novelraw Chapter 8 : Chapter 8
Chapter 8 : Chapter 8
Chapter 8: The Extraordinary Feat
Something was clearly wrong.
I tried to stop, but the sole of my right foot felt like a volcano, uncontrollably erupting with a scorching, lava-like airflow.
At the same time, a silver vein sprouted from my right foot’s sole, like a vine growing from a sprouting seed, guiding the airflow upward.
It traced along my calf, up to my thigh, through my organs, past my neck…
“Splash!”
The moment I opened my eyes, the silver vein and airflow converged there, making my pupils emit a faint silver glow.
My entire world became clearer, colors richer, details sharper.
Above me, the rust and fingerprints on the tin panels of the medical shack were distinct, revealing the sequence and process of its construction.
In the air, barely perceptible dust particles moved with the airflow from my rapid breathing.
Outside the shack’s door, wisps of ghostly mist were like fine, faintly colored gauze, omnipresent, seeping through every gap, drifting with the wind.
“What… is happening?”
I was filled with shock and uncertainty, my heart pounding. The world I saw now was completely different from before! My eyes had been covered by a blurry lens, living ignorantly for nineteen years.
Now, it felt like I’d broken free from a cage, escaped a quagmire.
The silver glow in my pupils faded.
But my eyes seemed remolded, my vision far surpassing what it had been.
Looking at Professor Xu on the nearby bed, I could sense his emotions from the subtle changes in his facial muscles, wrinkles, pores, and hairs.
After a long time calming myself, I began to think seriously.
“Could this be what Master meant by an extraordinary feat?”
“Master said my physical prowess had reached its limit, but I was born in the wrong era, unable to progress further. Now, having fallen into the microcosm, the environment has changed, and I’ve broken through that limit in an instant?”
Multiple guesses and ideas swirled in my mind, but I felt that, though unknown, what was happening in my body was no bad thing. So, I began to explore it actively.
I practiced the Jade Void Breathing Technique again.
As the scorching airflow surged from my right foot’s sole, I consciously guided it toward my left arm, ravaged by the bear-like creature.
“Splash!”
A second silver vein grew, leading the scorching airflow along a different path, extending to my left arm and palm.
As the airflow passed through the wound, the burning pain eased significantly, replaced by an itch, like flesh healing.
The injury was improving.
“The silver veins must be channels opened ahead of the airflow, thin as hair, winding, guiding the airflow to parts of the body. Where it passes, it nourishes and transforms flesh, bones, organs… and eyes. My whole body is undergoing a metamorphosis.”
“Maybe soon, my left arm’s injury will heal under this airflow’s nourishment. And, like my eyes, it might undergo an extraordinary change.”
I felt like I’d opened a mysterious door to the heavens, overjoyed, and immersed myself fully in exploring this extraordinary realm.
…
“Haha, Weiyi, Weiyi…”
Zhao Meng hurried in, elated, covered in dust and grime.
Having finished his tasks and learned I’d woken, he rushed over.
I paused my exploration of the extraordinary, propped myself up, and sat against the bed frame. I no longer felt weak; my spirit and energy were revitalized.
Zhao Meng examined me closely, growing even happier: “Haha, incredible, truly incredible. You look great—rosy cheeks, bright eyes, no issues at all! Dr. Qi’s skills are impressive.”
“Dr. Qi’s skills are remarkable, but Dr. Cai’s fish soup has even better medicinal effects,” came a faint voice from the deepest bed in the shack.
It was the short student who loved myths, his neck and right arm bound with splints, his eyes dull, staring at the ceiling.
His name was Gao Huan, one of Professor Xu’s students.
But he was neither happy nor joyful now.
Cai Yutong feeding me fish soup was enviable, but his two classmates bringing soup for Professor Xu and forgetting him was a further blow.
Urgent footsteps sounded outside the shack.
Zhao Meng’s expression shifted. He leaned close and whispered, “While you were out, some things happened. I hid the Tao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish, and the relic is with it. If they ask, act like you know nothing.”
Captain Gao Xin, Director Yang, Xie Tianshu, Xie Jin… within moments, a dozen people crowded into the shack, surrounding my bed.
“You just woke and are still weak. Rest well, lie down!”
Zhao Meng, facing away from the group, supported my neck and back, laying me back on the bed.
Xie Tianshu, impatient, said, “Little Li, since you’re awake, we have an urgent matter to question you about.”
Zhao Meng turned, displeased: “I’ve said the Buddha’s relic was lost in the sea during the bear-like creature and Nine Infants’ attack. I don’t know what happened after, and my junior brother knows even less.”
Zhao Meng wasn’t good at deception, and his absolute tone raised suspicions.
Xie Tianshu smiled: “But someone saw through the window that the green and red lights causing us to fall onto the bronze ship came from Little Li. Only a treasure like the Buddha’s relic could produce such a divine phenomenon.”
Zhao Meng countered, “I was so close and didn’t notice. You were all thrown into the Arctic Ocean by the Nine Infants—how could anyone see clearly in that chaos?”
“You know the truth, First Mate,” Xie Tianshu replied calmly.
Many present doubted Zhao Meng’s words.
Director Yang, deeply invested in the Buddha’s relic, said, “Mr. Zhao, don’t get upset! We were in danger, but so were you. Can you be sure you didn’t miss critical details? The relic concerns our return to the macroscopic Earth—better to clarify.”
I understood and followed my senior brother’s lead, speaking weakly: “I asked Professor Xu about the Buddha’s relic—it’s incredible. Have we really fallen into the microcosm? What’s the bronze ship’s origin? Where is it sailing?”
No one could answer.
They were uncertain themselves.
“Will finding the relic let us return? How are the relic and the bronze ship connected? Can we control them?” I asked again.
Xie Tianshu said, “At least the relic wouldn’t vanish without reason. If it’s with you, Little Li, bring it out for us to study. Even if we can’t return to Earth, it’d offer security in this strange world.”
I understood. Returning to Earth was just an excuse—they had no confidence in it. Their real aim was to seize the relic to gain power in this unfamiliar world.
If the relic hadn’t merged with the Tao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish, I wouldn’t mind returning it to its rightful owners.
I wouldn’t covet what wasn’t mine.
But if the relic was one of the Tai Chi Fish’s eyes, its return to the fish was the true restoration. How could I hand over the Chan Sect’s leader token to others?
Zhao Meng, angered, said, “My junior brother’s been unconscious for three days. If the relic were with him, you’d have taken it already.”
“It’s not on him, but inside him… who can say?”
Xie Tianshu’s words hinted at his earlier thought of swallowing the relic.
Possessing a treasure within oneself was true ownership.
Zhao Meng snapped, “Are you suggesting cutting him open?”
“I’m just stating a possibility.”
…
“Stop arguing! The Buddha’s relic carries the bronze ship—it’s likely still in the macroscopic world,” Captain Gao Xin, though aged, spoke with authority, halting Zhao Meng and Xie Tianshu’s brewing fight.
After the group quieted.
I spoke first: “Senior Brother, their real goal isn’t the relic. They’re using it as an excuse to turn everyone on the ship against us, isolating us.”
“With the freezer broken, most of the ship’s food will soon spoil. In ten days, whoever controls the remaining food’s distribution has the best chance of survival.”
“The captain and leaders are older. The only threat to him is you, so they need a reason to deal with you.”
My and Gao Xin’s words plunged the group into thought.
Clearly, the tangible issue of “food” was far more urgent than the elusive relic.
The group left the shack, some offering polite or insincere wishes for my recovery.
Xie Jin caught up to Xie Tianshu, whispering, “Brother Shu, notice anything?”
“Zhao Meng’s junior brother is much harder to deal with than Zhao Meng. He seems innocent and kind but subtly ruined our plans. Luckily, the bear-like creature crippled him!” Xie Tianshu said.
Xie Jin’s eyes were cold: “With that kid’s warning, Zhao Meng will be on guard. Should we act early?”
Xie Tianshu shook his head: “There are three guns on the ship! The rifle, with three bullets left, is with Zhao Meng. The shotgun, likely with ammo, is with Lab 705’s people. Gao Xin has a handgun… None are in our hands. We can’t rush—any move must be foolproof.”
Xie Jin sneered, “Zhao Meng’s biggest weakness is that kid. Control him, and Zhao Meng will hand over the rifle. As for Lab 705’s frail old folks, leave them to me.”
Xie Tianshu frowned, serious: “No rash moves! Stick to the plan—first win over Head Chef Kong Fan. He’s the key to victory without bloodshed.”