Chapter 26: Could he truly be a peerless genius!

The mental journey Jiang Ning’an experienced that night was a rugged one.

After Fang Can arranged for her to watch popular science videos for "transmigrators," she was stunned to discover that the world possessed universal knowledge known as physics. The weapons showcased were particularly striking; the underlying principles were such that anyone who grasped them could replicate the results, crafting tools of immense destructive power. This was a complete departure from her previous idealistic worldview. In her world, even the same cultivation technique, when practiced by different individuals, could yield vastly different results due to variations in mindset and comprehension.

Of course, she was merely intrigued by the reproducible nature of such high-powered destruction; she did not necessarily view these weapons as invincible. After all, within the Heavenly Engineering Bureau of the Great Yan Dynasty’s capital, there existed similar martial inheritances capable of creating objects that dealt terrifying damage, with power not inferior to these technological creations. As for "superpowered individuals"? In her eyes, they were simply martial artists who had bypassed the stage of shedding their mortal bodies, and the uncertainty surrounding the birth of each ability was no different from the path of martial arts. In terms of manifestation, there was little distinction between superpowers and martial arts—at most, the former were slightly more logical.

In the span of a single night, Jiang Ning’an had gained a rough grasp of this world’s nature and had deeply etched the word "physics" into her heart. She felt that this modern knowledge was somewhat useful; even if she didn't delve into it deeply, knowing the basics as a layperson would suffice. After all, having a bit of physics knowledge could make her "bullshitting" while using idealism sound much more reasonable.

Pulling herself back to reality, she heard a rustling sound of air being whipped up from the living room behind her. It was Fang Can, who had been practicing his martial arts all night. Compared to the start, the "Tiger Spirit Fist" he was now performing felt significantly different, giving off a sensation that was much more in harmony with nature.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Fang Can’s fists blurred into afterimages, each change in his body’s direction leaving a sharp, explosive crack in the air. Had it not been for the fact that the entire villa was his property, he would have likely been reported for disturbing the peace. Watching his movements, an absurd feeling rose within Jiang Ning’an. Whether it was force, speed, or intent, Fang Can was clearly stronger than he had been the previous night.

*Could everything he said be true?* A seed of self-doubt sprouted in her heart.

As the new-generation star disciple of the Tribulation Sword Pavilion, she had cultivated her "Qi sensation" in mere days, shed her mortal body in a year, and had taken three steps onto the Path to Heaven by the age of twenty. She was hailed by her Sect Leader as a "once-in-a-century genius of the Tribulation Sword Pavilion," the "reincarnation of the founding ancestor," the "hope for the sect’s revival," and a "top-tier talent of the new generation of the Great Yan martial world."

She, Jiang Ning’an—a genius among geniuses, a rookie with so many titles she couldn’t fit them all on a stage—even she wouldn't dare to "hack" the system like this. Was this person in front of her even human?

"Pah!" Gently spitting out a few grains of arsenic, Fang Can frowned in dissatisfaction.

Flesh Mutation: 4.5%

*Too slow. The progress is just too slow. To gain so little after practicing all night—at this rate, it will take at least three to four months to reach 100%. It’s agonizingly slow.*

*As expected, I didn't take enough arsenic. These few grains are nowhere near enough. Now that my body has been strengthened, even if I digest them completely, I probably won't even be able to bleed from my seven orifices.*

Muttering about his meager stock of a dozen or so pills, Fang Can calculated how long it would take for his online order to arrive. If his "drug intake" didn't keep up and he got stuck in the stage of shedding his mortal body for a year, that would be a total failure.

"Oh, right." Fang Can turned his gaze to Jiang Ning’an, who was staring at him in a daze. "Senior, let me ask you a question."

Jiang Ning’an snapped out of it, suppressing the emotions in her heart. "Ask."

"Just now, when I was practicing, I felt my heart growing restless, a strong urge to vent and release it somewhere. Have I suffered from Qi deviation?" Fang Can asked earnestly. He was, after all, a newcomer to the martial arts world and lacked common sense; he was terrified of practicing incorrectly.

To his surprise, the moment he spoke, the expression on her face shifted into something complex.

"This is the initial stage of the manifestation of one’s 'Heart Image.' As your will permeates your entire body, your spiritual pressure can be expressed through your gaze and physical movements to intimidate enemies."

"At this time, it is best not to suppress yourself, but to let this momentum release as much as possible."

Fang Can nodded in realization. *Got it. This is the martial arts version of Haki.*

Since it wasn't a bad thing, Fang Can stopped worrying about it; some things were best left to take their natural course. Meanwhile, Jiang Ning’an’s mood was incredibly complicated. For most martial artists, the manifestation of a "Heart Image" only appeared when they were on the verge of a breakthrough; the earlier it appeared, the better one's martial arts talent. It had taken her over five months, with nearly half the process of shedding her mortal body completed, before she saw the first signs. And yet, this guy...

In short, Jiang Ning’an, known in the Tribulation Sword Sect for her aloofness and her singular focus on martial arts, felt a sense of frustration for the first time. Watching the young man, who was still full of energy after practicing all night, pick up his schoolbag to head to class, Jiang Ning’an didn't resort to her "acting methods" to deceive herself. Instead, she began to seriously ponder a question: *Is this guy truly a "hacked" entity that transcends all peerless geniuses?*

Ignoring the existential crisis of Jiang Ning’an, Fang Can arrived at his classroom, pulled out his books, and joined his classmates in review as usual. But just before the entire class could settle into their studies, an air-raid siren wailed across Z City.

"What’s going on? Are superpowered individuals fighting again?"

"Isn't this happening a bit too frequently lately?"

"I don't care! I want to see blood! I want to see the streets run red!"

At this moment, the citizens of Z City all cast their gazes outdoors. The sky was clear and bright; if not for the piercing alarm, it would have been no different from any other day. However, only those behind the scenes knew that Z City had been physically isolated from the outside world.

"We have completely blocked all external signals for Z City and sealed all exits. Let the plan commence."

Inside an underground base in Z City, researchers watched the countless screens before them, which displayed surveillance footage from every major artery of the city.

"Proceed with the distribution of the cultivation techniques. Let the millions of people in this pilot city begin their practice. With such a massive group, we should be able to fully understand the characteristics of idealistic cultivation techniques."

"Isn't this a bit too radical?" a researcher whispered.

An experienced elder glanced at him coldly. "This is nothing. Don't forget about the 'Carnival Day' that follows. By then, the dregs of the entire nation will be dumped into this city to fight—that will be truly radical."

"For now? This is merely the appetizer," another researcher shook his head. "If these people can actually cultivate something, they might at least have the strength to defend themselves. But... that's a tall order!"