The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS
Chapter 87 - 84 Happy New Year

Chapter 87: Chapter 84 Happy New Year

"Meteor Falling."

Qing Yu’s figure flickered, seemingly slow but in truth swift, a sword as fast as lightning pierced through Scorpion’s throat. (Scorpion: Do you still remember me, the World’s Number One Dragon Knight?)

A throat-sealing strike, the once greatly feared Scorpion was now but a one-sword instant kill. (Actually, he had been forgotten)

"Exorcism Swordsmanship has changed from before," Qing Yu did not look at Scorpion’s slowly fading shadow, but instead focused on the feeling he had just experienced using the "Exorcism Swordsmanship."

With entering the Innate Stage, and the Yin Yang Transformation on the right track, the "Exorcism Swordsmanship" lost its formerly ghostly aura. Instead, influenced by the "Heavenly Person Rebirth Technique," it possessed an air of transcendence, as if a celestial being was descending to the human world.

"Now the ’Exorcism Swordsmanship’ truly contains the essence of ’exorcism.’ Before that, it was plain to see it was the way of evil demons, not of a good person," Qing Yu said with a light chuckle.

"Ding, congratulations to the host for defeating the one-star villain·Scorpion and obtaining his items: Golden Silkworm Gu (two-star), Martial Arts Inheritance: Five Poison Palm (one-star)."

Then came the familiar transmission of martial arts enlightenment, but Scorpion’s "Five Poison Palm" didn’t have any particularly impressive techniques; most of them involved various uses of poison, integrating toxins into inner strength.

Such deviant martial practices were not what Qing Yu chose to pursue. Integrating poison into inner strength was indeed dangerous, as one could suffer from backlash if not cautious. Yet, with care, it was relatively easy and could provide combat strength far beyond those of a similar realm.

However, such usage would undoubtedly sever one’s future prospects.

It’s easy to integrate poison into inner strength, but difficult to remove it. Just as a drop of ink easily darkens a tub of water, turning a tub of ink into clear water is harder than trying to recollect spilled water.

The farther one progresses with poison skills, the more difficult it becomes. In the later stages, the required poisonous substances are even harder to find than heavenly materials and earth treasures.

Poison is only a means, not a foundation; the foundation of a martial artist is True Qi.

Take Ouyang Feng from the Legends of the Condor Heroes, for instance. In that world, he could be said to be the World’s Number One in using poison. Yet, he never actually deployed poison skills that fused poison with true qi.

Compared to the "Five Poison Palm," Qing Yu favored the consumable "Golden Silkworm Gu," a potent poison capable of felling an Innate Expert, far stronger than the seemingly useful but impractical "Five Poison Palm."

The white space before him gradually blurred as Qing Yu exited the Inheritance Space.

"Brother Meng, Brother Meng..."

"Oh, Brother Jin, where were we just talking?" Qing Yu casually asked.

"We’ve arrived at Mountain River Academy," Jin Mingxuan said with a hint of helplessness. Was my topic so boring that it put you to sleep?

"Is that so? We’ve finally arrived." Qing Yu stretched languidly, his spine cracking and popping, "This journey has made my back a bit sore."

Today was the day of new student enrollment at Mountain River Academy. Early in the morning, Qing Yu and Jin Mingxuan rode in a double-horse carriage towards the Mountain River Academy in Datong Mountain, just outside the city.

"It’s because you were lost in thought the entire way, not moving. Of course, you’re sore," Jin Mingxuan gazed at Qing Yu with a touch of plaintive reproach, making him slightly uncomfortable.

"Brother Jin, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Was my conversation that boring?" Jin Mingxuan’s look turned even more woeful. He had been babbling away the whole journey only to realize that his sole listener had been daydreaming, essentially casting pearls before swine.

"Ahahaha... Haha..." An awkward yet polite smile.

’I’m a virgin, listening to you talk dirty all the way; tell me, isn’t that boring?’ he internally ranted. Jin Mingxuan’s chatter nearly caused Qing Yu, who had been cultivating the "Heavenly Person Rebirth" towards a state of "Heart Like Still Water," to lose his composure.

People easily learn bad habits, yet struggle to acquire good ones. In just twenty days, Jin Mingxuan, who used to be all talk, had transformed into a playboy who couldn’t utter three sentences without mentioning women. As the person who led him astray, Qingyu didn’t know whether to be happy or to lament the birth of another wayward youth.

"By the way, it’s the first day of the month today. I wonder what the first Character Card of the Innate Realm will be. System, I want to draw this month’s random Character Card," Qingyu said to the System in his mind.

"Random Character Card drawing in progress..."

A glowing card flipped into Qingyu’s view.

It was an Innate Stage Character Card, still in the copper card category, but its color was no longer the lousy shade of brass of the Postnatal Stage, it was—as Qingyu would call it—stubborn bronze.

Name: Great Joy Bodhisattva

Realm: Innate Nine Layers

Item: None

Martial Arts: "Chewing Iron Great Method"

Evaluation: It’s you, Gangmu!!! Go find Nephalem now!

(PS: Gangmu, a boss from Diablo III. For those who don’t know, you can search it up.)

A mountain of flesh filled the picture on the Character Card. This was the Great Joy Bodhisattva, a monstrous beast capable of withstanding Little Li’s Flying Knife.

"Yeesh, that size, that appearance. The first time I saw her, I thought she was Gangmu too. Even the ’Steel Balloon’ auntie looks better than her," Qingyu marveled.

In his past life, Qingyu had seen in Western countries some women so obese that they had to use wheelchairs. But compared to the Great Joy Bodhisattva, they were mere witches seeing a giant witch—no, a gigantic witch.

No normal human being could reach such obesity; the heart simply wouldn’t be able to handle it. The Great Joy Bodhisattva, as her "Bodhisattva" title suggests, had transcended humanity and become something non-human.

"Before I overcome my psychological barrier, I’ll just seal this card away for now," Qingyu decided without a second thought, sealing the Character Card in the back of his memory.

The Great Joy Bodhisattva, a beast that could withstand Little Li’s Flying Knife, would not be touched by Qingyu until he had full confidence and had overcome the feeling of disgust in his heart.

It wasn’t that he feared failing the challenge and losing the Character Card, but...

The characters manifested from the Character Cards all possessed a consciousness consistent with their original persona. Just like Wei Xiaobao’s lustful nature, the Dragon Knight’s simple-mindedness, the Great Joy Bodhisattva was, in a way, kindred to the previous two.

Imagine the consequences of failing the challenge. Qingyu considered himself a fresh young hunk, no less than You Longsheng, and after cultivating "Heavenly Person Rebirth," he exuded an extraordinary aura when he went all out. He was certainly within the hunting range of the Great Joy Bodhisattva.

The thought of such a mountain of flesh bearing down on him was something Qingyu dared not even contemplate. His state of mind, "Heart Like Still Water," couldn’t suppress the wave of disgust that arose.

That’s why he thought, "You Longsheng, you truly are a brave warrior..."

"Brother Meng, Brother Meng... Come down, your carriage is blocking the people behind," Jin Mingxuan’s loud call jerked Qingyu from his chilling nightmare.

Qingyu promptly got out of the carriage, which, at Jin Mingxuan’s servants’ urging, slowly made its way to a nearby parking spot.

Just then, a few people jumped out of the carriage behind, clad in light garments and moving languidly. In the cold weather, they were only dressed in light clothes, revealing chests flushed with red.

"They are..."