Chapter 420: Onto the Assassination List
Chapter 420: Onto the Assassination List (Requesting Monthly Vote)
"Lin Qi, Marrow Training is a delicate process that requires immense Spiritual Power", Mu Hong explained. "You must guide Vital Energy using your Spiritual Power to nourish the marrow. This becomes increasingly critical as you progress through each stage."
"Train the marrow..." Lin Qi muttered.
Mu Hong's teaching methods weren't particularly refined, but his knowledge was invaluable—insights you couldn't find on any forums or discussion boards. Some of his points were even original discoveries from his own cultivation experience.
Before they realized, two hours had passed. Sitting cross-legged, Mu Hong handed Lin Qi two bottles of mineral water. Lin Qi took a sip before asking curiously, "Teacher, if there are Awakened geniuses with one Special Ability... are there any who've Awakened two?"
Mu Hong chuckled mid-sip. "Of course! People are naturally different. Even among geniuses, there's variation. Some SS-Rank Geniuses master Minor Divine Abilities while others don't—the differences are vast. Among Sss-Rank Geniuses, distinctions exist too. Some possess only one Special Ability, while others Awaken two!"
Lin Qi confirmed his suspicions—his dual Awakening wasn't unique.
Mu Hong continued, "Those who Awaken two Special Abilities are extremely rare. They're among the rarest existences in the Sss-Rank Genius tier. You might go years without encountering one."
"For example, fire-attribute Awakenings like [Crimson Flame], [Light], or [Refining Fire] typically occur separately. But someone who Awakens both [Crimson Flame] and [Light] gains tremendous power and speed. Since they're fire-attribute, their abilities synergize, dramatically amplifying combat strength."
Lin Qi nodded thoughtfully. "Dual Awakenings across different attributes would expand tactical options and significantly enhance combat power when integrated into techniques."
Mu Hong added, "Awakening two Special Abilities means your body's Innate Talent undergoes two transformations—doubling its potential. Such individuals automatically qualify as Sss-Rank Geniuses without needing evaluation."
Lin Qi asked, "I heard Sss-Rank Geniuses require a year-long assessment before signing contracts?"
"Ordinarily, yes", Mu Hong clarified. "Awakened individuals sign S-Rank Contracts immediately, with their innate talent and temperament evaluated over a year to determine promotion to SS or Sss-Rank. But dual-Awakened geniuses bypass this—they sign Sss-Contracts instantly. They're the pillars of humanity's future."
Lin Qi understood—double innate transformations could elevate even ordinary talents to the pinnacle.
Placing his water aside, Mu Hong stood. "Those with two Special Abilities are rare enough. I've never met someone with three. Some speculate Red Emperor might have Awakened three—[Crimson Flame], [Light], and [Refining Fire]—explaining his unmatched strength. But that's just rumor."
"Still", he continued, "this year's top prodigy is a senior. At twenty, he's already reached the Seventh Realm without joining the Heavenly Dome Institute's competition. He makes Shen Heng seem inferior."
Lin Qi's heart pounded. Shen Heng was a Sixth Realm Peak Martial Artist—unquestionably the strongest among his age group. Yet this prodigy surpassed him, standing at Yue Feng's level. Even Yue Feng couldn't match him.
Mu Hong said solemnly, "The heavens have limits, but humans exceed them. Always maintain humility and strive for self-improvement. You, with your dual Awakening, are our Xia Kingdom's first such genius. You might become a Nine Realms Titleholder."
Lin Qi nodded earnestly. "Understood."
Half an hour later, Lin Qi departed. In the empty Martial Arts Training Hall, Mu Hong twirled his Silver Long Spear, creating dazzling arcs. Blood-colored intent surged, shifting into an azure wind domain.
Mu Hong mused, "At forty, I've spent eighteen years since graduation. Six years to become Sixth Realm at 23, seven more to Seventh Realm at 29... a decade later, I finally reached Eighth Stage last year through Heavenly Treasures' transformation. Reaching Eighth Stage Peak might take another decade, but breaking into Ninth Realms seems impossible."
The oldest Xia Kingdom Martial Artist to reach Ninth Realms was Mountain and River King at fifty—a Martial Arts Epoch pioneer who started training at twenty-five. Most geniuses peaked before forty. Bei Jiang Sword King broke through at thirty-five—typical for top-tier geniuses.
"Ding!" His AI Companion projected a green hologram: a muscular warrior in armor.
"Lao Mu", the figure rumbled, "The Steel Great Wall needs you!"
“The Disaster Beasts have completely gone berserk lately—they’re attacking with increasing intensity.”
“Especially the high-level ones. Their numbers have surged. We need reinforcements.”
Mu Hong’s expression turned grave. “I understand.”
“I’ll head there immediately.”
After ending the video call, Mu Hong sighed quietly. The situation was indeed getting worse.
It wasn’t just the Blue Planet that suffered under the Disaster Beasts’ attacks—the Otherworld was under even more intense assault.
He thought of Lin Qi again. The young man’s innate talent had already reached Sss-Rank. There was a 90% chance he’d break through to becoming a Nine Realms Titleholder.
Lin Qi represented their planet’s hope.
And now, it fell on their generation of old guards to hold the line until more Sss-Rank Geniuses could grow into their power.
...
Inside a secret base in the Tianzhu Kingdom on Blue Planet, a tall figure wearing a black mask rose from his seat in a sealed, golden-alloy chamber.
Standing over two meters tall, his very breath stirred faint gusts of wind. His aura was overwhelming.
Suddenly, terrifying energy surged from his body, black light erupting outward like a storm.
“So, Lin Qi turned out to be someone who surprised even me?”
The masked man murmured as he studied the information on the screen—an analysis of Lin Qi’s performance in the Azure Firmament Grand Tournament, including his opponents in each round and how he’d defeated them.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he muttered, “It’s only been a few months, yet he’s already defeated an Sss-Rank Genius—no, he’s actually surpassed someone far beyond his realm.”
“In the entire Sss-Rank Genius tier, he’s no weakling. He’ll likely become a Nine Realms Titleholder Martial Artist in the future.”
“Damn it, we should’ve sent Vermin Race warriors to assassinate him last year.”
“It’s become significantly harder to eliminate him now.”
He brought up a list of assassination targets—rows of portraits and profiles, all marked as SS-Rank or Sss-Rank Geniuses. Lin Qi’s photo now occupied a prominent spot.
His gaze lingered on Lin Qi’s image for a moment. After deep contemplation, he decided firmly, “Lin Qi must be eliminated as soon as possible. There’s something off about him—I have a bad feeling about him.”
“He cannot be allowed to live any longer!”
“Less than two months from now is the human’s Spring Festival. According to tradition, he’ll definitely return to Tianhai City.”
“That’ll be my final opportunity. I’ll dispatch two level-eight Vermin Race warriors.”
“They’re equivalent to the 8th Stage Martial Artists on the Blue Planet. While their martial techniques might be somewhat inferior, their physical bodies alone will be more than enough to crush Lin Qi.”
“Eliminate him in the shortest time possible.”
The masked figure made his decision swiftly. For an Sss-Rank Genius, sending two level-eight Vermin Race warriors was a significant move.
...
At Azure Firmament Base in Otherworld’s Heavenly Dome Institute, inside Star Cultivation Mansion No. 36’s villa, Lin Qi swiped across the screen, typing furiously.
Fresh from a training session with his mentor Mu Hong, he’d received a wealth of knowledge about bone marrow cultivation techniques.
He needed to summarize, analyze, and understand everything!
He was particularly interested in special abilities.
From what Master Mu had said, he learned that some cultivators awakened two special abilities. There were even cases of three—Red Emperor had likely awakened three.
“Activating three special abilities simultaneously—what kind of combat power would that unleash?”
Lin Qi felt a thrill of awe. Possessing strength, speed, and defense together would remove all weaknesses, making him unstoppable.
This became his new goal.
Of course, awakening two different attribute special abilities would still be excellent—combining them could also significantly boost combat effectiveness.
“Xiaochan, prepare some barbecue!”
After letting his mind wander, Lin Qi ordered Xiaochan to start preparing food.
For his second special ability, he estimated he’d need at least a few more months to awaken it. He hoped it would happen before the Global Martial Arts Championship, which would greatly increase his combat power.
“Sizzle!”
Before him, slabs of cooked seventh-level Disaster Beast meat were sliced into shreds, stir-fried with green peppers and seasonings to become a plate of green pepper shredded meat. He dug in eagerly.
Beyond special abilities, his physical body remained the foundation.
His vital energy reserves needed to grow stronger.
When he faced Shen Heng, he’d clearly felt the gap in power and speed.
Shen Heng was a genius himself, surpassing ordinary martial artists in multiple aspects and at a higher cultivation stage.
Thankfully, Shen Heng remained stuck at the Sixth Realm’s peak.
There were less than five months remaining—he needed to become much stronger.
After consuming 80 kilograms of flesh, Lin Qi felt warm currents surging through his body.
He could sense that after breaking through to the Sixth Realm, his energy requirements had increased significantly.
Eighty kilograms of flesh only filled him to about 90% fullness.
He entered the Martial Arts Training Hall, retrieving the "Platinum Demon Tiger Evolution Method" from his safe.
Flipping through the golden martial arts manual, he reached the final section—Bone Marrow Cultivation.
This was the last part of this mid-tier Primordial Energy Martial Art. Once mastered, it would mean complete mastery of this technique.
He’d need to learn new martial arts secrets afterward.
Lin Qi was also curious—this mid-tier Primordial Energy Martial Art had been created after observing a Level-9 Disaster Beast’s evolution method.
What about the advanced Primordial Energy Martial Arts practiced by higher realm martial artists? Would they be based on observing Level-10 Disaster Beasts?
Thinking about this, he frowned slightly. It seemed unlikely.
After all, creating martial arts would require many Level-10 Disaster Beasts.
Yet there hadn’t been any news about Level-10 Disaster Beasts at all.
He turned to the Bone Marrow Cultivation technique. The principle was simple, similar to the internal organ cultivation method.
Only the difficulty level was much higher, since bone marrow was different from internal organs.
Internal organs occupied most of the body, but bone marrow was deeply hidden.
It required much greater mental control—guiding vital energy through spiritual power, vibrating and condensing vital force for refinement.
From eating large amounts of food, flesh, and elixirs over time, impurities had accumulated in his body.
He needed to remove these impurities from his bone marrow.
A few minutes later, Lin Qi put down the manual, sat cross-legged, and began his first Bone Marrow Cultivation session.
(End of Chapter)
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