Chapter 380: Stretching Limbs, Unleashing Skills

Although Shao Junyi was only a second-stage superhuman, her father being the branch director meant she knew more than ordinary members—even some classified information.

She had heard of occasional geniuses who could use two or three superpowers, but they merely knew how to use them without mastering them.

Someone like Bai Hongtu, who could unleash fourth-stage or even stronger superpowers with just a finger, was beyond anything she had ever heard or imagined.

Moreover, this Bai Hongtu could also regenerate from a drop of blood and revive in the blink of an eye, completely outside her comprehension.

She secretly reported this to her father.

“You also mentioned being able to perform soul projection. What exactly is a soul?” Shao Junyi had never heard this term before.

“The innate spiritual energy one is born with… You wouldn’t understand even if I explained. Let me show you.”

Bai Hongtu closed his eyes as white mist rose from his head, condensing into a soul that transformed into flowing light, traveling thousands of miles.

Moments later, Bai Hongtu’s soul returned holding a blue fruit.

At the Divine Transformation stage, one could project their soul, but only for limited travel—it feared sunlight, couldn’t carry objects, and had significant drawbacks.

A Tribulation Transcendence stage soul could overcome these limitations.

“This is a Blue Dream Fruit from two thousand miles south. It must be eaten within an hour of picking or it rots—a fruit only locals get to enjoy!”

Shao Junyi had once visited that region and tasted Blue Dream Fruit, leaving a strong impression.

Peng Lianghai was equally shocked by Bai Hongtu’s power.

“You traveled four thousand miles in mere minutes?” Shao Junyi stared at him like he was a monster. Bai Hongtu’s abilities surpassed any superpower.

This couldn’t be described as a superpower anymore—it was divine miracle.

“And that was me going slow.” Bai Hongtu’s soul waved before returning to his body.

……

“What? Someone who can regenerate from blood? Wields multiple superpowers? And moves at high speed ignoring obstacles?!” Shao Junyi’s father sprang to his feet.

Had this not come from his daughter, he would’ve thought his subordinates were lying.

He rushed to the surveillance room to review footage of Bai Hongtu’s performance, finding it matched his daughter’s account.

“What… what kind of person is this?” Initially suspecting Bai Hongtu was sent by that cult, he quickly dismissed the idea.

Someone this conspicuously powerful wouldn’t be deployed by any cult.

“By the way, what did he call his superpower?” Shao Junyi’s father summoned two truth-detecting superhumans to review their records.

“Cultivation…” The term felt familiar yet elusive, until suddenly his eyes widened in realization.

“Cultivation!”

He had seen references to “cultivation” in ancient texts.

The records described how during civilization’s dawn, a superhuman far surpassing fifth-stage appeared, whose power lay in his eyes—or rather, seeing distant things.

This ancient superhuman’s gaze pierced through the cosmos, beyond world barriers, witnessing another realm.

That world had vast continents, monsters roaring across skies, divine beings plucking stars and moons, roaming the universe—many capable of tearing space barehanded. What superhumans spent lifetimes mastering were mere common attacks there.

The ancient superhuman also saw someone bathed in golden light after surviving heavenly tribulations, ascending a golden staircase before vanishing.

He tried seeing what lay beyond the staircase, but his vision had limits.

Overusing his power soon blinded the ancient superhuman, cutting off that world forever.

The texts recorded his dying whispers: “Cultivation… Nine Provinces… If reincarnation exists… I’d go there…”

These records were dismissed as fantastical fiction, never taken seriously or researched.

How could beings that powerful exist?

If the records were true, didn’t that mean superhumans had been training wrong all along?

Superhumans painstakingly honing their powers—finally learning fire control—only to hear of others freely wielding sunfire, water, earth abilities?

Wouldn’t that render their efforts laughable?

“Could those ancient records be true?”

……

“What’s next for testing?” Bai Hongtu eagerly stretched, ready for action.

“Strength assessment.”

“Easy. I can lift any weight.”

“Then arm-wrestle him.”

Shao Junyi pointed at Jiang Li.

Bai Hongtu’s smile froze.

Jiang Li enthusiastically stretched his arms, rolling up his sleeves and planting his elbow on the table: “Come on.”

Bai Hongtu reluctantly followed suit.

Seeing them ready, Shao Junyi waved: “Begin!”

Bai Hongtu slowly closed his eyes, emptying his mind, imagining himself floating weightless through cosmos.

In this moment, he recalled glorious days—becoming Dao Sect Master’s triumphant rise, all preparations made to defeat Jiang Li, conferences with experts strategizing against Jiang Li, Immortal Elder Changcun’s earnest teachings, carefree childhood play…

Bai Hongtu’s eyes snapped open, gleaming like lightning, aura overwhelming.

“I carry too many hopes to lose! Jiang Li, I will defeat you!”

BOOM—

Jiang Li smashed Bai Hongtu hand-first through the floor, embedding him beyond extraction.

“Wait, books say recalling one’s past against insurmountable odds triggers breakthroughs to surpass enemies!”

“Seems even you have limits.” Shao Junyi sighed in relief seeing Bai Hongtu finally show weakness.

She’d thought him invincible.

Come to think of it, hadn’t someone claimed to be invincible?

“Final test: combat training.”

Shao Junyi led them to training grounds where third-stage superhumans would assess newcomers.

……

“Talk! What’s your cult’s plan in Bihai City!”

Interrogators viciously whipped the captured cult member Peng Lianghai had caught, panting from exertion as he stubbornly resisted.

The member sneered: “You think I’d reveal our plans?”

“Truth is, your accomplice already confessed. Cooperate now and we might show mercy—”

“Spare my life?”

“Grant you a whole corpse.”

“After all you’ve killed? Let me tell you—nobody leaves interrogation alive!”

After silence, the member observed: “…But I’ve seen you leave multiple times.”

“…”

“Beat him! Harder!”