"Mr. Xia, what's the fifth stage?"
An impatient shout rose from the audience.
After the unveiling of the first four stages, everyone was even more eager to see the remaining two stages of [Heavenly Soldier].
"The fifth stage is the most special of them all."
Xia Xu remained unhurried, explaining in a measured tone, "If the first four stages of Heavenly Soldier improve human physical capabilities, then the fifth stage improves technique."
"Technique?"
That claim once again thoroughly piqued everyone's curiosity.
Physical strength, defense, and reflexes could all be enhanced through various means. They would not have been surprised if Star Sea Group produced some other extraordinary enhancement technology, but technique? How could that be enhanced?
Some sort of scientific training regimen?
If that was all it was, surely it could not qualify as a human enhancement technology?
"That's right. Technique."
Xia Xu continued his measured explanation. "Even with identical physical capabilities, the strength each person can exert and the explosive power they can generate differ. I believe everyone understands that.
"A person's strength is affected by their daily training and habitual ways of exerting force, and even more so by their condition when performing. Fluctuations in both mental and physical condition affect how much muscular strength they can exert.
"Beyond the exertion of muscular strength itself, the explosive power ultimately generated is also affected by the laws of physics. Leverage, torque, centrifugal force, centripetal force, acceleration... different movements and postures produce different effects from that same force.
"That is the point of combat techniques: to turn muscular strength into greater destructive power. And, of course, to hit enemies and evade attacks more effectively."
After pausing briefly to let everyone digest this, Xia Xu summed up his explanation. "Therefore, there are really only two kinds of techniques a master fighter