Chapter 105: Crimson Lotus Mode! Who Says You Can't Learn New Martial Arts Without Performance-Enhan

Chapter 105: Crimson Lotus Mode! Who Says You Can't Learn New Martial Arts Without Performance-Enhancing Drugs? (4K)



Upon returning to the estate on horseback, Xue Heng dismounted and led Swift Wind back to its stable before heading into the main residence and up to the fifth-floor training room.

Seated in a cross-legged position on the spotless rubber floor that was cleaned daily, Xue Heng did not immediately begin his training. Instead, he took out his phone and, with a few swipes, opened the last page, which displayed an app with a peculiar icon.

Nine black leaves surrounded a rhombus at the center, forming a flower-like pattern.

This was a sixth-organ encrypted chat software that Xu Han had sent him three days ago—a castrated version, as the full version reportedly had many other functions that civilian phones couldn't handle. For now, it only supported chatting and file transfers.

Upon opening the app, he was greeted by a chat interface similar to WeChat, and to his surprise, Xu Han was the only friend listed, her avatar a cute little bear cub.

Xue Heng tapped on their chat history and scrolled up, seeing several documents that Xu Han had sent at different times.

All of them pertained to the borderlands.

"The exploration mission to the new borderland will take place in seven days at most."

"In three days, I'll be heading to Fengcheng for the U19 knockout tournament... I wonder how long the tournament will last, and if there's a way to avoid a clash."

Xue Heng stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Wu Youqing had arranged a Fengcheng-based agent for him; he'd have to ask them about it later.

Shaking his head, Xue Heng opened one of the documents named 'New Borderland'.

Temporary Serial Number: R278 Borderland

Temporary Grade: C+

External Area: 26.8 square kilometers

Internal Area: Based on visual estimates from entrants, approximately 300 to 900 square kilometers; misjudgment is possible, so it is recommended to carry more than ten 'monitors'...

Entry Conditions: ...

November 23rd: Discovery of humanoid biological settlement site, suspected to possess a considerable level of civilization.

November 25th: Discovery of abnormally frequent thunder, suspected presence of dragon-type creatures; temporary grade adjustment to C+

...

Due to the stringent entry conditions, exploring the new borderland seemed challenging, and the information currently available was limited. Xue Heng quickly finished reading the document.

He closed it and opened the next one, titled 'Dragon Species Information'.

Apparently, due to the suspected presence of dragon-type creatures in the new borderland, Xu Han had sent this information promptly.

Dragon Species: King of the Sky-Dwelling Species, the 'Pride of the Sky', Deeply Beloved by the Heavens...

Xue Heng read through the document, taking over half an hour to carefully absorb every detail. Once he was sure he had memorized it all, he closed the document.

"Roaming the skies, spewing thunder, a free creature beloved by the heavens... Interesting."

Xue Heng pondered for a while before continuing to browse through the other documents.

After perusing them all, he stretched lazily.

"I'll think about the borderlands later. There's something else I need to do now."

Xue Heng assessed his current mental state.

Although he still felt somewhat listless, his condition had improved significantly, and he was now ready to resume consciousness simulations.

He had an idea he wanted to test.

Taking a deep breath, Xue Heng calmed his mind and unleashed his imagination.

Countless pixelated blocks swept through the world, transforming into the grassy landscape of the northern district's back mountain.

With a thought, he manifested himself within the scene.

After confirming that his body's data was correct, Xue Heng looked forward.

The pixelated blocks converged and spun, forming a young man of seventeen or eighteen years old—Ning Yuantai.

Thump!

With the sound of a beating heart, 'Ning Yuantai's' skin turned crimson, and a red aura began to swirl around his body, enveloping him.

Xue Heng circled the empowered Ning Yuantai, observing him closely for a while before nodding in satisfaction.

"It's no wonder I chose to collect data that way. The recreation is perfect."

"Crimson Lotus Volcano Style, let me witness your might once more."

With a thought, Ning Yuantai sprang into action.

He trembled, assuming a straight-punch starting stance. After a moment of brewing, he unleashed a punch toward Xue Heng's chest.

The seething power within him resembled volcanic magma, bringing forth an extreme burst of energy that sent ripples of crimson air waves radiating from the punch, an awe-inspiring sight.

However, Xue Heng had no intention of defending himself. Instead, he closed his eyes and emptied his mind, focusing his spirit.

"Boom!"

A punch struck him squarely in the chest, reverberating with a thunderous roar. Without even employing his basic energy defense, Xue Jing's chest bone instantly snapped with a crack, and his entire body flew out at an angle like a golf ball struck by a club.

The powerful mental control bestowed by [Observation • True] allowed him to set aside the distraction of pain and calm his mind, focusing intently on unraveling the secrets behind this punch.

"By altering the internal structure of the body and employing unconventional methods of exertion that a normal body couldn't achieve, coupled with an extremely high body temperature, one can unleash an explosive power akin to volcanic magma," Xue Jing thought.

"Indeed, the New Martial Arts are extraordinary... The pinnacle of the Old Martial Arts involves using spiritual realms to interfere with one's self-reality, striving to harness the power of formidable beings through the essence of the human body."

"As for the New Martial Arts, they forgo the need for spiritual realms altogether and directly transform the flesh, enhancing it on a physical level."

"The Crimson Lotus Volcano Style... By transforming the body to possess the power of a volcanic eruption, a natural disaster-level force, if this forbidden technique can truly transform the flesh to rival a volcanic eruption, then it can be said to far surpass the Old Martial Arts..."

"Bang!"

Xue Jing's body slammed into the ground nearly a hundred meters away.

He opened his eyes and muttered,

"It's so tempting that I'm even considering learning a New Martial Art."

"However, I don't want to resort to performance-enhancing drugs."

He climbed to his feet, a deep fist mark on his chest that was now healing as the pixelated blocks reassembled.

As he rose, he smiled and said, "But...

"Who says you can't learn New Martial Arts without performance-enhancing drugs?"

Xue Jing opened his panel and glanced at the [Twin] skill in the Divine Attributes section.

After reaching Lv4, he hadn't immediately chosen to add a new active effect due to his indecisiveness and had temporarily put it on hold.

[Current options: Reaction Speed, Calculation Ability, Concentration, Memory, Body Temperature, Flexibility, Perception, Instinct...]



Xue Jing's gaze fell on the [Body Temperature] option.

"To harness the explosive power of the Crimson Lotus Volcano Style, one needs to transform into a volcanic body... The most crucial aspect is an extremely high body temperature."

"Only boiling temperatures can generate boiling power. This condition is nearly impossible for an unaltered human body."

Body temperature is intricately linked to health, and even powerful martial artists would find it challenging to withstand the terrible consequences of excessively high internal temperatures.

A volcanic body with a temperature of over a hundred degrees would melt your brain.

Hence, one could only achieve this through transformation, acquiring a special heat-resistant body that surpasses human limitations to withstand such extreme temperatures.

"However... I'm different."

Xue Jing turned his gaze to the [Physical Defense] option in the active effects section of [Twin], which he had already activated.

"The twin-bodied physical defense provided by [Twin] is conceptual, allowing me to withstand twice the damage from any attack."

"Naturally, this includes temperature."

He channeled his energy, using the Star-Shaking Fire's method of blood stimulation to accelerate the flow of blood throughout his body.

Temperature is the measure of the intensity of molecular motion.

As the blood flowed faster, its temperature rose, causing his body temperature to increase.

Gradually, Xue Jing felt his body growing uncomfortably hot, his skin turning red. His body temperature rose from the normal thirty-something degrees to over forty degrees.

"Not enough. Continue!"

The blood continued to circulate rapidly, and at the same time, Xue Jing began to mobilize his other energies, striving to induce vigorous internal activity to further elevate his body temperature.

After a while, he felt his entire body scorching hot, his head dizzy, and his vision blurry as if veiled in mist.

At this point, his body temperature had surpassed fifty degrees.

"This is my limit...

"Barely managing fifty degrees..."

Xue Jing shook his head, and when he exhaled, he felt like his lips were burning.

"It should be feasible."

"By using [Twin] to achieve double body temperature and utilizing twin-bodied physical defense to withstand it, I can simulate the high-temperature state of a Crimson Lotus Volcano Style transformed body..."

With a thought, Xue Jing activated the twin-bodied defense and then used his consciousness to simulate a doubled body temperature state.

"Hu—"

Xue Jing's entire body was tinged with a faint crimson hue.

The boiling temperature caused steam to continuously rise from his body, enveloping him in a cloud-like mist, making him appear divine and ethereal.

He opened his mouth, and white steam billowed out with a hissing sound, resembling a steam-punk mecha.

His entire body felt scorching, but with the absolute twin-bodied endurance, he successfully withstood it.

All the liquids in his body were boiling, truly boiling.

Like freshly boiled water, it bubbled and gurgled incessantly.

Before him, the pixel blocks spun and converged to form a mirror.

Xue Jing looked at his reflection.

His black hair, neither long nor short, billowed as if in an invisible wind, and the faint crimson glow emanating from his skin gave him an otherworldly appearance. Coupled with his exceptionally handsome features, he exuded an alluring yet sinister charm.

"What is this? Luffy's second gear?"

He spoke, his voice deeper and raspier than usual.

"Next, it's that inhuman way of exerting force..."

Xue Jing gestured for Ning Yuantai to step forward.

At this moment, neither of them looked human.

One was cloaked in crimson, enveloped by crimson energy waves, while the other emanated a faint crimson aura, surrounded by white steam.

Ning Yuantai threw another punch, and Xue Jing blocked it with his hand. In the instant their fists made contact, Xue Jing carefully observed the way Ning Yuantai exerted his force.

"Again!"

Punch after punch, Xue Jing quickly memorized the unique way of exertion used in the Volcano Style.

He furrowed his brows.

"This won't be easy... His internal body structure is completely different from a normal human's. It feels very awkward to exert force in this volcanic eruption-like manner without this kind of mutated flesh."

Xue Jing exhaled a puff of white steam and channeled his energy, attempting to imitate the technique.

His flesh, bones, and every fiber of his being twisted and turned under his forced control, ignoring the risk of injury.

Fibers snapped, blood boiled and evaporated, and his bones creaked and groaned in protest, but Xue Jing pushed on, his eyes narrowing as blood oozed from the corners of his mouth and nostrils in the form of steam.

"Ha!"

With a loud shout, he exhaled a cloud of bloody mist, his body glowing with a crimson aura as he threw a punch. It shattered the air and struck Ning Yuantai, reducing his upper body to a rain of blood that scattered in all directions.

After obliterating Ning Yuantai, the force of the punch continued unabated, tearing a gully over a dozen meters long in the grassy field. The incredibly high temperature even caused the green grass to turn black and carbonize.

However, the exertion took its toll on Xue Jing, and he fell to his knees.

With an internal inspection, he found his body riddled with wounds, the damage almost comparable to when he used the Cyclone Thunder at its limit.

"I forcefully simulated the Volcano Style... But the consequences are severe. I can't use this in reality yet; I need to make some improvements."

Xue Jing's thoughts stirred, and he healed his wounds, the faint crimson glow fading from his skin as the white steam stopped rising.

He marveled at Ning Yuantai's lower half, which was all that remained, as well as the long, charred gully in the grass.

"This simulated Volcano Style is incredibly powerful. This punch was even stronger than the Cyclone Thunder at its peak..."

Xue Jing stroked his chin.

"Hmm, since it's derived from the Volcano Style, I'll call it the 'Crimson Lotus Mode'!"

"If I can use the killing moves of the Dragon-Concealing Style while in Crimson Lotus Mode... I dare not imagine the power it would wield."

"But for now, it's difficult. I need to figure out how to stabilize the Crimson Lotus Mode first... Otherwise, I'll destroy my body every time I use it."

After pondering for a moment, Xue Jing suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded.

This was a sign of mental exhaustion.

"Consciousness simulation is indeed powerful... But overdoing it isn't good. I think I'm really going to pass out this time."

Xue Jing rubbed his temples.

He could feel that he had truly depleted his mental energy this time.

While [Health Preservation] had an impressive recovery rate, his mind couldn't withstand such intense strain.

He faintly sensed that he shouldn't attempt any more consciousness simulations today, or he would risk serious mental injury.

The scene dissolved into countless pixel blocks, and Xue Jing exited the consciousness space.

He wearily opened his eyes.

"Ah, junior disciple... You, you're awake."

Before him stood his senior female disciple, Zhu Shan Ying, her hands behind her back and a guilty look on her face.

The young girl's cheeks were tinged with a faint blush, and Xue Jing smiled, about to speak, when he noticed something amiss.

After reaching the fourth level of Jin Da Si, his control over his physical body had become extremely refined, allowing him to sense even the slightest abnormality.

His lips... They felt a bit wet.

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end