Shackles of Humanity

Ou Ning pointed to the detailed diagram of human meridians on the board and said, ”Heaven and Earth are divided into Yin and Yang, and the same is true for the human body’s meridians. These meridians are also the most crucial channels for transporting Energy. Highly condensed Energy will assimilate everything and reshape the human body. The first step of Energy Infusion is to guide external Energy to transform one’s own meridians. Then, you gradually transform your limbs and internal organs. You become a Body Master when there’s no longer any rejection between yourself and the external Energy, and the two have completely fused.”

After she finished speaking, her gaze seemed to drift unintentionally to a corner of the classroom where Luo Kai was sitting.

Just as class was about to end, Ou Ning suddenly added, ”In three days, the university is planning to reopen the Bo Han Class. Anyone who’s confident in their abilities can sign up.”

The classroom immediately erupted into excited discussion. The Bo Han Class was taught by none other than Saint Master Yun Shan himself—the president of Shangjing University, King Bo Han of the Dongyuan Upper Country, and the honorary chairman of the Physique Martial Arts Association. The class didn’t run on a fixed schedule and only accepted nine students at a time. Though the class was small, the success rate for becoming a Body Master was astonishingly high. Five of the nine students from the last session had successfully advanced, making it the most coveted opportunity for all Body Technique Cultivators.

Luo Kai was also surprised. ’That white-bearded old man I met the other day must have been Saint Master Yun Shan. That old man was terrifying. It seemed like anything could turn into liquid in his hands. His true strength probably far surpasses that of a Body Master, perhaps even transcending the limits of human life.’

Su Chengbo and his two companions had all been students in the Bo Han Class. Each of them cultivated different Body Techniques and focused on different Energies, yet Saint Master Yun Shan had guided them all to become Body Masters. This proved his understanding of the universal Dao had reached an incredibly profound level.

”Teacher Ou, can we sign up even though we just enrolled this year?”

”Yes, all students are eligible. However, you’ll have to pass a preliminary selection. I don’t know the specific details yet, but it will likely involve reaching the top of the Geomagnetic Tower. Even High-level Martial Artists have a low chance of success, and for Mid-level Martial Artists, the odds are practically zero. You should all think it over carefully.”

After class, Luo Kai calmed his mind and began flipping through a book on human meridians. He sank his spiritual consciousness into his body, matching what he felt with the book’s contents and sensing the most subtle changes within himself.

When he was in a state of rest, his breathing was long and drawn out. His viscous blood flowed very slowly, and his heart beat only once every long while. However, the Energy filtered by this process was enough to maintain his body’s normal functions. When he needed to unleash his power, his heart rate could easily reach several hundred beats per minute, like a machine running at full throttle. The resulting immense power was in no way inferior to that of a Body Master who had undergone Energy Infusion.

Every time he comprehended a new type of Energy, his physical constitution would improve by a level, and his control over his body would grow stronger. He could even control his hair. After he cut his waist-long hair, it stopped growing. ’I thought that keeping a head of tough, controllable long hair could be a weapon against enemies, but it’s just too awkward for a grown man to have long hair. It seems my Mental Realm isn’t high enough yet. I still care what other people think.’

There was no precedent for his Cultivation Method, and no one could teach him anything, so he wasn’t very interested in the Bo Han Class.

”Hey, you’re Luo Kai, right? It’s time to pay the class fee. It’s two thousand Star Dollars per person.” A slender girl with a delicate, oval face and pretty features walked over.

Luo Kai was taken aback and looked up. Shangjing University waived tuition and miscellaneous fees, so why was the class collecting a fee? He felt his empty pockets and hesitated. ”Excuse me... may I ask what this class fee is for?”

But the girl didn’t answer. Instead, she stared blankly into his eyes, motionless, as if her soul had left her body.

Luo Kai realized what had happened. He hadn’t retracted his Spiritual Power. He now understood the power of the spirit; the eyes were the windows to the soul and also the external conduits for Spiritual Power. His immense Spiritual Power made his eyes seem like vortexes made of stars, capable of easily ensnaring an ordinary person’s mind and spirit.

He blinked, and the divine light in his eyes faded. The girl finally snapped out of it. She covered her burning face and lowered her head, not daring to look at him, but she couldn’t help sneaking glances from the corner of her eye.

Luo Kai felt a little helpless. ’Looks like I’ll have to be extremely careful with my every word and action from now on, or things could get troublesome.’ He asked again, ”What is this class fee for?”

The girl kept her head down and explained in a barely audible whisper, ”The university doesn’t charge tuition or miscellaneous fees, but we have to buy some of our own equipment. Also, the monthly assessment is at the Geomagnetic Tower, and that costs two thousand Star Dollars per person, per visit.”

”Can I give it to you tomorrow?” Luo Kai had some money back in his room; he just didn’t have it on him.

”Mhm.” The girl’s face was flushed crimson as she glanced at him, then walked away slowly, looking back every few steps.

A student nearby who had witnessed the whole thing couldn’t help but lean over and ask in a low voice, ”Bro, how did you do that? Teach me.”

”I can’t teach you.” Luo Kai shook his head, feeling a major headache coming on, and hurriedly left the classroom.

On the way back, he spent the entire time thinking about how to keep a low profile. Ever since he resonated with Wood Element Energy, the mutually reinforcing Water and Wood Energy had formed a small cycle within him. Both his body and his spirit were gradually evolving toward the form of an optimal lifeform. His physical temperament had shifted from graceful back to heroic and martial, and his features were conforming more and more to the aesthetic golden ratio. If he weren’t constantly suppressing it with his Spiritual Power, he would undoubtedly attract an abnormal amount of attention.

In front of the small house, Tuoba Yong was practicing the Mighty Dragon Fist with shouts of ”HUFF! HUFF! HAH! HEY!” The difference was, he wasn’t using his fists, but his palms. The influence of wuxia was truly endless and a perfect fit for this era. Things that were once profound and mysterious had now become possible.

”Master, can you teach me how to develop Inner Strength? You can’t use the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms without it.”

Luo Kai said casually, ”The Gold Attribute Energy in your body is your Inner Strength. You just have to figure out how to channel it into your palms.”

”Oh, my Inner Strength is too weak. Nope, I’m going back to practice my Inner Strength!”

Luo Kai returned to his small house, took out the necklace from under his shirt, and stroked it gently, enjoying a moment of peace.

Ever since he arrived at Shangjing University, Zilan had fallen into a kind of hibernation. However, it still emitted a faint, familiar frequency. The Wood Element’s Elemental Essence was completely different from the others. Strictly speaking, a Wood Element Elemental Essence was also a type of Fierce Beast and needed to be nurtured from generation to generation. It was possible to cultivate a new one, of course, but a plant’s lifespan was far too long compared to a human’s.

After a long while, he put the necklace away, sat cross-legged on the floor, and closed his eyes to continue comprehending the pulse of the earth. His spiritual consciousness gradually sank deep into the Earth’s Surface. The shallow layers were rich with life; countless tangled roots of weeds formed a magical Underground Space, home to numerous insects and ants. Deeper still, he could feel a powerful, heart-like thrumming. This power was eternal, profound, and heavy. This was the Earth Power!

Although he could sense it, achieving resonance with it would still be a long process. He might never succeed in his lifetime, or he might connect with the Earth Power through a chance thought. It required a great deal of serendipity.