Su Qiangwei, who was sitting in front of Ma Ran, was the second to raise her hand and ask, "Can we use photography or drawing to make rubbings of the information on the stele?"
"Two heads are better than one."
"If everyone works on it together, we should be able to achieve results more quickly, right?"
"If I remember correctly, under normal circumstances, electromagnetic waves shouldn't affect photography or focusing."
"The electromagnetic waves you mentioned earlier—what kind are they, exactly?"
"Radio waves? Microwaves? Visible light? Infrared? Ultraviolet? Gamma rays?"
Radiation was actually a neutral term. Only the radiation from a small number of substances could harm the human body.
In recent years, it had been demonized because of humanity's ultimate weapon, making people fear it like a tiger.
So when it came to radiation, Su Qiangwei had nothing to ask.
Old Huang remained as unruffled as ever, wearing a calm and composed expression.
He seemed to have anticipated this question and prepared an answer in advance. "It's a type of electromagnetic wave never seen before. With humanity's current technology, we're temporarily unable to analyze its origins."
"For now, we'll name it 'Type A Radiation.'"
"Because of the effects of Type A Radiation, no video or photographic equipment can work on this extraterrestrial stele. None of the images related to the stele can be preserved."
"We've made far too many attempts in this area, but for now, we haven't found any leads."
At this point, he looked toward Wan Haihao, who was sitting to Ma Ran's right. "Last night, one of the students consulted me about some related questions, so I'll briefly explain them to everyone here."
"Understanding the supernatural power on this stele has nothing to do with accumulated knowledge. It only depends on Academic Power."
"Of course, if you want to call it comprehension, that works too."
This style of phrasing was rather fantastical and not particularly grounded in reality, but it suited the teenagers present perfectly.
The moment comprehension was mentioned, everyone became energized.
What Chinese person didn't harbor a martial-arts dream?
Even middle-aged people weighed down by the burdens of life more or less dreamed of becoming martial heroes.
Hearing this, the young people present gazed fervently at the Black Rock Stele.
Every society member was full of confidence, believing that when it came to comprehension alone, they wouldn't lose to anyone!
"Besides all of you youngsters, the relatively young master's and doctoral students in the country—none of them over thirty—have put down their work and experiments and been sent to the various academic societies. They're doing things similar to what you're doing."
Director Huang clapped his hands, drawing the newly inducted members' attention away from the Black Rock Stele. "There's something else I must remind you of."
"Everyone's body is different!"
"Therefore, the calculated Inner Qi cultivation route is only suitable for the individual and is unique to them. Don't even think about teaching it to someone else."
"That would be harming them!"
"Understood?"
The society members all said that they would remember this.
It was actually easy to understand.
There were no two identical leaves in the world, so naturally, there were no two people who were exactly alike.
Even identical twins had vastly different coordinates for the locations where acupoints could be opened in their bodies.
Copying someone else's experience without adapting it—forget cultivating Inner Qi, not training yourself into a state of physical ruin would already count as incredible luck!
Director Huang seemed to have been affected by the Black Rock Stele. His voice wasn't as booming as before, but it remained full of strength, revealing his excellent stamina. "Here's the information we can disclose at present..."
"Inner Qi martial arts are divided into stages from the First Stage to the Sixth Stage, based on the number of acupoints opened and filled, from fewest to greatest."
"The mysteries above the Sixth Stage have not yet been deciphered."
"However, our researchers speculate that Inner Qi is divided into a total of nine stages."
Ma Ran, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly raised his hand.
Director Huang Weiguo looked as though he still had more to say. He had clearly prepared his material in advance and was just waiting for someone to ask a question. "This student, go ahead."
Ma Ran spoke in an even, unhurried tone. "How many kilograms of punching force can Second Stage Inner Qi reach?"
"What's the maximum straight-line sprint speed in meters per second?"
"Does reaction speed improve?"
"Will bone, muscle, and skin density continuously increase with Inner Qi cultivation? If so, will Inner Qi Cultivators become ducks that sink the moment they enter the water?"
Seeing that Ma Ran seemed ready to continue asking questions, Director Huang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and froze.
It seemed...
No one had ever given him those figures.
Damn it!
What were those researchers even doing?
Old Huang looked at Ma Ran and felt his scalp grow numb.
"This student asked some excellent questions. Unfortunately, our research into martial arts is only just getting started, and many of the figures are still missing."
He pushed up the frames on the bridge of his nose and gave an awkward smile. "Still, I can explain the general situation."
"With the support of Inner Qi, your stamina, strength, agility, and even resistance to blows can all increase dramatically."
"It's an all-around enhancement—enough to surpass the limits of humanity!"
At this point, Director Huang Weiguo instinctively began serving up some motivational chicken soup. "Every record in the Olympic Games can easily be broken by the future versions of you."
"I can reveal some information here..."
"The strongest Inner Qi Cultivator at present is a member of the Green Lotus Academic Society."
"He has only just reached the level of the Second Stage of Inner Qi."
"In other words..."
"Work hard, and perhaps you'll surpass your predecessors and become the strongest humans on Earth!"
Looking at the society members whose excitement was gradually rising, Huang Weiguo's face took on the expression of an old farmer. "Conditions are rather difficult at present, so please be a little patient."
"Twenty-four people per group. Line up in order and come forward. Each group gets one hour, with three alternating rounds."
"There isn't much time for everyone. We'll eat at around one in the afternoon, then take a two-hour lunch break. From three to five in the afternoon, there'll be ideological education classes, which can also be considered a break for everyone."
"After all, deciphering the stele's inscriptions consumes a great deal of energy. If you stay too tense, it's easy to suffer from neurasthenia."
"Nothing can be rushed. Don't be anxious."
"According to the information we received from the other academic societies, calculating the location of a single acupoint takes one day on average."
"Even if you're slower, there's no need to panic."
"Many people take three days to calculate a single acupoint."
This statement wasn't entirely accurate.
The so-called "one day on average to calculate the location of an acupoint" was based on data samples consisting entirely of top students and God of Scholars-level figures.
Moreover, after taking the brain's and mind's limits into account, the "one day" he mentioned was actually equivalent to only three hours.
There was no need to explain these things too clearly.
After experiencing it for themselves, the society members would naturally understand.
After saying this, Old Huang walked out of the classroom. Five young soldiers took over and began maintaining order at the scene.
Dong Huaiming was assigned to one of the groups.
"Brother Ran, I'm going first!"
"Wait for my good news!"
After greeting Ma Ran, he carried his little stool over to the Black Rock Stele with a smile and began trying to decipher the patterns.
Three minutes later.
The smile vanished completely from Little Ming's face.
Before you continue