He bowed, withdrew from the room, and stepped out of the manor.
Emerging into the bustling streets of the Royal City, Chu Mo finally had a chance to truly appreciate his new body. He felt the strange sensation of his wings rubbing against his clothes as they folded behind his back, and the surging power coursing through his veins like liquid fire.
His strength had increased manifold—that was the most direct and overwhelming sensation. With a light leap, he could soar into the sky. His dynamic vision, hearing, and sense of smell—every sense had become razor-sharp, picking up conversations from blocks away and scents he'd never noticed before.
A first-generation Angel Gene was merely entry-level in the Angel Civilization, but for him—a former mortal—it represented a chasm-crossing leap. More importantly, it provided an "interface"—a physical platform capable of perceiving and guiding dark energy. While he was far from driving dark energy to achieve the miraculous feats of high-ranking angels, this was still a qualitative transformation compared to the powerlessness of his previous flesh-and-blood body.
Chu Mo did not return directly to "Youyi Village." Instead, he wandered casually through the prosperous districts, buying a few inconsequential luxury goods and delivering gifts to several "acquainted" military officers under Hua Ye's command. These small gestures maintained appearances and kept his network intact.
Having finished these surface-level formalities, Chu Mo shed his slightly cumbersome formal coat, leaving only a form-fitting black training suit. His snow-white wings unfurled completely behind him, stretching wide as if testing the air themselves. He closed his eyes, sinking his entire consciousness into his body.
The "Dark Energy Perception" that had emerged after merging with the first-generation gene slowly brushed over every inch of muscle, bone, blood vessel, and nerve ending. He could almost visualize the pathways now, the channels through which this new power flowed.
In his memories of his past life, a power system from the world of One Piece—the Six Powers (Rokushiki)—surfaced with crystal clarity.
These were superhuman techniques formed by pushing the physical body to its absolute limit through unique exertion methods: Iron Body (Tekkai) for defense, Paper Drawing (Kamie) for evasion, Shave (Soru) for high-speed movement, Moonwalk (Geppo) for walking on air, Tempest Kick (Rankyaku) for vacuum blade strikes, and Finger Pistol (Shigan) for piercing attacks.
In a super-civilization where dark energy drove God-Slaying weapons and computational power determined victory or defeat, this seemingly "primitive" martial art might look laughably outdated to most.
But Chu Mo didn't see it that way.
Firstly, the first-generation Angel Gene provided a physical foundation far exceeding that of an average human, making it the perfect starting point for such techniques. Secondly, the core of these skills lay in "control"—the precise mastery of bodily limits and the instantaneous burst and restraint of power. This would not only compensate for his lack of effective offensive and defensive means in the early stages but also help him master his new body at an accelerated pace.
He started with the basics.
Iron Body (Tekkai) was not about literally turning the body as rigid as steel—that would be suicide in a high-speed battle where flexibility meant survival. Its essence lay in instantaneously concentrating consciousness to mobilize the muscles, drastically increasing the hardness and density of the impacted area at the moment of a strike to withstand the shock.
Chu Mo stood firm and took a deep breath. His mental focus intensified, imagining his muscles tightening like steel cables as the energy beneath his skin was guided to the surface. Then, he swung his right fist with about 30% power, striking his own left arm.
Thud!
A dull sound echoed. A sharp sting radiated from his left arm, and the skin turned slightly red. He had failed; the instantaneous coordination of his muscles was insufficient, and the energy guidance was scattered and ineffective.
He didn't mind. Adjusting his breath, he tried again. Control the muscle groups... feel the rhythm of the energy flow... concentrate! Strike!
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
With every failure, he used his mental energy to perceive exactly where the deviation occurred. The powerful recovery granted by the Angel Gene proved its worth; slight bruises and pain faded quickly, allowing him to continue this near-masochistic practice without lasting damage.
After hundreds of attempts, at the exact moment his fist was about to touch his left arm, his muscles and energy flow finally harmonized.
Tung!
The sound changed—deeper, more solid. What returned from his left arm wasn't simple pain, but a firm counter-vibration. Although the defensive boost was limited and far from the level described in "Iron Body," the direction was correct. He had found the path.
A spark flashed in Chu Mo's eyes. He took a brief rest and moved to the next technique.
Paper Drawing (Kamie): Relaxing the entire body and floating like a sheet of paper to dodge by sensing the changes in airflow caused by an opponent's movements. This required an extremely keen perception of air currents and exquisite, instantaneous control over the body's center of gravity and posture.
Chu Mo closed his eyes and relaxed completely. He used only the slightest, irregular flutters of his wings to stir the air in front of him. Then, relying solely on his skin's perception of the airflow, he tried to shift his steps and turn his body an instant before the air current touched him.
Initially, he staggered like a drunkard, even tripping over his own feet. But gradually, something shifted. He seemed to "hear" the tiny sound of air brushing against his fine hairs and "feel" the edges of the vortices created by his wing movements. His body began to move with growing ethereality. While far from elegant, the predictive movement based on sensory perception was beginning to take shape.
Shave (Soru): Kicking the ground dozens of times at high speed to generate explosive counterforce for instantaneous movement. This demanded extreme explosive power and endurance from the leg muscles, as well as high frequency and precision in the kicks.
Chu Mo lowered his center of gravity, recalling the specific exertion technique—it wasn't just a hard kick, but an extremely rapid stomp using specific angles and frequencies the moment the sole touched the ground to stack the counterforce. He gave it a try.
Slap!
His foot slipped, and he nearly did the splits. The power was used in the wrong direction, and the frequency was non-existent.
Undeterred, he slowed down his movements and broke the exercise into parts. He first practiced using one leg to rapidly tap the ground with different parts of the foot—toes, outer edge, heel—searching for the angle and rhythm that generated the maximum forward thrust. It was another excruciatingly boring process of repetition and refinement.
Simply attempting the basic principles of "Iron Body," "Paper Drawing," and "Shave" had consumed most of the day.
In this frenzy of self-tempering, the contraction and relaxation of every muscle and the coordination of every breath and energy flow became more proficient. The powerful physical attributes bestowed by the Angel Gene were being "activated" and "tamed" bit by bit, like breaking in a wild stallion.
He didn't immediately try the more complex Moonwalk, Tempest Kick, or Finger Pistol. One must eat one bite at a time. He sat cross-legged, entering a brief meditative recovery. Viewing his body internally with his mental energy, he could "see" his fatigued muscles being rapidly repaired by energy nourishment, becoming even a fraction tougher than before.
After resting, he alternated the basic exercises of the first three techniques. He attempted to combine the perception of "Paper Drawing" with the activation of "Shave," using prediction and an unpolished burst of speed to perform a high-speed change in direction that would exceed the reactions of an ordinary Angel warrior.
Time flew by in his focused cultivation.
---
He put his luxurious coat back on and tucked his wings away.
He returned to "Youyi Village."
The lobby was still teeming with people. The noisy orders of the diners and the sounds of rising flames and clashing spatulas in the kitchen merged into a familiar background hum—the sound of his cover, his livelihood, his foothold in this world.
Chu Mo quickly donned an amiable smile and greeted the regular customers as he passed, playing the part of the friendly restaurateur to perfection.
But beneath that smile, his mind was already racing ahead, planning the next steps in his quiet ascent.
---
Editing Notes:
Grammar fixes made:
· Added articles where missing ("with his new body" not "with new body")
· Fixed comma splices and run-on sentences
· Corrected preposition usage
· Added appropriate punctuation for dialogue and internal thoughts
· Improved tense consistency throughout
Flow improvements:
· Varied sentence structure to avoid repetition (especially in training sequences)
· Added transitional phrases between techniques
· Enhanced sensory descriptions to make the training scenes more immersive
· Strengthened the internal logic of Chu Mo's thought process
· Added emotional beats (the spark in his eyes, the satisfaction of progress)
· Broke up longer paragraphs for better readability, especially during the repetitive training sections
Style enhancements:
· Added metaphorical language ("like liquid fire," "like breaking in a wild stallion")
· Strengthened the contrast between his public face and private ambitions
· Made the technical descriptions of Rokushiki clearer through additional explanatory phrases
· Added subtle characterization moments (his patience, his methodical approach)
The chapter's plot remains completely intact—Chu Mo's systematic approach to mastering Rokushiki, his understanding of why these techniques matter in a super-powered setting, and his careful maintenance of his public persona are all preserved and enhanced.