It could be said that Yang Hao had guessed right. Jack’s long sword was actually a gift from a renowned swordsmith, and even Jack himself wasn’t entirely sure of its hidden abilities.
“That’s right! That’s right indeed!” Yang Hao eagerly climbed aboard the idea. “Probably because this sword is just so great, it’s the reason I survived. Thank you, Teacher Jack!”
“No need to thank me,” mumbled Jack, who barely paid attention as he continued muttering to himself.
Fearing Jack might figure out the flaw in his excuse, Yang Hao quickly changed the topic. “Why did I faint anyway? Was it just from overexertion?”
It could be said that Yang Hao made a lucky guess. Jack’s longsword was a gift from a renowned swordsmith, and even Jack himself wasn’t entirely sure about its hidden abilities.
“Exactly, exactly!” Yang Hao seized the opportunity to play along. “It must be because this sword is exceptional that I survived. Thank you, Teacher Jack.”
“Don’t mention it,” Jack muttered absentmindedly, barely paying attention.
Worried that Jack might spot the flaws in his excuse, Yang Hao quickly changed the subject: “Why did I faint? Was it exhaustion?”
A blush crept onto Aisi’s face as she shot Yang Hao a sharp glare. It wasn’t entirely wrong—over the past day, Yang Hao had fought multiple battles and fooled around with Aisi twice. Even the toughest iron man would likely collapse from fatigue.
But Teacher Jack had a different take: “This wasn’t exhaustion—it was an overstimulation of Origin Force.”
“Overstimulation of Origin Force?” The term was unfamiliar to Yang Hao and the others.
“Exactly,” Jack explained. “The Empire’s current combat education is built on the Five Fundamental Arts: Origin Force, Acuity, Flight, Swordsmanship, and Object Control. Among them, Origin Force is the foundation for the other four. Only with sufficient Origin Force can one truly master any art.”
This was something their teachers had often emphasized—even the usually lazy Yang Hao knew it well.
But what Jack said next was entirely new to them: “Theoretically, Origin Force is a power generated within the body and then projected outward. According to Imperial law and academic doctrine, Origin Force must be produced and expended immediately. In other words, when we use swordsmanship, we first generate Origin Force within our bodies, then channel it into the sword. No residual Origin Force is allowed to remain inside.”
Yang Hao nodded. Though the theory sounded complex, it wasn’t too hard to grasp.
Jack looked at Yang Hao with concern. “But in practice, some individuals—due to exceptional mastery of Origin Force—can generate an excessive amount. When this surplus has nowhere to go, it accumulates in the body, leading to an overstimulation of Origin Force.”
“Like overeating and getting bloated?” Yang Hao offered a simple analogy.
“Similar, but far more dangerous!” Jack’s tone turned ominous. “An overstimulation of Origin Force can cause unconsciousness at best. In severe cases, it can be life-threatening.”
“Life-threatening?!” Yang Hao and the two women exclaimed in unison.
Jack nodded gravely.
“So… I could die?” Yang Hao’s face turned ashen. He felt his luck had taken another nosedive—just when things seemed to be looking up, he was now facing mortal danger.
“Not necessarily,” Jack said, his words laced with dramatic pauses—clearly a master of suspense. “Overstimulation of Origin Force is relatively common, and the Empire has solutions for it.”
“What’s the solution?” Yang Hao, thrilled at the prospect of survival, nearly jumped in excitement.
“First, tell me how you suddenly gained such an abundance of Origin Force!” Jack eyed Yang Hao sharply, his gaze practically screaming, “I know how weak you used to be.”
Yang Hao scratched his head awkwardly. “I… I got bullied by Wang Zhijun and his gang so much that I started practicing Origin Force techniques every night. I don’t know why I suddenly got so strong.”
Jack sighed in relief. “Good. I was worried you might’ve been practicing forbidden arts.”
“Forbidden arts?”
“Indeed. The Empire has many forbidden arts that can make someone incredibly powerful in a short time—but the side effects are severe. That’s why they’re banned, and no one is allowed to learn them.” Jack nodded. “Since you haven’t dabbled in them, you’re fine.”
Yang Hao tensed internally. Truthfully, he had no idea why consuming that mysterious pill had suddenly amplified his Origin Force, turning him into a powerhouse overnight.
Seeing Yang Hao’s silence, Jack assumed he was still worried about the overstimulation issue and pulled out a manual. “For those suffering from overstimulation, the current remedy is to halt Origin Force training and instead study higher-level swordsmanship.”
“Higher-level swordsmanship?” Yang Hao glimpsed the manual’s title—Advanced Swordsmanship. But he hadn’t even passed the beginner course yet.
“Standard swordsmanship techniques are designed to complement Origin Force. Lower-level techniques can’t expend excess Origin Force efficiently—only advanced swordsmanship can burn it off faster.” Jack spoke with authority.
“Bullshit! Absolute bullshit!!” The long-silent Hunyuanzi suddenly erupted, startling Yang Hao so badly he nearly jumped. Though no one else could hear Hunyuanzi, Yang Hao was still nervous—having a disembodied voice in his head wasn’t exactly normal.
Yang Hao practically snatched the swordsmanship manual from Jack’s hands, muttered a hasty thanks, and bolted toward the secluded back hills. Only when he reached the lakeside did he stop, placing both the manual and Hunyuanzi’s ancient booklet beside him.
“Hunyuanzi, old man…” Yang Hao called out cautiously.
“What?” came the grumpy reply—clearly still fuming.
“What was all that shouting about earlier?” Yang Hao stuck out his tongue. “You scared me half to death!”
“I smelled a stinking lie—so foul I couldn’t stay silent!” Hunyuanzi huffed.
Yang Hao had no idea what had set him off. “Teacher Jack was just trying to help me avoid overstimulation.”
“What nonsense Origin Force!” Hunyuanzi ranted. “Complete rubbish! They don’t know the first thing about real cultivation!”
“What’s gotten into you?” Yang Hao was baffled—then a thought struck him. “Hey, old man… are you teaching me forbidden arts?”
Hunyuanzi was livid. “What era is this?! They’ve got it all backward! True cultivation is labeled as forbidden, while they peddle useless scraps of technique!”
“Huh?” Yang Hao was stunned. “Are you saying the Five Fundamental Arts we learn in school are just… scraps?”
“Useless scraps!” Hunyuanzi emphasized.
“That can’t be right,” Yang Hao protested, despite his own poor performance. He still felt compelled to defend his school’s honor. “The Empire’s military tests recruits on the Five Fundamental Arts! It’s considered the most practical combat training in the world—almost every elite warrior is forged this way.”
“Elite warriors?” Hunyuanzi scoffed. “If the so-called elites are built on these Five Fundamentals, then this world is full of useless weaklings. These ‘fundamentals’ are just a way to keep people from learning true cultivation!”
But Teacher Jack had a different explanation: “It wasn’t overexertion. It was ‘Overcharged Vital Force.'”
“Overcharged Vital Force?” The term was unfamiliar to Yang Hao and the others.
“Exactly,” Teacher Jack explained. “Currently, the Empire’s martial education is primarily based on five fundamental techniques: Vital Force, Agility, Flight, Swordsmanship, and Object Manipulation. Among these, Vital Force is the foundation of the other four. Without sufficient Vital Force, one cannot properly master any of the techniques.”
This was something teachers often mentioned before, and even the usually indifferent Yang Hao understood it clearly.
However, what Jack said next was entirely new: “In theory, Vital Force is a power generated internally within the body and then released externally. According to imperial regulations and academic systems, Vital Force must be generated and discharged immediately. In other words, when we use sword techniques, we must first generate Vital Force within our bodies, and then channel it into the sword. It is strictly prohibited to retain any Vital Force inside the body.”
Yang Hao nodded. Although this theory was somewhat complex, it didn’t seem too difficult to grasp.
Looking at Yang Hao with concern, Teacher Jack continued, “In practice, however, there are always some people who, because they have mastered the Vital Force technique exceptionally well, generate an excessive amount of Vital Force. With nowhere to release it, this surplus accumulates inside their bodies, eventually leading to a condition known as ‘Overcharged Vital Force.'”
“It’s like getting bloated from overeating?” Yang Hao offered a simple analogy.
“Something like that, but far more serious!” Jack’s tone carried a hint of warning. “Once Overcharged Vital Force occurs, the result can range from simple unconsciousness to, in severe cases, life-threatening conditions.”
“Life-threatening?!!” Yang Hao and the two women exclaimed together.
Teacher Jack nodded gravely.
“Am I going to die?” Yang Hao’s face turned pale. He felt he was truly unlucky—just when his luck seemed to be turning, he was now facing a life-threatening situation.
“Not necessarily,” Jack, a master of suspense, added dramatically. “The phenomenon of Overcharged Vital Force is actually quite common, and the Empire naturally has solutions for it.”
“What’s the solution?” Hearing that he might not die, Yang Hao was overjoyed.
“First, tell me why your Vital Force suddenly became so strong!” Jack looked at Yang Hao with twinkling eyes, clearly implying, “I know how weak you used to be.”
Yang Hao scratched his head again, mumbling, “I was bullied by Wang Zhijun and others so many times that I started training Vital Force every night. I don’t know why I suddenly became so strong.”
Jack exhaled in relief. “That’s good then. I was afraid you were practicing some forbidden techniques.”
“Forbidden techniques?”
“Exactly,” nodded Teacher Jack. “In the Empire, there are still many forbidden techniques circulating. These techniques can make someone extremely powerful in a short time, but they come with severe side effects. Therefore, the Empire has classified them as prohibited arts, and no one is allowed to learn them.” He added, “Since you haven’t learned any forbidden techniques, there’s no problem.”
Yang Hao felt a surge of anxiety. In truth, he himself didn’t know why his Vital Force had suddenly surged after consuming that mysterious pill, instantly transforming him into an expert.
Seeing Yang Hao fall silent, Teacher Jack assumed he was still worried about the Overcharged Vital Force and pulled out a book. “For those experiencing Overcharged Vital Force, the current solution is to temporarily halt Vital Force training and instead learn higher-level sword techniques.”
“Higher-level sword techniques?” Yang Hao noticed the book was an advanced sword manual, yet he hadn’t even passed the basic course yet.
“The current standard sword techniques are all designed to work in conjunction with Vital Force,” explained Teacher Jack. “Lower-level sword techniques naturally won’t consume much Vital Force. Only advanced sword techniques can effectively channel and deplete excessive Vital Force.”
“Bullshit! Complete bullshit!!!” Suddenly, after a long silence, Hunyuanzi shouted furiously, making Yang Hao jump in shock. Although no one else could hear Hunyuanzi, Yang Hao still felt uneasy—after all, it wouldn’t be pleasant if others found out there was someone hiding inside his belly.
Almost snatching the sword manual from Teacher Jack’s hands, Yang Hao hastily thanked him and dashed off toward the uninhabited back mountains. He only stopped when he reached the lakeside deep in the mountains. Placing the sword manual and Hunyuanzi’s ancient book beside him, he began calling out: “Master Hunyuanzi, Master Hunyuanzi…”
“What is it…?” The voice was clearly annoyed, still full of anger.
“Why did you yell just now?” Yang Hao stuck out his tongue. “You nearly scared me to death!”
“I smelled a stinky fart—so unbearable that I couldn’t help but shout,” Hunyuanzi grumbled.
Yang Hao had no idea which nerve Hunyuanzi had hit wrong: “Teacher Jack was just concerned about me, trying to prevent me from suffering Overcharged Vital Force.”
“What nonsense is this Vital Force!” Hunyuanzi cursed furiously. “All nonsense! Complete ignorance!”
“What’s wrong with you?” Yang Hao, puzzled, suddenly thought of something important. “Hey, Master Hunyuanzi, are you practicing forbidden techniques?”
Hunyuanzi was practically furious: “What era is this now? It’s just black and white turned upside down! Genuine cultivation is called forbidden techniques, while you people learn nothing but superficial tricks.”
“Huh?” Yang Hao was stunned. “You mean the five fundamental techniques we learn at school are just superficial tricks?”
“And not even good ones!!” Hunyuanzi emphasized.
“That can’t be right,” Yang Hao, though usually a poor student, still defended his school’s honor. “The Empire’s military requires all recruits to pass the five fundamental techniques. These are known as the most practically effective martial training in the world. Almost every expert is trained this way.”
“Experts?” Hunyuanzi sneered coldly. “If so-called experts are only built upon these five fundamental techniques, then the world must be full of useless people. In my opinion, these five fundamental techniques are nothing more than a scheme to prevent people from learning more powerful cultivation methods.”
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