“Use your imagination, Adam,” Lu Xuan said as he helped Adam put on the newest armor.
"What we want is simply the activity of energy in the world. We don't need to be like making a cake, where you have to stir the cream in one direction. We can be more... unrestrained."
"For example, dropping a bomb?"
"That's roughly the idea. Collect those forbidden spells from Native American cultural legends. The more dangerous, the better. We don't need to consider the consequences, as long as they work."
“I’m starting to get interested. Also, I have a new idea regarding my problem; you could try it and see if it’s possible.”
"Speak up, everyone knows nothing about this, any opinions are valuable."
"Could you directly seal all the acupoints on my body, completely seal them, leaving only a small portion open? That would reduce your workload considerably."
"It is indeed an idea, but you need to know that although these acupoints can lead to energy loss, they are also channels for energy to enter your body. If you block these, it will become much more difficult for you to guide vital energy into your body on your own in the future."
“That’s not a problem. For me, the one thing I have plenty of is time. I can spend more time training. But this armor is too bulky to wear all the time. So, if I can make it with just a few accessories, it will be easier for me to accept. And it should be less work for you too.”
"That makes sense, we can give it a try."
...............
Henry had been feeling uneasy lately. He sensed that the police investigation had gone astray, steered in a different direction by some unknown force.
But apart from him, no one else seemed to notice. Henry didn't dare to say anything; he had a vague feeling that something was wrong. In fact, he was already preparing to quit his job and leave New York with his wife and son.
Unfortunately, just as he was making all the preparations, Adam arrived at his door.
“You know what? I’ve spent thousands of years searching for my kind. But I never found you, right here beside me, Henry. We’ve met far too late.”
"I don't know what you're talking about? There's cash in the bedroom safe; you can take it all if you want."
"Heh. What else? This is all you can offer to convince me. Come on, Henry. Let me see your true strength. After all, you've lived for over two hundred years. Let me see how much you've accumulated. I don't see any hidden guards around. So, you're confident in your abilities?"
Adam placed the pistol on the table beside him, then faced Henry empty-handed.
“Come on, Henry, I used to be obsessed with martial arts too. Let me see what you’ve got.”
Henry: "..." He stood up silently. He knew a little about fighting, and most importantly, the pistol was nearby. He felt he could stall for time, grab the gun, and turn the tide. Of course, he didn't know that outside his apartment, there were more than twenty armed thugs brought by Adam.
Five seconds later, Adam looked at Henry lying on the ground with disappointment.
"...That's it? For over two hundred years, you haven't tried to hone your fighting skills? Henry Morgan, can you tell me what you've been doing for the past two hundred years? Marrying and dating one woman after another?"
Adam was somewhat angry. Actually, before coming, he had already investigated Henry Morgan thoroughly. He knew the man was a doctor, and although he earned a considerable income, there was really nothing special about him. Aside from being an undead like himself, Henry Morgan didn't seem to have any hidden strength. He didn't even have a decent safe house.
"I beg you, we're not the same kind of people. I just want to be with my wife. I just want to live a normal life."
"..." Adam was speechless. Heaven knows how excited he was when he realized Henry was one of his own kind. But now it seemed that this fellow immortal was just an ordinary person obsessed with family.
Adam wasn't against having a family. Over the years, he had many wonderful families, many of which were cherished memories. But later he realized one thing: people like him were destined never to have a true family.
As times change, their chances of being exposed are increasing. To continue hiding their identities and surviving, they must establish a system specifically for their own benefit. Adam did it, but Henry clearly hasn't realized this yet.
“Dr. Henry, I’m sorry to bother you.” Adam said, turning to leave Henry’s apartment. But after a moment’s thought, he turned back and tossed a business card at him.
"This is my business card. You might need it someday. Cherish your life now, Henry Morgan."
Adam didn't force Henry to join his plan. The man was still too young. He wasn't qualified to be part of their scheme yet. It was the Native American shamans he'd found, however, who seemed to be coming up with some new ideas.
Native Americans possess a complete and complex set of myths and legends. This is a hallmark of a civilization's continuity. Unfortunately, monotheistic religions disliked these things, leading to the near extinction of their civilization. However, with the support of Adam's vast wealth, a few remaining Native American shamans with spiritual power managed to create some new and innovative practices.
Several Native American shamans spent a fortune acquiring rare herbs that they couldn't normally afford. Together with pewter (a poisonous cactus), they concocted the most powerful panacea (super hallucinogen) of their tribe.
Native American shamans have been using pyotr to create hallucinogens for centuries. They believe this amplifies their inspiration, allows their souls to connect with the spirit world, and enables them to see things they couldn't see before, even the past and future.
But as times changed, they discovered long ago that they were increasingly unable to see the god Pyotr in their scattered spiritual senses. It seemed that their god was drifting away from them.
But this time, they suddenly heard the call of the god Peyot simultaneously. They clearly sensed a divine prophecy. This was an unprecedented phenomenon. Seven wizards, at the same moment, saw the same prophecy.
"The prophecy indicates that they are about to return. Let's prepare."
Adam remained silent for a moment after hearing the news. To be honest, although he had tried his best, he didn't have much confidence in Lu Xuan's spiritual energy revival plan. However, after hearing the Native American shaman's prophecy, he had a feeling. Perhaps, that person really could do it.
Sealing acupoints on the body is much simpler than crafting a runic armor. Lu Xuan can use medicine, combined with acupuncture techniques, to easily seal various acupoints. This is equivalent to acupressure in martial arts novels, except this is semi-permanent.
He sealed off hundreds of acupoints on Adam's body, leaving only nine open. These were mainly for Adam to absorb the vital energy of heaven and earth on his own.
Lu Xuan taught Adam a simple Qi cultivation technique, allowing him to absorb primordial energy into his body on his own. As for deeper levels, there was no need, because Adam couldn't learn them anyway. Even if all the acupoints were blocked, the primordial energy of heaven and earth would still exhibit a tendency to dissipate.
It's like trapping a bunch of helium balloons inside a room; they won't fly out, but they'll still stick to the roof. This makes it almost impossible for Adam to create his own small cycles. He can only use this energy directly, like a martial arts master.
To give an example, Lu Xuan can mobilize the primordial energy of heaven and earth, and then use Taoist techniques to activate it, transforming it into forms such as flames or even lightning. But Adam can only cosplay the Six Meridians Divine Sword.
More importantly, because most of his acupoints were sealed, even with some remaining open, Adam's absorption of the primordial energy of heaven and earth was only about one-tenth, or even less, than that of a Qi cultivator. This is because the one-way valves on the last nine acupoints were not yet fully functional and still provided some resistance.
But Adam was already quite satisfied with this. The originally heavy armor had been simplified into some ornaments, such as rings and bracelets. It was no longer as conspicuous as before and could be worn casually in public.
Adam couldn't wait to put on all the equipment, then had Lu Xuan infuse him with true energy, and tried it out himself.
Following Lu Xuan's training, he attempted to concentrate the vital energy within his body into his fingers and release it. This was the real Six Meridians Divine Sword. Because the spiritual energy within his body constantly wanted to escape, releasing it was actually easier. He pointed with his right hand, and a semi-transparent burst of energy shot out from his fingertip.
With a loud thud, a hole about two centimeters in diameter appeared in the opposite wall. For a concrete wall, this was as powerful as a large-caliber pistol.
"Wow, if I had this two thousand years ago, I would have become a god in Europe."
"It's alright, but you should still use it sparingly. If I'm not around, replenish it yourself. It might take a week to fully replenish your energy. How many times do you think you can use that attack again?"
"Roughly speaking, around thirty times. It's not easy to control; a lot of energy dissipates. Once I'm more familiar with it, I can control its power. At that time, I can increase the number of times to over fifty."