As dusk fell, John continued to feed the stray cats in the park, attuned to the slightest movements of insects in the grass. He sensed everything with clarity:
The buzz of mosquitoes' wings.
The slurp of beetles' mouths on tender blades.
The itch of lice in the cats' fur.
All these impressions registered in his mind precisely.
He could even hear the squeaks of mice in the underground waterways.
He did not need eyes to observe, he could map out his surroundings with his mind.
He achieved this with a calm and focused state of mind.
He had also advanced to the second stage of Deep Sleep in his spiritual practice, surpassing his peers.
But he was still far from reaching the third stage.
To enter Deep Sleep, one had to be immobile and silent. Any slight movement would disrupt the state. He doubted he could ever achieve the third stage of Deep Sleep while in motion.
"I think I'll reach 0.9 vitality soon."
John was pleased with his progress, but he wanted more. He had one more semester before the final exam. He dreamed of shocking everyone by getting into Star and Space University.
But practice required patience. Even with the help of the milky white stone, he had to gradually enhance his body and refine his spirit to reach "Fetal Breath".
He was not like those who underwent genetic modification and gained superhuman abilities overnight.
Genetic modification techniques and potions were still highly classified secrets of humanity at this stage, only accessible to the elites.
Human genes were the ultimate enigma of science.
But such methods were also dangerous, with a high mortality rate. Some people became half-human beasts, losing their sanity and rampaging.
John's vitality was still at 0.8.
However, after spending a long time in "Fetal Breath" to transform his body, he had gained much more resilience and could practice some challenging martial arts.
————————
Hah! Wow! Oof!
In the dead of night, when most people were in deep slumber, John was practicing martial arts and training his body in a secluded spot in the park. He performed various ancient martial arts and combat skills he had learned in school, revising his lessons with fluid motions.
After completing a series of punches, he felt his body fatigue and sweat drip.
He wiped off his sweat and sat down in the park, holding a milky white stone in his mouth. Soon, he entered the state of "Fetal Breath". He could faintly sense the cells in his body squirming, as if eagerly inhaling the oxygen in the air.
An hour later, he woke up naturally, and saw that the bruises and wounds he had sustained from practice and cultivation had healed. Feeling his mental and physical condition at their peak, John smiled with satisfaction.
"Excellent. I have mastered all the body techniques of the courses I'm taking now, and I'm ahead of the curve. Next, I need to learn more advanced things on my own." He pulled out a projector from his backpack, and pressed the button.
A virtual figure appeared, performing various complex movements. Sometimes its bones twisted, and sometimes its strikes exploded. The difficulty of the movements surpassed human limits.
Students today learned from projectors that could display virtual human figures, all in 3D, lifelike, as if the teacher was there in person.
This was the C-level physical skill "Boneless Jiu-Jitsu".
This set of skills involved many bizarre movements, such as coiling the body like snakes, and turning the neck more than 180 degrees. It was a challenging skill taught in physical fitness classes in school.
It was developed by some military experts who combined ancient yoga, martial arts, boxing, and channeling techniques long ago.
Some of the skills that John was learning now were all "D-level" martial arts.
Martial arts were graded from D to SS.
D-level physical martial arts were some basic ones, effective in combat, and aggressive in attack.
But C-level martial arts had increased the standards a lot, and started to explore the mysteries of various bones, tendons, and organs of the human body.
B-level martial arts were something that integrated mind and body, and every movement was fused with meditation. These were among the top secrets in the military.
"Boneless Jiu-Jitsu" was not part of the curriculum he was studying now.
For example, he was now a primary school student learning basic arithmetic, and "Boneless Jiu-Jitsu" was calculus.
A primary school student who just learned basic arithmetic, trying to teach himself calculus, was a sign of a super genius.
But he was also taking a huge risk by teaching himself "Boneless Jiu-Jitsu". If he attempted those dangerous and difficult movements without guidance, he could easily injure his tendons and bones, or even become paralyzed.
He could have chosen some difficult ones from "D-level" to learn, such as "Enemy Capture and Killing Skills" and "Military Piercing and Explosive Punches"… Although they required a lot of effort, they were nothing compared to "Boneless Jiu-Jitsu".
His intention of skipping levels was clear: He wanted to exhaust his physical energy as much as possible, and then enter the state of Fetal Breath to recover quickly.
He discovered that the more drained he was each time, the more benefits he gained from entering the state of "Fetal Breath".
"When I master Boneless Jiu-Jitsu, I will be unstoppable."
"Boneless Jiu-Jitsu, the first move, Bone Twisting Roundabout Kill!"
The projector cast a virtual human figure that moved in slow motion. The figure twisted and contorted, showing the bones and muscles in the body. The figure spun and coiled like a rope, performing acrobatic feats like a tumbler.
This kind of movement was too hard to imitate, truly boneless.
It was as if the flesh and bones were flexible steel cables, coiled up and then unleashed in a flash, as fast as bullets or arrows.
Click, click…
John barely copied the first move when he felt a wave of nausea. His bones felt shattered, his muscles torn. He collapsed to the floor, seeing stars and gasping for air. He was like a fish on land, paralyzed and helpless.
He forced himself to stand up, sit straight, and rest. He put the "milky white stone" in his mouth.
Soon, he entered the state of Fetal Breath.
He stayed in that state for a long time, two hours. When he came back to his senses, he was amazed to see that he had recovered completely. His breath was even stronger than before.
He repeated the cycle: fall, exhaust, break, strain, and then Fetal Breath, heal.
Again and again, over and over…