Chapter 9: Ascending to Martial Artist, A New Energy
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
In the following days, Lin Ze ran to several hospitals, gathering a significant amount of frozen blood plasma. Unfortunately, some hospitals had already lost power, and the blood plasma had spoiled, much to Lin Ze’s regret.
To store the blood plasma, he brought back two large refrigeration units, placing them in the secondary bedroom. One was dedicated to blood packs, while the other held monstrous beast meat. Knowing the energy demands of these refrigerators, Lin Ze procured a high-powered household generator and made multiple trips to gas stations, collecting dozens of barrels of fuel.
After two busy days, he finally completed a specialized food storage room.
“These frozen blood plasma reserves should last for a while,” he muttered with satisfaction, gazing at the refrigerators stocked to the brim.
Returning to the living room, Lin Ze resumed his practice of the True Essence Art. Although he had been preoccupied with scavenging trips, his cultivation progress hadn’t stalled. Over the past two days, he had steadily advanced, able to hold the final posture of the technique. Now, he was just one step away from completing the Nine Cycles of Heaven and Earth.
As Lin Ze transitioned through the postures, his blood began to circulate more rapidly. Soon, he completed the first eight cycles and entered the ninth. Assuming the final position, he lay flat on the ground, his legs and upper body bent upward and nearly touching, resembling the locust pose from ancient yoga, though far more physically demanding.
It took over ten seconds before he relaxed his limbs, exhaling deeply.
“Finally, the ninth cycle is complete!”
Rising to his feet, Lin Ze clenched his fists. With a single thought, his body moved fluidly. His muscles worked in unison, and as he stepped forward, energy layered itself, beginning at his toes. It rapidly traveled upward, amplifying as it reached his arms. With an explosive burst, his fist shot forward.
Bang!
A dull sound of air breaking echoed. Watching the scene, a genuine smile of triumph appeared on Lin Ze’s face.
Completing nine cycles of the True Essence Art meant his body had been tempered to the peak of ordinary human limits. In this state, he could control every inch of his physique through sheer instinct. Additionally, he could gather his strength into his dantian, forming a concentrated energy core akin to a sphere of chi, capable of releasing immense power.
This spherical energy, the precursor to true qi, marked the threshold of a new realm.
According to the inherited knowledge in his mind, a body honed to this extreme—just one step away from condensing true qi—was known as a Quasi-Martial Artist.
“Time to condense true qi,” Lin Ze resolved.
Taking a deep breath, he focused his mind entirely on the spherical energy in his dantian. He attempted to guide it, directing the energy first to his right arm, then his waist, right leg, left leg, left arm, and chest. Wherever the energy passed, waves of searing pain washed over him. It felt as though an invisible force was tearing his body apart, crushing it, and reconstructing it anew.
Through this process, his body would rebuild itself to accommodate a new energy system capable of sustaining true qi.
Of course, this wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight. The damaged muscles, bones, and organs needed time to heal and recover. The duration of this process depended on one’s regenerative abilities.
In this regard, Lin Ze’s identity as a vampire granted him a tremendous advantage.
The moment his body sustained injuries, the vampire’s unique regenerative powers kicked in, rapidly repairing the torn muscles, shattered bones, and damaged organs. This accelerated the reconstruction process dramatically.
As the spherical energy worked in tandem with his regenerative abilities, Lin Ze’s body grew increasingly compact and dense. Soon, his entire frame felt stretched to its limit, as though he were about to be crushed by his own power.
At this critical moment, Lin Ze felt a sudden, refreshing coolness descend upon him, starting from the top of his head and flowing to the centers of his palms and soles of his feet. In an instant, a soothing energy surged throughout his body. The previously taut sensation gave way to a cycle of compression and expansion, over and over again.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Lin Ze slowly regained consciousness. Within him, a strange, warm current now flowed, moving in a rhythmic pattern through his body.
“So, this is true qi.”
Lin Ze felt a sudden clarity emerge in his mind.
The so-called True Qi was, in essence, a transformation—a process of absorbing a certain energy from the heavens and earth into the body. By combining this external energy with a physique tempered to its peak and integrating it into a newly forged energy circulation system, it gave birth to an entirely new form of energy within the human body.
This energy was the mark of transcending the mundane.
[In a way, this feels like evolution,] Lin Ze mused, a faint smile playing on his lips. [I must be the first Martial Artist in the apocalypse.]
As he sensed the boundless power surging from the depths of his body, Lin Ze could barely restrain the urge to howl to the heavens. He desperately needed to unleash this newfound strength!
The moment the thought arose, Lin Ze moved. With a single step, he appeared in his bedroom, threw open the window, and leaped out.
Boom!
Landing from a height of over ten meters, the ground beneath him shattered instantly, forming a web of cracks as dust billowed into the air.
Yet Lin Ze stood there, unharmed.
In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a shadow streaking through the streets. His movements were swift and unrestrained, driven by the desire to test the limits of his power.
The commotion he caused soon drew the attention of a pack of Blood-Eyed Wolves. Their blood-red eyes gleamed as they bared razor-sharp fangs, rushing toward him in a frenzy.
Lin Ze halted, his gaze locking onto the pack as he clenched his fist and threw a punch.
It was a simple punch, devoid of any flashy technique, yet the speed and power behind it were worlds apart from what he could previously muster. His fist tore through the air, leaving a visible trail of compressed energy before colliding with the leading wolf.
Bang!
The Blood-Eyed Wolf was sent hurtling backward, its body riddled with the sound of shattering bones mid-flight. By the time it hit the ground, it was nothing more than a lifeless heap of flesh and blood.
The remaining wolves hesitated, fear evident in their movements. But before they could react further, a shadow flickered past them.
In mere moments, over a dozen wolves had their heads burst apart almost simultaneously, their lifeless bodies collapsing in a heap.
In just two or three breaths, the entire pack was annihilated.
Standing amidst the carnage, Lin Ze stared at his fist, a smile of unbridled excitement spreading across his face.
“So, this is True Qi!”
He could clearly feel that his physical abilities had undergone an explosive surge. Strength, speed, endurance, reaction time—all of it had multiplied by at least two or threefold.
Even his senses, already heightened due to his Vampire nature, had ascended to a new peak.
Now, even with his eyes closed, Lin Ze could perceive everything within a ten-meter radius without a single blind spot.
And this was without channeling his True Qi.
When activated, his physical capabilities would climb even higher. For instance, infusing his arms with True Qi could enhance his strength. Channeling it into his legs would unleash a burst of speed. Directing it to his eyes would elevate his dynamic vision.
Moreover, he could focus True Qi on injured areas to accelerate recovery.
Its applications were endless.
Those who had yet to condense True Qi could never fathom just how vast and powerful its effects truly were.
Lin Ze had once thought that Quasi-Martial Artists were formidable. Now he realized that a Martial Artist stood on an entirely different tier of existence compared to a Quasi-Martial Artist.
Not to mention, his innate Vampire abilities had also evolved alongside the condensation of True Qi.
Against a newly ascended Martial Artist, Lin Ze had no doubt that he held the upper hand.
[Martial Artists should correspond to the Savage-Type Monstrous Beasts,] he speculated. [As a newly ascended Martial Artist, my Life Energy Level should be around Level 11.]
[But with the Vampire’s rapid regeneration, I could probably hold my own against a Level 12 beast.]
[And if I fought at night, with the blessing of the Child of Eternal Night, defeating a Level 12 beast would be no challenge at all.]
Lin Ze’s thoughts churned with exhilaration.
This transformation—a leap in the very essence of his existence—filled him with profound awe. Awakening as a Vampire had been abrupt, leaving him somewhat detached. However, the process of ascending as a Martial Artist had demanded his full immersion, allowing him to savor every moment.
The sensation of evolving at a fundamental level intoxicated him.
After testing his Blood Factor Concentration, his joy only deepened.
“10.49%!” he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming. His concentration had nearly doubled!
[This must be the benefit of a qualitative transformation in my life force,] Lin Ze surmised, unable to suppress his delight.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed more Monstrous Beasts approaching, drawn by the scent of blood. His lips curled into a grin, excitement radiating from his expression as he prepared to meet them head-on.