people, yet Hu Qi was the only one in the room. And it was so late. ’Could he possibly finish all of that?’
Of course, the two of them didn’t voice this thought.
They had the basic professionalism of service staff, after all.
’Perhaps the guest is wealthy and just wants to sample a bit of everything. That’s not unheard of.’
They had encountered similar clients before.
They once had a guest order a similar amount for a mukbang livestream, only to induce vomiting afterward.
’But in any case, the customer is king. As long as they pay, what they do is their business. Even if they throw it all away, it has nothing to do with us.’
Hu Qi couldn’t read minds, so naturally he didn’t know what the two were thinking.
However, he could guess the gist of it from their expressions, not that he cared.
He didn’t start eating right away. Instead, he went to the bathroom to wash his hands.
After all, he had just killed someone.
Even though his True Essence had formed a barrier, he still believed in the good habit of washing one’s hands before a meal.
Then, he picked up a leg of lamb and began to tear into it.
His sharp teeth easily tore it to shreds, and he chewed and swallowed it down.
In reality, as a Secret Martial Artist at the level of a Qi Dao Grandmaster, he didn’t actually need to eat.
After all, they could draw Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy into their bodies, achieving a state of ’Qi Eating’.
Humans, after all, eat to obtain Essence and Qi from food to replenish their bodies and sustain their daily energy expenditure.
Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy was a far more advanced source of sustenance than the Essence and Qi derived from food.
The benefits to the body were also far greater.
Upon reaching the level of a Qi Dao Grandmaster, one could truly practice Fasting.
In legends, they would be considered on par with Land Immortals and Gods.
Even so, Hu Qi preferred eating with his mouth and savoring the delicious taste of food over absorbing Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy for sustenance.
This was perhaps a habit from his past life as a chef.
Besides, in his view, the whole point of becoming stronger was to enjoy life.
And what was enjoyment if not satisfying one’s desires? The pleasure of eating good food was one of them.
Before long, the entire meal—enough for more than ten people—had vanished into Hu Qi’s stomach.
Yet, his stomach showed no signs of bloating. The moment the food entered it, it was instantly digested and converted into energy that his body absorbed.
’Speaking of which,’ he thought, ’if a Secret Martial Artist who had opened their Divine Treasure became a mukbang streamer, they could probably eat nonstop from dawn till dusk.’
The absurd thought flashed through his mind and was gone.
After he finished eating, he called for someone to come and clear the table.
Hu Qi played some games on the hotel’s complimentary computer for a while, then lay down on the bed and fell asleep.
Even in his sleep, the Three-Eyed Primordial Snake Spirit Devouring Map continued to operate, drawing in the surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy through his mouth, nose, and pores, converting it into fuel for his body.
While this passive process wasn’t as effective as active Cultivation, its strength lay in its persistence.
...
「The next morning.」
Hu Qi once again assumed the appearance of Helinta.
He logged back into Zhu Xi.
Using his clearance, he began searching for basic information on the various Schools.
This information might be classified to some, but for someone with Hu Qi’s current identity, he easily found the information he sought.
Within the Federation, there were one hundred and eight Lower-tier Schools, thirty-six Middle-tier Schools, and seven Upper-tier Schools.
In total, that was one hundred and fifty-one Schools.
However, this number only accounted for those within the Xia Federation.
Outside the Xia Federation, some smaller nations also had their own Secret Martial Arts Schools.
However, those Schools weren’t strong, generally equivalent to Lower-tier Schools overseen by a Martial Arts Family.
As for Middle-tier Schools, there wasn’t a single one among them.
This was because a School of that level posed a certain degree of threat. And while they couldn’t compare to the Federation itself, the Federation wouldn’t allow such entities to emerge outside its control.
The number of Secret Martial Arts Schools within the Xia Federation wasn’t fixed, either.
However, under normal circumstances, the only ones to suffer mishaps and be wiped out by the Black Blood Species were the Lower-tier Schools.
The ranks of the Middle-tier and Upper-tier Schools, however, had remained unchanged for nearly a century.
A Middle-tier School was, at minimum, presided over by a Qi Dao Grandmaster.
The mobility and destructive power of such an individual were unparalleled.
It was nearly impossible to counter them with conventional means like drugs; only something on the level of a nuclear weapon would pose a threat.
But there were always exceptions.
For instance, once news of Li Fengtian’s death spread, the Sealed Wolf Sect would inevitably be demoted from its status as a Middle-tier School.
Hu Qi’s gaze swept over the lists of Lower- and Middle-tier Schools.
His eyes finally landed on the Seven Upper-tier Schools.
The Seven Upper-tier Schools were the Holy Rain Sect, the Sword Pavilion, the Golden Buddha Temple, the Mengyu Pavilion, the Thunder Gate, the Earth God Hall, and the Cyan Dragon Palace.
According to Li Fengtian’s memories, Inheritance Secret Martial Arts on the level of Divine Secret Martial Arts could only be found within these Seven Upper-tier Schools.
If Hu Qi wanted to acquire a Divine Secret Martial Art, he would have to choose a target from among them.
As it happened, he already had some connection to both the Holy Rain Sect and the Mengyu Pavilion.
Back when he was still in the Qi Blood Realm, he had destroyed an Ice Artifact assassin outpost in Anshan City, which belonged to the Holy Rain Sect. Because of this, a member of a Martial Arts Family had even been dispatched to ambush and kill him.
Moreover, Hu Qi knew from Li Fengtian’s memories that the Sealed Wolf Sect was backed by the Holy Rain Sect.
The reason they had come to cause trouble for the Shexin Sect was also at the behest of a certain figure within the Holy Rain Sect.
As for the Mengyu Pavilion, Li Xia, one of the two Qi Dao Grandmasters who had come as reinforcements, hailed from there.
It was a rather unique School, composed entirely of women; it did not accept male disciples. Their Inheritance Secret Martial Arts were related to the Spirit.
All disciples of the Mengyu Pavilion possessed an astonishingly seductive power.
As for the remaining Schools:
The Sword Pavilion, as its name suggested, was composed of members who all cultivated Swordsmanship. Their Inheritance Secret Martial Arts were also sword-related, and their killing power was second to none.
The Golden Buddha Temple was a group of monks whose Inheritance Secret Martial Arts seemed to focus on both the physical body and the Spirit.
The Thunder Gate was a group of martial fanatics who used electric currents to stimulate their bodies. Their physiques were incredibly powerful, and some members even practiced Celestial Thunder Tempering Body.
Their physical prowess was considered the greatest among the Seven Great Schools.
The Earth God Hall employed bizarre techniques; it was said they could reanimate the dead to fight for them.
Finally, the Cyan Dragon Palace was the most mysterious of all, known by its name alone.
It was rumored that they were perennially secluded on some remote island, hidden from the world. They were extremely mysterious, had the fewest disciples, and rarely involved themselves in the affairs of the Federation.
Even with his level of clearance, he couldn’t find much information about them.