Shackles of Humanity

Shisan was extremely surprised that Luo Kai had learned the Mighty Dragon Fist so quickly. After mulling it over for a while, he felt he had discovered a Body Techniques genius and decided to start systematically teaching Luo Kai.

The prevalence of Body Techniques stemmed from the rapid advancements in biological civilization. After the Great Cataclysm, the self-evolutionary speed of all life forms increased severalfold to cope with the external environment. Changes once thought unimaginable had now become reality.

The fundamental Cultivation of Body Techniques can be roughly divided into three types: Skin Refining, Refining Tendons, and Bone Refining. They can be cultivated simultaneously or separately.

To put it simply, Skin Refining is the process of re-condensing a cotton-like subcutaneous tissue layer beneath the skin. This layer can significantly reduce damage from attacks. At its peak, it can even resist bullets.

An old saying goes: ”Those who refine their tendons will live long.” If a person is like a bow, then their tendons are the bowstring. The amount of Power they can exert depends entirely on how many muscles their tendons and bones can mobilize. Moreover, ”tendons” in this context refers to more than just the physical tissue; it also represents the nervous system. Refining Tendons is about enhancing one’s sensitivity, coordination, and control over their body.

Both Skin Refining and Refining Tendons can be achieved through years of dedicated Cultivation, but Bone Refining is different. This is because Bone Refining completely changes the human skeletal structure, transforming it into a dense, honeycomb-like composition. For example, the skulls of horned creatures like goats have a honeycomb structure, which greatly increases the bones’ load-bearing capacity.

Most people need the aid of a Genetic Potion to achieve Bone Refining. Of course, some people use external force to compel their bones to change. The younger one is, the higher the success rate. Simply put, this involves constantly striking the bones within their tolerable limits. Over many years, the bones will change to adapt to this external force, gradually transforming into a honeycomb structure.

After achieving the preliminary stage of any one of these, a person can become a ”Martial Artist.”

With the support of abundant high-Energy food, each stage takes about ten years. Injecting a Genetic Potion that accelerates cell division can greatly reduce the Cultivation time. However, Genetic Potions are derived from powerful Fierce Beasts and are extremely expensive. With the income of an ordinary family, one couldn’t afford even the lowest-grade Genetic Potion in a lifetime. The old adage ”the poor study, the rich train” still holds true in this era.

Martial Artists are the main force of humanity in this era, fighting against Fierce Beasts and other civilizations. They are also the nobility among humans. Once someone becomes a Martial Artist, they can receive a special stipend in any human nation. Whether in the military, politics, or business, they hold an unparalleled and powerful advantage.

A good physique is the foundation of all Body Techniques, and Power is the foundation of the body. Gaining Power requires a significant increase in body weight, or rather, an increase in the body’s muscle mass. But here, it was difficult even to accumulate a little fat, let alone gain weight.

Since increasing body weight was impossible, one had to solidify their existing muscles. The most direct method was exhaustion training.

When a person fully exerts their muscles, it causes tiny, microscopic tears. The damaged cells then release inflammatory molecules. While repairing the muscles, this process also makes them stronger. So-called ”exhaustion training” is simply the act of continuously damaging the muscles, forcing them to constantly repair themselves. Through this, the muscle cells become increasingly powerful.

Doing exhaustion training in the mines simply meant working harder. Over a month passed, and Luo Kai’s body, which had been gradually recovering, grew thin again. There was simply too little food here, especially high-Energy meat.

Seeing Luo Kai getting thinner and thinner, Shisan shook his head and sighed. ”I was originally going to wait until your body became a bit more solid, but the conditions here are too poor. If this continues, you’ll start burning through your Life Force. I might as well tell you about ’Skin Refining’ now. If you have the means in the future, you can practice it yourself.”

”To complete the initial stage of ’Skin Refining,’ the first step is to expose yourself to the blazing sun. Then, regardless of heat or cold, you should wear as little clothing as possible. At the same time, you must do striking training every day. Over time, your skin will develop a thick layer of calluses, becoming as tough as ox-hide. It will also form a thick layer of subcutaneous tissue to resist the ravages of the external environment. This stage generally takes ten years of hard work.”

Luo Kai was a bit dumbfounded. ’I can’t imagine what I would look like with my entire body covered in a layer of old calluses.’ He stared at Shisan for a moment; aside from having two more arms than a normal person, Shisan looked no different in other respects. He couldn’t help but interrupt, ”Wouldn’t that turn me into a monster!”

”Don’t worry, that’s just the initial stage of Skin Refining. Once the subcutaneous tissue has fully solidified, the metabolic rate of the epidermis will increase severalfold. The old skin will die off, and the new skin that grows will be increasingly tough. This is the official Cultivation method of the Body Technique Research Association. If you have the resources, there are many shortcuts. For example, injecting a Genetic Potion that accelerates cell division, soaking in medicinal baths, or consuming Fierce Beast Flesh that contains Active Energy. All of these can greatly reduce the Cultivation time and make your efforts much more effective.”

Luo Kai grumbled silently to himself. ’I don’t have access to any of those methods.’ He then asked, ”What exactly are Fierce Beasts? And what is this Active Energy in Fierce Beast Flesh?” He had always found it hard to believe that any animal could withstand bullets, let alone cannon fire.

Shisan frowned, a cold glint in his eyes. He thought for a long time before finally saying, ”Fierce Beasts are terrifying... In short, they’re very scary. As for Active Energy, I don’t know exactly what it is either. It’s said that it can increase the activity of living cells, which is why it’s called Active Energy.”

”Are you a Martial Artist, then?”

Shisan fell silent for a moment before shaking his head. ”I’m different from you all. I don’t need to go through those three stages.”

A trace of hesitation appeared on his face as he spoke, and he said softly, ”The Body Technique I cultivate comes from a religious self-cultivation art from before the Great Cataclysm. After being improved with genetic technology, its scientific name is the Eight-armed Vajra Seal. It requires the Fusion of genes from a Fierce Beast called the Eight-armed Ape to be cultivated. This set of Body Techniques mainly cultivates the muscles, so it doesn’t have the three stages of standard Body Techniques.”

A realization dawned on Luo Kai. He pointed in horror at Shisan’s extra two arms and stammered, ”You... you mean, your arms grew because you cultivated a Body Technique?”

Shisan nodded, raising his other pair of arms. ”I underwent Fusion with the genes of the Eight-armed Ape, which is why my body went through a genetic mutation. Anyway, besides personal effort, external aid is also very necessary for practicing Body Techniques, but we don’t have the resources here. However, now that you’ve learned the Mighty Dragon Fist, most of the prisoners here won’t be a match for you.”

Luo Kai glanced around and asked in a low voice, ”Are there any Martial Artists among the prisoners here?”

Shisan shook his head. ”If a Martial Artist commits a crime, they wouldn’t be imprisoned here. There are no Martial Artists among these prisoners. However, there are a few very powerful individuals whose combat strength might not be any lower than a real Martial Artist’s. Although Martial Artists are much stronger than ordinary people, they are still human; they’ll die if they’re shot in a vital spot. Besides, the outcome of a battle depends on more than just one’s physical body. Psychological fortitude, skill, and experience are also very important.”