Shackles of Humanity

That evening, Luo Kai stood on the window ledge, a warm sea breeze washing over him. His consciousness ebbed and flowed with the tide, and in a daze, his body and mind seemed to merge as one with the ocean. After absorbing the juice of the Yao Yue Liu, his affinity with the flow of water had deepened yet again. His every move, every word, every action, and even every thought were now deeply attuned to the frequency of the Water Element. A single, casual word spoken during the day could stir a resonance in the seawater. ’This must be what the legends call ”Words and Laws Follow,”’ he thought.

Specks of the Essence of Water rose from the surface of the sea, swarming toward him. Under the night sky, they resembled dazzling streams of fireflies.

”Water benefits all things and does not compete.” Every time his affinity with the flow of water increased, his mind grew more tranquil. The agitation that the Evil Energy brought to his thoughts became fainter and fainter.

Unfortunately, the Dark Energy had now mixed in as well. His long hair floated up gently, and his blood ran cold. A feeling of warmth pulsed from the night and the moonlight, and a pair of sharp canines protruded from his mouth. For the past few days, as soon as night fell, his consciousness would involuntarily expand with the darkness, uncontrollably sensing the frequency of the Dark Energy.

He reluctantly gave up on absorbing the Essence of Water and looked up at the full moon. Zilan, nestled on his chest, sensed his thoughts. It extended a tendril that crept onto his shoulder and nuzzled his neck gently. Zilan had also undergone some changes since they left the mountain stream. Its once-green leaves and branches had started to turn black, and the frequency it emitted had become much more distinct.

Suddenly, the feeling of eyes on his back pricked at him. Someone was secretly spying on him. His expression hardened as the night extended his Perception limitlessly outward.

While the Dark Energy was a nuisance, some benefits were beginning to emerge. During the day, he could only sense environmental changes within a one- to two-kilometer radius, but at night, his range of perception doubled. He instantly located the source and turned to look toward a group of villas in the distance.

Luo Kai was about to leap from the window ledge to investigate when Su Chengbo’s voice reached his ear. ”Xiaoluo, don’t bother. They’re secret agents from the Royal Family.”

Xi Jinghui’s cold voice followed. ”Hmph, a pack of dogs dares to spy on us? I’ll go kill them all!”

”Brother Xi, you mustn’t. Even when you beat a dog, you have to consider its master. Old Bai just left, and now the Royal Family’s secret agents are at our door. It seems the news about the Yao Yue Liu has already leaked. Let’s wait and see how things play out.”

Tuoba Ye blustered, ”What, are they planning to rob us? Do they think we’re pushovers?!”

”I doubt they’d dare to rob us, but they’ll probably try to ask for a share of the benefits.”

The voices of the three men were condensed into fine threads, circulating between several rooms in the villa without leaking out in the slightest. This was a technique of Body Masters. The Dharma Gate for Condensing Sound into Threads was not complicated. Sound naturally diffuses, but a Body Master could compress the sound waves within a certain range, even condensing them into a fine thread to transmit directly to a target’s ear. This not only greatly increased the transmission distance but also eliminated any risk of being overheard.

This Dharma Gate required a high degree of bodily control and a certain amount of Spiritual Power. For Luo Kai, it wasn’t difficult; he learned it after just listening for a few moments. He had learned many small tricks like this from the three Body Masters over the past few days. He didn’t understand the political dynamics of the Dongyuan Upper Country and asked, somewhat puzzled, ”So, are we going to give them anything?”

”Hell no! They want to get something out of me? Not a chance in hell!” Tuoba Ye cursed.

The next day, they packed up their things and split into two fuel-powered cars. They drove toward Shangjing, one car in front and one behind, flanking a large truck that carried the branches of the Yao Yue Liu.

The route was lined with industrial zones, clamoring with the sounds of machinery, and lush, green farmland. All sorts of vehicles streamed endlessly along the asphalt highway. It gave Luo Kai the feeling of being in another world again, and he stared out the window in a daze.

Xinyi Port was like a gateway to Shangjing, only a little over a hundred kilometers away. Soon, a massive city appeared before them. It was situated in a basin, encircled by mountains that had all been converted into military bases, forming a semi-natural line of defense.

This city was the capital of the Dongyuan Upper Country and also the largest current settlement of the Human Race, boasting a population of nearly ten million—far more than the entire population of the Xingma Kingdom.

The vehicles didn’t enter the city proper, instead driving up to the entrance of a suburban manor where a huge castle stood. Su Chengbo, in the front car, stopped and walked over. ”Brother Tuoba, Xiaokai, why don’t you come to my place and rest for a bit?”

Tuoba Ye snuck a peek inside and whispered, ”Nope. I can’t handle that old man of yours.”

Su Chengbo gave a helpless smile and turned to Luo Kai. ”Xiaokai, you don’t have a place to stay yet, do you? You can stay with me.”

Before Luo Kai could answer, Tuoba Ye hastily interjected, ”Xiaokai is with me.”

Su Chengbo didn’t press the issue. He knew Luo Kai had a free-spirited personality and likely wouldn’t enjoy staying at someone else’s home.

”Alright then. I’ll come find you two at your place in a couple of days.”

But Tuoba Ye waved his hand. ”Don’t come to my house. You know I don’t go home. Just meet us at the Changyue Hotel. I keep a room there long-term.”

Xi Jinghui walked over, grinning. ”Brother Tuoba, it’s been so long. If you don’t go back, what if your wives, you know...”

Tuoba Ye didn’t get angry at all. Instead, he sighed dramatically. ”My women are all hopelessly devoted to me. I can’t shake them off even if I try. *Sigh*!”

After bidding farewell to Su Chengbo, Tuoba Ye drove Luo Kai into Shangjing City.

Airships occasionally glided across the sky, along with small flocks of Winged People. The city’s streets were a tangled web, lined with skyscrapers. There was even a colossal, pyramid-shaped building several hundred meters tall that pierced the clouds. At its very peak seemed to be a giant gemstone that glittered brilliantly in the sunlight.

Luo Kai was mesmerized. He felt as if he were no longer on Earth but had arrived on an alien planet. Pointing at the pyramid-shaped building, he asked, ”What is that structure?”

Tuoba Ye chuckled. ”That’s an Energy Storage Tower, a High-Power Weapon specifically designed to deal with High-Level Fierce Beasts!”

”Do Fierce Beasts attack here, too?”

”Of course, and more than once. The Fierce Beasts know this is the human capital. They don’t attack often, but when they do, it’s a bloodbath. The most dangerous attack involved five Complete Form Fierce Beasts at once. Even the Energy Storage Tower was nearly destroyed.”

Luo Kai was shocked. ”Then how did you deal with it?”

Tuoba Ye’s expression grew grim, and he sighed. ”What else could we do? We threw our lives at them.”

They arrived in front of a tall building with a sign that read ”Changyue Hotel.” The security guard at the entrance was clearly very familiar with Tuoba Ye and hurried forward. ”Mr. Tuoba, welcome back.”

Tuoba Ye tossed him the keys. ”Have the car sent back to the Su Family, then get me another room next to mine.”

”Yes, sir.” The guard nodded eagerly and rushed back into the lobby.

The hotel was incredibly luxurious. With several dozen floors, it qualified as a skyscraper in this world. The ground was paved with marble tiles polished to a mirror shine, and from the ceiling hung Fluorite Lamps that glittered like shattered stars. A mechanical elevator led directly to the upper levels. Tuoba Ye’s room was on the top floor—a deluxe suite with a bird’s-eye view of the city.