"What a truly magical place. The wonders of nature are indeed extraordinary, and Wugensheng is definitely no ordinary man." Daniel Davis couldn't help but marvel as he walked through the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Heavenly Valley.
The long canyon leading into the valley had the ability to turn ordinary people into abnormal beings. Wugensheng had altered the path with magical runes, which were engraved on the canyon walls. From this, it was clear that Wugensheng was a genius in both martial and magical arts.
However, becoming an abnormal person wasn't that simple. Although the path to the valley could grant such power, it came with a price. Without proper guidance, this price could be fatal. Many who attempted it ended up paying with their lives, just like Zhao Nian from Biyou Village, who got stuck in an inner vision after stumbling upon a fortuitous opportunity, thinking he was a "chosen one." Most of these self-taught individuals ended up destroying themselves.
Even in the world of ordinary people, over-exercising can cause permanent damage, let alone the much more dangerous training of abnormal people, especially those without proper guidance or lineage. As they say, "Wealth is needed for martial arts."
In the original story, many who passed through the canyon believed they had gained superhuman powers and were chosen by fate, especially that so-called "Doctor." But in reality, they were just bottom-tier in the world of abnormal beings.
"These runes are somewhat similar to those used in Shenji Bailian (Divine Mechanism Refining). Could there be a connection?" Shenji Bailian could transform ordinary people into abnormal beings, much like this path, though it didn't have such severe side effects.
"I wonder if this path can be replicated." After walking through the entire canyon, Daniel began recording everything with his devices.
While the process of becoming an abnormal person via this path came with significant costs, those costs could be minimized with guidance and resources. The path wasn't originally created by Wugensheng; he merely enhanced what nature had already provided.
"A Qi-practicing golden monkey." Daniel spotted some Qi-practicing golden monkeys around the valley, likely creatures that had gained Qi powers after passing through the canyon.
"I remember a professor being quite curious about these monkeys, thinking they were an undiscovered species. How amusing." Practicing Qi wasn't exclusive to humans—other creatures could do it as well. Those with the power to control beasts could train animals to use Qi. In fact, the spirits of the Horse Masters, known as the Marcen spirits, were originally Qi-practicing creatures.
"Zhang Chulan, your performance comes next." After recording the surroundings, Daniel turned away. As green leaves swirled in the air, his figure vanished from the valley.
Daniel didn't intend to interfere with Qutong's plan in the valley. Even though he had eliminated Baron, reducing Zhang Chulan's team, he wasn't worried. Zhang Chulan, with his Qiti Yuanliu (Qi Root Flow), had the potential to explode with power when his life was in danger. Even against top-tier opponents like the Ten Elders, Zhang's sudden surge in strength could turn the tables. Chai Yan, whose abilities were comparable to the Ten Elders, had still been defeated by Zhang.
"Time to visit Jia Family Village." After using Apparition to appear in the outskirts of a city, Daniel decided to go to Jia Family Village to learn their Yuwu (Object Manipulation Technique).
Although Yuwu wasn't rare in the world of abnormal people, Jia Family's technique had a unique advantage: multitasking. In one-on-one combat, they might not have a significant edge, but in group battles, their technique shone brightly.
"They're somewhat similar to the Lü family, though not as domineering." Jia Family Village wasn't exclusively composed of people with the surname Jia, but the majority were. Unlike the Lü family, the Jia family had evolved with time, allowing changes and diversification in the village.
"The village even has a martial arts school." Jia Family Village had a school that promoted physical and combat training. While not specifically teaching Yuwu, the students trained in the village's martial art, Benliu Palm, from a young age.
In the world of Yi Ren Zhi Xia (The Outcast), many martial arts schools secretly had ties to the abnormal world. These schools served as a way to identify potential disciples with Qi talent.
Unlike in ancient times, where a sect might take someone in and spend years determining their aptitude, modern martial arts schools streamlined the process. They allowed sects and families to screen potential disciples early on, which benefited both the sect and the individual. For instance, the Tang Sect had two schools, one for ordinary students and one for those with abnormal talents. Further progression led students to become outer disciples of the sect.
In the Tang Sect, the distinction between inner and outer disciples wasn't based solely on talent but also on lineage. To become an inner disciple, one had to change their surname to Tang.
As society modernized, many clans realized that clinging to old traditions risked their decline. The Tang Sect was at the forefront of this change, evolving from a traditional family into a more inclusive sect.
Looking at modern-day family clans, most had adapted to some degree, except for the Lü family, which still held firm to its old ways. However, even they would likely decline once Lü Ci, one of the Ten Elders, was gone.
"No wonder Jia Zhengyu could only control three Zhuolong drills and was still so arrogant. He's actually one of the top talents in the Jia family. But this means Jia Zhengliang, who can control twelve Zhanxian flying knives, must be a genius of geniuses."
Jia Zhengliang, who could control twelve flying knives, wasn't just unmatched among the younger generation—he had no rivals even among the older ones. His only limitation was the amount of Qi he could harness.
"The Benliu Palm isn't weak either. No wonder it's as famous as the Yuwu technique." The Benliu Palm could send Qi through an opponent's meridians, muscles, and organs, weakening them over time, similar to the Yin Wulei (Five Thunder Techniques).
"Jia Family Village is quite open, isn't it?" Daniel easily obtained both of the village's techniques, Benliu Palm and Yuwu. Compared to the strict inheritance rules of the Lü family, the Jia family was far more accommodating.
The Benliu Palm manual was available in the school, while the Yuwu technique was in the village's ancestral hall, guarded by some elderly members, though they posed no challenge to Daniel.
"I'll skip visiting the Tang Sect." After leaving Jia Family Village, Daniel decided against going to the Tang Sect. Their cultivation techniques wouldn't benefit him, especially given their focus on poison, which he had no interest in.
"The Tang Sect's methods remind me of the Qin dynasty's Agricultural School." Both the Tang Sect and the Agricultural School used poison to enhance their Qi, albeit through different approaches.
The Tang Sect combined various poisons with Qi, giving their Qi toxic properties. Without their secret methods, anyone trying to replicate their techniques would be doomed.
For example, using snake venom in Qi training would give their Qi the venom's properties. Most disciples used the five traditional poisons, though some experimented with more exotic substances, like croton oil, which could cause an enemy to suffer debilitating symptoms during a fight.
"Kowloon Sons, huh? That's quite the set of artifacts." After deciding not to visit the Tang Sect, Daniel returned to the capital, balancing company affairs with his personal cultivation.
He focused first on refining the Kowloon Sons, using knowledge from Yuantao to create various artifacts, including the Water Gun and the Speed Rabbit.
Daniel even modified the Water Gun and Speed Rabbit, which would have been difficult without the Refining Furnace, but the furnace made the process easy.
He also understood why the Water Gun was designed that way—China had strict gun control laws, so even abnormal people couldn't openly carry firearms. The Water Gun's design was inconspicuous, fitting within those restrictions.
As for the Speed Rabbit, it was purely a personal interest of Yuantao and his team, much like how Liu Dang and Jin Yong enjoyed dressing up a character like Ruo Hua in a maid costume.
"Esdeath suits ice-based techniques, but I'll need to consider what martial arts best fit Akame and Kurome." With the Refining Furnace, Esdeath, Akame, and Kurome could now practice Qi techniques.
Although Qi training wouldn't significantly increase their power compared to their strength in the One Piece world, it was necessary for them to use magical artifacts.
The furnace's side effects didn't concern Daniel. What might be a limitation for others was trivial to him. He could simply counter it with enough resources, such as consuming pills like Zhenren Dan and Juxian Dan.
"In the face of massive resources, bottlenecks and constraints are meaningless."
"Proper Zhengyi Five Thunder Talismans... the Tongtian Lu is truly extraordinary. Normally, it takes about seven days to create a Five Thunder Talisman, but with Tongtian Lu, I can produce one almost instantly."
After mastering the Refining Furnace, Daniel shifted his focus to Tongtian Lu, leaving Shenji Bailian for later.
The benefit of Tongtian Lu was its ability to mass-produce talismans quickly, though it was costly, as the materials for
creating talismans weren't cheap.
"Now, I can use the Xuehou Chu Qing (Snowy Dawn Sword Qi) without needing as much setup time." With Tongtian Lu, the time needed to unleash this powerful sword technique was greatly reduced.
"Learning Liuku Xianzai is the easiest—all I have to do is eat."
"Hmm? Is Zhang Chulan setting a trap for Ma Xianhong?" Daniel's focus was broken when he saw a message online. It was a photo of Zhuge Qing on the abnormal person network, looking as if he had suffered through torture.
"Zhang Chulan must think Ma Xianhong is an idiot." Daniel chuckled at the photo. Zhuge Qing, part of the prestigious Zhuge family, clearly hadn't been tortured despite the image's implication.
"Qutong must be fuming at having such a pig-headed teammate." Daniel laughed as he scrolled through the comments, recognizing several familiar usernames.
"Have fun with your games, Zhang Chulan." Daniel then picked up another phone and typed out a message after entering a group chat.
"High School Senior Zhuang, if you see this, contact me. I know what you're going through, and I can help you fully recover." After typing the message, Daniel left it unsent, waiting for the right moment.
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