Chapter 84: Psychic Combat Technique

The butcher pointed to his single eye, his face suddenly contorted with pain as his thoughts drifted to the past. “When I was young, I wasn’t like this. Back then, I was rather handsome, and I had a beautiful fiancée… But before we could marry, during a certain mission, I was unfortunate enough to be beset by a pack of monstrous beasts. One of them clawed out my eye, leaving me blind on one side. The pain nearly drove me to unconsciousness, but I endured—because I remembered the woman I loved. Fueled by my desire to survive and a stroke of luck, I somehow managed to escape with my life.”

“When I returned to my fiancée after surviving such an ordeal, her family demanded that the engagement be broken off. With only one eye, I was no longer handsome enough for them. With their illustrious family background, they couldn't allow their daughter to marry a disfigured, unpresentable man. She was an obedient daughter, unable to defy her parents, and could only tearfully ask me for a separation. I knew her nature and didn’t want to hold her back, so I agreed. Yet after she married another man, her life was never happy. She lived in endless melancholy.”

Luo Chen was taken aback—it was hard to imagine someone like the butcher could be so deeply affected by love.

“From that day on, I harbored a boundless hatred for monstrous beasts. The pain of my lost eye was secondary; losing the woman I loved was what truly destroyed me. That pain has been like a blade, cutting at my heart every waking moment…”

The butcher gritted his teeth. “Every day, I would replay the scene of those beasts clawing out my eye and destroying my happiness. I refused to accept it. I swore I’d make the monsters feel the same pain, repaying them in full—with interest! More than a year passed like that. Then, during another mission, in a fit of rage I struck a monstrous beast so hard that it writhed on the ground in agony, unable to defend itself. I dispatched it easily. From then on, I somehow mastered, without a teacher, a special combat technique imbued with pain. I call it—Lingchi!”

In the era even before ancient civilizations, there existed a cruel form of execution called Lingchi, but it was abolished early on for its inhumanity.

Luo Chen thought to himself that the name of the butcher’s technique was apt—those afflicted by it must suffer a torment akin to that torture.

“With Lingchi, I accomplished much on my missions,” the butcher said with pride. “If I wished, I could have long been promoted to the rank of major, not just a mere lieutenant. But I refused every offer of promotion. I only wanted to remain on the front lines, to repay those damn monsters myself for my suffering!”

He paused. “Enough of my rambling—time is short, so I won’t say any more about my story. Back to the point: I didn’t teach you Lingchi because unique techniques like that are highly specialized, not something everyone can master. Even if you force yourself to learn it, the results are unlikely to be significant—as you already know.”

Luo Chen nodded. It was just like Joanna’s Blazing Palm, which was only suitable for members of the Golan family or those with a strong fire affinity. Others, even if they managed to learn it, would never unleash its full power. Otherwise, the Sanctum of Martial Arts would have distributed the best techniques to every academy. Techniques like Diamond Fist or the Great Palm might be less powerful, but they were suited to almost everyone, barely affected by individual constitutions—hence their popularity.

“Though I can’t teach you Lingchi, don’t worry. I will teach you a cultivation method—the Unity of Heart and Spirit!”

Luo Chen’s interest was piqued. He had never heard any instructor mention a method called the Unity of Heart and Spirit before.

“Here, ‘heart’ refers to your intent; ‘spirit’ refers to spiritual energy,” the butcher explained, seeing Luo Chen’s confusion. “The Unity of Heart and Spirit is a very special method. Its purpose is—creating your own combat techniques!”

Creating your own techniques?

Luo Chen was stunned. Normally, only grandmasters could create their own techniques, and he was just a lowly Level Four spiritual energy warrior. How could he possibly create a technique of his own? It sounded absurd!

Of course, you could always throw a punch filled with energy and give it a fancy name like ‘Heaven-Shattering Fist.’ But that would be meaningless. Only a genuinely impressive and original technique, one that truly dazzles or at least surprises others, could be called a self-created combat technique.

“Kid, don’t think I’m crazy or just boasting,” the butcher chuckled. “Creating your own technique isn’t the exclusive privilege of grandmasters or legends. There are exceptions. For example, Linton, an immortal from Sloe City, created his Raging Tide Palm while still just a Level Six spiritual energy warrior, inspired by watching the tides of the Boluo Sea. Back then, he was still a rookie!”

Luo Chen had heard rumors about Immortal Linton. He was the pride of Weston Academy and the entire Sloe City; both the academy and the city had bronze statues of him, and many students idolized him. Luo Chen himself had once deeply admired this legendary figure.

“If you think Linton was a rare genius, incomparable to ordinary people, then fine—there’s another living example right in front of you!”

The butcher pointed at himself. “I’m no genius—just a brute. Yet even I created my own technique. It all depends on insight. Even Linton was no exception. Do you know his family history? His clan experienced dramatic ups and downs, so his life and temperament ebbed and flowed like the tides. That’s why he had his moment of revelation while watching the sea. For me, it was similar. After I created Lingchi, I was puzzled for a long time. One day, I read about Linton’s story, and it all became clear to me.”

Luo Chen was now genuinely interested. “Instructor, what did you realize?”

“Linton’s Raging Tide Palm and my Lingchi are both techniques driven by the ‘heart’!”

The butcher’s words were too profound. Luo Chen frowned in confusion. “Driven by the ‘heart’? What does that mean?”

“Let me explain. The techniques you usually learn—Diamond Fist, Great Palm—are formulaic, with fixed ways of channeling energy. But techniques driven by the ‘heart’ are different. When you enter a certain state of mind, your mind goes blank; you forget all methods of gathering energy and releasing techniques. You let the energy flow naturally with your mood, and then strike in harmony with that state. You’ll find that such a blow can be astonishingly powerful—your resonance of energy and thought reaches levels impossible in ordinary times, allowing you to unleash two or even several times your usual strength! I call this—Unity of Heart and Spirit!”

At this, Luo Chen’s eyes lit up. “I understand! For example, Instructor, your state of mind is hatred. So you can’t use Lingchi in a joyful mood—otherwise you’d fail, or the effect would be poor, right?”

“Your insight is better than I expected!” The butcher was surprised. “Exactly. But entering such a state of mind isn’t easy. You must be completely selfless, letting your energy flow naturally with your heart! But don’t confuse selflessness with a blank mind—they’re not the same at all!”

In truth, Luo Chen wasn’t as clever as the butcher imagined. It was just that what the butcher described was similar in some ways to Nicole’s method of reverse thinking, so he immediately understood.

“Kid, I wasn’t sure earlier if you could learn Unity of Heart and Spirit. Even if I taught it to a million students, perhaps none would truly grasp it. But now I have more confidence in you. Looks like I chose the right person, ha ha…”

The butcher laughed aloud, pride in his voice. “Some families have secret methods and techniques that are especially powerful because their unique methods resonate with their bloodline and constitution. But my heart-driven Unity of Heart and Spirit is no less formidable, and it’s not limited by physical constitution. Whether you can master it depends on your ‘heart,’ not your ‘body’!”

This was no ordinary guidance. Luo Chen understood how generous it was for a warrior to share his most treasured insights—such an opportunity was rare and precious. In a sense, the butcher could already be considered Luo Chen’s mentor. Luo Chen bowed. “Instructor, thank you truly!”

“Enough with the formalities! I just happen to like you, kid!” the butcher said impatiently. “Let’s begin now. Tonight, I’ll impart all my insights on Unity of Heart and Spirit to you. We don’t have much time, so pay close attention!”

“Yes, Instructor!” Luo Chen felt invigorated. The butcher’s Unity of Heart and Spirit was a perfect practical supplement to Nicole’s reverse thinking method. That method was brilliant, but ultimately theoretical—now, with a living example and the butcher’s personal experience, Luo Chen’s understanding would deepen even further.

That night, Luo Chen didn’t return to his dorm. It was midnight before the butcher finished sharing his insights. Luo Chen, for his part, worked hard—after practicing the reverse thinking method and training his mind, his memory had improved, and he remembered everything clearly.

He felt an epiphany, as if clouds had parted. With the butcher’s personal experience as a foundation, his understanding of the reverse thinking method soared. He gained much that night—things he could never have learned in ordinary study.

At last, the butcher clapped Luo Chen on the shoulder. “Work hard, kid. You’re going to be a strong one. From the moment I saw that unwavering look in your eyes, I knew—Luo Chen, you’re one of the rare rookies I truly respect. I may have only one eye, but it never fails me!”

Luo Chen clenched his fist. “Yes, Instructor, I’ll do my best!”

“Then, kid, good luck. I hope to see your own heart-spirit technique soon. You’re different from me. My heart is filled with darkness and hatred, but though you carry injustice and refuse to give in, you always keep an optimistic, upward-looking spirit. I believe your technique will be bright and magnificent!” The butcher extended his fist. “Rookie, I hope you’ll always keep this mindset!”

Luo Chen bumped fists with the butcher. “Alright, Instructor. When I master my own technique, I’ll show it to you the next time we meet!”

After a night’s rest, the instructors who had come to Blue Emperor Academy for the new students’ military training left campus at dawn. They found every school path crowded with students there to see them off.

Every year, when the new students first begin military training, they resent the instructors’ harshness and ruthlessness. But gradually, they grow used to it, and are infected by the soldiers’ iron spirit. Respect grows from hatred, and by the end, all that remains is reverence. Many students even sacrificed their precious golden breathing practice time to line up and say farewell.

Several armored vehicles powered by crystal cores carried the instructors slowly toward the school gate. Surrounded by endless applause and cheers, the instructors were moved. It happened every training, but it still touched them every time. In truth, they did care for the students they had “tormented”—harsh words aside, every instructor hoped their trainees would become talents for the Eternal Alliance.

Amid the crowd, the butcher spotted Luo Chen. Luo Chen didn’t wave goodbye, but simply smiled and raised his fist. The butcher raised his fist in return, and they mimed a fist bump across the distance. That was their farewell, and also the symbol of Luo Chen’s resolve.

Instructor Butcher, just wait and see. I will become as strong as you—no, even stronger!