Martial artists can never be ultimately insulted

"That was a long time ago!" Upon hearing Mai Shiranui bring up the old story again, Maki Minamoto's lips twitched slightly.

The Maki Genryusai of the past would never have done this, but now she can't help it.

As the 40th generation sect leader of the Martial God School, Genryusai Maki is well aware of his own strength level. What he wants to do most is to find a genius to take into his school and then fulfill his responsibility as the transitional sect leader!

Right now, Yuan Chen is clearly considering whether to join the Shiranui School or the Martial God School. It's best to avoid mentioning past events that could potentially affect his reputation with the Martial God School!

"Just now, Grandpa Hanzo and Mai should have felt Yuan Chen's intent, right? Such pure and intense intent, along with powerful physical abilities, are undoubtedly the most suitable for the Martial God Style!"

Seeing that the two were clearly putting a lot of effort into preserving their respective schools of thought, Yuan Chen simply and directly said:

"If I could, I would like to learn both."

"..." Upon hearing this, Genryusai Maki and Shiranui Hanzo fell silent for a moment, then exchanged a glance, both seeing the same worry in each other's eyes.

They didn't refuse, but Yuan Chen's words were simply hard for them to accept at first.

“Practicing two different schools of thought simultaneously…it’s not impossible, but doing so would cause them to interfere with each other.” Shiranui Hanzo slowly shook his head and said:

"The Shiranui School uses qi to create fire, while the Mushin School is based on physical techniques. The two systems are completely different, and practicing them at the same time will inevitably interfere with each other. This is not a matter of talent—when I was young, I also tried to practice both schools, but I got stuck halfway through both styles and it took me three years to sort out the conflicts in my meridians, which wasted a lot of time."

Upon hearing this, Genryusai Maki chimed in:

"My father said something similar when he was alive. The way the Martial God Style exerts its power is different from any other ninjutsu style, especially at the level of its ultimate techniques, which is the integration of Qi, intention, and body."

If one has already fully mastered other styles, that's fine, but if one is simultaneously practicing the Shiranui-ryu ninjutsu and the Mushin-ryu..."

As she said this, Genryusai Maki pursed her lips helplessly and said, "This might lead to a situation where twice the effort is half the result."

"There's no need to worry about that."

Yuan Chen shook his head and briefly explained his meridian problems. Upon learning that Yuan Chen had now transitioned from the classic to the modern era, Shiranui Hanzo and Genryusai Maki also showed surprise on their faces.

At the same time, I was also taken aback.

To put it another way, Yuan Chen defeated Mai Shiranui by strengthening his body purely through the power of his internal energy, even while sealing his meridians... If he had used external martial arts techniques...

Theoretically, Wu might be knocked down before she could even see Yuan Chen's attack trajectory.

As for whether Yuan Chen's meridian problem could be cured... the two of them had no worries at all.

So what if it's not cured? Mai Shiranui still went in, and she got one-shotted.

They are both unbeatable, both geniuses, and for the Shiranui and Mushin schools, which are both facing the problem of succession, this problem has almost no impact.

But if I had to say, I would care a little more about Hanzo Shiranui than Maki Minamoto.

After a brief moment of thought, Shiranui Hanzo said:

"Regarding the matter of the two factions practicing together, if you have enough faith, I am willing to try... However, the energy transformation of the Shiranui School usually requires the assistance of meridians. If the meridians cannot be used, the effect may be greatly reduced."

Upon hearing Hanzo Shiranui's words, Yuan Chen nodded in understanding.

Back when he was fighting Mai Shiranui, Yuan Chen discovered that the flames used by Mai Shiranui were not the ordinary explosive flames produced by gunpowder, sulfur, and mechanisms as in the old version of the setting, but rather energy flames transformed from ki through special ninjutsu.

After thinking about it, Yuan Chen said, "How about I try it first?"

Volume 1: Chapter 123 - The Old Woman's Gift

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's suggestion to "give it a try" first, a thoughtful expression appeared on Shiranui Hanzo's face. Meeting Yuan Chen's gaze, he nodded after a moment of contemplation and said:

"It's alright... Although this is different from traditional etiquette, it's time for the Shiranui School to innovate and change."

"Moreover, we all know Yuan Wudi's character, and I believe that as his successor, you will not spread it."

“That’s natural.” Yuan Chen nodded.

After obtaining Yuan Chen's confirmation, Shiranui Hanzo brought Yuan Chen to the Shiranui Secret Chamber. After a moment, he took out a thick stack of ancient books and said, "This is the secret technique of the Shiranui clan, the 'Secret Scroll of Flame'."

The ancient book was placed in front of Yuan Chen, and Shiranui Hanzo began to tell the ancient history of the Shiranui school.

"The Shiranui school existed even before Japan was founded. As a disciple of Gen Muti, you should know that even in present-day Japan, there are many special 'private territories'."

"Yes, I know, like Wu Zhili of the Wu clan."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Chen nodded, opening the Flame Scroll to read while answering Shiranui Hanzo's question.

"Well, a long, long time ago, the Shiranui clan also had its own territory called Shiranui Town. The Flame Scroll passed down through generations of our Shiranui clan is the 'Flowing Flame Secret Technique' inherited from Shiranui Town, belonging to the 'Crimson Flame'... It's just a pity that due to the loss of the inheritance, I don't really know what this 'Crimson Flame' represents now."

After listening to Hanzo Shiranui's explanation, Yuan Chen nodded thoughtfully.

He then asked, "So, it seems the Shiranui lineage faced some kind of threat back then?"

"Hmm." Upon hearing this, Hanzo Shiranui nodded, his expression slightly complicated.

“You’re right… A thousand years ago, our ancestors living in Shiranui Town were attacked by a group of exceptionally powerful people who wielded other flames.”

Faced with those special flames, Shiranui's Flowing Flame Secret Technique was utterly ineffective. To ensure its transmission, some of the surviving Shiranui ancestors simplified the Flowing Flame Secret Technique, creating the current 'Secret Scroll of Flame,' concealing the more sensitive parts, thus preserving the lineage of Shiranui ninjutsu.

"According to the records of our ancestors, with the deletion of the content, the Nen-Fire technique practiced in the Secret Scroll of Flame is less than 30% as powerful as the Flowing Flame Secret Technique of the founder of Shiranui Town... But even so, it is still a secret ninjutsu that is unparalleled in the world."

With that, Hanzo Shiranui smiled bitterly and said, "In that case, if you possess enough talent, perhaps you could revive the mighty power of the Flowing Flame Technique from its ancient days..."

As he continued, Hanzo Shiranui shook his head and said, "But as expected, it's still a bit of wishful thinking... After all, compared to the Shiranui Town era, the Shiranui lineage is now barely able to maintain even this dojo deep in the mountains."

His voice was filled with complexity and helplessness.

No matter how glorious or powerful the Shiranui lineage was in the past, if they're broke, they're broke. They don't need to spend much in the deep mountains, but further expansion is unlikely.

Seeing Yuan Chen's thoughtful expression, Shiranui Hanzo realized he had uttered too much useless nonsense, and thus gave him a word of advice:

"Ah, Yuan Chen, you don't need to take what I just said to heart... Shiranui Town and the Flowing Flame Secret Technique are just legends left by our ancestors of the Shiranui Ninja Art lineage. But they are just legends, and even I only listen to them as stories."

Although Hanzo Shiranui said that, Yuan Chen did not stop thinking about it.

Because there are still many settings related to the Shiranui style.

In the beginning, King of Fighters was not a highly regarded IP, so many of its settings were relatively simple. For example, the flames in Shiranui's ninjutsu were simply created through mechanisms and released using alcohol, sulfur, and gunpowder, without any supernatural power.

After discovering the potential of the King of Fighters IP, the related settings underwent a major overhaul. Among these changes, the most important was the introduction of fire.

There's no need to add 'even' as a prefix; the flame itself is the core element that runs through the entire King of Fighters series.

Within this, flames also possess different attributes: crimson flame, azure flame, emerald flame, dark flame, and blood flame.

Among them, the Crimson Flame is a red flame and the most orthodox flame. It was born from the "Kusanagi Sword," one of the Three Sacred Treasures, and is a supernatural power passed down through the bloodline of the Kusanagi clan for generations.

It symbolizes "purification" and "orthodoxy," and is the core power that seals the Great Serpent. It is also the most destructive flame, and can be passed down through gene transplantation.

The flames of the Shiranui Ninja Art are red flames that are cultivated through training.

Aside from the Crimson Flame, the most well-known among players is the Azure Flame used by Iori Yagami.

Its appearance is bluish-purple, originating from the "flame" power within Orochi's power. Initially, it was also a red flame, but 1,800 years ago, Yagami clan ancestor Yagami signed a blood pact with Orochi to obtain power, and thus the flame changed from red to purple.

It symbolizes curses and destiny, but it is ultimately just a cursed flame. Therefore, in The King of Fighters, you can see that when Iori Yagami uses the Three Divine Techniques, the flames themselves will turn red.

Emerald Flame, on the other hand, originates from a distant land and symbolizes the will of the earth and the balance of nature. It can silently weaken others and steal their abilities and artifacts.

The Netherflame also originates from a distant land, symbolizing immortality, the end, absolute domination, and the ability to manipulate time and possess souls.

Bloodflame is relatively young in the lore. It is an unstable mutant created by the NESTS organization through the fusion of Kyo Kusanagi's genes. Although it also has a special flame, it represents an unstable mutation.

Thinking this way, Yuan Chen roughly guessed who launched the attack on Shiranui Town in ancient times.

Either Azure Flame, or a follower of the Great Serpent...

However, there is no point in pursuing this matter now. After all, it is an old grudge that is over a thousand years old. Not to mention others, even when Hanzo Shiranui was telling these stories, there was not much anger in his tone and expression. Mai Shiranui simply treated it as listening to a story.

but……

If the Flame Scroll of the Shiranui School can be restored to the power of the "Flowing Flame Secret Technique" from the Shiranui Town era through subsequent training and completion, thus mastering the true power of "Crimson Flame"...

It seems pretty good?

With that in mind, Yuan Chen briefly browsed through the contents of the Flame Scroll.

Yuan Chen was no longer a novice in martial arts; he had developed his own understanding of martial arts principles. Now, Yuan Chen could clearly sense that although the Flame Scroll before him had indeed formed a complete system, it lacked many things and was clearly too vague.

It gives the impression of being a huge machine. You would expect it to contain very sophisticated mechanical parts, but when you open it up, you find that the internal integration is extremely low, with many spaces deliberately left empty. It has only a huge shell, but the actual contents are very limited.

While practicing the techniques described above will indeed yield results and one may become a powerful figure, at most one will be a martial artist of the level of Baroque, and that is only under the condition of having exceptional talent.

It's not that Baroque is weak; in fact, Baroque is already one of the world's top masters... in the absence of some even more ancient things.

But Yuan Chen's ambitions are not limited to just being ranked at the top.

After a quick reading and summary, Yuan Chen nodded in understanding.

The lineage of Shiranui-ryu can be broadly divided into two categories: Nen-kajutsu, which transforms ki into flames, and Bone-method Fist, which emphasizes attack and rapid advances, centered on elbows, legs, and fists.

Other skills such as shurikenjutsu, illusion, and enchantment are all elective courses.

Thinking this, he calmed down and kept trying to figure out how to transform the air into the form of flames.

He extended his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread.

There was no hand seal, no meditation, not even any active practice; the energy sank deep into the flesh and blood.

The traditional art of mindfulness fire involves guiding qi along specific meridian pathways, thereby connecting the qi itself with the heart fire, which can generate a more intense mind fire during the expression process.

The path to transforming mental energy varies from person to person due to subtle differences within their body, and therefore cannot be completely copied.

After finding this meridian, one still needs years of practice to allow the meridian to adapt to the high-temperature burning. Otherwise, if one goes all out from the start, it will only harm others. It would be good enough if one did not suffer serious injury due to the surge of anger.

This method is not feasible for Yuan Chen, at least he doesn't intend to try it now.

Yuan Chen thought to himself—the meridians themselves are the highways through which qi exists in the body. Classic martial artists can mobilize qi more quickly through years of training. Even if they do not pay attention to the meridians, modern martial artists can strengthen their bodies more violently by using the method of throwing bricks to make them bear more qi.

Therefore, theoretically, it is possible to achieve spiritual transformation, or ascension, through specific meridian pathways via flesh and blood.

Bone Fist is the best example of this.

Although it is a separate taijutsu, it seems to have no connection with the Nen-kajutsu on the surface. However, through Mai Shiranui's many fighting styles, it is clear that the two should be closely related... It is only because of some accidents a thousand years ago that the inheritance was interrupted and reduced, which is why it was divided into taijutsu and ninjutsu.

Thinking to himself, Yuan Chen frowned slightly.

Although he could sense some problems, Yuan Chen himself knew very little about energy transformation.

Even now, Yuan Chen still doesn't know where life energy comes from, or what it represents or means; he's simply exploring its different uses.

And now, this act of transforming qi into other forms of energy...

Just as Yuan Chen was still thinking, as if sensing his thoughts, a strange warmth slowly rose from the back of Yuan Chen's hand.

Along with this warmth, Yuan Chen could clearly feel the energy surging within his body transforming, warming, and rising...

Turning to look at the back of his hand, what came into view was the sun symbol that the old woman Ingrid had given him.

Before this, the sun symbol felt to Yuan Chen like a power bank, capable of storing energy by basking in the sun and injecting it into his body after he was injured, where it would then be transformed into life energy to accelerate his recovery.

And now...

Transformation, yes, transformation.

Yuan Chen quickly recalled Ingrid's many abilities.

This includes energy transformation.

As a higher-dimensional being, Ingrid can sense and control abnormal energy in any world. According to Ingrid, even "ki," the foundational power of the Street Fighter world, is an energy from another dimension.

Ingrid herself does not fight using ki, or rather, she can do more than just use a single form of ki.

And now...

As the sun runes continuously emitted warm ripples, Yuan Chen noticed them and proactively infused them with his own energy, shaping them according to the 'Mind Fire' recorded in the Secret Scroll of Flames.

Like a special supercomputer, Yuan Chen quickly sensed streams of heat emanating from the sun runes, forming a stable framework within his body.

This framework is not a fixed circulation in the meridians as recorded in the Secret Scroll of Flame, but is entirely based on the physical body of Yuan Chen as a kind of... blood and qi form?

Thinking it over, as if by instinct, Yuan Chen quickly activated his physical body through life energy, and then directed the surging fixed energy according to the framework given by the sun rune.

Soon, clumps of condensed steam appeared on Yuan Chen's body.

Subsequently, the blood surged rapidly under the catalysis of life energy, the heartbeat quickened, and the body temperature soared to levels far exceeding those of a normal person within a few breaths.

Then, Yuan Chen clenched his fist.

The moment the muscles contract, the blood and qi activated by life energy rush out of the body, turning into a layer of light red blood and qi that adheres to the body surface. With the injection of life energy, the life energy itself, which has the property of turning into strong light when exposed to the air, seems to have a wonderful connection with the blood and qi at this moment.

With a loud boom, in front of Hanzo Shiranui and the others, who were in disbelief, Yuan Chen transformed into a ball of intensely burning golden flame!

"?!"

After a brief moment of surprise, Shiranui Hanzo quickly turned his gaze to his granddaughter.