Chapter 440: Semi-Mechanical Prosthetic

"Amazing, this ability is simply heaven-defying. No wonder that 'Helena' had no way to parry when facing Brother Li; she fell the moment she was touched." Wang Yu was moved, exclaiming in surprise.

"Although this 'Inversion' ability is bizarre, it actually has quite a few limitations.

The biggest drawback is that both hands must make contact with a person for it to take effect. So, if I didn't have my first ability, 'Super Pupil,' I fear I would have been blasted into fly ash before even getting close to that 'Countess' from the British Federation.

The power of 'Super Pupil' wasn't naturally awakened; I inadvertently obtained it after undergoing a 'special surgery.' The price I paid for it was losing over forty years of my lifespan." Li Shiyi touched his aged face and replied with a wry smile.

"Special surgery?" Wang Yu revealed a look of astonishment.

"I'm sorry, the matter of the surgery concerns confidentiality regulations. I cannot disclose the specific details; I can only tell you roughly that this was a special surgery with experimental characteristics." Li Shiyi remained silent for a moment before saying with a hint of apology.

"I understand this. I imagine such a surgery must be some kind of high-level state secret." Wang Yu replied with an understanding look upon hearing this.

"However, although I cannot speak of it, I can show it to you." Li Shiyi thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said.

"Show me?"

Wang Yu was stunned.

The old man in the Tang suit suddenly stood up on the bed, placed one foot on the small table, and lowered his head to roll up his pant leg a few times, revealing an ankle that looked somewhat thin and pale.

Wang Yu stared at the old man's ankle. Just as he was pondering the other's intention, Li Shiyi's palm was already pressed against the ankle, his three fingers pinching a piece of skin, then pulling with force.

"Rip!" came a sound.

A thin piece of skin, a full half-palm in size, was actually torn directly off the ankle.

"Ah, Brother Li, you are..." Seeing this situation, Wang Yu's heart skipped a beat, but he immediately saw something else, and his voice came to an abrupt halt.

Under his gaze, the area where Li Shiyi's skin had been torn away did not reveal blood-soaked flesh, but rather dense green threads. Not only was there no blood, but it was instead filled with a strange, milky-white liquid.

"Artificial muscle?" Wang Yu muttered, staring fixedly at the ankle on the small table.

"Not artificial muscle, it's a semi-mechanical prosthetic." Li Shiyi corrected Wang Yu's statement, then used his finger to knock hard against the 'green muscle.'

"Bang."

A hollow metallic sound emanated from the ankle; it was indeed not a body of flesh and blood.

Only then did Li Shiyi press the skin back onto his ankle, unhurriedly roll down his pant leg, and sit cross-legged opposite him again.

"Domestic technology is so advanced now that even such sci-fi things have been created.

I previously thought that things like mechanical prosthetics only appeared in movies." Wang Yu took a deep breath, still somewhat unable to believe it.

"Hehe, when I first learned about this thing, my expression wasn't any better than yours.

This surgery was only performed a year and a half ago. Actually, the technology isn't mature yet. In some respects, I am just an experimental subject for this technology. There were quite a few volunteers in the batch that participated in this surgery, but only three of us succeeded; otherwise, there wouldn't be the current Valkyrie Squad." Li Shiyi replied calmly.

"Did Mulan and Meng Jiang also install these mechanical prosthetics?" Wang Yu was somewhat enlightened.

"Of course. Without the help of these semi-mechanical prosthetics, how could the three of us contend with the A-rank ability users of the British Federation and sit firmly in the position of the country's top special operations squad?" Li Shiyi replied proudly.

"Although this is my first time hearing about your Valkyrie Squad, you yourselves are ability users, and coupled with this semi-mechanical prosthetic I'm hearing about for the first time, ordinary A-rank ability users indeed couldn't be your opponents. But I wonder, were all four limbs modified, or just individual limbs?" Wang Yu asked with a click of his tongue.

"Modifying all four limbs carries too much risk; current technology can't do it. I only had my legs modified, Mulan had one arm and one leg modified, and Meng Jiang had both hands modified." Li Shiyi replied without hesitation upon hearing this.

"So that's how it is. I wonder how powerful these semi-mechanical prosthetics are?" Wang Yu looked at the other's legs across the table and asked.

"Heh, how powerful? Regardless of reaction or force, it's roughly fifty or sixty times greater than my original good legs." Li Shiyi replied with a light laugh.

"Fifty or sixty times?" A trace of astonishment flashed across Wang Yu's face.

"What, you think it's too low?

Mulan and the others and I were not ordinary people before; we are descendants of several ancient martial arts techniques of our country. I could easily kick an iron rod as thick as an arm with one leg before, which is simply incomparable to ordinary people." Li Shiyi explained after chuckling twice.

"Does China really have such a thing as ancient martial arts?" Wang Yu's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he asked hurriedly.

"Of course there is, but it might be different from what's in movies and television. Our country's ancient martial arts don't have much mystery; they are actually just some rather formidable killing techniques accumulated by our ancestors over thousands of years. Practicing them not only requires special talent, but generally speaking, it is also very 'cruel'." Li Shiyi shook his head and said.

"Very cruel! What does that mean?" Wang Yu became even more curious.

"It means it's not only cruel to the enemy, but even more cruel to oneself.

For example, a 'Blood Shadow Leg' technique passed down in our Li family requires someone born with thick lower limbs and developed muscles to practice. But practicing it will leave one's legs bloodied at best, or crippled at worst. It can also kick an enemy until they are covered in blood, which is why it's called Blood Shadow Leg." Li Shiyi explained with a faint smile.

Wang Yu was somewhat speechless after hearing this, but couldn't help asking one more question:

"What about internal energy and Qi?"

"Of course there's no such thing; those are all randomly fabricated in later novels and movies.

As far as I know, ancient martial arts secret techniques at most have some special force-generating techniques, usually called 'Jingli.' This simply cannot be mentioned in the same breath as the breathing method you brought back from the Setan World." Li Shiyi replied with a solemn expression.

"Brother Li, have you also practiced the breathing method?" Wang Yu's smile faded slightly, and he asked slowly.

"Of course I have, and I was one of the first to succeed in practicing it. It's just that in terms of practice effect alone, it's far less than one-tenth or two of Mulan's." Li Shiyi's expression also became somewhat strange.

"Although I don't know how you all practice this Black Tiger Breathing Method, Mulan has indeed grasped the true essence of the breathing method." Wang Yu said, with the image of Mulan's giant transformed appearance from a few days ago flashing through his mind, his expression also somewhat unusual.