Chapter 95: Aperture Opening Theory

Jiang Yan went back to see Old Wang one more time, then left behind many things.

“Go on. Though you usually always manage to piss me off, at a time like this, I still wish you smooth sailing.”

“Old Wang, you admit you’ll miss me?”

“Get lost!”

At Shenwu Martial University, Jiang Yan dismantled the Spirit Gathering Device and packed all his belongings into his Spatial Ring.

The Spatial Ring Elder Zheng had given him had a very large capacity, more than enough to hold everything.

“I wonder if the Martial Way on Tianyuan Star uses Spirit Gathering Devices. Ah, whatever, I’ll just pack it all.”

…

That day, a conical spacecraft landed on the rooftop of the Divine Capital Martial Artist Tower.

The hatch opened, and a man and a woman stepped out.

The man was young and vibrant, probably in his early twenties. The woman was composed and dignified, somewhat older. Both carried an extraordinary air about them, seeming out of place with their surroundings.

“Teacher, are these the Blue Star Humans recorded in the Human Race Martial Dao publications? I really want to know what their so-called ‘weak Martial Way’ actually looks like~”

As soon as he disembarked, the young man voiced his thoughts without restraint.

The older woman, however, remained expressionless and spoke calmly, “If you want to study the weak Martial Way, go back and read the books. Today, we are here to fulfill the promise our teacher made back then.”

“Heh heh, Teacher Su, I’m just curious. Back then, your teacher promised the Blue Star Humans one opportunity for assistance, but they didn’t use it. Instead, they chose to send a so-called ‘genius’ over to study. What kind of genius could possibly come from such a small, remote place?”

Teacher Su glanced at her student, her tone turning cold:

“Mind your humility. In the Martial Way, there is only strength and weakness, not nobility or baseness. If you speak out of turn again, don’t come out with me next time.”

“Yes.”

Seeing his teacher angered, the young man dared not say more.

Soon, Elder Zheng personally came forward to greet them, adopting a very humble posture.

It was hard to imagine a man standing at the pinnacle of Blue Star being so obsequious towards these two visitors from beyond the stars.

“We respectfully welcome our distinguished guests.”

Teacher Su waved her hand. “We are all of the Human Race. There’s no need for such formality.”

With that, she looked at the young man standing behind the old man.

“Is it him?”

Jiang Yan stepped forward, clasping his hands in salute. “It is this Junior.”

“Hmm.” The woman nodded curtly. “If there’s nothing else, you can come with us now.”

…

Jiang Yan sat inside the spacecraft. The glass shell of the shuttle-shaped vessel was now covered by a layer of black material, blocking out everything from the outside world.

The three of them sat in the lounge cabin. No one was piloting the spacecraft; it seemed to have an automatic navigation system.

“It will take about a day to reach Tianyuan Star. Until then, if you have anything you wish to know, you can ask my student.”

The woman didn’t seem particularly concerned about Jiang Yan. She was neither harsh nor enthusiastic towards him, simply wanting to complete a task.

The woman left the lounge cabin, her destination unknown. The lounge, about a dozen square meters in size, was now left with only Jiang Yan and the woman’s student.

“Hey, buddy, I’m Cheng Wu. What’s your name?”

As soon as the woman left, Cheng Wu became exceptionally enthusiastic, slinging an arm over Jiang Yan’s shoulder in a familiar manner.

“Jiang Yan.”

“Hahaha, Brother Jiang! Welcome to our Tianyuan Star! If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask me. I guarantee I’ll answer all your questions!”

Cheng Wu patted his chest in assurance.

Jiang Yan indeed had many questions for Cheng Wu, so he didn’t stand on ceremony and asked, “How is your martial arts system divided here?”

“Hehe, I knew you’d ask that. Actually, the martial arts realm divisions on our planet and your Blue Star are quite similar, divided into ten realms: Acquired, Innate, Inner Astral, Mystic Aperture, Spirit Platform, True Intent, Source Domain, Celestial Phenomenon, Divine Intent, and Supreme Martial God.”

“Let me guess, Brother Jiang, did you open your apertures at the Innate stage and then cultivate all the way to your current realm?”

Cheng Wu asked with full confidence, as if certain this was Jiang Yan’s situation.

To his surprise, Jiang Yan simply shook his head and said, “I opened my apertures at the Acquired stage, without any innate abilities.”

“What! You don’t even have innate talent?” Cheng Wu exclaimed in surprise, then looked at Jiang Yan with confusion. “But that can’t be right. ‘Human Race Martial Dao’ records that Blue Star geniuses also have those who open apertures innately. Why would you…”

Jiang Yan waved his hand. “No need to wonder. I’m not the kind of genius you’re talking about.”

“But why are you so concerned about whether I opened apertures innately? Is it that important?”

“Important? Extremely important!”

Cheng Wu looked at Jiang Yan with some pity. “Sigh, although I don’t know why Blue Star would send someone who hasn’t even opened apertures innately, as a brother, I still have to be honest with you—

You’re beyond help.”

Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Cheng Wu sighed. “Forget it, there’s no harm in telling you. Actually, our Tianyuan Star has a method for 100% Acquired Aperture Opening. If you had already opened one aperture innately, and then used our Tianyuan Star method to open another aperture at the Acquired stage, it would be equivalent to you opening apertures twice.”

“Some martial artists on your Blue Star open one aperture innately but don’t know there’s actually a way to open another aperture at the Acquired stage, missing out on the opportunity to have two apertures.”

“When the teachers who went for scientific research returned and recorded your Blue Star human race’s cultivation methods, compiling the book ‘Human Race Martial Dao,’ its publication immediately caused an uproar, making the entire Tianyuan Star laugh for a full half year.”

As he spoke, he gave Jiang Yan a somewhat pitiful look.

“Bro, your situation is even worse. You haven’t even achieved innate aperture opening, destined to only have one acquired aperture for life. This is an extremely rare occurrence throughout Tianyuan Star.”

“Sigh, if you had opened apertures innately, our Tianyuan Star could still help you open another aperture. What a pity~”

Through several exchanges, Cheng Wu had already concluded that Jiang Yan had no martial arts talent.

Jiang Yan, however, felt indifferent about it, though he was quite interested in the “Aperture Opening Theory.”

“From what you’re saying, the more apertures opened, the more powerful one becomes?”

Cheng Wu nodded. “Of course. Opening one more aperture is equivalent to stimulating the body’s potential one more time. Aptitude, comprehension ability, and talent will all be far stronger than ordinary people.”

“On our Tianyuan Star, those with two apertures are considered standard. Beyond that is considered extraordinary, and surpassing three apertures can be called prodigies.”

“There are prodigies who open three apertures innately, then use special methods to stably open one aperture at the Acquired stage, equivalent to having four apertures. Their future martial path will be smooth sailing, with limitless potential.”

“I see.” Jiang Yan finally understood Tianyuan Star’s cultivation logic, sighing in relief that he had come along, otherwise he wouldn’t have known about this concept of multiple aperture openings.

“So what realm are you at now?” Jiang Yan asked Cheng Wu.

Cheng Wu: “Fourth-level Mystic Aperture Realm.”

“According to your Blue Star Martial Way classification, I’m considered a fifth-grade Martial Artist. Not bad, right? A twenty-year-old fifth-grade Martial Artist is quite impressive on your Blue Star, isn’t it?”

He tilted his head slightly upward, looking at Jiang Yan with a hint of superiority. “Once you reach the Mystic Aperture Realm, the gap created by the number of opened apertures becomes increasingly significant. I’d advise you not to go to Tianyuan Star, buddy. It’d be a waste of effort anyway.”

Cheng Wu was quite friendly, but ever since boarding the spacecraft, his sense of superiority from Tianyuan Star had subtly overshadowed Jiang Yan—a point he himself might not even have realized.

“What about Luo An? How many apertures has he opened?” Jiang Yan asked.

Cheng Wu held up three fingers.