Kill The Old Ones!

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In contrast to where the Heaven-Severing War Sovereign could be found, the Verdant Immortal Matriarch’s location could practically be called a paradise.

She’s in a lush and verdant forest filled with a strong aroma of nature. Life was vibrant and active around him. She’s surrounded with all expressions of life, from the tiniest plants and animals to the larger and stranger ones.

The Verdant Immortal Matriarch was like a fairy amongst these creatures. She exists here as if she were the sole reason why this whole forest existed in the first place.

And that wouldn’t have been necessarily wrong. She was indeed the reason why this lush and vibrant forest appeared here. However, she didn’t do it out of the kindness of her own heart. She did it because that’s the demand of this world — a quest, if you will. If she didn’t do so, this world will trap her here and won’t allow her to ever return.

But regardless of what she was here for, it all became secondary when she received the World System’s notice.

Similar to how the Heaven-Severing War Sovereign, the Verdant Immortal Matriarch also reacted the same way—shocked, but pleasantly surprised.

It can’t be helped. It has, indeed, been a long while since the World System took the initiative to contact her.

Although she and the other martial gods weren’t too close with the World System, mainly out of their bitterness after their failure to completely subdue it, she can’t deny that the World System had been a great help to the human race.

She herself benefitted immensely from it. Therefore, if the World System needed her for something, especially urgent ones, she’d put whatever she’s doing to, at least, hear it out.

”Oh dear! A new core martial art you say? Let’s see it then!”

Unlike the Heaven-Severing War Sovereign, she didn’t get confused. She instantly knew that if the World System presented this to her, it would mean that it had something that was worthy of her attention.

Besides, its name, The Green Lotus Core Technique, sounds something that’s right up her alley.

”So, it’s a stretching routine accompanied by a breathing method. Clever.” She smiled.

Then, she changed into her training gi and began practicing the Green Lotus Core Technique.

She practiced it once.

Then again.

And again.

Her movements were already perfect after the first cycle.

Her breathing—flawless.

”Oh.”

Honestly, she could’ve stopped after the first time. That’s all she needed; it’s all everybody needs to keep the technique active for the next 24 hours.

It’s just that after her first practice, she felt something.

First of all, it feels nice. Even the ’Verdant Immortal Art’ she personally created doesn’t feel as nice as this. It’s warm, gentle, and soothing. And it’s truly right up her alley.

But the most important part is that...

She pressed a hand lightly against her abdomen. She felt the warmth stronger there, and she could see the activity of the green lotus core chakra there in real time.

There was something there. Something that had been there for centuries.

A wound not of flesh, but of imbalance. One even she had long since accepted as permanent. One that not even the very martial art she created—the Verdant Immortal Art—in hopes of fixing exactly this, remained unable to fix.

The Green Lotus Chakra touched it...and it began cleaning it up. The very same thing that had her agonized for practically her entire life, something that she thought was her genetic defect, the very same flaw she discovered that prevented her from pursuing the simple joys in life...was now being repaired by something she just casually tried out, once.

And it lingered.

She inhaled sharply.

”It’s...correcting it.”

Her composure cracked.

Not fully—but enough.

Her lips trembled, just slightly.

”...After all this time...”

A tear slipped down her cheek.

She laughed quietly, wiping it away.

”You’ve given us something absurd.”

This is why she couldn’t help but to do it a couple more times. Not only because the stretching exercises genuinely felt nice and pleasant, but also because she discovered that her own martial art, The Verdant Immortal Art, was responding positively to this.

It’s acting as if it saw its long-lost twin and now felt complete.

As she continued her practice, she thought to herself, ’The others must’ve received this as well. A meeting will take place soon. And I have no doubt that it’d be because of this.’

**

The place where the Voidstep Silent Monarch was located was rather depressing compared to where the Verdant Immortal Matriarch could be found.

It’s not as cruel and vicious as the same one where the Heaven-Severing War Sovereign was, either.

This place was akin to a ghost town. It is so silent here that even a pin drop would be considered loud.

There weren’t ’people’ in here. Only vague shapes in various forms and sizes. In fact, these shapes were actually creatures, not humans exclusively, but many more.

Nobody dares to show their face around these parts. Not unless they are confident in keeping it. Yes, faces can be stolen here. Someone’s identity could be sold into some shops here, too.

It’s a strange and weird place to be in, but for the Voidstep Silent Monarch, this was paradise. He especially liked its quietness.

Similar to the previous two, he was also surprised when he discovered that the World System, of all things, took the initiative to contact him. It’s enough to make him raise a brow under his void mask.

He crossed his legs on his throne and opened its contents. Once again, he raised a brow after reading through the initial remarks of the World System about this Green Lotus Core Technique.

Frankly, he’s skeptical. Anybody would be in his place. But considering that it’s the World System who made these remarks, maybe there’s really something in here that’s worthy of his notice.

With this in mind, he went to his personal training area and began breathing and cycling through the stances.

He did not speak. He never did, unless necessary. He executed the technique once. He just worked and provided results like this.

And after his first time cycling through the technique, he felt something strange. However, he didn’t dare to make any conclusions just yet. No, it’s still a little too early for that.

Although, he would definitely say that the stretching felt satisfying, and the warmth of the green lotus chakra sure feels comfortable.

But that was that. What’s more important is to test the real limits of this technique. He wasn’t really one to be skeptical, but the World System’s remarks sounded a little too good to be true.

So, he decided to test the limits of this technique. He wants to ensure that the World System’s appraisal remains as sharp and clear as ever.

Then he disappeared.

Moments later, he reappeared miles away.

Testing. Movement. Distortion.

Phase shifting.

He did all sorts of movements, anything to shake off the hold of the green lotus chakra on his body. He was testing how efficient it was and if it was really enduring and persistent as the system said.

But even after all the circus he did in his attempts to destabilize or remove the Green Lotus Chakra, it still remained.

Stable. Untouched. Unbothered.

He couldn’t shake it off no matter what he did. Even when his body practically transformed into pure energy form, even after he phased through several buildings like a ghost, even if he practically disassembled his own molecular structure only to reform moments later, the green lotus chakra remained there.

Persistent. Warm. Gentle. Soothing. It’ll stay there for the next 24 hours, as the system indicated. Now, he completely believes this.

”Persistence and endurance, eh? ”A rare murmur.

He paused, then pressed two fingers against his neck.

A fracture in his chakra network—microscopic, but fatal in the long term—had existed for decades.

The chakra passed through it.

Then returned.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Each time, it shaved off imperfections. The amount was miniscule, negligible, even. But it happened. And that is not something he could say for something even like the Verdant Immortal Art could do.

No offense to the Verdant Immortal Matriarch, of course.

”Persistent, indeed.”

A faint nod. A faint grin.

Approval.

Rarely anything gains his approval nowadays. But the Green Lotus Core Technique gets it, 100%.

He’s not blind to the real value of this thing. The World System labeled it as a core martial art, putting it at the same level as the three basics: Basic Combat Technique, Basic Footwork Technique, and the Chakra Sensing Technique.

It’s not strong, it doesn’t increase a person’s chakra volume, and it doesn’t make them stronger.

Its value lies in how easy it was to learn and to practice. And it doesn’t have an astringent requirement. Everybody that’s capable of movement can practice this. Even idiots could follow the instructions written here!

This will replace the warm-up and cooldown stretches that all martial artists do from this point onwards. And with a single session, the chakra produced by this technique will remain for the next 24 hours.

’Truly a generation-defining martial art then...’