Chapter 1: Talents Tempered by Heaven

Chapter 1: Talents Tempered by Heaven

The hour was 4 a.m., and the city still slumbered under the dark veil of night. The dim streetlights stretched like veins across the urban complex, illuminating the labyrinthine network of towering skyscrapers.

Ji Jingqiu jogged out of his residential area, across the sky bridges between the buildings, and headed towards the lower levels of the urban complex.

This urban complex was known as Taian City, the largest urban center on Dong Sanhuang Planet. The skyscrapers soared into the clouds, resembling a modern-day Babylon. The sky bridges, green corridors, and conveyor belts intertwined, forming a complex network of "branches" that connected this steel forest.

Ji Jingqiu looked up through the gaps between the sky bridges and corridors, catching a glimpse of the hazy sky.

He felt like an insect, crawling from the tree trunk towards the roots before dawn.

As he descended deeper, the streetlights faded, and the sky became invisible. He relied solely on the colorful neon signs that illuminated the narrow alleys, creating an ominous atmosphere in the cramped passageways.

With practiced ease, he turned each corner, maintaining a steady breath as he jogged. Just as he was about to turn another corner, a grateful voice reached his ears.

"Mei Jie, thank you for saving my life last time. Our teacher asked us to deliver this item to you."

"Just leave it here, and go back if there's nothing else."

The voice was female, with a lazy tone laced with distance and indifference.

"Alright, Mei Jie. If you ever need help, feel free to contact us. Although Yangyan Martial Arts Academy is small, we still know how to repay kindness!"

Ji Jingqiu continued on his way, turning the corner.

Three tall and robust young men walked past him, their leader glancing at Ji Jingqiu without stopping.

As Ji Jingqiu approached, Mei Jie's eyes lit up, as if she had spotted an interesting prey. She teased, "Hey, you haven't killed yourself yet? When you came for the job interview, I thought you didn't want to live. I didn't expect you to be so determined to die."

She wore a black qipao with golden patterns, slit up to her thighs, and her delicate chin was raised. She held a jade-tipped cigarette holder in her hand.

In the interplay of light and shadow, her alluring face and slightly pointed chin accentuated her enchanting beauty.

"Follow me. Mu Laotou has been expecting you for a long time."

Mei Jie didn't waste any words. She bent down and walked into the wooden door, her qipao-clad figure revealing a graceful silhouette.

Ji Jingqiu followed, bending down to enter the narrow wooden door, which opened up to a spacious room filled with electronic screens and various instruments, all showcasing the owner's exceptional taste.

A dry cough echoed.

An old man with a bald head emerged from the inner room, putting on a white lab coat. He had just woken up, his eyes still blurry with sleep, and he rushed out with an anxious expression.

"You're here."

"Young people like you who are so punctual are rare these days."

Ji Jingqiu replied earnestly, "Keeping promises is a good habit. When do we start? Also, when will I receive the payment?"

"I'll transfer it to you now." Mei Jie smiled, "We wouldn't dare delay your payment."

Hearing the "payment received" message from the smart terminal, Ji Jingqiu smiled for the first time, his smile as bright as the sun.

Mu Laotou gave him an appraising glance but said nothing. He gestured for Ji Jingqiu to lie down on the medical bed.

"Let me remind you again. During the drug trial, I need you to provide real-time feedback, so you must not lose consciousness in the middle..."

Ji Jingqiu listened patiently to his rambling, his mind recalling the job requirements he had seen.

"Let's begin."

The white ceiling lights above suddenly lit up, blindingly bright. Ji Jingqiu squinted his eyes, but he could only make out vague outlines.

In the next moment, over a dozen different psychoactive drug components entered his body simultaneously, rapidly circulating through his bloodstream and weaving an invisible net to attack the predetermined neurons.

A tidal wave of pain began in his brain and spread to every corner of his body.

The pain was gradual, starting as a slight prickling sensation in his blood.

"Does it hurt?" the old man asked.

"It's bearable," Ji Jingqiu replied.

"Hold on for a bit. The pain intensity of this drug is higher than your Nete Poison," the old man warned.

"Do you need money badly?" the old man asked again.

"Yes," Ji Jingqiu nodded.

"What do you need money for?"

"What don't you need money for?"

"..." The old man paused, then continued, "Nete Poison is one of the few incurable diseases in the Federation where euthanasia is permitted. You've managed to survive until the age of sixteen, and I truly want to commend you for that."

"Thank you," Ji Jingqiu said.

"You're welcome. How about sharing your life experiences over the years?"

"I need the money."

"This time, we'll give you a twenty percent emotional surcharge."

"I don't want to die."

"That doesn't sound like a reason. It's more like self-mockery. Change the topic."

"Talents tempered by Heaven."

"..." The old man murmured, "Interesting."

Ji Jingqiu shuddered as the drugs in his body took effect.

In that moment, countless images of unclear significance flashed in his mind, like a runaway film projector. Memories of his past life played like a movie in his head.

In his previous life, after graduating from college, he had been diagnosed with Nete Poison, a terminal illness. Facing an uncertain future, he had saved a child who had fallen into the icy river.

Being the child of two police officers, he didn't hesitate to jump into the freezing water and rescue the child, but due to sudden muscle weakness, he eventually drowned.

As he fell into the dark river, he thought, 'At least I didn't bring shame to my parents.'

And when he opened his eyes again.

He had crossed over to this world.

But the beginning was not easy. From birth, he had been afflicted with an incurable disease known as "Nete Poison."

Nete Poison was a remnant of the gene-editing craze that swept the Federation a century ago.

This incurable disease was caused by a congenital gene mutation. It wasn't fatal, but euthanasia was considered the most humane option.

The cause and mechanism of the disease were not yet fully understood, but its primary symptom was lifelong, unpredictable, and periodic whole-body pain that couldn't be suppressed by medication.

The pain intensity of Nete Poison was classified as level 7.

Medical science categorized pain into levels 1 to 10, with the most classic example being a toothache, which ranged from levels 4 to 7.

This was an incurable disease that, from birth, subjected him to daily toothache-like agony that couldn't be alleviated by medication.

"Assisted suicide is the most humane way the Federation can offer."

The white-hot light dimmed.

The silhouette before him gradually became clear.

"Kid, are you okay?" Mu Laotou's voice sounded.

Ji Jingqiu smiled bitterly, then spoke up, "This is it. I'll come back in a month. There won't be any side effects, and tomorrow I'm going on a long journey."

Ji Jingqiu checked the time; it had only been half an hour since he lay on the medical bed.

He suddenly felt uneasy holding the money in his hand.

"Is this it? Let me explain, I won't take back the money..."

Hearing the boy's concern about returning the money, Mu Laotou's face twitched, and he sighed, "Take back your gratitude. You absolutely won't suffer any consequences."

The original text ends here.

It didn't sound like praise, but Ji Jingqiu didn't mind the additional fee.

Just as Ji Jingqiu prepared to leave, a suggestion, whether well-intentioned or malicious, suddenly came from behind him.

"You're sixteen now, right? Go practice martial arts."

Ji Jingqiu's feet stopped.

Mu Laotou, standing behind him, took off his white robe and said calmly, "The Nete Poison Syndrome usually doesn't allow people to survive this long, but you've managed to make it to sixteen. It seems you truly don't want to die."

"If you don't want to die, then practice martial arts. As long as you achieve something in martial arts, your symptoms will be greatly reduced."

Ji Jingqiu's eyes widened as he looked at the visualization diagram, feeling a profound impact on his mind. This was no ordinary object.

"Thank you, Old Master Mu." Ji Jingqiu changed his address, showing respect.

His elders had taught him to be especially respectful to those who had the means and willingness to teach him.

Mu Laotou seemed unaccustomed to this address, and he hummed, "No need to thank me. I just think you're a good test subject, and I don't want you to die too soon."

"The path of martial arts is not just about a visualization diagram. The rest is up to you to find your own way, like joining a martial arts academy or a dojo."

He turned to the instruments and organized the experimental data, then waved his hand, "You can leave now."

Ji Jingqiu bowed in gratitude and left.

As he departed, Mei Jie walked in leisurely, enveloped in a haze of smoke. "Old Mu, you really gave away your family's visualization diagram?"

"Wouldn't you give a fake one?"

"A divine replica of the original. It's something I stole from my clan long ago. It's useless to me now, so what's there to lose? If you want to practice, I'll give you a copy."

Mei Jie pouted, "Forget it. Your thing nearly ruined even the so-called martial arts genius of the Fire Temple Nirvana Visualization. I can't afford to take that risk."

"You can try. Who knows, you might succeed." Mu Laotou joked, "My family's Fire Temple Nirvana Visualization doesn't emphasize talent. It values the journey of self-cultivation."

Mei Jie, out of curiosity, asked, "Do you really think that kid can succeed?"

"If he doesn't succeed, there's probably no one in this world who can. But I'm just curious to see how far he can go." Mu Laotou slightly raised his head, his gaze somewhat distracted.

"How so?"

"My family's visualization diagram emphasizes entering the world, the body's tribulations, and the mind's tribulations. The Lower Realm Visualization corresponds to entering the world, the Middle Realm Visualization corresponds to the body's tribulations, and the Upper Realm Visualization corresponds to the mind's tribulations.

In the current Federation's martial arts system, there are four levels of Body Techniques: Lower Realm, Middle Realm, Upper Realm, and Supreme Realm."

Mei Jie exhaled smoke, annoyed, "Your ancestor was a madman. No wonder he created such a cultivation method! The Upper Realm corresponds to the mind's tribulations. How can a mere mortal cross them?"

"This is about crossing one's own tribulations, not about crossing others'. My ancestor, throughout his life, only guided people and never killed anyone."

His family's visualization method was called the Fire Temple Nirvana Visualization, which meant that in this world, people were like prisoners in a burning house, suffering in a boundless sea of pain. Only by crossing one's own tribulations could one reach the other shore, the Pure Land.

Mu Laotou recalled the boy's intense desire for survival, something he had never seen before. "Earlier, he said something interesting. It was this very sentence that prompted me to pass on the visualization diagram."

"I'm not concerned about whether he can succeed or not. I'm just curious to see how far he can go."

"What do you mean?"

After a brief silence, Mu Laotou slowly spoke, "Since ancient times, the talented have endured heavenly tribulations. Those who overcome them accumulate divine energy."

Mei Jie's gaze suddenly sharpened.

This sentence was incredibly fitting for the Upper Realm Visualization, but the Upper Realm was not the limit of his family's visualization method.

"The Upper Realm corresponds to the mind's tribulations, but my family's visualization method doesn't reach the Supreme Realm. It's just that the later generations are incapable."

"What if there's someone who, from birth, has endured heavenly tribulations? Every time he gets sick, it's a tribulation, and he's endured countless tribulations on the edge of life and death, surviving until he's sixteen..."

Can this be considered crossing one's own tribulations in the boundless sea of suffering? Can this be considered—

The Upper Realm was already the Supreme Realm.

The Supreme Realm, the path to heaven!

Mu Laotou calmly nodded, "Yes, how absurd."

How could there be such a person in this world?

...I...I'm resurrected again.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end