Chapter Four: The Great Black Tortoise Path

If the Holy Light Mark Three were truly to be released, it would undoubtedly captivate the majority of martial artists in Great Xuan.

After all, not every practitioner can become a Force-Transforming Warrior.

Perhaps then, even those conservative Great Xuan martial artists who had branded such innovations as heretical might reconsider their views.

A Force-Transforming Warrior is already a master capable of founding their own sect.

To develop the Holy Light Mark Three, enabling one to step into Force Transformation, signifies a tremendous technological breakthrough. It also implies a groundbreaking advancement in the study of Great Xuan martial arts.

This alone demands Great Xuan’s attention and would surely stir upheaval within its martial arts community.

Among every ten martial artists in Great Xuan, perhaps one might become a Bright Force wielder, but a Shadow Force warrior is one in a thousand, and a Force-Transforming warrior is one in ten thousand.

And that “ten thousand” refers strictly to martial artists, not ordinary people.

One can imagine the immense difficulty in becoming a Force-Transforming warrior.

Thus, the emergence of the Holy Light Mark Three is bound to alter the current landscape of Xuan Star.

Top-tier martial arts sects might remain indifferent, but all other factions would inevitably feel its impact.

After all, their number of Force-Transforming warriors is limited; if their rivals adopt the Holy Light Mark Three and forge more such warriors, naturally, they too would be compelled to use it.

This would force other sects to adopt the Holy Light Mark Three, lest they fall behind step by step and eventually become indistinguishable, struggling to establish themselves within Great Xuan.

Countless sects within Great Xuan’s martial arts world do not coexist peacefully but are fraught with conflict.

“Holy Light Mark Three,” Chen Xian pondered silently, yet he had no intention to pursue it, especially given its exorbitant price, often reaching tens of millions, far beyond the means of ordinary people.

That was already the cost for the first and second versions; Mark Three would surely be priced even higher, making it inaccessible to the common man.

Moreover, from Chen Xian’s perspective, his own cultivation was superior to what the Holy Light chips could produce.

Using a Holy Light chip meant that any further progress would depend solely on acquiring upgraded chips, rather than advancing through one’s own cultivation.

This was something Chen Xian could not accept.

Furthermore, would the Black Eagle Nation truly be so benevolent? Chen Xian couldn’t help but question this. The Holy Light Mark Three was already a strategic resource.

He doubted they would fail to recognize its importance.

Great Xuan martial arts encompass Bright, Shadow, and Transforming Forces, and six realms: Dan, Gang, and Shen.

Bright Force manifests as a powerful, bone-hard fist technique — the Path of Bone Transformation.

Shadow Force is a supple, flexible fist technique — the Path of Tendon Alteration.

Transforming Force harmonizes yin and yang, blending bright and shadow seamlessly — the Path of Marrow Cleansing.

Dan Force is inwardly restrained power shaped into perfect circles, concentrating essence, qi, and spirit into one point, achieving an impervious body.

...

Currently, the Holy Light series of chips only reaches the Transforming Force level, which is unacceptable for those aspiring to delve deeper into martial arts.

With these thoughts swirling, Chen Xian’s mind grew restless, and he lost the desire to continue watching.

Turning off the television, he rose and retreated to his room, sitting cross-legged on his bed to meditate on a white crane spreading its wings, beginning his afternoon rest.

Three years of martial training had made meditation a substitute for a midday nap — a habit he had cultivated.

...

Deep beneath the Black Eagle Nation, hundreds of meters underground, lay a highly futuristic base.

“Mr. Haas, please explain why you made such a decision without our permission.”

“Have you forgotten how many monstrous figures that country harbors? Or do you want your head taken while you sleep at midnight?”

A white man, his face grim and fierce, scolded the person before him.

Opposite him stood an elderly man in a white lab coat, who calmly removed his gold-rimmed glasses.

“Honorable Councilor, it seems the fear Great Xuan’s elites inspire has not faded from your minds. A mere small plan unsettles you so. If I were to discuss this plan openly, would you even agree?”

“You...” the councilor retorted.

“You have great audacity! You must know that those nonhuman existences, if anyone schemes against them, even across oceans, they will sense it. Aren’t you afraid they might come after you?”

The white councilor’s glare hardened, his voice rising as a flicker of fear passed through his eyes.

“Councilor, I do not wish to act this way, but I cannot wait any longer.”

The elder’s composure gave way to agitation, his arms waving wildly, eyes burning with madness.

“Does the councilor not desire the secret to longevity? Those few in Great Xuan have lived nearly a century and still endure, all thanks to the mysterious martial arts of Great Xuan.”

“If we can unravel the secrets of Great Xuan martial arts and develop Holy Light Mark Four, Five, or even Six, we too could possess extended lifespans like them. Does that not tempt you?”

“What we lack now is profound inheritance from Great Xuan’s martial arts. Our understanding of the martial path beyond Force Transformation is woefully shallow.”

“Without sufficient heritage and data, our research cannot progress. This is intolerable to me.”

“Besides, since I dare to act, I have made preparations.”

“Take this laboratory, for instance. We invested immense resources to disrupt magnetic fields and shield all signals, precisely to scheme against Great Xuan’s martial arts and block the perception of those few elites.”

“Councilor, you have seen the results. We succeeded. Even while plotting here, nothing happened to us. Doesn’t this prove that their psychic connection is completely nullified here?”

Hearing this, the white councilor took a deep breath, the initial fear somewhat abated, his sharp gaze fixed on the nearly frenzied elder.

“You can block their perception here, but what about outside? What about Great Xuan itself?”

“You must know, there is no such laboratory in Great Xuan. How then will you obtain those martial inheritances?”

“I fear your operatives will be discovered before they can act.”

The elder regained his calm, wearing a confident expression.

“Councilor, there is an ancient Great Xuan saying: a gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall. How could I risk my own people? That would be too reckless.”

“Furthermore, how could our people scheme for those inheritances in Great Xuan? Their very thoughts would be sensed by those few elites.”

“Then...”

“Then who are you recruiting?”

The white councilor’s suspicion deepened.