The key to 'breaking the limit'?
Xue Jing's curiosity was piqued by his master's words. He glanced at Zhu Shanying, who voiced the question on his behalf "Master, what exactly does 'breaking the limit' mean?"
Li Qi smiled knowingly. "The human body has its limits. As warriors, we push our bodies to their peak through the five major training stages: skin, flesh, tendons, bones, and blood. Once these are perfected, you've reached the limits of your physical potential. At that point, further improvement becomes impossible due to your genetics. No matter how hard you train, you cannot surpass that threshold... unless you break the limit."
He paused briefly, then continued, "In simpler terms, it's like the concept of 'Leaping over the Dragon Gate.'"
Xue Jing sat up, his attention fully captured.
"When a fish leaps over the dragon gate and is struck by lightning, its mortal body is burned away, transforming it into a dragon. In the West, they call this 'breaking the limit'—surpassing the boundaries of the human body. It's not just about martial arts. It's about the sublimation of life itself."
"Sublimation?" Zhu Shanying repeated, her eyes widening.
Li Qi nodded. "Breaking the limit means reshaping your body at the most fundamental level—changing your genes. While you retain a human form, your essence becomes something far beyond human. In ancient times, those who achieved this were called 'eternal immortals' by Taoists and 'instant Buddhas' by Buddhists. Those who break the limit no longer age physically. They can live for 150 years, maintaining their peak physical condition until the moment of death."
Xue Jing glanced at his master's frail form, suddenly understanding the significance of Li Qi's earlier remark about "accidents."
"To achieve this level of transformation, you can't rely solely on physical training," Li Qi continued. "You must harness the abstract power of your consciousness and spirit to force your body to change."
Zhu Shanying furrowed her brow in confusion. "Master... this sounds a bit unscientific."
Li Qi smiled wryly. "It may seem that way, but let me ask you, what is the relationship between your consciousness and your body?"
Zhu Shanying hesitated. "Isn't consciousness just the result of neurons sending signals in the brain?"
Li Qi shook his head. "Not entirely. The brain is just an organ, like a CPU for your body. The real 'you'—your consciousness—is independent of the body itself. If the human body is a machine, then the brain is the processor. But the 'self,' your awareness, is something greater, controlling that machine."
"In the physical world, consciousness needs a carrier, much like how a computer needs a processor to function. But the 'self'—your consciousness—goes beyond the body."
Xue Jing listened closely, his mind processing the blend of spiritual philosophy and scientific reasoning. It was both foreign and familiar.
"Humans only have partial control over their bodies," Li Qi explained. "For example, you cannot kill yourself by holding your breath. Your body will force you to faint, and your instincts will take over to resume breathing. In this way, 'you'—your conscious mind—is just a passenger. But with enough spiritual strength, you can transcend that limitation."
Li Qi clenched his fist. "A powerful enough consciousness can override the body's limitations. Instead of relying on slow brain signals, you command your body directly at the cellular level. You order your genes to change, enhancing the strong and eliminating the weak. This is how you achieve life's sublimation."
Zhu Shanying stared, entranced. "So martial arts become a way to unlock the potential of consciousness?"
"Exactly," Li Qi said. "With a strong enough mind, you can be as strong as you believe yourself to be. But remember, jumping over the dragon gate comes with a price. You risk genetic collapse and the failure of your very being."
Xue Jing and Zhu Shanying were captivated, each word from Li Qi deepening their understanding. It seemed both a scientific breakthrough and an ancient myth brought to life.
Li Qi turned his gaze toward Xue Jing. "You've taken the first crucial step—letting your consciousness fully enter your physical body."
Xue Jing flexed his arms, feeling the dragon energy swirling within him. He took a deep breath, sensing how the force moved through his veins, alive and untamed.
"Although you still have a long way to go before you truly break the limit, you're on the right path," Li Qi said, patting his shoulder. "Now, it's just a matter of time and effort."
Zhu Shanying, still absorbing everything she'd learned, asked, "Master, I've heard that you once broke through the Dragon Gate yourself. If that's true, why have you aged?"
Li Qi chuckled, though there was a hint of sorrow in his voice. "The 'dragon' I raised was slain. When its consciousness could no longer connect with my body, I reverted to a normal human. Aging became inevitable."
Zhu Shanying nodded, though her understanding of the situation was limited.
---
When Xue Jing finally returned home, it was well past midnight. He touched his healing wounds, marveling at how quickly they were closing. At this rate, he'd be fully recovered within a couple of days.
After greeting the security guard, he made his way to his apartment. When he opened the door, he was met with silence.
"Hmm, not here again?" Xue Jing muttered, noticing his cat's absence. Recently, his cat had been disappearing more frequently, and Xue Jing had no idea where it was going.
After scanning the room, Xue Jing closed his eyes and activated his visualization ability. At level 4, it gave him an almost superhuman control over his mental imagery.
In his mind, he recreated every detail of his apartment—the worn buttons on the TV remote, the cat hair on the sofa, the scratches on the chair legs.
Through this visualization, he pictured his black cat moving about the house—stretching, clawing at the furniture, rummaging through the refrigerator.
In the imagined scene, the cat suddenly paused. It turned its head toward the balcony, as if hearing something, and padded toward the glass door. With a flick of its paw, it opened the door and stepped outside.
Following the mental image, Xue Jing opened his eyes and walked to the balcony. Sure enough, he found faint paw prints on the railing's black paint.
'So that's where you went,' he thought, leaning over the railing. Far below, he spotted an outdoor air conditioning unit, covered in dust and faint cat prints.
With a swift movement, Xue Jing vaulted over the railing and swung himself down to the air conditioner, landing silently.
---
In a dark alley not far from Xue Jing's apartment, Ning Fengwan sat on a brick wall, staring at two figures dressed in black coats, sunglasses, and masks. She sighed. "I told you two not to come looking for me right now."
The smaller of the two figures spoke in a timid, girlish voice. "I… I didn't want to wear this... it makes me look like a stalker, but Priest..."
The taller figure silenced her with a glance.
Ning Fengwan turned her attention to the tall man. "Mr. An, didn't you flee to the Inner Ring City? Why are you back?"
Mr. An's voice was low and measured. "Master, I didn't flee. I went to the headmaster."
Ning Fengwan's eyes widened. "Headmaster? There's a headmaster?"
Mr. An nodded solemnly. "Yes. The Dragon Sect serves His Majesty Anandashesha, the 'Infinite Dragon.' With a thousand heads, there are a thousand branches of our sect. We haven't contacted other branches in decades, so the old master likely forgot to tell you."
"Why bring this up now?" Ning Fengwan asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.
Mr. An removed his sunglasses, revealing red, vertical pupils. "Because His Majesty Anandashesha has responded to us. The branch in Yuancheng received an oracle from Him. They are the head sect of this generation. You, Master, must come to Yuancheng with us to receive His grace."
His voice grew more impassioned. "This is the highest honor! You could even become the 'Royal Son'—the chosen of Anandashesha!"
As Mr. An stepped closer, his excitement rising, a loud thud interrupted them. A tall figure landed in the alley, cracking the concrete beneath him.
"Sorry," Xue Jing said, scratching his head sheepishly. "Didn't expect the air conditioner to be that slippery."
Three pairs of eyes turned toward him, stunned. Xue Jing hesitated, sensing the awkward tension. "Uh… did I come at a bad time?"