Chapter 6 - 5: Martial Arts Foundation Establishment, Endless Surprises!

Chapter 6: Chapter 5: Martial Arts Foundation Establishment, Endless Surprises!

Central City Hospital.

Liu Zimo had already been transferred to a regular VIP ward. While waiting for his examination results, he sat cross-legged on the hospital bed, silently circulating the [Extreme Breathing Technique].

With every inhalation and exhalation, he drew air into his body to refine his Qi Blood, continuously healing his injuries.

At this time, a small amount of Spiritual Energy had already awakened in Earth’s atmosphere. Though its concentration was nowhere near what it would be thirty years later, it was still subtly improving the physiques of certain Martial Artists.

It wasn’t until the Demon Calamity struck and Liu Zimo had bitterly struggled in the Post-Apocalypse for nearly two years—finally embarking on the Martial Dao and cultivating a related Breathing Technique—that he truly sensed the existence of "Spiritual Energy."

He also learned from senior Martial Artists that this special Spiritual Power energy had existed on Earth as early as two years before the Demon Calamity descended. However, only Martial Artists who cultivated a Martial Dao Breathing Technique could perceive and utilize this Spiritual Energy.

It was also during those two years that many Martial Artists around the world—who had long been trapped at their limits and unable to break through—collectively advanced, achieving massive leaps in strength.

Because of this, when the Demon Calamity struck, causing all electronic devices to fail and wiping out human weapon systems in a single day, these formidable Martial Artists were able to step forward at the critical moment and turn the tide.

After that, the Martial Dao became humanity’s primary means of resisting the Demon Calamity. The Martial Dao flourished, and every surviving human in the world revered martial practices, taking pride in becoming a Martial Artist.

Rumor had it that the appearance of Spiritual Energy was actually an omen foreshadowing the Demon Calamity. This was because, following the calamity’s descent, Earth’s Spiritual Energy levels multiplied exponentially.

Thirty years later, the concentration of Spiritual Energy in the air would reach roughly fifty times its pre-apocalyptic level!

Nourished by this Spiritual Energy, human Martial Artists progressed at a godly pace, giving rise to generations of experts. Right before Liu Zimo’s rebirth, the Federation alone had produced no less than ten Golden Body Grandmaster Martial Artists and Fetal Breath Saint Level Martial Artists.

Furthermore, stimulated by the Spiritual Energy, ordinary humans began awakening superpowers one after another, causing the number of Superpower Users in major cities and settlements to grow by the day.

The rise of both Martial Artists and Superpower Users was the only reason humanity managed to carve out a sliver of hope in a Post-Apocalypse surrounded by demons, saving them from total extinction at the hands of the Demon Beasts.

But at this moment, the Demon Calamity had yet to arrive.

The Spiritual Energy in the air remained incredibly thin and undetectable to ordinary people. Only Martial Artists who had trained in a Breathing Technique could sense its presence and absorb it for their own use.

Guided by the [Extreme Breathing Technique], Liu Zimo focused his mind and calmed his spirit. He slowly absorbed and gathered the Spiritual Energy from the air, merging it with his own Qi Blood. It strengthened his physique while continuously repairing his bodily injuries.

Nearby, seeing that his son was largely fine, Liu Yi relaxed. As exhaustion washed over him, he lay down on the accompanying cot and fell asleep. Occasionally, loud SNORES could be heard. After being mentally tense all night and going over ten hours without sleep, he was truly exhausted.

About an hour later.

Nurse Liu Meimei jogged into the ward, startling Liu Zimo out of his meditation.

"Shh!" Liu Zimo pointed at his father on the cot and made a quiet gesture to her.

Nurse Liu stuck her tongue out in understanding. She waved the examination report in her hand and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Liu Zimo, your examination results are all out!

"Congratulations, your body is recovering extremely well. Dr. Liu said it’s nothing short of a miracle!

"Also, if nothing unexpected happens, you should be fully recovered and discharged in about a week!"

Her face was full of awe. Even though she had read the results multiple times, she still found them unbelievable. In just one night, a severely injured patient who had undergone open-chest surgery had seen his wounds heal by nearly ninety percent!

If that wasn’t a miracle, what was?

Having worked as a nurse in the intensive care unit for over five years, this was the first time she had ever seen someone recover with such divine speed.

"Thank you." Liu Zimo nodded slightly and reached out to take the results from Nurse Liu, feeling no real surprise.

The [Extreme Breathing Technique] inherently possessed powerful self-healing capabilities, and these injuries were absolutely nothing compared to what he had endured during the city defense battles.

"Nurse Liu, if I told you that the world will undergo a drastic change in a month, and nearly half the people on this planet will die in a single day, would you believe me?" Liu Zimo casually set the examination report on the bedside table and began making soft small talk with her.

After all, she was the first "acquaintance" he had seen since waking up. He didn’t want to see her lose her life on the very first day of the Demon Calamity, just as she had thirty years ago.

"You mean the end of the world?

"You’re not trying to play Savior, are you?" Nurse Liu looked up at him suspiciously.

Although the kid’s body was mostly healed, his mental issues didn’t seem to have improved much. He wasn’t going to bite his tongue again, was he? Clearly, the sight of Liu Zimo attempting to bite his tongue off in the ICU had left her with a bit of psychological trauma.

"Hah, just joking!

"I’d love to be the Savior, but I’d need the opportunity and ability to do so, right?"

Seeing Nurse Liu look at him as if he were a psychiatric patient, Liu Zimo couldn’t help but chuckle, dropping any further mention of a drastic world change or the Demon Calamity. He knew that before the disaster actually struck, no one would believe his words. They would only treat him as a traumatized mental patient spouting nonsense.

"That’s the right way to think!" The young nurse’s expression finally normalized a bit as she softly advised, "Even if it really is the end of the world, it’s not the place of nobodies like us to worry about it. If the sky falls, the tall guys will hold it up. Right now, you just need to focus on resting and recovering!

"Please don’t do anything foolish like biting your tongue again. Even if you don’t do it for yourself, you have to think about your family!"

Liu Zimo nodded obediently. He was just about to say something else when his body suddenly jolted. He felt a warm current surging through his stomach and intestines.

Immediately after, a familiar notification chimed leisurely in his ears.

[Your Good Brother Jiang Tianxiong has ingested a Body Refining Pill. His foundation is solidified, and his cultivation is successful. Triggering the ’Heaven-Stealing’ Talent Attribute. Fortune is shared equally, reaping half of his cultivation enhancement. Martial Arts Foundation +5, Martial Arts Cultivation +1.]

BOOM!

The Qi Blood within Liu Zimo’s body instantly surged.

His body, which had previously lacked any Martial Arts Foundation, not only stabilized remarkably in a flash, but he also gained an entire year’s worth of cultivation strength for absolutely nothing!

The [Extreme Breathing Technique] activated in response, rapidly Refining the added Qi Blood and Inner Breath for his own use. All the injuries within his body were completely healed in a split second!

Invigorating!

Liu Zimo clenched his fists tightly as a long-lost sense of power swelled up once more. It made him recall the feeling of taking a [Body Refining Pill] for the first time in his past life and officially stepping onto the Martial Dao.

A leap in life, a sublimation of Thought—he felt that it wasn’t until this very moment that he truly had control over his own body!

A wave of pleasant surprise washed over Liu Zimo’s heart.

He never expected that his "Good Brother," Jiang Tianxiong, could actually bring him such an unexpected windfall!

This was a [Body Refining Pill]! To any ordinary person with average talent who had yet to step onto the Martial Dao, a [Body Refining Pill] was an absolute divine Elixir and holy medicine for nourishing the body and establishing a Martial Arts Foundation!

In his past life, because his Martial Arts Talent was limited, Liu Zimo had been delayed in building his Martial Arts Foundation through normal Body Refining methods to become a true Martial Artist. To exchange for a [Body Refining Pill] that could improve his physique and let him set foot on the Martial Dao, he had risked his life killing Demon Beasts and completing missions, saving up his Military Merit for two full years before finally getting his wish.

But now, he hadn’t done a single thing, yet such a great fortune had dropped right out of the sky. How could he not be wild with joy?

Being able to consolidate his Martial Arts Foundation before the Demon Calamity descended, combined with the various Martial Arts Secret Techniques he had memorized, gave Liu Zimo utmost confidence.

This time, even relying solely on his own strength, he was certain he could forge a path and properly protect his dad and younger brother!

"I really didn’t expect this!

"My Heaven-Stealing Superpower can even equally share and quietly reap the cultivation enhancements from Pills the other party consumes. An ability like this is practically heaven-defying!" Liu Zimo marveled inwardly, gaining a completely new understanding of his "Heaven-Stealing" Superpower.

Previously, he had thought his Superpower could only reap a cut of the money his "Good Brothers" earned, which was a very lucrative path. But now it seemed he had underestimated the effects of the "Heaven-Stealing" Superpower.

To even be able to equally share the Martial Arts Cultivation and Martial Arts Foundation gained from the other party’s Elixir consumption... this was far more than just lucrative. This was essentially using an idle cheat!

Before the amazement in his heart could settle, the notification chimed in his ears once again:

[Your Good Brother Jiang Tianxiong has ingested a century-old wild mountain ginseng. His foundation is solidified, and his Qi Blood has skyrocketed. Triggering the ’Heaven-Stealing’ Talent Attribute. Fortune is shared equally, reaping half of his Qi Blood enhancement. Martial Arts Foundation +3, Qi Blood +300.]

[Your Good Brother Jiang Tianxiong has ingested a two-century-old wild mountain ginseng. His foundation is solidified, and his Qi Blood has skyrocketed... Martial Arts Foundation +3, Qi Blood +500.]

[Your Good Brother Jiang Tianxiong has ingested a Red Blood Fruit. His Root Bone is solidified, and his Martial Arts Talent has improved. Triggering the ’Heaven-Stealing’ Talent Attribute. Fortune is shared equally, reaping half of his Martial Arts Talent enhancement. Martial Arts Talent +3, Spiritual Power +5.]

The rapid succession of notifications completely stunned Liu Zimo!

He never imagined that the [Body Refining Pill] from a moment ago was merely the beginning! To step onto the Martial Dao, Jiang Tianxiong had actually prepared so many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for himself!

Putting aside the massive eight hundred points of Qi Blood enhancement and the even more stable Martial Arts Foundation... what was even more badass was that Jiang Tianxiong had managed to find a Red Blood Fruit capable of boosting his Spiritual Power and Martial Arts Talent before the disaster had even occurred!

No wonder the man was able to rise to prominence and thrive during the Post-Apocalypse in his previous life.

As it turned out, Jiang Tianxiong had built an extremely solid Martial Arts Foundation for himself long before the calamity struck, even managing to strengthen his Spiritual Power and Martial Arts Talent to a certain degree.

The superpower of wealth!

It truly was extraordinary!

Now, he was basking in Jiang Tianxiong’s glory. Without doing a thing, he had silently siphoned away half of the other party’s fortuitous gains.

Moreover, Liu Zimo had an Earth Level Cultivation Technique to Refine the Qi Blood enhancement he received, allowing him to maximize its retention and completely convert it into his own cultivation strength.

On the other hand, Jiang Tianxiong had only just entered the Martial Dao. At this point in time, he likely wouldn’t be able to scrounge up a very advanced Martial Arts Technique, meaning his Qi Blood Refinement efficiency would inevitably fall short of Liu Zimo’s.

One had to know that before the calamity descended, the Martial Dao was far from flourishing. The major Sects and Noble Families were accustomed to jealously guarding their secrets, keeping the martial texts in their possession locked down tight. No matter how much money Jiang Tianxiong had, there was no way he could obtain true martial legacies from those people.

Realistically, Jiang Tianxiong could at most acquire some ordinary Mortal Level or perhaps Human Level Martial Arts. Anything higher, such as Yellow Level, Profound Level, or even Earth Level Cultivation Techniques, was completely out of the question.

For Martial Arts Techniques below the Yellow Level, the highest Qi Blood conversion rate was only ten percent. Being able to intercept and Refine ten units out of a hundred units of Qi Blood Energy for personal use was already the absolute limit.

Compared to Liu Zimo’s [Extreme Breathing Technique], which boasted a Qi Blood conversion rate of ninety percent, the difference was like night and day.