The Almighty Martial Arts System - Chapter 226

The voice in his mind brought a surge of delight, though Jiang Fei wasn’t entirely surprised. His experience bar had been close to full—just yesterday, he’d checked and estimated he’d level up by tonight at the latest. This prompt was right on time.

Still, leveling up was always cause for celebration!

Jiang Fei quickly strode out of the Central Martial Arts Academy, slid into his car, and without hesitation, selected Upgrade.

“Time to boost my base stats again. And most importantly—another level-up gift box! Please let it be something good this time!” Rubbing his hands together eagerly, Jiang Fei grinned.

Even after months with the system and several upgrades under his belt, he still couldn’t stay calm at moments like this.

Ding! Congratulations! Player level has increased to 4!

In an instant, his status screen refreshed:

Character: Jiang Fei
Level: 4
Experience: 0/5000
Physique: 2.8
Spirit: 3.9
Agility: 3.8
Strength: 3.0
Unallocated Points: 2

Martial Skills:

• Cloud-Ladder (Tier 1, 0/100)

• Incomplete Taiji Fist (Tier 1, 0/200)

• Qimen Dunjia Arts (Tier 0, 0/100)

• Dugu Nine Swords (1/500)
  Skill Points Available: 30

Secondary Professions:
Weapon Forging (Lv. 9), Botany (Lv. 9), Culinary Arts (Lv. 9), Horticulture (Lv. 9), Music (Lv. 9), Brewing (Lv. 9), Beast Taming (Lv. 9), Medicine (Lv. 8 +5%)…

…

First, the experience requirement had jumped—5,000 points to reach Level 5, a steep climb from the previous 3,500. Not quite double, but still a hefty increase.

Second, as usual, he’d gained 2 unallocated attribute points, and all four core stats had risen by 0.2 each. His Strength now sat at 3.0—three times that of an average person!

While that might pale next to lifelong martial artists, for an ordinary person—even a burly gym-goer—reaching such a level without specialized training was near impossible.

“Once I assign these extra points, I’ll officially be leaving ‘normal human’ territory,” Jiang Fei mused.

But for now, he resisted the urge to spend them. The real prize was the level-up gift box!

After skimming his updated stats, he closed the interface, leaving only the pulsing red gift box at the center of his mind’s eye.

His hands trembled slightly with anticipation. His standards had risen drastically since the early days when learning the Cloud-Ladder light-foot technique had thrilled him. Now, with Taiji Fist and the Dugu Nine Swords, an ordinary martial manual would barely move the needle—it’d just gather dust like his Qimen Dunjia Arts.

Unless—

It’s an internal energy manual!

That was what Jiang Fei craved most.

With an internal energy technique, he’d truly transcend the ordinary. His stats would skyrocket, and his combat power would more than double.

Though his current skills—Cloud-Ladder, Taiji Fist, and Dugu Nine Swords—could be used without internal energy (neili), their true potential was shackled. With neili fueling them, their power would explode.

Clasping his hands like a prayer, the usually atheistic Jiang Fei mimicked a devout believer. “Gods and buddhas, spare me some mercy. I’m not greedy—just a basic internal energy manual. Even the Quanzhen Heart Method or Purple Mist Art would make me ecstatic!”

Honestly, in Jin Yong’s wuxia universe, those weren’t slouches.

The Quanzhen Heart Method was the foundational internal art of the Quanzhen Sect, renowned for its stability. Developed by the legendary Wang Chongyang, it had laid the groundwork for heroes like Guo Jing and Yang Guo.

As for the Purple Mist Art, it was Huashan Sect’s treasured secret, rumored to be a gateway to the infamous Sunflower Manual. At its peak, it could turn petals and leaves into lethal projectiles—though its infamy (thanks to Yue Buqian) overshadowed its true might.

Jiang Fei wouldn’t complain about learning the Purple Mist Art… but he’d never follow its path to the Sunflower Manual.

“To master this art, first sever the root.”

That single line ensured Jiang Fei would never touch it, no matter how overpowered it was. He was a simple man—his heart had room for women, not men. Even an extra woman or two could squeeze in, but never a guy.

“Though… I do share some similarities with Dongfang Bubai early on,” he mused. “Lightning-fast speed, needle-based attacks… Maybe I should use those moves sparingly. Don’t want people getting the wrong idea.”

For now, he kept his hopes modest—any internal energy manual would do.

The pinnacle arts like Nine Yang Manual or Nine Yin Manual? No chance. Their value dwarfed even the Dugu Nine Swords, and the system wouldn’t just hand them out in a gift box.

Even flawed techniques like Star Absorption seemed unlikely.

“Screw it. As long as it’s an internal energy manual, I’ll take it—no matter how weak!” Gritting his teeth, he clicked open the box.

After all, internal energy arts weren’t permanent. He could always switch to a better one later.

Pop!

Confetti sparkled in his mind as the box unfolded. Then—

A small manual materialized.

A skill book!

Jiang Fei took a deep breath, steadied himself, and opened his eyes—only to freeze in shock.

Four bold characters glared back at him:

North Sea Divine Art!

“H-how…? North Sea Divine Art?!” he stammered, disbelief saturating his voice.

For half a minute, he just stared. Then, euphoria erupted.

“HOLY SHT! North Sea Divine Art! My luck’s broken the universe!”*

The North Sea Divine Art—one of the Xiaoyao Sect’s supreme arts—made Star Absorption look like child’s play. In Jiang Fei’s view, even the later Nine Yin and Nine Yang paled next to it.

Its power was absurd: it could absorb others’ internal energy and convert it into North Sea True Qi, with no upper limit. Unlike Star Absorption, which caused chaotic energy clashes, this art harmonized all absorbed energy seamlessly.

For example, Duan Yu had used it to fuel the Six Pulses Divine Sword—zero side effects.

Meaning Jiang Fei’s Taiji Fist and Dugu Nine Swords could both be supercharged by it!

Dazed by the revelation, he barely registered the details. But as his excitement cooled, a grim reality hit him.

The North Sea Divine Art’s might came from absorbing others’ energy.

But in the modern world—who the hell could he absorb?!