Martial artists can never be ultimately insulted.

The palms of the palms and the backs of the hands are all meat.

Although it is unclear what happened, the first thing to do now is to get Wu to inherit the mantle of the Martial God School as soon as possible, so that she won't have to compete with Yuan Chen for the position of the head of the Shiranui School!

Volume 1: Chapter 124 - Golden Flame

As Hanzo Shiranui turned his gaze toward his granddaughter Mai Shiranui, he was met with the gaze of Maki Genryusai.

"No." Genryusai Maki, having foreseen the future, refused outright.

But just by looking through Hanzo Shiranui's eyes, Genryusai Maki was certain that this senior did not intend to give up easily.

They looked at each other and immediately started arguing.

"Your granddaughter."

"Your best friend."

"Your granddaughter."

"Your best friend."

"..."

Looking at her grandfather and best friend who had suddenly started arguing for no apparent reason, Mai Shiranui was slightly taken aback, and then her expression turned strange.

A young girl's blush speaks louder than any sweet words.

"What?!" Mai Shiranui raised her fist in frustration and said, "I should still have some talent, right? Am I really that weak compared to Yuan Chen?!"

“Yes.” Genryusai Maki nodded.

"Otherwise what..." Hanzo Shiranui said helplessly.

To be fair, Mai Shiranui does have some talent; among ordinary people, she would definitely stand out from the crowd.

However, Mai Shiranui's talent is somewhat similar to that of Hibiki Takeshi, who opened the "Hyou" martial arts school in Hong Kong. Hibiki Takeshi came from a small town and only realized when he participated in the first large-scale martial arts competition that he was only at the level of a small town and could not compare with those true prodigies.

In terms of ability, Mai Shiranui's talent is definitely stronger than that of Hibiki, but all things considered, taking into account factors such as age, among the many martial artists Yuan Chen has encountered so far, she can only be considered T2, the kind who would clearly fall behind after a dozen or so rounds of fighting with Sagat.

And Yuan Chen...

Sensing the grievance on Mai Shiranui's face, Hanzo Shiranui shook his head and sighed, saying, "Although I don't know what happened either... Mai, you can actually sense why Grandpa thinks this way, right?"

Hearing Hanzo's words, Mai Shiranui was somewhat unwilling, but she turned her gaze to Yuan Chen, who was enveloped in golden flames, resembling a human torch, yet constantly radiating a peculiar energy rhythm...

"Okay, actually I can understand..."

With a slight pout, Mai Shiranui pulled out a folding fan from somewhere and said, "This guy named Yuan Chen... is indeed an incredibly talented genius."

Known as a genius since childhood, Mai Shiranui began practicing the art of fire magic at a young age. At the age of nine, she successfully constructed her own meridian system. Over the next six years, she continuously refined her meridian system and finally mastered the art of fire magic on the first day of her sixteenth year. This allows her to transform her inner energy into flames, enhancing her attack and defense.

And now...

He simply sat there and watched for a while, and then constructed a set of techniques that were completely different from the Mind Fire Technique. It did not rely on the circulation of Qi through the meridians at all, but instead relied on the energy flames generated by the blood and Qi in the body... He even immediately reached the final step, elevating Qi into flames! And golden flames at that!

Although unwilling, the facts were undeniable, so Mai Shiranui could only squat on the ground, drawing circles with a pitiful expression.

"This...this doesn't seem to be my fault at all, does it? I've already tried my best..."

“This is indeed not your fault…” Hearing Mai say this, Hanzo Shiranui rubbed his temples and said with a hint of helplessness, “In fact, I am well aware of your talent and hard work, Mai… but…”

With that, Shiranui Hanzo gave a forced smile and didn't continue speaking.

Mai Shiranui clearly understood her grandfather's thoughts. Although somewhat unwilling, she still squatted down, cupped her face in her hands, and said with a wronged expression:

"Okay... I understand the logic... but you don't need to be like this. Anyway, Yuan Chen already said that he wants to learn both the Martial God Style and the Shiranui Style, right?"

"He did say that." Shiranui Hanzo nodded, saying with some regret, "But seeing such a prodigy, he still wanted to keep him all to himself..."

"Although Grandpa Hanzo is a senior, I won't budge on this matter." Hearing this, Genryusai Maki, standing to the side, looked expectantly at Yuan Chen, who was meditating amidst the flames, and said:

“Intent and Qi complement each other. With such formidable strength in Qi cultivation, Ah Chen's intent must also far surpass that of ordinary people! The legacy of the Martial God School will surely flourish in his hands!”

Upon hearing Genryusai Maki's words, even though they seemed to be in a competitive relationship, Shiranui Hanzo nodded in agreement.

The tempering of intention is more difficult than that of qi, but it represents the upper limit of a person's potential. And now, judging from Yuan Chen's current cultivation of qi, his intention must be far beyond that of ordinary people.

Pure intent, sharp aura, and formidable physical talent...

The more I look at Shiranui Hanzo, the more I feel that Yuan Chen is simply a treasure.

Thinking this, Shiranui Hanzo's eyes flickered—it was unlikely that Yuan Chen would become a pure Shiranui-ryu warrior. Not to mention that Genryusai Maki, who came from the Martial God School, was right beside him, Yuan Wudi, the living legend who stood at the pinnacle of assassins, was someone that Shiranui Hanzo could not afford to provoke.

But to put it another way...

You, Lao Yuan, have placed your martial arts legacy on Yuan Chen, but you can't control Yuan Chen's lifelong happiness, can you?

As he pondered, stroking his mustache, Hanzo Shiranui turned his gaze to Mai Shiranui beside him, who was staring at Yuan Chen with a resentful expression.

Born into the Shiranui school, cooking is one of Mai Shiranui's greatest passions. She especially enjoys making bento boxes and New Year's dishes, as well as other traditional Japanese cuisine.

Due to the traditions of the Ninja Clan, Wu herself is proficient in many traditional skills, including dance, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, tailoring, and can also play the zither well.

She is warm, cheerful, outgoing, lively, has strong likes and dislikes, and is decisive in her actions... she can be described as someone who is equally adept in social situations and domestic matters.

How about trying adopting a son-in-law?

That's unlikely.

Shiranui Hanzo was a worldly man who knew that the Tang Dynasty's view on 'son-in-law' was completely different from Japan's culture of adopting sons-in-law.

So... what about the wife in the present?

Just thinking about this word made Hanzo Shiranui shake his head repeatedly, realizing that his thinking was also a bit too rigid and outdated.

The so-called "local wives" are similar to the "construction site couples" in the Tang Dynasty. This is not even a culture, but a special situation under a specific historical context.

This can be roughly understood as a partnership similar to a common-law marriage formed between a man who already has a legal wife and a local woman while living abroad for work or other reasons.

The woman who accompanied him in the local area was known as the "local wife".

This was quite common in the mid-to-late 20th century, during Japan's period of rapid economic growth.

At that time, many Japanese company employees were sent to work overseas for extended periods. Far from their families in Japan, they established temporary family life with local women in their host countries, which gave rise to the unique social phenomenon of "local wives".

In Hanzo Shiranui's era, this might not have been a big deal; it was simply a social phenomenon. But now, the social context of this term has been greatly weakened, and it often carries a clear derogatory and humiliating connotation.

While Hanzo Shiranui might not see it as a big deal, for the young people of this era...

That's true. The Tang Dynasty of today is no longer the impoverished and weak Republic of China era.

Thinking this, Shiranui Hanzo rubbed his temples, deciding to take things one step at a time... and also to carefully observe Yuan Chen's character.

Although Yuan Chen's talent is somewhat tempting, deep down, Shiranui Hanzo still hopes to find a good home for his granddaughter.

While Hanzo and the others were still silently lamenting, on the other side, Yuan Chen, amidst the flames, also opened his eyes.

The moment Yuan Chen opened his eyes, the golden flames around him receded like a receding tide, leaving only a few wisps of pale golden embers dancing around him before extinguishing and dissipating into wisps of green smoke.

After that, Yuan Chen exhaled a deep breath, his face showing the refreshed and comfortable feeling of waking up from a deep sleep.

"How was it? Did you succeed?" Mai Shiranui was the first to come over, her peach blossom eyes filled with curiosity.

Although Yuan Chen caused Grandpa and Maki, those two bastards, to pass the buck to each other, Mai Shiranui knew they were just joking and told her not to overthink it, so she didn't feel too jealous.

Instead, I was a little curious... After all, the golden flames were indeed different from the Nen fire form recorded in the Flame Scroll... and even different from the 'Crimson Flame' of the Shiranui Town era in legend.

The gold one looks much more expensive than the red one.

Although Shiranui Hanzo and Genryusai Maki did not speak, their thoughts were clearly expressed in their eyes as they looked at Yuan Chen.

Yuan Chen had no intention of hiding it, after all, even the Flame Scroll itself was provided by the Shiranui lineage.

Thinking this, Yuan Chen stretched out his palm, and with a burst of blood energy, a ball of golden flame reappeared in his palm.

“But this is different from the crimson flame recorded in the ‘Secret Scroll of Flame’.” Yuan Chen flipped his palm, letting the ball of golden flame flow between his fingers. It was so gentle that it didn’t seem like a flame, nor did it have the high temperature of a flame. It was more like a ball of golden water burning in the air?

"In terms of destructive power, it is far inferior to the Crimson Flame. Using it to burn or explode would probably be less effective than ordinary flames."

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Shiranui Hanzo appeared somewhat surprised. He then subconsciously focused his mind to sense the flames, and after confirming their temperature, he frowned in confusion.

Qi is an extremely powerful supernatural energy that can be transformed into flames through the art of fire magic. Even if one is only mastering it for the first time, it can instantly ignite and explode solid wood, and the flames will exhibit extremely strong aggressiveness.

The golden flame before them... was not aggressive, did not burn, and because of Yuan Chen's deliberate control, even the air was not heated to the point of distortion.

"What is the purpose of this flame?" Hanzo asked.

"As for its function... transformation and absorption?" Yuan Chen shook his head and said, "Instead of simply saying it... like this, Wu, release a ball of spiritual fire at me."

Upon hearing this, Mai Shiranui blinked and subconsciously looked at her grandfather.

After Hanzo Shiranui slowly nodded, Mai Shiranui took a deep breath, formed hand seals, and the energy in her meridians rapidly circulated, instantly rising into a blazing flame of Nen fire, which flew towards Yuan Chen with a wave of her hand.

Yuan Chen did not dodge, but instead sent the ball of golden flame in his palm forward.

The two flames collided in mid-air, but there was no explosion or any sound of them canceling each other out.

The moment the psychic fire collided with the golden flame, it seemed to be swallowed whole by something and vanished instantly.

The golden flames, after consuming the crimson flames, visibly expanded, changing from a pale gold to a warm gold, and their brightness also seemed to increase.

Feeling the flame in his palm, Yuan Chen pondered for a moment, then stood up and went to Hanzo Shiranui. To everyone's surprise, he pressed his hand directly against Hanzo's chest.

This caused Mai Shiranui and the others standing nearby to widen their eyes in surprise. Just as they were about to stop him, Hanzo Shiranui shouted and stopped them.

"Let him do it!"

Upon hearing Hanzo Shiranui's words, Mai Shiranui and Maki showed a look of confusion on their faces.

Feeling lost, Hanzo Shiranui simply said, "Yuan Chen is not someone who doesn't know his limits. Since you have confidence, then let me experience it for myself!"

Shiranui Hanzo was a man of the world; he hadn't even flinched when pinned to a wall by a shuriken in his youth. And now, though somewhat nervous, Shiranui Hanzo did not back down.

On one hand, it's because neither the Shiranui Style nor the Sangji Assassination Fist have any grudges against Yuan Chen.

On the other hand, Yuan Chen's flame originated from the Flame Scroll of the Shiranui Ninja Clan.

Although their time together was short, Hanzo Shiranui had already formed a preliminary judgment on Yuan Chen's character... Although he was old, he was still a master of ninja way, and even he himself felt that he would rather personally interact with and experience Yuan Chen than coldly observe him.

Seeing this, Yuan Chen also said, "Don't worry, it might be a good thing."

As they spoke, the golden flames touched Hanzo Shiranui's clothes, and the flames seeped into Hanzo's chest cavity like warm water seeping into sand.

In an instant, Hanzo Shiranui's pupils dilated sharply.

A warm current spread from my chest, traveled up my spine, along my meridians, and slowly warmed every inch of my flesh, bones, and meridians...

The feeling wasn't pain or numbness; it was a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time and had almost forgotten—comfort.

He felt completely comfortable, both inside and out. He could feel his dantian, which had shrunk and weakened due to aging, being gradually moistened by this warmth, like a long-dry riverbed finally receiving rain.

The riverbed didn't become a river again, but the soil began to moisten, the cracks began to heal, and deep within those dried-up riverbeds, something was faintly pulsating again...

It's the Qi Sea! As it aged, it had shrunk along with its hunched figure, but now, influenced by the flames, it has begun to recover!

"What... what kind of flame is this?" Hanzo Shiranui murmured to himself.

"Since it's a golden flame, let's call it Golden Flame."

Yuan Chen clapped his hands and looked at Mai Shiranui and Maki Genryusai beside him, saying, "You two should also try my Golden Flame."

Volume 1: Chapter 125 - The World of Geniuses

Hearing Yuan Chen's words and glancing at Shiranui Hanzo beside her, confirming that her grandfather was alright, Shiranui Mai walked over with great interest and said, "Then I'll give it a try too!"

Yuan Chen nodded and then infused Mai Shiranui and Genryusai Maki with a portion of golden flames.

Compared to Hanzo Shiranui, Mai Shiranui and Maki Genryusai did not experience such drastic changes, but they were still quite noticeable.

But if I had to say, Mai Shiranui's state changes were definitely more obvious, right?

After all, compared to Genryusai Maki, who was just watching from the sidelines and whose body was in the prime of her youth, Mai Shiranui had just experienced a battle that was extremely close to death.

It is precisely because of this difference in state that Mai Shiranui can clearly feel a warm current spreading upward from her wrist along the meridians, past her elbow, past her shoulder well, up along both sides of her cervical spine, and then turning back downward to flow into her torso.

The abdomen was the first to react—the spot where Yuan Chen had punched her still had a bruise. Even with the blood-replenishing treatment, the injury was only barely stabilized and prevented from worsening, turning what could have been a fatal injury into a superficial wound, but it still couldn't be completely healed instantly.

Now, the bruise is visibly fading from purplish-black to light blue, and then from light blue back to the skin's original color.

Then there are the meridians.

Mai Shiranui has been practicing the art of fire magic since childhood. Her meridians have long since formed a heat-resistant "cocoon" after being scorched by high temperatures countless times. Now, Mai Shiranui can feel the "cocoon" being scorched and melted by the heat, revealing the cracks that were once covered by the "cocoon" underneath. Then, the heat seeps into each crack.

It's not about filling in the cracks, but about reactivating and reconnecting the meridians on both sides of the crack. It's like repairing an ancient fabric, where every thread is woven back into its original position.