Under One Person: The Sea Emperor Who Shattered Heaven and Earth

"Manager Liu, please stop calling me Third Master Jiang. You're older than me and have a higher seniority in the martial arts world. It's really strange."

Liu Wei laughed and said, "If Third Master Jiang doesn't mind, then I'll call you Brother Jiang from now on. Calling you Little Jiang or Little Zhen wouldn't be appropriate, since you're now the third-in-command of the Canal Gang's Shanghai branch."

"Then we'll do as Manager Liu wishes."

"Alright, now that the mission is complete, I should leave. I only came to Shanghai to gather intelligence on the Japanese, but I never expected to meet Brother Jiang, such a remarkable person. It's a pleasant surprise."

"Then we'll meet again in the martial world!"

After speaking, Liu Wei had already disappeared without Jiang Zhen noticing. When he finally realized what had happened, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "No wonder he's the head of the Jianghu Inn, and he can see through the whole city in an instant."

Chapter 10 I can't possibly be a useless spiritual root, can I?

Now that he had obtained the cultivation technique he had been longing for, Jiang Zhen naturally regarded it as a treasure.

According to Manager Liu, this method is the most balanced and gentle, with a low barrier to entry, emphasizing a "slow and steady wins the race" approach. Once one can cultivate the first wisp of Qi, one has entered the door of internal alchemy, and can then embark on the path of cultivating both body and mind.

However, while his ideals were lofty, reality dealt Jiang Zhen a heavy blow.

Late at night, in the backyard of the Cao Gang branch, Jiang Zhen sat cross-legged on a bluestone slab, his palms facing upwards, his expression solemn.

He was trying to "enter a state of tranquility".

According to the secret manual, "All cultivators must first purify their minds and eliminate desires, and calm their breath and regulate their spirit."

Jiang Zhen sat for a full three hours, but forget about the so-called "mysterious gateway," his mind was filled with the half-eaten lamb leg he hadn't finished that afternoon. He finally managed to suppress his distracting thoughts and tried to sense his lower abdomen, but there was no warmth in it at all; instead, the instinct of the Tremor Fruit was throbbing slightly.

As soon as he relaxes his mind, every cell in his body seems to want to "dance" along with the frequency of the air.

"Something's not right... This is very wrong."

Jiang Zhen opened his eyes and looked at the book "Internal Alchemy" in his hand with a suspicious expression. It was already a bit frayed from being flipped through so many times.

Logically speaking, as a transmigrator, shouldn't he have suddenly become incredibly powerful, with a flash of inspiration, and instantly achieved mastery of innate Qi within a day and condense his golden core within three days?

From then on, he roamed the martial world with a smile, punching Zhang Zhiwei and kicking Wugensheng.

Which of those protagonists in online novels can learn something instantly and master it immediately? How come when it comes to him, even after sitting until his legs go numb, his body is still a barren wasteland. He can't even fart, let alone generate Qi.

"Could it be... that I am the legendary useless spiritual root?"

Jiang Zhen felt like crying. While possessing the Tremor-Tremor Fruit did make him indestructible, in the world of *Under One Person*, where "Qi" is the life source, without Qi, he was like having a top-of-the-line engine without lubricant. He could still run it, but the wear and tear would be severe, and the power would wane. Most importantly, without the nourishment of Qi, he felt his physical body would eventually be shattered by the fruit's power; he wasn't one of those tanky characters from *One Piece*.

For the next two weeks, Jiang Zhen was trapped in a vicious cycle of self-doubt.

He tried various postures, even practicing upside down, but made no progress except exhausting himself and increasing his appetite.

Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer, and after a sparring match one morning, he called out to Bai Fu.

"Master Bai, tell me honestly, am I simply not cut out for Qi cultivation?"

Bai Fu was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, twirling the new paper fan he had finally replaced with the tattered one in his hand: "Brother Jiang, you've only been practicing for a few days? Half a month?"

"Isn't half a month enough? I've been reading those..." Jiang Zhen almost spat out the word "novel".

“Brother Jiang, do you have some misunderstanding about the term ‘innate extraordinary person’?” Bai Fu’s expression turned serious, and his tone was long. “Ordinary people seek Qi like they long for rain after a long drought; but you, an innate extraordinary person, have a body that is itself a container filled with some kind of ‘special power’. You claim that you can vibrate naturally, and this power is deeply rooted in your body and extremely exclusive.”

Just then, Master Feng walked over carrying two jars of old wine. Upon hearing this, he laughed heartily: "Little Zhen, you're too impatient! You should know that in the world of supernatural beings, some innate supernatural beings never manage to cultivate anything in their entire lives and can only rely on their supernatural abilities to make a living. The 'vibration force' in your body is too domineering. For something as peaceful as the Quanzhen Inner Alchemy Technique to try and drill a hole in your iron-clad body, it would take at least a year or two. Don't even think about it."

Bai Fu nodded and said, "That's right, you're not useless. On the contrary, it proves that your innate ability is ridiculously strong. Take it slow, like water dripping on a stone. When the 'vibration' in your body no longer rejects that 'stillness,' your Qi will naturally be formed."

After hearing their words of comfort, Jiang Zhen felt a little better, but he still couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "A year or two... this script is wrong, absolutely wrong."

Although his internal energy cultivation progressed slowly, Jiang Zhen was not idle.

As the third-in-command of the Shanghai branch of the Canal Gang, Jiang Zhen was protected by Master Feng, but the Canal Gang was a pragmatic organization that relied on water for its livelihood. Jiang Zhen himself was unwilling to freeload, so he simply took on several patrol and escort jobs and began to mingle in the Huangpu River and Yangtze River estuary area.

At first, the veterans in the gang only felt awe towards him, "Third Master," but it didn't take long for that awe to turn into complete worship.

Once, a cargo ship carrying important raw silk encountered river bandits at Wusongkou. Those bandits were quite capable; they found several extraordinary people who had mastered physical training and welded heavy iron anchors and rams onto a small speedboat, which then rampaged across the river.

In the past, the Canal Gang would have sent some heroes to fight each other, or some outsiders would have stepped in to fight each other.

But that day, Jiang Zhen simply stood at the bow of the flagship, looking at those arrogant little boats. Instead of ordering anyone to fire arrows, he instructed everyone to hold on to the gunwale.

"Third Master, what are you going to do..." Little Li hadn't finished asking.

Jiang Zhen squatted down, spread his arms, and plunged them directly into the murky river water to stir it.

Om-! !

In an instant, the river water within a radius of several hundred meters seemed to boil!

The once calm water surface was now filled with countless whirlpools. The pirate speedboats that had been gliding smoothly on the surface suddenly lost their direction in the water beneath them, and were then torn apart by the interaction of the whirlpools on the turbulent seabed.

"Snap—"

Without any visible collision, the speedboats reinforced with steel plates seemed to be bitten to pieces by some kind of transparent behemoth on the river, disintegrating directly into countless tiny wood chips and iron pieces.

The bandits didn't even have a chance to beg for mercy before being swept away by the whirlpool and drowned.

Even more impressive was the clearing of a treacherous shoal that had been blocked by a sunken ship for three years.

The sunken ship was weighed down by a massive boulder weighing tens of thousands of pounds, which even the most skilled divers couldn't handle. Jiang Zhen went there, first asking if anyone was active nearby. After receiving a negative reply, he unleashed a powerful "Sea Tremor - Wave Breaker" attack onto the river.

With that punch, the calm river water suddenly began to surge and recede to both sides, slowly revealing the shadow of the sunken ship at the bottom.

"The water is still a bit deep, but it's enough."

Jiang Zhen jumped down and swam quickly, bracing himself against the hull with one hand, and delivered a super resonance.

The giant ship that had caused countless headaches at sea was blocked, and before everyone's eyes, it was reduced to a pile of fragments, drifting with the current.

From then on, the name "Jiang Zhen, the River-Shaking Dragon" circulated throughout the Shiliupu Wharf and even the entire waterway of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

Those who make a living on the river all know that a remarkable figure has emerged from the canal gangs. With a stomp of his foot, he can make the river flow backward; with a wave of his hand, he can command the entire river to obey.

Just as Jiang Zhen's fame was growing and he had even gotten used to eating meat, killing bandits, and living a life of constant battles, he was just beginning to enjoy life.

On an ordinary morning, Jiang Zhen finished his routine morning exercise on the deck and, as usual, sat down to practice Quanzhen Neidan Gong.

He had given up hope; it was purely a psychological comfort. If it came true, great; if not, so be it.

But just as his mind sank into his dantian, in that previously empty place, where only the aftershocks of the vibrations remained, suddenly…

A slight coolness appeared.

It felt like a single, glistening drop of dew suddenly seeping out in the heart of a desert that had been dry for tens of thousands of years.

That extremely faint wisp of "white qi," so faint it was almost swallowed by the vibration, trembled as it moved slightly through Jiang Zhen's meridians.

Jiang Zhen was struck dumb, his whole body trembled, and he almost fell into the river.

"Holy crap...it's working?"

He looked inside again in disbelief.

Indeed, that wisp of white Qi, though as thin as a spider's thread and even somewhat frail, truly existed. It slowly traveled through Jiang Zhen's iron-like body, and wherever it passed, the hidden injuries and fatigue caused by the high-frequency vibrations miraculously subsided somewhat.

If the Tremor-Tremor Fruit is a raging flood, then this wisp of Quanzhen Inner Qi is a stabilizing force, preventing the flood from harming the dam itself.

"It's done...it really's done...I've succeeded, Daoist Master!"

Jiang Zhen sat at the bow of the boat, and suddenly his nose tingled and his eyes reddened.

God knows how he got through this time. When other people transmigrate, they start at max level, but he cultivated such a tiny bit of Qi, and it gave him more of a sense of accomplishment than getting a job offer from a top company in his previous life.

"I'm not a loser! I can practice Qi!"

He suddenly stood up and roared at the vast Yangtze River.

This roar, due to the great emotional fluctuations, unconsciously carried a trace of shocking power.

boom--!!!

A column of water tens of meters high instantly erupted from the river surface.

Xiao Li ran out of the cabin, looking at Third Master who was soaking wet and grinning like a fool, and asked in bewilderment, "Third Master... what new trick have you come up with this time?"

"A new trick? No, this is how I escaped poverty and became rich!"

Jiang Zhen wiped away the tears from the corner of his eye and waved his hand with a heroic air, "Xiao Li! Pass down the order, it's time to return to base. Tonight, all the brothers will have an extra feast! A whole roasted lamb! My pay!"

Chapter 11 Lu Family Birthday Banquet?

Ever since that wisp of white Qi, thinner than a hair, was born in Jiang Zhen's Qi Sea, his life entered a virtuous cycle that was almost self-torture.

Having been poor for so long, they dared not stop for even a moment, for fear that the little flame might be extinguished in a flash if they weren't careful.

Although that wisp of Qi was weak, its appearance completely resolved Jiang Zhen's "engine seizure" problem. If the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was a violent physical tearing, then this wisp of Quanzhen internal Qi was the best buffer and lubricant.

Moreover, Jiang Zhen discovered that when he tried to cover his fist with this wisp of Qi, the originally violent and disorderly vibrations became much more "obedient".

Unfortunately, his Qi is too weak, and the limit of his obedience is very questionable. If he doesn't give a heads-up, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power will simply pass by, see who this little punk is, and drive right past him.

However, after his life was restored, Jiang Zhen's perception improved significantly; previously, he could only perceive things vaguely.

With the amplification of Qi, his current Vibration Perception 2.0 no longer relies solely on the physical fluctuations of the air. When he closes his eyes, the trembling of ants crawling across the tips of grass, and even the frequency of Qi flow within other people's bodies, are clearly imprinted in his mind like radar images within a radius of tens of meters.

The only downside is that it's too cluttered. In version 1.0, his perception was pure and simple. Version 2.0 can perceive more things with greater precision, but it's too noisy and can easily distract him. But it's still a good thing.

"Indeed, cultivating both body and mind is the only true principle."

"If this continues, I might be able to simulate Armament Haki and Observation Haki."

Relying on his existing foundation in life cultivation, Jiang Zhen began to boldly apply the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to himself and started to study it.

Armament Haki has three main applications: entangling and hardening, flowing and releasing, and internal destruction.

Entangling Hardening: The hardening effect of life force combined with a short-term high-vibration membrane covering the entire body. When still, it's fine, but once you start moving, your brain's processing power isn't enough to keep up, turning you into an invincible block of iron. As for entangling it with weapons or tools, forget about it; one will break as soon as you pick it up.

Both external and internal destruction can be achieved with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit alone, resulting in similar destructive effects.

However, the most important characteristic of Armament Haki is that it can break abilities such as elementalization, or in this world, breaking Qi. It can achieve this effect by simply using vibration to interfere with the frequency of the opponent's Qi.

However, after fighting with a swordsman in the gang, he realized something was wrong. If the opponent had a high level of control over Qi, the effect would be limited. It could be used as a distraction technique, but it might also be because his abilities had not yet been fully developed.

Fortunately, the only one in this world who can truly be associated with elementalization is Zuo Ruotong.

The Armament Haki simulation has failed miserably.

Fortunately, I've managed to get some results with my Observation Haki.

The combination of spiritual cultivation and vibration perception allows him to simulate the effects of Observation Haki. The current product is Vibration Perception 2.0. Of course, the ability to hear the voices of all things and foresee the future is out of the question.