Chapter Twelve: The Mysterious Martial Art Within the Blood-Patterned Ring

Retrieving the overflowing essence, Shi Yan suddenly glanced at the dark red ring on the ring finger of his left hand. This peculiar ring, which he had named the Blood Vein Ring, originated from the Blood Pool and seemed to be deeply connected to it.

A thought stirred in his heart, and he abruptly recalled the scene when he first donned the Blood Vein Ring. At that time, his internal essence was still exceedingly weak. The moment the ring slipped onto his finger, his essence surged uncontrollably toward the ring. Yet, because his essence was too frail, it failed to break through the constraints of flesh and bone, preventing it from entering the ring.

Now, having broken through to the third level of the heavens, his essence had grown stronger and more refined; he could even let it spill beyond his body...

If he were to inject his essence into the ring, would something happen?

Shi Yan was intensely curious. He vaguely sensed that this ancient ring concealed some secret. Perhaps, through it, he could unravel the anomalies within the acupoints of his body.

Peering through the gaps between leaves, Shi Yan observed for a while and found that the Mo Family martial artists were moving farther away from him, unlikely to return soon.

Shi Yan decided to try!

His essence flowed slowly from his lower abdomen, accelerating in speed as it surged into his left arm. The rapid movement caused the tendons in his arm to ache faintly, but his essence, unstoppable, pressed onward, charging directly into the ring finger and suddenly pouring madly beneath the ring's surface.

A faint sizzling sound arose.

His essence, like smoke, first seeped out from beneath the ring's surface. Then, pure strands of essence instantly vanished into the ring.

The Blood Vein Ring abruptly burst forth with a scarlet radiance. A barrier within the ring seemed to be suddenly torn apart. A strange thought surged out from the ring, flooding back into Shi Yan's arm, racing up to his neck, and finally plunging into his mind.

Martial Skill—Rampage!

The thought released from the Blood Vein Ring was a wave of memories, the method of cultivating a bizarre martial skill. As these memories flooded his mind, they branded themselves deeply into Shi Yan’s memory.

Martial skills were techniques for martial artists to harness their internal essence for attack, akin to the levels of alchemists. They were divided into five grades: Mortal, Profound, Spirit, Saint, and Divine.

The classification of martial skills differed from that of alchemists; while each alchemist grade was subdivided into seven tiers, martial skills had no such subdivisions, only the five grades.

High-level martial skills could maximize the utilization of a martial artist’s internal essence, granting them terrifyingly powerful offensive force. The higher the grade, the more intricate the manipulation of essence. However, cultivating higher-grade martial skills required matching realms; the higher the grade, the harsher the cultivation conditions.

Generally, martial artists at the Postnatal and Innate realms were best suited to cultivate Mortal-grade skills. Those at the Human and Hundred Tribulations realms were suitable for Profound-grade skills. Earth and Nirvana realms for Spirit-grade, Heaven and Transcendent realms for Saint-grade, and True God and God King realms for Divine-grade skills.

If a lower realm martial artist forcibly cultivated a high-grade skill, it was usually a waste of time.

Because their realm and essence strength were insufficient, they rarely succeeded in mastering high-grade skills. Even if they managed to do so, lacking the necessary realm and power meant they couldn’t truly unleash the skill’s potential. It was far more effective to cultivate skills appropriate to their current realm.

For instance, a Postnatal realm martial artist possessing a legendary Divine-grade skill would be squandering it, for their strength was too weak to succeed in its cultivation.

Of course, if a high-level martial artist only practiced low-grade skills, they too would be unable to fully express their power.

If a True God realm martial artist had only Mortal or Profound-grade skills, their prowess would be greatly diminished, restricted by the low-grade skills, able to exert only seventy to eighty percent of their true power.

On the Continent of Divine Grace, martial skills were even more precious than the miraculous elixirs of alchemists. Martial skills were considered the most expensive treasures on the continent, typically controlled by major families and various powers. The ability of these families to attract martial artists was inseparable from the martial skills they possessed.

The higher the grade, the greater the value. Martial artists with high realms, but lacking high-grade skills, would find themselves at a disadvantage in combat, frustrated and even at risk of being killed.

Thus, for a suitable high-grade martial skill, those with lofty realms were capable of anything.

Shi Yan sat upright in the midst of tree leaves, slowly sorting through the “Rampage” martial skill in his mind. Once he had clarified the memories, he discovered “Rampage” was divided into three stages, and the method he possessed was only for the first stage. He had no idea what grade this skill belonged to, nor whether it would suit him.

This martial skill came from the Blood Vein Ring, entering his mind via memory infusion in a mysterious manner. Its cultivation required essence to flow backward, entirely different from ordinary skills. Shi Yan hesitated, uncertain if he should cultivate such an unknown and incomplete skill.

As one of the five great Shi families of the Commerce Alliance, his family naturally possessed its own martial skills. The highest grade among them was a Spirit-grade skill, a single one, treasured by the family head Shi Jian, and only cultivated by the elderly patriarch who had reached the Earth realm.

Aside from this most advanced Spirit-grade skill, the Shi family also had numerous Mortal and Profound-grade skills.

Shi Yan had originally planned, upon returning to his family, to use his new status to cultivate their Mortal and Profound-grade skills. Now, with the Blood Vein Ring suddenly presenting a mysterious skill of unknown grade and origin, he was unsure whether to proceed.

With a grim face, he refined his essence and poured it once more into the ring, only to find it blocked by a barrier. No matter how he tried, his essence couldn't break through. He sensed something lay beyond that barrier, but unable to breach it, he could not know what.

Beyond that barrier, there were likely more secrets of “Rampage,” perhaps the methods for the other two stages. Unfortunately, it seemed only when his essence grew strong enough could he break through.

Frustrated, Shi Yan withdrew his essence from the ring, reviewed the incomplete martial skill in his memory once more, and hesitated again.

Should he cultivate it?

A brilliant gleam flashed in his pitch-black eyes. Wrapped in tree leaves, his expression shifted uncertainly. After a long, long time, he decided to give it a try, to see what changes would occur in his body upon cultivating the first stage of “Rampage.”

His essence slowly flowed to the Giant Bone acupoint. Upon arrival, Shi Yan began rotating his essence as instructed by the first stage of “Rampage,” gradually injecting it into the acupoint. The Giant Bone acupoint spun abruptly, and the resentment, despair, madness, and other negative emotions stored within it were suddenly triggered, transforming into power that overflowed and began altering the muscles and bones nearby.

A stabbing pain followed!

The flesh in the area of the Giant Bone acupoint contracted sharply, the muscles tightening as if drawn taut in an instant.

Shi Yan’s heart trembled. He quickly reversed the flow of essence, feeling a tearing pain spread throughout his body. The essence reversed for several inches; gritting his teeth, Shi Yan forced it onward, and the essence, like a rampaging beast, instantly swept past the Giant Bone acupoint, rushing fiercely toward the Shoulder Well acupoint.

Gathering his essence at the Shoulder Well, he rotated it in the same way, triggering the resentment, despair, and rage stored within. The flesh of his shoulder contracted again, and a faint white mist seeped from the pores, mingling with emotions of despair and hatred, chilling to the soul!

The essence reversed once more. Shi Yan’s right arm felt as if it would tear apart, cold sweat beading on his forehead, soaking his back.

The pain was intense!

Clenching his teeth, the wild side within Shi Yan suddenly erupted. Ignoring the agony in his arm, he continued to drive his essence, charging toward the Five Li acupoint...

He did not know how much time passed. Enduring the urge to scream, Shi Yan’s essence surged from the Giant Bone acupoint all the way to the Yang Pool at his wrist, triggering all the negative forces within the acupoints of his right arm.

Examining closely, he found the muscles of his right arm had contracted and grown leaner, a haze of gray-white mist swirling around it, carrying resentment, despair, and terror. Merely gazing at it seemed to affect the mind, inciting fear.

His essence roamed the arm, and a torrent of force, mixed with all manner of negative emotions, surged within. Shi Yan felt as though his right arm possessed boundless strength, desperate for release.

In his heart, violent and bloodthirsty thoughts suddenly erupted!

Shi Yan gasped for breath, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. Hidden among the leaves, he searched for a target like a ravenous wolf, eager to crush anyone beneath him with the power in his right arm, to pulverize them until flesh and bone were indistinguishable.

...

A short while later, two figures approached, cursing as they walked slowly. These were two Mo Family martial artists, dispatched by Mo Yanyu to this area after their search elsewhere yielded nothing.

“That little bastard, who knows where he’s gone. If I get my hands on him, I’ll cut off his head! Damn it, my old flame is still waiting for me in the Commerce Alliance, and I’ve wasted so much time here for nothing, damn!” The burly martial artist, his face covered with a coarse beard, cursed foully.

“Zheng Tie, be careful. That kid killed four of us; he’s not easy to deal with. He eats more in one meal than the two of us combined. He’s strange—don’t let him catch us off guard,” the other martial artist warned, looking about cautiously as he walked.

“Relax. Both of us are at the second stage of the Postnatal realm, and we’re together. If that brat dares show himself, he’s courting death. The sooner we deal with him, the sooner we can leave. I’ve had enough of this damned place—I want women! Women!” Zheng Tie, apparently obsessed, shouted loudly through the forest.

“Heh, the lady is a woman too...” the cautious martial artist snickered.

“Heh, the lady is indeed a woman, but we’re not lucky enough. I hear Master Karu has been seeking her out often lately. Who knows if he’ll get a chance to taste her. That face, that figure—tsk, tsk—I wonder which bastard will get the benefit. Pity our realm is too low; there’s no hope for us in this life.” Zheng Tie lowered his voice, his face lewd with a smile, as if secretly fantasizing. When pleased, he even thrust his hips and laughed aloud.

“Don’t dream. The lady is already engaged. Ling Shaofeng isn’t someone to mess with. If he finds out you have designs on her, you’re dead!”

Mentioning Ling Shaofeng, Zheng Tie’s face changed as he muttered, “That guy is really sinister. They say he’s nearing the Human realm. I’ve seen him kill—his methods are more brutal than you can imagine. If Karu clashes with Ling Shaofeng, he’s as good as dead. We really should be careful. If that guy hears what we’re saying...”

Zheng Tie shivered, clearly deeply wary of Mo Yanyu’s fiancé.

The two discussed Ling Shaofeng in low voices, their faces uneasy, gradually approaching Shi Yan’s location, unaware that a bloodthirsty beast awaited them overhead within the dense foliage.

...