Celestial Taoist

Chapter 7 Selection of Superpowered Individuals

After resting for three more days, Li Mofan was finally able to be discharged from the hospital. Zhao Qiang arrived at the hospital early, helped him pack his things, and supported him as he slowly walked out of the ward.

Along the way, Li Mofan's steps were somewhat unsteady, his mind occasionally replaying the inspiration from that day's supernatural power cultivation method, as well as Wang Xin's intermittent voice. Before long, the two arrived at the entrance of the Liefeng Martial Arts School. The familiar school signboard came into view, and the disciples of the school showed surprise when they saw Li Mofan, whispering among themselves, but no one dared to step forward to speak—the news of Zhang Lei's confinement had already spread throughout the school, and everyone knew that Li Mofan had been injured by Zhang Lei. They admired his courage but were also afraid of being targeted by Zhang Lei.

Upon entering the martial arts school, disciples were already practicing in the training ground. When they saw Li Mofan approaching, they all cast their gazes at him, some with curiosity and others with sympathy. Zhao Qiang helped him across the training ground and walked towards his room.

Just as he reached the door of the room, he encountered Zhao Qiankun walking towards him. The abbot's gaze fell on Li Mofan, and after carefully examining him, his tone softened: "It seems you've recovered quite well. Go back and rest for a few more days. Don't rush things; take your time with the cultivation method."

Li Mofan bowed slightly and replied softly, "Thank you for your concern, Master. I will remember it."

After thanking Zhao Qiang again, he went into his room. The furnishings were the same as before, and the room was clean and tidy, obviously cleaned by someone.

Li Mofan leaned against the door frame to catch his breath. Once his breathing had calmed down, he slowly walked to the bedside and sat down. His chest still ached slightly, but his mind was filled with the blurry figure and intermittent sounds he had sensed earlier.

Just as he was beginning to understand his supernatural abilities, he heard Wang Xin's voice—this was no coincidence. Wang Xin was quite close to him; perhaps it was some kind of hint that he needed to see Wang Xin and also figure out the meaning of that ambiguous statement.

Li Mofan composed himself, took out his phone, and dialed Wang Xin's number. The call was answered after only two rings.

"Brother? Why did you think of calling me?" Wang Xin's voice came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of concern. It was exactly the same tone that Li Mofan had vaguely heard in the hospital. Li Mofan felt even more certain of his own thoughts.

Li Mofan softened his tone, his voice still somewhat weak: "Brother Xin, there's something I'd like to ask you in person. I was wondering if you'd be free lately? Shall we arrange to meet somewhere?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Wang Xin's reply: "Of course I'm free. I'll come to the Tiger Stove Teahouse near the Liefeng Martial Arts School to find you first thing tomorrow morning. It's quiet there, so it'll be easier to talk."

"Okay, then thank you for your help, Brother Xin." Li Mofan breathed a sigh of relief, gave Wang Xin a few more instructions, and then hung up the phone.

Li Mofan tossed and turned all night, still feeling a dull ache in his chest, and didn't sleep well. Just as dawn broke, he got up, quickly washed up, and slowly walked towards the stove near the martial arts school.

The Tiger Stove Teahouse wasn't large, but it was quite elegant. A faded cloth curtain hung at the entrance, and a faint aroma of tea filled the air as you entered. As soon as Li Mofan stepped into the teahouse, he saw Wang Xin sitting by the window. A familiar flutter flashed through his mind, and that vague inspiration resurfaced.

This time, it was much clearer than last time. A faint but real aura could be felt swirling in the direction of Wang Xin.

Wang Xin, holding a cup of hot tea, remained calm. Upon seeing Li Mofan enter, he immediately stood up and beckoned, saying with concern, "Brother, this way."

Li Mofan walked over calmly and sat down opposite him. He coughed lightly twice as soon as he was seated. Wang Xin quickly poured him a cup of warm tea and pushed it towards him, his eyes filled with concern: "Judging from your complexion, are you injured?"

"I was sparring with someone a few days ago and accidentally fell," Li Mofan said, picking up his teacup with a cautious tone. "Brother Xin, I'm here to ask you something. Are you also a superhuman recruited by Martial Arts Academy No. 1, like me?"

After saying this, Wang Xin slowly put down his teacup: "Brother, since you've asked this question, I won't hide it from you. I am indeed a superhuman, and I entered this field several years earlier than you, so I'm quite the veteran."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Mofan felt an even stronger aura emanating from Wang Xin. He immediately and subconsciously recited the supernatural ability cultivation manual in his mind, and the dull pain in his chest lessened somewhat. A hint of eagerness and joy flashed in his eyes as he leaned forward and asked, "Really? That's wonderful! I've been completely clueless lately, not knowing how to cultivate my supernatural abilities, nor what the intricacies are among supernatural beings. Brother Xin, since you're a veteran supernatural being, you must know quite a bit about the inside story, right?"

Wang Xin looked up and gave Li Mofan a deep look before slowly speaking, his tone tinged with self-deprecation and indifference: "Don't rush me, I'll explain slowly. Superpowers, though they sound impressive, aren't actually that great, and there's nothing to brag about. Take me for example, my superpower is sensing metal, which isn't anything special. Right now at Martial Arts Hall No. 1, I'm just doing a repairman's job, helping to inspect the hall's weapons and equipment."

Upon hearing this, Li Mofan nodded slightly and calmly explained his situation: "I can roughly understand. My ability is still in its early stages, and I haven't figured it out yet. I only know that I can vaguely sense some auras, which is far inferior to your ability to sense metal."

As he spoke, his inspiration grew stronger. He looked up at Wang Xin and asked, "Brother Xin, if this superpower doesn't seem to have any great power, why are all these martial arts schools still flocking to it? Or is it that superpowered individuals have some other purpose?"

Upon hearing Li Mofan's question, Wang Xin's smile vanished instantly. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his gaze darkened. He glanced around the teahouse to make sure no one was eavesdropping before lowering his voice, his tone laced with unspoken meaning: "You've hit the nail on the head. Superpowers aren't that impressive. I can sense metal, you can sense auras—it's not enough to cause much of a stir. But the reason the martial arts schools are fighting so fiercely over this isn't their own doing; there's someone else pulling the strings behind the scenes."

Li Mofan's heart tightened, and he subconsciously lowered his voice: "There's another mastermind? Brother Xin, what do you mean by that? Is someone controlling these martial arts schools behind the scenes?"

Wang Xin slowly put down his teacup, his expression grave: "It's not exactly manipulation, but it's close. Do you think the various martial arts schools are vying for ability users just to recruit manpower? Behind this lies the allocation of resources and the size of territory for each school. And the key to determining all of this is the annual selection of ability users."

Li Mofan's eyes narrowed, and he quickly asked, "A selection of superhumans? Brother Xin, what is this selection for? Does it have anything to do with us newly recruited superhumans?"

Wang Xin lowered his voice and said solemnly, "Of course it's related. All the major martial arts schools will send outstanding superhumans to participate in the selection required by 'the higher-ups,' and the results of the selection directly determine the resources that the martial arts school can get."

Upon hearing this, Li Mofan frowned sharply, a look of confusion on his face. He subconsciously said, "But Brother Xin, I've been at the Liefeng Martial Arts Academy all these days. Whether I'm chatting with the disciples or listening to the coaches and the academy owner, I've never heard of any 'selection of superpowered individuals.' I've only heard any mention of superpowers from the academy owner. It's as if there are no superpowered individuals in the academy except for me."

His tone was full of confusion: "I thought I was the only one who had just awakened my superpower, the only one with superpowers in the martial arts school. But from what you're saying, all the major martial arts schools are vying for superpowered individuals. The Gale Martial Arts School must have other superpowered individuals as well, so how come there's not a single word about it?"