Chapter 5: The Cult of the Deities

"The God-Worshiping Cult."

"Councilor, it is undoubtedly the God-Worshiping Cult. In Xuanxing, who else but the followers of that cult could operate right under the noses of those individuals without being discovered?"

"What!"

A gasp of shock escaped the councilor; he could hardly believe his ears. Did he hear that correctly?

"The God-Worshiping Cult," that pack of lunatics.

"Hass, you must be insane. You actually dared to provoke those madmen?"

"You really are a lunatic!"

"You are courting death!" the councilor shouted, his face filled with disbelief. "Do you have any idea who you are dealing with? They are the common enemy of all our nations—a group of truly lawless fanatics. They can no longer even be classified as human, yet you have the audacity to collude with them? You are begging the tiger for its hide!"

"Do you even know what you're doing?"

Hass replied with complete indifference, "Councilor, there is no need to waste your breath on me. The plan has already begun; it is too late for regrets now. As long as I can obtain the Great Xuan martial arts legacy, what does it matter if it involves the God-Worshiping Cult? No matter how powerful they are, they have still been suppressed to the point where they dare not show their faces, forced to live like rats in the shadows, hidden from the light."

"You..."

"Hmph!"

"Hass! Hass! You madman!"

The councilor was so furious his face turned ashen and his knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, yet he was utterly helpless. He knew full well that once Hass had set this plan in motion, there was no turning back. If this scheme were truly exposed, he believed that even if he hadn't personally participated, those powerful entities in Great Xuan would never let him off the hook.

Furthermore, he understood clearly that a lunatic like Hass would never listen to his warnings. Therefore, the only thing he could do was try to keep the matter hidden and pray that Hass’s plan would succeed—or, if it failed, that it would be contained within the cult and never traced back to him. Only by doing so could he preserve his own life.

At the same time, a sliver of regret crept into his heart. He shouldn't have chosen Hass to be in charge of the Holy Light Chip research. Now that disaster had come knocking at his door while he sat at home, Hass's machinations would inevitably drag him down. This was truly a regret beyond measure.

...

As the holiday drew to a close, the morning sun was gentle and pleasant. Chen Xian stood on his balcony, shirtless, his knees bent in a deep squat, performing the White Crane Stance with practiced ease. The White Crane Stance takes the form of a solitary crane, embodying the spirit of standing out from the crowd to refine one’s spirit; it is a form of imitative boxing.

After holding the stance for a while, under the influence of his extraordinary power, Chen Xian’s vitality surged. He began to practice the White Crane Fist. The version he practiced was not marked by large, sweeping movements, but rather by a sense of agility and grace, allowing him to perform it on the balcony without feeling constrained.

Driven by the fist technique, his abundant vitality surged like a river, coursing through his bones and continuously tempering his sinews. Bathed in the sunlight, the White Crane Fist—one of the Ten Thousand Beast Fists from the Ten Thousand Beast Martial Arts Hall—revealed its unique charm in his hands. Building upon the White Crane Stance, his movements became even more fluid, perfectly embodying the grace of the crane.

More than half of the martial arts halls in Great Xuan were affiliated with the Ten Thousand Beast Martial Arts Hall. Founded by the "Divine Fist" Yan Cang, its core legacy was the Ten Thousand Beast Fist, which incorporated the forms and spirits of countless creatures; the White Crane Fist was but one of them. Once disciples of the Ten Thousand Beast Martial Arts Hall achieved mastery, they would leave to establish their own halls, passing on what they had learned and allowing the legacy to flourish. It was precisely this method that caused the influence of the Ten Thousand Beast Martial Arts Hall to spread throughout Great Xuan.

The White Crane Fist Chen Xian learned came from a hall established by one of these disciples, belonging to a more niche branch of the Ten Thousand Beast Fist. Most halls were founded by masters at the "Transformation" stage, but the founder of the White Crane Hall had only been at the "Dark" stage, which spoke to the limitations of this particular style.

"Such abundant vitality," Chen Xian mused to himself.

Ever since he discovered his extraordinary power, the weather had been consistently clear, and his vitality had grown stronger with each passing day. The surging energy within him made him feel like a roaring furnace, radiating a intense, scorching heat. During his practice, he no longer felt that frustrating sense of having the will but lacking the strength. He could feel an nameless fire inside him, constantly burning through his sinews and nourishing his flesh, keeping his muscles taut. With every session, he felt he gained tremendously.

This kind of training, where he could clearly perceive his own progress, was addictive and gave him even more motivation. In the past, his progress had been so infinitesimal that it was barely perceptible, requiring years of accumulation. While that didn't make him slack off, it inevitably led to doubts and a lack of confidence in the future.

But now, it was different. He could clearly feel his strength advancing, and doing so rapidly. Chen Xian knew he was only half a step away from the "Bright" stage. He was certain that in a few more days, he would surely break through. His gains over this period could truly be called immense, if not miraculous.

"Hoo!"

Exhaling a breath of stale air, Chen Xian’s mood lightened.

"Even after so many days, it still feels incredible. It truly is a power that defies common sense. I wonder if this kind of extraordinary power is unique to me, or if others possess it as well?"

Since discovering his power, his training had progressed by leaps and bounds. Previously, after every session, the depletion of his vitality would leave him exhausted, forcing him to stop and consume food to replenish his strength. Only after his body had digested the food and restored his vitality could he train again. This was a challenge every martial artist faced; even those from the great sects could not avoid it. They were unable to sustain continuous practice. To minimize the time needed to eat and recover, many great sects had developed special foods for martial artists—concentrated rations, medicinal soups, so-called "Golden Pills," and even nutrient solutions formulated with technology. Yet, even those could only save some time; they could not provide the constant, overflowing vitality Chen Xian now experienced.

Now, it was different. After every session, not only did he not feel tired, but he felt refreshed and invigorated, making him want to continue. The difference was like heaven and earth.