The Blood Nerve was a peculiar martial art, rumored to have extremely harsh cultivation requirements. Its power was said to be strange and unpredictable, integrating both offense and defense and capable of developing and utilizing the human body’s Qi and Blood to their absolute limits.

In the last twenty or thirty years, no new Cultivator had been heard of successfully reaching the Entry Level. The last person to shake the Federation with this technique was the late "Eight Extremes" Grandmaster!

And Chu Shanhe had actually managed to master it without anyone knowing!

In its early years, the Federation distinguished between "Ancient Martial Arts" and "New Martial Arts." Martial arts originating from the ancient era were called Ancient Martial Arts.

Some were passed down directly, while others were reconstructed and analyzed by people of the modern day based on ancient records.

Of course, this distinction no longer exists today. The so-called "New Martial Arts" have been passed down for over two hundred years and are no longer "new." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

The Blood Nerve had ancient origins, a typical example of Ancient Martial Arts. Moreover, in the ancient era, it was considered an Evil Martial Art that involved refining the blood of others for one’s own use.

By the modern era, it had naturally been improved long ago. It now used the external projection of a Martial Artist’s own Qi and Blood as a substitute. Not only was its power far greater than the original version, but it could also be controlled with perfect precision and fluidity.

Back then, the "Eight Extremes" Grandmaster, Yuan Heng, forged his own path. He integrated the techniques of a hundred schools, achieving both breadth and extreme refinement. He used no weapons, yet he pushed the eight categories of unarmed martial arts—fist, palm, leg, finger, claw, elbow, knee, and footwork—all to the Transformation Realm. He was unmatched in his generation, hence his title, "Eight Extremes."

And his ability to fight against weapons with his bare hands relied on one core advantage: the improved Blood Nerve.

Around the time of Grandmaster Yuan Heng’s passing, many others attempted to cultivate the Blood Nerve. Quite a few succeeded in learning it, but the highest they ever reached was the Martial Master Realm, unable to achieve anything greater.

This was because this unique martial art placed strange demands on its cultivator: they needed extremely strong unarmed combat abilities to temper the projected Qi and Blood in the heat of battle.

Now that Chu Shanhe had learned this Miraculous Technique, and given that he was already famous for his superb Martial Arts, he naturally drew a great deal of attention.

Detailed battle reports and blurry video clips spread rapidly through various channels.

In the footage, Chu Shanhe’s figure was evasive. A dark-red sanguine aura flowed around him as he blocked Song Xingxian’s fierce Swordsmanship with his bare hands. The force of the impact sent Song Xingxian staggering backward again and again. It was an almost completely one-sided suppression.

Star Martial University, Hidden Dragon Garden, Villa 7, underground Cultivation Room.

Xu Wuyi had just finished a round of challenges against the Nine Stars Stele Illusion when Anna pushed a filtered newsfeed to him.

He opened it, and his gaze fell upon Chu Shanhe’s name and the striking words "Blood Nerve," where it remained for a long time.

The Cultivation Room was silent, save for the faint, soft crackle of the Earth Fire Marrow Lamp.

After a long moment, Xu Wuyi slowly exhaled. A complex light shone in his eyes—there was amazement, sudden understanding, and more than anything, a burning battle lust that had been quietly ignited.

"So that’s how it is..." he muttered to himself.

Chu Shanhe’s astonishing talent for Martial Arts, his vast knowledge and intuitive understanding, and his seemingly immense and varied accumulation of martial skills from high school... It all pointed to one clear conclusion.

He had probably set his sights long ago on this, the Federation’s number one miraculous martial art, known for its compatibility and adaptability, changing at the user’s will.

All of his accumulated knowledge was meant to serve as the foundation for the Blood Nerve.

Such foresight, dedication, and patience were truly admirable.

And now, he had succeeded.

Having just achieved initial mastery of the Blood Nerve, he had already demonstrated overwhelming dominance in a spar against a peer of the same level.

One could only imagine how terrifying his combat power would become as his mastery of this Miraculous Technique deepened.

"A human library of Martial Arts, plus the Blood Nerve..." Xu Wuyi murmured.

He was no longer just that all-around opponent with exquisite Martial Arts Techniques. He was now a monster of the Martial Arts, one who possessed a powerful core engine.

A powerful impulse surged from the depths of his heart.

’I want to test it myself!’

’I want to test the legendary Blood Nerve and see just how profound it truly is!’

’I want to see what kind of brilliance Chu Shanhe’s diverse Martial Arts can unleash, now that they’re empowered by this Miraculous Technique!’

Both were Martial Artists, both top-tier geniuses who had fought their way out of Dongjiang Province. This duel was, perhaps, long overdue.

His mind was made up. There was no more hesitation.

Xu Wuyi left the Cultivation Room, returned to the living room, and connected his consciousness directly to the Star Martial Battle Network.

He bypassed everything else and went straight to his friends list.

Chu Shanhe.

Xu Wuyi’s finger steadily tapped the communication request.

The request was accepted almost the instant he sent it. A screen of light materialized, revealing Chu Shanhe’s virtual avatar.

He was still the same gentle and handsome person from memory, but there was something new settled between his brows. His gaze was deeper, his aura more harmonious and restrained—changes brought about from the inside out by his initial mastery of the Blood Nerve.

"Xu Wuyi?" Chu Shanhe looked slightly surprised to see him, but then he smiled, his expression as sincere as ever. "It’s been a while."

Xu Wuyi smiled and nodded, first congratulating him on his promotion to Martial Artist and on mastering the Blood Nerve.

On the other side of the screen, Chu Shanhe’s smile didn’t waver, as if he had expected Xu Wuyi would find out. "Just luck. I’ve only reached the Entry Level, so there’s still a lot I need to figure out."

"I saw the clip of your fight with Song Xingxian." Xu Wuyi dispensed with the pleasantries and got straight to the point. "I want to test it."

Hearing this, the surprise on Chu Shanhe’s face deepened, but it was quickly replaced by a look of understanding and eager interest.

"Now?" he confirmed.

"If it’s convenient for you."

Chu Shanhe smiled, a grin full of anticipation. "It’s convenient. Starry Sky Martial Arts Academy, internal advanced training area. I’ll send you the room code."

"Alright," Xu Wuyi agreed readily.

「...」

The advanced training area of the Starry Sky Martial Arts Academy was a completely independent virtual space.

When Xu Wuyi entered the room code and teleported in, a vast, gray plain appeared before him.

The ground was as smooth as a mirror, stretching to the horizon. The sky was a deep, dark blue, sparsely dotted with a few virtual stars.

This was the standard Starry Sky Martial Arts Academy style—simple and expansive.

Chu Shanhe was already standing in the center of the field.

He wore a black training uniform, his posture ramrod straight.

Compared to the college entrance exams, his gentle disposition remained, but now there was a calm composure settled between his brows, and his eyes were even deeper.

Seeing Xu Wuyi appear, Chu Shanhe smiled and gestured with his hand. "Over here."

Xu Wuyi walked over, and the two of them stopped, standing ten meters apart.

"Set the Level to 30.0?" Chu Shanhe asked.

"Sounds good," Xu Wuyi nodded.

They both manipulated their personal panels at almost the same time, locking their virtual bodies’ parameters to the baseline for a newly advanced Martial Artist.

Chu Shanhe looked at Xu Wuyi, his eyes filled with anticipation. "I’ve only just reached the Entry Level with the Blood Nerve, so I’m not proficient in many areas. This spar is a perfect chance to polish my skills."

"And I want to see what it can do," Xu Wuyi said directly.

There was no referee and no audience, only the virtual space’s built-in recording system.

The two locked eyes and simultaneously fell into their fighting stances.