Chapter 6: The Martial Dao True Stele, True Essence Art
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
The moonlight spilled gently over the stone stele, casting a faint, mysterious aura.
“A meteor crater… and a stone stele!”
Lin Ze’s eyes widened in realization. This must be the stele Zhuang Rui had mentioned—one that recorded an extraordinary Martial Arts Technique! Not long ago, he had planned to visit the Manlan Hotel to secure such a technique through a trade. Yet, here it was, right in the hospital’s courtyard.
[Just like getting a pillow when you’re sleepy!]
Excitement surged in Lin Ze’s heart. After a quick survey of the area to confirm no Monstrous Beasts were nearby, he leapt out the window and dashed toward the stele.
As he approached, Lin Ze noticed the material of the stele. It wasn’t quite stone, nor was it metal. It even had a jade-like smoothness. Two rows of majestic, flowing script were etched onto its surface.
The first line read: “Foundation of Martial Dao: True Essence Art.”
“Foundation of Martial Dao?”
“So, it really is a Martial Arts Technique?”
His gaze quickly shifted to the second line. However, the second line appeared veiled by a layer of mist, making the characters unreadable.
Lin Ze hesitated before cautiously tapping the surface of the second line with the hilt of his Tang Blade. Nothing happened. After a brief moment of thought, he extended his hand to touch it directly.
The surface felt cool and smooth beneath his fingers. Yet, contrary to what his eyes told him, the touch revealed no grooves or ridges—only flatness.
[What kind of craftsmanship is this?]
Unable to make sense of it, Lin Ze shifted his attention and touched the first line of text instead. As soon as his fingers made contact with the engraved characters, a surge of heat raced up his arm, flooding his mind with a torrent of information.
Startled, Lin Ze quickly withdrew his hand and examined himself. Nothing seemed amiss, save for the newfound knowledge within his mind.
Drawing upon his past experience with Vampire heritage knowledge transfers, he immediately began processing the information.
Indeed, the influx of knowledge was a complete Martial Arts Technique.
It was none other than the “True Essence Art” inscribed upon the stele!
The technique detailed a foundation of postures and breathing methods. Practitioners could supplement their training with the consumption of Monstrous Beast meat to refine their bodies, strengthen their vitality, and eventually generate true qi, ascending to the rank of Martial Artist.
“Martial Artist!”
Lin Ze’s expression turned strange as he processed the implications of something seemingly straight out of a novel. Then again, with Vampires and Monstrous Beasts already a reality, why not Martial Arts Techniques and Martial Artists?
[I wonder if someone like me, a Vampire, can practice Martial Arts Techniques?]
His curiosity was piqued, but this wasn’t the place to experiment. Lin Ze cast one last lingering glance at the stele before turning to leave.
According to the knowledge now imprinted in his mind, these steles were called Martial Dao True Steles. Each contained two techniques. The first was always the foundational “True Essence Art,” while the second varied from stele to stele. However, only those who had generated true qi as a Martial Artist could perceive and inherit the second technique.
[These Martial Dao True Steles must have fallen with the meteor shower. There should be many more scattered across Weifeng City.]
On his way back, Lin Ze made quick work of a few Monstrous Beasts, carrying their corpses home. Previously, he had discarded Monstrous Beast remains, unsure if their meat was edible. Now, knowing that the “True Essence Art” required it for cultivation, he couldn’t afford to waste any.
It was past midnight, and the quiet neighborhood was devoid of activity. Yet, as Lin Ze crossed the courtyard, he felt a sharp gaze land on him. Looking up, he caught a glimpse of a shadow disappearing behind a third-floor window in the second building.
His eyes narrowed briefly before dismissing the matter. Carrying the Monstrous Beast corpses, he returned home and began dissecting them to extract the meat.
The windows of both his kitchen and living room had long been covered with black cloth to prevent light from attracting Monstrous Beasts.
After some effort, a pot of fresh meat soup was finally ready.
Lin Ze sipped the soup and took a bite of meat, sighing silently with a blank expression.
Being a Vampire had its drawbacks—everything tasted bland.
[Looks like I’ll never savor gourmet food again,] he thought.
He quickly gulped down the entire portion of meat soup without savoring it. Then, he positioned himself in the center of the living room, preparing to cultivate True Essence Art (Ji Zhen Gong).
This martial technique consisted of thirty-six standing postures, each paired with specific breathing techniques. Completing the entire sequence once marked entry-level mastery, granting the practitioner the status of a Quasi-Martial Artist.
Following the information in his mind, Lin Ze carefully arranged himself into one unusual posture after another, resembling a mix of Tai Chi and ancient yoga. The initial movements were relatively simple, but from the twelfth posture onward, the difficulty skyrocketed. Many of the stances defied human anatomy, evoking a sense of unease for anyone watching.
However, with his robust Vampire physique, Lin Ze executed them effortlessly.
Moments later, he completed the final posture, relaxed his limbs, and stood upright.
“That’s it?” he muttered, puzzled. There was no noticeable sensation.
Reviewing the information in his mind, realization dawned upon him.
For humans, True Energy was an entirely new type of power. Cultivating it required the practitioner to first refine their physical body to its peak, ensuring it could endure the energy’s explosive force and sustain the formation of a new internal energy cycle.
True Essence Art was precisely a technique designed to temper the body to its limits. Completing the sequence once only marked the beginning; one had to complete nine full cycles to truly push the body to its peak and qualify for attempting True Energy condensation.
Lin Ze’s seamless entry into the technique was solely due to his physique being far superior to the average human’s. It was as though a naturally athletic individual attempted long-distance running for the first time—they’d achieve far better results than the average person despite their lack of prior training.
[So it seems I have a significant advantage in cultivating True Essence Art,] Lin Ze thought with delight, resuming his practice.
In just over three minutes, he completed his first cycle. Without pause, he started from the first posture again.
Soon, he finished the second cycle, then the third, and the fourth…
As time passed, Lin Ze began to feel a peculiar restlessness in his blood, which flowed more rapidly within his body. The monstrous beast meat he had consumed earlier was being digested at an astonishing rate, its nutrients nourishing his muscles, bones, and meridians, making them denser and sturdier.
By the seventh cycle, Lin Ze’s entire skin had turned a deep crimson, as if he’d been soaking in hot water for hours.
During the eighth cycle, faint wisps of white steam rose from his head, and searing pain spread throughout his body.
By the twenty-fifth posture of the ninth cycle, Lin Ze’s body emitted a faint sound akin to rushing water. His blood churned like liquid mercury, surging as though it might burst from his veins at any moment.
Realizing that continuing further would cause severe harm to his body, Lin Ze decisively stopped and gradually relaxed his muscles.
Despite the soreness enveloping him, he was exhilarated.
“Just eleven postures left,” he said, thrilled.
For an ordinary person, completing even half of the postures on their first attempt was an impressive feat. Achieving nine full cycles might require countless sessions and an extended period of dedication.
Yet Lin Ze had nearly completed all nine cycles on his very first day of practice—his progress could only be described as extraordinary.
[At this rate, I’ll be able to condense True Energy in just a few days,] he mused, his excitement barely contained.
After calming himself, Lin Ze instinctively checked his Blood Factor Concentration and was astonished.
It had increased by 0.03%!
“True Essence Art can also enhance Blood Factor Concentration?”
Compared to his rapid progress in cultivation, this discovery delighted Lin Ze even more. It meant that he didn’t have to rely solely on drinking blood to improve his Blood Factor Concentration; he could also enhance it through martial arts cultivation.
“I never imagined martial arts techniques could be this potent,” Lin Ze murmured, marveling. His anticipation for the second technique recorded on the Martial Dao True Stele grew even stronger.