Chapter 192 – Ultimate Blood Battle, The Secret Manual Arrives

“Why?”

Lu Yuan frowned in confusion.

Lin Zhiqin just shook his head without explaining. He kept smoking, unwilling to say another word.

After finishing their meal, they parted ways in front of the noodle restaurant. Lin Zhiqin hurriedly drove off without even asking if Lu Yuan needed a ride back.

Lu Yuan took a bottle of water from the drink cabinet in front of the Small Shop and stood at the entrance, quietly watching Lin Zhiqin’s car disappear from sight.

Only when the car was completely out of view did he start to move slowly.

“Target: Lin Zhiqin. Identity details. Query all activities in Xiabang since August 25. Check for close contacts and identify any suspicious interactions. Detailed information on any suspicious contacts.”

As Lu Yuan unscrewed the bottle cap to drink, he used his Golden Bear access level to issue commands to the Yellow Bear’s internal system.

Immediately, he received a message indicating that the inquiry would cost 1,000 merit points.

Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned but quickly understood.

—Even as a Golden Bear, personal use of Yellow Bear resources requires compensation.

“The issue with Lu Jing involves the Elephant Deity Sect, which is a registered task case. Otherwise, it would probably cost money too.”

This privilege was because he was a Golden Bear with high access; those with lower access levels wouldn’t have the right.

One thousand merit points weren’t expensive.

Just as Lu Yuan was about to make the payment, he received a message confirming the successful transaction.

A familiar message quietly lay in the background—[Your friend, Lord Tongtongtong, has paid on your behalf!]

“Alright then.”

Lu Yuan didn’t know what to say, guessing that Yuwen Tong might have set up some kind of “intimate payment1” or “family card2” for him.

“Is Yuwen Tong this generous with everyone under her command, or just with me?”

Lu Yuan wondered aimlessly.

Emerging from the Alley where the noodle restaurant was located, he looked up to see the main entrance of Yuan Martial Arts Gym.

After the autumn chill set in October, the temperature began to drop these past few days. Even the sunlight seemed cold, without any warmth.

Inside the Yuan Martial Arts Gym, young men and women who had just finished their classes walked out in groups of threes and fours, chatting and laughing. Every face was filled with the vibrancy of youth.

Lu Yuan hadn’t visited the main hall for quite a long time.

Seeing these people, he was reminded of his own days as a student at the gym.

Back then, the happiest part of his day was practicing punches and doing strength training.

Watching the experience points on his professional panel increase bit by bit brought him an indescribable joy.

Even when he was exhausted to the point of lying on the ground, unable to move a finger, he would still feel a silly happiness.

A sudden urge to take a stroll inside the gym welled up in Lu Yuan’s heart.

He stepped off the sidewalk and was about to cross the street when a sudden message stopped him in his tracks.

It was a task progress report.

From a certain Red Bear.

Concerning the “Elephant Deity Sect’s Xia Weimin” task case.

Standing under a streetlamp by the roadside, Lu Yuan pretended to be checking his mobile phone as he reviewed the report.

Five minutes later, after reading the entire report, Lu Yuan looked up with a strange expression and softly uttered two words.

“Mosa?!”

Yes, the report indicated that the person who killed Xia Weimin and took his belongings was a follower of the Mosa Sect and a member of the Mosa Combat Sports Club.

Moreover, it seemed this person was the vice president of a sub-branch of the Mosa Sect in the southern part of the Xia State.

“How is Mosa involved in matters related to the Elephant Deity Sect?”

“The Mosa follower took Xia Weimin’s belongings. Does Mosa also know about the ‘key’? Are they interested in the Elephant Deity Sect’s secret realm too?”

Lu Yuan’s eyes gleamed as he quickly searched for information on Mosa.

Cars passed by on the road.

He was standing close to a bus stop.

Four or five buses drove past Lu Yuan one after another as he gradually pieced together some details.

“It turns out Mosa has always been collecting relics from other Evil Deity Sects.”

From the data, Lu Yuan saw that in the past ten years, Mosa had been involved in many international auctions and symposiums related to Ancient Evil Deity relics.

They had participated and acquired quite a few items.

“Do the Evil Deity Sects also have mutual strife, plundering, and even hostile relations?”

Lu Yuan pondered.

It was indeed possible.

Both Yellow Bear and the Evil Martial Alliance could gain immense benefits from the Evil Deity Sects, so there was no reason why the sects couldn’t do the same to each other.

Acquiring a powerful artifact from a rival sect to offer to their own Deity could be considered a highly valuable sacrifice.

“Just a few days ago, I praised Mosa for being honest, but it turns out they’re constantly up to something behind the scenes.”

Lu Yuan thought for a moment and decided to report this matter to Yuwen Tong.

He initially intended just to inform her, but to his surprise, Yuwen Tong quickly replied, telling him to handle it as he saw fit. As long as he didn’t betray Yellow Bear or commit actions gravely endangering social stability, she would back him up.

This response put Lu Yuan completely at ease.

He immediately issued orders to the Red Bear who had sent the report, instructing them to continue investigating along these lines.

“Dingdong—”

Just as Lu Yuan finished handling this, an email related to Mosa arrived.

[Warm congratulations on the successful conclusion of the Mosa Jiaoyan “Boiling Night” martial arts tournament.

First Place in this tournament: …]

It was the announcement of the “Boiling Night” tournament results.

After reaching the semifinals, Lu Yuan had found the competition uninteresting due to the low caliber of opponents. Coupled with the attack by the Crow Deity Sect’s Divine Messenger Karofis and a series of new blood trial assessments, he hadn’t returned to the tournament.

He hadn’t expected the finals to have already concluded.

“The prize for first place wasn’t too shabby. What a pity.”

Lu Yuan sighed, ready to close the email.

Suddenly, he noticed an attachment at the bottom of the result announcement.

The attachment was named—[Ultimate Invitation].

Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered with curiosity as he gently clicked open the so-called invitation.

The content revealed itself—

[Powerful “Feast Eater,”

Congratulations, your valor has successfully caught the attention of the “Deity of Combat and Hunting.”

You are hereby invited to participate in the Ultimate Blood Battle, to be held by our organization in Chiming City three days from now!

If your strength earns the recognition of the “Deity of Combat and Hunting” once more, you will obtain everything you desire!

Blood drenches the Throne, combat forges immortality!

—Mosa.]

“Ultimate Blood Battle.”

Lu Yuan was taken aback. He hadn’t expected the so-called Mosa Boiling Night martial arts tournament to have a follow-up.

Moreover, the name suggested a higher level of competition, richer rewards, and significantly increased danger.

Lu Yuan wanted to reread the entire invitation, but he found that the attachment’s content was already damaged. All that remained was a pitch-black, blood-stained Goat Head Emblem.

Below it were the words “Feast Eater.”

It seemed that if he accepted the invitation and agreed to go, this emblem would serve as some kind of entry pass.

Frowning slightly, Lu Yuan habitually prepared to search for information on Mosa’s Ultimate Blood Battle in the Yellow Bear internal database.

Just then, an unfamiliar call came in.

“Hello.”

Seeing that the caller ID noted Yellow Bear, Lu Yuan decided to answer.

A respectful voice came from the other end of the line.

“Lord, the items you purchased have been delivered.”

The items I purchased?

Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned, but in the next second, he realized what it was, and anticipation gleamed in his eyes.

The manuals!

The stack of Pure Martial Arts Secret Manuals he had bought from the merit shop.

His SS+ “Amitabha Golden Garment” had finally arrived!

In the eastern outskirts of Jiaoyan City.

A secluded villa nestled among the mountains and forests.

This place was in the same district as the Yuan Martial Arts Gym’s high-end private branch, separated only by an artificial lake, facing each other from a distance.

It was a property given to Lu Yuan by Qin Feng, and this was his first visit.

At this moment, in front of the villa, on a vast open space specially designated as a martial arts practice area, a giant light blue shuttle was parked.

The shuttle was also emblazoned with the emblems of the Xia State and Yellow Bear.

This shuttle was much larger than any Lu Yuan had previously ridden, especially its belly, which looked like an oversized olive.

This was an internal Yellow Bear cargo shuttle used specifically for transporting supplies, with an astonishing load capacity.

“Lord, please sign here.”

The White Bear Guard, dressed in a black uniform, respectfully handed Lu Yuan a semi-transparent tablet, his face showing deep shock and disbelief.

He seemed utterly surprised that the so-called Golden Bear living in the Old City Circle turned out to be such a young man!

Lu Yuan didn’t pay attention to his expression. Instead, he frowned at the numerous transport robots moving up and down the shuttle and couldn’t help but ask, “Is there a mistake? Did I order this many large items?”

Lu Yuan had only ordered a few Pure Martial Arts Secret Manuals. Yet, he saw two robots working together to lift something that looked like a game pod, weighing several tons, off the shuttle.

There were also numerous black crates.

Lu Yuan used his Mental Power to probe inside and found that the crates were filled with various bottles and jars of potions.

“No mistake.”

The White Bear delivering the goods glanced at the order details in his hand and replied, “Lord Lu, you ordered eight Pure Martial Arts cultivation techniques. The content of the techniques has already been sent to your backend in the form of files.

These are the supporting resources and tools needed for cultivation.”

“Do I need to pay extra for these?”

Lu Yuan stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing and nodding to indicate his understanding.

He quickly signed the document, allowing the White Bear to direct the robots to continue their work.

There was no need to think too much; this must have been arranged by Yuwen Tong.

Yuwen Tong had given him so many benefits that Lu Yuan was almost numb to it, often feeling like he was “living off a woman.”

“Better to have something than nothing.”

Shaking his head, Lu Yuan walked into the villa with large strides.

He casually sat down on the sofa in the living room.

While the robots were busy moving things, he opened his Golden Bear backend.

Sure enough, just as the White Bear had said, the nine Pure Martial Arts hardening cultivation techniques Lu Yuan had ordered were quietly lying in his backend mailbox.

Each technique had a unique decryption code.

The content couldn’t be copied, transmitted, or exported and could only be viewed by him.

Lu Yuan went straight to the “Amitabha Golden Body.”

He opened the file, which contained text, video, and an image.

Lu Yuan’s gaze shifted between the three, finally landing on the image.

He clicked on it.

It turned out to be a golden image of Amitabha.

The image was majestic, imposing, and carried an infinite sense of inclusiveness, as if it could embrace everything.

The image was also three-dimensional and dynamic.

“Is this a true skill visualization diagram replicated using technology?”

Lu Yuan blinked, recalling the time Old Liu had used hypnotic incense to pass on the crane style true skill visualization diagram to him.

For a moment, his feelings were quite mixed.

Technology truly changes lives, and martial arts legacies are no exception.

He closed the visualization diagram and then opened the text version of the cultivation techniques.

Lu Yuan read it carefully.

The entire technique was only a few thousand words.

He finished reading it in two minutes.

Then he frowned, with the words “speechless” swirling around in his mind.

Footnote:

1. Intimate Payment(亲密付): Intimate Payment is a feature typically found in some Chinese mobile payment applications. It allows a person to authorize another trusted individual, such as a family member or close friend, to use their payment account or funds under certain conditions.
2. family card(家庭卡): Family Card is a similar concept but often refers to a shared payment card or account that multiple family members can use.