Chapter 71: Maybe I Came at the Wrong Time?

Chapter 71: Maybe I Came at the Wrong Time?



The Key to 'Breaking Limits'?

Xue Heng's eyes flickered with interest.

Zushan Ying voiced the question on his mind, "Master, what does 'breaking limits' refer to?"

Li Qi smiled and explained, "The human body has its limits. We martial artists temper our bodies, and when we perfect the flesh, muscles, bones, and blood, we reach the pinnacle of our physical potential."

"At this stage, there is no further progress to be made. It is a limitation imposed by our genes, the very foundation of our being. No matter how hard we try, we can only maintain our current strength. This is when we must consider 'breaking limits'."

"Or, to use a more familiar term—leaping over the dragon's gate."

Xue Heng straightened his posture, listening intently.

"The legend of a carp leaping over the dragon's gate, its tail burned away by lightning, is known in the West as 'breaking limits'. It signifies transcending the limits of the human body. In essence, it is not directly related to martial arts but rather, a transcendence of life itself."

"What does transcendence of life mean? It involves breaking through the limitations of one's genes, reshaping the very foundation of one's physical being. Though the form remains human, the essence of their life is no longer that of a mortal!"

"In ancient times, those who achieved this transcendence were called 'Eternal Immortals' by Taoists and 'Instant Buddhas' by Buddhists. Such beings, barring unforeseen circumstances, could live to at least a hundred and fifty years, limited only by their lifespan and free from the woes of aging. They could maintain their physical peak right up until their dying breath."

Li Qi spoke softly.

No woes of aging... Xue Heng glanced at Li Qi's aged appearance.

Perhaps this was what they meant by 'unforeseen circumstances'.

"To achieve this transcendence, mere physical training is insufficient. One must use the power of the 'consciousness' and 'spirit', abstract forces of the mind, to forcefully interfere with their physical body, compelling it to change."

Zushan Ying's eyes widened in surprise, "Huh?"

"That doesn't sound very scientific, Master," she remarked.

Li Qi glanced at her and said, "It's not unscientific at all. The concept is quite simple. Let me ask you this: what do you think is the relationship between our consciousness and our physical body?"

Zushan Ying thought for a moment, unsure, "Consciousness... is it a set of logical networks formed by the combination of brain neurons?"

She tried to recall the knowledge she had learned in the past.

Li Qi offered a different perspective, "Wrong. The 'consciousness', 'spirit', and 'id' are independent of the physical body. The brain is merely an organ of the human body, not the true 'you'."

"If we liken the human body to a computer, then the brain is its most important component—the CPU. But the true 'you', the true 'consciousness', is the user of the computer, not the computer itself."

"However, in the material world, consciousness requires a vessel. Just as a computer cannot be turned on without a CPU, your consciousness needs the brain as a vessel to manifest in the physical world."

Li Qi didn't sound like an old martial arts master at all; instead, he sounded like a profound professor explaining complex concepts to his students.

The contrast struck Xue Heng as rather odd—was this the new era of scientific martial arts?

Unaware of Xue Heng's thoughts, Li Qi continued, "In fact, humans have very limited control over their physical bodies."

"Let me give you a simple example—a person cannot suffocate themselves to death, no matter how much breath-control training they've undergone. Even if you push yourself to the limit, your brain will interrupt your consciousness, rendering you unconscious, and then your body's instincts will take over, resuming breathing." (Readers, please do not attempt this under any circumstances.)



"This proves that 'I' am not the physical body itself. 'I' am merely the user of the body. Hence, in Buddhism, there is the concept of the mortal world as a sea of suffering, and the physical body as the vessel to cross this sea. The body is the 'vessel' that 'I' ride in, but it is not the true 'I'—it merely belongs to 'me'."

"Now, here's the crucial part: if 'I'—that is, the consciousness itself—is strong enough, it can forcefully take control of the physical body through the power of the mind."

"In doing so, we no longer rely on the inefficient method of controlling our bodies through the brain and its neural connections. Instead, we directly overlay our consciousness onto our entire body, governing it with our spirit."

Li Qi extended his withered palm and clenched it in the air.

"By forcefully interfering with the physical body through consciousness, we command our genes to change. We eliminate all weak and useless genes and further enhance the strong ones, thus transcending our mortal limitations!"

"Thus, upon mastering the five elements of physical conditioning, martial arts cultivation transcends digging up mysteries; it becomes about unveiling the secrets hidden within our spiritual awareness!"

"A strong mind leads to a strong body! With a consciousness to match, you can be as strong as you believe yourself to be!"

"Of course, this process is fraught with great dangers and perils. Leaping over the dragon's gate invites lightning, and one misstep in the process of burning away the mortal tail can result in genetic collapse."

Xue Heng and Zushan Ying were captivated by the explanation.

This martial arts cultivation seemed to blend science and pseudoscience in a fascinating way...

Li Qi turned his gaze towards Xue Heng.

"And now, you have taken the crucial first step—you have allowed your consciousness to enter your physical body."

Xue Heng subconsciously looked at his arm and activated his breathing technique, stirring the power within.

He could clearly feel the power coursing through his body like a living entity, flowing through his rivers like a river.

"Although you are still far from true transcendence, taking that first step is the most critical part. The rest is simply a matter of time and perseverance."

Li Qi patted him on the shoulder, a hint of pride in his eyes.

"Master," Zushan Ying spoke up, her eyes curious, "I heard from Senior Brother that you were once a powerful dragon-gate leaper. Why is it that you still aged?"

Li Qi smiled faintly, downplaying the matter, "The 'dragon' I nurtured was slain, and my consciousness could no longer immerse itself in my body. Naturally, I couldn't maintain the transcendence state, and aging became inevitable."

Zushan Ying nodded, only partially understanding.

...

When Xue Heng returned to his residential area, it was already past midnight.

He touched the wounds on his body and found that they were healing at an absurdly fast rate. The torn skin had already formed a thin layer of new flesh.

Ning Fengwan sighed very humanely at the two figures before her, a tall and slender individual, both clad in black trench coats, their faces hidden behind dark sunglasses and masks.

"I told you not to come looking for me for the time being."

"And what's with the getup? You're making yourselves look suspicious." Ning Fengwan teased.

The smaller figure among the two meekly raised a hand and spoke in a soft, girlish tone, "I objected to this outfit, saying it made us look like stalkers, but the Priest..."

The taller figure shot her a glance, silencing her instantly.

Ning Fengwan turned her gaze to the taller figure and furrowed her brows. "Mr. An, I thought you had already fled to the Inner Ring City. Why are you back?"

Earlier, during their chat on the 'Inner World Forum,' Yun Qin had informed her that the Dragon Sect members had mostly scattered, and Mr. An was among the first batch to flee.

Mr. An's voice was low and stoic as he replied, "I didn't flee; I went to the headquarters."

Beside him, Yun Qin mumbled softly, "Going to headquarters is still fleeing..."

Ning Fengwan's eyes widened in surprise. "Hmm? We have a headquarters? I didn't know that."

She had suddenly become the sect leader, and many things had not been mentioned to her by the previous leader. This was the first she had heard of a headquarters.

Mr. An's voice remained unwavering. "Our Dragon Sect serves the 'Infinite Dragon' Anan Tushamen. With a thousand heads, our Dragon Sect..."

"...has a thousand branches," Ning Fengwan finished, astonished.

Mr. An nodded. "Indeed, a thousand. It's understandable that you didn't know, as the branches are spread worldwide with loose connections. We haven't been in contact with the other branches for over thirty years, so the previous leader probably forgot about it."

Ning Fengwan's brows furrowed further. "If the connections are loose, why bring this up now?"

Mr. An removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of red, vertical pupils.

Ning Fengwan's pupils constricted slightly.

Mr. An's voice took on a fanatical tone. "Because Anan Tushamen has responded to us!"

"The branch in Source City received a divine revelation from Anan Tushamen. According to ancient rules, they are now the headquarters of this generation."

"Come with me, Teachings. Let us go to Source City and pay homage to Sheshamian. Receive the divine grace of infinity. This is the highest honor, an opportunity the previous leader never had in his lifetime!"

Mr. An spread his arms wide, his fanaticism evident.

Ning Fengwan felt a sense of terror and goosebumps all over her body. Her emerald-like cat eyes were filled with vigilance.

"Teachings, you have excellent aptitude. You are sure to become a recipient of Sheshamian's blessing and perhaps even become a 'Vessel'..."

As Mr. An spoke, he began to walk towards Ning Fengwan.

"...With the power of the headquarters, we can rebuild our Dragon Sect branch. The previous leader's spirit in heaven will surely..."

Before he could finish, a loud 'bang' interrupted him.

A handsome, tall young man appeared, seemingly having dropped from somewhere above. The impact cracked the concrete floor of the alley.

"Sorry, I didn't realize the air conditioner unit had accumulated water, making it slippery."

Xue Jing offered an embarrassed smile.

He glanced at the three pairs of eyes fixed on him and hesitated, "Maybe I came at the wrong time?"

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end