Shackles of Humanity

Luo Kai stood on the deck of the airship’s gondola, watching the crowd below shrink into the distance. The scene felt familiar. That’s right—it was one of the scenes Xiaoxue had described. In the end, he still couldn’t escape the shackles of fate.

He sighed to himself, returned to his seat, and sat down. His hands and feet were firmly bound by a set of black shackles. He had no idea what kind of metal these shackles were made of. They would contract or expand with his muscles and were incredibly tough.

This was an extremely advanced airship. A hydrogen-filled gasbag provided its buoyancy, while the turbines of a fuel-burning engine propelled it forward. Although its flight speed wasn’t fast, it was very fuel-efficient, capable of staying airborne for half a month, making it suitable for long-distance travel.

Besides Li Hong and five Swordsmen carrying greatswords on their backs, there were also five or six support staff on the airship who piloted it, cooked, and performed maintenance. They all looked at Luo Kai with curiosity.

The Dongyuan Upper Country had an extremely detailed classification system for Body Technique Cultivators. For instance, those skilled with swords were called Swordsmen, and those skilled with blades were also called Swordsmen. These five men carrying golden greatswords were Great Swordsmen, equivalent to High-level Martial Artists. They were geniuses handpicked by the Judgement Department from all the human nations as the most suitable for cultivating Body Techniques. Trained and taught Sword Skills from a young age, they were truly living weapons.

Ever since boarding the airship, the five Swordsmen had sat down in perfect formation. Their gazes never left Luo Kai, their faces were expressionless, and they didn’t utter a sound.

Luo Kai was also in a dark mood and couldn’t be bothered to ask about anything. He closed his eyes, his thoughts turning grim. ’This time, I’m really going to be imprisoned forever. I’ll be treated like a lab rat, dissected and studied by others at will. This feeling of my fate being completely in someone else’s hands is just too damn frustrating.’

Li Hong stood at the prow of the gondola, studying Luo Kai. His gaze was somewhat complex and unreadable.

Night had completely fallen, and bright Fluorescent Stone Lamps lit up on the vessel. These lamps were made from a special chemical fluorescent powder that stored Light Energy during the day and released it at night.

Of course, their brightness couldn’t compare to electric lights, but they were much better than candles or torches. Moreover, their manufacturing process must have been very special, as they would release varying amounts of light based on the ambient light level—the darker it got, the brighter they shone.

Humanity’s creativity was astonishing. Even without electricity, they could create substitutes based on fundamental knowledge of physics and chemistry.

...

The airship drifted alone in the night sky, like a single star blending into the vast and boundless Starry Sky.

A glass shield rose around the gondola, blocking out the biting night wind. The Kitchen Maid served a lavish dinner of red wine and fine steak. Modern people were becoming less and less picky about food, preferring simple yet nutritious meals.

Li Hong took a sip of wine and asked Luo Kai, "You’re Luo Kai?"

Luo Kai ignored him, silently tearing at his steak.

"Haha, quite the temper. Do you think the Forbidden Spirit Prison is some kind of terrible place? Let me be honest with you. The Forbidden Spirit Prison is under the School of Life Sciences, which is part of the Genetic Research Association. There, aside from not having any freedom, your every need will be met. You just have to be obedient and cooperate with the research."

Luo Kai swallowed a mouthful of rare steak and said coolly, "You’re much more talkative than before."

Li Hong smiled. "Is that so? Heh, I’m actually quite interested in you. Do you know how many Sha Qi Resonators have appeared in humanity since the Great Cataclysm?"

Before Luo Kai could speak, Li Hong held up his fingers. "Three. You are the fourth."

"Oh. So I’m a national treasure, then," Luo Kai smirked.

"You could say that. But you’re not the same as the first three. You can also wield Elemental Energy. You must understand, all forms of energy are mutually exclusive. I’ve seen many cultivators who practice Dual Cultivation of Body and Spirit, but you are the first I’ve seen who cultivates both Elemental and Chaos Energy!"

A flicker of astonishment crossed the otherwise expressionless faces of the five Swordsmen at the table. A High-tier Martial Artist was already at the pinnacle of this stage. The next step was to find a way to use external energy to advance to the rank of Body Master. Unlike Elemental Masters, who seek a harmonious resonance with external energy, Martial Artists had to use external energy to forcibly infuse and reconstruct their bodies.

The Judgement Department has a complete cultivation system for Light Energy. Most will use Light Energy infusion to break through their biological limits. The infusion process can be described as a one-in-ten chance of survival; most are purified into ash by the Light Energy. Even those who luckily survive are not guaranteed to advance to Body Master. It only means the Light Energy no longer rejects their body. Advancing to Body Master still requires a great deal of serendipity.

The cultivation path of an Elemental Master, on the other hand, is completely different. They seek to merge their spiritual consciousness with all things, a Unity of Heaven and Man on a conscious level.

Li Hong looked at him intently and continued, "Furthermore, your Blood Qi is immense, which means your Body Technique Cultivation is also extremely high. To be honest, if you hadn’t resonated with Evil Energy, I would have very much liked to take you as my disciple."

Luo Kai chugged a large mouthful of wine. "I didn’t want to resonate with Evil Energy either, but it’s already happened. Do you people have any solution?"

Li Hong shook his head. "That’s something on the spiritual plane. It remains a mystery to humanity."

Luo Kai sighed, rattling the shackles on his hands. "What is this thing made of? It’s way too tight. Can you loosen it a bit?"

"It’s a mimetic metal, derived from Extraterrestrial Creatures. If you relax your muscles, it will loosen up too."

Luo Kai asked in astonishment, "This thing has its own consciousness?"

"No, it only has its instincts left. That’s why we can use it."

"Are Extraterrestrial Creatures real?"

"Of course. The very purpose of our Heretic Judgment Bureau is to deal with them!" Li Hong’s expression turned solemn.

"Then what do these Extraterrestrial Creatures look like?" Luo Kai was greatly intrigued.

Li Hong hesitated for a moment before saying, "They don’t have a fixed form. They could be a rock, a plant, or even anyone around you. This mimetic metal is one of their limbs. It can simulate any life form, even matter. When it simulates a human, it becomes a carbon-based body of flesh and blood. When it simulates a rock, it naturally becomes a rock."

Luo Kai’s expression changed. "So you’re saying that even if they’re living in human society, you can’t tell them apart?"

"Correct. Our eyes can’t distinguish them, but our spirits can. The spiritual frequency of Extraterrestrial Creatures is completely different from that of this world’s beings."

Luo Kai nodded. Every individual living being is unique, and similarly, the frequency of the magnetic field they emit is also unique. This was indeed the only way to identify them. He thought for a moment, then asked, "Then what is the purpose of the Extraterrestrial Creatures for coming to our world?"

Li Hong waved for the Kitchen Maid to bring a few more bottles of wine. "They are akin to a type of civilizational parasite. They absorb all the knowledge a civilization produces, and when they feel they’ve taken enough, they destroy that civilization. Since the dawn of human civilization, our wise predecessors discovered them, which is why the Judgement Department was established to eliminate these parasites."

Before they knew it, it was the middle of the night. The two of them had gradually opened up. Having lived two lives, Luo Kai was not only well-versed in various fields of natural science but also had exceptionally unique insights into the way of Body Techniques. As a Body Master, Li Hong was also extremely knowledgeable and well-traveled. They talked about everything from the Dongyuan Upper Country to the Sea Race, to the mountain-sized clan of Titan Giants, and even the mysterious Abyssal Clan. As they conversed freely about the world, they developed a better impression of one another.