Chapter 19: Skillful Hands

A dozen or so crimson stone pillars upheld the vast space, their bright lights illuminating the floor tiles crafted from white jade. On the walls of the perfectly round hall, bas-reliefs of various birds and beasts formed an immense mural. At the center of the hall stood a jade carving of a white dragon, each scale and claw rendered with vivid lifelikeness, as if it were a divine beast guarding the city or a king surrounded by countless beasts paying homage.

Chu Hengkong observed his surroundings carefully. He had been brought to the 31st floor of the headquarters building. From this floor upwards, three levels had been merged into one, creating a hidden sanctuary within the building. He was certain this was a temple—not only because of the stone pillars resembling those of an ancient Greek temple and the jade dragon sculpture, but also due to the unique atmosphere, rare elsewhere: solemn and majestic, yet calming to the soul, as if the gods themselves were present.

“Come, look this way,” Ji Qiufeng said, approaching the dragon statue and bending down to reach out. A white snake crawled out from behind the jade carving, slowly and deliberately coiling around his arm. The snake was small and slender, able to rest comfortably in a man’s palm. Its eyes were a gentle azure blue, not eerie but tender.

“Let me introduce you—this is our team’s doctor and scholar, the wise Miss Youyou~” Ji Qiufeng said, holding out his hand as if presenting a treasure. Beside him, Ji Huaisu and Xie An chimed in with playful “oh-oh” sounds. The little snake glared sharply at them and then, in a quick and clear female voice, said, “It’s not Youyou, it’s Youyou! Everyone keep it serious, the rookie’s barely holding back laughter!”

Chu Hengkong cleared his throat twice and said seriously, “Hello, Miss Youyou.”

The white snake, Youyou, flicked out her tongue with satisfaction, coiling up to Ji Qiufeng’s head and asking, “That’s more like it. Have you considered becoming a craftsman or a mage?”

“No,” Chu Hengkong answered without hesitation. “It doesn’t feel reliable.”

“Mysticism and machinery are untrustworthy; only the body and skill form the foundation of survival. You’re definitely a straightforward physical type,” Youyou remarked. “Fine, that saves me the trouble of explaining. Ji Qiufeng should have told you the details already. Let me confirm one last thing: are you sure you want to keep that tentacle?”

On the way here, Ji Qiufeng had briefly explained some information about ascension, including a crucial choice.

“‘Craftsman’ is the starting point on the ascension path, the foundation for every step thereafter. Once you ascend as a craftsman, the power of that tentacle will increase accordingly, but it will also become part of your life. Even if severed, it cannot be replaced by a new body. Speaking as an elder rather than a superior, I’d advise you to cut off the tentacle and ascend with one arm.”

“If I don’t cut off the arm, will I have to use the tentacle forever?”

“Nothing in this world is absolute. If you can reach the fourth nodal point, you can completely solve this problem. But for most, that’s a distant place unreachable in one lifetime.”

“I’ll climb faster.”

With just a few words, such an important decision for the future was made so easily. Losing the tentacle might mean losing the ability to use the Silver Eye Codex, which was a vital source of information in this unfamiliar world and could hasten his demise. Moreover, the city had no reliable prosthetics; cutting off the tentacle to replace it with something more suspicious might only bring new problems.

The tentacle, however strange, had not caused any trouble so far and was quite useful. Even if it was the flesh of some monster, he could always fight it off if the original owner came looking.

Therefore, Chu Hengkong answered without hesitation, “I’m sure.”

---

“Good, then let’s begin,” Youyou exclaimed, tapping the dragon statue with her tail. The jade carving silently sank into the ground, and the pedestal formed a hollow circle. Streams of golden light rose from the white jade floor, drawing a complex and precise magic array around the hollow circle.

“You won’t understand the principle of the Esoteric Array yet. Don’t ask or speculate. Do exactly as Ji Qiufeng says and remember every word, understood?” Youyou looked straight into his eyes.

Chu Hengkong nodded.

“Watch carefully. This array is called the ‘Sealing Ritual,’” Ji Qiufeng said gently. As he spoke, the array gradually took shape. Three circular arrays appeared around the hollow circle, forming an equilateral triangle. Each circle bore a simple symbol, unfamiliar yet naturally understandable: Dust, Light, and Shadow.

Outside this triangular array, three concentric rings formed, several times more complex. Each ring was made up of countless tiny characters, with various abstract symbols on the outer layers—Sun, Moon, Sky, Ocean... At the sight of some symbols, a sudden chill seized Chu Hengkong’s heart, an inexplicable sense of danger tightening his chest as if he stood on the edge of endless darkness, one misstep away from plunging into an abyss.

“Do you feel it? That is malice in the world,” Ji Qiufeng said. “Malice is everywhere, pervasive and insidious. Without preparation, stepping onto the ascension path can easily corrupt your mind. That’s why the sages created the ‘Sealing Ritual’ to isolate danger. Every ascension you undertake must be performed within an uncontaminated safe zone. You must never use an array different from the ‘Sealing Ritual,’ not even a slight variation is allowed. Remember this well!”

Ji Qiufeng had never spoken so seriously before. Chu Hengkong instinctively knew these were rules necessary for survival in this world. Suppressing his anxiety, he memorized every detail of the array. When he signaled he was ready, he followed Ji Qiufeng’s instructions and placed his hands at the center of the hollow circle.

“Focus your mind and silently recite,” Ji Qiufeng’s voice drifted: “Craftsman.”

Craftsman.

As the word formed in his mind, colorless dust drifted into the hollow circle, completing the array’s last symbol—a wide, strong, and nimble hand. To Chu Hengkong’s eyes, the hand symbol expanded infinitely, like an open gate welcoming him inside. Memories and sensations surged excitedly; countless images flooded his mind simultaneously!

They were images of a child imitating drawings from a book while practicing punches, a youth fighting a thug with a stick, a young man training alone in the mountains, an adult assassin battling enemies between buildings. Punches, kicks, throws, strikes, knives, guns, staffs, clubs... Bajiquan, Tai Chi, Pigua, Chuojiao, Karate, Kendo, Muay Thai, Kalaripayattu...

Every move felt so familiar and reliable; just watching the scenes could revive the emotions of those moments. Because each figure in the images was Chu Hengkong himself, all the techniques he had learned since birth, every skill mastered. Many fragments were even forgotten by himself, every flash of insight in battle, every spontaneous move born from inspiration—all were now accounted for.

In the blink of an eye, the martial scenes faded to the silver tentacle. All past moments merged, transforming into the “Craftsman” symbol. At that moment, the symbol seemed incredibly clear, its simple structure containing endless information, captivating him irresistibly.

Unconsciously, Chu Hengkong reached out to touch it. The vivid symbol scattered into colorless dust, flowing from his fingertips into his body. Instantly, his vision cleared, and past memories replayed with a new perspective.

They could be refined. They could be enhanced. Some moves were originally rough; others could be further extended. Chu Hengkong laughed with delight, as if a celestial being had bestowed a secret upon him, making everything different from now on. An indescribable “comprehension” filled his heart, a passionate force surged through his limbs and bones—he had never felt so sharp, so agile!

Meanwhile, to the onlookers, Chu Hengkong merely stood quietly, silent. He had stood there for a full hour, until Xie An muttered, “What’s wrong with this guy? He hasn’t... gone inside, has he?”

“That’s the Esoteric Array reckoning,” Ji Huaisu said. “To ascend to Craftsman, one must meet one of two conditions: either possess extraordinary limbs recognized by the Esoteric, or master a transcendent skill to transform ordinary flesh into the extraordinary. The tentacle meets the first condition. Now the array is calculating the second.”

Xie An widened his eyes. “Don’t talk nonsense. Others take at most five minutes to ascend Craftsman, and he’s still not done after an hour? How much has he trained?”

Just then, the golden light forming the array faded, and Chu Hengkong finally moved. He clenched and unclenched his fists three times. The tentacle synchronously contracted and extended. He hopped in place a few times, stepped forward, and struck a punch into the empty space!

The punch shattered the air with a sharp crack, echoing loudly in the temple. Without pause, his knee simultaneously drove forward with the punch, then under his left arm the tentacle swept upward, his torso turning to deliver a side kick. After a smooth, exhilarating combo, he immediately turned to defend, weaving his body to dodge a “counterattack.”

Though nothing stood before him, he fought as if exchanging blows. Without any weapons, he employed sword techniques; without throwing knives or stones, he unleashed invisible “projectiles.” His absorbed spirit even infected the watchers, who seemed to see the “enemy” and the invisible battle unfolding... The foe was also a man with tentacles, skilled in various arts, wielding weapons and hidden tools. He attacked with ever-changing techniques, but the real Chu Hengkong responded with even more refined moves, breaking through each assault.

He was fighting his imagined self, every move surpassing his past self!

Chu Hengkong laughed heartily, filled with joy. Though he had been on his feet for a day and night, he felt no fatigue now. Strength brimmed within him, inspiration surged, and even the strange tentacle had become coordinated. No longer did he need to “adapt” to the new limb—his two hands were exquisitely skilled and powerful, capable of handling any situation.

Ji Qiufeng stomped the floor, and a massive stone as thick as a city wall rose from the ground, blocking Chu Hengkong’s path. In full swing, the silver tentacle naturally whipped out and shattered the test stone wall with a single strike!

Chu Hengkong was about to turn when a subtle underground tremor alerted him. He realized his perception had sharpened to the sensitivity of using a perception talisman. The broken stone sank, replaced by a lifelike wooden dummy. The wooden figure moved swiftly, wielding a long knife with a sword style even Chu Hengkong had never heard of before. The blade’s movements were broad and vigorous, brimming with spirit, yet also cunning and ruthless—a truly excellent sword technique.

Chu Hengkong dodged underfoot, his eyes brightening. He carefully observed the dummy’s moves, deducing the variations of the blade style. After two rounds of exchange, a smile curved his lips. At that moment, the temple shifted again, and cold weapons of various kinds emerged from the walls. Chu Hengkong coiled his tentacle to grab a long knife and stepped forward to strike the dummy, mirroring its exact movements.

The same angles, the same timing—the scene was like two figures facing off in a mirror, but one had superior strength and speed. Within three rounds, Chu Hengkong had completely mastered the sword style. He smoothly extended a move the dummy had not anticipated, cutting its weapon away with a single stroke.

He turned around exhilarated, laughing: “Anyone else?”

Even Ji Huaisu was surprised. “What kind of logic is this?”

“The first nodal point ‘Craftsman’ can comprehensively improve physical quality, enhance body-related abilities, and…” Ji Qiufeng smiled with satisfaction, “grants the strongest learning ability among all nodal points!”

He snapped his paper fan shut with a crisp sound. The temple shook continuously as wooden dummies wielding various weapons emerged one after another, lining up before Chu Hengkong.

“There are three hundred sets of basic martial arts prepared for the Craftsman stage,” Ji Qiufeng glanced at his watch. “Don’t break any dummies. Finish learning before dawn!”