Shackles of Humanity

Luo Kai was startled. Despite his powerful Perception Power, he hadn’t sensed anyone eavesdropping nearby.

Tuoba Yong also turned his head. Seeing the old man’s chest-length white beard, he couldn’t help but step forward and grab a handful, smiling foolishly. ”Your beard is even longer than my grandpa’s.”

The white-bearded old man angrily slapped his hand away. Fuming, he said, ”You little rascal, you’re all grown up and you still haven’t kicked that habit of grabbing beards!”

Luo Kai couldn’t sense any aura from the old man, who felt like an empty void. He was clearly an incredibly powerful individual. Luo Kai quickly stood up, pulled Tuoba Yong back, and said, ”Sir, Xiaoyong isn’t very bright. Please don’t mind him.”

The white-bearded old man’s clear, bright eyes stared right at Luo Kai. ”For a young man to reach such a realm at your age is truly remarkable. You must be Luo Kai.”

Luo Kai was taken aback. ”You know me?”

”Well, I do now. Very good, very good.”

The old man said with a smile. The moment he finished speaking, he suddenly reached a hand toward the ground. The steel plates and earth beneath them began to flow like liquid, quickly forming a swirling vortex of mud and stone. A figure wrapped entirely in a black robe was drawn into the center of the vortex. The black-robed figure’s tentacles flailed about as it let out a series of terrified, shrill cries, but it could not break free from the vortex.

Luo Kai pulled Tuoba Yong back, and the two stared, dumbfounded, at the scene before them. In the white-bearded old man’s hands, everything around them—indeed, everything in the world—seemed to have become liquid. The dirt, steel plates, and concrete all churned endlessly.

The strange creature from beneath the ground was quickly sucked upward. Its black robe was torn to shreds, revealing its true form: an octopus with numerous tentacles. Its maw, filled with sharp teeth, constantly emitted sharp, squeaking noises. Its small eyes were filled with terror, and the blood flowing from its torn body was blue.

The white-bearded old man casually grabbed its head. In his grasp, the octopus monster was like a pile of soft mud, completely unable to resist.

”See you around, kid. I’m going to take this thing back first.”

’This old man is terrifyingly powerful.’ This octopus monster was stronger than the average Body Master, yet in his hands, it was like a clay doll. Luo Kai was utterly shaken. Looking at the trembling octopus monster, he couldn’t help but ask, ”What is that monster?”

”It’s not exactly a monster. It’s an intelligent life-form from the deep sea.” The white-bearded old man sighed. ”It seems deep-sea creatures have started appearing on land now.” He then left the basement, and the vortex of steel and stone on the floor returned to its original state.

Luo Kai frowned, lost in thought. Before the Great Cataclysm, octopuses were said to be one of the most intelligent species, perhaps even smarter than humans. Their only failing was a lack of creativity—or rather, imagination. The greatest difference between humans and other species wasn’t actually intelligence. In terms of pure intellect, some creatures had even evolved collective intelligence, a higher form than that of humanity.

What set humans apart was that, on top of their intelligence, they possessed a vast and limitless imagination. Imagination was the only power not limited by one’s own level of existence; all creativity, and everything else, stemmed from it.

The variety of life in the sea far outstripped that on land. Humanity had been able to rely on the ocean for survival, but if intelligent sea creatures decided to occupy the land, then humanity would lose its greatest pillar of support and be caught between two fronts.

”That octopus was so big. It must be delicious.” Tuoba Yong drooled at the thought.

The school lockdown finally ended. Luo Kai, who wasn’t fond of dorm life, returned to Rufeng Valley. Unfortunately, his state of mind was no longer peaceful. A nagging sixth sense urged him to grow stronger, and quickly. Only by becoming powerful could he face the potential crises of the future. But haste makes waste. With his mind in turmoil, he found it difficult to sense the immense pulse of the earth.

Tuoba Yong started visiting even more frequently. Every time he came, he would overstay his welcome and refuse to leave. No matter how Luo Kai tried to shoo him away, he would just pitifully hug his leg and refuse to let go.

Luo Kai was already in a bad mood, and this only made him more irritable. He decided to just spar with him using Body Techniques.

Tuoba Yong had the disposition of a child and loved to roughhouse, so he naturally accepted the challenge with excitement. He only knew one Body Technique, which was somewhat similar to the Spiral Force that Su Wenlin had once used. When he attacked, his fists and even his whole body would spin like a power drill, granting him extreme Penetration Power. Although his method was simple, it was a perfect example of overwhelming power beating complex skill. If Luo Kai didn’t accelerate his Qi and Blood Circulation to use his Azure Wave Force, he really wouldn’t be able to defeat him.

This Body Technique was likely the ”Celestial Net Force” that Tuoba Ye had mentioned. Tuoba Yong clearly only knew the basics. Coupled with his simple-mindedness, he only knew how to use the rotation to generate force, not how to use it for Force Discharge. Even so, it was incredibly formidable. He had already begun to undergo a Gold Attribute Energy Infusion. Gold Energy already excelled at Sharp Power, and when combined with this Body Technique, it was truly unstoppable.

...

One day, Tuoba Yong was practicing his fist techniques in front of the small hut, grunting and shouting, when he suddenly said, ”Master, teach me the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.”

Luo Kai was about to refuse, but a thought suddenly struck him. ’In this era, there are all sorts of complex and varied Body Techniques. There are techniques for hands, legs, head—every part of the body that can be used to fight an enemy—yet there are no Palm Techniques. This is simply because fists are best at unleashing Sharp Power, while palms produce a flat, dispersed force. With the optimal solution of the fist readily available, no one bothered to research Palm Techniques.’

’But on second thought, the palm isn’t necessarily inferior to the fist, especially when one’s own power is very high. A palm strike can not only generate force, but can also be used for locks and defense, making it both offensive and defensive. If the fist is ’hard,’ then the palm is ’soft.’ Relying only on ferocious force with no follow-through leaves one passive and vulnerable if an attack fails.’

Tuoba Yong continued to clamor, ”Master, my daddy has a dragon on him! I want to learn the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms!”

Luo Kai came back to his senses. He recalled that when Tuoba Ye unleashed his full energy, he did indeed manifest a dragon. ’It seems Tuoba Yong’s lifelong goal has been to defeat his old man.’

”Alright, I’ll teach you the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. But your master hasn’t fully figured out this technique yet, so don’t come back for the next couple of days. If you disturb me, I won’t teach you, and I won’t tell you any more stories.”

Tuoba Yong nodded eagerly. ”Okay! I’ll leave right now.” With that, he hurried away.

’Since I can’t calm my mind to perceive the Heaven and Earth Energy, I might as well research Body Techniques.’ Luo Kai tried throwing a palm strike. At his current level, there was actually little difference between a fist and a palm. The only subtle distinction was that a fist delivered Sharp Power, while a palm delivered a flat, pushing force.

For the next few days, Luo Kai left Rufeng Valley and wandered the surrounding mountains and wilderness. He would periodically strike the empty air with his palm, exploring the techniques of palm force. While the palm certainly couldn’t compare to the fist in terms of raw, hard power, it was superior for executing Soft Power.

The foundation of his Body Techniques was the Soft Body Technique and the Mighty Dragon Fist—one soft, one hard, in harmony with the great dao of Body Techniques. Later, using the Mighty Dragon Fist as a basis and studying the patterns of the sea tide, he had developed the Azure Wave Force. The Dharma Gate of Azure Wave Force was to transform oneself into the source of the tide, using Soft Power to support hard force, which naturally allowed him to summon the endless, layered power of a tidal wave.

’Now, why not use the Soft Body Technique as a basis to simulate the patterns of the tide and bring the Water’s Soft Power to its absolute peak? Nothing under heaven is softer than water, yet for attacking the hard and strong, nothing can surpass it!’