Shackles of Humanity

Luo Kai returned to his seat, his mind still immersed in his earlier thoughts. ’Humanity’s perception of beauty, its craving for power, and even its need for survival and procreation all stem from genetic memory,’ he mused. ’It could be called instinct or human nature, and consciousness is merely following instinct’s lead.’

’Consciousness is Acquired, but genetic memory is Innate. If Innate genetic memory is a computer’s operating system, then Acquired consciousness is just a derivative built on that foundation...’

"Hey, I don’t think I’ve seen you around. I’m Hao Fei." A tall young man walked over and patted him on the shoulder, interrupting his train of thought.

Luo Kai looked up at him and said, "I’m Luo Kai."

Making himself at home, Hao Fei sat down across from Luo Kai and smiled. "I saw you were just with Principal Liu. Are you two close?"

"He’s my teacher."

"You’re Principal Liu’s fourth disciple?" Hao Fei exclaimed, his loud voice immediately drawing the attention of everyone else in the car. Several other students walked over, crowding around Luo Kai and asking eagerly, "You’re really Principal Liu’s disciple?"

"Mhm." Luo Kai was growing impatient. He preferred quiet.

Hao Fei said eagerly, "Luo, uh... you can call me Da Fei. You must have learned Principal Liu’s Round Extreme Body Technique, right? Do you have time to teach us a move or two?"

Suppressing his annoyance, Luo Kai shook his head. "I haven’t learned it yet."

Hao Fei stared at him in disbelief, as did the other students. But Luo Kai had already turned to look out the window, clearly signaling he was done with the conversation.

A pimply-faced teenager, annoyed by Luo Kai’s cold shoulder, scoffed, "He’s really putting on airs. So what if he has a famous teacher?"

"Yeah, what’s so great about that!"

"Let’s go, let’s go. If he doesn’t want to teach us, we don’t need to stay here and get the cold shoulder!"

With just a few simple words, Luo Kai had offended the whole group. He understood they didn’t really mean any harm; they were just young and hot-headed. ’Everyone was young once,’ he thought. He sighed softly, turned back around, and said, "The Round Extreme Body Technique was developed from Sumo Wrestling. It emphasizes the Grapple Locking Technique and excels in Close-Range Combat. However, it has one crucial prerequisite: you must have immense personal Power. This is the foundation for all Body Techniques..."

The students who had been about to leave all stopped in their tracks. Anyone who studied Body Techniques was deeply passionate about them. The Round Extreme Body Technique was the signature skill of a High-level Martial Artist; it was bound to be extraordinary. Even gaining a superficial understanding of it would be immensely helpful.

Seeing the students’ eager expressions, Luo Kai was momentarily struck by a feeling of déjà vu, as if he were a teacher in a past life. He elaborated, "I know you all think a High-level Martial Artist’s signature skill must be something special, but the greatest truths are the simplest. Even the most basic Body Technique will produce different results depending on who uses it. Take Military Boxing, for instance. It has only two key points, yet it covers both offense and defense."

"Furthermore, Body Techniques are combat skills. Life-and-death battles are the key to honing those skills. In a fight, your mind, body, and even your Spirit must achieve a state of unity. When you reach this fusion of mind and body, any technique can unleash tremendous power. You may not even need techniques at all, because your body’s instincts are the ultimate technique... It is, as they say, ’using no way as way, having no limitation as limitation.’ That is the true pinnacle of Body Techniques!"

Luo Kai spoke eloquently, but the students mostly stared back with blank expressions. For students who had never been in a real fight, his insights were simply too profound. There was more he hadn’t said—about breaking through one’s own limits—but that was something one could only begin to grasp after entering the Refining Spirit Realm. In the end, he could only say, "One day, when you face a true life-and-death test, you might understand my words."

Although the students didn’t fully comprehend, they felt a faint sense of truth in his words. As he spoke, it was as if an inexplicable power carried his voice deep into their Mind Spirits. Memories of their own Body Technique training flooded their thoughts, leaving them all in a momentary daze.

In the vestibule between the train cars, Liu Hou was also lost in thought. He had heard Luo Kai explaining the Round Extreme Body Technique to the students and had come over, curious to listen. He never expected to hear words that would resonate so deeply with him.

At his level, he naturally understood that Luo Kai was sharing priceless combat experience, words that even touched upon the fundamental principles of Body Techniques. He murmured to himself, ’He’s right. Why be shackled by techniques? The body’s own instinct is the ultimate technique!’

As Luo Kai shared the insights into Body Techniques he’d gained over the past two years, he found himself lost in contemplation as well. He had once thought about creating a Fusion of the Soft Body Technique and the Mighty Dragon Fist. But as his understanding of Body Techniques deepened, he suddenly realized he’d been going about it all wrong.

’What is Fusion, anyway?’ he thought. ’When I’m in a combat state, whether it’s the Soft Body Technique, the Mighty Dragon Fist, or even the twisted attack patterns of the Snake-man, everything I’ve ever learned emerges naturally. It’s all become instinct. The concept of Fusion is irrelevant. Every Body Technique has flaws—that is the way of the Celestial Dao. A perfect, flawless technique simply doesn’t exist.’

...

The trains in this world were slow. The journey to Jinlan Prefecture took about seven or eight hours. The prefecture was located in a region known as the Jinlan Plain, a fertile alluvial plain with a large population. Consequently, its industry and economy were the strongest in the area. Like Longyang City, Jinlan Prefecture was divided into an Outer City and an Inner City, separated by a massive wall some ten meters high. This had become the standard design for human cities after the Great Cataclysm, built to defend against potential attacks from Fierce Beasts.

Nearly twenty students from Pan Shi Sports School were participating in the competition this time. Liu Hou led the group, accompanied by three other teachers. The students who could attend the sports school were generally not from ordinary families, and the school itself was quite wealthy. They checked directly into the largest hotel in Jinlan Prefecture, booking over a dozen rooms.

The hotel was called the Jinlan Hotel. At thirty stories, it was considered a skyscraper in this world. It had four or five hundred rooms, and most of the competitors from across the country were staying there. In addition to students from sports schools, there were also many independent Body Technique Cultivators. Though they lacked formal training, many were exceptionally talented individuals whose combat strength might even surpass that of the school-trained students.

Liu Hou arranged a private room for Luo Kai and then hurried out to meet some old friends. Around midnight, he came knocking on Luo Kai’s door, reeking of alcohol. He stumbled in and immediately cursed, "Damn it! I don’t know what deal those bastards from the Body Technique Association made, but they got the military to send five Martial Artists. Looks like they plan on sweeping the top five!"

Not one of the twenty-odd students from Pan Shi Sports School was a Martial Artist, and the other schools were in a similar situation. The outcome was predictable.

Luo Kai wasn’t particularly concerned. Competitions like this were bound to be full of backroom deals. If Liu Hou could bring him in to compete, it was certain others had the same idea.