The Way of Restraint

Chapter 32: A Millennium of Innovation – Who Reigns Supreme, Technology or Manpower?

“Making money is really easy. I used to see news about online streamers earning hundreds of thousands, even millions, a month and thought it was an exaggeration. But now, in just about a month, I’ve made 150,000. I can hardly believe it,” Su Jie said after finishing his match, heading straight to find Uncle Mang.  

The mere thought of the electric current stimulation made him want to leave, but his nature was inherently tenacious. He thrived on challenges, forging ahead against the current. So, gritting his teeth and steeling his resolve, he made his way to Uncle Mang.  

“I thought you wouldn’t come today,” Uncle Mang said upon seeing Su Jie. “Kid, your willpower is truly remarkable.”  

“Let’s do this.” Su Jie felt like he was walking to his execution. At this moment, he deeply empathized with the underground revolutionaries who endured torture before the nation’s liberation.  

The process remained the same: first massage, then acupuncture, followed by nutritional supplements, and finally, the electric current stimulation.  

This time, the electric shocks were as excruciating as ever—utterly unbearable. When the pain reached its peak, he even thought he might be brain-dead.  

Fortunately, the inner-strength tonic he had taken seemed to have some pain-relieving properties. He didn’t completely lose consciousness and instead used his iron-body martial arts to relax, leveraging the electric stimulation to train his ability to switch between tension and relaxation—his internal energy control.  

Gradually, he began to understand the benefits of electric stimulation.  

Compared to physical impact training, electric currents could reach deeper, penetrating even the bone marrow and activating every neuron and muscle fiber.  

After enduring a hellish ordeal, Su Jie surprisingly managed to avoid losing control of his bodily functions—a clear sign that his physical endurance had improved significantly.  

Uncle Mang was even more thrilled than he was, continuously recording various data points.  

Once the session was over, Su Jie lay down for half an hour. When he finally got up, he felt incredibly light—his entire day’s fatigue had vanished.  

“Incredible. Your muscle fibers have become significantly more resilient in just one day,” Uncle Mang exclaimed after analyzing the data. “You must come again tomorrow. I can tell you with certainty that this electric stimulation not only does no harm to your body, but it also greatly enhances your physical capabilities. Even deep fascia and tendons, which are nearly impossible to train, can grow stronger through this method.”  

The human body has training blind spots.  

No matter what movements one performs, there are always areas that remain untrained. In ancient times, people attempted to address this by using meditation to circulate their “Qi and blood,” hoping to stimulate these areas.  

But the effects were minimal.  

Now, with precise electric stimulation, every “training blind spot” could be effectively exercised.  

This was undoubtedly one of the most advanced and scientific training methods available.  

No wonder the U.S. used it to train their top agents.  

Later, Su Jie returned to his dormitory to sleep. Josh hadn’t returned yet, probably off chasing after his idol, Liu Zihao.  

“Huh? My package arrived?” He noticed a package in his mailbox, quickly retrieved it, and opened it to find what looked like an electronic wristwatch.  

After setting it up, he washed up and went straight to bed.  

Recently, as soon as he closed his eyes, he would use the “Great Corpse State” to stretch his body slightly, allowing him to enter deep sleep instantly. If someone were watching him at that moment, they would see him lying flat on the bed, his breathing fine, even, and deep. With each inhale, his body would expand outward like an inflatable figure, from a deflated state to full expansion.  

Then, as he exhaled, his entire body would collapse inward, becoming as soft as cotton.  

Through this natural breathing rhythm, his body achieved optimal stretching and relaxation, following a perfectly tuned frequency.  

Strictly speaking, the “Great Corpse State” wasn’t martial arts or a combat technique. It originated from Tibetan esoteric practices and yoga, representing a deep form of cultivation that integrated mind, body, worldview, and philosophy. It was a practice of self-exploration and enlightenment.  

Simply put, it was a spiritual cleansing.  

From a scientific perspective, it was a method of psychological training.  

Odell had traveled multiple times to Tibet, India, and other spiritual centers worldwide, seeking “supernatural” power. He believed that such power stemmed from the mind, so he searched far and wide for training techniques, testing them through his own practice and human experiments.  

Su Jie was one of his test subjects.  

Among all his experiments, Odell found that the “Great Corpse State” was the most effective and easiest to implement. However, truly mastering its essence remained incredibly difficult.

It was extremely rare for someone like Su Jie to enter the right state on their first try. Because of this, Odell took the time to train him, recognizing him as a valuable talent.  

Gu Yang was the same, as were Nie Shuang and Uncle Mang.  

However, Su Jie found it perfectly normal—after all, studying and learning were much harder than this.  

While Su Jie was in deep sleep, in a secret training room at Minglun Martial Arts Academy, Liu Zihao was also training. He was tall, handsome, and had a perfectly toned body with no excess fat. His muscles trembled slightly with each breath, producing a faint buzzing sound.  

Bang! Bang! Bang!  

He furiously pummeled the sandbag, which weighed over a thousand pounds, yet his punches made it sway as if it were a mere scrap of paper.  

His arm span was astonishingly long, and each punch was so fast that it left only a blur. Every strike carried a deep penetrating force.  

Snap!  

Suddenly, he kicked the sandbag, sending it flying before it burst apart, scattering its contents all over the floor.  

Training complete.  

A mechanical voice echoed through the training room. On a large screen in the room, a virtual female face appeared—it was an artificial intelligence training system.  

Liu Zihao stepped onto a machine, which immediately began analyzing his data: heart rate, pulse, muscle density, bone structure… Numerous statistics were compiled together.  

After several minutes of calculations, the screen displayed a set of recommendations.  

“You can still replenish your nutrition today. The recommended meals and supplements are as follows…”  

A complete nutritional plan appeared on the screen, followed by suggested body treatments.  

“Trapezius muscle, soleus muscle, biceps… Lactic acid buildup detected. Recommended treatment: alternating ice and heat therapy, along with the application of the following medications…”  

A full recovery plan was laid out.  

“How is it?”  

A woman walked into the training area—it was Nie Shuang.  

“You went to a training camp in the U.S. How was it?” she asked.  

“Our academy’s training system is outdated,” Liu Zihao shook his head. “Our data analysis and physical assessment methods are far behind. Of course, it’s also due to our academy’s limited budget—we don’t have the funds for advanced research. But on this trip, I met Feng Shao from Haoyu Group. The movie we’re shooting is funded by him.”  

“Haoyu Group? The top domestic company in AI, big data, and network industries?” Nie Shuang was visibly surprised. “If they help us develop a training system, our academy’s training would truly advance. Human coaches have limitations—they can’t analyze and refine every detail of a student’s training. But AI-assisted training eliminates errors, ensuring precise movements and significantly reducing injuries during practice.”  

“You have no idea how powerful AI has become,” Liu Zihao narrowed his eyes. “Some systems can even control robotic arms for precise massage therapy, muscle relaxation, and impact resistance training—enhancing the body’s resilience without causing internal damage. Their precision is far beyond human capability. Even Uncle Mang’s massages can’t compare.  

“Additionally, martial arts techniques have been rigorously analyzed, making them more aligned with biomechanics. In the future, martial arts systems will undergo a complete transformation.”  

“That makes sense,” Nie Shuang agreed. “Take Go, for example. Humans spent thousands of years refining its strategies, believing they had grasped the ultimate truths. But when AI appeared, it shattered those strategies—like a god revealing that everything we thought we knew was wrong. Martial arts will likely face the same revolution.  

“Humans learn from every fight, creating better combat techniques over time. But AI can simulate billions—even trillions—of fights in mere seconds. What takes humans millennia to refine, AI can perfect in just a few hours. It’s terrifying.”  

“There’s something else,” Liu Zihao added. “I heard a rumor that the world’s number-one combat coach, known in the industry as the ‘God-Maker’—Odell—is here. Did anyone try to recruit him?”  

“No one noticed him,” Nie Shuang was shocked. “That coach has trained numerous world champions and is a top-tier martial artist himself. But wasn’t he with the ‘Typhon’ training camp? That’s the most secretive, brutal, and elite training camp in the world. Didn’t you train there for a while?”  

“The Typhon camp relies heavily on AI training systems now, making Odell redundant. So he left—essentially, he got laid off. The camp’s leadership tried to retain him, but he felt insulted and still chose to leave,” Liu Zihao explained. “I actually tried to recruit him myself, but he turned me down.”  

“I recently discovered a martial arts prodigy in the temporary martial arts class,” Nie Shuang said. “I was planning to have him enter professional combat competitions, but he refused. He has a physique similar to yours—he might even serve as your stunt double or join the ‘Liu Family’ team in the future.”  

“Oh?” Liu Zihao showed little reaction and simply nodded. “Since you recommended him, bring him to see me tomorrow when I have time. If he’s talented, obedient, and willing to sign contracts with both the academy and the company, I might consider mentoring him.”  

Nie Shuang frowned slightly but said nothing as she left the training room.

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