Shackles of Humanity

”Hey, man! I don’t think I’ve seen you around. Are you a new student this year?” the young man shouted, hopping down from the pickup truck.

Luo Kai paused and looked back. ”I am.”

The young man was very friendly. He walked over and held out his hand. ”Let’s get acquainted. My name’s Wei Zhen.”

The large calico cat also leaped down from the pickup, but it didn’t dare approach, stopping timidly by the side of the truck.

”I’m Luo Kai.” Luo Kai hesitated for a moment before shaking his hand.

”Oh? Your surname is Luo? Are you from the Northern Luo Family?”

”No.”

”Oh.” Wei Zhen was a little surprised. He shared a sort of telepathic connection with his War Beast, and a moment ago, Big Calico had warned him that the long-haired man was extremely dangerous. Big Calico was already a Growing Stage Ferocious Beast, highly sensitive to potential threats. Anyone who could make it feel endangered was definitely no ordinary person, which was why Wei Zhen had approached, hoping to make friends.

Luo Kai was rather curious about War Beasts, so he pointed at the big calico cat and asked, ”Is this your War Beast?”

”It is.”

Wei Zhen whistled, and the big calico cat cautiously padded over. Its amber eyes, fixed on Luo Kai, held a mixture of curiosity and dread. To its senses, this human was radiating a cold, sinister Evil Qi that was utterly terrifying.

Looking at the big calico cat, Luo Kai couldn’t help but think of Old Huang. ’I wonder how Old Huang is doing now,’ he thought. The Xingma Kingdom had been overrun by mutated creatures and Fierce Beasts. ’With Old Huang’s gentle nature, it must be struggling to survive in such a brutal environment.’

He sighed inwardly. ’This is just how the world is: natural selection, survival of the fittest. It wouldn’t have been right to take Old Huang with me. Creatures need to evolve through intense competition. Every living being strives for an evolution that breaks through its own limitations. No matter what the future holds, I won’t interfere. This is the way of the Celestial Dao.’

He reached out and stroked the big calico cat’s head. The fluffy fur felt pleasant. His thoughts grew calm again. ’It seems both Fierce Beasts and pets have a certain healing quality,’ he mused. Smiling, he said, ”Your big cat is very docile.”

Wei Zhen’s jaw dropped in astonishment. Others might not have known, but he certainly did: Big Calico never let anyone touch it besides him. Yet now, not only was it allowing this stranger’s touch, but it was also trembling, not daring to resist in the slightest.

Luo Kai sensed the big calico cat’s fear. With a thought, he released a gentle Water Frequency to soothe it.

To the big calico cat’s perception, the human’s aura changed once again, becoming gentle and mild. The hand stroking it seemed to carry a kind of magic, sending a pleasant tingle through its entire body. It couldn’t help but flop onto its back, legs splayed, exposing its fluffy, snow-white belly. A series of contented purrs rumbled in its throat.

Luo Kai smiled, withdrew his hand, and said to Wei Zhen, ”See you around.”

The big calico cat on the ground scrambled up. It watched Luo Kai’s retreating back, its amber eyes full of longing, looking as if it was eager to follow him.

Wei Zhen stood rooted to the spot, stunned. It took him a long moment to come to his senses. He could feel his connection with Big Calico had weakened significantly. ’He just gave it a gentle stroke, and the deep genetic bond I share with my Fierce Beast is already cracking? It’s like it wants to abandon me, its master!’

’Damn it, what kind of power was that?!’

...

Luo Kai wasn’t fond of the campus commotion, so he walked toward the forests in the surrounding mountains. The mountain range around Shangjing University had a peculiar quality, almost like a Dharma Gate that secretly conformed to the Space Path. Approaching it caused one to lose their sense of direction; those inside couldn’t get out, and those outside couldn’t get in. He found this fascinating and wanted to investigate it.

Many small animals still lived among the mountains. Listening to the birds chirping overhead, he was able to cast aside the thoughts that had been disturbing his peace of mind.

Suddenly, from up ahead, he faintly heard a clamor of angry shouts and the clash of weapons. The fighting sounded intense. ’This is strange,’ he thought. Body Techniques were combat skills, and Shangjing University didn’t forbid students from sparring. However, high-intensity battles had to take place in designated training grounds. This place was far from the center of campus; there definitely wouldn’t be a training ground here.

His curiosity piqued, he walked toward the sound of the fight. He appeared to be taking a leisurely stroll, but his speed was incredible, already resembling the Shrinking Inches technique Su Chengbo had once used. Each step covered dozens of meters, and he quickly arrived at the source of the noise.

In a valley clearing, two groups of people—several dozen in all—were in a standoff, hurling insults at each other without pause. A few of them had already come to blows, the clang of their weapons echoing through the valley. The scene was incredibly heated. Spectators had also gathered around the clearing in small groups, all looking eager to jump into the fray.

A brawl of this scale had to have been prearranged. Luo Kai glanced around, looking for someone he could ask about the situation.

Under a large tree to his left, three students were gathered, their faces red with excitement. They looked as if they were ready to charge down and join the fight at any moment.

Luo Kai walked over and asked, ”Excuse me, do you know what’s going on here?”

The three young men immediately grew wary. ”Who are you?”

”My name is Luo Kai. I’m a new student.”

The three of them finally relaxed. One, a student with delicate features, sized him up. ”A new student, huh? You haven’t joined a side yet, have you?”

’Gangs? Even at Shangjing University, the so-called Body Technique Sacred Land?’ Luo Kai wondered.

Luo Kai was bewildered. ”Join what side?”

”The Shifang Association and that bullshit Qiantian Square, of course. What class are you in? Didn’t your class president tell you about it?”

Luo Kai couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words on them. With a flicker of his thoughts, an invisible Spiritual Power radiated from his body. The three students’ eyes immediately went dull, and they robotically recounted the entire story in detail.

It turned out that Shangjing University was also entangled in the conflict between nobles and commoners. The university prided itself on providing education for all without discrimination, admitting students based on talent alone, regardless of their background. Consequently, a large number of students from commoner families enrolled every year.

The children of the nobility, on the other hand, possessed immense resources, and their Acquired circumstances could make up for any Innate deficiencies. A select few from prominent families even inherited powerful bloodlines, granting them exceptional talent. A good number of them were also admitted to the university each year.

Due to their different backgrounds and ideals, friction was inevitable. The noble students were accustomed to lording their status over others and possessed an innate sense of superiority. Naturally, the commoner students resented this. This led to the formation of two opposing factions: the Shifang Association, which represented the commoners, and Qiantian Square, for the nobles. Shangjing University’s regulations were extremely strict, so at first, the conflict remained covert, with neither side daring to engage in open confrontation. However, the underlying tensions continued to escalate.

The incident that lit the fuse was, on the surface, a trivial and rather cliché affair—though for the people involved, it was anything but. A student named Wang Hong was in a relationship with a girl named Nina. Both were commoners. Since humanity had strongly encouraged procreation after the great cataclysm, and the program at Shangjing University was a full ten years long, the school did not forbid students from marrying. In fact, it even provided special housing for married couples.

Everything had been going well for them, and they were already discussing marriage. Some time ago, however, Nina caught the eye of a noble student named Gu Bin. Faced with an onslaught of Gu Bin’s immense wealth and Genetic Potions, Nina ended up in his arms.

Utterly heartbroken and enraged, Wang Hong stormed into Qiantian Square to challenge Gu Bin to a duel. He was defeated and severely injured. One of his legs was shattered beyond any hope of repair. For a Body Technique Cultivator, losing a leg meant their entire future was ruined. This incident instantly triggered an uprising among the commoner students, and the long-simmering conflict finally erupted.