Method of Suffering and Grinding

Caolu Academy's first official event brought mixed feelings of pleasant surprise to Huang Weiguo.

The pleasant surprise was that the academy had produced a super Martial Way genius like Ma Ran.

As long as his education was strengthened, his thoughts weren't led astray, and he was cultivated properly, he would undoubtedly become an excellent guardian of civilization in time.

Even if Ma Ran wasn't skilled in combat and wouldn't be deployed on the battlefield, he could still play a significant role and create immense value as a dedicated inner energy researcher.

The surprise, naturally, stemmed from the "demons from beyond the heavens" mentioned on the Black Rock Stele.

Director Huang immediately reported this intelligence to his superiors.

Meanwhile, after receiving approval, Ma Ran returned to his dormitory.

Because he had withdrawn early, the strong-willed young lady Su Qiangwei took his place, participating in two rotation groups simultaneously.

While others calculated for three hours daily, she calculated for six!

Due to excessive energy depletion, Su Qiangwei's calculation efficiency dropped significantly in the last few hours.

Over the entire morning, she managed to pinpoint the locations of only four acupoints.

With a pale complexion, she was taken for a physical examination and had a stomach full of glucose solution.

The stubborn girl insisted she could continue and requested to do so in the afternoon.

Director Huang decisively rejected this request.

Calculating for six hours in the morning was like risking her life.

Going again in the afternoon would be suicidal!

No matter how firm her willpower was, it couldn't overcome the limitations of a mortal body.

Her body wasn't made of iron; flesh and blood inherently had limits.

Contrary to what others might have guessed, Ma Ran didn't continue cultivating inner energy after returning to his dormitory.

He began to dedicate himself entirely to the study of You script.

You script had one purpose and one purpose only: to create illusions.

If you called it weak, it truly was weak, unable to provide any enhancements to the human body.

Strength, endurance, agility, speed, mental fortitude.

It didn't boost any of the attributes humans could conceive of.

If you called it strong, it was outrageously powerful!

Because...

The illusions it created were virtually flawless!

A top-tier You script master could control sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch from all angles without any blind spots.

Unfortunately...

The barrier to entry for studying You script was very high.

It required the practitioner to possess immense willpower.

If one's willpower wasn't firm enough and they couldn't resist the erosion of You script, the consequences ranged from mental breakdown to genetic collapse. Under the influence of this mysterious power, they would mutate into bloodthirsty, non-human life forms, completely losing their humanity and memories as humans.

This was a supernatural path that couldn't be popularized.

Yet, it was also the "cleanest" supernatural path in Ma Ran's eyes.

Studying You script, taking the risk, and acquiring illusionary abilities.

It was ten thousand times cleaner than the Black Rock Martial Way or the supernatural ability path!

This was because the planet that created You script had been utterly destroyed in internal conflict, leaving no backdoors or hidden traps.

The afternoon activity arranged by Caolu Academy was relatively relaxed: a moral and ideological education class.

The professor responsible for the lecture was a middle-aged man with the surname Liu.

He had a square face, a full forehead, and bright, spirited dark brown eyes. His voice was loud, full of passion and warmth. The content of his lectures was not only professional but also lively and engaging.

At the same time, Professor Liu appeared very understanding.

He knew that everyone had just been exposed to supernatural abilities that morning, and most of them had calculated the location of at least one acupoint. They were all eager to master the ability called "inner energy" as soon as possible.

As long as the students below the podium didn't cause trouble, even if they weren't listening attentively and were secretly trying to refine inner energy, he turned a blind eye.

During the second moral and ideological class, Director Huang, who was making his rounds, couldn't stand it any longer: "Members, don't think this moral and ideological education class is useless."

"In reality, it's extremely important!"

"You all should still remember, right?"

"I mentioned before that the Black Rock Martial Way is only the first supernatural path mastered by Caolu Academy."

"The second path is called supernatural ability awakening."

"Its entry threshold is higher than cultivating inner energy!"

"It requires testing the firmness of your belief and conviction!"

"The auxiliary role of ideological and moral courses in supernatural ability awakening has been proven to exist."

"In about three days, Fulan Academy will provide us with some instruments specifically for detecting related values."

"Those who fail the detection will not be qualified to step onto the second supernatural path!"

"Professor Liu Binbing just told me…"

"Some smart people, like Ma Ran, have been listening attentively."

"Learn from them more!"

Although the old saying goes, "Too much greed leads to indigestion," Director Huang's words clearly implied that the two supernatural paths of "inner energy" and "supernatural abilities" were not mutually exclusive.

Everyone present was young; who didn't have a dream of cultivating both martial arts and supernatural abilities?

Martial Way in the left hand, supernatural abilities in the right.

Just thinking about it made one feel incredibly powerful!

However, Ma Ran didn't pay much attention to Director Huang's words.

He hadn't actually been listening carefully before; instead, he had been constantly sketching the You script in his mind.

But due to the combined effects of being a "Demon of Scholars" and his acting skills, Professor Liu couldn't see through Ma Ran's pretense and thought he was truly concentrating.

"Brother Ran, did you hear that? Supernatural abilities!"

Dong Huaiming, sitting next to Ma Ran, trembled with excitement: "Director Huang just mentioned 'faith' and 'conviction'…"

"Could he be talking about something like telekinesis from 'Chronicle of the Superpowers'?"

"If I could get that kind of ability and develop it properly…"

"Things like flying with a sword, invulnerability to blades and spears, cellular immortality, and brain expansion could all become possible!"

Hearing this, Ma Ran chuckled and shook his head.

"It's not that simple."

Everyone understood the theoretical aspects.

For example, regarding "electromagnetic resonance," even a middle school student could explain it fluently.

Many people believed that as long as they could successfully control either "lightning" or "magnetic fields," they could quickly master the other.

They even thought they could sense the Earth's magnetic field orbit, merge with the planetary magnetic field, and thus fly through the air and move through the ground at will, achieving a speed equivalent to the Earth's rotation.

In practice, however, it was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Before Ma Ran's rebirth, everyone who had similar ideas had, without exception, gotten stuck at the stage of "controlling supernatural abilities."

As for the "entry threshold" mentioned by Huang Weiguo…

It was less a test of specific values of "faith" and "conviction," and more a measurement of mental strength.

Improving the members' immunity to "supernatural erosion" through ideological and moral courses…

Ma Ran could only describe it as "the idea isn't too far off."

Using this method to train mental strength was indeed free of side effects and effective.

However, it was a slow and steady process.

In contrast, for more effective results in short-term training, there was…

The Method of Suffering and Grinding.

Thanks to Xingchen 2580 for the 5000 reward!

Thanks to Ye Ban Shi Yi Dian for the 1000 reward!

Thanks to Xia Chong Yu Bing Ji Ling for the 500 reward!

Thanks to Xiao Yu Gan for the 500 reward!

Muah!!