Shackles of Humanity

Luo Kai’s injuries were severe. As sensation gradually returned to his body, he was tormented daily, half to death, by the unbearable itching and numbness of his wounds. The most serious external injuries were on his chest and abdomen. The penetrating wound on his chest was only a few centimeters from his heart and spine, while his intestines, bladder, and other organs were directly exposed.

His body’s utter depletion had stripped him of the formidable Recovery Power he once relied on. His external wounds refused to heal, and his internal organs had nearly ceased to function. He could only digest a tiny amount of food, and waste was discharged directly from the wound in his abdomen.

Even the phrase "so painful one wishes for death" could not describe his current condition. It felt as if a billion ants were gnawing at his body every day. Crucially, he could only endure it; his immense neural tolerance made it impossible for him to even pass out.

An ordinary person would never have survived such injuries, but Luo Kai was different. Over two years of training in Body Techniques and his initial glimpse into the mysterious Refining Spirit Realm had caused a fundamental change in the very essence of his life. As long as his vital organs like his heart and brain did not sustain a fatal blow, and the channels for his Energy transport were not severed, his Physical Body would not die.

The mysterious Spiritual Power also played a part. Spiritual Power is an omnipotent force. When a person’s Spiritual Will is sufficiently strong, they can directly influence the external world—for example, by perceiving the frequencies of all things in nature more clearly, or even manipulating them. Spiritual Power is not an external Energy; it ignores all physical laws. For an individual, as long as their Spiritual Will does not collapse, their consciousness will not dissipate. This was another crucial reason he had managed to survive.

...

These past few days, Luo Kai had taken to drinking. Only by relying on the Anesthesia of high-proof alcohol could his mind grow just the slightest bit hazy, easing the pain somewhat and allowing him to snatch a few moments of sleep.

Having been well-compensated by him, Big Beard took care of him dutifully each day. As time went on, Luo Kai’s atrophied internal organs gradually improved, and his bodily functions began to restart. His external wounds finally showed signs of Healing.

Luo Kai had Big Beard borrow pliers, a needle and thread, and plenty of strong liquor, then began to operate on himself. While his wounds were still open, he first extracted the bullets embedded in his body, then stitched them up. He had to ask Big Beard to help with the areas he couldn’t reach. When all the wounds had been treated, he looked like a patched-up rag doll—a truly horrifying sight.

Finally able to get out of bed and walk, Luo Kai wrapped himself up tightly, leaned on a cane, and began to wander around the poor little village.

The village was called Xiaozhuang Village and had just over a hundred households. It couldn’t be called prosperous, but securing a basic living wasn’t an issue. This world didn’t lack fertile land, only people to cultivate it, which was why the village had taken in Big Beard and his band of vagrants.

But sometimes, human laziness is beyond imagination. Big Beard and his men, accustomed to their idle ways, refused to cultivate the land they were assigned. Instead, they went from door to door every day, begging for food. Left with no other choice, the village chief could only assign them to manage the village’s collective livestock pen, which finally gave them a settled role.

With rapid advancements in bio-genetic technology, crop yields were very high as long as the land was fertile. However, due to a rigid distribution system and multiple layers of exploitation by middlemen, the lowliest farmers still struggled.

Grain prices were controlled by large-scale farms, making it difficult to sell at a good price. The only thing that was easy to liquidate for cash was large livestock. After the Great Cataclysm, the growth cycles for large livestock had become very long, taking one to two years before an animal was ready for sale. As a result, meat was very expensive. The dozen or so pigs kept in the pen were the main source of income for the village children’s annual school fees.

The villagers were simple and kindhearted. They all treated Luo Kai like an old man. No matter whose house he visited, they would always press an egg into his hands or give him some dried fruits and the like.

Before he knew it, spring had arrived. Luo Kai’s emaciated frame gradually filled out, but his face remained covered in wrinkles, and his hair was streaked with gray. He looked like a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties. The injury had effectively cost him twenty years of his life.

One day, Luo Kai came to the Nili Long Riverbank. He plunged the Three-bladed Military Dagger and the Severing Blade into the ground side-by-side before him. His expression was grave as he crouched down. He was hesitating...

The Three-bladed Military Dagger still radiated a cold aura. It wasn’t a coldness of temperature, but one that chilled a person to the core. Although the Severing Blade didn’t leak any aura, it hummed in the wind, transmitting a joyful frequency to Luo Kai. Evidently, the slaughter of that night had led it to acknowledge him as its master.

These were two Fierce Weapons, and not ordinary ones at that. They could already influence a person’s consciousness. If it weren’t for them, Luo Kai would never have gone on such a killing spree.

After hesitating for a long while, he finally made up his mind. He tore a strip from his clothing to wrap the two weapons, went to a hill on the riverbank, dug a large pit, and buried them. He felt a pang of reluctance, but he was no longer the man he once was.

He could now be described as having no more strength than a kitten. Although his exterior was gradually recovering, his body was a withered mess on the inside. Widespread death of his cells at the deepest level meant his organs functioned less efficiently than those of a man in his seventies or eighties. This was not a weakness he could recover from in a short time—he might never recover at all. Without immense Power, he could not hope to wield these two Fierce Weapons.

Luo Kai sat on the hill, staring blankly into space. ’To possess something only to lose it again is the most demoralizing feeling of all.’

A warm spring breeze blew over. The plants, having been baptized by the winter’s wind and snow, had grown sturdier and more vibrant with life. A tender, vibrant green sprout poked its head out of the ground right before his eyes.

Luo Kai couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it, carefully attuning himself to the frequency the plant emitted.

Unlike the gentle peace of flowing water, the frequency of plants was far more vibrant and ambitious. Water benefits all things without contention, but life, however, must struggle. He could clearly sense the tiny sprout’s root system digging deep into the earth, its network spreading in all directions, striving to compete with its own kind for nutrients.

Just as he was carefully attuning himself to the world of the plant, a strange frequency emanated from his pocket. Puzzled, he fumbled inside and his fingers brushed against a hard object. It was the finger-sized Tongming crystal. In the sunlight, the crystal refracted a shimmering silver halo, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

He frowned. Trying to sense it again, he could no longer find the frequency. Just as he was about to put the crystal back, shimmering white threads suddenly shot out from it, wrapping around his palm.

Luo Kai jumped in fright and hurriedly tried to pry it off, but the crystal was stuck fast to his palm. The silvery threads relentlessly pierced his skin and tissue, as if trying to forcibly merge with his body.

Even with his incredible neural tolerance, Luo Kai couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan of pain. Seeing the crystal gradually disappearing into his skin, he snatched a nearby rock and viciously smashed it down on his own hand.

The crystal was incredibly hard and remained completely unscathed, but his hand gushed blood. ’Damn it, what the hell is this thing!’ His eyes turned red. He changed his aim and brought the rock down toward his wrist. He would rather lose a hand than let this thing enter his body!

As if sensing Luo Kai’s intent, the crystal shifted its position. The silver threads moved to wrap around his severed finger instead, and before long, it had completely embedded itself there.

Luo Kai struggled for a long moment but, in the end, couldn’t bring himself to shatter his own hand. He dropped the rock and raised his hand to examine it closely.

The crystal had completely merged with his severed finger and had already connected to his nervous system. It was as if he had an extra Crystal Finger. He tried making a fist and found he could control it at will. The only difference was that it had no sense of touch, and he could feel no pain from it.

Just like that, Luo Kai studied his new finger until nightfall. By the time he returned to the village, dinnertime had passed. Big Beard had left him a few rice cakes and, slurring his words from drink, said, "Xiaoluo, don’t even think about leaving. You’re living here from now on. As long as I’ve got a meal, you’ll never go hungry. Tomorrow, we’ll go fishing on the river together. Let me tell you, there have been a ton of big fish in the Nili Long River lately, ones I’ve never seen before..."

"Mm."

Luo Kai nodded. He sometimes envied Big Beard’s carefree existence. Unfortunately, he could never be like that himself. He was a sensitive person by nature, not nonchalant and boisterous like Big Beard.