Chapter 5: Brain Transference for Martial Training

By the time Chen Luo returned home, it was completely dark.

Seeing that Third Uncle had already retired to sleep, Chen Luo decided not to disturb him.

After washing up, he went to his room and lay down, beginning to recall the Pillar Art he learned earlier.

“Can these dead people’s brainwaves only be used for revisiting their obsessions?”

As thoughts of martial training crossed his mind, a new idea emerged. Focusing on the system, he discovered something intriguing! Without needing physical contact with the deceased, he intentionally summoned the interface, and surprisingly, it appeared as before.

One by one, forgotten brainwave patterns resurfaced, with the ‘Medicinal Formula’ pattern standing out most prominently.

“What would happen if I use these brainwaves to contemplate martial arts?”

With this thought, Chen Luo controlled the most distinct brainwave, merging it with himself, and then employed it to analyze the Pillar Art he had learned today.

Instantly, a profound sensation washed over him.

It felt as though his soul transcended his body, allowing him to observe from a third-person perspective. Within his mind, it was as if he transformed into another person, effortlessly practicing the Pillar Art taught by Cripple Ma, move by move.

Again and again.

The movements were far more precise than Chen Luo’s own practice. It felt as if his mind had suddenly transformed into that of an experienced master, effortlessly identifying issues from a novice’s perspective.

This realization thrilled Chen Luo immensely.

By observing the ‘Prescription’ brainwave pattern, he identified several mistakes he hadn’t noticed before. Just this brief session significantly improved his mastery of the Pillar Art. After ten repetitions, Chen Luo gradually grasped its core techniques, yet there was still room for refinement.

“Let’s try another!”

After practicing with the ‘Prescription’ brainwave, he switched to the ‘Breaking Boundary’ one.

A similar scene unfolded.

Unlike the ‘Prescription’ brainwave, the ‘Breaking Boundary’ brainwave demonstrated the Pillar Art noticeably slower. In his vision, Chen Luo saw himself standing in the courtyard, eyes slightly closed, beginning with deep breathing exercises. Then, he separated his hands, lifting the left while pressing down the right arm.

Again, ten repetitions.

After these ten iterations, Chen Luo realized that the ‘Breaking Boundary’ brainwave had reached its limit in assisting him. He promptly switched to another waveform.

One by one, he alternated and practiced repeatedly.

By the time Chen Luo had utilized all the brainwaves in his mind, the sky outside was just starting to lighten at dawn.

After practicing throughout the night, Chen Luo felt invigorated, without any hint of fatigue. His body brimmed with energy.

Unable to sleep, he decided to get up and continue training in the courtyard.

Upon completing one set of punches, he felt refreshed and rejuvenated, as if his entire being had come alive. The blood coursing through his veins seemed ignited by fire, generating immense heat and causing his strength to surge in an astonishing manner.

After taking a shower, Chen Luo glanced into the adjacent room.

“Out again?”

He had intended to call Third Uncle for breakfast together, but upon opening the door, he found that Third Uncle had already left. It appeared he must have departed before dawn.

This raised concerns for Chen Luo.

‘What does the black bamboo slip signify? Why does it require so much time?’

Typically, burial tasks were completed within a day; even the most challenging ones took no more than three days. Since arriving in the city, the longest mission Chen Luo and Third Uncle undertook was also three days, involving a battlefield at the outskirts of town. Not only were there numerous bodies to bury, but many taboos added to the delay.

‘I hope everything is alright.’

With nothing else he could do, Chen Luo silently wished for the best and continued on to Cripple Ma’s house for martial arts practice.

As he reached the street, he noticed it was still cordoned off. Taking a quick look from afar, Chen Luo chose to take a detour.

Upon reaching Cripple Ma’s house, Chen Luo began practicing diligently in the courtyard.

After his experience last night, he could now feel a surge of strength with each round of punches. This tangible improvement was intoxicating, drawing him deeper into training.

Round after round.

Cripple Ma emerged from his quarters, somewhat surprised to see Chen Luo already there. He distinctly remembered instructing Chen Luo to practice at home for a month before returning. Yet, here the boy was, back the very next day.

Initially intending to scold him, Cripple Ma paused as he approached and inadvertently slowed his steps.

“Hmm?”

A change flickered across Cripple Ma’s face.

The clumsy trainee from yesterday had transformed overnight, displaying a remarkably improved form today. It rendered the planned lesson unnecessary, and he discreetly hid the bamboo stick he had prepared behind his back.

“Master Ma, I’ve mastered the Pillar Art from yesterday.”

After completing ten rounds, Chen Luo felt like his body had become a furnace, radiating intense heat. His blood circulated faster, muscles trembled, and his strength significantly increased.

“Not bad.”

Uncharacteristically, Cripple Ma didn’t maintain his stern expression and instead praised Chen Luo.

Chen Luo grinned widely, refraining from any false modesty. After all, he even practiced while sleeping last night; this level of dedication deserved some recognition!

“Your progress with the Pillar Art is commendable, faster than I anticipated.”

Cripple Ma walked over and sat down, preparing to impart martial knowledge to Chen Luo.

Seeing this, Chen Luo quickly joined him on the side.

In matters of inheritance, guidance from a master was crucial; one could never truly excel by self-teaching alone. The detours along the path of cultivation far exceed those in life! Without proper guidance, someone might wander these detours for their entire lifetime, never grasping the true essence. The new use of brainwaves served as the best example: without martial guidance, they would remain mere obsessions. But with such guidance, they transform instantly, offering Chen Luo insights based on their own perspectives before death.

“Martial arts heavily rely on innate talent,” Cripple Ma began. “Those with exceptional aptitude learn swiftly, while those lacking it may never grasp its fundamentals throughout their lives.”

As he spoke, Cripple Ma raised his hand, clenched his fingers, and delivered a punch into the air.

A thunderous sound echoed, creating a gust that made Chen Luo’s eyes narrow slightly. He never expected that Cripple Ma’s frail-looking body could unleash such a dominant punch.

“The martial art I teach is called Black Tiger Fist, a supreme technique from my lineage. When mastered, it can make one’s qi and blood as dense as mercury, capable of splitting rivers with a single punch. If you grasp the ferocity of the Black Tiger, you may even transcend your life’s limits, exploring the mysterious path towards immortality.”

“Immortality?” Chen Luo’s eyes lit up.

This was his first encounter with tales of immortals, having initially thought this world revolved solely around martial arts. To discover that it extended to cultivation for immortality came as a surprise.

“Practice diligently; you have good aptitude, so there might be a chance for you to reach such heights.”

Seeing he had piqued Chen Luo’s interest, Cripple Ma smiled, stood up, and left to attend to his own affairs.

His purpose in sharing all this was to spark Chen Luo’s motivation. As someone who had walked this path before, he knew well that interest fuels progress. For beginners, painting a vision of what lies ahead is crucial. By allowing them to envision possibilities, they find the drive to pursue their dreams.

Moreover, not everything he said was a deception. Indeed, mastering the Black Tiger Fist could touch upon the path of immortality—but only if one truly reaches its pinnacle.

Chen Luo spent an entire day rigorously training at Cripple Ma’s place, leaving only when night fell.

Instead of heading straight home, he detoured to the nearby cemetery. Guided by memory, he embarked on another grave-digging expedition.

He decided to spend some time digging up all the known graves!

After all, these people were already dead.

Borrowing their brains could be seen as putting them to good use even in death.

For many days that followed, a figure became a common sight at Qingya County’s potter’s field. Whenever the moon was dark and winds high, a silhouette with a lantern would appear, digging through the graves with a pickaxe. Yet, by dawn, the tombs appeared untouched as before. Over time, rumors of vengeful spirits excavating the graves began to spread.

The true grave digger, of course, was Chen Luo himself.

During the day, he practiced his fists; at night, he dug up graves.

Using the skills passed down from his Third Uncle, he effortlessly restored each tomb to its original state before sunrise.

As he excavated more graves and encountered increasing numbers of corpses, Chen Luo felt the strain growing. By the hundredth body, he experienced overwhelming dizziness and even suffered nosebleeds.

‘I can’t handle much more.’

Wiping away the blood from his nose, Chen Luo meticulously reburied the grave.

His two-week-long grave-digging spree came to a temporary halt. Now, he felt disoriented, as if over a hundred voices were arguing inside his head, making it impossible to concentrate.

Upon returning home, Chen Luo quickly washed up and collapsed onto his bed, falling fast asleep.

He didn’t wake up until the next afternoon, still feeling groggy.

His head still throbbed, but it was much better than before.

This experience served as a reminder to Chen Luo not to blindly push himself too far. At least for now, he couldn’t handle such excess.

Realizing this, he resumed his normal routine.

During the day, he practiced martial arts at Cripple Ma’s place, and in the evenings, he returned home to rest.

Time flowed swiftly, and soon half a month had passed.

Over these two weeks, Chen Luo maintained a strict schedule, leaving early each morning to train with Cripple Ma and returning late every night. His strength visibly increased day by day. Now, his Black Tiger Fist technique showed significant improvement, earning him lavish praise from even Cripple Ma, who commended him as a martial prodigy.

Meanwhile, Third Uncle remained busy, often absent throughout the day.

His visits home became increasingly rare, while the blockade on the streets persisted, hinting at an unseen pressure building nearby.

The jianghu has always been like this, never truly peaceful.

Unfortunately, this time, both uncle and nephew found themselves inadvertently caught up in its turmoil.