Era of Magic and Martial Arts-Chapter 271 - 255: What’s Wrong With the Sky

The Bone Detection Eye is the most advanced technological achievement developed by a secret laboratory under the Bright Group.

It incorporates dozens of cutting-edge scientific technologies, some disclosed and some undisclosed, and it even integrates some forbidden knowledge acquired from the Hidden Sect.

Its principles are exceedingly complex, beyond the comprehension of ordinary people, or rather, the principles and knowledge it involves would utterly shatter the fragile worldview of the average person when explained.

In short, ordinary people only need to understand that the Bone Detection Eye can glimpse the truth and restore the most genuine form beneath the human veneer.

"Martial Arts cultivation is a path of alienation away from humanity. The higher one’s martial prowess, the less human their bone structure becomes. This eye of mine can glimpse the truth beneath everyone’s flesh and skin, then compare their alien characteristics with the database and perform a series of complex calculations to accurately reverse-calculate the target’s life level."

Shi Wuming explained simply, fearing Qian Huan might not understand, and translated further:

"Life level, according to the Martial Arts theory promoted and popularized by the Upper City, well, you may as well understand it as Martial Arts rank."

Qian Huan stared intently at the skeletal frames in the projection, feeling his scalp tingle, as if countless tiny currents were coursing beneath his skin.

He was not like the external lower-class populace who are ignorant of everything.

The Celestial Light Investment Co., Ltd. operated by the Qian Family, though just one of the many subsidiaries of the Bright Group, and not part of its most esteemed forefront technology companies or laboratories, it still acted as one of the numerous financial arms of the group.

Yet even so, Qian Huan still had the opportunity to know or hear about much hidden knowledge.

These experiences meant that he, when facing these skeletons, though feeling his scalp tingle, could still maintain basic composure without being scared to faint.

"So, this is the truest form of humanity..."

Qian Huan’s voice trembled slightly, a tremor that seemed both genetic and as if exuding a thrill from the soul:

"I had always thought before that humans all looked too uniformly boring, that the visage of life should be richly varied to be beautiful!"

Qian Huan’s expression made Shi Wuming ponder a bit; watching others have their worldviews shattered was one of his few pleasures.

As a "senior bodyguard," he had participated in protecting some big figures within the group, so he had also, from a distance, observed some grand spectacles alongside these big figures, and had received some special perks or rewards.

The [Bone Detection Eye] was given to him by a big figure in the group.

Through these rewards, sensing shock, astonishment, and even terror from others often brought Shi Wuming an inexplicable joy deep in his heart.

This joy was distinctly different from the pleasure he got from killing; it was a higher level of satisfaction.

How to say, killing perhaps was more about the liberation of animal instincts, purely physiological pleasure;

whereas this joy was a mental satisfaction, as if it allowed him to indirectly transform into those big figures he had once protected, gaining their status and wisdom.

Qian Huan was clearly not a good audience; his response lacked terror and veered more into morbidity.

This reminded Shi Wuming of his own first awkward encounter using the Bone Detection Eye to witness the truth of the world, collapsing to the ground in the laughter of big figures.

In contrast, the difference in level was clear, making him feel bored.

That’s why he disliked these second-generation individuals the most, their ability to accept fresh ideas and novel things was too strong, far better than he, who had crawled out from impoverished soil like a "wild dog."

Even though he could now crush Qian Huan’s skull with a single finger, not even three layers of bulletproof glass could stop him.

But, it’s different; some people are on an escalator to becoming a "big figure" from birth, while others strive hard but at most become the "dogs" tied to the sides of the escalator.

However weak a big figure is, they are still the "master," no matter how strong a dog is, it’s still just a "dog."

This is fate. What is fate? It’s the leash in the master’s hand, the collar around the dog’s neck.

Shi Wuming was somewhat irritated by Qian Huan’s laughter and coldly corrected his misunderstanding:

"You’re wrong; it’s not humans that are richly varied, but Lower City people are varied. Upper City people are different."

Qian Huan was a bit stunned; he had been fortunate to visit the Upper City twice and, without exaggeration, said the Upper City was simply another world, although Upper City people looked quite similar to Lower City people.

He asked with a cold smile, "Are the bones of Upper City people different?"

Shi Wuming himself did not truly understand, he was merely echoing without soul a critique from a big figure.

He said, "In any case, they are different, an alien form undetectable even with the [Bone Detection Eye]. True Upper City people are all touched by the heavens..."

Shi Wuming suddenly shut his mouth, unsure whether he suddenly realized he dared not speak further or if he had only heard this half-sentence and couldn’t say more.

In any case, he did not intend to continue on this topic, but instead shifted back to the initial question and asked Qian Huan:

"I’ve detected and recorded the bone state of all Second Prison guards; if you suspect anyone, I can help upload it to the database for analysis and calculation."

Qian Huan glanced thoughtfully at Shi Wuming. He slowly walked to the window, looked up at the vast shadow obscuring his view, and a trace of doubt arose in his heart:

"The Upper City has replaced the Lower City’s sky, and all this while, I’ve taken it for granted, so, is there something wrong with the sky?"

Qian Huan had visited the Upper City for study and observation, although he was not allowed within the three towering concentric walls, he had indeed seen the sky.

In his memory, he didn’t find anything wrong with the sky.

The sky was vast, the outer ring deep as ink, the inner ring bright as snow, changing with the rise and fall of the sun and the moon, the alternation of day and night; nothing seemed amiss.

Qian Huan was not as clueless as the outer world’s lower-class populace, he was much more well-informed.

He had read many books, seen many things, even possessed and studied some forbidden books and video materials from the Ancient Era.

In those materials, the descriptions and images of the sky matched perfectly with what he had seen; there was nothing noticeably abnormal.

Qian Huan squinted his eyes, his mind racing, speculating:

"So the problem isn’t with the sky, the problem is with us Lower City people, we can’t be seen by the sky, can we?!!"

Qian Huan initially wanted to ask Shi Wuming, but he noticed Shi Wuming had a look of unwillingness to continue speaking, so he didn’t want to bother and just buried the question deep within himself.

When he ascends to a high position within the Bright Group, the answers to these mysteries would naturally be presented to him one by one.

"Perhaps that day isn’t too far off, as long as the [Octagonal Cage Beast Fighting Arena] plan can proceed smoothly..." Qian Huan calculated silently in his heart.

He took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

Then, he turned his head, walked back to the edge of the glass wall, and his gaze refocused on those skeletal frames with "human faces, monstrous bodies" projected from Shi Wuming’s pupils.

He licked his lips and asked, "Help me find which one is Li Bashan?"