Chereads / The Nano Illusion: Beneath the Surface / Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: The Ethereal Refinement Project

Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: The Ethereal Refinement Project

This sudden encounter startled Wang Haiyang. He never expected to meet his childhood neighbor and classmate here. They used to live in the same cadre residential area, but Xu Jing suddenly moved away after starting high school.

"Why shouldn't I be here? I've been working here since graduating from university. You think your family is the only one with connections?" Xu Jing's tone was harsh.

"That's not what I meant. You always misunderstand me. I majored in this field in college, though admittedly, my father did push me to study it. But I genuinely like it and have made some progress. You're not still angry about that incident, are you? It's been so many years." Wang Haiyang, looking very embarrassed, continued, "I know what I did was wrong. I was manipulated by Wang Lei, who said he'd give me a commemorative Final Fantasy VII disc if I just snapped your bra strap."

"How dare you bring that up? Because of that stupid disc, the whole class laughed at me." Xu Jing's face reddened.

"I felt guilty afterwards and always wanted to apologize, but never found the right opportunity before you left. Why did you suddenly move away? It wasn't because of that, was it?" Wang Haiyang quickly changed the subject.

"You think too highly of yourself. I know the neighbors spread rumors that my family was being investigated for some wrongdoing. That was all smoke and mirrors. My parents were actually selected by top leadership to investigate the Celestial Way Society."

Hearing the words "Celestial Way Society," Wang Haiyang took a few steps back and muttered to himself, "Celestial Way Society?"

"What? You know this organization? Well, it's not surprising. Many in the upper circles are members now," Xu Jing said.

"Last year, when I was completing my thesis, I needed to conduct some crucial experiments requiring substantial funding. The U.S. National Science Foundation wouldn't approve funds due to my Chinese citizenship. I asked my father for help, and he resolved the funding issue in a day. I saw several bills with 'Celestial Way Society' written on them. I was puzzled about why a Taoist organization would be involved. When I asked my father, he simply said it was a Taoist sect with many wealthy followers who were willing to donate."

"Donate? Your family must be powerful. Isn't that coercion? It's blatant extortion, no different from robbery. Seems you've done this often. I guess that's how your tuition was paid all these years? Ah, forget it. I'm not here to discuss this. Don't underestimate the Celestial Way Society. See this explosion site? This vat was part of their recently built Hall of Longevity."

"Hall of Longevity? Why does it sound like a Taoist temple? Isn't this supposed to be a special materials research center?" Wang Haiyang found it somewhat ridiculous.

"I guess you've already seen the Taoist Master. Aren't you curious about how you survived such severe injuries?" Xu Jing's words left Wang Haiyang stunned.

Xu Jing continued, "This Taoist Master was originally a leader in the National Science and Technology Commission, overseeing many confidential enterprises and crucial projects. He's also a key member of the Celestial Way Society, in charge of the Ethereal Refinement Project. The Hall of Longevity is the second test site for this project. The first one was by the sea in Qingdao, where a major safety incident occurred a few months ago."

"Ethereal Refinement Project? Hall of Longevity? How did these Taoist things end up here? How do you know so much? Or are you part of the Celestial Way Society too?" Wang Haiyang asked, backing away.

"Me, join that demonic society? They're just a bunch of greedy bastards, rich and powerful people chasing 'immortality' even after death. The influence of the Celestial Way Society is beyond your imagination. It's no longer just a religious organization; it has infiltrated the highest levels of national power structures. The central government is extremely wary. Why else do you think this explosion was hushed up so quickly? Initially, they were just dreamers seeking immortality, including high-ranking military and political officials. They started using ancient methods combined with modern technology to concoct and consume elixirs. Everyone wanted to become immortal. Unexpectedly, they achieved some surprising effects, and more people began to join. Coincidentally, last year, an ancient medical text was discovered in a tomb in Sichuan. Amazingly, it recorded nanotechnology techniques for rapid body recovery, exactly what the Celestial Way Society needed."

"Mr HU mentioned this on my first day, but how could an ancient text possibly relate to nanotechnology?" Wang Haiyang interrupted.

Xu Jing took out her phone and showed Wang Haiyang some images.

Wang Haiyang slowly read aloud: "For those with broken bones and torn flesh, ordinary remedies cannot heal quickly. There is a miraculous method called 'Nurturing the Body with Wandering Dust,' which uses the essence of heaven and earth, invisible and intangible, to heal the body upon entry. Its wonder lies in microscopic particles entering the flesh without pain or sensation, traversing all meridians, reaching the injured areas, mending tendons, regenerating flesh, restoring to original state in an instant.

Though minute, these particles have extraordinary effects, facilitating blood flow, replenishing qi, and regulating meridians. Once in the body, wounds heal swiftly, flesh regenerates without scars, and bones regrow. However, this method must not be used carelessly. It requires the harmony of heaven and earth, combined with specially concocted potions to be effective. If used improperly, it may reverse course and harm the internal organs.

Those who apply this method must have a calm mind and regulated breathing. Observe its form, guide its qi, allowing it to move freely. When effective, even severe injuries heal within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, with skin restored and wounds vanished."

After reading, Wang Haiyang paused for a few seconds before saying, "I don't see anything special. Many ancient texts contain similar content without any practical methods."

"Look at the next image," Xu Jing said.

Wang Haiyang flipped to the next image and read: "Those who use 'Nurturing the Body with Wandering Dust' to heal injuries can restore their physical body if they master the method. However, the subtlety of this technique goes beyond that. Practitioners can follow this method to enter a higher realm, called 'Controlling Dust to Communicate with Spirits.' 'Controlling Dust' means guiding microscopic particles to move within the body, through the five organs and six viscera, gradually transforming blood and qi, nourishing essence and energy. Over time, one can achieve harmony with heaven and earth, greatly increasing vital essence and strengthening the physical body, becoming immune to all diseases and greatly extending lifespan.

When this method is mastered to the extreme, it can make bones as strong as steel, skin ageless, immune to all poisons, and invulnerable to worldly weapons. However, mastering this technique is not an overnight achievement. It requires 'Primal Qi Guidance' to allow the wandering dust to move with qi, gradually transforming the virtual into the real. At this stage, microscopic particles enter the bones, all meridians become unobstructed, the body unites with heaven, and one's lifespan can match the sun and moon, approaching ascension.

However, those who practice this technique must maintain a clear mind and righteous qi. If one's will is not firm or falls into greed, the microscopic particles may turn against the practitioner, causing qi and blood to flow in reverse, harming the five organs. Minor consequences include disability, while severe ones can lead to death. Those who achieve mastery become as light as a swallow and as strong as an ox, eventually able to ride the wind and ascend to immortality."

"This is nonsense. How could drinking some 'wandering dust' be so powerful? If we're really talking about nanotechnology, achieving such rapid healing would only be possible using nanoparticles as drug delivery tools to accelerate wound healing, but not at the speed described here. Or perhaps using nanoparticles to control stem cells in the body, with nanoparticles acting as repair materials and stem cells as the workers. Besides, these images look like they're from a modern book to me," Wang Haiyang was skeptical of these ancient texts.

"Brother, are you pretending not to understand? These are clearly images from a Word document. The text on the original ancient book was incomplete. This is the interpretation by a large-scale AI model. But hearing you talk about these concepts proves you're a professional. Your presence here isn't solely due to your father's connections. The Celestial Way Society suddenly became aware of this medical text being unearthed. Initially, they suspected it involved activating stem cells and researched in that direction. But as more content from the medical text was deciphered, they discovered that this 'wandering dust' needed to deliver drugs, activate stem cells, monitor body function indicators, automatically locate and solve problems within the body, and even had intelligent functions, finding solutions using locally available resources when needed. Later, they realized only nanobots could achieve this." After finishing, Xu Jing looked at Wang Haiyang's abdomen.

"Why are you looking at my stomach?" Wang Haiyang immediately asked.

"Aren't you curious about how your entire abdomen was crushed, yet you're standing here perfectly fine?" As soon as Xu Jing finished speaking, Wang Haiyang collapsed to the ground.

Cold sweat trickled down his neck. He unconsciously clutched his abdomen, as if the memory of that punch was still churning inside him.