Chapter 159
“Just say it’s about the appreciation!” the sect leader huffed, waving his hand as if to shoo someone away. “Disciples are just a burden! Why don’t you get lost?”
...
Watching Zheng Fa’s retreating figure, Master Pang suddenly stepped out of the thatched hut.
“Your disciple isn’t bad. I feel reassured leaving Jiu Shan Sect in his hands,” he remarked.
“...He’s indeed impressive, has a good reputation, and remembers his debts,” the sect leader sighed. “But he just doesn’t listen.”
“Then you should just give him to me!”
“Dream on!”
The sect leader shot a glare at Master Pang, and after a long pause, he added, “But I can have him take care of you in your old age.”
“…”
“Just lend me some spirit stones, and we’ll call it even.”
“...Do you think I’m some kind of fool?” Master Pang scoffed. “I’m in the Nascent Soul stage; I don’t need anyone to take care of me!”
(End of Chapter)
---
**Chapter 159: Mutation**
Old Bai sat in a chair, wearing a pair of black gloves connected by wires to a nearby transformer. He fidgeted restlessly, twisting left and right, occasionally lifting his hands to inspect the metallic conductive plates on the gloves.
“Is it really safe?” he muttered to Zheng Fa.
“Don’t worry, sir,” Zheng Fa replied. “This artifact is my secret technique; you’re the second person in the world to experience it!”
“...I’ve checked; it’s under two hundred.”
“…”
“And I’ll get ten bucks back for good reviews.”
“...Are you scared?”
Zheng Fa shot him a sideways glance.
“Who’s scared?” Old Bai pouted. “I’m just asking.”
“The voltage starts low, so it’s pretty safe. Besides, didn’t I teach you the first layer of the Five Thunder Body Technique?” Zheng Fa reassured him.
Old Bai pursed his lips and fell silent.
Zheng Fa plugged in the transformer.
“Say, if something goes wrong, would it count as an accident? Would the insurance cover it?”
Old Bai suddenly asked.
“…”
“Maybe I should reconsider? I’ve just realized I’m not that interested in electromagnetic rotation anymore…”
Zheng Fa twisted the knob on the transformer.
Old Bai’s lips trembled, his tongue stiffened, and he couldn’t utter a word.
“Channel the spirit energy according to the Five Thunder Body Technique!” Zheng Fa reminded him, his eyes fixed on the old man, ready to cut the power at any moment.
He felt a bit uneasy. On one hand, he worried about Old Bai’s age; although he had practiced the Ling He Body Technique, his physique couldn’t compare to Zheng Fa’s. On the other hand, it was Old Bai’s first time practicing the Five Thunder Body Technique, and Zheng Fa feared he might not be familiar with it.
What reassured Zheng Fa was that Old Bai seemed genuinely interested in the Five Thunder Body Technique. Though he had shown some fear earlier, he quickly entered a state of cultivation.
After watching for a while, Zheng Fa quietly slipped out of the room, leaving the old man to practice alone.
...
“Hey? Where’s Zheng Fa?” Old Bai stepped out of the room, strutting with a bit of swagger.
He searched for Zheng Fa for a while but only found Tang Lingwu.
“Have you finished your training, sir?”
“Yep! Even though it was my first time, I feel like I’m really suited for this technique!”
“I heard Zheng Fa say you were a bit scared…”
“Who was scared? I was just unfamiliar! It’s the fear of the unknown!” Old Bai interrupted her immediately. “Let me tell you, after practicing, I felt completely invigorated. I even thought the voltage was too low!”
“…”
“Too low?” Zheng Fa came in carrying a large cardboard box. “Perfect timing! The high-voltage DC power supply I ordered has arrived. Want to give it a try?”
“…”
Seeing Old Bai’s tight-lipped expression, Zheng Fa shook his head and set the box down to open it.
Inside was a white metal casing with several small displays and buttons.
“What’s the maximum voltage of this high-voltage DC power supply?”
“Up to 30 kV,” Zheng Fa checked the manual carefully.
“That voltage is too high... Are you really going to use this?” A hint of worry crossed Old Bai’s face.
“I’ll adjust from low to high. If it gets too high, I’ll stop. I’ll need your help to regulate it later,” Zheng Fa explained.
The previous transformer’s maximum output was only 300 V, which no longer met Zheng Fa’s needs for practicing the Five Thunder Body Technique. This new high-voltage DC power supply was like an upgrade to a spiritual treasure for him—mainly because adjustable high-voltage transformers were hard to come by. It wasn’t that they couldn’t be made; it was just that the demand was low.
After asking around, Zheng Fa found that they either didn’t have them or required customization. He initially thought about having one custom-made but then stumbled upon this high-voltage DC power supply and decided to give it a try.
Zheng Fa put on the gloves, sat cross-legged in the chair, and glanced at Old Bai.
Old Bai nodded, switched on the power supply, and began adjusting the output voltage.
Soon, the voltage displayed on the screen exceeded 400 V.
Old Bai glanced at Zheng Fa.
Zheng Fa shook his head.
800 V.
Zheng Fa’s hands trembled slightly, but he still shook his head.
At 1500 V, both of them could hear Zheng Fa’s teeth chattering.
“Go... a bit higher,” Zheng Fa said, his words barely coherent.
When the voltage reached 2100 V, Zheng Fa finally nodded slightly, fully immersed in the practice of the Five Thunder Body Technique.
“Grandpa Bai, why do I feel like Zheng Fa has been acting a bit strange these past few days?” Tang Lingwu suddenly said, watching Zheng Fa.
“...You noticed too?”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“Seems like he’s encountered some difficulties and is feeling anxious,” Old Bai speculated, stroking his chin.
“Difficulties? What kind of difficulties could he have?” Tang Lingwu asked, puzzled.
Old Bai glanced at the numbers on the screen, his brow furrowing. Suddenly, he said, “When a man is this hard on himself, there’s usually only one reason…”
“What reason?”
“Heartbreak!”
“?”
...
Inside Zheng Fa’s inner vision, his bones trembled in a series of miraculous changes.
As the powerful current flowed through him, he could see the surface of his bones becoming charred, as if carbonized by a sudden burst of heat.
In the next moment, the spirit energy within him began to nourish those charred areas according to the Five Thunder Body Technique.
Gradually, tiny golden sparks began to flicker within the blackened areas.
At first, the golden light was faint, appearing as inconspicuous cracks in the darkness.
But soon, the gold expanded, forming a dense web-like pattern.
Finally, the blackness was completely covered by gold—a thin golden membrane enveloped Zheng Fa’s bones.
He slowly opened his eyes.
Old Bai and Tang Lingwu were anxiously watching him. “How is it?”
“It worked!”
With the appearance of the golden membrane, Zheng Fa realized he had achieved the third layer of the Five Thunder Body Technique—Bone Forging.
Old Bai and Tang Lingwu exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with joy.
Zheng Fa stood up from the chair, carefully feeling his body.
He sensed some changes, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint what they were.
“Hey? Did you grow taller?”
Old Bai exclaimed, holding his hand flat at his forehead and comparing it to Zheng Fa, nodding in confirmation. “You definitely grew taller.”
Zheng Fa was taken aback and walked to the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror.
He had changed significantly.
Before practicing the Ling He Body Technique, Zheng Fa wasn’t short, but he was very thin, looking like a malnourished child.
As he trained in martial arts and cultivation, his appearance gradually transformed.
His skin improved.
He became more robust.
But a person’s body proportions—like the ratio of their head to shoulders, or legs to torso—are hard to change from birth.
Zheng Fa’s previous body proportions were just average.
But now...
Looking at himself in the mirror, his legs seemed a bit longer than before, and his shoulders appeared broader.
He exuded an unusual and harmonious beauty.
“Come here, let me measure you!”
Old Bai entered with a measuring tape, clearly curious about the changes in Zheng Fa’s physique, measuring him up and down.
Tang Lingwu watched with sparkling eyes.
After finishing, Old Bai calculated in his head and suddenly said, “This technique... has really turned you into a golden ratio?”
“…”
“Have you noticed any other changes?” Old Bai asked eagerly.
“Why are you so curious about that?”
Table of Contents
