27: Chapter 27: Popularity Soars, Points Can Be Redeemed for "The Essence of Bajiquan"

Golden Spots of Light in the Data Torrent

In the server room of the Shanghai Public Welfare Foundation, twelve cooling fans roared like helicopters. Xu Hao stared at the jumping numbers on the monitor, his fingertips tapping rapidly on the console, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the keyboard, forming a small puddle—the number of online viewers for the global live broadcast had already surpassed 23 million. Data streams hit the server like a dam bursting, and the red alarm light in the background flashed like an emergency distress signal.

'Brother Wu! Add three more backup servers!' Xu Hao roared into the walkie-talkie, his voice distorted by extreme tension. 'The North American audience is stuck on the replay screen of the "water forming characters", the technical department can't hold on much longer!'

Chen Wu was standing in front of the bronze tripod in the courtyard, guiding a dozen newly awakened children to feel the flow of "Qi". The children's palms hovered over the tripod lid, and the originally silent Taotie patterns suddenly lit up, reflecting fine golden spots of light in their palms—this was the manifestation of "Qi Sense" resonating with the energy inside the bronze tripod, and also one of the most popular "famous scenes" in the global live broadcast.

'Tell the technical department to enable distributed storage.' Chen Wu's voice came through the walkie-talkie, as calm as a deep pool. 'Compress the replay screen into "Qi Sense data packets"; awakened ones can receive it directly with their consciousness, while ordinary viewers can just watch the high-definition stream.'

This method was thought of when discussing with Lin Xue yesterday. The "Qi energy data compression technology" provided by the Bureau of Abnormal Incident Management could convert video images into information streams that could be recognized by "Qi Sense", which not only saved bandwidth but also allowed awakened ones to gain a more intuitive experience.

Ten minutes later, Xu Hao's cheers exploded in the walkie-talkie: 'It worked! The number of online viewers hit 25 million! Points... points are skyrocketing! Increasing by 500,000 every second!'

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Chen Wu's mouth. The System panel appeared before his eyes, the numbers in the points column jumping wildly like an odometer, soaring from the previous 72.3 million all the way past the 80 million mark. In the "Cultivation Technique Redemption Area" below the panel, the icon for "Baji Fist Essentials" was emitting an alluring red light—this practical Cultivation Technique he had coveted for a long time required a full 60 million points.

The barrage in the live broadcast room was already so dense that the screen could not be seen clearly, and keywords could only be captured from the scrolling golden font:

'25 million! Is this the rhythm to hit 30 million?!'

'That little boy's palm just glowed! My child learned it too, and ended up shaking the milk cup over, hahaha'

'The points mall has been updated! What is "Baji Fist Essentials"? It looks very powerful'

'Don't guess blindly, those in front, Baji Fist is a practical martial art, focusing on "collapsing, shaking, assaulting, and striking", it's fierce and violent. Brother Wu is going to learn real stuff this time!'

Fist Intent on the bronze tripod

Zhao Mengmeng's grandfather leaned on his bronze cane and stood behind Chen Wu, smiling with narrowed eyes. The head of the old man's cane tapped gently on the bluestone slab, each strike falling precisely in the gaps of the humming emitted by the bronze tripod—this was the Realm of "Listening Energy" at the Major Achievement stage, capable of forming a perfect resonance with the vibration of the object.

'Little Wu, it's time to learn some hard stuff.' The old man spoke suddenly, his cane pointing to the west. 'I "heard" a foul aura over there, carrying the smell of iron blood; it's coming for you.'

Chen Wu's fingertips paused on the Taotie pattern of the bronze tripod lid. He knew what the old man was talking about—intelligence sent by Lin Xue yesterday showed that the "Grey Shadow" organization had dispatched five "Gene Warriors", currently lurking in Shanghai, with the goal of seizing the "Qi energy core" inside the bronze tripod. These modified humans had fused with beast genes, their strength and speed far exceeding ordinary people, and ordinary firearms could not hurt them at all.

'"Baji Fist" is indeed suitable.' Chen Wu called up the introduction of "Baji Fist Essentials":

["Baji Fist Essentials": A practical martial art, focusing on close-quarters combat, known for its "fierce and violent" power generation. It contains core techniques such as "Eight Great Openings" and "Six Great Openings". When practiced to a deep level, it can emit "Collapsing Energy", shattering bricks and stones as easily as reaching into a bag. Redemption requires 60 million points.]

Below the introduction was a line of small text: [Special Note: The compatibility of this martial art with the host's current "Qi Sense" is 89%. Combining it with a body tempering pill will yield better results.]

'Redeem.' Chen Wu did not hesitate at all. The points number on the System panel plummeted instantly, and 60 million points turned into a golden light, surging into his mind along his fingertips.

Countless information streams exploded in his consciousness—the opening, closing, and transitions of the fist stances, the skeletal coordination of power generation, the rushing routes of "Qi" in the Meridians... It was as if a Baji Fist Grandmaster was teaching him hand-in-hand in his mind, every Move and style as clear as if it were branded. What shocked him most was the principle of "Collapsing Energy"—it did not rely purely on muscle contraction, but through the instantaneous explosion of "Qi", forming a micro-energy vortex at the contact point, thereby producing tearing destructive power.

'Hah!' Chen Wu subconsciously took half a step, fists clenched, and executed the first Move, "Opening the Gate with an Elbow Strike", according to the fist manual in his mind.

A sharp whistle sounded as his elbow swept through the air, and the bluestone slab in the courtyard suddenly cracked with fine lines. A stone stool three meters away from him was actually shattered by the invisible force of the Qi!

The children watching were so scared they covered their mouths, and the barrage in the live broadcast room went crazy instantly:

'Holy crap! What kind of god-level power is this? It shattered without even touching it?'

'Is this Baji Fist? It's much fiercer than MMA power punches!'

'26 million online! Did Brother Wu have an Epiphany?'

'My grandfather has practiced Baji Fist for thirty years and said the charm of this "Opening the Gate with an Elbow Strike" is absolutely amazing!'

Zhao Mengmeng's grandfather stroked his beard and nodded: 'Not bad, not bad. Hardness containing softness, "Qi" and strength combined. It has the style of my younger days.'

"War Reserves" in the Points Mall

After redeeming "Baji Fist Essentials", 25 million points remained in the System. Chen Wu's gaze swept across the mall and finally rested on three options:

[body tempering pill (Advanced Version): After consumption, it can significantly increase Physical Body strength and has a bonus effect on "Collapsing Energy". Redemption requires 5 million points/pill.]

[Qi Sense Stabilizer: Can stabilize the out-of-control "Qi" of others within a 10-meter range, suitable for team combat. Redemption requires 8 million points/unit.]

[Baji Fist Practical Manual: A collection of practical combat cases from Baji Fist Great Masters throughout history, including 37 methods to break joint locks. Redemption requires 10 million points.]

'I want them all.' Chen Wu's fingers tapped consecutively on the panel. Three clusters of light flew out from the System panel and landed in his hands—the two dark red body tempering pills (Advanced Version) were a circle larger than the basic version, and their surfaces flowed with a metallic luster; the Qi Sense Stabilizer looked like a silver bracelet, engraved with patterns similar to the bronze tripod; the practical manual was a thread-bound ancient book, the word "Baji" on the cover revealing an aura of ferocity.

Xu Hao ran over holding a tablet computer, with the latest intelligence from the Bureau of Abnormal Incident Management on the screen: 'Brother Wu, Lin Xue said that the "Grey Shadow" Gene Warriors have already infiltrated the city! Their target is tonight's "Awakened One Exchange Meeting", and they want to create chaos at the meeting and take the opportunity to snatch the bronze tripod!'

The exchange meeting was a weekly event of the Foundation, with nearly a thousand awakened ones participating, including many elderly and children. If the Gene Warriors made trouble at the meeting, the consequences would be unimaginable.

'Distribute the stabilizers to the core members.' Chen Wu handed a body tempering pill to Zhao Mengmeng's grandfather. 'Old man, take this, it can stabilize the Foundation of "Qi'."

The old man took the Medicinal Pill and smiled after looking at it: 'You mixed "Geocentric Iron Essence" in this pill, right? No wonder it's so heavy.' He looked up and swallowed the pill, and soon black sweat exuded from his forehead—this was the manifestation of Impurities in the body being expelled.

Chen Wu also took a body tempering pill himself. The Medicinal Pill melted upon reaching his throat, and a heat flow ten times more violent than the basic version surged throughout his body. His muscle fibers contracted and reorganized like forged steel, and a tingling itch came from between his bones, which was calcium being deposited rapidly. He could clearly feel that the combination of his "Qi" and his Physical Body was tighter, and the Baji Fist Moves he struck were also more powerful.

'The exchange meeting will be held as usual.' Chen Wu opened the practical manual, and the "Qi" at his fingertips caused the pages to turn automatically. 'It's just right to use the "Grey Shadow" people to test my hands and see how hard this Baji Fist really is.'

The number of online viewers in the live broadcast room surpassed 28 million, and the atmosphere in the barrage changed from amazement to tension:

'Are they going to fight? What the hell is a Gene Warrior?'

'I heard they are modified humans! The kind that is impervious to swords and guns!'

'Brother Wu just learned Baji Fist and already met such tough opponents? This script is a bit harsh'

'28 million viewers watching online! Go Brother Wu!'

Fist Shadows in the Twilight

The evening glow plated the Foundation's courtyard with a layer of gold. Chen Wu stood in front of the bronze tripod, practicing the Moves of Baji Fist over and over again. From "Opening the Gate with an Elbow Strike" to "Overlord Folding the Reins", from "Holding the Moon in One's Arms" to "Standing Firm and Piercing the Sky Cannon", every Move was performed with great vigor, and the airflow stirred by the fist wind made the surrounding leaves rustle.

As his proficiency improved, the Fusion of his "Qi" and martial arts became deeper and deeper. When performing the "Eight Great Openings", the Taotie patterns on the bronze tripod would light up synchronously, as if countless eyes were witnessing this fierce Fist Intent; when executing "Collapsing Energy", the ground would ripple with circular waves of Qi, shaking the standing water on the stone slabs into tiny water droplets that floated in the air for a long time.

Zhao Mengmeng held a rabbit doll, using "Qi" to record his movement trajectory from the side. On the doll's electronic screen, the fist speed, power, and the flow route of "Qi" were analyzed in real-time, forming a three-dimensional model: 'Brother Wu, the power of your "Collapsing Energy" has already exceeded the upper limit of the force tester! The power of that punch just now was equivalent to 300 kilograms of TNT explosives!'

Chen Wu withdrew his fist and stood still, sweat dripping down his jawline, hitting the ground and making small water splashes. He could feel that the medicinal power of the body tempering pill was still continuing to take effect, and his muscle explosive power and the conduction efficiency of "Qi" were both steadily improving. At this rate, let alone Gene Warriors, even if Rex's mechanical modified humans came, he had the confidence to shatter the opponent's armor with one punch.

'The exchange meeting is about to start.' Xu Hao ran over, holding a security distribution map. 'We have arranged 50 awakened ones on the perimeter, all of whom have practiced basic fist and foot techniques; there are 20 special police officers sent by Lin Xue in the inner field, carrying special "Qi energy suppression bullets"—this is the maximum support the official side can provide.'

Chen Wu nodded, casting his gaze toward the direction of the Foundation's gate. In the twilight, several blurred figures lingered at the street corner. Their breathing was as heavy as wild beasts, and the energy fluctuations emanating from their bodies were chaotic and violent—they were the Gene Warriors of "Grey Shadow".

'Let them in.' A cold smile tugged at the corners of Chen Wu's mouth. 'It's just right to use them to "break in" my newly learned Baji Fist.'

He assumed the starting stance of Baji Fist again, his feet apart at shoulder width, his fists guarding his chest, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's. The bronze tripod behind him emitted a low hum, as if cheering for its master's Battle Intent.

The number of online viewers in the live broadcast room surpassed 30 million at this moment. Audiences from all over the world waited in front of their screens, awaiting this Peak showdown between traditional martial Dao and genetic modification. In the barrage, "Go" in different languages converged into a torrent:

'Brother Wu, beat them up!'

'Baji Fist, must win!'

'30 million witnesses! Martial Dao is immortal!'

Chen Wu took a deep breath, the "Qi" in his body perfectly integrated with the Fist Intent of Baji Fist, forming an unstoppable force. He knew that this battle was not only to protect the people around him, but also to prove to the whole world—in the face of human potential itself, any external modification is futile.

The twilight deepened, and the lights of the Foundation lit up one by one, stretching Chen Wu's figure very long. The fist shadows flickered under the lights, the fierce aura interweaving with the humming of the bronze tripod, like a war song about to be played.

The good show had just begun.