My Core is the Boss

Chapter 291.2: Back to Training

Just then, someone’s faint voice drifted straight into Zhao Renji's ear. "Tsk. You are still alive?"

Zhao Renji bellowed, his eyes bloodshot, "Who's there?!"

Zhao Shiqi was startled, unable to make sense of what was happening. The others outside the room exchanged baffled looks.

"My lord, what's wrong?"

The words had barely left the speaker's mouth when his face went white.

Zhao Renji's hand shot to the pistol at his side. His eyes were wide and filled with terror. His arm moved as though it belonged to someone else, blood-tinged tears streaked down his face.

The sight froze everyone in the room.

Zhao Shiqi stood motionless as he stammered, "I... take my own life... no... forgive... as an apology!"

The words came out broken and garbled. Then, before anyone could react, Zhao Renji raised the pistol and put a bullet through his own skull.

"My lord!"

"Get a doctor, now!"

The room erupted into chaos.

Zhao Shiqi stood amid it all like a statue. What he had just witnessed was beyond anything he could process. As if possessed, his brother had drawn his weapon and shot himself.

A deep, bone-cold dread crept through him. In the next moment, a thought struck him, exacerbating his terror.

***

The next day, Qi Yuan ran through another set of the Mingwu Resonance Fist in his room. When he finished, his clothes were damp with sweat. Nevertheless, his mind was clear, and white vapour rose faintly from his skin.

"The blood of that mutated sea monster really does make a difference."

His training efficiency with the Mingwu Resonance Fist had improved noticeably, and his gains from each session had increased as well. In just a day, he had broken through to the third stage. The blood seemed to possess a property that enhanced both his martial aptitude and his ceiling.

"Pity the blood of ordinary sea monsters doesn’t do the same."

He had processed the other sea monsters too, extracting what could loosely be called their essence blood. However, after taking it, he could detect virtually no improvement at all.

Different bloodlines, I suppose. The ordinary sea monsters' blood might suit other martial practitioners better.

He hadn't been at this for long, but he was already beginning to form a picture of the martial path in this world. For now, it appeared to run through bloodline martial arts.

With the Devouring Origin Physique, drinking more blood of various kinds can only be a good thing. Maybe I'll end up fusing something entirely new.

In the Mortal Heart World, No-Food Goddess had ultimately transferred the terrifying Devouring Origin Physique to Qi Yuan. He could absorb and make use of blood consumed this way.

Time to go to the martial gym and get the next set of techniques.

Advancing to the next stages of the Mingwu Resonance Fist required a trip to the hall. Fortunately, the hall kept things simple—no cultivation checks, no gatekeeping. Just pay, and you could leave with the techniques. Many had even bought ahead within their first few days of joining.

This world had no shortage of wealthy people. As long as one weren't starting a business or gambling it all away, money had a way of sticking around.

Thus, Qi Yuan changed his clothes and headed out. The sun was generous that afternoon. The taxi moved quickly through the streets.

The driver squinted up at the sky. "Did something big happen today? There are three times as many drones up there as usual."

"The more drones the better, if you ask me. The security in Tianyue City has gone to pieces. Someone got shot dead in broad daylight yesterday!"

"What? Where? I didn't hear a thing about it!"

"Lanxi Boulevard."

The driver's voice turned bitter. "Probably those damned nobles again. Only they'd have the nerve to kill someone in the middle of the street."

The taxi pulled up in front of Mingwu Martial Arts Gym shortly after. The taxi driver stepped out to buy water.

Qi Yuan had barely stepped out when a robot approached, its voice a flat electronic tone. "Kongcity Intelligent Rideshare brings you smart driving and electronic safety. Thank you for your interest."

The robot extended a flyer toward him.

Before Qi Yuan could reach for it, the taxi driver returned and sent the machine staggering with a hard kick. "Are you kidding me?! Robots coming after our livelihoods too?!"

The driver spat a curse, kicked it again for good measure, then stalked off. Kongcity Intelligent Rideshare was a new rideshare startup that had been rolling out driverless systems and robot drivers. The human drivers across the city opposed it fiercely, though it didn’t accomplish much.

Without paying it any heed, Qi Yuan walked into Mingwu Martial Arts Gym. Soon, he found Second Senior Brother and stated his purpose. Qi Yuan handed over a considerable sum in exchange for the remaining nine stages of the Mingwu Resonance Fist.

"Didn't expect you to have this kind of money..." Second Senior Brother looked him over with new appreciation, unable to resist picking at his left nostril. "All twelve stages of the Mingwu Resonance Fist are yours. Once you train it to the peak, enter the Martial Arts Tournament. You'd have a shot at the top thirty."

He had previously thought Qi Yuan was just dabbling. Now that the man had handed over this much money, he was clearly one of their own. In the old days, this was the kind of investment that made someone a core disciple.

Qi Yuan asked, "The tournament qualifiers are coming up soon, aren't they? When registration opens for our hall, can you put my name on the list?"

The Martial Arts Tournament registered participants under the banner of their hall or school. This cycle was approaching fast, and Qi Yuan intended to win it and become the Mortal Martial God.

Second Senior Brother blinked at him. "You want to enter when there are only three months left? With your current knowledge, you'll be lucky to survive the first round. Breaking into the top hundred for the city would be a stretch." freёweɓnovel.com

Then, he added more generously, "Going for the experience, I suppose? Fine. We'll put your name down when registration opens. Come fill in the application form in a bit."

It never crossed his mind that Qi Yuan was gunning for first place. Qi Yuan also had no intention of explaining himself.

Qi Yuan headed back to the training room. "Thank you, Second Senior Brother. I'm going to train."

Wang Shiqiao spotted him the moment he walked in and jumped up. "Did the nose job look any different this time? I had them make a small adjustment."

The last time they'd spoken, Qi Yuan had mentioned her nose didn't look original. She had gone straight to the clinic to make a scene, gotten a free touchup, and was now genuinely curious whether it was still obvious.

Qi Yuan said without looking at her, "Ask someone else, I have very good eyesight."

Wang Shiqiao opened her mouth, closed it, and then snapped. "Forget it, I'm done with this nose entirely!"

The other trainees nearby stifled their laughter.

Qi Yuan ignored her completely and turned his full attention to the Mingwu Resonance Fist. He trained for a solid hour. Halfway through, Second Senior Brother appeared with the tournament application form, which Qi Yuan filled out under Wang Shiqiao's frankly astonished stare. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

She stretched her arms above her head. "You've got some nerve, signing up in your first year. Aren't you afraid of breaking a bone or something?"

Her training top was short and close-fitting, pulling taut with the movement.

He frowned. "Don't stretch toward me. You smell like sweat."

Wang Shiqiao threw her hands up. "I shaved everything, there's nothing there to smell! You... No wonder you're this good-looking and still can't get a girlfriend!"

Who talked like that?

Qi Yuan answered by relocating to a different spot and continuing his training in silence.

Wang Shiqiao stamped her foot in frustration. "Fine! Go spend the rest of your life alone!"