Chapter Seventeen: The Influence of the Heavenly Martial Path of Slaughter

A familiar ceiling. Perhaps it was the bloodshed once again, but as Liu Tian awoke in the early morning and gazed at the now familiar ceiling, he felt unexpectedly sentimental. "Another day that belongs to me," he murmured.

He took a brand-new spare school uniform from the wardrobe and changed, stretching contentedly. Picking up the ruby gifted by Bai Cinan from his desk, he ate some bread for breakfast as usual, slung his shoulder bag, and prepared to head to school.

But this morning, things felt just a little different.

"Good morning, Tian!" Alice greeted him with a wave as Liu Tian opened his door, having waited outside the iron gate for quite some time.

The thrill of last night seemed to have left no shadow in the girl's heart. Her radiant smile rivaled the bright morning sun as Liu Tian stepped out.

Today, she looked slightly different from her usual attire—her silky long hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail, exposing a smooth, flawless forehead. The skin visible beyond her school uniform was unblemished, and she wore deerskin boots, exuding youthful vitality.

"Alice?" Liu Tian raised his eyebrows, keeping a polite distance. "Are your wounds healed?"

"Thanks to the special ointment from Blue Dream Corporation," Alice said breezily, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a patch of snowy white skin, once marked by tiny wounds, now utterly healed as if she had never been injured. "All these years, it's really thanks to that ointment."

This world differed from Earth, with archaeological discoveries of mysterious technologies. While its overall scientific level was akin to Earth’s late World War I era, there existed all manner of peculiar inventions—among them, a special ointment capable of rapidly healing minor wounds.

Due to its monopoly, the true profits of this widely used ointment were unknown, but judging by Blue Dream Corporation's rampant cross-industry expansion and cutthroat tactics, they must be enormous.

If not for Blue Dream Corporation's headquarters being located in the capital-friendly Dawn Alliance, and if the company itself weren't so formidable, it would have been dismantled long ago.

In truth, if not for the global conflict sparked by the Dawn Alliance's independence war ten years ago, even with strength rivaling that of ordinary kingdoms, Blue Dream Corporation would have been divided and devoured. Instead, it flourished, its influence sprawling across the globe, sometimes even threatened, and now vaguely regarded as the "Fourth Empire."

"Is that so?" Liu Tian recalled the price of Blue Dream Corporation's ointment and shook his head—ancient nobility indeed, they must have mines for homes.

Come to think of it, his father had mentioned their family was considered a rising noble house in the Crimson Cloud Empire.

Even after a world war, how had the aristocratic powers not completely collapsed? Was it because of the existence of martial arts?

His mind wandered, pondering the possible social developments of this world as he strolled, lost in thought, toward the bus stop.

Three major empires corresponded to the unfallen East, the British Empire, and the rising United States. Countless smaller nations represented the rest.

Once, the existence of martial arts had allowed aristocracy to flourish and persist, but after the war, as gunpowder technology advanced, individual combat prowess became less relevant. Aristocracy had become an anachronism, surviving now only through inertia.

As small and medium enterprises took over regional governance, and large corporations merged to form the growing Dawn Alliance, similar political systems began to spread.

With the Dawn Alliance's values gradually exported, and continual discoveries of ancient technology, it seemed likely this world would eventually slip into a cyberpunk age—perhaps like Cyberpunk 2077 or Exterminator 3077.

While Liu Tian wandered in thought, Alice did not disturb him. She dismissed her attendant and silently followed him, step for step, to the bus.

The parallel development of two similar yet distinct worlds fascinated Liu Tian, a former amateur political theorist, and, with Alice remaining silent, he became so immersed that, by the time he came to his senses, Alice was already accompanying him to the classroom door.

Their shared journey to school, though unlikely for people of their backgrounds, caused a stir in private circles. The Gaien family, though not at the summit, was ancient and its current heirs outstanding. Alice herself, gifted as she was, attracted many admirers.

But the Rose Academy was fortunate; Liu Tian had always been a cipher, his origins unknown and inscrutable.

Because of this, no one dared to casually interrupt him, reducing the number of potential bloody incidents.

Waking from his idle sociological musings, realizing he had wasted time, Liu Tian finally noticed Alice following him. "Alice, why are you still here? Don't you have class?"

"What were you thinking about so deeply, Tian?" Alice asked, hands clasped behind her back, head tilted.

"Nothing useful, just venting," Liu Tian shrugged, changing the subject. "So, about the promise?"

"My sister says it will take three days," Alice pouted, leaning her hands on Liu Tian's desk. "She wants to thank you properly, to make it worthy of your help."

"Proper preparation, to ensure satisfaction—sounds like something to look forward to."

He opened his effort panel in his mind, gazing at the glaring source energy level of one, and the martial art, Heavenly Martial Killing Path, now marked as unupgradeable. He felt a flicker of hope.

He didn't ask for much—just enough source points to instantly raise a level, ensuring he could heal if severely injured. If he could leap to level seven and break through as a Fighter, all the better.

The synchronized rise of murderous intent and dominance was no longer something he could ignore.

Although the Heavenly Martial Killing Path, advanced through arduous effort, truly felt like stepping stone after stone; it not only healed wounds but also enhanced physique, experience, and other mysterious attributes.

Yet perhaps because its improvements were so thorough, in order to match the skill's level, murderous intent and dominance rose together, giving him the unsettling sense that he might lose control at any moment.

Heavenly Martial Killing Path, perhaps, was not the ideal art for him.

Though its special effects were undeniably powerful.

Liu Tian glanced again at the skill's description; the original third level had become fifth, and the effects now read: Heavenly Martial Killing Path, Level 5, Effects: Strength (Level 5), Agility (Level 4), Murderous Intent (Level 4), Dominance (Level 3), unupgradeable.

As Liu Tian pondered, the prolonged proximity of the two drew many unabashed glances, their curiosity and arrogance evident, accompanied by a constant murmur of whispers—all adding to Liu Tian's irritation.

The influence of dominance and murderous intent grew stronger, and amid a swirl of reasons, an idea surfaced, drawing a cold smile to his lips.

"So, you want to watch? Then I’ll let you see clearly."

He strode boldly to the podium, his blood-red eyes sweeping across the classroom and outside the windows, ensuring every prying gaze met his own.

Then, for the first time, he made a choice: he let his murderous intent and dominance surge unchecked, channeling them through eye contact directly into the minds of all who met his gaze, as if they faced a giant shark head-on.

It was a technique naturally mastered when the Heavenly Martial Killing Path reached a certain level—the Art of Witness.

In an instant, the world fell silent...