The Martial Saint, starting with daily intelligence.

Daily Intelligence System

Martial Arts Realm: Early Bone Forging Stage

Body Refinement Realm: Qi and Blood Manifestation Level 1 (Proficiency: 3853/10000)

Extraordinary System: Extraordinary Tier 0 (Proficiency: 720/1000) [Erosion Level: 3.8%]

Exercise: Spirit Turtle Gazing at the Moon Stance (Proficiency: 89/10000) [Five Stars]

武技：伏虎拳法大成（熟练度：320/400）【三星】，青雀三掠小成（熟练度：132/200）【四星】，降龙掌法小成（熟练度：11/200）【三星】

Secret Technique: Concealing Breath Technique [Three Stars]

Superpowers: Three-Light Eye Technique [Five-Star], Petrified Skin [Four-Star], Skin Hardening [Three-Star]

Root bone: 38 (B-grade)

Comprehension: 42 (C)

XP: 128

···

  

Zhong Ming looked at his system panel.

The panel now includes superpowers and extraordinary systems.

Three superpowers: a purple five-star pupil technique, a blue four-star petrification skin technique, and a three-star green skin hardening technique.

Its overall strength has improved significantly once again.

The Three Lights Pupil Technique leans towards comprehensive and auxiliary functions.

However, petrified skin and hardened skin significantly enhance combat capabilities, increase defense, and increase strength.

Moreover, after absorbing extraordinary power, Zhong Ming could clearly feel that his body had become even stronger.

Even his body refinement level increased by more than 700 points of proficiency, probably due to the enhancement of his body by extraordinary power.

The extraordinary system truly lives up to its name as "poison"!

It is followed by a "corrosion level". If there are no accidents, when the corrosion level reaches 100%, it will completely transform into some kind of weird thing.

Zhong Ming tried consuming some experience points, and as soon as he did, the erosion level on the surface decreased by 0.1%.

"Fortunately, it can be eliminated."

"However, the extraordinary power within my body seems to have decreased slightly as well."

Furthermore, the proficiency level of the extraordinary system on the panel has also decreased.

Extraordinary System: Extraordinary Tier 0 (Proficiency: 718/1000) [Erosion Level: 3.7%]

"A two-point reduction in proficiency is perfectly acceptable."

Zhong Ming was not in a hurry to clean up the erosion, but planned to eliminate the hidden dangers after he officially became a first-order transcendent.

Eliminating the erosion now will also decrease your proficiency, which will waste your experience points.

"Come here, this is a stress tester, it can test your strength and defense."

Dr. Mondo led Zhong Ming to another room, which was filled with all sorts of instruments and equipment.

"This can withstand a force of up to thirty-six tons."

"Don't use your fist, use your hand to clench it and push it inward. Don't use your superpowers or your blood energy yet, I want to test the strength of your body itself."

"Okay, I'll give it a try."

Zhong Ming stood in front of the instrument, which was cleverly designed so that he could only rely on the strength of his spine, that is, his waist strength, so that the measured strength was indeed real.

Clench your right hand tightly and push forward with force, while the instrument also pushes outward, just like two people wrestling.

A tremendous roar erupted as Dr. Mundo slowly increased the power of the machine.

A few minutes later, the machine stopped roaring, and Zhong Ming was breathing heavily.

"It actually reached 32.7 tons!"

Dr. Mundo's shocked voice rang out.

"Next is your left hand."

The machine roared again, and this time Zhong Ming tested his left hand.

"Left hand, strength 29.8 tons."

"The difference between the left and right hands is less than 10%, which is normal."

Mondo frowned and shook his head.

"However, your power limit is already close to the instrument's limit."

"I never imagined that a human's pure strength could exceed ten tons."

"Even with the boost from true qi, thirty tons is enough."

"True Qi can amplify one's own strength by three to five times. Your blood Qi is much more domineering than True Qi, so its amplification of pure strength will only be higher, conservatively estimated to be no less than five times."

Have you ever tried to see how much blood energy can amplify your strength?

Zhong Ming shook his head.

"no."

"No items can be found that can be used as a reference for the experiment."

"Since obtaining the Flower of Essence Blood, my strength has increased several times over. After that, I only knew that my strength was very, very great, but I had no idea exactly how much."

"Fine, let's just try it."

The instrument restarted.

This time, Zhong Ming's qi and blood enveloped his arm, and with just a gentle push, the instrument shut down.

"They probably only used about 20-30% of their strength."

Zhong Ming said helplessly.

"What I hate most are words like 'approximately'; I need the most specific data."

Mundo was very unhappy.

"With the amplification of blood energy, the strength is approximately between 150 and 200 tons."

"If we add the amplification from the petrified skin, even the strength of the left arm would definitely exceed two hundred tons."

Unfortunately, the circumstances didn't allow it.

Mundo can only record approximate values.

"At least 150 tons of force. In terms of numbers, even a cultivator at the Refining God Realm who has mastered both the extraordinary and martial arts paths would not be able to match half of your pure strength."

"Next, we'll test the defense."

Mundo placed Zhong Ming in front of a giant hammer. The machine started turning, a huge roar rang out, and the giant hammer began to swing.

"Don't use blood defense, and don't use petrified skin or skin hardening abilities. I need to know your raw stats."

Zhong Ming nodded, still feeling a bit intimidated as he looked at the massive iron hammer weighing hundreds of kilograms.

As the hammer slowly struck Zhong Ming's chest, Zhong Ming took a half step back.

"Is the situation still acceptable?"

"Mundo asked."

"It's alright, I can handle it, just a little pain, no internal injuries."

"With extraordinary power protecting him, it's impossible for him to actually get injured; at most, he'll feel chest tightness and shortness of breath."

Dr. Mondo said calmly.

"That was ten tons of force just now. Now I'll increase it to twenty tons. Get ready."

This impact caused Zhong Ming to stagger back two steps.

"It hurts even more this time; the skin in the area that was hit is red."

"This is not the limit."

"continue."

After several tests, Dr. Mondo finally determined the defensive limit of the bell.

"Physical body's ultimate defense is 25.76 tons!"

Dr. Mondo nodded.

"With your current physical strength, most experts at the peak of Qi Refining or the sixth level of Transcendent Realm would probably not be able to break through your physical defenses."

"Ordinary weapons and firearms are ineffective against you; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call you a beast in human skin."

Mondo exclaimed, his eyes filled with a mixture of emotions and curiosity.

"Continue. This time you are allowed to use skin hardening."

The experiment is ongoing...

···

"In a hardened state, the physical body's maximum defense is 38.5 tons."

···

"In its petrified skin state, the physical body's maximum defense is 44 tons."

···

"Under the cover of blood energy, the physical body's maximum defense exceeds sixty tons, surpassing the machine's testing limit. It is estimated that the physical body's defense limit is over ninety tons."

···

"Hardened skin + petrified skin, physical body's ultimate defense against 58 tons."

···

"With hardened skin and blood energy, the physical body's maximum defense exceeds sixty tons, surpassing the limits of machine testing. It is estimated that the physical body's maximum defense is greater than one hundred tons."

"Petrified skin + blood energy, physical body's maximum defense exceeds sixty tons, exceeding the machine's testing limit, and it is estimated that the physical body's maximum defense is greater than one hundred and twenty tons."

"A combination of petrified skin, hardened skin, and blood energy suggests that the body's defensive limit is around 150 tons..."

Mundo took a deep breath and rubbed his slightly sore eyes.

"Although I don't know what you've been wary of, based on your current stats, you're somewhere between the peak of Qi Refining and the sixth level of Transcendent Realm."

"No one can be your match. Even if you master both, there are very few people in the world who can rival you."

"Whether you are a transcendent-level expert trained by the Holy See or the major empires, or a prodigy of your Great Chu martial arts, you are absolutely safe under the Refining God technique."

Mundo looked serious.

"But remember, those at the seventh level of Refining Spirit and Transcendent Realm and above belong to another realm. If you encounter a powerhouse of that level..."

"Don't hesitate at all."

"run!"

"You're no match for them. If you're too slow, you'll die!"

Mondo's cold tone poured cold water on Zhong Ming's extreme excitement.

Why?

Zhong Ming asked, puzzled.

"It's related to spiritual strength."

"A master of the Spirit Refinement Realm can project their spirit outwards. No matter how strong your physical body is, you will have no ability to resist them."

"Those at the seventh level of the extraordinary realm and above have fused with at least one extraordinary organ, and the will and mental pollution they experience is simply beyond your tolerance."

"That's all I can tell you. I can't go into more detail, otherwise you might be contaminated."

Dr. Mondo's gaze towards Zhong Ming changed, as if he had seen something ominous.

"Pollution? Just saying it can cause pollution?"

Zhong Ming asked uncertainly.

"What you just said has actually caused some pollution to you, you just haven't realized it."

"With your mental strength, by the time you realize you're not in a good state and might be negatively affected, it will be too late; you'll already be severely contaminated."

Zhong Ming was startled.

Look at your proficiency panel.

The original erosion level increased from 3.7% to 3.9%, and I don't know when, but the erosion level I received increased by 0.2%.

"Pollution is everywhere, it's really troublesome!"

Dr. Mondo pointed to the place where the books and documents were stored.

"I have collected a lot of ancient books, which almost consumed my life's work."

"But the things recorded there are all incomplete or ambiguous. Nothing in it is complete. I always get stuck at the crucial moment."

"This was not an accident, but deliberate."

"The transmission of knowledge comes at a price!"

Dr. Mondo exclaimed.

"The more detailed and important the record, the greater the likelihood that it will become a source of pollution."

"Don't even mention looking at this kind of thing; just getting close to it could completely corrupt you, turning you into a monster, controlling the source of pollution, and making you a slave to the source of pollution, a walking corpse."

"Rumor has it that the Vatican suppresses a book called the 'Book of Time,' which records many secrets from ancient times, even the distant past, and supposedly even the source of the pollution."

"If it weren't for the divine power descending from above, the [Chronicle of Time] would have long since become a source of pollution, turning all living things within a radius of hundreds of kilometers into monsters."

"Even with divine power suppressing it, even legendary and extraordinary beings cannot see its contents; otherwise, they would be devoured and become the source of the strangeness in an instant."

Listening to Dr. Mondo's story, Zhong Ming panicked.

Because while Mundo was saying these things, the degree of corruption on Zhong Ming's body was increasing rapidly at a rate that was almost visible to the naked eye.

In just over ten seconds, the progress increased by five percentage points.

Keep in mind that the total erosion rate was only 3.9% before, but now it has increased to 8.9%!

Moreover, looking at Mundo's eyes and expression at this moment, Zhong Ming felt that something was very wrong, nine out of ten things were wrong.

"Damn it, could Mundo have been affected by some unknown entity?"

"Dr. Mondo, wake up!"

Zhong Ming shouted loudly.

Seemingly hearing Zhong Ming's shout, Mundo's expression changed, as if he had realized something.

Suddenly, the entire space was suppressed by an inexplicable force, and under this suppression, Zhong Ming seemed to have lost control of his body.

The mind was still working, but the body couldn't move. The hands and feet seemed to be fixed in place by something, and even the eyelids and eyeballs couldn't move.

"Is this what they call mental suppression?"

Zhong Ming remembered what Dr. Mondo had said: if you encounter a Refining Spirit expert, don't hesitate, run away immediately.

At this moment, Zhong Ming finally understood the reason!

Under mental suppression, the body could not move. The only thing that could still move was the slowly rotating essence flower within the body, but it was still difficult to circulate.

This amount of power was simply not enough for Zhong Ming to break through this suppression.

"Phew~"

Mundo took a deep breath.

Seemingly having awakened from that strange state, the inexplicable pressure in the surrounding space finally disappeared.

As his body gradually recovered, Zhong Ming sat on the ground, panting heavily.

"Dr. Mondo, are you awake?"

Mondo nodded.

"Thanks to your reminder, otherwise we would both be in danger this time."

Mundo didn't explain anything further, perhaps because he was afraid of falling back into the strange state he had been in before.

With that, Mondo put all the ancient books back, locked them up, and finally put them in the safe.

Zhong Ming's Three-Light Pupil Technique then revealed that the boxes containing the ancient books, the locks on them, and even the surface of the safes were all engraved with special patterns.

Furthermore, there are clusters of purple energy flowing within these patterns.

Zhong Ming guessed that those patterns were probably extraordinary inscriptions or restrictions.

"My body was just immobilized; was that mental suppression at the seventh level or higher?"

Mondo nodded, then shook his head.

"This is the ability of a martial artist, not an extraordinary being. I am only at the sixth level of the extraordinary realm."

Zhong Ming's gaze toward Mundo became even stranger.

Martial arts can actually go further than the path to transcendence?

You're a foreigner, not a local martial artist. Shouldn't the extraordinary system go further than the martial arts path?

"A weirdo, a monster!"

Generally speaking, one only begins to explore the power of another system when one has reached the end of the road ahead.

Because practicing both systems simultaneously, regardless of which is secondary or primary, will increase the difficulty of achieving a breakthrough by more than tenfold.

Whether they are powerful figures in the extraordinary system or martial arts prodigies of the Great Chu Dynasty, they can only cultivate one system. Those who can cultivate two systems are extremely rare!

That's the reason.

Once the power of other systems is incorporated into one's own system, it will not have any negative impact when used; in fact, it can amplify one's strengths and reduce one's weaknesses, resulting in a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts.

Therefore, those who cultivate both martial arts and the extraordinary system are often invincible among their peers.

However, it has one extremely fatal flaw!

That means it will be difficult to break through in the future, and the difficulty of breaking through will be more than ten times that of the same level.

Otherwise, martial artists from the East or extraordinary experts from the West would probably all be practicing both systems simultaneously.

That's why Zhong Ming thought Mundo was a monster.

His main cultivation of the extraordinary system is only at the sixth level of the extraordinary system, but his secondary cultivation of the martial arts system has already reached the Refining God Realm. What else could he be but a monster?

Tianjin is neither a very big nor a very small city.

The circle of martial artists and extraordinary beings is only so big.

Zhong Ming came to the Steel Bone Club, and he knew some basic information about it.

The eccentric pharmacist Mondo and the Steelbone Guild Master arrived in Jincheng more than 20 years ago. At that time, one of them was at the fifth level of the Extraordinary Realm and the other at the sixth level. Mondo had already reached the sixth level of the Extraordinary Realm 22 years ago.

Furthermore, according to the information provided by Tingfenglou, Mondo went to the local martial arts school to learn martial arts seven months after arriving in Jincheng.

Based on intelligence, it is speculated that Mundo's martial arts realm is currently only at the late stage of Marrow Cleansing.

Martial arts are a good thing, and foreigners aren't stupid.

Many sixth-tier transcendent beings who have no chance of breaking through to the seventh tier will choose to learn the martial arts system of the Great Chu Dynasty.

Of course, almost all of them only reached the late stage of Marrow Cleansing, and the number of people who broke through to the Qi Refining Realm in the past hundred years can be counted on one hand.

Similarly, most Chu people who specialize in martial arts, if they cannot break through to the Body Tempering Realm, will choose to accept the Extraordinary System, so that they can withstand a few more moves even when encountering Qi Refining experts.

Mundo, over a period of twenty-two years, cultivated his martial arts to the Refinement God Realm despite the debuffs of the Extraordinary System; he can only be described as a monster.

Even among the top geniuses of the Great Chu Dynasty, how many could cultivate to the Refining God Realm within twenty-two years?

What's more, they also have to bear the debuffs of the extraordinary system!

Anyone with even a little talent or aptitude would not dare to cultivate two cultivation systems simultaneously.

Zhong Ming dared to try cultivating both martial arts and the extraordinary system because he had a system and a proficiency panel.

Others are helpless when they encounter bottlenecks, and it's quite normal for them to be stuck for their entire lives without making a breakthrough.

But for Zhong Ming, he only needed to consume a few experience points to break through directly, so there was no such thing as a bottleneck.

Looking at Zhong Ming's expression, Mondo roughly guessed what he was thinking, and spoke calmly.

"Strictly speaking, I am a scholar."

"Compared to your local Refinement Realm experts, I only possess the realm, but lack the corresponding strength."

"Even though I cultivate two systems, I would most likely be no match for a fellow Refining God expert of the same level from your Chu Kingdom. I am actually quite weak and have little practical combat experience."

"But what does that have to do with your breakthrough to the Refining Spirit Realm?"

Zhong Ming's tone was puzzled.

Knowledge is universal!

"When you can understand the mysteries of the human body, its various secrets, and the essence of martial arts and the extraordinary, it is actually very easy to improve your level."

Zhong Ming rolled his eyes.

"I don't believe you for a second."

"If advancing in cultivation level were truly that easy, this world would be overflowing with cultivators practicing spirit refinement."

Zhong Ming clearly did not believe Mundo's explanation.

Mundo simply smiled and didn't explain anything further.

"Here, take this. It's a little gadget that can isolate your aura and hide most of your extraordinary power."

Mondo took a pendant from the cabinet and tossed it to Zhong Ming.

"An extraordinary artifact?"

Zhong Ming looked at the pendant in front of him and could sense a trace of extraordinary power emanating from it.

Furthermore, it can absorb the extraordinary power within its own body.

This is precisely the characteristic of extraordinary artifacts: they possess a certain amount of extraordinary power, and when used, they absorb a certain amount of extraordinary power from the user.

Mondo shook his head and explained.

"It is an extraordinary treasure."

Zhong Ming was startled. Extraordinary treasures were of a higher grade than extraordinary artifacts, roughly equivalent to "mysterious weapons" in the martial arts system.

Most Qi Refining Warriors do not possess Xuanbing (mysterious weapons).

The value of the extraordinary treasures corresponding to them is self-evident.

"You have too many secrets. If someone discovers them, it will be troublesome."

"You are the only perfect body I have ever found in my entire life, and I never want any fool to ruin you."

Thank you.

Zhong Ming didn't stand on ceremony and put the pendant on his body directly, as he really needed it.

Does it have a name?

"The Fall of Concealed Breath".

"In addition, I will probably be away for a while, between half a month and a month. Before I come back, try to avoid coming to the concession. Although the probability of being discovered is very low, it is not impossible."

"If you encounter a danger that you cannot handle, return to this room. This is my mark, a safe house that I built for myself. Even legendary experts or grandmasters from your Chu Kingdom cannot break through it in a short time."

"I'll give you this too. With this, you can freely enter and leave the concession."

Zhong Ming looked at the second thing Mondo had given him: the pass that had just been written on special paper.

[Ninth Member of the Far East Pharmacists Committee – Member Mundo Edward]

[Pharmacist Assistant - Zhong Ming]

Zhong Ming's expression immediately changed after reading it.

"Mundo is a member of the Apothecary Committee? That wasn't mentioned in the intelligence!"

"And Mundo is also a member of the Ninth Committee!"

Every member of the Pharmacist Committee has the status to speak on equal footing with legendary powerhouses, and no powerful figure from any extraordinary system would want to offend a member.

Even legendary powerhouses usually treat him with utmost respect, regarding him as an honored guest.

The Pharmacist Council has dozens of members, each with the ability to construct extraordinary inscriptions of the seventh rank or higher. The thirteen standing committee members hold the most power, and Mundo, as the ninth member, wields considerable influence and power.

Zhong Ming looked at the pass, then at Mundo.

"The Pharmacists' Committee is nothing compared to your perfect body."

"You are the key I use to unlock the forbidden zone of the gods!"

Although Mundo said that, Zhong Ming knew that he had hit the jackpot this time.

Given his status and power, if he were to truly harm me, even ten lives wouldn't be enough.

In the short term, I don't need to be wary of him or fear that he might harm me. At least until he thoroughly studies my body, I am absolutely safe.

Even if someone tries to harm him, Mundo will be the first to object.

To be honest, only a monster scholar like Mundo could do that. If it were an ordinary apothecary, Zhong Ming would probably already be locked in some secret room and dissected for research.

If Zhong Ming had known his body was so peculiar, he would never have come to the club to try and gain any supernatural powers.

There is simply too little information about superhumans.

Even if we do have such information, we might not be able to access it.

Even a super expert like Mundo almost got corrupted just now. If the information were really placed in front of Zhong Ming, he would have to consider whether he was qualified!

In this world, the transmission of knowledge comes at a price.