Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Could He Really Be a Peerless Genius
Jiang Ning’an had been on a rocky emotional journey all night.
After Fang Can had her watch some informational videos about Transmigrators, she was shocked to discover that a universal body of knowledge like physics even existed.
Especially the weapons. Once the principles behind them were understood, anyone could follow the instructions and replicate the same results, creating incredibly deadly armaments.
This was completely different from her previous metaphysical worldview.
After all, even if different people practiced the same Cultivation Technique, the results could vary wildly depending on the Cultivator’s mindset and interpretation.
Of course, she was merely intrigued by the replicability of such powerful and deadly weapons, not that she found their destructive force to be invincible.
After all, based on her understanding, similar Martial Dao legacies existed within the Celestial Craft Bureau in the capital of the Great Yan Country.
These legacies allowed for the creation of items that could inflict terrifying damage, their power by no means inferior to these technologically produced weapons.
As for the so-called "superpowered individuals"?
In her eyes, they were simply Martial Artists who had skipped the Transcendent Body Realm. The unpredictable way each ability manifested was just like the Martial Dao.
In terms of practical application, superpowers and the Martial Dao were not so different—at most, the former was a bit more logical.
In a single night, Jiang Ning’an had come to a rough understanding of this world, and she deeply etched the word "physics" into her mind.
In her view, this modern knowledge was somewhat useful. Even if she didn’t delve into it deeply, acquiring a layman’s understanding would be beneficial.
After all, knowing a bit of physics could make her metaphysical bullshit sound more plausible.
As she came back to her senses, a WHOOSH of churning air echoed from the living room behind her. It was Fang Can, who had been practicing his fist techniques all night.
However, compared to before, the Tiger Slayer Fist he was now performing was vastly different in form, giving off a feeling of being more in harmony with nature.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!"
Fang Can’s fists became a blur. Each time he changed direction, his body left a crisp, explosive crack in the air. If the entire villa didn’t belong to his family, he would have long since been reported for disturbing the peace.
A sense of absurdity washed over Jiang Ning’an as she watched Fang Can’s movements.
In terms of power, speed, and even martial intent, Fang Can was noticeably stronger than he had been the previous night.
’Could everything he said be true?’ A seed of self-doubt sprouted in Jiang Ning’an’s heart.
As the leading disciple of the new generation in the Tribulation Sword Pavilion, she had developed her qi sense in mere days, achieved a Transcendent Body within a year, and had taken three steps on the Heaven-Ascending Road by the age of twenty.
She had been praised by her Sect Leader as "a once-in-a-century genius of the Tribulation Sword Pavilion," "the reincarnation of the founding patriarch," "the hope who will lead the entire sect to revitalization," and "the prodigy of the Great Yan Martial World’s new generation"...
She! Jiang Ning’an! A genius among geniuses, a prodigy with so many titles they wouldn’t all fit on a stage.
’Even she wouldn’t dare to be this much of a cheat. And you’re telling me this thing in front of me is human?’
"Pah!" Spitting out the few grains of arsenic in his mouth, Fang Can frowned, dissatisfied.
Flesh and Blood Mutation: 4.5%
’Too slow. My progress is just too slow. I practiced all night and it only increased by this much. At this rate, it’ll take at least three or four months to reach 100%. That’s way too slow.’
’As I thought, I’m not taking enough arsenic. These few grains aren’t nearly enough anymore. Now that my body has been enhanced, I doubt I’d even bleed from all seven orifices if I fully digested it.’
Thinking about his meager stock of a dozen or so pellets, Fang Can calculated when his online order would arrive. If he couldn’t keep up with his dosage, he might be stuck in the Transcendent Body Realm for a whole year. That would be pathetic.
’Oh, right.’ Fang Can’s gaze fell on Jiang Ning’an, who was staring at him, lost in thought. "Senior, may I ask you a question?"
Jiang Ning’an snapped out of her trance and suppressed her inner turmoil. "Go ahead."
"While I was training just now, I felt my heart grow restless, and I had a strong urge to vent this energy, to release it somehow. Am I suffering from cultivation deviation?" Fang Can asked earnestly.
After all, he was still a newcomer to the Martial Dao and didn’t know much of the common sense. He was afraid of making a mistake in his training.
He didn’t expect that as soon as the words left his mouth, the expression on her face would immediately grow complicated.
"That’s the initial stage of a Heart Image’s external manifestation. As your will permeates your entire body, your spiritual pressure can be expressed through your gaze and movements to intimidate your enemies."
"It’s best not to suppress it. Instead, you should let that aura release itself as much as possible."
Fang Can nodded in understanding. ’Got it. It’s the Martial Dao version of the Overlord’s Haki.’
Since it wasn’t a bad thing, Fang Can decided not to worry about it. It was best to let things like this develop naturally.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ning’an’s feelings were already in a complete tangle.
For most Martial Artists, the external manifestation of a Heart Image only appeared right before a breakthrough. The earlier it appeared, the greater the person’s talent for martial arts.
It had taken her more than five months to see the first signs, and that was only when she was nearly halfway through the Transcendent Body Realm. And yet, this guy before her...
In short, Jiang Ning’an—known in the Tribulation Sword Sect for her aloof nature and her singular focus on the Martial Dao—was feeling a sense of defeat for the very first time.
Watching the boy, still full of vigor after practicing all night, sling his backpack over his shoulder and head to school, Jiang Ning’an didn’t try to delude herself. Instead, she began to seriously ponder a question: ’Is this guy really some kind of sentient cheat program, a being that transcends even peerless geniuses?’
Leaving Jiang Ning’an to her existential crisis, Fang Can slung his backpack on, arrived at his classroom, and, as usual, pulled out his textbook to review with his classmates.
But just as the entire class was about to settle into study mode, an air-raid siren suddenly blared across all of Z City.
’What’s going on? Are some superpowered people fighting again?’
’Isn’t this happening a little too often lately?’
’I don’t care! Let the blood flow! I want to see rivers of blood!’
...
At that moment, citizens all across Z City began to look outside.
The sky outside was clear and bright. If not for the piercing siren, it would have seemed like any other day.
But only those pulling the strings knew that Z City was now completely, physically isolated from the outside world.
"We’ve completely jammed all of Z City’s external signals and sealed every intersection. Let’s begin the plan."
In an underground base beneath Z City, researchers stared at countless screens displaying surveillance footage from all the city’s major thoroughfares.
"Next, distribute the Cultivation Technique. Let the several million people in this pilot city begin practicing. With such a massive test group, we should be able to gain a thorough understanding of the characteristics of a metaphysical Cultivation Technique."
"Isn’t this a bit too radical?" one researcher whispered.
An experienced, older man shot him a glance. "This is nothing. Don’t forget the Carnival Day that’s coming. That’s when all the scum of the nation will be dumped into this city to fight. Now, *that* will be radical."
"This? This is just an appetizer," another researcher said, shaking his head. "If these people can actually manage to cultivate something, they’ll at least have a way to protect themselves. But... that’s a long shot!"
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