August 20, 2056, East District Building 3.
Luo Feng sprawled on the ground, aching all over from the chess pieces, but his face was alight with excitement.
For the past five days, he had willingly endured this hellish routine.
Ever since he had started training, he had never suffered so much pain.
Sometimes he even wondered if training his footwork so relentlessly was really worth it, when he was a Spirit Reader.
But his natural resilience kept him going. This afternoon, he had finally closed the distance from more than ten meters away to just two meters behind Bai Yang.
He was only one step away from forcing Bai Yang to turn around.
His footwork had long since reached a nearly perfect level, one he could perform without even thinking.
Bai Yang hadn't turned around, but after acquiring the genes of various monsters, he could tell exactly what shape Luo Feng was in.
He could now easily piece together a complete picture in his mind through vibrations in the ground, disturbances in the air, and other means.
He could even glean a little about other people's moods and condition from their scent.
His sensory abilities had become completely inhuman, giving him a huge advantage in battle.
Yang Wu opened his eyes where he lay on the ground. He, too, had gained a great deal over the past five days, and today he had finally reached the strength of an Intermediate Warrior.
Bai Yang had said that if he kept practicing the Guidance Technique, he could become an Intermediate War God. Now Yang Wu truly believed it was possible.
Both of them had temporarily reached a plateau in their progress.
Bai Yang had other matters to attend to as well, so he said:
"Luo Feng, Yang Wu, you're supposed to head to the Wilderness Zone with your teammates from the Limit Dojo, right?
"Let's stop here for now. I also need to go to Kyoto Base City to report in."
The two of them were both taken aback. How had the days passed so quickly?
The feeling of their strength soaring had been wonderful. Several days had slipped by without them noticing, and they really didn't want it to end.
Still, they had been imposing on Bai Yang for all this time. They really had caused him a lot of trouble.
They thanked him repeatedly. They had no idea how they could ever repay his kindness.
Yang Wu especially knew that the Guidance Technique was a secret never passed on to outsiders. The one Bai Yang had taught him was surely extraordinary.
An idea had been brewing in his mind for days. At that moment, he finally made up his mind.
The three of them left Building 3. Before Luo Feng departed, he arranged to treat Bai Yang to a meal once Bai Yang returned from Kyoto to Jiangnan, to properly thank him for looking after them. Bai Yang smiled and agreed.
Bai Yang was just about to head back to his dormitory when he noticed that Yang Wu hadn't left.
Instead, Yang Wu was watching him intently. It was obvious that he had something important to say.
Bai Yang sensed his emotions and understood. "Let's talk in my dorm."
The two went to Bai Yang's dormitory. As soon as Yang Wu stepped inside, he suddenly fell to his knees and knocked his head against the floor three times.
Then he raised his head and said solemnly, "Brother Bai, I want to leave the Limit Dojo and join Mount Hua!"
Bai Yang had guessed as much, but still asked, "Are you sure you've thought it through?"
Yang Wu nodded. "I've thought about it for a long time. There are countless people like me at the Limit Dojo, with barely enough talent to meet the requirements for becoming a warrior.
"I have neither money nor influence, and I can't afford the good techniques or equipment. I'm destined to spend the rest of my life as a low-ranking warrior.
"Until I retire at forty, I'd just be killing time fighting monsters in the nearby Wilderness Zones. That's not the life I want."
Bai Yang thought about it. In the original story, Yang Wu really would have been fated for such a bleak life.
If he was lucky, he'd make it through the next ten-odd years in one piece, then save up some money before retiring.
If he was unlucky, even if he didn't end up disabled or die a violent death, he would inevitably be left with a body full of injuries and ailments.
"If I ever had a chance to change my life, it would be meeting you and Luo Feng.
"Your help these past few days gave me the courage to ask you for an opportunity!"
Bai Yang knew that Yang Wu had made up his mind, and Yang Wu had performed well so far.
So he took out a Monster Cell. Without explaining anything, he said, "Eat it."
Yang Wu looked at the lump of flesh. Without a second thought, he grabbed a handful and swallowed it.
In an instant, an incredibly wondrous feeling filled his mind and body.
He asked in confusion, "What's happening to me?"
Bai Yang was very pleased by his resolve and smiled.
"Brother Yang, from now on, you can call me 'Chief' or 'Sir.'"
From that moment on, Yang Wu would never betray Bai Yang, even subconsciously. He immediately nodded in agreement.
Through the Mental Network, Bai Yang gave him a rough explanation of the situation.
"Next, we'll go to Kunshan first. Then we'll head to Kyoto Base City and get you an official identity."
Early the next morning, Bai Yang and Yang Wu went to the Southeast Military Region.
Using Psychokinesis, Bai Yang easily carried Yang Wu along as he ran at full speed. They reached the outpost in Kunshan in just half a day.
An Zhengxin had already turned the place into a well-run base, capable of supporting a long-term population.
"Hello, Master!"
Thirty warriors, all at least Intermediate War Gods, came to greet him. Among them was even a Primary War God!
"Hello, Manager Yang!"
The slaves greeted Yang Wu as well.
They knew very well that they weren't all equally close to their master, and their positions were entirely different.
The difference between Yang Wu and them was that he was the master's trusted subordinate, while they were slaves. They absolutely could not overstep their station.
Even though Yang Wu had already been told about these people, he still couldn't help feeling stirred when he saw this scene.
He had made the right choice!
Who would believe something like this if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes?
He never could have dreamed of witnessing a scene like this!
Bai Yang casually waved them away to get back to work, then walked into his temporary quarters.
An Zhengxin had indeed made all the arrangements. Several large freezers inside were filled with the flesh of various monsters.
They were all carefully selected species whose genes could compensate for Bai Yang's various weaknesses.
He opened a passage with each hand and began devouring the flesh without even thawing it.
The Monster Body within him began to grow and develop at an astonishing rate.
Once he had finished eating, Bai Yang checked his progress. His first-stage transformation wasn't far off.
He was pleased. Having subordinates who voluntarily helped him "train while idle" made life incredibly convenient.
Now that he'd eaten his fill, it was time to get down to business.
He walked out of the room and into the hall.
Yang Wu and An Zhengxin stood on either side, waiting for him.
Dozens of large sheets of paper and pencils covered the entire hall floor.
Bai Yang focused, and his Psychokinesis activated!
In an instant, dozens of pencils flew into the air and began rapidly writing on the sheets.
These were the forty-seven simplest forms from the Mist Shadow Splitting Technique that he had organized over the past few days.
There was only one Mount Hua Sword, and he couldn't demonstrate it to others all day.
The Mental Network between master and servant couldn't transmit such detailed techniques either.
The complexity of the input mattered. Psychokinesis could easily control dozens of sets of paper and pencils, but it couldn't operate dozens of keyboards at once.
So this was the only clumsy method.
That night, the slaves would stay up all night manually entering the text into computers. After that, making copies and sharing them would be much easier.
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