Chapter 19: Raging Undercurrents!

Chapter 19: Raging Undercurrents!

Both father and son were experts in teaching, so they refrained from exposing Jiang Zhe to their Artistic Conceptions again. Such exposure might contaminate his understanding, like a single ink droplet clouding a glass of clear water. Worse, Jiang Zhe might even lose his grasp of "speed" entirely.

Instead, they had him meditate by the pond, drenched by the waterfall’s mist, attempting to recapture that fleeting state. But Jiang Zhe knew better—it was futile. The perfect interplay of timing, environment, and intuition that birthed that supreme Artistic Conception wouldn’t repeat itself. Even Elder Jiang’s demonstration—using his Water Style to freeze the space, only for a stray droplet to unravel the structure from within—was a one-in-a-lifetime collision of circumstances.

Understanding such mysteries was subjective, like how Luo Feng later deciphered the secrets of a ten-thousand-fold Genetic Tier by studying celestial mechanics. The Dao lay hidden in nature, waiting for those with the insight to grasp it.

As droplets arced before his eyes, Jiang Zhe’s mind remained as still as a mirror lake. The essence of "slowness" he once touched had vanished. All signs pointed to one truth: he could never return to that state. The paradox of uniting "speed" and "slowness" was beyond his reach now.

Yet he felt no frustration—this outcome was expected. "The fusion of opposing forces was never easy. I’ll wait until I comprehend the Laws fully. For now, focusing solely on the path of speed is the wisest choice."

Rising abruptly, he seized his long spear and thrust at the airborne droplets, each strike refining his Artistic Conception of speed. The spear blurred faster and faster, weaving silver threads of afterimage across the air.

Faster! Faster! Faster!

An opponent facing him now would be paralyzed by an eerie velocity—one that outpaced reaction, crushing resistance before it could form.

By evening, Jiang Zhe discussed his Artistic Conception struggles with Elder Jiang and his uncle, then made an unusual request. "I want to see more Artistic Conceptions related to wind, lightning, and light—recordings will suffice."

This was a calculated gamble. He aimed to discover which lower Law resonated most with his body’s innate nature. The Artistic Conception of speed aligned with the Time System, while wind, lightning, and light all embodied swiftness. Choosing them followed logically.

If his constitution favored the Time System, it would be like a middle-schooler previewing high-level concepts—accelerating his growth. But if fate played a cruel joke, assigning him to the Space System upon reaching Stellar-Level…

"Even then, I can afford the cost. I’ll simply shift focus to Domain mastery. Artistic Conception will become obsolete anyway."

As he mused, Elder Jiang exchanged a glance with his eldest son, regret flickering in their eyes. They soon addressed his request.

Elder Jiang agreed, "Recordings are manageable. But if you seek practical combat footage, the Jiang Clan will demand much in return."

"Grandfather, for now, just the demonstrations will do."

Elder Jiang’s brow twitched. For now? He dared not probe further, fearing a careless remark might bankrupt the clan. Pretending not to hear, he dragged Master Jiang aside to make arrangements.

Meanwhile, Jiang Zhe returned to his cave with "Slag" to cultivate Genetic Primordial Energy.

The elders swiftly finalized their plan. Master Jiang called his younger brother—Jiang Zhe’s father—to log into the War God Palace and post a bounty:

"The Jiang Clan offers 2 billion Han Xia Currency for recordings of Artistic Conceptions related to wind, lightning, or light. All War God Ranks are invited to submit. Rewards released upon approval."

Two billion wasn’t trivial, even for War Gods. Killing a low-tier Lord-Level Monster yielded only 5–30 billion, and that required risking one’s life. A carefree payout of 2 billion? No one would refuse.

The Jiang Clan’s reputation as a wealthy HR Union member ensured credibility. Who would dare mock the War God Ranks globally?

The bounty ignited the virtual War God Palace. Offline users were urgently called online to witness the spectacle.

In a private War God Palace chamber:

"Brother Wang, congratulations! Your Wind Artistic Conception fits perfectly. Twenty billion for free—buy us drinks later!"

The speaker, a long-haired man with a cold, hawkish face, smiled unnaturally.

Wang laughed. "Don’t I owe you one too, Brother Li? Your Light-Shadow Artistic Conception qualifies as well."

Li shook his head. "I’ll pass. Not that I need the money, but I’d rather the Jiang Clan gain nothing from my Domain Video."

Wang grew serious. "Brother Li… you and the Jiang Clan?"

"No enmity—just competition."

The diners leaned in, intrigued. Before Li could explain, a white-gowned socialite beside him interrupted. "It’s my doing."

"I’m vying for the Hanxia Kingdom Ceo position. The Union prefers handing it to the Jiang Clan."

Gasps echoed. Everyone knew the HR Union was foreign-dominated—the Ceo role was never meant for a domestic clan.

Vinita clarified, "The Jiang Clan head revealed Councilor-Rank strength. The Union must acknowledge this power."

"I’ll withdraw my video then", Wang decided. Choosing between clan loyalty and brotherhood, he sided with the latter.

"You needn’t—"

"Brother Li, no more words. I support you both. Twenty billion is mere pocket change after a Wilderness Zone run."

"…Thank you, dear brother."

"Speak gratitude, and we’re strangers." Wang scolded playfully, then asked curiously, "By the way, Brother Li, Sister-in-law—any idea why the Jiang Clan seeks these Domain Videos?"

Vinita replied, "Probably for their third-generation prodigy’s reference."

A burly man like a grizzly bear interjected, puzzled. "You mean last month’s sensation? Has he reached Elite Warrior? Can he even grasp such advanced techniques?"

Vinita’s voice darkened. "Elite Warrior, Micro-Infiltration Body Technique, roughly 2–3x power output. That’s his score in the Martial Artist combat assessment."

“What? You’ve gotta be kidding!”

“Could this be fake news? Maybe the Jiang Clan spread it to save face?”

“The Martial Artist Practical Assessment is on August 1st. How the hell does someone develop this kind of talent in just five or six days?”

“A monster!”

The crowd around the dinner table erupted in shock.

They all knew about the Jiang Clan’s bizarre family rule, which was exactly why Jiang Zhe’s talent seemed so unbelievable.

The man surnamed Li tapped his finger on the table, silencing the noisy private room.

“Don’t forget—the Jiang Clan assigns Artistic Conception types. This proves the kid has already touched the threshold of Artistic Conception. These three types will help him refine his own.”

Anyone who reached War God Rank wasn’t an idiot. Everyone fell silent, deep in thought.

Trying to lighten the mood, the man surnamed Wang said, “Brother Li, Sister Vinita—how’s Ah Wei doing lately? He’s the child of two War God Ranks. Maybe his future Martial Artist talent will surpass even the Jiang Clan brat’s.”

Speaking of their only son, Li Yao and Vinita both smiled.

……

Hongning Base Metropolis.

Inside a training hall of Limit Martial Arts Pavilion’s headquarters, Hong received a report from the virtual AI core about the Jiang Clan’s bounty notice.

“Light? Thunder? Wind? What connection do these have?”

“Interesting. I’ve always suspected the Jiang Clan hides secrets, but who doesn’t benefit from ancient civilization relics? Keeping things under wraps just makes them look petty.”

“Send my full-power combat footage to the Jiang Clan.”

After issuing orders, the training hall lights dimmed. Earth’s strongest cultivator continued refining Genetic Primordial Energy.

……

Kunlun Mountains, Valley of Death.

The sky hung low and dark, thunder rumbling without rain, crimson lightning endlessly striking the earth.

Inside a cliffside cave, a handsome bald youth flipped through reports sent by his assistant. Rubbing his head, he wore a pure, saintly smile.

“So the little guy has already touched Artistic Conception?”

“What terrifying talent!”

“But the stronger Earth’s cultivators become, the better. Relying only on Hong Ge and me won’t work. And Thunder Artistic Conception… surprisingly resonates with me! Pity Old Jiang won’t budge—refusing to let anyone take his grandson as a disciple.”

“Send my full-power combat video to the kid. Let him witness my Lightning Blade Speed. Maybe he’ll be so impressed he comes begging to be my disciple.”

“Hahaha…”

……

Kyoto Base City, White Platinum Club.

A sinister-faced youth paced anxiously around the coffee table.

His Communication Watch rang. He snatched it up, answering urgently, “Was the video sent? Did you locate their address?”

“Master Wang, the video was sent. The recipient’s location is locked in the Taiyi Mountain Range. We’ve confirmed Jiang Clan’s third generation, Jiang Zhe, is cultivating there.”

“Hahah!” Wang Li grinned viciously. “What are we waiting for? Send the coordinates to Glorious Legion! I want Jiang Zhe dead!”

“Master Wang, we’ve contacted them. Glorious Legion refuses to act—they fear direct conflict with a Councilor-Class Champion.”

“Damn it! Don’t they have two Legislator Ranks? Are they afraid of a newly promoted old dog? I’ll pay more! Double the price! Wipe out these trash clans daring to compete with the Wang Clan for territory!”

The voice reminded him, “Master Wang, our budget only covers War God Rank hires. Councilor Rank demands a separate price.”

“Damn bloodsuckers! Bloodsuckers!” Wang Li cursed.

After calming slightly, he said, “War God Rank… fine. That brat hasn’t even reached Warrior General Level. Easy prey. Contact any War God Rank mercenaries willing to take the job.”

“Master Wang, Glorious Legion already has two War God Ranks stationed in City 009. They just refuse to act under a Legislator’s protection.”

“Refusal? Or are we simply not offering enough?”

The voice cautioned, “Master Wang, after killing Jiang Zhe, facing a furious Councilor-Class Champion, they might not escape alive. That’s their ‘buying life’ money.”

“A few Han Xia currencies won’t cut it!”

He added, feigning concern, “Master Wang, perhaps wait? This time’s too risky. Wait until Jiang Zhe enters the Wilderness Zone alone…”

Wang Li snapped, “No! Too many things could happen. Next chance might never come. And that brat’s a Mentalist! Once he reaches Mid Warrior General, we’ll never kill him!”

“He’s already an Elite Warrior, Mid Warrior General Level Mentalist!”

Silence. After a dozen breaths, the voice asked, “Master Wang, what else can entice two War God Ranks?”

Wang Li breathed heavily, pacing.

Suddenly, he remembered a treasure his Grandfather gave him days ago—one he’d already used, leaving this spare.

“I’ve got something! A treasure that’ll satisfy them!”

“They’ll demand payment upfront—they fear dying mid-mission.”

Wang Li gritted his teeth. “Fine! Come pick it up immediately!”

……

After hanging up, the bespectacled middle-aged man found a contact number and dialed.

“You’ll get your goods tomorrow at 8 AM. Check them thoroughly.”

“As for the African production line, our people have evacuated. You can take over anytime.”

The voice laughed, “OK, cooperation pleasure!”

……

Unaware of the night’s undercurrents, Jiang Zhe woke refreshed the next morning.

He continued consolidating his Domain Tier Spear Art.

Elder Jiang and his uncle had already organized 106 videos on a tablet for him.

These included Domain Tier Body Techniques and weapon arts.

Wind Artistic Conception dominated—61 clips. Thunder Artistic Conception had 30. The remaining dozen covered Light and Shadow.

Surprisingly, some videos came from Hong and Lei Shen, delighting Jiang Zhe.

His father even contributed, practicing the White Tiger Whistling Wind Blade, having grasped Wind Artistic Conception to aid his son.

Jiang Zhe began reviewing them one by one.

Meanwhile, the Jiang Clan father-son duo discussed training Jiang Zhe.

“Dad, I know a Lord-Level Monster perfect for testing Xiao Zhe. Absolutely no danger.”

Elder Jiang frowned slightly but didn’t stop his son.

Master Jiang continued, “In Huang County, there’s a special Beast King—Kui Bull King. His Great Sea Bulls deal low damage, perfect for Xiao Zhe.”

“No. They use sonic attacks. Xiao Zhe’s physique can’t withstand it.”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end