Shackles of Humanity

Luo Kai extended his mental frequency and made gentle contact with the other one. It was exactly the same as back in Ironwood Castle. A sensation like an electric shock coursed through him, a tingling numbness spreading from his consciousness throughout his entire body. The feeling was exquisite. He involuntarily accelerated his Qi and Blood Circulation to increase the efficiency of the Resonance, trying to achieve a Fusion with her mental frequency.

In no time, under the pressure of his furious Spiritual Will, her frequency became like a delicate blade of grass in a storm, on the verge of being annihilated at any moment.

Luo Kai suddenly realized something. ’This doesn’t seem right.’ He hastily broke the mental connection.

The gorgeous woman who had been approaching had already collapsed limply to the ground. Her face was flushed crimson, and she stared at him with a mixture of anger and Fear.

Luo Kai stood up sheepishly. Just as he was about to apologize, the woman had already lifted the hem of her skirt and vanished into the sea of flowers like a startled rabbit.

Luo Kai watched her fleeting figure, rubbed his nose, and gave a wry smile. ’A person’s consciousness is just like their body; it’s divided into Yin and Yang. Like repels like, and opposites attract. At the same time, it also embodies the Yin Yang Five Elements. Within the Five Elements, water nourishes wood, so a Fusion between us shouldn’t have caused any problems. She might have even benefited from it. Unfortunately, my Spiritual Will doesn’t just possess the Water Frequency—it also has a ferocious Evil Energy frequency.’

’Once an Elemental Master’s mental frequency leaves the body, it’s like a computer without a firewall, leading to a battle on the spiritual level. The strong devour the weak. If that beautiful woman hadn’t withdrawn her external consciousness, she probably would have been wiped out by me. That’s even more brutal than a physical fight.’

He looked down at Zilan, which had extended a tendril to wrap around his pant leg. It, too, seemed to be complaining about how brutal he had been.

Life here was on a completely different level compared to Luo Kai’s past. He lived alone in an elegant little pavilion, ate all sorts of precious medicinal cuisines he’d never seen before, drank fragrant, fine wine, and was waited on by five or six pretty young Maids. Each had a soft, sweet voice and was utterly charming. ’This must be what they call the lap of luxury.’

That evening, Luo Kai dismissed the two young Maids from his room and walked to the pavilion window to gaze at the full moon. The Zilan on his chest once again extended a tendril, creeping to the windowsill and sinking its roots deep into a flowerpot there. It seemed that ever since arriving on the island, it didn’t want to spend another moment inside the necklace.

Luo Kai was a bit puzzled. ’It’s a shame. Although I can manage simple communication with Zilan through our frequencies, I can’t grasp its deeper thoughts. Plants are living things, so of course they have a consciousness; it’s just hard for humans to perceive and understand. Achieving frequency Resonance is the only way to communicate with them.’

The next day, the entire town began to hang lanterns and colorful streamers. Factions from every echelon of the Thousand Islands Sea would be sending representatives to attend the Hundred Flowers Banquet.

The Hundred Flowers Banquet was to be held on a small, nearby mountain named Celestial Willow Mountain, said to be the place where that Complete Form Fierce Beast had perished.

Luo Kai was drinking in the pavilion with Tuoba Ye, Su Chengbo, and Xi Jinghui. Over the past two days, he had gotten to know the three of them quite well. Tuoba Ye appeared boisterous and carefree, but he was actually quite sensitive underneath—a man of sincere passions. Su Chengbo was learned and eloquent, carrying the air of a wise elder. Xi Jinghui, however, was a deep thinker and a supreme egoist. ’He’s the type who believes in ”every man for himself, or heaven and earth will strike him down.” It’s just human nature, not inherently good or evil. It’s just that some people are too eager for quick gains and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. These different approaches are what create the distinction between good and evil.’

”Xiaokai, let’s go for a fight after we finish eating,” Tuoba Ye said, clapping a large, calloused hand heavily on Luo Kai’s shoulder.

”Not happening.” Luo Kai shoved him away in annoyance. Last night, he had seen this lug sparring with Xi Jinghui in the training yard. His own hands had started to itch, so he jumped in, only to get beaten black and blue. Without pushing his Qi and Blood Circulation to its absolute limit, he was completely unable to withstand Tuoba Ye’s ferocious Sharp Power. And the more he accelerated his Qi and Blood Circulation, the greater the stamina drain—it could even require him to burn his own qi and blood, essentially overdrawing his own life force. ’Using a technique like that in a friendly spar just isn’t worth it.’

”Sigh, I’m so bored. Old Xi, isn’t there any fun to be had?” Tuoba Ye turned his attention to Xi Jinghui.

”The Hundred Flowers Banquet is tomorrow. I guarantee you’ll have your fun then,” Xi Jinghui said with a wink, giving him a look that said it all.

Tuoba Ye waggled his eyebrows. ”Heh heh, speaking of which, who picks the Courtesan? And what for? Don’t tell me you old geezers are just adding them to your harem.”

Xi Jinghui laughed. ”There, you’re mistaken. Chongjun Island’s main product is perfume, and our Top Level Xiangsi Fragrance requires extracting a certain hormone from young women. One of the purposes of the Hundred Flowers Banquet is to select the ten most exceptional young women for this extraction.”

With that, he took out a bottle of pale red perfume. As he twisted open the cap, a strange and subtle fragrance immediately filled the air.

Luo Kai’s qi and blood involuntarily began to accelerate slightly. The subtle fragrance seemed to awaken the body’s most primal desires, yet it wasn’t an aphrodisiac. In fact, smelling it made his mind feel clearer. It also seemed to draw out emotional memories hidden in the deepest corners of his heart. It was truly marvelous.

Tuoba Ye sniffed the air deeply, his nose twitching. ”This smells so familiar,” he said in surprise. ”How is it the exact same scent as my wife?”

Xi Jinghui burst out laughing. ”Haha, that just means Brother Tuoba misses his wife! I swear, you’re always thinking about your wife, but you still love to fool around on the side!”

”So this stuff is called Xiangsi... hmm. It certainly is unique.” Exposed, a rare blush crept across Tuoba Ye’s weathered face.

”But of course. The Top Level perfume of my Chongjun Island is concocted by a Wood Element Master.”

Su Chengbo spoke up from the side. ”Brother Xi, would it be possible to invite this Elemental Master to meet with us?”

Xi Jinghui looked troubled and shook his head. ”I’m afraid not. The young lady has quite a temper. The last time I sent someone to invite her, they had the door shut in their face.”

”That’s no problem,” Su Chengbo replied. ”Since we have time, we can simply pay her a visit ourselves.”

Tuoba Ye’s expression had returned to normal, and he immediately agreed. ”Right! Let’s go meet this Wood Element Master!”

Xi Jinghui hesitated for a moment before nodding. ”Hmm... alright. But when we get there, you absolutely must be polite. Wood Element Masters are extremely rare among the Human Race.”

”Xiaokai, what are you spacing out for? Let’s go!” Tuoba Ye grabbed Luo Kai and started pulling him toward the door.

Luo Kai’s expression became a little awkward. ’The gorgeous woman I ran into yesterday is probably this very Wood Element Master who makes the perfume.’

The four of them didn’t call for a carriage, instead setting off on foot toward a distant, densely vegetated mountain peak.

As they walked, Xi Jinghui explained, ”The Wood Element Master lives on Celestial Willow Mountain. That mountain is no ordinary place—it’s where the Complete Form Fierce Beast that once ravaged the Thousand Islands Sea perished. Although its body has long since disappeared, the Fierce Beast’s will lingers, causing the vegetation there to grow with incredible density.”

Luo Kai’s expression shifted. ”Do you happen to know what kind of creature that Complete Form Fierce Beast evolved from?”

Xi Jinghui turned to look at him. ”It was a willow tree. By some stroke of fortune, it advanced to the Complete Form. Legend says its branches could stretch for a thousand miles, enough to cover the entire Thousand Islands Sea. It was absolutely terrifying.”