After Ji Tianqi said "That's really disgusting," and regained the ability to move.
Xiao Wu started to imagine and narrate Ji Tianqi's perspective in the otherworldly realm—a perspective only Ji Tianqi could see and yet couldn't prove.
...
...
Because he was paralyzed by poison, Ji Tianqi was forced to eat a centipede and a toad.
It made him feel disgusted.
But he immediately became excited again, as he recalled a television drama version of a fantastic encounter that went just like this.
"Manggu Zhu Clam? Immune to Hundred Poisons? Hahaha..."
He laughed out loud.
"Yeah, when you think of it that way, it's not so disgusting anymore."
Sitting cross-legged, he frowned as he felt that the Manggu Zhu Clam and the centipede in his stomach were still alive.
This was somewhat terrifying.
So he hurriedly began to wield his power, using the Nine Yang Inner Power of eighty years to refine the two little creatures in his stomach.
After three circulations, his stomach finally calmed down, and the benefits did not stop there.
Ji Tianqi could clearly feel that he had made a breakthrough once again. Although his inner strength hadn't shown any marked increase, several of his acupoints and Xuan Gates had been opened, and his realm had been elevated.
In the depths of his consciousness, he knew he had now acquired the Immune to Hundred Poisons ability.
"Immune to Hundred Poisons, huh? I just don't know if the ancient Immune to Hundred Poisons can withstand modern poisons."
After talking to himself, he got up and walked into the cave.
Soon, he saw a sculpture, indistinguishable from a real person, quite beautiful.
It's just that for some reason, this sculpture looked a bit like Bai Xiuchu. (Due to censorship issues, a different name was used, and I certainly didn't expect this to be censored too)
[It's all an illusion, all an illusion.]
He didn't choose to kowtow like Duan Yu but began to search instead—I'm not stupid nor am I mentally ill.
He soon found two secret manuals, indeed they were the Wave Striding Steps and Beiming Skill.
In the past seven years, his classical Chinese had improved greatly, to the point where Ji Tianqi could be a teacher, and he read the secret manuals with rapt attention.
Especially with the Beiming Skill, as he watched and pondered it, he always felt a sense of eagerness from within his own inner strength.
This was normal because his inner strength mainly came from You Yazi's Beiming Inner Power. Although it had been refined and transformed into the Nine Yang Inner Power, some characteristics were still retained.
"It seems that I can practice the Beiming Skill. But after I master it, instead of cultivating Beiming Inner Power, I will only learn its techniques and convert the inner strength I absorb from others into a more useful Nine Yang Inner Power."
The Nine Yang Skill and Beiming Skill didn't differ in strength, only in focus.
Ji Tianqi, who had previously spoken to You Yazi about content related to the Nine Yang Skill, had confirmed this point from You Yazi.
"The main function of the Beiming Skill is to absorb others' inner strength, while the Nine Yang Skill focuses more on oneself. If one could cultivate it to great success, it would have the effect of a Vajra Body."
"Combining the two would be simply invincible."
Excitedly, Ji Tianqi put down the Beiming Skill's secret manual, which he had completely memorized. After mastering martial arts, especially with a pronounced increase in recent times, his memory had significantly improved.
"This one is a bit difficult."
Ji Tianqi furrowed his brows.
Wave Striding Steps was a Qinggong of You Yazi's sect, complementing the Beiming Skill, stronger when used with higher inner strength.
But this lightness skill was born from the Eighty-eight Trigrams of the Yi Jing, and Ji Tianqi had studied the Eighty-eight Trigrams of the Yi Jing in the otherworldly realm when he decided to seek this martial art, but his understanding was still somewhat superficial.
Although he was adept in inner strength, it was difficult to practice this skill.
That was okay, though, he had a teacher, or rather, he could have a very professional teacher.
Memorizing the contents of the secret manual, then reviewing it several times to confirm his memory was flawless, he whispered.
"Finally, I've memorized it. Time to go back and cultivate properly."
He knew that when he spoke like this, his projection in the original world would say the same thing.
And that also meant, if at this moment he didn't want to return voluntarily, those researchers would try to put a Genetic Lock on him to restrict his Crossing Superpower and make him return.
Although his goal was to return, he didn't want those researchers to think that he confirmed that his projection in the original world would say the same thing he did in the otherworldly realm.
Isn't that admitting I'm sick? And seriously so!
He relaxed and practiced in the cave, sleeping.
When he awoke, he found that he had already returned and that there was an additional Genetic Lock on his neck.
...
...
Xiao Wu's imagined voice ended, and everything seemed to return to normal, yet was very abnormal.
A group of researchers, surrounding Ji Tianqi, raised a question that was often discussed.
"Could you talk about your latest crossing journey?"
"Of course."
As Ji Tianqi recounted his tale, when everyone heard that he had traveled through an otherworldly realm for half a month and then spent six days in the mountains to reach a cave, and another nine days to practice martial arts, everyone's gaze changed.
In a nutshell, the sentiment was: "His condition has worsened, hasn't it?"
After all, only three days had passed in the real world.
However, this kind of worsening condition, to some extent, was beneficial, as it proved Bai Xiuchu's hypothesis — that the right prop could help Ji Tianqi obtain fortuitous encounters.
Even though everyone was worried about aggravating Ji Tianqi's condition, this was not something they could hide from him since Ji Tianqi could perceive time.
"So, has the rate of time flow increased in the otherworldly realm? Are ten days there equivalent to one day in our world?"
After reaching this conclusion, Ji Tianqi exclaimed excitedly.
"Then I'll practice martial arts in the otherworldly realm. A year there is like ten years, absolutely unbeatable."
That sounded logical but was actually illogical.
The others neither agreed nor disagreed and began to inquire and record the two new martial arts Ji Tianqi had obtained.
Ji Tianqi did not hide anything; in fact, he wished more than anyone that there was a second person in this world, other than himself, who could master the martial arts he had acquired in the otherworldly realm.
Only then could he prove that he wasn't mentally ill.
Regrettably, just like before, no one could master them.
Including Bai Xiuchu, who held much promise due to his ability to influence the otherworldly realm, he too was unable to master them and felt as if he was deciphering an enigma.
"The body check for 'Immune to Hundred Poisons' will take some time, we need to develop a plan that ensures your safety."
"I see."
Ji Tianqi frowned. This check was one of the reasons he was willing to stay here. Were the centipedes and toads of the otherworldly realm really safe to consume?
He was actually worried.
"Then find me a teacher of the 'Eighty-eight Trigrams of the Yi Jing' first; I want to learn the Wave Striding Steps."
"Not a problem, we have already made contact, and they will arrive in three hours."
After confirming this, the person in charge asked, "What about the Beiming Skill?"
"No need for a teacher for that, I've already achieved it."
"Would you mind if we brought someone over for you to... could you absorb the energy from his body? We want to see if inner strength and energy have something in common."
The person in charge hesitated in tone, then firmly added, "I certainly don't mind, but I'm not sure if the person you find will mind."
Ji Tianqi became excited. There were many masters in the otherworldly realm, but he had no reason to go around wildly absorbing inner strength from others.
After all, he wasn't actually mentally ill. He was a law-abiding good person.
It wasn't easy to find villains in the otherworldly realm, and there were certain risks involved.
"He won't mind. We've already discussed it."
The person brought by the research facility arrived at the training ground soon after; this person was also a patient in the same research institute.
You could say he was Ji Tianqi's fellow patient, but they had not met before.
In comparison with Ji Tianqi the 'safe patient', this man was very dangerous.
Having received the related material, Bai Xiuchu, serving as the Guardian, began introducing him to Ji Tianqi.
"Luo Xiancheng, male, twenty-three years old. Superpower User with Energy Release, able to generate extreme cold. Energy value 76, at a tactical level."
"Because of mental and emotional issues, he cannot control his superpower, having caused casualties several times due to its uncontrollable release."
"The most severe incident, which was also the time of his awakening..."
Bai Xiuchu hesitated but still spoke in a normal tone.
"He completely encased his house in ice, freezing his grandparents, parents, and a sister to death."
"..."
Ji Tianqi fell silent.
Bai Xiuchu, looking into his eyes, said earnestly, "If you can absorb his energy, it would actually be a kind of relief for him."
The metal door of the training ground opened, and armed security personnel escorted a young man with a pale complexion inside.
Ji Tianqi looked at the man, who seemed barely alive with a face that carried the grim visage of someone who had been dead for three days without peace, and nodded.
"I'll do my best!"