Infinite Fighting

Just as he was about to head back, Zhang Ji spotted a helicopter in the distance. It circled once, then flew straight off.

A sense of understanding dawned on Zhang Ji. ’It seems they were coming to rendezvous with the man I just killed.’

’To pick him up and take this heart off his hands?’

Zhang Ji looked down. The containment unit was surprisingly sturdy; it hadn’t sustained the slightest damage throughout the fight. The heart inside was also completely stable, still pulsing within the nutrient solution.

’This thing has to be Blue-grade at a minimum, right?’ Zhang Ji speculated.

Alchemy Organs. They weren’t exactly rare.

The Krypton Gold Fighters of the Profound Heart Stream’s Logic School, who primarily relied on external power, frequently subjected themselves to surgery, genetic modification, organ replacement, and weaponized prosthetics.

In the version of the game Zhang Ji had played, it wasn’t uncommon for top-ranked players to turn themselves into Transformers.

"It looks like you’ve become quite proficient with your Dragon and Snake Forms," Li Long remarked as he and Wang Quan emerged from the tunnel.

They had actually arrived midway through the fight. However, seeing that Zhang Ji wasn’t in dire straits, Li Long hadn’t sent Wang Quan to help immediately. He wanted Zhang Ji to experience this kind of battle on his own.

His plan was to unleash an energy wave and instantly kill Song Yuan if Zhang Ji proved unable to handle the situation.

He was very satisfied with everything that unfolded.

Zhang Ji was truly a genius among geniuses. He achieved so much in such a short time while cultivating multiple techniques simultaneously. During the fight, his application of these techniques grew increasingly skilled. He was decisive and ruthless, unafraid to trade injuries to land a telling blow. His combat instincts were also sharp, always managing to use the terrain to his advantage.

Talent like this was a gift from the founders themselves!

Zhang Ji saw the two of them and immediately understood. He held out the containment unit and asked, "What should we do with this?"

"Consider it your spoil of war," Li Long said. "We weren’t assigned a mission for this, so you can do as you please with it. However, if you hand it over to the Five Elements Sect, we could try to study its properties. Then we could give you some options for its use. Alternatively, if we trade it for profit, you’ll receive a portion of the credit."

The Five Elements Sect had technicians skilled in some alchemical biotechnology. While they couldn’t compare to true specialists, they’re perfectly capable of analyzing someone else’s work.

"Then let’s have the Five Elements Sect keep it," Zhang Ji said.

’This thing is clearly a hot potato. I don’t have a game interface, so I can’t see its description and have no idea what it really is.’

’Besides, I have no intention of getting an Alchemy Organ for myself.’

’I can’t use it, I have nowhere to sell it, and it’s not like I need the money.’

’Keeping it would just mean offending whoever is behind it.’

’I’d have to be an idiot to keep it for myself.’

...

「Capital City.」

「Kang Mansion.」

Under the gentle sun, a white-haired old man sat in a wheelchair, basking in the warmth, a beautiful female assistant by his side.

This old man was the current Patriarch of the Kang family and one of the eight councilors of the Eastern Extreme Country. His name was Kang Youhui.

He was far too old—one hundred and nine—but was plagued by his family’s consistent failure to produce any worthy successors. Despite his age, he had to maintain a strong front, clinging desperately to his position.

To ensure his family’s continuation, he had pushed forward with Alchemy Technology experiments on Shanli Island.

That heart was the key to him living for several more decades.

If he obtained it, this decaying body would be rejuvenated once more.

Just then, the female assistant suddenly lowered her head and said something to Kang Youhui.

"Is that so? So the item is gone," Kang Youhui stated flatly.

He accepted this outcome calmly.

Having lived so long, he had experienced it all. He knew full well the world didn’t revolve around him. Every endeavor had two possible outcomes: success or failure.

He could only do his best; the rest was up to fate.

Clearly, fate was not on his side this time.

"Qiuxia, help me contact them. It’s time to proceed with the Martial Arts Extermination Plan..." Kang Youhui said.

"Yes, Patriarch," the female assistant said with a nod.

Kang Youhui’s cloudy eyes slowly closed.

He was dying, so he had to clear the obstacles for the next generation in advance.

For the younger generation of the Eastern Extreme Country, the greatest obstacle was those deeply-rooted martial arts clans.

They controlled far, far too much power and too many resources.

They had to be eradicated to clear a path for the younger generation to walk.

With such an achievement, even after his death, the Kang family might produce a new councilor, or at the very least, solidify the next generation’s rightful status.

This was all he could do...

...

...

In Kui District, Zhang Ji watched the news about Shanli Island on TV, his expression turning complex.

The news was reporting on the pirate incident on Shanli Island.

However, Zhang Ji and his Five Elements Sect were described as a temporary Law Enforcement Team that had been dispatched to handle the incident.

What surprised Zhang Ji was that a group of pirates had disguised themselves as local refugees and escaped right under their noses, then boarded a pirate ship to make their getaway.

But they didn’t get far before they were intercepted by ships sent by the real authorities. The official report said they resisted stubbornly, so the entire ship was sunk. In the end, the news only showed a photo of the corpse of the internationally wanted criminal, Pu Xinde.

’Isn’t that just a blatant attempt to destroy evidence?’

Turning off the TV, Zhang Ji walked to the window and looked down.

Three days had passed since the Five Elements Sect’s arrival. Most of the disciples had already returned to report back, with only Zhang Ji temporarily remaining to help with the rebuilding efforts.

Many refugees had arrived recently, all residents of Shanli Island who had suffered from the pirate invasion. They were now planning to rebuild their homes, centered around Kui District.

Suddenly, Zhang Ji saw a familiar little figure helping move bricks. He wasn’t carrying many at a time, but he looked very diligent.

After a moment’s thought, Zhang Ji opened the door and called someone in.

"Help me ask about that kid’s situation," Zhang Ji said, pointing down.

"Understood, Master Zhang!"

The man turned and left quickly.

In less than ten minutes, he returned with the information.

After listening, Zhang Ji’s expression became thoughtful.

The figure below was Gu Jie, the son of the late Gu Ming.

His fate had been a harsh one.

After his father died, his mother became the manager of a laundry room under Zhang Ji’s care.

Life had become barely manageable.

But when the pirates attacked this time, his mother, as the manager, lost her life at their hands while protecting the women in the laundry room.

Now, Gu Jie was an orphan.

Every day, he could only help with whatever odd jobs he could to scrape by for a meal.

He wasn’t the only orphan like that on Shanli Island; there were several others around him.

After some thought, Zhang Ji went to find Kratos.

"I plan to take him as my disciple," Zhang Ji said.

"Have you formally graduated?" Kratos asked.

Although Zhang Ji’s strength was now great, without graduating, one was not qualified to take on disciples.

"I won’t teach him Five Elements Sect techniques," Zhang Ji said. "It’ll be what you taught me, but I’ve made some innovations. He’ll just be a nominal disciple. You can decide what to do with the other orphans. Recruit a few and train them. It would give them a place, and feeding them won’t cost much."

"But the medicinal herbs for training are expensive," Kratos said.

"There are cheaper training methods," Zhang Ji said. "We just can’t expect quick results. We’ll take it slow and have them compete among themselves, concentrating resources on the top disciples. If all else fails, they can just treat it as a way to build up their bodies."

"You’re telling me all this because you want me to lead it?" Kratos asked.

"I can’t stay on Shanli Island forever," Zhang Ji replied.

"That’s true," Kratos said with a nod.

"Let’s do that, then. You handle the details. I’m going to write the manual," Zhang Ji said.

"Wait!" Kratos stopped Zhang Ji and then asked, his gaze questioning, "Did you really reach the Grandmaster realm just by practicing the *Iron Shirt Skill*?"

"Yes, but my case is a little different," Zhang Ji replied after a moment’s hesitation.

"Of course I know you’re different. You’re a genius, after all!" Kratos laughed, relieved.

Zhang Ji shook his head without offering further explanation. After entering the room, he began writing the martial arts manual for the *Iron Body Skill*.

After synthesizing the combat crystal for the *Iron Body Skill*, Zhang Ji simultaneously possessed all its information, as if it were a martial art he himself had painstakingly deduced and developed through practice.

Therefore, he also possessed memories of the entire training process.

This martial art was similar to the *Iron Shirt Skill*. It began by tempering the body, but the difference was that it required the use of certain technologies.

By using high-frequency oscillating machinery, one could temper the muscles, bones, and internal organs beneath the skin and flesh, achieving a full-body refinement.

Then there was the medicinal assistance.

Most of the medicines were the same as those for the *Iron Shirt Skill*, but the soaking times and concentrations were more specific.

The Breathing Skill had also changed, becoming more complex.

But overall, it still fell into the category of a commoner’s martial art.

Anyone with a little money could practice it, and the barrier to entry was low. But to achieve great things or even reach the Grandmaster realm, one needed talent, financial resources, and sweat.

Simply put, if someone had decent talent, financial backing, and was willing to work hard, Zhang Ji estimated they could reach the level of a Grandmaster before the age of fifty.

If it was someone with top-tier talent like Li Long, who started laying their foundation at age five, they could become a Grandmaster around the age of twenty.

He wrote at length, filling page after page. Zhang Ji checked it over, then made some revisions and added annotations, worried that some parts might be difficult to understand.

Then he went directly to a printer, scanned it, and printed ten copies, preparing to give them to Wu Chen and Kratos to have a look.

He didn’t place much value on the martial knowledge itself; he was more concerned with the people.

Those top-tier fighting techniques had been created over a thousand years ago, but very few in history had ever managed to reach the level of their creators.

Instead of jealously hoarding secrets with ridiculously high barriers to entry out of fear of being surpassed, it was better to think about how to build upon the foundations laid by one’s predecessors.

Kratos was very efficient.

The very next day, he gathered Gu Jie and a few other children.

Then, after drinking a cup of tea served by Gu Jie, Zhang Ji officially considered him his nominal disciple.

After confirming that Kratos and the others could understand the manual and wouldn’t practice it incorrectly, Zhang Ji and the remaining Five Elements Sect disciples left by boat.

Afterward, Liu Hetong would dispatch officials to be stationed on the island, maintain order, and help with the reconstruction.

Perhaps in less than two years, Shanli Island would once again become a part of the Eastern Extreme Country, turning back into the thriving tourist destination he remembered.