Shackles of Humanity

To be precise, this book was indeed a musical score—one that used music to interfere with the consciousness frequencies of others.

Luo Kai’s interest was piqued. His throat vibrated slightly as he began to practice, mimicking the trajectory of the dotted lines. Faint, low-frequency vibrations imperceptible to the human ear were generated. The weeds around him immediately began to sway, and the lake before him started to ripple.

When evening fell, he felt he had more or less memorized it. He placed the score back where he found it, weighted it down with another rock, and then left.

Not long after he left, a woman in a flowing white robe walked over. She picked up the score, tucked it into her robes, and shot a fierce glare at Luo Kai’s retreating back.

Luo Kai resisted the urge to turn back. ’That woman arrived a long time ago but refused to show herself, insisting on waiting until I left before coming out.’

Returning to Rufeng Valley, he saw an old man with a white beard sitting in front of his small hut, holding the little stool Luo Kai had made and examining it.

The old man’s hair and beard were completely white, but his skin was as supple as a baby’s—or, more accurately, like fine, lustrous white jade. His deep blue eyes were like two gemstones, and when they glittered, they were more brilliant than the stars in the sky. The evolution of any life form inevitably brings it closer to the Celestial Dao, which is to say, it becomes more beautiful. Time had not worn away his life; it seemed to have only left him with a head of white hair.

The crucial part was that Luo Kai couldn’t sense his aura at all. At his current level, Luo Kai could clearly perceive a simple mass of air, yet this man had already merged with the air—or perhaps, merged with the ”Dao.”

Every person’s magnetic field changes according to the energy they cultivate. Among the three Body Masters he knew best, Tuoba Ye radiated a sharp, spirited fighting spirit that constantly reminded you of his presence. Su Chengbo, on the other hand, perpetually emitted a scorching-hot radiation field, as if he himself were a nuclear reactor. Xi Jinghui was like a soft cloud, flexible and changing, yet leaving no trace. But this old man was standing right in front of him, and he couldn’t sense him in the slightest. It was remarkably similar to when he first met Su Chengbo, which meant the man was at least one level higher than him.

The white-haired old man looked at him with a grin. ”Young man, your handiwork is quite good. This stool, with its lines and curves, makes full use of the principles of physics. It must be very comfortable to sit on. How about you give it to me?”

”Of course. If you like it, sir, please take it,” Luo Kai said with a faint smile.

”Mm, well, I can’t just take your things for free. How about this: I’ll trade you for it. What do you want?”

How could Luo Kai not understand his meaning? This old man was clearly King Bo Han of the Dongyuan Upper Country, the principal of Shangjing University, Saint Master Yun Shan. There was likely nothing in this world he couldn’t produce. ’But what do I need?’ He didn’t need to eat or drink, and his other desires had faded to an extreme degree. The only thing he still pursued was the ”Dao,” and that was something no one could give him.

”I don’t really want anything,” Luo Kai said, shaking his head.

”Alright. It seems I was the one being too conventional,” Yun Shan said. He picked up the small stool and stood up, stretching his back. His body didn’t seem tall at first glance, but after stretching his limbs, he stood over two meters tall, an imposing figure.

He raised his head to look at the myriad stars in the sky and suddenly asked, ”Young man, do you believe in Destiny?”

Luo Kai frowned. He definitely wouldn’t have believed it in the past, but now he wasn’t so sure. The concept of Destiny also secretly aligned with the way of balance between Heaven and Earth. One could compare Destiny to the undulating surface of the ocean: if some places rise, others must fall. To put it simply, if some people have good luck, it must mean that many more will have bad luck.

Yun Shan said no more. Carrying the small stool, he walked away slowly. His voice drifted back from a distance, ”Of the three thousand leagues of the Ruishui River, we need only take a single scoop. You must know that a person’s power has its limits. Don’t get too caught up in appearances, and more importantly, don’t become too obsessed.”

Luo Kai stood frozen on the spot. ’That’s right. The Unity of All Laws... No matter which type of Heaven and Earth Energy one specializes in, the path can ultimately lead directly to the Celestial Dao. Have I been splitting hairs by obsessing over ’completeness’ all this time?’

He remained unsettled for the entire night. Yun Shan had clearly seen the complex and diverse energy system within his body and offered guidance because of it. His own cultivation path of simulating the cosmos was indeed too long and far too ethereal.

...

The Geomagnetic Tower was a structure that constantly emitted a composite Energy Field. Much like the Energy Storage Tower in Shangjing City, its energy source was the body of a Complete Form Fierce Beast. Once a Fierce Beast advanced to the Complete Form, a small-scale fusion energy reactor would form inside its body, perpetually radiating energy outward. The Geomagnetic Tower’s energy effect was geomagnetic gravity, while Shangjing City’s Energy Storage Tower produced Light Energy. Their effects were different.

The Geomagnetic Tower had nine floors in total. With each floor ascended, the gravity would increase exponentially. Above the eighth floor, the gravity became violent and chaotic, capable of crushing even hard metal to dust. However, the gravity on the lower floors could make a person’s muscles and bones denser. For this reason, many students rented rooms in the Geomagnetic Tower for year-round cultivation. Once they adapted to the gravity, they would feel no discomfort, meaning they could increase their strength even while sleeping.

Today was the day of the Bo Han Class open selections, and a large number of students were waiting at the base of the tower. Due to the sheer number of students, the selections would last for several days.

Several Body Masters stood on a nearby rooftop, watching the throng of students below.

Standing next to Pei Hong was another elder with a dark beard named Wengao. He was a Body Master who specialized in kinetic weapons. A Body Master could infuse their own energy into firearms, making the bullets astonishingly more powerful. His gaze was fixed on a little fatty in a corner below, his expression a mixture of heartache and anxiety.

Pei Hong followed his gaze and let out an amused chuckle. ”So, Hong Yuan is here too.”

”Yeah. That little brat is going to be the death of me. The Geomagnetic Tower is no place for him. I doubt he’ll even make it past the second floor.”

Elder Ou laughed from the side and said, ”Hong Yuan has superb dynamic vision; he’s a born gunman. It doesn’t matter if his physical conditioning is a bit poor. I’ve read this chubby kid’s fortune. He’s destined to have a benefactor in this life and will enjoy boundless good fortune in the future.”

Another Body Master, a scruffy-bearded man named Yun Peng, was clearly more interested in the slots for the Bo Han Class. He asked directly, ”Gentlemen, who do you think will get into the Bo Han Class this time?”

Elder Ou shook his head sagely and said, ”It will be the disciples from the direct lineages of the major families, of course. Their family teachings run deep, and that’s an advantage that can’t be overcome. It should be the same as the last class.

”However, this time the Royal Family has three princes at our university, and every one of them is exceptionally talented. The Eighth Prince, Qian Yuanxin, has an extraordinarily high talent for the art of combat—he can master any Body Technique just by seeing it once. Meanwhile, the Seventh Prince, Qian Yuan’an, has an extremely high affinity for Fire Energy and has already completed forty percent of his Energy Infusion.”

”Then there’s the Thirteenth Prince, Qian Yuanhong. He cultivates a Heavenly Rank Body Technique. A Heavenly Rank Body Technique is far beyond what ordinary Body Techniques can compare to. In terms of pure combat power, I’m afraid no student in the university is his match. I estimate that at least one or two members of the Royal Family will enter the Bo Han Class this time.”