The second extraordinary path was known as the Martial Way.
It was a completely different path from the Martial Arts and martial arts techniques that still existed on Earth.
The accumulated knowledge of meridians in traditional Chinese medicine...
The routines of national martial arts...
None of these would provide the slightest help when cultivating the Martial Way.
The Martial Way used inscriptions from outer space to calculate the nodes of qi and blood, open acupoints within the body, accumulate bioenergy, and transform it into inner qi.
To accumulate more inner qi, one had to consume large quantities of food and replenish one's nutrients.
Carbohydrates, vitamins, protein, and fat all had to be consumed in excess.
Otherwise, Martial Way practitioners could easily become so thin that they were reduced to skin and bones.
During the period after receiving the invitation from Caolu Academy, Ma Ran had not been idle.
Before his rebirth, he had already finished calculating all of his acupoints. The impressions ran deep and could never be forgotten.
After obtaining the Scholar Medal, Ma Ran immediately got started and began cultivating inner qi.
That was why his appetite was so astonishing.
The Martial Way's extraordinary path followed the law of conservation of matter and energy. It sounded quite scientific and allowed one to follow a clear path, taking things one step at a time, gradually transforming one's body, strengthening one's physique, power, agility, and various other attributes, and becoming a powerhouse.
But!
Compared with ability awakeners, who only needed to pay a certain price, the Martial Way's upper limit...
Was extremely low!
The Martial Way had nine stages. Once one reached the pinnacle, one could be called a grandmaster.
However, so-called "grandmasters" were still utter weaklings before extraterrestrial invaders, the kind of cannon fodder that could be killed in an instant.
Things were different now...
Ma Ran could use his ability to play roles to improve, bit by bit, this extraordinary path that was most suitable for mass adoption!
The walls of the student dormitories had been fitted with sound-absorbing materials during construction, giving them extremely effective soundproofing.
After sleeping soundly through a dreamless night, Ma Ran got up at six sharp.
He had just finished washing up and put on the uniform issued by Caolu Academy when someone gently knocked on his door.
When he opened the door, Wan Haihao stood outside, patiently waiting. His face looked haggard, and his eyes were filled with blood vessels.
"Let's go. Let's get breakfast together."
Wan Haihao scratched his head, unnaturally excited. "If I don't eat something soon and replenish my nutrients, I feel like I'll drop dead."
Ma Ran closed the door and walked toward the cafeteria with this senior student.
"Didn't sleep well?"
"I didn't sleep at all!"
Wan Haihao smiled bitterly. "The topic you and Xiao Ming discussed yesterday was still a little too stimulating for me."
"I kept thinking..."
"If superpowered people really exist, what will this world become in the future?"
"The more I thought about it, the more excited I got. I simply couldn't fall asleep..."
Ma Ran pondered for a moment before saying, "Don't think too much about it. It's a good thing."
It was indeed a good thing.
The more powerful the forces humans controlled, the smaller the impact on human society would be when disaster descended, and the fewer victims and martyrs there would be.
The buildings of Caolu Academy had been expanded on an open plot of land three hundred meters northwest of the Gulunzhong Scenic Area, which they relied on. The complex was magnificent, imposing, beautiful in form, solemn, and dignified.
It was orderly without being rigid, ornate without being delicate, spacious without being ostentatious, and antique yet full of vitality.
After the meal, the newly admitted members of Caolu Academy were gathered together and entered a brick building bearing a plaque that read "Academy Hall."
At the center of the hall, a piece of something resembling a gravestone was covered by black cloth of unknown material.
"What kind of fabric is this? It looks like it exists in a state between solid and liquid..."
"I really want to touch it, but I don't dare. What if I damage it? I couldn't afford to pay for it."
"Chicken."
"If you're so brave, you do it!"
"..."
While the others discussed the black cloth's material, Ma Ran looked around.
He counted briefly. There were forty-eight people in total.
That was one more than the number recorded in the classified files—the extra person was Ma Ran himself.
Clearly, even the butterfly effect had to follow the basic laws of reality.
It would not occur without reason.
The person presiding over the "induction ceremony" was the old man who had personally come to deliver the invitation back then.
As before, he wore reading glasses and a Sun Yat-sen suit, and his hair was combed impeccably.
"Hello, everyone."
"I am Huang Weiguo, the person in charge of Caolu Academy."
"You can call me Director Huang, or you can call me Old Huang."
Although he was no longer young, his complexion was ruddy, his back straight, his voice sonorous, and his spirit vigorous, without the slightest hint of frailty. "I know everyone here is very curious."
"What kind of organization is Caolu Academy, exactly?"
"What is its purpose?"
"Now, I can tell all of you clearly."
"Extraterrestrial life exists!"
"Superpowers also exist!"
Director Huang paused, then spoke with firm conviction. "The mission of Caolu Academy is to cultivate top-tier talents who possess supernatural powers and regard protecting the nation and safeguarding Earth's civilization as their duty!"
As his voice fell, the hall became utterly silent.
The few students who had been whispering stopped speaking and stared dumbfoundedly at Director Huang Weiguo.
"Fulan, Yingchuan, Qinglian, and the other academies are already ahead of us."
"As the first members of Caolu Academy, I hope everyone can encourage one another and improve together!"
As he spoke, Director Huang retreated several steps until he stood at the entrance to the hall.
Two young men in military uniforms ran into the hall and pulled away the black cloth.
A pitch-black stone stele stood before everyone. It was two meters tall, 1.3 meters long, and half a meter wide.
A wave of cold air swept over them, and the temperature in the hall instantly dropped by more than ten degrees.
The stele's material was smooth, like an antique piece of patinated jade that had been handled for many years, and it glimmered faintly.
At first glance, there were no lines on the stele. But once one focused slightly, strange patterns immediately surfaced in one's mind.
"This is the first vessel for supernatural power that Caolu Academy has acquired."
Director Huang took a deep breath and said, "Observe, think, understand, comprehend, study, decipher."
"And then..."
"Put it into practice!"
"Use this inscription to calculate the positions of your own acupoints, nurture inner qi, and set foot on the path of Martial Way cultivation."
"For all of you, it is safe and controllable."
"Make good use of this hard-won opportunity!"
The moment he finished speaking, Dong Huaiming, the fanatical superpower enthusiast sitting to Ma Ran's left, immediately raised his hand and asked, "Why not have those famous scholars and professors research it?"
When he first raised his hand, Xiao Ming was trembling all over with excitement.
The others might only have felt curious and expectant, but to him, this was a dream within reach!
As he continued speaking, Dong Huaiming's agitated emotions gradually settled, and his tone returned to normal. "No matter how you look at it, those people should be much more reliable than us, right?"
"The information on the stele looks like gibberish. It recognizes me, but I don't recognize it!"
Hearing this, Director Huang shook his head with a bitter smile. "You little fellows don't know how lucky you are."
"This inscription is shrouded in a continuously regenerating electromagnetic and radiation membrane."
"Anyone a little older who stares at it for a few minutes will experience dizziness, tinnitus, and nosebleeds. Over time, it may even cause irreversible damage."
"However, please rest assured!"
"These fluctuations will not have any negative effects on young people under thirty. In fact, they can invigorate you, make your cells more lively, and sharpen your thinking."
Before you continue