Chapter 19: Dexterity
Dozens of red stone pillars supported the vast space, while bright lights illuminated the white jade floor tiles. On the walls of the circular hall, relief carvings of various birds and beasts formed a vast painting. A jade carving of a white dragon stood in the center, every scale and claw vividly alive, like a mythical beast guarding the city, or a king guarded by countless beasts.
Chu Hengkong observed his surroundings carefully as he was led to the 31st floor of the headquarters building. The three floors above this had been opened up to create a hidden temple within. He was certain it was a temple, not only because of the stone pillars resembling those of ancient Greek temples and the jade carvings of ancient dragons, but also because of the unique atmosphere, which was hard to find elsewhere: solemn and awe-inspiring yet tranquil, as if a deity had personally visited.
"Come, look here."
Ji Qiufeng walked over to the dragon statue, bent down, and extended his hand. A white snake emerged from behind the jade carving and slowly wrapped itself around his arm. The snake was small, slender, and coiled enough to sit on the man's palm. Its eyes were a pale blue, not eerie but gentle.
"Let me introduce you. This is our team doctor and scholar, the wise Miss Youyou~"
Ji Qiufeng raised his hand as if offering a treasure, and Ji Huaisu and Jie An beside him uttered "ooh-ohs" in unison. Xiaoshe glared at them fiercely, then uttered a quick, clear female voice, "It's not Youyou, it's Youyou! Seriously, everyone! The newbies are trying to hold back their laughter!"
Chu Hengkong coughed twice and said seriously, "Hello, Miss Youyou."
The white snake spit out its tongue with satisfaction. As it climbed onto Ji Qiufeng's head, it asked, "That's more like it. Have you ever thought about becoming a craftsman or a magician?"
"No." Chu Hengkong didn't hesitate. "I don't feel at ease."
"Mysteries and equipment are untrustworthy. Only the body and skills are the foundation of survival. You're truly a pure physicalist," Youyou commented. "That's good. It saves me the trouble of explaining. Ji Qiufeng should have explained all the details to you. I'll confirm one last time. Are you sure you want to use this tentacle?"
On the way to the temple, Ji Qiufeng briefly briefed him on some information about the transformation, which included an important decision.
"'Skillful Hand' is the starting point of your transformation journey, the foundation for every step you take thereafter. Once you become Skillful Hand, the tentacle's power will increase, but it will also become a part of your being. Even if severed, it cannot be replaced with new flesh. As an elder, not a superior, I suggest you cut off the tentacle and transform into One-Armed."
"If I don't cut off my arm, I'll have to use tentacles for the rest of my life?"
"What's certain in this world? If you could reach particle four, you could completely solve this problem. But that's a hopeless place for most people."
"I'll climb up quickly."
In just a few words, a crucial decision concerning the future was made. Without the tentacle, he might no longer be able to use the Silver Eye Book. Losing a vital intelligence channel in this unfamiliar world would only hasten his demise. Not to mention, there were no reliable prosthetics in the city. If he chopped off the tentacle and replaced it with something more suspicious, who could guarantee there wouldn't be new problems?
No matter how ugly the tentacle was, at least it hadn't caused any trouble yet, and it was quite useful. Even if it really was some monster's flesh and blood... at worst, I could just beat it back when the original owner came knocking.
Therefore, Chu Hengkong answered without hesitation: "I am sure."
"What a masterstroke! Let's begin!" Youyou sighed, tapping the dragon statue with his tail. The jade sculpture sank silently into the ground, its original base forming a hollow circle. Rays of yellow light emerged from the white jade floor, forming a complex and regular magic array around the hollow circle.
"You are not yet able to understand the principles of the Lost Secret Formation. Don't ask or guess. Just do whatever Ji Qiufeng says and remember every word. Do you understand?" Youyou looked into his eyes.
Chu Hengkong nodded.
"Look closely at this formation. It's called 'Sealing Form,'" Ji Qiufeng said gently. As he spoke, the formation gradually took shape. First, three circles emerged around the hollow circle, forming a triangle of equal length. Each circle held a simple symbol. Though I had never encountered them before, their meanings were instantly understood: dust, light, and shadow.
Outside the triangular formation, three more circles took shape. The structure of the three circles was several times more complex than the inner formation. The circles themselves were composed of countless tiny characters, and each layer was decorated with various abstract symbols, such as the sun, moon, sky, and ocean... As he saw some of these symbols, he felt a sudden chill in his heart. An inexplicable sense of danger gripped his heart, as if he was standing on the edge of endless darkness, and one wrong step would lead to a plunge into the abyss.
"Do you feel it? That's the malice in the world," Ji Qiufeng said. "Malice is everywhere, penetrating every pore. Embarking on the path of ascension without preparation can easily lead to its contamination. Therefore, the sages created the 'Sealing Ceremony' to isolate the danger. From now on, you must perform a corresponding ceremony for each ascension. The ceremony must be held in a safe, uncontaminated area. You must never use a different array from the 'Sealing Ceremony'. Even the slightest deviation is unacceptable. Remember this!"
Ji Qiufeng had never spoken so seriously before. Chu Hengkong instinctively understood that these were the rules necessary to survive in this world. He suppressed his sense of crisis and memorized every detail of the formation. After completing the task, he followed Ji Qiufeng's instructions and walked to the hollow circle in the center, placing his hands at its center.
"Concentrate your mind and recite it silently in your heart." Ji Qiufeng's voice was erratic. "Skillful hands."
Dexterous hands.
As the thought emerged, colorless dust drifted toward the hollow circle, forming the final symbol of the formation. It was a broad, powerful, and nimble "hand." The hand symbol magnified infinitely in Chu Hengkong's eyes, like an open door welcoming him in. Memories and feelings surged with excitement, and from deep within his soul, countless images surged simultaneously!
It was a scene of young children learning boxing from pictures in books, teenagers fighting stick-wielding thugs, young men practicing solitary hardship in the mountains, and adult assassins battling enemies between buildings. Fists, kicks, throws, blows, swords, guns, sticks, clubs... Baji, Tai Chi, Pi Gua, Chuo Jiao, karate, kendo, Muay Thai, Kalaripayattu...
Every move and form was so familiar and reliable that just looking at the pictures could relive the emotions of that moment. Because the person in each painting was Chu Hengkong himself, they were all the moves and techniques he had learned since birth. There were many fragments that he couldn't even remember, even the flashes of inspiration during the fight, the moves and tricks that changed with inspiration, all of which were now included in it.
In the blink of an eye, the image of martial arts combat flowed to the end, lingering on that silver tentacle. All past events merged together, transforming into the symbol of "skillful hands." The symbol now appeared incredibly clear, its simple structure seemingly imbued with endless information, captivating him.
Chu Hengkong unconsciously reached out to touch it, and the vivid symbol dissipated into colorless dust, merging from his fingertips into his body. Suddenly, his vision cleared, and the past flashed through his consciousness again, now with a completely different perception.
It can be corrected. It can be improved. This move was still immature, but that one could be extended. Chu Hengkong smiled in surprise, as if an immortal had touched his head and bestowed upon him a mystical power, and everything would never be the same again. An indescribable "understanding" filled his heart, and a burning power surged through his limbs. He had never felt so sharp, so nimble!
·
In the eyes of the crowd, Chu Hengkong just stood there quietly, not saying a word. He had been standing there for a full hour, until Jie An couldn't help but wonder, "What's wrong with this kid? He didn't... get in, did he?"
"That's the Yimi Formation taking stock," Ji Huaisu said. "To become a skilled hand, one must meet one of two conditions: either possess an extraordinary limb recognized by the Yimi, or master the unparalleled skill of transforming ordinary flesh into something extraordinary. That tentacle has met condition one, and now the formation is calculating condition two."
Jie An glared at him, "Stop talking nonsense. It takes other people five minutes at most to reach Dexterity Level, but he still hasn't finished in an hour? How much practice has he done?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the yellow light that formed the magic circle faded, and Chu Hengkong finally moved. He clenched and unclenched his fist three times, his tentacles contracting and extending in sync. He jumped a few times on the spot, took a step forward, and punched the air!
The punch pierced the air, sending a resounding explosion through the temple. Chu Hengkong's movements didn't pause. He delivered a knee strike simultaneously with his punch, then lifted his left arm and swung his body halfway down to deliver a powerful kick. After a satisfying flurry of blows, he immediately swung back to defend, swaying his body to avoid counterattacks.
There was nothing before him, yet he was absorbed in the fray, engaging in a relentless exchange of blows. He possessed no weapons, yet he employed his swordsmanship. He lacked any throwing knives or stones, yet he flung forth several "hidden weapons" out of thin air. His rapt energy even infected the onlookers, who seemed to see the "enemy," the invisible battle unfolding... The enemy was also a man with tentacles, equally skilled in a variety of arts and weapons, including concealed weapons. He attacked with a multitude of techniques, and the real Chu Hengkong repeatedly countered his attacks with even more ingenious moves.
He was fighting with his imaginary self, and every move he made was better than his past self!
Chu Hengkong laughed loudly, his laughter incredibly joyful. He had clearly been running all day and all night, yet he felt no fatigue at all. He was full of strength and inspiration, and even his strange tentacles had become coordinated. He no longer needed to "adapt" to his new limbs; his hands were so nimble and powerful that they could handle any situation.
Ji Qiufeng stepped on the floor, and a huge stone as thick as a city wall rose from the ground, blocking Chu Hengkong. Just as he was getting excited, his silver tentacles naturally stretched out, and with a single blow, they shattered the test stone wall!
Chu Hengkong was about to turn when he paused. A subtle tremor in the ground had prepared him, and he realized his perception had heightened, now as sharp as when he was using the Perception Pendant. The broken boulder sank, and a lifelike wooden dummy took its place. The wooden figure moved with incredible speed, wielding a long sword, yet wielding a technique he had never heard of before. Its powerful, unrestrained movements were accompanied by a mixture of cunning and ruthless moves, a testament to its mastery.
Chu Hengkong dodged, his eyes lighting up. He carefully observed the wooden figure's moves, deducing the changes in his swordsmanship. After two rounds of fighting, a smile crept up his lips. At this moment, the temple's layout shifted again, and various cold weapons emerged from the walls on both sides. Chu Hengkong curled his tentacles, drew his long sword, and slashed at the wooden figure, his attack following the same trajectory as the wooden figure.
The same angle, the same timing—it was like two people swinging their swords at each other in a mirror, but one possessed greater power and speed. Within three rounds, Chu Hengkong had completely mastered the sword technique. He effortlessly executed a move that even the wooden man couldn't achieve, slicing his opponent's weapon with a single blow.
He turned around cheerfully and said with a smile, "Anything else?"
This time even Ji Huaisu was surprised: "What's the logic behind this?"
"The Sephiroth 1, 'Skillful Hands', can comprehensively improve physical fitness, strengthen limb-related abilities, and..." Ji Qiufeng smiled with satisfaction, "It possesses the strongest learning ability of all Sephiroth!"
He closed the paper fan, making a crisp sound. The ground beneath the temple shook continuously, and wooden figures holding various weapons emerged one after another, forming a long line in front of Chu Hengkong.
"Here are three hundred sets of basic martial arts prepared for the Dexterity Stage." Ji Qiufeng glanced at his watch. "Don't break the wooden man. Finish learning before dawn!"
(End of this chapter)
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