In addition to the changes in height and build, Chen Mo's face underwent a startling transformation.
The muscles in his face began to shift subtly, his originally handsome and chiseled features gradually morphing. His cheekbones widened, his lips grew fuller and more prominent, until his entire facial structure and features were completely different from before.
As his height, build, and face were undergoing these astonishing changes, Chen Mo's skin tone was also slowly deepening, turning a rich black.
Finally, when the series of transformations ceased, a massive, powerfully built, beast-like Black man stood before Erik and M'Baku.
The two men wore expressions of utter disbelief, especially Erik Killmonger, for Chen Mo's face was now nearly identical to his own!
In appearance, height, and build, Chen Mo was now a perfect duplicate of Erik Killmonger!
In just over ten seconds, right before their eyes, Chen Mo had transformed from his original Chinese appearance into the King of Wakanda, Erik Killmonger—his height, build, skin color, and features completely different from his original form!
"..."
Erik Killmonger was utterly stunned into silence by the sight of Chen Mo, who was now his exact double.
M'Baku's initial shock gave way to a dawning, electrifying realization. Overwhelmed with excitement, his voice trembled as he shouted,
"The art of transformation! The Seventy-two Transformations!"
No longer able to contain his fervor, M'Baku dropped heavily to his knees, prostrating himself on the ground before Chen Mo, and cried out,
"Our God Hanuman!"
...
While the transformation Chen Mo underwent was astonishing, its underlying principle was not entirely mystical.
When Chen Mo first arrived in Captain America's world, his physical potential was unlocked during the plane crash, elevating his fitness to four times that of an average person. At that time, he gained incredibly precise control over his body. While he couldn't completely alter his form and appearance to mimic others perfectly, he could manage subtle adjustments, making them virtually undetectable behind a carefully crafted silicone mask. Furthermore, he could manipulate his vocal cords to imitate other people's voices. It was through this method that he had impersonated the Red Skull, successfully infiltrated Hydra, and ultimately taken control of it.
Recognizing the immense potential of this fine bodily control, Chen Mo began consciously training and refining it.
As his physical fitness improved, so did his mastery over his body. Now, with seven times the strength of an average person, he could fully and freely control every muscle—over 600 skeletal muscles, the cardiac muscle, and even the smooth muscles lining his blood vessels, which are normally beyond voluntary control.
He could orchestrate these muscles with such precision that they worked in concert to stretch and support his spine, increasing his height. Simultaneously, he could direct blood flow to cause specific muscles to swell, altering his overall shape and appearance.
Facial transformations were even more complex, requiring extremely subtle control of dozens of facial muscles while also increasing blood and interstitial fluid accumulation in specific areas to reshape his face.
Humans rely on the somatic nervous system to control voluntary movements. Additionally, the body has an autonomic nervous system.
Unlike the somatic system, the autonomic nervous system operates independently of conscious thought, comprising the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Governed by the cerebral cortex and hypothalamus, it regulates the activities and secretions of organs, blood vessels, smooth muscle, and glands. It also plays a role in the endocrine regulation of glucose, fat, water, and electrolyte metabolism, as well as body temperature, sleep, and blood pressure.
Ordinary people lack complete mastery over their somatic nervous system, preventing them from performing many difficult and delicate movements.
Chen Mo, however, not only possesses perfect command of his somatic nervous system, allowing him to execute feats impossible for others, but he has also achieved a degree of control over the autonomic nervous system—a realm inaccessible to ordinary people—granting him profound and comprehensive mastery of his own body.
Yet, not all bodily functions are governed by these two systems. Many cellular activities are purely instinctive or triggered by specific external stimuli. Take, for example, the secretion of melanin.
Normally, melanin is passively produced by melanocytes in response to ultraviolet radiation.
Chen Mo, however, can directly command the melanocytes in his skin to actively secrete melanin, thereby changing his skin color.
His complete bodily control extends beyond muscles to encompass all neural activities, including glandular hormone secretion and bone marrow hematopoiesis.
He even exerts a degree of influence over cellular activities not typically controlled by neural circuits. This ability is not a simple byproduct of high physical fitness.
Even if Erik Killmonger's physical attributes were raised to match Chen Mo's, he would not be able to achieve the same minute, comprehensive control over his body. This capability stems not from physical prowess alone, but from a highly developed brain and formidable mental strength.
Unlike Captain America, Steve Rogers, or Erik Killmonger, Chen Mo possesses a unique psychic power.
A robust physique is only one facet of his strength. While his physical abilities may appear to be his most potent asset, his truly invaluable qualities are his highly evolved brain, powerful mental fortitude, and remarkable spatial abilities.
Enhancing physical strength, while not easy, can be achieved through various means readily available in this world.
Chen Mo has encountered the Super Soldier Serum, Werewolf Blood, Vampire Blood, the Perfect Blood, and Wakanda's Heart-Shaped Herb.
Each of these can rapidly grant an ordinary person physical capabilities far exceeding the human norm.
However, developing the brain and enhancing mental strength is a different matter altogether—it is notoriously difficult, one might even say exceedingly so.
To date, Chen Mo has not discovered a method to boost brain development and mental strength as rapidly as he can improve physical attributes.
Although his own brain and mental faculties *have* been enhanced alongside his physique after receiving the Super Soldier Serum and the Perfect Blood, this effect is intrinsically linked to his unique innate talent as a psychic.
Others do not experience this synergistic enhancement.