It was a long chapter—both literally and metaphorically.
The techniques buried in dusty tomes, relics of a bygone era, were now referred to as "Old Arts"—or sometimes derisively as "Scattered Arts."Nowadays, over on the New Star, some people had even begun to call them "Crude Arts."Clearly, the decline was well underway.
Yet anyone still devoted to studying the Old Arts would find such names cutting and insulting.
Beneath the night sky, Wang Xuan stood calm and composed. Since this man had come for him—and had mastered New Arts—he decided to accept the challenge.
"What should I call you?" he asked.
"Zhou Yun," replied the young man people had been calling Brother Yun. He grinned, flashing a mouthful of perfectly white teeth.
In that instant, he exuded a dangerous air. His eyes were razor sharp, like a predator zeroing in on its prey, closing in without a sound.
"I thought your surname was Ling," Wang Xuan said evenly, locking eyes with him, unmoved by his aggressive stance.
Zhou Yun's eyes narrowed slightly at the comment, and for just a fleeting moment, a flicker of something odd crossed his expression. But the light in his eyes grew fiercer—more dangerous.
Wang Xuan, ever perceptive, picked up on the brief anomaly but said nothing more.
Zhou Yun smirked. "Come on, then. Let's see if these techniques buried in piles of old parchment really belong in a museum. Old Arts versus New."
He moved with a silent, calculated grace—not charging straight in, but circling like a seasoned fighter.
Qin Cheng shouted, "Why should he fight you? Who are you? Where are you from? What's your purpose?"
He was worried for Wang Xuan. The stranger had clearly come with a specific target and purpose—likely with a great deal of confidence in his own strength.
But Wang Xuan waved a hand, signaling him to stop. He had already made up his mind. There was no more to say.
Zhou Kun, Su Chan, Kong Yi, and the others tried to intervene, but Wang Xuan had already nodded and agreed to the duel. They could only step back with worried expressions.
"Let's get one thing clear," Zhao Qinghan spoke up, her tone firm. "This is a friendly sparring match. No lethal strikes. Know your limits."
As she spoke, mechanical whirring could be heard from the helipad in the distance. Two robotic sentries arrived on the scene.
Cold, metallic, and intelligent, these machines bore deadly weapons and now stood on the edge of the lawn, silently watching Zhou Yun and Wang Xuan.
Zhou Yun's pupils contracted slightly. He understood. This was Zhao Qinghan's unspoken warning—primarily directed at him. She feared a bloody confrontation if supernatural techniques were unleashed.
He nodded. "Fine. That's the agreement. I just want to see if there's still a future for those who cling to the Old Arts—whether they're truly obsolete."
Zhou Yun was tall, with short hair and a bronzed, glistening physique. As he assumed an offensive stance, his presence grew oppressive.
Wang Xuan exhaled a deep breath of stale air, tinged with the scent of alcohol. He had drunk quite a bit tonight—not ideal.
"Want to rest a bit?" Zhou Kun asked.
Qin Cheng quickly nodded. "He's right. You've had a lot to drink. Your reaction time might be off."
"Give me a few minutes," Wang Xuan said, closing his eyes.
He began practicing a meditation technique rooted in the legacy of pre-Qin era alchemists—his foundational art. He visualized the radiance of starlight and moonlight pouring into his body like a rain of light.
At the same time, he imagined turbid qi being expelled from his pores, exchanged for this celestial glow.
Such visualizations weren't uncommon—many modern inner cultivation and meditation methods included similar elements. But the unique frequency and rhythm were crucial.
And the legacy of the pre-Qin alchemists… was extraordinary.
Many present felt a strange illusion—as if a faint, pure glow enveloped Wang Xuan. He seemed bathed in the favor of the stars and moon, looking dreamlike and ethereal.
Shock registered on their faces.Was this what the Old Arts could become? Was there still a path forward?
After six minutes, Wang Xuan opened his eyes. "I'm ready."
He was tall and lean—not skinny, but well-proportioned and powerful. His expression was calm, completely composed in the dark.
"Been waiting for that," Zhou Yun said.
He charged like a gale, too fast for most to react. Deep imprints were left in the grass where he stepped.
The ground erupted beneath his feet—dirt and turf flying. The power behind that movement was terrifying.
Boom!Wang Xuan reacted instantly, kicking up a long wooden table laden with buffet dishes, sending it hurtling toward Zhou Yun.
But Zhou Yun didn't stop—like a humanoid tiger, he shattered the table with a single palm.
Crack!The entire table exploded into fragments, scattering in all directions. Everyone ducked away in alarm.
He was too wild. That kind of raw force could easily be fatal.
Wang Xuan sidestepped swiftly, his body impossibly agile, avoiding Zhou Yun's savage strike as he lunged past him.
Wang Xuan countered with a diagonal palm strike as they passed. The force of it stirred the air violently.
Zhou Yun responded instantly, twisting and striking backward with his right elbow. Their limbs collided with a muffled thump.
Both of them staggered slightly before Zhou Yun surged forward again.
Then, leaping into the air like a predatory black tiger, Zhou Yun descended with fists and feet flying—wild and dangerous.
This time, Wang Xuan didn't dodge. He spun and lashed out with a sweeping kick.
Boom!It sounded like distant thunder. A deep, resonant impact made everyone flinch.
Zhou Yun tumbled through the air, landing with only a slight stumble, still balanced.
"You've got some real skill," he admitted, surprised.
"You're using Old Arts," Wang Xuan said. "Where's your New Art?"
"If I can beat you with Old Arts alone, isn't that more efficient?" Zhou Yun smirked. "No need to bring out the big guns yet."
He radiated danger, his body taut—ready to strike at any moment.
"What I'm using is merely the framework of Old Arts. My power doesn't come from breathing techniques or internal cultivation. We've long since integrated genetic enhancements."
He didn't mind revealing this. After all, it was just physical augmentation—not supernatural force.
Those watching grew uneasy. Students from New Star knew what he meant.
Back on New Star, genetic modification had been in development for years—prenatal enhancements and gene editing—mostly carried out in secret to avoid public outrage.
Zhou Yun's terrifying strength came from those enhancements, not traditional internal energy or cultivation.
Wang Xuan said nothing more. He struck first.
The two shadows on the lawn moved with impossible speed, fists and feet colliding with thunderclaps.
Their raw strength was astounding.Each blow could maim—or even kill.
Boom! Boom! Boom!Grass exploded beneath their feet as they moved. The ground cracked from the sheer force.
Old Arts, when trained to a high level, truly surpassed ordinary human limits—deadly even in ancient times. But they were extremely difficult to master.
Whether due to environmental changes or the distractions of modern life, fewer people could succeed with Old Arts, and progress became nearly impossible at high levels.
Thus, the decline.
And yet, Wang Xuan—at his age—was putting on a display that moved all who watched. Even Zhou Yun, enhanced as he was, was being suppressed.
Zhou Yun's body trembled, stumbling backward under the assault. He was stunned.That lean body had such explosive power?
Boom!Wang Xuan landed a punch that sent Zhou Yun's blood churning—nearly making him vomit.
Wang Xuan followed with a sweeping kick.
Though Zhou Yun dodged the vital strike, his shoulder was grazed.
Pain flared. His clothing tore. Blood appeared.
If he hadn't dodged in time, the bones in his shoulder might've fractured.
This guy's a monster.Even with his physique, he couldn't hold up. What about everyone else?
Despite his genetic enhancements, he was being overwhelmed.A blow to the head… might crush his skull like a watermelon.
"Hah!" Zhou Yun exhaled deeply and retreated, his aura shifting. A faint blue mist began to glow around his body.
"You wanted to see New Arts?" he growled. "Come, then!"
Gasps rose from the crowd. Even at a distance, the aura around him felt dangerous—causing many to instinctively step back.
The New Star students looked tense. They knew this was the New Art—the first threshold into supernatural power.
"If it gets dangerous, say something!" someone shouted, worried for Wang Xuan.
Wang Xuan stopped, sensing something unusual. He stayed still, observing.
Zhou Yun attacked.
The blue mist roiled around him. It looked like light, vaporized. He launched a fierce, full-power strike.
Something's off!
Wang Xuan dodged. The physical attacks were a distraction—the real threat was the glowing blue mist.
Did it… distort space?
No—Zhou Yun didn't have that kind of power.It was distorting his perception.
Wang Xuan activated the pre-Qin legacy technique, sharpening his mind, clearing the fog.
He was shocked. The New Art—the blue light—was interfering with his spirit.
If he had been just a moment slower, he would've lost.
He lashed out with his palm, force immense—enough to shatter bones.
Zhou Yun didn't retreat this time. His glowing fist collided with Wang Xuan's palm—both grunted in pain.
Zhou Yun's punch trembled. Blood seeped from between his fingernails.He was shaken—he'd used his supernatural technique and still couldn't overpower Wang Xuan?
If not for that technique, his finger bones might've cracked.
Wang Xuan's right arm went numb. A strange energy—the thin blue light—had seeped into him.
A moment later, he felt discomfort in his organs and pulled back swiftly.
"Heh. Surprised?" Zhou Yun taunted. "Supernatural Arts are beyond anything you can imagine. The Old Ways are dead!"
He didn't stop—rushed forward, glowing with eerie blue light.
"No! Lao Wang—if it's too much, just say something!" Qin Cheng shouted, grabbing a table, ready to intervene.
"That's the New Art," Zhou Kun whispered grimly. "The beginning of supernatural power."
"In the West, they call it the 'God Factor.' We call it the 'Supernatural Element.'"
Wang Xuan was in danger.Facing true supernatural force for the first time, unprepared, his mind was being clouded and his body eroded.
Boom!
Suddenly, a faint thunderclap came from within Wang Xuan's body.
He had activated a secret body technique—shaking his internal organs.
"Five-Organ Thunder Sound Technique!" someone cried out.
The students from the Old Art experimental class recognized it immediately.
It was an extremely difficult art. Under normal conditions, it was nearly…