Chapter 10: Role-Playing Technique

At dawn, as the first light pierced the hazy mist and filtered into the room.

As the dull bell echoed throughout Tiger Demon Sect, Fang Can rolled off his bed.

He yawned lightly, then suddenly noticed his fist, still bloody the night before, had stopped bleeding and formed a scab.

‘Is this the effect of Talent Two? The lower my health, the faster I heal—but I wonder what its limit is?’ Fang Can speculated.

After washing up with yesterday’s purchased toiletries, Fang Can went straight to the dining hall, ate a quick bite, then returned to the training hall.

Unlike yesterday’s clamor, the morning training hall was unusually quiet.

This wasn’t because no one was present—it was because all the disciples sat in orderly silence on the ground, like students awaiting a lecture.

‘What’s going on?’ Fang Can blinked, then blended into the crowd and found a spot to sit cross-legged.

‘Hey, buddy, what’s happening?’ Fang Can casually tugged at the sleeve of a nearby disciple, who looked scholarly and approachable.

‘You just joined? You don’t know this?’ The disciple stared at Fang Can’s face—youthful, yet clearly past the prime age for serious martial training.

‘Yes, I’m Fang Can. I joined yesterday.’ Fang Can didn’t deny it.

Though surprised by his age, the disciple replied: ‘A few days ago, Instructor Yang notified us that a manager who graduated from this training hall would return to give us a talk.’

‘That’s a manager nearly breaking through the Flesh Shedding realm—if he truly sheds his mortal form and enters the second realm of martial cultivation, he could immediately become a hall master.’

The speaker’s eyes burned with fervor; for martial cultivators, higher realms held immense allure.

Hearing this, Fang Can could only suppress his urge to train and sat quietly with the crowd, waiting.

As more disciples arrived, over a thousand people now filled the stone courtyard, all sitting in silent anticipation of the manager’s arrival.

Not long passed—only minutes—when a sudden spiritual tremor rose in every heart present.

Fang Can felt as if a giant hand had clenched his heart; his breathing grew heavy, as if targeted by a top predator.

‘There he is—this is definitely the external manifestation of a mind-phase nearing Flesh Shedding breakthrough,’ muttered the scholarly disciple beside him.

Noticing Fang Can’s puzzled gaze, the disciple explained with a hint of pride: ‘The mind-phase is formed as your mortal flesh gradually sheds, and your new blood and flesh begin absorbing your will.’

‘Then, without lifting a hand, a single glance can freeze lower-rank cultivators in place—or even scare them to death.’

As he spoke, a middle-aged man in tight-fitting attire, about thirty-five, walked slowly toward them.

‘Tap. Tap.’

The moment he appeared, every eye turned to him.

It was the instinctive dread of a top predator—like seeing a T. rex stride straight toward you.

Trembling. Fear. Shaking…

Nearly everyone felt their bodies uncontrollably shudder, as if sitting on needles.

Their subconscious screamed to flee, even conjuring the illusion of dying in the next second.

‘Ahhhh!!!!’

Someone screamed first—like a starting pistol—and hundreds bolted backward as if fleeing ghosts.

In their utter terror, even masters who once walked effortlessly on ten-foot plum-stake platforms lost control of their bodies.

At least dozens collapsed helplessly, then scrambled backward on hands and knees, desperate to put distance between themselves and him.

In the crowd, Fang Can clenched his teeth, gripped his ankles tightly, and forcibly suppressed the urge to run.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t afraid—he knew he wasn’t in real danger; his Reversal of Fortune hadn’t triggered. The threat of death was merely a hallucination from his own mind.

The entire training hall was in chaos—then, in an instant, the terrifying aura vanished, and the screaming ceased.

Everyone stared blankly at their panicked companions; the shadow of death that had loomed over them now felt like a delusion.

‘So this is the mind-phase?’ Fang Can exhaled slowly, his back drenched in cold sweat.

The middle-aged man scanned the hall, noting the dozen or so disciples who hadn’t moved.

These were the ones who had begun integrating their will into their flesh, greatly dampening the body’s instinctive fear.

As he looked, his gaze paused on a seated eighteen-year-old boy.

From his experience, he could tell the boy had almost no martial training—but he sat unmoved, purely holding firm through sheer will.

The man nodded slightly: ‘Though older than most, his will is promising. With three to five years of cultivation, he could catch up to his peers. Perhaps within twenty years, he’ll shed his mortal form.’

Watching the disciples slowly return to their original spots, he spoke clearly:

‘I’m the manager Instructor Yang invited to speak to you. My name is Gu Shuqi. Call me Manager Gu.’

‘I have limited time, so I’ll cut to the point. Today, I’ll teach you how to nurture your spirit so you remain invincible.’

Manager Gu surveyed the crowd: ‘As martial cultivators, sparring is routine—but every match has winners and losers. No one can guarantee victory.’

‘Your mental resilience determines your cultivation speed. Lose a match, and your spirit becomes clouded, your progress blocked.’

‘Your victor, however, gains mental completeness and doubles his cultivation speed.’

‘Over time, the strong grow stronger, the weak remain weak—the winner takes all.’

Gu Shuqi spoke calmly, giving everyone time to reflect. The disciples recalled past sparring matches and nodded in silent agreement.

For years, the strong had humiliated the weak, who in turn humiliated the weaker—creating a vicious cycle.

Seeing everyone nodding, Gu Shuqi smiled: ‘So today, I’ll teach you how to avoid this downward spiral—and achieve mutual victory.’

‘I call this method the [Role-Playing Technique].’

As he spoke, Manager Gu pointed to a disciple in the front row: ‘You. I command you to humiliate the disciple to your left.’

‘Huh?’ The pointed disciple stared at his neighbor, hesitating.

(End of Chapter)