Shackles of Humanity

Luo Kai didn’t look like he was lying. The three men exchanged a glance. Tuoba Ye suddenly chuckled, ”I get it now. You must have been separated from your family and have been a wanderer since you were a child, right?”

Luo Kai didn’t know anything about his past, so he could only remain silent.

Tuoba Ye said excitedly, ”I knew it! The Fearless Body is a Genetic Body Technique that can only be awakened through heredity. You must be a posthumous child of the Luo Family! Some bastard probably abandoned you, which is how you ended up wandering in the Xingma Kingdom.”

Luo Kai asked in confusion, ”What’s a Genetic Body Technique?”

Tuoba Ye explained the origin of Genetic Body Techniques, then excitedly stood up and paced back and forth on the deck, chuckling to himself. ”Heh heh, I found a real treasure for the Luo Family. I’ve got to squeeze some good rewards out of this!”

Luo Kai had also been perplexed by his own incredible control over his body. He faintly suspected it came from genetic memory—in other words, heredity. He asked, a little uncertainly, ”What does the Fearless Body do?”

”It can infinitely amplify your Power. The angrier you get, the greater your Power becomes. At the same time, your Recovery Power also gets stronger.”

Luo Kai scratched his head. This sounded somewhat similar to the effects of his Qi and Blood Circulation. ’Could I really be the grandson of that Northern Guardian King?’

Tuoba Ye roared with laughter. ”Haha, kid! No matter which branch of the family you’re from, according to seniority, you have to call me ’uncle’!”

Luo Kai rolled his eyes at him. ’Even if this body really did come from the Luo Family, it has nothing to do with my consciousness.’

Su Chengbo interjected at this point, ”Young man, having the status of the Luo Family could save you a lot of trouble. For example, the arrest warrant from the Judgement Department. The Luo Family is known for being fiercely protective of their own. The Body Technique Association wouldn’t dare to do anything to you either.”

Luo Kai frowned for a moment, then smiled and said, ”I’ve never really cared about things like that. I’ll deal with whatever comes my way.”

”Heh heh, good kid! You’ve got some grit. That’s how a real man should be in this world. Come, let your uncle toast you.” Tuoba Ye raised his wine bottle toward him.

Luo Kai couldn’t be bothered with him and drained his own drink.

Tuoba Ye was broad-minded and didn’t care. He just grinned foolishly and started chugging from the bottle.

After a few more rounds of drinks, Su Chengbo asked, seemingly casually, ”Young friend Luo, that Body Technique you use, the one called Azure Wave Force... who did you learn it from?”

”I figured it out myself,” Luo Kai replied offhandedly.

The three of them all paused. Xi Jinghui said in a low voice, ”You really created it yourself?”

Luo Kai gave them a strange look and said, ”Yeah. Is there something wrong with that?”

”Something wrong? Hell no! Damn it, I’ve actually met a genius who created a Heavenly Rank Body Technique!” Tuoba Ye’s eyes shone with excitement, and he looked at Luo Kai as if he were looking at a priceless treasure.

”Could you tell us about the core principles of this Body Technique? Just a simple explanation will do.” Su Chengbo and Xi Jinghui exchanged a look before pressing for more.

Anyone else would certainly not have explained the core principles of their own Body Technique to others, but Luo Kai was different. Humans were, after all, creatures of collective intelligence. He had been training on his own for a long time and desperately needed the wisdom of others. The three men present were all Body Masters with vast and profound knowledge. Getting their guidance and suggestions would surely be immensely beneficial. Only by standing on the shoulders of giants could one see further.

No matter the subject—be it an entire civilization, a professional or academic field, or even some clever little trick—the only path to progress is through exchange and fusion. One must be open to all ideas to achieve true greatness. To jealously guard what you have is to court your own destruction.

Moreover, his Azure Wave Force originated primarily from the explosive circulation of his Qi and Blood, as well as his supreme control over every organ and muscle in his body. When using Azure Wave Force, his body became the source of a tidal wave. His organs and muscles would progressively transmit power—before the old force dissipated, a new one would rise. The new force would propel the old, layering one upon another, endlessly.

In other words, only by transforming one’s body into a vast ocean could one use this layered, boosting power technique that mimicked the tides. Others wouldn’t be able to learn it unless they also possessed the Ability to manipulate their Qi and Blood and control their internal organs.

Luo Kai then gave a simple explanation of how to simulate the movement of the tides and the Dharma Gate for layering and propelling power.

The three Body Masters all furrowed their brows, lost in thought. Tuoba Ye was the first to lose his patience. He stood up, flexed his muscles, and threw a punch at the sky. A sonic boom echoed through the air as an invisible shockwave spread out.

Tuoba Ye frowned. ”Something’s not right. I can only manage to boost the power twice, at most. I can’t keep up for a third time.”

Luo Kai patiently explained, ”Don’t use too much force for the first strike—only ten percent of your power. Then, gradually increase it. It won’t work if the new force doesn’t catch up to the old one.”

Tuoba Ye rolled his eyes at him. ”I’ve eaten more rice than you’ve eaten salt, kid. I understood the first time you said it. The problem is in the actual execution. This kind of force dissipates too quickly. How is the next one supposed to catch up? Are you hiding another trick you’re not telling me?”

Luo Kai stood there, stunned. ’That’s right... force is intangible. It’s expended the moment you strike. How could a new force possibly catch up? Does my Azure Wave Force have some other secret to it?’ He casually threw a punch, and the waves on the sea’s surface rose and fell in response. His eyes lit up. ”I understand! It’s the Water’s Soft Power at work! A hard, fierce Power is difficult to connect, but a Soft Power can!”

Tuoba Ye and Su Chengbo looked at each other and gave wry smiles.

Tuoba Ye said dejectedly, ”Fine, fine. I knew a Heavenly Rank Body Technique couldn’t be that simple. Only you guys who practice Yin Attribute Body Techniques have a chance of using it.”

Xi Jinghui stood up eagerly. ”Little brother, what do you think of my attempt?”

With that, he threw a punch toward the surface of the sea. The punch was silent and seemed to contain no power, but a large, deep indentation appeared on the water’s surface. It remained there for about ten seconds before recovering.

Tuoba Ye was the first to scoff, ”You old dog, you’re obviously just using your Kuishui True Skill.”

Xi Jinghui beamed. ”That’s right. I used the Soft Power from my Kuishui True Skill to continuously bombard the water’s surface to create that effect. The Azure Wave Force created by this Brother Luo is very suitable for Body Technique Cultivators who specialize in Yin Soft Body Skills. And this is just the initial stage. In the future, it might even be able to address the weakness of our Soft Power Body Techniques—their lack of offensive power.”

Luo Kai frowned but said nothing. ’My Azure Wave Force is based on the power-generation method of the Mighty Dragon Fist and was created by simulating the movement of the tides. It possesses both hardness and softness. Xi Jinghui’s technique, however, clearly has an excess of Soft Power and lacks ferocity. It’s all form and no substance.’

Tuoba Ye, however, was furious after hearing this. He drained the wine in his hand and started ranting, ”You old dog, you got a huge advantage today! No way! You have to treat me to a drink! I want to drink your Xi Family’s Ice Luo Wine!”

Xi Jinghui said magnanimously, ”But of course! There’s no time like the present. In two days, the Hundred Flowers Banquet will be held on Chongjun Island in the Thousand Islands Sea. Brother Tuoba and Brother Su, why don’t you join me to enjoy the blooming flowers?”

Tuoba Ye chuckled. ”I heard that at the Thousand Islands Sea’s Hundred Flowers Banquet, they also select some kind of Courtesan. Is that true?”

Xi Jinghui stepped forward and said in a low voice, ”If Brother Tuoba isn’t afraid of the tigress at home, you’re welcome to take one with you. If you have concerns, a one-night spring breeze is also an option.”

Tuoba Ye’s eyes darted around. He then turned to Su Chengbo and said with righteous indignation, ”Brother Su, we can’t let Old Xi off so easily this time! Let’s go to that Hundred Flowers Banquet and drink him into poverty!”

Su Chengbo replied helplessly, ”I have important business in Shangjing. I can’t afford any delays.”

”It won’t take long, just two days! We old classmates finally got the chance to meet. No matter what, we have to have a proper gathering. It’s settled!”

Xi Jinghui then turned to Luo Kai. ”Brother Xiao Luo, please join us as well.”

Luo Kai hesitated, not saying a word. He was used to being alone and wasn’t that familiar with them yet.

Tuoba Ye walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. ”Come with us! You’re going to Shangjing, right? We can all travel together afterward. It’ll be much faster than taking some broken-down ship.”

Luo Kai smiled freely. ’I guess I’ll treat it as a way to relax.’ He nodded and said, ”Alright.”