Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Buddha Sound Body Refining Technique
In the lecture hall, twenty "lucky audience members" in blue and white school uniforms sat in the front rows.
In front of each person was a metal box. Countless cables ran from the boxes to metal helmets, whose surfaces flickered intermittently with indicator lights.
Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought this was some kind of cyber-meditation.
When the "experience session" began and the strange helmets activated, all the lucky students fell silent. No one knew what to expect.
Meanwhile, on the side of the lecture hall, the marketing manager of the Vajra Sect was speaking in low voices with a few colleagues.
"I don’t know if this will go smoothly... The previous few schools were all complete failures."
As a mid-level manager for the Vajra Sect, he wasn’t wearing monk’s robes or traditional clothing, but a formal suit that faintly exuded an aura of overwhelming wealth.
The robes were just for show, worn for the followers... Even the head monks at the temple didn’t have the habit of wearing them after work.
Robes weren’t convenient for driving their sports cars.
A subordinate at his side said, "If the results here at Nanliang are still poor, I’m afraid this project will be stalled..."
But the Vajra Sect manager shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the broke-ass students.
"We’ve already made our way from top-tier city high schools all the way out to suburban ones. If we still don’t get results, we’ll just have to keep going down the ladder. Third-rate county towns, rural villages, whatever it takes..."
Giving up was not an option.
"To cultivate the Vajra Sect’s image of keeping up with the times and to boost our high-tech industry stock premium, the temple spent a fortune collaborating with ’Biological Domain’ to get this setup."
The subordinate whispered, "Manager Shi, do you think ’Biological Domain’ gave us a half-finished product? The results are a far cry from what was promised when the project was initiated."
Manager Shi decided to get his subordinate on the same page:
"Body Forging just by listening to music was a brand-new concept to begin with. The fact that we have any results at all is already a surprise."
"The ’Vajra Sect’ and ’Biological Domain’ are in a joint venture, not an investment partnership. According to the contract, if we can’t bring this to market within two years, ’Biological Domain’ will buy back the technological ownership rights and compensate the Vajra Sect for a portion of its investment."
"Originally, that was a clause the Abbot insisted on adding because he was afraid of losing the investment. But now it’s turned into an advantage for ’Biological Domain.’ They think very highly of this unexpected result and are just waiting to take it back and have it all for themselves... That’s why the temple is in such a rush..."
Thinking of a behemoth like ’Biological Domain’, Manager Shi felt the pressure...
The Vajra Sect was a time-honored brand undergoing a transformation. Apart from its old secret formulas and cultivation techniques, its R&D capabilities were not strong.
Only by quickly obtaining enough data and greasing the wheels to get market approval could they hold on to the ownership of the "Buddha Sound Body Refining Technique."
In the future, they would still have to cooperate with "Biological Domain," but at least they could enjoy half the profits.
If they couldn’t pull it off, they would lose everything.
’Damn it, the Abbot is a real piece of work!’
’The boss just has to open his mouth, and the subordinates run their legs off!’
Just then, among the twenty "lucky audience members," a male student suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream.
"Ah! My leg!"
A staff member nearby immediately rushed over and removed his "helmet." The boy shouted as he collapsed to the floor and quickly pulled up his pant leg.
The muscles in his calf could be seen twisting and writhing under his skin like maddened snakes.
A cramp—a ridiculously intense cramp!
The excruciating pain sent the boy rolling on the floor.
But the other 19 students showed no fear, seemingly completely oblivious to the commotion.
Another staff member immediately came forward and used the Vajra Sect’s own "Copperman Anti-Fall Oil Spray" to relieve his pain. Only then did the boy slowly calm down.
"Ah... huh? My leg is numb? It’s numb!"
The female staffer from the Vajra Sect maintained a smile throughout the entire process, not forgetting to plug their product: "Copperman Anti-Fall Oil has a powerful analgesic effect. Come on, student, I’ll take you to the nurse’s office."
After speaking, she even looked around at the other sophomores and said, "The ’Buddha Sound Body Refining Technique’ is a very difficult cultivation technique. Getting injured during practice is normal, and it works even better when paired with other Vajra Sect products~."
Not far away, Manager Shi nodded to himself. ’Excellent on-the-spot improvisation. Have her come see me tonight. I’m going to give her a promotion.’
The subordinate nodded. "Understood. I’ll talk to her in a bit. But this ’Buddha Sound Body Refining Technique’ is really hard to work with... For those at the Innate Realm or above, their nervous systems are already Harmonious and fully developed, making them difficult to stimulate."
"And for those below the Innate Realm, their cultivation level is too low to withstand it..."
"Can anyone really master it and achieve the effect ’Biological Domain’ described... a state where you can cultivate continuously just by meditating?"
The Buddha Sound Body Refining Technique, once you stripped away the "religious flavor" demanded by the client, the Vajra Sect, was essentially a set of "audio-based neural stimulation technologies" developed by the Biological Domain Company.
It used specific audio frequencies to stimulate the brain, like plucking the strings of an instrument, to trigger deep-seated physical changes.
It looked like the person was sitting still, but in reality, their meridians, muscles, and internal organs were twitching at a high frequency, affecting all three initial realms: Skin Refining, Bone Training, and Marrow Refining.
But the greatest potential of this technology lay in the fact that... music is something that can linger in the cerebral cortex for a long time.
Just like an old song that you haven’t heard in over a decade, the brain can still construct a complete "simulation," playing it on a loop inside your head.
If it’s a particularly catchy piece of music, even someone with no knowledge of music theory will retain the detailed notes and instrumental timbres perfectly.
This phenomenon is called the "earworm effect."
It’s a neural activity that occurs in the brain’s auditory cortex when imagining a melody. This neural imprint can last for ten, or even dozens of years, and its similarity to "real hearing" can be as high as 98%.
"Biological Domain" had specifically enhanced this aspect, making the content extremely brainwashing.
As long as you could absorb it and successfully cultivate it, you would no longer need the complex equipment. You could simply recall it quietly, and your auditory cortex could achieve the effect of "object-free cultivation."
From an observer’s perspective, the technology of Cyan Blue Star might seem strange.
In many areas, they were unenterprising, not even seeking deep understanding, relying entirely on "Exotic Realm exploration" to wait for ready-made solutions.
But in the field of "Biological Martial Arts," they possessed an extremely high level of skill and research capability. All technologies that could benefit the Martial Arts were advancing by leaps and bounds ahead of other sectors, creating a severe academic imbalance.
Of course, a civilization itself is unaware of its own lopsided development. Even if a few "individuals" hold this view, it doesn’t affect the "collective" consciousness; they wouldn’t feel they’ve gone astray.
It’s no stranger than a civilization in some "Exotic Realm" that has put all its tech tree points into "boiling water."
The "Buddha Sound Body Refining Technique" was a major accidental discovery, one that even had the potential to pioneer a whole new "Martial Arts path."
Originally, the "Biological Domain Company" hadn’t paid it much mind, but now they wanted to reclaim full ownership and start a new venture. The Vajra Sect, in turn, was quietly trying to figure out a way to stop them.
And that’s what led to today’s presentation.
They needed to find a way to get market approval, which required as much supporting data as possible...
But after two months of rushing around, from top-tier city schools to suburban ones, there hadn’t been a single success so far.
Those at the Innate Realm and above had robust nervous systems and "couldn’t hear it."
Those below the Innate Realm couldn’t withstand it and "couldn’t listen through it."
So difficult.
And what do you know? A moment later, two more students cried out in pain.
One suddenly got a nosebleed and slumped to the floor.
The other started farting, the sound growing wetter and wetter, with an increasing solid content...
The "Buddha Sound Body Refining Technique’s" effects on the body were comprehensive; it was hard to predict what would happen...
Of all the participants, the one Manager Shi valued most was Nanliang High School’s number one student, Xu Bamboo. So far, the girl showed no signs of distress.
Time ticked by, second by second. The "product experience" was scheduled for only 30 minutes. For the students not participating, this was naturally quite boring. However, as the participants failed one after another, it actually piqued everyone’s interest.
They were all guessing who would be next, and in what embarrassing way they would fail.
However, by the 10-minute mark, only half of the 20 "lucky students" remained.
And most of them had flushed faces and trembling bodies.
By the 15-minute mark, only four students were still holding on.
Among them was the top student of the year, Xu Bamboo.
The tall girl sat ramrod straight. After being motionless at the start, she gradually began to shift her posture, as if being pricked by countless tiny needles.
It was a pain that originated from within her body. Even for Xu Bamboo, who was in the Marrow Refining Realm, it was becoming unbearable.
The other two students were top sophomores, but they were also struggling immensely. The taller of the two girls had dug her fingernails into her own flesh, drawing blood.
As for the boy, the visible half of his face was completely pale, and he looked like he was about to collapse.
And at that very moment, Yang Shen, wearing his helmet in the corner, was filled with confusion.
’What is this gibberish they’re singing in the music from this helmet!’
’Is this it? Just an immersive music-listening session?’
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