Special Physiques

Aksai had learned from the Qi Fusion Arts that the path of body cultivation enabled cultivators to fully open the partial Gates within their bodies.

Through consistent breakthroughs in refining their mortal vessels, they could enhance their innate talent.

According to the Qi Fusion Arts, fully opening these partial Gates or even unlocking closed Gates could grant special characteristics.

While the odds of acquiring these special characteristics were slim, if obtained, they could provide cultivators with a significant advantage over their peers.

Individuals who acquired these special characteristics through body cultivation, or who possessed them inherently from birth, were known to have special Cultivation Physiques.

Prior to reading the Qi Fusion Arts, Aksai believed that Special Cultivation Physiques could only be inherited at birth, with no cultivation technique available in the Dadangar subcontinent to develop them.

Such Physiques were only reserved for the children of the elites in the cultivation world. After all, those with better Spirit cultivation would be able to sire children with better Spirit Root Aptitude. As such, the prodigies with special Physiques only appeared in renowned Spirit cultivation families.

Even after learning about the rare phenomenon of unlocking Physiques, Aksai didn't believe he would be blessed with one. He had only pursued body cultivation as a means of self-defense and hadn't considered unlocking anything too special for himself.

'No. Perhaps I haven't unlocked a Cultivation Physique,' Aksai pondered, processing his thoughts.

'My recent breakthrough in body cultivation simply revealed what was already within my grasp. The neural link fabric!

Could my neural link fabric be the so-called Cultivation Physique attached to my Third-eye Gate? It allowed me to project my Spirit Sense outward like a regular Foundation Building Expert after fully opening the Third-eye Gate," Aksai hypothesized, growing more confident in his theory with each passing moment.

Aksai was certain that the neural link fabric was no longer attached to his neural network. After all, the technological wonder belonged to his previous world, yet it had somehow traveled with him and become his companion in his second life.

There was no hardware to support the neural link fabric's function. How could he still make use of it?

Upon reflection, Aksai concluded that the neural link fabric was indeed one of the Cultivation Physiques he had heard so much about.

He speculated that the Special Physique continued to behave like the neural link fabric from his previous world because his subconscious mind interpreted it as such. 

Alternatively, it could be that the Cultivation Physique had acquired the properties and functionalities of the neural link fabric due to being part of his core memories since birth.

Or it could be a bit of both. In the end, Aksai had managed to get his own Special Physique for himself.

What Aksai didn't know was the fact that his Special Physique was really special even among the others of its kind. After all, even if someone managed to obtain Special Physiques for themselves, they would have talent related to only a particular aspect one's cultivation.

Often, the Special Physiques allowed its wielders to excel in certain cultivation fields. For example, those with Special Physiques related to alchemy would be able to become peerless alchemists while some would become powerful sword cultivators after awakening innate sword spirit, which was also a form of Special Physiques.

However, Aksai's Special Physique didn't follow the pattern established in the Dadangar cultivation world. It was related to enhancing one's mental capabilities to an absurd level. With the help of this extra Special Physique, Aksai could excel in many fields if he played his cards right.

'I guess a certain Musk really did me a solid before taking my life in his crazy experiments,' Aksai mused to himself, unable to suppress a chuckle.

***

"Aksai Everwood? Are you there?"

The feminine voice sounded impatient this time. Aksai finally snapped out of his thoughts and proceeded to walk out of the farmhouse with a light smile on his face.

As soon as he emerged, Aksai saw a girl in her late teens waiting for him, her expression carrying a hint of impatience. It seemed she was not particularly pleased with how long he had taken to come out.

The young girl possessed striking features: a cute face, feminine curves, and a slightly taller-than-average stature. With dark black hair and clear, supple skin, she had cherry-red lips and piercing black eyes.

Wearing a standard Lakir family robe, she stood on a flying boat that levitated motionlessly in the air, her arms folded under her bosom. Her expression suggested she was about to voice her dissatisfaction as soon as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, fellow practitioner—" Aksai offered a courtesy bow to the girl as he spoke and approached her, his voice trailing off.

"Liana. You can call me Liana Lakir," the girl spoke in a neutral tone, her voice tinged with a hint of displeasure.

"So, fellow practitioner Liana Lakir," Aksai nodded before continuing.

"Forgive me for my late arrival, miss. Today is my birthday, so I was just a bit busy preparing a feast for my guests," Aksai stated calmly, confident that the aroma of various delicacies emanating from his open window would attest to his words.

Aksai would have liked to invite Liana to join him for the feast, but the strict hierarchy observed in the cultivation world prevented him from doing so. It would be seen as a breach of etiquette for someone of his status to invite a Spirit cultivator of Liana's standing.

"Oh!"

Liana's gaze softened upon hearing Aksai's explanation. Glancing at the window, her sharp eyes discerned the long table laden with various dishes. She was about to comment but then remembered their respective positions. With a sigh, she suppressed her hunger and addressed Aksai in a firm tone.

"Good job on producing more than the agreed-upon Spirit rice in your farm. Here's your compensation," Liana tossed a closed cloth sack at Aksai, who caught it effortlessly.

Aksai was surprised to find that the compensation he received exceeded his expectations.

It seemed that Liana wasn't following the example set by the previous overseer in exploiting the Spirit farmers; she had provided him with a fair value for his produce.

'I… I can't believe that the mongoose and this girl come from the same family.'

Aksai thought to himself, regarding the girl as if she were the goddess all the Spirit farmers had been praying to all this time.