Chapter 65: The Path Beyond the Martial Artist

"Leaving behind a secret technique before the battle; it seems he knew he was bound to perish."

Lin Qi looked at the holographic image fading away on his smart wristwatch, unable to keep a sigh from escaping his lips.

Secret techniques were not only precious, but they were also not something just any martial artist could learn, let alone create on their own.

In the City of Chasing Light, anyone capable of independently creating an apprentice-grade martial skill could already be considered a genius. As for martial-artist-grade techniques, anyone who could invent one was a genius among martial artists.

It might have seemed like Luo Wushang and the others created martial-artist-grade skills quite effortlessly, but that was only because they could resurrect infinitely and experiment without consequences.

For ordinary people in this high-martial world, creating a martial skill meant risking severe injury at the slightest mistake, or even losing their lives—much like a drifting leaf in a storm.

Inventing a complete and refined martial-artist-grade skill truly required extraordinary genius.

Since Meng Changtian claimed to have invented his own secret technique, it was clear just how formidable he had been. Yet, even such a genius had fallen victim to a monster tide.

The perils of the high-martial world truly meant that even martial artists lacked any guarantee of survival.

"The Three Styles of Prairie Fire?"

Lin Qi tapped on the recorded data on his smart wristwatch and began to read with rapt attention.

He had long been curious about the legendary secret techniques of the City of Chasing Light. His curiosity wasn't just driven by their rarity, but by how much stronger they actually were compared to ordinary martial skills—to the extent that those who possessed them guarded them with their lives.

Two hours later.

Lin Qi switched off his smart wristwatch and took a deep breath.

"Incredible! Absolutely incredible!"

You wouldn't truly understand until you read it. Only after finishing the text did Lin Qi grasp the terrifying power of secret techniques.

Unlike ordinary martial skills, a secret technique was a complete, systematic methodology. According to Meng Changtian, the Three Styles of Prairie Fire he created was a mid-tier martial-artist-grade secret technique. Once fully mastered, it could unleash the power of a high-tier martial-artist-grade skill.

Once martial skills reached the martial artist tier, they were divided into primary, mid, and high tiers, with a vast gulf in power between each.

For instance, the Lightning Light Palm was classified as a primary martial-artist-grade skill. Its first stage, the Rushing Thunder Realm, could double the speed and power of both hands while imbuing the strike with piercing force.

A mid-tier martial-artist-grade skill, by contrast, typically tripled the user's power output in its first stage.

The first stage of a high-tier martial-artist-grade skill quadrupled the power. The performance gap between each tier was glaringly obvious.

Naturally, the more powerful a martial skill was, the more difficult and demanding it was to learn.

If a primary martial-artist-grade skill like the Lightning Light Palm could be mastered by primary apprentices, a mid-tier secret technique required an intermediate apprentice, and high-tier techniques demanded an extreme apprentice to even have a chance of learning them.

Yet, once the mid-tier secret technique *The Three Styles of Prairie Fire* was mastered, its first stage alone could unleash fourfold power. Even more surprisingly, learning it didn't require an intermediate apprentice; a primary apprentice could grasp it.

However, learning the *Three Styles of Prairie Fire* required an external resource.

Energy crystals!

These were rare energy substances that formed only in trace amounts within energy veins. They were not sold anywhere in the City of Chasing Light and were exceptionally precious.

Without energy crystals, the core of the Prairie Fire secret technique—the Prairie Fire Body-Forging Method—could not be practiced at all.

The entire secret technique was divided into the Prairie Fire Spear Technique, the Prairie Fire Footwork, and the Prairie Fire Body-Forging Method. The three complemented one another; studying any of them in isolation would only yield the effect of a mid-tier martial-artist-grade skill.

Yet, rather than lamenting the lack of energy crystals to practice the body-forging method, Lin Qi was utterly mesmerized by the body-forging method itself.

As a martial-artist-grade forging method, it was far more advanced than the calisthenics breathing techniques taught to primary school students, and it even mapped out the path ahead for martial artists.

If calisthenics breathing techniques worked by absorbing stray ambient energy to stimulate muscle cells throughout the body and rapidly improve physical fitness, then martial-artist-grade forging methods belonged to an entirely different realm.

Although Lin Qi had only acquired half of the calisthenics breathing technique—the breathing method was divided into six stages, and he only possessed the first three—their underlying essence was identical. The more advanced techniques simply possessed more complex rhythms capable of more thoroughly stimulating muscle cells.

The first three stages could only push someone to the limit of an extreme apprentice, while the final three stages prepared them for quasi-martial artist status, pushing them to the absolute limit of a quasi-martial artist. It was, all things considered, a very foundational training method.

The Prairie Fire Body-Forging Method was completely different. It consisted of only three stages: the first corresponded to the pre-martial-artist realm, while the second and third corresponded to the realm of martial artists.

Meng Changtian had also explained that standard martial-artist-grade forging methods required the assistance of energy stones for training. This was especially true upon reaching the martial artist tier, where the use of energy stones became mandatory.

Upon attaining the martial artist realm, one needed to stimulate and strengthen the internal organs. This allowed the strength of the entire body to be further enhanced, rendering the simple absorption of ambient stray energy through breathing techniques insufficient. Energy stones—a far more concentrated source of energy—were required to stimulate the cells.

Different tiers of forging methods offered varying degrees of reinforcement to the internal organs. The higher the tier, the more thorough the reinforcement, and the greater the benefits to one's future martial path.

In terms of training efficacy, the mid-tier secret technique of the Prairie Fire Body-Forging Method rivaled high-tier martial-artist-grade forging methods. Finding a better training method in the City of Chasing Light would likely be impossible; the only obstacle was the scarcity of energy crystals.

After reading this, Lin Qi finally understood why major cities were established atop large energy veins. Below the martial artist level, energy stones were not strictly necessary, but once someone became a martial artist, energy stones became indispensable.

Without energy stones, a city had no way to grow stronger.

And the consequence of failing to grow stronger was ultimate destruction by a monster tide!

As for why the major factions in the City of Chasing Light guarded the energy veins so fiercely—Lin Qi had previously thought it was merely to accelerate cultivation speed. Now, it was clear that without energy stones, progression was impossible. No wonder various wilderness gangs fought tooth and nail over energy veins.

"Fortunately, I managed to secure a 20% share in one go. Otherwise, energy stones would have become a massive headache after I reach the martial artist tier." Lin Qi felt a quiet sense of relief, then shifted his gaze to the system notification flashing at the bottom of his field of vision. "What is this?"

System: Congratulations to the Host for discovering a mid-tier martial-artist-grade body-forging method. This forging method is far superior to the one currently practiced by the Host. Would you like to merge this forging method to optimize your existing training regimen?

System: Host authority is currently at Level 1, lacking the permissions required to execute forging method merging and optimization. Please upgrade your authority to Level 2 as soon as possible.

"Can forging methods even be merged and optimized?" Lin Qi stared at the system prompt, momentarily stunned.

He had previously thought this martial arts propagation system was already powerful enough simply because it could absorb the learning achievements of players. Once his own training method reached its limit, he would only need to find a stronger manual for the players to study.

He never expected the system capable of directly merging and optimizing higher-tier forging methods. Such an ability bordered on the miraculous.

It meant that as long as he gathered enough forging methods, he could continuously refine and optimize his own training foundation. The foundation he built on his martial path would become increasingly solid, raising his ultimate ceiling ever higher.

Although he could absorb memory inheritances through the martial arts propagation system, the cultivation process was still executed by himself rather than directly boosted by the system. Therefore, building a solid foundation was of paramount importance.

Otherwise, once he reached a certain height, even if he could absorb memory inheritances, his physical foundation would be too weak to continue walking the path ahead.

"Level 2 authority?" Lin Qi checked the martial arts hall repair progress, which stood at 61.7%—already the fastest repair speed he could manage. "It looks like I need to give these players a little extra motivation. I'll increase the rewards for the martial arts hall repair quests and release the Prairie Fire Spear Technique and Prairie Fire Footwork as well."

"I'll set the first volume of the Prairie Fire Spear Technique at 3,000 points and 200 contribution for ordinary disciples. The first volume of the Prairie Fire Footwork will require inner disciple status, costing 50,000 points and 1,000 contribution. That way, these players should still focus wholeheartedly on training the Leopard Shadow Steps for the short term."

With that thought, Lin Qi quickly compiled the contents for the first volumes of the Prairie Fire Spear Technique and the Prairie Fire Footwork. He posted the newly updated exchange items on the training ground's bulletin board, boosted the rewards for the hall repair quests by 50%, and then left with a satisfied smile.

Passing players saw Lin Qi walk away from the bulletin board and curiously gathered around to inspect it.

In the eyes of the players, their NPC proprietor rarely visited the bulletin board without a reason; whenever he did, something significant was happening.

As more players arrived at the bulletin board and read the latest updates, astonishment rippled through the crowd.

"Spear techniques!"

"And it's a mid-tier martial-artist-grade spear technique! Am I dreaming?"

"Oh my god! The martial arts hall is actually willing to release weapon-based martial skills!"