Mutation Hand

Dozens of crimson stone pillars held up the vast space, bright lights illuminating the white jade floor tiles. Along the walls of the perfectly circular hall, reliefs of all manner of birds and beasts formed an enormous mural. A jade carving of a white dragon stood at the center of the grounds, every scale and claw lifelike, like a divine beast guarding the city—or a king attended by ten thousand beasts.

Chu Hengkong carefully surveyed his surroundings. He had been brought to the thirty-first floor of the headquarters building. From this floor upward, three stories had been opened into one to construct a temple hidden within the building. He was certain this was a temple, not merely because of the stone pillars resembling an ancient Greek shrine and the jade carving of an ancient dragon, but because of the unique atmosphere found nowhere else—majestic and solemn, yet calming to the soul, as though a god had descended in person.

"Come, look over here."

Ji Qiufeng walked before the dragon god statue and bent down, extending a hand. A white snake crawled out from behind the jade carving and slowly wound itself around his arm. The snake was small and slender; when coiled up, it could sit in a man's palm. Its eyes were deep blue, not bewitching, but gentle.

"Let me introduce her. This is our team doctor and scholar, the wise Miss Youyou~"

Ji Qiufeng raised his palm as though presenting a treasure. Beside him, Ji Huaishu and Jie An cooperatively made sounds of "Ooh, ooh." The little snake shot them a vicious glare and spat out a rapid, clear female voice. "It's not Youyou, it's Youyou! Be serious, the newcomer is trying not to laugh!"

Chu Hengkong coughed twice and said solemnly, "Hello, Miss Youyou."

The white snake Youyou flicked her tongue in satisfaction. As she climbed onto Ji Qiufeng's head, she asked, "That's more like it. Have you considered becoming an artisan or a mage?"

"No." Chu Hengkong did not hesitate. "It doesn't feel reliable."

"Neither mysteries nor machinery can be trusted. Only the flesh and one's skill are the foundations of survival. A pure flesh-and-blood type indeed," Youyou assessed. "Fine, that saves me the trouble of explaining. Ji Qiufeng should have told you all the details. I'll confirm one last time: are you sure you want to use this tentacle?"

On the way to the temple, Ji Qiufeng had briefly explained some information about ascension to him, including an important choice.

"'Mutation Hand' is the beginning of the Path of Ascension, the foundation for every step you take afterward. Once you ascend into Mutation Hand, that tentacle's power will grow stronger, but it will also become a part of your life. Even if it is severed, it can no longer be replaced with new flesh. Speaking as an elder rather than a superior, I would advise you to cut off the tentacle and ascend with one arm."

"If I don't cut off my arm, I'll have to use this tentacle for the rest of my life?"

"What in this world is ever certain? If you can reach Quark Four, you can solve this problem completely. But that is a distant place beyond the hopes of most people for their entire lives."

"I'll climb up there faster."

In just a few words, a major decision concerning his future had been made so easily. If he lost the tentacle, he would probably no longer be able to use the Silver-Eyed Book. Losing an important channel of information in this unfamiliar world would only make him die sooner. Besides, there were no trustworthy prosthetics in the city to begin with. If he cut off the tentacle just to replace it with something even more suspicious, who could guarantee it would not cause new problems?

No matter how ugly the tentacle was, it had not caused trouble so far. What was more, it was quite useful. Even if it truly was some monster's flesh... when its original owner came knocking, he could just beat them back.

Thus, Chu Hengkong answered without the slightest hesitation, "I'm sure."

"What a stubborn one! Then let's begin." Youyou sighed and tapped the dragon god carving with her tail. The jade sculpture silently sank into the ground, and its former pedestal became a hollow circle. Streams of yellow light emerged from the white jade floor, drawing a complex yet orderly magic array around the hollow circle.

"You still lack the ability to understand the principles of the Lost Secret Array. Do not ask, and do not guess. Do whatever Ji Qiufeng tells you. Memorize every single word firmly. Understand?" Youyou stared into his eyes.

Chu Hengkong nodded.

"Look carefully at this array. Its name is the 'Sealing Formula.'" Ji Qiufeng's tone was gentle. As he spoke, the array gradually took shape. First, three circular formations appeared around the hollow circle, forming an equilateral triangle. Each circle contained a simple symbol. Though he had never encountered them before, he could naturally understand their meanings: dust, light, and shadow.

Outside the triangular array, three concentric rings formed one after another. Their structure was several times more complex than the inner formation. The rings themselves were made up of countless tiny words, while every layer was surrounded by abstract symbols—like the sun, moon, sky, ocean... The moment he saw some of the symbols, a chill ran through his heart. A sense of danger from nowhere gripped it tight, as though he stood at the edge of endless darkness, where one wrong step would send him plunging into a bottomless abyss.

"Do you feel it? That is the malice within the world," Ji Qiufeng said. "Malice is everywhere. It seeps through every crack. If you step onto the Path of Ascension unprepared, it is easy for it to contaminate your mind. Thus, the sages created the 'Sealing Formula' to isolate such dangers. From now on, every ascension will require the corresponding ritual. The site must be a safe place free of contamination. You must never use an array different from the 'Sealing Formula.' Even the slightest difference is absolutely unacceptable. You must remember that!"

Ji Qiufeng had never sounded so serious when speaking. Chu Hengkong instinctively understood that this was a rule he had to obey to survive in this world. He suppressed his sense of danger and memorized every detail of the array. Once he had done so, he followed Ji Qiufeng's instructions and walked to the hollow circle at the center, placing both hands at its core.

"Focus. Recite it silently in your heart." Ji Qiufeng's voice drifted faintly. "Mutation Hand."

Mutation Hand.

The instant the thought arose, colorless dust drifted into the hollow circle, forming the final symbol of the array. It was a broad, powerful, yet dexterous "hand." The hand-shaped symbol infinitely enlarged in Chu Hengkong's eyes, like an open gate swallowing him inside. Memories and sensations rose in exhilaration. From the depths of his soul, countless scenes poured forth at once!

A child practicing punches by copying illustrations in a book. A youth brawling with a thug wielding a staff. A young man training alone in the depths of the mountains. An adult assassin battling enemies amid towering buildings. Fists, kicks, throws, strikes, blades, spears, staffs, clubs... Bajiquan, Taijiquan, Piguaquan, Chuojiao, karate, kendo, Muay Thai, Kalaripayattu...

Every move and stance was so familiar, so dependable. Merely watching those scenes let him relive the feelings of the time. Because every person in every image was Chu Hengkong himself. They were every move he had learned since birth, every skill he had mastered. Many fragments had long since slipped even from his own memory. Even flashes of inspiration amid battle, half-formed moves altered on a whim, were all counted within them now.

In the blink of an eye, the scenes of martial training and combat reached their end and stopped at that silver tentacle. Everything from the past merged together, then transformed into the symbol of "Mutation Hand." The symbol now appeared incomparably clear. Its simple structure seemed to contain endless information, and he could not help becoming entranced by it.

Chu Hengkong unconsciously reached out to touch it. The vivid symbol scattered into specks of colorless dust and melted into his body through his fingertips. In that instant, his vision cleared. Everything from the past passed through his consciousness once more, but now it felt utterly different.

It could be corrected. It could be improved. This stance had still been immature; that move could be extended further. Chu Hengkong smiled in delight, as though an immortal had touched his crown and bestowed mysteries upon him. From this moment on, everything in his past was different. An indescribable "comprehension" filled his heart, eager power surging through every limb and bone. He had never felt so sharp, so dexterous!

To the others watching, however, Chu Hengkong was merely standing still without saying a word. He had stood there for a full hour, until Jie An could not help muttering, "What's wrong with this kid? Don't tell me... he didn't get in?"

"The Lost Secret Array is calculating," Ji Huaishu said. "Ascending into Mutation Hand requires fulfilling one of two conditions. Either you possess an extraordinary limb acknowledged by the Lost Secret, or you have mastered supreme skill capable of turning ordinary flesh into something extraordinary. That tentacle fulfills the first condition. Now the array is calculating his second."

Jie An widened his eyes. "Come on. Other people take five minutes at most to ascend into Mutation Hand. He's been at it for an hour and it still isn't done? How much has he trained?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the yellow light composing the array faded, and Chu Hengkong finally moved. He clenched his fist, released it, and repeated this three times, while the tentacle on his arm continuously contracted and extended in sync. He bounced in place a few times, stepped forward, and threw a punch into empty space!

The punch tore through the air with a thunderous crack that exploded through the temple. Yet Chu Hengkong did not pause in the slightest. As his fist shot out, his knee strike came with it. Then the tentacle on his left arm swept upward, and his body spun with the momentum as he delivered a knife-edge kick. After a swift, satisfying series of attacks, he immediately turned back into a defensive stance, swaying to evade a "counterattack."

There was clearly nothing before him, yet he fought as though blows were traded back and forth. He had no weapon in hand, yet used blade techniques. He carried neither throwing knives nor stones, yet several "hidden weapons" flew from thin air. His absorbed state even infected the onlookers. They seemed to see an "enemy," to see that invisible battle... The enemy was also a man with tentacles, also skilled in all manner of techniques and weapons, hidden weapons included. He attacked with ever-changing methods, while the real Chu Hengkong broke through them one by one with even more exquisite moves.

He was fighting the self in his imagination. Every move and stance he used surpassed his past self!

Chu Hengkong laughed loudly, with boundless delight. He had clearly spent a full day and night on the run, but he could not feel the least bit of fatigue. His strength was abundant, his inspiration overflowing, and even that strange tentacle had become coordinated. He no longer needed to "adapt" to this new limb. His two hands were so dexterous and powerful, enough to handle any situation.

Ji Qiufeng stamped the floor, and a massive boulder as thick as a city wall rose from underground, blocking Chu Hengkong's path. In the midst of his excitement, the silver tentacle lashed out naturally. With a single blow, it shattered the stone wall meant for testing into powder!

Chu Hengkong was about to turn around when his steps halted. A faint vibration underground had prepared him. He realized that his perception had improved as well; now he was as keen at every moment as when he wore the perception pendant. The damaged boulder sank, and a lifelike wooden dummy took its place. The wooden man moved with astonishing speed, holding a long saber in its hand and using a saber art even Chu Hengkong had never heard of. Its blade swept wide and bold, full of spirit, yet it also contained unique moves that were tricky and vicious. It was truly an excellent saber art.

Chu Hengkong dodged beneath his feet, his eyes lighting up. He carefully observed the wooden man's moves and inferred the changes in its saber art. After exchanging two rounds, a smile lifted the corner of his mouth. The temple's layout shifted again, and all kinds of cold weapons emerged from the walls on either side. Chu Hengkong swept a tentacle around a long saber, then lunged at the wooden man with a slash—but the path of his strike was identical to the wooden man's.

The same angle, the same timing—it was like two men in a mirror swinging their sabers at one another, except one possessed greater strength and speed. In fewer than three exchanges, Chu Hengkong had completely mastered the saber art. He casually developed a move the wooden man had not yet used and chopped its weapon from its grasp with a single slash.

He turned around in exhilaration and laughed. "Is there any more?"

Even Ji Huaishu was shocked this time. "What kind of logic is that?"

"Quark One, 'Mutation Hand,' can comprehensively improve one's physical qualities, strengthen abilities related to the limbs, and..." Ji Qiufeng smiled with satisfaction. "Grant the strongest learning ability of all Quarks!"

He snapped his paper fan shut with a crisp sound. The ground beneath the temple rumbled without end as wooden men bearing weapons of every kind emerged one after another, forming a long line before Chu Hengkong.

"There are three hundred sets of basic martial arts prepared for the Mutation Hand stage here." Ji Qiufeng glanced at his watch. "You are not allowed to damage the wooden men. Learn them all before dawn!"