Chaotic World Book

Over these past days on the road, Zhao Changhe had already indirectly asked Luo Qi and some of the Blood God Sect disciples for some basic knowledge. This basic knowledge was fairly close to the common understanding of modern times, where martial arts was also divided into External Skill and Inner Strength, with the saying "Internally cultivate one's breath, externally train muscles and skin." Regardless of the method practiced, once a certain level was reached, one would be eligible to try and open the mystical Mystical Gate of the human body.

If there was enough opportunity, it was also possible to cultivate both internally and externally, which allegedly made opening the body's Mystical Gate easier, and the combat strength would also be stronger. There were no renowned masters in the world who didn't cultivate both internally and externally.

External Skill was not as profound as Inner Strength, but it also had many intricacies. For example, if you wanted to learn Iron Sand Palm, you needed to know what type of iron sand to use, how to practice it, what medicine to use for soaking your palms, etc., as well as the movements and energy transfer techniques. Ordinary people wouldn't even have the opportunity to learn these things. Anyone who managed to learn a bit could barely be called a "chivalrous hero" of the Worldly Society, and they formed the foundation of the vast community.

In fact, even those who practiced Inner disciplines needed to build foundations such as horse stances, which fell within the scope of External Skill.

Inner Strength was even harder to find and often a closely guarded secret and fundamental to a sect. It wasn't that others didn't want to possess the magical Inner Strength; it was just nowhere to be found. The Luo Family specialized in Inner disciplines, with their core technique divided into nine levels; once fully practiced, one could likely break through the Mystical Gate Ninth Layer. Yue Hongling recommending Zhao Changhe to study martial arts at Luo Family Manor was indeed with his future in mind, a good place to consider.

The basic mental method for External disciplines that Luo Qi had was of little use, of course, and who knows if there would be a chance to get hands on the real deal in the future.

According to this template, this world seemed quite low in martial proficiency, Zhao Changhe always felt something was not quite right...

And Blood Evil Skill was a very typical External Skill.

It did not cultivate Inner Breath, no matter how much one practiced it, there would not be any hidden strength of the Inner family, nothing like transferring Inner Strength to heal others... But this did not mean that it was about Horizontal Training, it cultivated Blood Qi.

The Blood God Sect believed that huge energy and Evil Qi were contained within human blood. The blood flowed and boiled, and drawing this Evil Qi into muscles and bones could unleash extremely ferocious power. If practiced deeply, it could even cause an opponent's blood circulation to go awry and rupture, leading to a gruesomely violent death, making it quite the typical Demon Skill.

Naturally, practicing this skill also had some prerequisites. Since it relied on one's own Blood Qi, naturally young and powerful men were preferred; the more vigorous and strong the youth, the more abundant their Blood Qi.

Compared to the generally malnourished and poorly clothed lower class populace of this world, Zhao Changhe certainly had rich nutrition and a robust physique; he was the sports champion at school and had the perfect build for cultivating External Skill.

Blood Evil Skill was very suitable for him, and it might even be the most suitable technique for his current situation. It did not require starting from a young age, required no profound insights, and could also lay the foundation for later cultivation of Blood God Skill, which was truly a fine technique for cultivating both internally and externally...

Although it might have some drawbacks, such as potentially using up the body's potential according to this path... But Demon Skills basically all have drawbacks, just as the cultivation of legitimate Mystic Sects tends to progress slowly. Want to have the best of both worlds? That could only be the real Divine Skill that only a Main Character would be eligible to cultivate.

Zhao Changhe suddenly thought of Yue Hongling. Was this a Main Character?

He gave a wistful smile and continued flipping through the pages.

He opened the main content of Blood Evil Skill instruction, and it started with the usual admonition to first temper muscles and bones, to practice basics like horse stances and bow stances, etc., and even included some illustrations. Only, these example diagrams were a little different from the standard bow stances and horse stances he knew, perhaps these were the special key points that laid the foundation for the circulation of Qi and blood in this skill.

It was somewhat less mysterious than he had expected from a Secret Technique, but Zhao Changhe actually felt it was more realistic. Wasn't what You Tazi got—the Transforming Muscle Scripture or the Divine Footwork Scripture—something like this? He thought for a moment and decided to get up from the table, directly imitating the movements from the illustrations, he began to assume the horse stance.

Since he had decided, he might as well do it.

Luo Qi leaned against the headboard, looking at him with some surprise.

This initiative was rather interesting... But did he wonder how long he could keep it up?

In reality, Zhao Changhe, who was trying this for the first time, couldn't hold the stance for very long. Those who had never squatted in a horse or bow stance truly didn't understand that the soreness would become unbearable within a few minutes. This was not something that could be achieved overnight; it required consistent effort over time to forge a stable and immovable base.

Just as Zhao Changhe was about to give up due to exhaustion and go to sleep, the pitch-black night suddenly flashed with light, and it seemed like a book page was slowly unfolding overhead; its densely packed golden text was so dazzling that it was hard to keep one's eyes open.

Zhao Changhe was shocked as he looked outside, "What's this? Why can I see the sky from inside the house?"

Luo Qi curiously said, "You've never seen this before?"

Zhao Changhe's heart skipped a beat, and he hastily covered up, "I've only ever seen it from outside, never from inside a house."

"Whenever there's a change in the Chaotic World List, the Heavenly Dao will lower a record for all to reverently listen to. It's visible everywhere," Luo Qi casually explained, no longer able to lie down, so he got up and went outside to gaze at the sky.

Chaotic World List? What is that?

Zhao Changhe raised his head and looked for a while. The sting in his eyes faded, and he could finally make out the words, "At the end of October, Light Snow. Yue Hongling pursued Xue Canghai for a thousand miles and fought outside Wenshan City; Xue Canghai retreated in defeat."

"Changes in the Hidden Dragon List."

"Hidden Dragon, second place, Yue Hongling!"

"The Sunset Feather, uncatchable."

Zhao Changhe was dumbstruck. What was this? Game server-wide announcements?

He was just pondering how lowly martial this seemed, what peculiar world had he traversed to?

Meanwhile, Luo Qi sighed deeply beside him, "Yue Hongling... overcame the Eighth Layer with the Mystical Gate Eighth Layer, truly the proud child of the heavens, not someone ordinary people can compare to."

Zhao Changhe asked, "Who's Xue Canghai? Mystical Gate Ninth Layer? To be defeated in a cross-rank challenge, and it was Yue Hongling who took the initiative to hunt him down."

Luo Qi looked at him askance, "He's our Blood God Sect Hierarch."

Zhao Changhe: "!!!"

"How does it feel?" Luo Qi couldn't help but chuckle, "You went through all that trouble to get a chance to join the sect, yet you realize that even the Sect Hierarch can't beat Yue Hongling, who brought you into the Luo Family Manor. What's your reaction?"

"It's nothing. I've long known the Blood God Sect wasn't that impressive…" Zhao Changhe steadied himself, and spoke in a low voice, "Actually, I'm somewhat worried for her. At such a young age, being so conspicuous can easily attract envy."

Luo Qi chuckled even more, "You're worried for her? What about?"

"For example, those ranking lists. I heard she used to be fifth, and now she's second, right? The person who was second has been pushed to third. Won't they feel unconvinced and cause her trouble? Plus, our Sect Hierarch being challenged by someone of a lower rank, and then openly announcing it to the entire world, isn't that a much more severe loss of face than usual? I'd say it's going to be a fight to the death."

Finally, Luo Qi burst out laughing, "You—a lowly bandit who barely knows the beginning stages of the Blood Evil Skill—worry about a woman who can defeat your Sect Hierarch? Is it because she's beautiful?"

Zhao Changhe kept a straight face, "She is my benefactor. Without her intervention, I would have died at Zhao Mansion."

In fact... Yue Hongling pursuing Xue Canghai for thousands of miles, could that be related to Zhao Changhe? Perhaps she thought Zhao Changhe died at the Luo Family Manor because of her, or maybe she already knew Zhao Changhe was the murderer and came to seek clarity? Zhao Changhe wasn't so vain to be sure of that.

Luo Qi also considered this and stopped teasing, saying lazily, "Your concerns are, of course, valid... So, why do you think a perfectly normal list is called the Chaotic World List? This thing is a source of disaster on its own, sparking countless conflicts."

Zhao Changhe's heart stirred, turning to look at him, "So, this so-called Chaotic World Book…"

Luo Qi nodded, "It's divided into the Heaven, Earth, and Human List along with the Hidden Dragon List. Altogether, they make up the Chaotic World Book."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

No wonder Luo Qi had looked at him as if he were seeing an alien when he said he hadn't seen it before.

This kind of server-wide announcement, how could anyone of this era not have seen it! Though the Heaven, Earth, and Human List does seem a bit tacky...

He cleared his throat twice and covered it up, "So this is the Chaotic World Book. If you had told me earlier, I would have known. I come from a backwater and haven't heard of the aliases you all have."

Luo Qi accepted this explanation, as he had believed this to be the case anyway. He did not dwell on it any longer, laughing, "Since you've seen it, isn't this a miracle? If there are gods in the world, what is there to doubt?"

Zhao Changhe pondered silently.

Being worldly and knowledgeable, a modern person wouldn't think like the natives. To him, this wasn't necessarily divine, like the possibility of a game world he had thought about earlier. This possibility could not be taken for granted; there were many other possibilities.

Even if there were some high-dimensional beings controlling everything, those beings might not necessarily be called gods.

The image of the blind woman's serene face surfaced in Zhao Changhe's mind, casting a shadow over his heart. If she were really that powerful, how would he find his way back...

Luo Qi curiously said, "What are you thinking about?"

"Oh." Zhao Changhe snapped back to reality, finding a casual excuse, "I was wondering, Yue Hongling is only at the Mystical Gate Eighth Layer, yet she can beat someone at the Ninth Layer. Aren't you all a bit too nonchalant about this? Is overcoming such level differences a common occurrence to you?"

Luo Qi scoffed, "Cultivation levels merely indicate greater strength, sharper reflexes, and keener senses. They do grant significant advantages in combat, but they don't guarantee victory. Otherwise, why would people still tirelessly practice swordsmanship and saber techniques, and hone their combat skills? Take Luo Zhenwu, for instance, who boasted of being at Mystical Gate Third Layer, yet still ended up dead at your hands. You exceeding levels is really something."

"He wasn't invulnerable; being killed by trickery is nothing unusual. By the way, does what I did not qualify for a place on the list? Because it's too low-level?"

"The Chaotic World Book doesn't care about the level, but the battle achievements. Regardless of your level of cultivation, any notable accomplishments can be recorded, especially on the Hidden Dragon List, which places more emphasis on potential. However, your case doesn't count as a fight at all, so the Chaotic World Book won't respond. If you had actually killed Luo Zhenwu in a fight, I suppose you could have made it onto the list…"

"I see…" Zhao Changhe stroked his chin, "So, what if during a fight, someone were to use sneaky tactics like throwing lime powder and killing their opponent?"

"As long as it's during a fight, any tactic is considered part of your combat experience and wisdom. Being able to win against stronger opponents is your skill. The heroes of the Worldly Society may consider it despicable, but the Chaotic World Book recognizes it... As the saying goes, 'The way of heaven is constant; it does not favor the virtuous nor destroy the wicked.'"

Zhao Changhe: "?"

"What's with that look?"

"Why do you have tales of Yao and Jie?"

"…What do you mean 'you people'? Even if you come from the backwoods, you could have heard of them, so why wouldn't I have?"

"No, it's just... Forget it." Damn, this world is weird. I wonder if there's a history book in that hovel somewhere. I'll have to find one and look through it sometime.

Luo Qi said, "What, judging by your tone, are you interested in being ranked?"

Zhao Changhe had no desire to fight for a spot on the rankings; he wanted to understand the worldview, of course. But since Luo Qi asked like that, he had to go along with it, "Who doesn't have a little impulse to make a name for themselves on the list? It's quite a boast, isn't it…"

Luo Qi patted his shoulder with a smiling face, "Ten on the Heavenly List, thirty-six on the Earth List, seventy-two on the Human List, and no limit for those under twenty-five on the Hidden Dragon List. Put in some effort, Zhenghe, who started practicing horse stance at nineteen."

Zhao Changhe glanced at him sideways and suddenly laughed, "You've been smiling more and more lately, is this your true self?"

Luo Qi instantly straightened his face and huffed off to sleep.