Ten minutes later, Lin Tuo sat at his desk, deep in thought.
On the computer screen before him, a video of his training played on loop, bullet comments flooding the display.
The footage was blurry, his face hidden by clothing, his body obscured by the boulder he carried.
From the vague silhouette alone, even acquaintances would struggle to recognize him.
"So this is… footage from my first training session?"
Piecing together group chat logs, Lin Tuo had found the source.
It turned out that during his training in the Taihe Mountains, someone had secretly filmed him and uploaded the video online—and it had, to some degree, gone viral.
"…So that's how it happened."
A glance at the upload date confirmed it: the day after the Tuck Black Box descended, the very day he began experimenting with ancient methods to temper his body.
That the video only became popular a week later wasn't surprising.
After all, the uploader was just an ordinary user. Without an established following, the video had to rely on the platform's recommendation algorithm to surface.
"Thankfully, looks like a coincidence."
Relieved, Lin Tuo exhaled. As the true mastermind behind the Tack Black Box, a trace of guilt lingered in his heart.
Logically, no one could connect an ordinary man like him to that global anomaly. Still, caution was wise.
At present, Lin Tuo was only at the early stage of life evolution. Strong, yes, but hardly invincible.
If possible, he wished to avoid entanglement with worldly powers too soon.
After all—
If he revealed his identity and proved his powers through the Evolution Sand Table, while it might bring recognition at home, it would also drag him into international disputes, exposing him to unforeseeable dangers.
And he had never cared much for fame or wealth. Otherwise, he wouldn't have quit his job to return to his hometown.
Thus, he had long resolved: until he possessed enough personal power to ensure safety, he would not reveal anything about the Evolution Sand Table.
As for this video—
"Looks like they've mistaken me for a hidden martial arts master in the Taihe Mountains…"
Skimming through the comments and chat discussions, Lin Tuo confirmed as much.
There were some theories about "superhumans" or "aliens," but those were fringe views sparked by the Tuck Black Box.
The idea of a martial expert was far more believable.
First, because his feat of carrying a boulder up the mountain naturally evoked such associations.
Second, compared to extraterrestrials, a "reclusive martial master" was easier for ordinary people to accept.
Besides, the Taihe Mountains themselves carried a martial heritage—deeply rooted in history, novels, TV dramas, and games alike.
Even today, many believed that ancient martial arts traditions still lingered there.
In truth, their guess wasn't entirely wrong.
Lin Tuo was heir to an ancestral martial lineage, though it had long declined. Now, after absorbing Ether and tempering his body, he had cultivated his family's Wuzu Armament-Forging Fist to a solid level.
To call himself a "martial arts expert" was hardly an exaggeration.
At this, Lin Tuo chuckled, shaking his head as he closed the laptop.
So it was just a small accident. Since his identity hadn't been exposed, there was no need to worry.
Still…
"Martial expert, huh…"
Murmuring the phrase, his gaze wandered through the window to the sunlit yet chilly courtyard of the martial hall.
Until now, his mind had been consumed by matters of the Sand Table. But with the Principality of Chi now stabilizing, he could finally turn his attention back to the martial hall.
He hadn't forgotten why he returned: to reopen the hall, fulfill his grandfather's legacy, and pass down the family's martial tradition.
And now, perhaps… an opportunity had arrived.
On martial arts, Lin Tuo had long reflected.
He knew reopening a martial hall would be anything but easy.
These days, the traditional model was obsolete.
Modern China was stable. Few needed martial training for self-defense. At best, people went to gyms or enrolled their kids in taekwondo classes.
It wasn't about "martial arts"—but about "fitness" or "socializing."
And with good reason.
Training was grueling, progress slow, career prospects limited. Unless one had family connections, pursuing martial arts for a living was unprofitable.
Even Lin Tuo wouldn't have chosen this path without his family heritage.
Wasn't office work far more comfortable?
Thus, his initial plan was pragmatic: if he reopened the hall, it would have to be a "modern martial studio"—trend-driven, branded, youth-oriented, marketed as "fitness training."
But would that still count as a martial hall?
And even then, wouldn't the family's Wuzu Armament-Forging Fist still fade into obscurity?
Yet without adapting, who would come?
Perhaps, if he showcased his strength through social media, he could attract a handful of die-hard martial fans.
But in the long run—how long could that last?
One generation? Two?
In an age where martial arts had lost its soil, could it truly survive?
Sometimes, Lin Tuo wondered if martial arts even had a place in this era.
But in recent days, after absorbing Ether and feeling his body evolve, he had found an answer.
"In peaceful times, people don't need martial training for survival. That's why martial arts declined.
But what if martial practice could drive life evolution?"
"What if it could make people healthier, sharper, more intelligent? In that case… could martial arts flourish again?"
It wasn't impossible.
In fact, Lin Tuo had noticed: his weighted training did increase his Ether absorption efficiency. His stamina, his memory—both had improved.
"Ether has always been around. It's just that humanity never noticed, never learned to use it.
If I spread the Breathing Method, could everyone absorb Ether—advance their own evolution?"
He rose, stepping into the quiet training yard, thoughts racing.
This wasn't a sudden whim. He had been mulling it for days.
And in his eyes, it was a win-win proposition.
Ether generation was tied to the "quality" of intelligent life.
In other words, with China's aging population and declining birthrate, increasing Ether through sheer numbers was impossible.
But what if quality improved instead?
If even an ordinary person evolved, the Ether output from the spiritual realm would increase.
The Evolution Sand Table's knowledge confirmed this was feasible.
It was, in fact, a gift to humanity.
The issue was—if the Breathing Method spread widely, the world's Ether would be absorbed by the masses.
That meant competing with him for resources.
"…If I want the Breathing Method to spread, I'll have to give up absorbing Ether from Earth for now. Otherwise, ordinary people won't stand a chance against the Sand Table's pull.
It'll cause some loss for me—but acceptable."
"After all, under Observation Mode, I can only gather Ether from Yang City, and expansion is slow. I can't absorb from other regions anyway. Leaving it unused is a waste.
Better to let humanity cultivate with it…"
"Once the cycle takes hold—stronger bodies, more Ether produced—then I can harvest later without issue."
"And my main reliance is still on Creation Mode, harvesting Ether from sandbox civilizations. I can afford to set Earth's aside temporarily."
In the summer heat, Lin Tuo stood at the doorway, eyes bright with resolve.
As for the possibility of strong individuals emerging from mass cultivation? None could surpass him anyway.
"As long as people realize the benefits of cultivation, and how martial training accelerates Ether absorption, martial arts will naturally rise again."
"And mass cultivation will cover my uniqueness. In the future, even if I show extraordinary strength, I can just claim it's from training."
"When the time comes, with martial arts thriving once more, reopening the hall will be far easier."
Breathing quickened, heart racing, Lin Tuo sorted his plan.
"So the next step is figuring out how to spread the Breathing Method."
"No—first, I should refine it. Make it easier for ordinary people to grasp.
And give it a new name. 'Breathing Method' just doesn't sound appealing…"
The more he thought, the more excited he grew. Without hesitation, he hurried back to his study.
Opening his laptop, he created a blank document.
Then, with a solemn expression, he typed the first line:
"Qingling (Azure Spirit) Breath Technique."
Author's Note: To clarify, Ether is not something humans "emit." It originates in the spiritual realm. Each new human corresponds to a wisp of Ether manifesting in the world. If human physiques improve, the Ether output rises accordingly. Thus, mass cultivation would increase Ether overall, not diminish it. This was explained back in Chapter 3, but perhaps not clearly enough.
(End of Chapter)