Biochemical Martial Arts: Supreme Heavenly Venerate

Lin Xi had prepared a plentiful meal: a large bowl of beef soup, a large bowl of goji berry stewed pork ribs, a large bowl of braised pork, and two dishes of seasonal vegetables.

Lin Rui swept through the dining table like a whirlwind, occasionally glancing up at the holographic TV in front of him.

Having copied two martial arts earlier had drained Lin Rui of quite a bit of his strength, causing his appetite to surge, feeling as if he could eat an entire cow right now.

Watching TV had become a habit of his since traveling to this time, ten days ago. Lin Rui sought to understand the world he was now in through the news on TV.

Lin Xi had long since put down her bowl.

Watching Lin Rui wolf down his food with shining eyes, she said admiringly, "Brother, how did your Red Thunder Saber suddenly become so powerful? You really scared me just now. I feel like your saber technique already resembles that of Grandmaster Xue from a few years back."

Lin Rui couldn't help but smile slightly. His Red Thunder Saber had been copied from Xue Bogao himself, so of course, it was the real deal.

He struggled to devour his meal, asking with a muffled voice, "You've seen Grandmaster Xue use the Red Thunder Saber?"

"Of course I have," Lin Xi raised her eyebrows with pride, "You started learning the Red Thunder Saber, Red Thunder Palm, and the Leihuozhuang martial arts from Grandmaster Xue when you were ten. He even came to our house to demonstrate it for you personally. Sadly, he later severed ties with our family. Otherwise, your martial arts would certainly be even stronger by now."

Lin Rui suddenly realized. No wonder his original self's foundational martial arts were identical to Xue Bogao's—the Grandmaster was in fact his martial arts mentor.

He searched for the keyword "Xue Bogao" in his personal video library on his terminal bracelet and indeed found over a hundred related videos, mostly from when he was between ten and twelve years old.

Lin Xi continued, "But you're very impressive now too, maybe you're already 70 to 80 percent as good as Grandmaster Xue. I think you'll definitely pass the assessment tomorrow."

After hearing this, Lin Rui felt something odd.

Excitement and joy were evident in Lin Xi's tone, yet why did he feel like there was something insincere about her words?

However, he didn't take it to heart.

Just then, Lin Rui heard a male voice from the holographic TV announcing, "We interrupt with breaking news: at six o'clock this evening, the Police Headquarters of the Ninth Base issued an alert stating that according to a Federal Security Agency announcement, three individuals from Tianji Star have infiltrated the Ninth Observation Base and have committed over a dozen violent crimes within the base, injuring more than seventy people.

The police are currently putting all efforts into searching for and apprehending them. Citizens of the Ninth Base are advised to be cautious about personal safety when going out and to be alert to suspicious behavior of people around them.

The methods of the Tianji Star infiltrators include forging identities, creating counterfeit genetic clones, spiritual possession, and more. They have the following characteristics—"

Upon hearing the words 'Tianji Star people,' Lin Xi's hands under the table trembled slightly; she looked suspiciously at her brother sitting opposite her.

Lin Rui also put down his chopsticks and looked towards the holographic TV.

Since awakening, he had begun to grasp the state of this era he was in.

Tianji Star, a supermassive planet 1,200 light-years from Earth, was currently hostile towards the Earth Federation.

That planet was not only rich in a variety of minerals but also home to a carbon-based species similar in stature to humans.

Their civilization was similar to ancient China, and they possessed formidable individual strength.

Eight hundred years ago, the Tianji Star individuals had dealt the Earth Federation a severe blow, annihilating an entire expeditionary force within Tianji Star's atmosphere.

This had thrown the Federation's government into a panic, forcing a change in policy towards Tianji Star from colonialism to exploration, research, learning, surveillance, and infiltration.

The Ninth Planetary Observation Base that Lin Rui was now in was one of many bases constructed by the Earth Federation to monitor and study Tianji Star, located within the ninth satellite of Tianji Star.

While they studied the Tianji Star individuals, those individuals kept an eye on them as well, even attempting counter-infiltration.

As Lin Rui listened intently, he suddenly felt a sharp prick on his head,

Turning his head, he discovered that his sister Lin Xi had plucked a hair from the top of his head.

His pupils contracted with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty as he looked at Lin Xi.

Why would Lin Xi pluck his hair?

"Brother, look, you've got grey hairs."

Lin Xi waved a white hair in front of him, pouting, "You've already mastered the Red Thunder Saber to such an extent that you're almost guaranteed to pass the assessment. Don't overtrain today.

As the textbooks say, in the path of martial arts, there must be relaxation as well as tension. Training too hard will only harm the body and backfire, so you should take a break when it's due."

Lin Rui paid no mind to his sister's odd behavior,

Lin Xi casually tossed the white hair aside, looking completely like a young girl concerned about her brother's health.

Lin Rui shook his head, "I still need to train today. I can rest after I pass the assessment. I must get the Alien Body Walker's license this time around, and we, as siblings, must not be separated."

He picked up the bowl of goji berry stewed pork ribs soup and drank it down to the last drop, then deliberately scooped up the goji berries with his hand and put them in his mouth, "Tasty, but next time you can add more of this stuff in the dishes. I've been feeling quite a chill in my body lately, need to dispel the cold."

When he was learning the Red Thunder Palm earlier, he had felt some discomfort, as if a cluster of cold energy was lingering in his head, presumably one of the side effects of using his fighting spirit.

Goji berries nourish the kidneys and essence, enrich the blood, calm the mind, and strengthen vitality; its medicinal properties are gentle, making it a common supplement for many Martial Cultivators these days.

After finishing the meal, Lin Rui picked up his practice saber and headed back to the backyard.

Mastering three Grandmaster-level martial arts had been too easy for him, so easy that it made him uneasy.

Lin Rui wanted to practice diligently in the coming period to consolidate them and truly make them his own.

After Lin Rui left, Lin Xi picked up the white hair from the ground with a complex expression, wrapping it carefully in a napkin.

She pondered over the emergency news that had been broadcast on TV just moments ago.

Could this "brother" of hers be the Tianshi Star beings mentioned in the news?

And there was that sentence Lin Rui just said — "We siblings will definitely not be separated."

Though it was a sentence filled with warmth, it sent chills running down Lin Xi's spine.

※※※※

The next morning, Lin Rui entered the gates of Mingde University with a somewhat solemn expression.

Lin Rui had been in a very good mood.

The miraculous Skull Ring in his hand had not only resolved the imminent crisis but also gave him the confidence to stand firm in this era.

Yesterday he practiced until twelve o'clock and found that the Grandmaster-level Red Thunder Saber and Red Thunder Palm not only had increased power but also had acquired many new variations, and the transition between moves was incredibly smooth.

However, this good mood only lasted until the moment their siblings drove past the residence of the Xue family.

When Lin Rui saw the three-story villa cordoned off with yellow warning tape, an involuntary surge of sorrow, rage, and a strong intent to kill coalesced in his heart.

Fortunately, Lin Xi's hover motorbike was speeding, and they quickly passed by the three-story villa, causing the tumultuous emotions in Lin Rui's chest to last only for an instant.

This matter was not significant, but Lin Rui was very alert.

As Lin Rui was deep in thought, his personal terminal system received a message.

Lin Rui opened his smart terminal wristband and projected a holographic screen in front of him.

Weirdo Youth: Where are you, Brother Rui? The assessment is about to start, why haven't I seen you yet?

The Weirdo youth is named Wang Sen, a classmate and close friend of Lin Rui, and Weirdo Youth is his online handle.

Lin Rui glanced at the time and realized it was almost eight o'clock.

His heart tightened, and he strode toward the examination venue.

At this moment, Wang Sen sent another message.

Weirdo Youth: Brother Rui, did you see the notification from the school's board of directors? Damn, the class group is blowing up.

Lin Rui was slightly startled and immediately checked the school webpage.

Sure enough, he found the announcement from the school's board of directors on the webpage.

Lin Rui took another look at the class group chat, which was indeed going wild.

You Fei: As long as your combat performance ranks within the top three hundred in the city, this year's tuition is waived, and you can even receive a Type 1 genetic enhancement drug from the school for free, is this for real?

Cha Sensen: It's really strange, why is the school suddenly so generous? The reward is too good to be true, right?

Yan Ke: I heard it's related to the latest policy from the Education Center; they'll offer educational subsidies based on the rankings of schools. Our Alien Body College has not had anyone break into the top hundred in the city for ten years, and our overall performance has always been the worst among the nine alien body colleges, so the board of directors must be feeling the pressure.

Cha Sensen: Heh, they were reluctant to spend money on us before, now making a last-minute effort, what's the use? Even with high rewards this time, how many of us can make it into the top three hundred? At most two from our class, Lin Rui, Wang Linna, and those in the top ten of our grade might have a shot.

Liu Jingyao: Lin Rui can't make it. His talent is good, but the quality of the artificial meridians he implanted is only second grade, and he's actually starting to fall behind in combat power. Wang Linna has an eighty to ninety percent chance, even hoping to break into the top 200.

Then Wang Sen sent another message.

Weirdo Youth: Brother Rui, I have a genetic drug here, do you want to use it? Your performance is very good, you can try to compete for it. With some luck, you might hit the top 200 in the city. Besides the genetic drug, the school will also reward a set of first-grade artificial meridians, or an equivalent amount of cash.

Lin Rui was slightly moved.

His previous life's close friend truly cared for him.

He replied with a "Thanks, but don't worry, I'm confident," and then looked back at the board of directors' announcement.

He looked at the rewards for making it into the top one hundred in the city-wide assessment.

— A set of special-grade artificial meridians, three Type 1 genetic enhancement drugs, tuition waiver, plus a scholarship of thirty thousand federal dollars.

A strong desire appeared in Lin Rui's eyes.

Artificial meridians are one of the basic implants for martial cultivation.

After a painful defeat on Tianshi Star, the Earth Federation reflected deeply and began to study the power of Tianshi Star beings.

Because the human body structure is different from that of Tianshi Star beings and cannot conduct meridians, expand vessels, or form cores like them, humans combined various biotechnologies with the DNA of Tianshi Star beings to manufacture "artificial dantians," "artificial meridians," "artificial channels," and even "artificial inner cores," collectively referred to as "implants."

Those who cultivate Tianshi Star martial arts based on implants are called martial cultivators.

Lin Rui also had a set of artificial meridians in his body, but they were only of second-grade quality.

That was what he and his sister exchanged after using up the savings left by their parents and nearly two years of scrimping and saving.

Yesterday Lin Rui didn't dare to even think about the top three hundred rank, but now his heart was pounding.

Lin Rui cherished his second life very much.

So he really wanted this set of special-grade artificial meridians!