91: Chapter 91 Special Department Revisits: "Ancient Martial Arts Families Have Taken Their Note"

Section 1: The Secret Ancient Martial Letter Beneath the Black Helicopters

The morning light in the training hall had just washed over the bluestone slabs when three black helicopters suddenly hovered at the entrance of the alley. The logo of the Special Incident Response Department glinted coldly on the fuselages. The Chief of the Execution Division walked over quickly with two elders dressed in Tang suits. The leading elder had a dark gold character for "Martial" embroidered on his cuff and held a red sandalwood box in his hands. The bronze lock on the box was engraved with complex cloud patterns—a symbol belonging only to ancient martial families with over a century of heritage.

"This is Elder Chen Qingshan of the 'Taiji Chen Family'," the Section Chief's voice carried a rare solemnity. She gently opened the red sandalwood box, which was lined with bright yellow silk and contained a gold-stamped secret letter. "And this is Mr. Li Cangsong of the 'Xingyi Li Family'. They are here representing the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families." A holographic file suddenly popped up on the tablet; the Chen and Li Family trees could be traced back to the Ming Dynasty. The "Taiji Secret Key" and "Xingyi Spear Manual" held by these two families remain unsolved mysteries in the world of traditional martial arts.

Chen Wu's peace lock suddenly resonated with the bronze lock. When his fingertips touched the secret letter, the gold-stamped characters suddenly transformed into flowing Qi Energy, forming a line of eye-catching text in the virtual space: "In three months, at the Mount Song Martial Discussion, we shall spar to verify the authenticity of the 'Yijin Energy'." Dark gold Qi Energy spread along his fingertips, drawing a distorted Family totem on the ground—it perfectly matched the "Taiji Dragon" pattern in the Chen Family tree, except for an additional Crushing Fist spiral texture at the dragon's claws.

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe made a dull thud against the camphor wood chest. The old man pulled out the 1937 "Ancient Martial Family Records," where a black-and-white photo was tucked between the yellowed pages—Chen Qingshan's grandfather and Chen Wu's Great-grandfather were shaking hands during a Tomb Guardian competition, both wearing gloves embroidered with the same Tomb-Guarding Beast pattern. "That old fox finally decided to show his face," the pipe pointed at the elder in the photo. "Back then, when your Great-grandfather refused to join the Chen Family, they declared: 'Those not of our kin must possess evil energy'." A Bronze Token suddenly flew out of the camphor chest and landed at Chen Wu's feet. The front was engraved with the words "Tomb Guarding," while the patterns on the back formed a perfect complement to the cloud patterns on the secret letter.

In the Flower Girl's basket, the leaves of the inheritance grass suddenly stood up like swords. Dewdrops rolled on the leaf surfaces, reflecting the hidden watermark of the secret letter—the totems of the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families surrounded an empty space, clearly a seat reserved for the "Tomb-Guarding Protector." The young girl mixed the juices of Golden Thread Lotus and ming jin orchid; when the pale gold "Revealing Dew" dripped onto the leaves, the watermark suddenly lit up. "Elder Zhou said this is a 'Family Invitation'," she said, her fingertip lightly touching a dewdrop. "On the surface, it's a sparring match, but in reality, they want to absorb you into the Family to share the full volume of the Muscle Tendon Change Classic."

In the tactical center of the Special Incident Response Department, the Director was frowning at a holographic sand table. The Technical Department had cracked the additional information in the secret letter. In the training grounds of the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families, Qi Energy fluctuations of Grey Shadow had recently appeared—someone was instigating trouble behind the scenes, hoping to use the martial discussion as an opportunity to weaken the strength of traditional martial arts. "Their 'sparring' hides murderous intent," the Section Chief suddenly pulled up a piece of surveillance footage. Young disciples of the Chen Family were practicing "Soft Taiji," and the Qi Energy trajectories between their Moves carried obvious residues of "Spirit-Devouring Powder." "Grey Shadow gave them an 'Anti-Yijin Agent' that can temporarily suppress the flow of Yijin Energy."

Officer Zhang's body camera was pointed at the cloth shoes of the elder in the Tang suit. The old policeman pulled up a video of the ancient martial families from thirty years ago. A young Chen Qingshan, at a Tomb Guardian sacrifice, had rejected the proposal of Chen Wu's grandfather to share the "Taiji Essentials," citing that "the Tomb-Guarding lineage's energy path is too cluttered." "They looked down on fused fist techniques back then," the body cam suddenly switched to slow-motion. The dark patterns on Chen Qingshan's cuffs shimmered in the sunlight, bearing a subtle similarity to the patterns on the uniforms of Grey Shadow technicians. "Now, fearing you will surpass them after fusing the Muscle Tendon Change Classic, they are eager to use 'martial discussion' to suppress you." The body cam's playback function suddenly activated, flashing images of Chen Wu practicing the "Toxin-Neutralizing Posture" last night. When the dark gold Yijin Energy fused with the blue-gold Taiji Power, it actually resonated with the Chen Family's "Taiji Dragon" totem.

When Chen Qingshan's fingertips touched the Bronze Token, the camphor chest vibrated violently. The "Ancient Martial Family Records" automatically flipped to a page from 1644, recording the history of the Chen Family ancestors and the Tomb Guardian jointly resisting grave robbers—at that time, "Taiji Power" still possessed fierce characteristics, completely different from the current soft style. "Your Great-grandfather said back then that 'traditional martial arts should avoid narcissistic isolation'," the old man's voice carried complex emotions. He suddenly pulled half a jade pendant from his robe and pressed it together with Chen Wu's peace lock, forming a complete character for "Harmony." "This was a token your Great-grandfather gave me back then, saying 'One day, the Tomb-Guarding line and the Chen Family will continue their fated connection'."

Section 2: Family Gambit in the Holographic Projection

As the holographic projections of the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families unfolded in the training hall, dark gold ripples suddenly rose from the bluestone slabs. The Chen Family's "Taiji Dragon," the Li Family's "Xingyi Tiger," and the Wing Chun Liang Clan's "Six-and-a-Half Point Pole" totems rotated in the air, forming a massive Qi Energy array. Lin Mo's tablet showed that the Qi Energy frequency at the center of the array was identical to Grey Shadow's "Anti-Yijin Agent," clearly a trap intentionally set by someone.

"They want to force you to reveal your 'Yijin Energy' trump card before the martial discussion," Li Cangsong suddenly stepped forward, his Xingyi Qi Energy condensing into a pale gold tiger shape in his palm. "Grey Shadow sent an 'Yijin Energy Cracking Method' to every Family, saying 'Chen Wu's Yijin Energy is a heterodox path'." The holographic projection suddenly switched to a Family training ground where young disciples were practicing with the cracking method. The black Qi Energy between their Moves was exactly the same as the chip-based Qi Energy Zhang Hao used back then.

Chen Wu's "Yijin Energy" suddenly condensed in his palm. The moment the dark gold Qi Energy sphere collided with the tiger-shaped Qi Energy, the two types of energy actually fused perfectly, forming a "Dragon-Tiger Struggle" pattern in the virtual space. The bullet chat of the global livestream suddenly exploded; 180 billion viewers simultaneously sent golden exclamation marks, forming a wall of light in the virtual space. "This is the 'Dragon-Tiger Combined Energy'!" Grandpa Wang's pipe dropped to the ground. The old man flipped to the supplement of the "Ancient Martial Family Records." In an entry from 1723, the ancestors of the Chen and Li families had used this Move to repel foreign enemies. "Your Great-grandfather said this is the ultimate Fusion Move of the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families!"

In the Flower Girl's basket, the leaves of the inheritance grass suddenly bloomed with eight-colored flowers. Each petal corresponded to a totem of an ancient martial Family. As dewdrops rolled in the stamens, they reflected real-time footage of Grey Shadow technicians—they were hiding beneath the Mount Song martial arts stage, installing "Qi Energy Interrupters" in an attempt to make Chen Wu's Yijin Energy go out of control during the discussion. The young girl scattered "Revealing Dew" into the air. The pale gold light fused with Chen Wu's Qi Energy, forming a massive character for "Break" in the virtual space. "Elder Zhou said this is 'Counter-light'," she said, her fingertip lightly touching a petal. "It can reverse the frequency of the interrupters, turning them into 'Yijin Energy Amplifiers', like adding boosters to the Qi Energy."

The armored vehicle of the Special Incident Response Department suddenly delivered a set of silver protective suits. The Director held up a holographic manual and explained: "This is 'Ancient Martial Protective Armor', capable of simulating the Qi Energy fluctuations of the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families." She suddenly placed the helmet of the protective suit on Chen Wu's head, and the virtual screen immediately displayed the flow route of the Chen Family's "Taiji Power." "During the martial discussion, you can use this Move to 'return them their own medicine,' letting them know the power of fused energy." The tablet showed that Zhang Hao and Love had already applied to join the martial discussion security team. Their merit point accounts had just been used to exchange for "Iron Arm Heart-Protecting Talismans" and "Taiji Shields," both items capable of resisting ancient martial Qi Energy.

When Chen Qingshan proposed a spar in 'Taiji Pushing Hands,' Chen Wu's 'Yijin Energy' suddenly transformed into a streak of dark gold light. The moment their palms met in mid-air, the soft Taiji Power of the Chen Family was guided by the Yijin Energy, drawing a complete taiji diagram in the virtual space. The slow-motion replay of the live broadcast showed Chen Wu's Qi Energy splitting into eight streams at the point of contact, each corresponding to the Qi Energy characteristics of the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families. This neither damaged Chen Qingshan's Meridians nor failed to showcase the inclusive nature of 'Yijin Energy.'

"This is no heterodox path!" Chen Qingshan's pupils dilated as the dark patterns on his cuffs suddenly lit up, resonating with Chen Wu's peace lock. "My grandfather was wrong back then; the future of traditional martial arts does not lie within Family barriers, but in Fusion!" In the holographic projection, the totems of the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families suddenly lit up simultaneously. On a vacant seat, the symbol of the 'Tomb Guardian' was automatically generated—the dark gold Tomb-Guarding Beast and the eight totems formed a complete character for 'Martial Arts' (Wu).

Section 3: Undercurrents at the Mount Song Martial Discussion

As the Special Incident Response Department helicopter carried everyone toward Mount Song, an emergency alert suddenly popped up on Lin Mo's tablet. Grey Shadow's Qi Energy disturbers had already been deployed around the martial arts stage, with black Qi Energy enveloping the entirety of Mount Song like a giant web. "They want to activate the 'Qi-Locking Array' during the discourse," the youth's fingertips danced across the virtual keyboard, beads of sweat from his forehead dripping onto the touchpad. "The Technical Department detected the disturber's core ten meters beneath the stage. It requires the 'Toxin-Neutralizing Posture' of 'Yijin Energy' to be destroyed." A 3D model suddenly appeared on the tablet; the wiring diagram of the disturber bore a striking resemblance to the Chen Family's Taiji totem, clearly indicating an internal mole had leaked the Family blueprints.

Grandpa Wang's tobacco pipe made a dull thud against the helicopter window. The old man pulled out the 'Mount Song Martial Arts Discourse Records' left by his grandfather. The yellowed pages recorded secrets from the 1901 discourse: "Back then, your Great-grandfather used 'Crushing Fist' to break the 'Qi-Locking Array'," he said, his pipe bowl pointing to the topographical map of Mount Song tucked between the pages. "A 'Tomb-Guarding Stone' is hidden in the foundation of the stage. As long as Yijin Energy is injected, it will trigger a Qi Energy resonance and destroy all interference equipment." Three copper coins suddenly flew out of the camphor wood chest, landing by Chen Wu's feet to form the character for 'Mountain' (Mountain). Dark gold Qi Energy spread along the coins, drawing a route map on the floor leading to the Tomb-Guarding Stone.

In the Flower Girl's basket, the leaves of the inheritance grass suddenly twisted into a formation. Dewdrops rolled across the leaves, reflecting the true face of the Grey Shadow mole—Chen Feng, a young member of the Chen Family, who was secretly adjusting the frequency of the disturbers. The young girl mixed 'Revealing Dew' with the juice of Golden Thread Lotus. When the pale gold 'Tracking Dew' dripped onto the leaves, Chen Feng's location lit up red on the virtual map. "Elder Zhou said this is 'Mole Tracking Agent'," she said, her fingertip lightly touching a dewdrop. "It allows Qi Energy to flow along the mole's Meridians, just like putting a tail on a fox."

Inside the tactical center of the Special Incident Response Department, the Director was issuing orders while facing a real-time Qi Energy map. SWAT teams had already deployed around Mount Song. Thermal imagers showed Grey Shadow mercenaries disguised as spectators, hiding in every corner of the martial arts stage. "Once the discourse begins, we will use 'holographic projections' to cover you," the Section Chief's holographic image cut in with static as she pulled up an action plan. "Zhang Hao and Love are responsible for pinning down the mercenaries while you take the opportunity to sneak underground and destroy the disturber." The tablet showed that the elders of the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families had already received the news; they were secretly adjusting their disciples' training plans, preparing to cooperate with Chen Wu to counter Grey Shadow during the discourse.

When Chen Wu's 'Yijin Energy' was injected into the Tomb-Guarding Stone, Mount Song suddenly shook violently. Dark gold Qi Energy spread along the foundation, and the disturber's circuits short-circuited the moment they touched the energy. The slow-motion replay showed the Qi Energy forming a giant character for 'Suppress' (town) underground, completely tearing the black interference web to shreds. Chen Feng's scream suddenly erupted from the audience as the black Qi Energy within him exploded along the trajectory of the 'Tracking Dew,' drawing the symbol of Grey Shadow on the ground.

"It's you!" Chen Qingshan's roar carried ripples of Qi Energy as his Xingyi Fist power suddenly locked Chen Feng's Meridians. "The Chen Family has no traitors!" In the holographic projection, the disciples of the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families simultaneously assumed defensive stances, surrounding the Grey Shadow mercenaries. Zhang Hao's Iron Arm Power and Love's Taiji Power fused with the ancient martial Qi Energy, forming a rotating Qi Energy barrier around the stage. The moment the black Qi Energy hit the barrier, it dissipated into a sky full of light specks.

Section 4: A New Chapter of Legacy Under the Family Totems

When Grey Shadow's conspiracy was completely crushed, the Mount Song martial arts stage suddenly erupted with blinding golden light. The totems of the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families and the 'Tomb Guardian' symbol fused in mid-air, forming a giant character for 'Legacy' (pass). Chen Wu's peace lock, the Chen Family's jade pendant, and the Li Family's spear manual combined in the virtual space to form a complete inheritance map. Dark gold Yijin Energy spread along the map, lighting up in the palms of Martial Artists across the globe simultaneously.

"From today onward, the Tomb Guardian lineage officially joins the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families," Chen Qingshan's voice wavered with excitement as he handed half of a 'Taiji Secret Key' to Chen Wu. "This is the key to opening the middle volume of the Muscle Tendon Change Classic, hidden in the 'Yijin Pavilion' of the Shaolin Temple's underground palace." The holographic projection suddenly switched to the entrance of the underground palace, where the eyes of a stone lion flickered with the same golden light as the inheritance map. "The true purpose of this discourse was to test whether you are qualified to protect this Legacy."

An announcement from the Global Martial Arts System suddenly popped up on Lin Mo's tablet. The number of online viewers for the 'Mount Song Martial Discussion Special' exceeded 20 billion. The comment section was flooded with uniform messages of "traditional martial arts are Invincible." A comment from an overseas Martial Artist received 1 billion likes: "It turns out the ancient martial families aren't aloof and superior, but are fighting side-by-side with us." In a small window in the bottom right corner of the tablet, A-Ming's younger sister held up a drawing where the totems of the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families and the Tomb-Guarding Beast were holding hands, with the crookedly written words: "We are all one Family."

In the Flower Girl's basket, the leaves of the inheritance grass suddenly unfurled like wings. Dewdrops rolled across the leaves, reflecting training scenes of Martial Artists worldwide—Chen Family disciples were teaching foreigners 'Taiji Pushing Hands,' the Li Family's successor was teaching 'Xingyi Fist' in the slums, and Chen Wu's 'Yijin Energy' instructional video had already become the most downloaded course on the System. The young girl sprinkled the last drop of 'Revealing Dew' toward the stage. The pale gold light formed the character for 'Harmony' (and) on the ground. "Elder Zhou said this is the 'Light of Legacy'," she said, her fingertip lightly touching a leaf. "It allows different types of Qi Energy to coexist under the sun, just like the flowers in this meadow—each has its own beauty."

As Chen Wu stood side-by-side with the elders of the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families on the stage, the setting sun cast their long shadows. Dark gold Yijin Energy, cyan-gold Taiji Power, and silver-white Xingyi energy intertwined in mid-air, forming a rotating sphere of Qi Energy. The final frame of the live broadcast froze at the moment the energy sphere exploded, as countless golden specks of light fell into the palms of every Martial Artist like seeds of Legacy.

As the final System prompt popped up, the Special Incident Response Department helicopter rose slowly into the sunset. The Section Chief's tablet showed that core members of Grey Shadow were now globally wanted, while the cooperation agreement between the Eight Great Ancient Martial Families and the Tomb Guardian lineage was being eagerly emulated by martial arts Alliances of various countries. Chen Wu suddenly understood that the attention of the ancient martial families was not a challenge, but an opportunity—it allowed traditional martial arts to break through Family barriers and Move toward a broader future through Fusion.

In the global live stream's comments, a uniform line of text suddenly scrolled across: "There is no lonely Legacy, only Martial Artists standing together." This message was liked by 20 billion viewers simultaneously, like a river of light crossing mountains and seas, flowing forever above the martial arts stage and illuminating the new journey of traditional martial arts Fusion. As moonlight washed over Mount Song, the patterns of the eight totems and the Tomb-Guarding Beast on the stage's bluestones were slowly merging, forming a brand-new character for 'Martial Arts' (Wu), as if telling an eternal truth: true Legacy is never about guarding it alone, but about walking together hand-in-hand.