The Special Body Martial Soul

In an instant, Xiao Mu broke through the surface of the sea, gasping for air. The sunlight made him squint, and the sea breeze blowing against his soaked skin carried a sharp, salty tang.

Then, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Decompression sickness.

Shooting straight up from the deep sea without any decompression stops meant nitrogen would form bubbles in his bloodstream, much like opening a bottle of shaken soda.

If those bubbles blocked his joints, blood vessels, or brain, the consequences would range from excruciating pain to death right there on the surface.

Even a dragon could only control this for a short while; he couldn't afford to be careless.

He immediately activated his first soul skill.

Inch by inch, he scanned his own body, adjusting his internal functions.

Thankfully, I learned some basic common sense.

In the distance, Mu Ye rose slowly from the sea, his feet resting on a mass of dark golden soul power. He looked at Xiao Mu as if he were watching a salted fish that had almost drowned the moment it learned to swim.

"How do you feel?"

Xiao Mu answered simply, "Not bad, though it would be better if I didn't have to surface so quickly. No matter how strong the body is, the internal organs remain fragile."

At this moment, he finally understood why the Body Sect had such a high mortality rate in this era; rapid ascent was one of the triggers for death.

Mu Ye stood on the sea, the dark golden soul power beneath his feet forming a thin board that kept him perfectly steady. In his right hand, he carried several deep-sea fish, their slender bodies shimmering with a cold blue light under the sun.

He nodded after hearing Xiao Mu's words, offering no rebuttal.

"Don't move around just yet," Mu Ye said. He raised his left hand, and a surge of soul power flowed from his palm, lifting Xiao Mu off the surface of the water.

Xiao Mu was enveloped in a layer of dark golden light, as if wrapped in a warm, gelatinous orb, and floated beside Mu Ye.

"I'm taking you back. There is a second secret technique I need to perform on you."

Carrying the fish and Xiao Mu, Mu Ye flew back, skimming the surface of the sea. The small island came into view in the distance, with a small, silvery-white dot moving on the white beach.

As they drew closer, the dot became clearer.

Na'er was pacing in circles on the beach, anxious and restless, having worn a perfect circle into the sand. Her footprints were deep enough to plant flowers in. Little Red stood to the side like a spectator at a ping-pong match, its eyes darting left and right.

"Why aren't they back yet... Could something have happened? No, Brother is very strong... How could anything go wrong..."

She muttered to herself as she paced, her speed at least three times faster than usual.

The mecha emitted a short, sharp beep and raised an arm to point at the sea. Na'er stopped abruptly, looking up to see the dark golden glow of Mu Ye's soul power flying toward them.

"Brother, are you okay?"

She ran to the water's edge, then slammed on the brakes. She smoothed out her hair, which had been ruffled by the sea breeze, and struck a pose as if she had been waiting there quietly the whole time.

Mu Ye landed and tossed the deep-sea fish into a small pool nearby.

The soul power around Xiao Mu dissipated. He stepped onto the sand with his bare feet and glanced at the suspiciously deep circle of footprints on the ground.

"Missed me?"

"No!" Na'er replied, her expression unchanging.

Suddenly, Little Red played back a holographic recording right on cue—a small figure pacing in circles, accompanied by the text: Duration: 27 minutes.

Na'er immediately covered the holographic projection with both hands. "Brother, you didn't see that. You didn't see anything."

"I didn't realize you were such a little tsundere."

"Hmph, I just didn't want you to see," Na'er huffed, puffing out her cheeks. She simply didn't want Xiao Mu to see her looking so undignified.

Xiao Mu chuckled and said to Little Red, "Remember to email that recording to me at ***@.. This is a must-save."

Mu Ye didn't give Xiao Mu much time to catch his breath.

"No time for idle chatter." He pulled a dark bottle from his robes and uncorked it. A pungent, spicy medicinal scent wafted out, overpowering even the saltiness of the sea breeze.

He poured the liquid into his rough palm; it shimmered with a dark golden luster and was as thick as melted amber.

"Lie down. There's more to be done."

Xiao Mu had just sat down on the sand when, before he could react, Mu Ye pressed him firmly onto a flat reef. His back faced upward, and the sea breeze blowing against his spine felt a bit chilly.

"It will hurt for a moment. Bear with it."

Mu Ye pressed his hands onto Xiao Mu's back.

The moment the first press landed, Xiao Mu almost thought his spine had been crushed.

This was the secret technique.

Each of Mu Ye's fingers felt like a pair of red-hot iron tongs. The medicinal liquid seemed to come alive the moment it touched his skin, burrowing deep into his pores.

Skin, muscle, and bone were kneaded layer by layer with a special technique, as if he were working a piece of unrisen dough.

"Hiss—" Xiao Mu gritted his teeth.

"Hold on," Mu Ye said, his hands never stopping. "Can't you even handle this much pain?"

Na'er crouched beside the reef, watching as dark golden patterns gradually emerged on Xiao Mu's back. Those patterns spread along the path of Mu Ye's fingers like a web being woven. She reached out and poked Xiao Mu's shoulder, causing him to let out a muffled groan.

"Brother, does it hurt?"

"...What do you think?"

"Then should I tell you a joke to take your mind off things?"

"I don't know any."

On the other side, Gu Yue did not go to participate in the final day of the exam.

She walked alone through the streets of East Sea City in the early morning. The sea breeze blew in from the direction of the harbor, leaving her hair ends slightly disheveled.

The Spirit Pagoda's building complex shimmered with a cold, hard luster in the morning light. She walked into a hotel within the East Sea Spirit Pagoda's perimeter, went up to the third floor, and pushed open a carved wooden door.

It was a private room with the curtains half-drawn, the lighting soft. A faint scent of tea hung in the air.

A person sat in a chair.

Her red hair reached her waist, draping smoothly over the armrest like a bolt of silk warmed by the sun.

She wore an off-white modified cheongsam, adorned with crimson feather patterns at the collar, chest, and hem. The garment was tailored to perfection, hugging the curves of her body without being tight. A shawl of the same color rested in the crook of her arm, hanging down as quietly as two folded clouds.

She sat there with her legs together and tilted slightly, one hand resting on the armrest while the other held a teacup. The cup hovered at her lips, yet she did not drink, as if lost in thought.

Light leaked through the gap in the curtains, falling into her red eyes and casting a warm glow.

Gu Yue stood at the doorway for a second before speaking: "Teacher, I'm here."

Leng Yaozhu set down the teacup and looked up. Her red eyes reflected Gu Yue's image, her gaze gentle yet carrying an unruffled scrutiny. "It is good that you are here."

Gu Yue sat down opposite her. A server poured her a cup of tea; the movements were unhurried, and the sound of the tea hitting the cup was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Then, Leng Yaozhu spoke suddenly.

"I heard you have a classmate named Xiao Mu. Do you know him?"

The hand Gu Yue used to lift the teacup paused slightly. Why ask about Xiao Mu? Just how much has this person done within the Federation?

"He excels at using soul guidance devices, and his attack methods are very strange."

"He lacks team spirit and will abandon those without ability. His strength is light-years ahead of his peers."

After listening, Leng Yaozhu did not express an opinion. The only intelligence she had was that Xiao Mu was a scientific research talent for the Federation, seemingly working in the field of communications.

In fact, Xiao Mu's shadow could be found in the Federation's breakthroughs in communications, satellites, materials science, and ballistics.

Unfortunately, Xiao Mu still wanted to pursue nuclear physics; after all, mutual destruction was also a necessary means.

You might not need to use it, but you cannot be without it.

As for the risk of failure, let the Federation's greatest power bear it.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Xiao Mu's training had only just begun. Every quantum constituting his martial soul was about to reveal its true power.