Chapter 9: Running Under Starlight
“What fun things did the forty-first century develop? Like mobile phone games from the twenty-first century or something?” Xuan Chong asked the system during a rest day when the bloodshed had paused.
Xuan Chong’s intention was to hint to the system to give him some cheats, like the virtual space in some novels where one could practice skills.
Xuan Chong, who had just finished fighting a battle, took advantage of this free time to want to learn something. Best if it didn’t consume academic credit to exchange for, to get some wool from the system.
System: “You, still a junior high student, want to experience the difficulty of the Gaokao?”
Xuan Chong: “What, Gaokao?”
…beside the riverbank of the camp…
Xuan Chong saw no one around, then had the system explain to him what the Gaokao was.
The system promptly prompted: This is the physical education assessment for fifteenth grade.
A familiar melody rang in his ears, the 154th set of Broadcast Gymnastics “Star Field’s Run”, difficulty level elementary third grade, one two three four, five six seven eight.
Xuan Chong: “Stop stop stop.”
After just doing three movements, Xuan Chong hurriedly paused the music and questioned the system’s movement demonstration in the view: “Jumping on a six-meter high platform, still in a full split, and you tell me this is Broadcast Gymnastics?”
The system prompted: “Yes, in the fortieth century, um, in the thirtieth century, people of your age could basically complete it.”
Xuan Chong fell silent, because if he said more, he feared the system would pop up: “You are the worst batch.”
So, Xuan Chong decided to try again.
A few minutes later, with a bang, due to performing a 360-degree turn in the air, causing the cerebellum to malfunction and lose space sense, his foot slipped, and Xuan Chong fell with a thud.
Xuan Chong came back to his senses and rummaged through the popular science knowledge he had once received, speculating: This might be the physical test for aviation personnel.
This ability to maintain a clear sense of direction after rotating 365 degrees was explained in television introductions to pilot training, specifically applied after an airplane’s high overload, still able to operate the instrument panel equipment and so on.
Xuan Chong tentatively asked: “You say this is a sports exam, so what achievement is passing?”
System: “The time error for completing all movements should be within 0.07 seconds, and the position error for finger markers and such should be within 3 millimeters.”
Xuan Chong tried to digest this information, first reaction: “I don’t believe it, this movement is the assessment? How many people can achieve this in such an exam?” But his reason suppressed his emotions, tentatively believing the system, so he patiently continued asking: “To reach that standard, it requires a training system, right.”
Xuan Chong was very certain that with his previous life’s level of science, no one could naturally practice to that extent.
The system then prompted: “Yes, to practice this set of movements, you need to follow the physical test instrument.”
Xuan Chong: “What?”
The system continued its calm explanation: “Starting from the 99th set of Broadcast Gymnastics, human sports training basically relies on the ‘physical test instrument’ to complete.” — But Xuan Chong felt like this system was doing it on purpose!
…People from the Spring and Autumn Warring States period couldn’t understand the word “mobile phone”…
The “physical test instrument” involves a complex human body information system.
In the twenty-first century, smartphones all had electronic gyroscopes installed; shaking the mobile phone, and the screen rotating based on gravity, all relied on this thing. This thing has very high sensitivity. But humans can only feel the work of this micro device through mobile phone vibration and looking at the screen.
While the “physical test instrument” system actually directly connects this series of tiny components to the perception organs, ensuring humans’ firsthand perception of their own body movement data.
For example, in early air combat, air traffic control personnel used communications to direct fighter formation captains one by one, then the flight captain issued orders through the team channel during flight.
While in the information system, each pilot can directly obtain information from the screen in front of them from ground radar, airborne early warning aircraft, even surrounding drones, and the fighter’s system can integrate this information into the pilot’s full situational perception within one second.
Air combat with a system crushes air combat without one.
The guidance traditional martial arts masters give to disciples’ moves, and the comments sports school coaches give to athletes after completing a set of movements, from a later perspective, lack a system. Martial cultivators and sports athletes, when performing movements, cannot know right or wrong immediately, but need feedback from the coach.
While with the physical test instrument? A large number of microscopic electronic devices on the wrist, on the ankle, even on the knee, collect information, then provide picture and voice prompts in the eyepiece and cochlea. No need to wait for the coach to comment after a set of movements; the comprehensive evaluation system gives precise correction prompt information during the movement.
Oh, this “physical test instrument” technology was developed by a major power at the end of the twenty-first century during international games athlete selection. At that time, the international games situation was poor countries doping to squeeze potential, strong countries directly using technology.
In its late twenty-first century online novels about “otherworld leveling and cultivation” themes, there was no apprenticeship learning, but first building a system.
And after the twenty-second century?
The system kept chattering: After the twenty-second century, with progress in neuron and external electronic device docking technology, “sports” underwent major reform; the physical standards of pilots and athletes from a century ago could be mass-produced through system education.
Xuan Chong realized the taste: The thing future people made would lower the threshold of past national-level sports athletes, and once the threshold is lowered, the masses can all get involved, then it’s a competition, and competing leads to involution; poor kids in the twenty-second century.
…Recognizing the future, admitting the outdated…
After understanding the situation, he felt doubly embarrassed for his previous foolish attempt, Xuan Chong blushed and forced himself to calm down.
A thought flashed in his mind: Was the system doing it on purpose, explaining only after he made a fool of himself — um, definitely on purpose, but questioning it would be petty.
Xuan Chong took a deep breath and asked: “So I can’t practice without equipment assistance?”
System: “You can practice; exchanging 0.2 academic credits allows applying for the ‘First-level Body Fixing Technique External Assistance System’ for training. Your current academic credits are 3.2. Do you want to exchange? Um, I recommend exchanging. Although future sports teachers will arrange it for you according to the process in the set curriculum, I don’t oppose confident you skipping grades to access this type of course.”
…Xuan Chong instantly understood; as early as when he wanted to get wool, this system was waiting here, waiting for him to perform a wall-bump show, then mention this…
Xuan Chong didn’t dwell on the issue of “skipping grades” consuming academic credits, but with fire in his eyes, chased the system: “Earlier I asked you what cultivation assistance materials you had, you said none! Why only now slowly say it.”
System: “First question, my database has no term ‘cultivation’; Body Fixing Technique belongs to ‘sports’, responsible for body development; second, I am responsible for history teaching, not your sports teacher.”
Bringing up the topic related to his “low basic education level” again, Xuan Chong quickly shut up. Because this concerns whether his “student status” exists; since he only remembers the twenty-first century situation, how did this fortieth century education system select him? If the system gets serious and he can’t explain clearly, his so-called “student status” gets revoked, and in this otherworld he can only cry to himself.
…Xuan Chong defaults to “whoever pays the salary can define”…
As white light permeated from the outside into his body, Xuan Chong couldn’t help asking: “System, this really isn’t initiation for me?”
The system didn’t answer, displaying “in surgery” on the screen interface.
Three minutes later, Xuan Chong completed the body positioning instrument input. Six hundred and thirty-seven acupoints such as ear acupoints, arms, soles of feet, etc., were injected with “unknown information,” completing a calibration similar to “acupoint” marking. Among these six hundred and thirty-seven places, twelve lit up like “bright lamps.”
The System popped up a series of prompt explanations. This “Physical Test Instrument” is not composed of inorganic chip microscopic devices like those on Earth, but of organic energy from this plane, so additional emphasis on some precepts is needed to ensure the stability of this Physical Test Instrument system.
Xuan Chong glanced at the content guidelines, which included this user notice: The Physical Test Instrument needs to maintain stability. Under current environmental conditions, external group emotional fluctuations will interfere with the sensitivity of various components.
Hmm? Can other people’s emotions from the outside world affect my own “Physical Test Instrument”? After thinking about it, in this world, the Human Realm can all influence the distribution of spiritual energy. For now, he tentatively considered the system inside his body to be composed of this world’s “spiritual energy” energy.
This means ensuring that the interpersonal environment he is in maintains a basic order. And “camp howl” is clearly an example of losing order, which will produce unknown interference, accelerating the energy structure wear of the “Physical Test Instrument” inside his body.
Xuan Chong confirmed: He still had to lead troops. Relying on being carefree and unparalleled was impossible.
…Ten days later…
Xuan Chong rode on the Dragon Horse, suddenly shifting his body to the side of the Dragon Horse, smoothly drawing a bow, his waist opening up, then both arms building power, the bowstring immediately drawn full. As the bow opened, Xuan Chong himself leaned back on the horse’s back, the bow and arrow aimed at birds flying in the distance. With a “twang” sound, the bow and arrow shot toward the target at extreme speed, with slight waver and movement. After one breath, the arrow pierced the bird’s wing, and the bird fell down.
This set of consecutive mounted archery movements was trained by Xuan Chong based on the data information prompts provided by the “Physical Test Instrument” these days.
The courage for charge formation, Xuan Chong currently still lacked, but starting from bow and arrow was still something he was confident in. This didn’t require close combat with others, and as for the risk of falling off the horse from large back-and-forth movements on horseback, under the system’s prompts, he could now handle it with ease.
The personal soldier nearby cheered and ran toward the direction where the bird fell, helping Wu Fei retrieve the bird.
This was Wu Fei’s first time showing off his skills. In the previous days, he had only practiced alone, and when mounting the horse, he was still worried about the horse’s jolting causing him to fall off. But afterward, his progress was rapid. He could predict the ups and downs of the horse’s running movements, clamping his legs tightly on the horse’s back to maintain stability.
It was as if he had returned to his boyhood days, when he could casually climb a ten-meter-tall tree without shaking. Now Wu Fei was fourteen years old. He was at the age when he learned everything quickly. At the same time, this age was also prone to seeking merit recklessly.
…In the twenty-first century, young people are addicted to playing with mobile phones, and middle-aged and elderly people are also addicted to playing…
Wu Fei drew the bowstring once more. This time, he first bent his waist and then puffed out his chest, using waist power to draw the bow and open the bowstring. Then his gaze locked on the target, his movements reflexively calibrating to the line of sight angle, timing the entire process to his heartbeat rhythm, releasing the arrow at the precise moment. Fifty paces away, a running wild boar fell with a thud.
As an “ancient person,” Wu Fei, after receiving such an advanced thing as the Physical Test Instrument and figuring out some techniques, began to get addicted.
In ten days, practicing mounted archery to this level was not because Wu Fei was so genius-like, but because the Physical Test Instrument could directly perform movement programming.
How powerful is this thing?
In the human body that evolved itself, nerve conduction speed is not the fastest. For example, in Olympic sprinting, reaction time is set at “0.100 seconds.” Exceeding this is a false start. And many people, when watching sports like table tennis, see it with their eyes, but their hands don’t follow.
Because the eyes see it, transmit directly to the brain, and the brain then transmits to the hands to react. The eyes and brain are close, receiving full information. But hands and feet are far from the brain, requiring constant training for coordination.
But if an external transmission chain (external neural link) is added, its electrical signal transmission is instantaneous. That is, after the eyes see, the arms and steps directly receive micro-electrical signal stimulation from the “tactile sensors” on the skin, quickly shifting to the most correct position.
For the user, when performing this set of movements that the brain subjectively needs to complete, the body’s own feedback is very strong—if the shift is incorrect, it hurts.
And as long as the trainee gets the movement right once, the “Physical Test Instrument” will fully integrate all sensor information as a successful case. Next, the user reproduces this set of movements in a safe state, reinforcing muscle memory. And when attempting actual combat again, if there is deviation, after debugging to accuracy, retrieve the information again and train the corresponding deviation amount. This is called movement programming.
After the twenty-second century, athletes were required to have no inorganic materials on their entire body except clothes. But in other fields like national defense, firefighting, and off-road, everyone was using this system.
After the subsequent great nuclear war ended, it was no longer about pulling strips of “carbon-titanium composite materials” to create military-grade movement control systems with artificial external nerves, but directly using wifi for full-body sensor information integration. This made it more miniaturized, allowing everyone to become extreme athletes.
As for the foundation of the system now on Wu Fei’s body, it is currently not electronic components from Earth, but spiritual evil gas with Yao Calculation capabilities from this world. Building the system with this thing made Wu Fei think of a familiar term: “the eight extraordinary meridians.”
After becoming proficient in mounted archery within ten days, Wu Fei immediately wanted to try other movements.
So, Wu Fei glanced at the fortified village. A few days later, a wall on the fortified village began to be heightened, and Wu Fei started sprinting, stepping on protrusions on the wall, and climbing. This? Called first assault!
At dusk, Wu Fei, who single-handedly used “ladder to the clouds vertical” to leap onto the high platform of the military tent and overlook the small tents, sighed: Why need any “lightness skill manual”? Now I am the one with ethereal aptitudes, one in ten thousand martial arts genius, the kind who creates divine skills himself! — Wu Fei laughed triumphantly, looked up at the stars in the sky, imagining this was the battlefield, after his first assault, the surrounding officers and soldiers shouting “Constellation Old Immortal’s magic power is boundless.” No, it should be “The General is truly a divine being.”
In the camp, in the eyes of many officers and soldiers, Wu Fei that day was very abnormal, jumping around like a monkey.
However, the men who had just divided headcount merits understood very well: After the Great Warehouse campaign, the Young General let out a big breath all at once, so he should be happy for a bit.
…He can go crazy for a while, but not overturn his life…
By nighttime, Wu Fei’s complacency received retribution.
When sleeping at night, Wu Fei was very restless, kicking off the quilt several times with his legs.
The next morning, Xuan Chong looked at the kicked-apart bed and was puzzled at first, but then speculated that it was probably because he had run too wildly yesterday. He then opened the System again to check the usage guidelines for the “Physical Test Instrument.”
It stated in a line of red text highlighted: Since your current neural system is still developing, it is best not to over-link to external nerves; proceed gradually.
Narration: That is, when the eyes see, the legs immediately receive stimulation and start quickly. There is a side effect: when sleep control over the whole body is weak, the legs will self-start with slight stimulation. — Whereas normally, leg signals go from brain to spine to legs. Though sometimes a bit slow in the movement system, this system is stable.
Xuan Chong: “Oh, just this side effect? I’ll make a sleeping bag and it’s solved.”
System: “This is only the mildest side effect.”
Xuan Chong was stunned.
The System noted: “The activity level of your partially restructured motor nerves now is equivalent to a normal person’s five-to-six-year-old stage. Under this stage, neural control deficiency is not just kicking the quilt! You need to prepare diapers.”
Xuan Chong immediately became alert.
System: “If you are overly excited during the day, any dream stimulation at night will trigger a reaction, and at your current age, the reproductive system is also nearly developed.”
Xuan Chong instantly understood. This age is the stage where pants mysteriously have “snot” when waking up.
Xuan Chong gritted his teeth and confirmed: “Got it. I’ll reduce unnecessary stimulation.”
…High-spirited youth dividing line…
In the military tent at night, Xiao Qing carried in modulated fish soup into the main tent, her purple lips parting lightly, preparing to invite the Young Master to dine, while also ready to serve as a maid.
Xuan Chong, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation preparing to let his body motor nerves go dormant before sleep, said without looking up: “Oh, thanks, I’ve eaten. Lately I’m adjusting my body, all meals have fixed amounts. Don’t send them to me anymore. Um, the great war is over, you don’t need to be in my main tent. Go out and enjoy some freedom.” (Meaning, Young Master is granting you freedom.)
Regarding playing with snakes, Xuan Chong: I don’t eat raw fish slices.
The Southern Border woman using gu thing also needed attention, especially since he was now cultivating.
The curtain of the military tent closed, and the snake woman with lifeless eyes swayed her body as she walked out. Having lost her target, she seemed as if her tendons had been pulled out.
A long time later, a miserable smile appeared at the corner of her mouth: “Even if I become an ox or a horse now, is that not allowed?” Then she twisted her waist and left dejectedly.
…Purple recedes, blue advances…
And six hundred li away, a pair of wind and thunder wings sped through the mountains and forests.
Wherever it passed, it emitted a ghostly blue firelight, and this firelight squeezed out the vitality within ten zhang like a press.
Beneath the wind and thunder wings was a woman wearing blue metal armor—she was precisely the Daoist Priest Xian’s junior sister!
