Chapter 377: The Principles of Superpowers

During the last evening self-study session, Peng Lianghai stood up and silently left the classroom. 

Recently stressed, he often took walks outside school, where the high walls and gates were just a light leap for him.

Last night when he helped someone retrieve their wallet, he had been sneaking out for one such walk.

“Why are you two following me?” Peng Lianghai noticed Bai Hongtu and Jiang Li trailing behind.

“Since we’re all joining the organization together, of course we should act as a team,” they replied.

Walking down the street, Peng Lianghai curiously asked, “How did you two awaken your superpowers?”

Bai Hongtu fell into reminiscence: “I was in grave danger with no one to save me, hanging by a thread. At that critical moment, inspiration struck, I suddenly understood something, and ultimately awakened my cultivation superpower.”

Jiang Li added: “At that time, I was the one who put him in grave danger with no rescue. After he awakened his cultivation superpower and tried to counterattack, at that critical moment, I awakened my invincible superpower and subdued him.”

Peng Lianghai rolled his eyes, refusing to believe their tall tales.

“My treat – what do you want to eat?” Bai Hongtu generously offered at the night market.

Using his alchemy skill to create gold, he could easily flood the market with gold and disrupt the monetary system whenever he wished.

Of course, Jiang Li could always interrupt Bai Hongtu’s actions if he wanted.

Just as Peng Lianghai was about to politely decline before stating his preference, he noticed Bai Hongtu looking up at something.

Peng Lianghai looked up too but saw nothing.

Jiang Li tapped Peng Lianghai’s forehead, allowing him to finally see what was above them.

Several figures flashed by, chasing something, with one figure being Shao Junyi whom they’d met yesterday.

“Why couldn’t I see them earlier?”

“Didn’t she mention it? Her superpower is illusions. She made everyone nearby fall into an illusion so others couldn’t see them.”

“So that’s how it is.” Peng Lianghai suddenly understood – he had unknowingly been under an illusion.

“But why weren’t you two affected, and how could you break me out of it?”

Jiang Li smiled mysteriously: “Because this is the most basic form of illusion technique.”

“Illusion technique?”

Jiang Li didn’t elaborate: “Let’s go see what they’re doing.”

……

“Cultists, stop right there!”

Several people shouted angrily, leaping between buildings as they chased the so-called cultists.

“These cultists have major schemes in Binhai City – we must catch them!”

With illusions ensuring secrecy, the Superhuman Management Bureau operatives acted boldly, unleashing various superpowers.

“Fire Serpent!”

A fire-type superhuman shot out serpentine flames.

“Palm Lightning!”

Another thunder-type superhuman released a bolt of lightning.

The lightning and fire serpent merged into a powerful serpentine thunderflame, crackling with energy.

The cultists fled in disarray, barely dodging the attack.

“Freeze!”

A psychic-type superhuman pointed at the cultists, sweat beading on his forehead like soybeans.

The cultists only paused briefly before breaking free.

“Damn it, this one’s willpower is too strong,” the psychic cursed, forced to continue chasing. He needed minutes between psychic attacks to avoid overloading his brain.

“Interesting. Illusion techniques, spells, spiritual sense – all familiar concepts.”

Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu followed leisurely, observing the superhumans.

They’d roughly discerned how these superpowers worked.

“The five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth create all things, including time and space. This world might prove the Five Elements Creation Theory,” Bai Hongtu mused.

The immortal world had many theories about creation, including:

The Five Elements Creation Theory.

The Four Elements (earth, fire, wind, water) Theory.

The Yin-Yang Creation Theory…

The Five Elements and Four Elements theories had the most supporters.

Initially Bai Hongtu thought fire and thunder superhumans had single-element spirit roots.

Later he realized they actually had Five Elements Spirit Roots, just with different elemental distributions.

Different distributions created different abilities – some made fire, some illusions, some enhanced themselves.

“Fascinating,” Jiang Li smiled with interest.

“But their combat power is low, with poor physical conditioning and unbalanced development,” Bai Hongtu complained. Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators could do all this without limitations – firing flames with one hand, lightning with the other, illusions from their eyes.

Cultivators were like superhumans with multiple powers.

Though these superhumans could use Foundation to Core Formation level spells, their bodies were only at Qi Refining’s first three layers – extremely fragile.

In the Nine Provinces, they’d lose fistfights to candied hawthorn vendors.

“But we could study their spiritual sense techniques – maybe cultivate it earlier.”

Bai Hongtu always thought waiting until Nascent Soul stage for spiritual sense was too late. Studying psychic powers might yield methods for Qi Refining stage.

“Not all superhumans are weak – my spiritual sense found several powerful ones.”

“How powerful?”

“Their spells rival Divine Transformation cultivators.”

“…Isn’t your definition of ‘powerful’ too broad?”

“I can’t only consider those stronger than me as powerful.”

“Feels like you’re showing off.”

“Just stating facts.”

While conversing via spiritual sense, they casually cast enhancement spells on Peng Lianghai.

Feeling endless power surge through him, Peng Lianghai assumed he was performing exceptionally today. With a mighty leap, he cleared 30 meters and caught the cultist.

With the cultist’s weak physique, Peng Lianghai easily overpowered him.

“You?” Shao Junyi and her team caught up, surprised to find Peng Lianghai assisting them.

Shao Junyi injected the cultist with a syringe, making him collapse powerlessly.

Other superhumans bound and took him away.

“Your illusion resistance must be high – my illusions didn’t affect you.”

All superhumans develop some illusion resistance – just a matter of degree.

Shao Junyi assumed Peng Lianghai had strong resistance.

“Lianghai runs so fast,” Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu arrived late, making their presence known.

“Who are they?” Shao Junyi was startled – ordinary people shouldn’t see her, yet these two strangers she’d never seen during her Peng Lianghai investigation did.

“My friends. This is Jiang Li with invincibility superpower, and Bai Hongtu with cultivation superpower.”

Shao Junyi immediately pegged them as self-taught superhumans giving fanciful names to their powers.

“Invincible superpower”? How invincible could they be – planet-busting?