Chapter 25: The Martial Arts Official Website

Chen Xian was in his room opening his computer, completely unaware that a young man was dwelling on thoughts of him. He did not know that his actions had altered the fate of that youth, setting him on the path of martial arts and subjecting him to inhuman trials.

Once one steps into the realm of "Bright Jin," one is considered a true martial artist. In the Great Xuan Empire, any martial artist recognized by the authorities must be registered. Only such registered individuals are officially acknowledged by the state, receiving a degree of official protection. Should they have disputes with other martial artists, they can seek official mediation. Furthermore, they are permitted to engage in activities and occupations exclusive to martial artists, such as opening martial arts schools, establishing sects, founding schools of thought, and passing on their teachings. Those who remain unregistered are not recognized by the state—much like a Taoist monk without a certificate of ordination is dismissed as a "wild priest."

While it is not illegal for a martial artist to remain unregistered, those without official status cannot work in fields exclusive to the profession and lack state protection. The Great Xuan Empire does not mandate registration by force; instead, it restricts certain industries to officially recognized martial artists. By creating these barriers, the state encourages registration. After all, martial artists are human; they cannot function without money and resources. Being barred from these industries means being cut off from the resources necessary for cultivation—a burden few practitioners can bear, unless they happen to require nothing at all. This approach effectively forced martial artists to register, a policy that faced immense resistance and difficulty upon its initial implementation. No martial artist wishes to expose their identity, especially those with enemies.

Legitimizing martial artists through registration is a measure for maintaining order, but for the practitioners themselves, it feels like a shackle. Martial arts are practiced for the sake of freedom of the heart and the desire to shatter all constraints with one's own fists. How could any martial artist be content with such limitations?

Even the three "Martial Myths" of the state could not suppress all the opposition, as there were also figures of equivalent legendary status within the civilian populace. It was only when the Old Heavenly Master of Dragon-Tiger Mountain, the Abbot Ruyi of Ruyi Temple, the Taoist Qingwei of Xuanwu Temple, and the Master of the Ten Thousand Beasts Martial School all spoke in support of the policy that many practitioners reluctantly acquiesced. Even then, some harbored grievances against these leaders. Had it not been for their immense prestige in the martial world, it is unlikely they could have swayed the public. From then on, the policy was truly implemented.

Of course, this registration only confirms one's status as a martial artist; it does not require the disclosure of sensitive details like one's specific cultivation level or the techniques one practices. Such information is a matter of personal safety and a secret that no martial artist would willingly reveal, especially on a platform frequented by all. Thus, all martial artist identification cards issued by the Great Xuan are identical, with no distinction in rank. A card held by a "Dan Jin" master is no different from one held by a novice in "Bright Jin." Even the cards of the legendary Martial Myths are the same. Since the Martial Myths themselves led the initiative, they had to set an example, and their cards remain displayed on the official martial arts website for all registered users to see.

For Chen Xian, possessing extraordinary power meant that the lack of resources was no longer a bottleneck. With the *Dragon-Tiger Alchemy Sutra*, he was no longer in need of cultivation techniques. Though he lacked for nothing, he still chose to register; it was the platform itself that drew him. It served as a microcosm of the Great Xuan martial arts world, bustling with countless practitioners. It was the most suitable, comprehensive, and expansive platform for him to engage with the martial community.

In the early stages, one can cultivate in isolation, but martial arts cannot be mastered behind closed doors. Even to reach the "Transformation Jin" stage, one must venture out, witness the myriad phenomena of the world, seek personal inspiration, and realize one's own spiritual intent—let alone progress beyond that stage. Therefore, engaging with the martial world was inevitable. Since he had committed no crimes, had no enemies, and had no reason to hide, he saw no harm in it. In a nation as vast as Great Xuan, there were plenty of new registrations every day; he would be just another unremarkable face in the crowd, drawing no attention to himself.

He opened his computer, entered the website address, and a page appeared. Besides his name, he was required to upload a video to verify his status as a martial artist. Chen Xian uploaded the pre-recorded footage. In martial arts, "a single sound is worth a thousand pieces of gold," a feat only achievable by a "Bright Jin" practitioner. Thus, the website only required the applicant to produce this sound to pass verification.

Soon, his registration was approved. Instead of leading him directly into the platform, a window popped up—a newcomer’s registration desk. After entering his name, he was assigned a new account. When Chen Xian clicked confirm, the screen lit up with his new information:

【Name: Chen Xian】【Idle Cloud, Wild Crane】
【Gender: Male】
【Age: 21】

Chen Xian noted the words next to his name: "Idle Cloud, Wild Crane." This was his screen name on the site; others on the platform would only see this alias and would never know his real name. This was a measure to protect the privacy of martial artists and prevent them from being targeted by malicious actors. Once everything was set, Chen Xian clicked "Next," beginning his first experience on the platform.

As the page shifted, what greeted him was not the identification cards of the Martial Myths he had heard of, but a single, massive, crimson-red ancient character, filling almost the entire screen. Upon seeing it, Chen Xian felt a palpitation in his heart; the character seemed to contain an indescribable power, inspiring awe and dread.

"FORBIDDEN!"

The character seemed to be a warning—a stark, eye-catching reminder to every martial artist logging onto the platform.