Chapter 21: Reborn Master Writer 13

The subsequent developments only served to make the audience even more addicted. It was as if this were truly a world of cultivation, and such existences were real. Within just half a month, "Asking Heaven," which had already been quite popular, became a nationwide sensation.

While it had been popular before, its reach was limited. In this world, the entertainment industry was highly developed, but most people preferred television and movies; animation and comics occupied only a tenth of the market. Now, however, it had truly exploded across the entire internet.

Many film and television production companies approached Mu Yin, hoping to secure the rights for television or film adaptations. Mu Yin did not refuse, but she set one firm condition: the actors must be able to perform the somatic techniques showcased in the animation without using body doubles. The same applied to all other combat moves and dances—the script could not be altered. Those who could accept these terms were to undergo training before auditioning; those who could not need not bother. Her attitude was so unyielding that she offended quite a few people. Yet, Mu Yin had no intention of climbing the ranks in that circle. She was an explorer, and even if she weren't, they had no authority over her work in comics. She simply did not care.

She even posted these requirements publicly on her social media, adding that anyone interested could learn the techniques themselves and then participate in the auditions. To facilitate this, she had the animation team at Li Xing’s company release the section on somatic techniques ahead of schedule. In reality, the animation only displayed the moves for the first three levels.

The movements for each stage of the somatic techniques were different, and without meeting the required physical standards, the subsequent moves would be impossible to perform. Forcing them would only result in physical injury. Aside from promoting the techniques, Mu Yin set this requirement because the moves were impossible for anyone but a master to execute, let alone film.

She planned to release the remaining six levels once her own level improved. She had kept this in mind while drawing the comics, detailing only the first three levels of the somatic techniques and their corresponding mental methods, while merely brushing over the rest.

Mu Yin’s initiative caught the attention of many. Hearing that mastering these techniques and combat moves would allow even an average person to audition, many aspiring actors and minor celebrities saw an opportunity and began learning the somatic techniques from the videos.

Mu Yin remained indifferent to this. If they wouldn't take the initiative to learn after all she had done, there was nothing more she could do. After informing her brother, she headed out into the wilderness again. This time, she purchased some firearms. While only bullets were used in the city, laser guns were already in use outside.

There were even flying motorcycles powered by the same energy she had purchased earlier. She had examined them and realized they were made by crushing energy stones and mixing them with other materials. This method of utilization was incredibly inefficient. Although they weren't spirit stones, spiritual energy was merely one type of power; the world was filled with various energies. For instance, solar energy could be viewed as fire-elemental spiritual power, or simply as light energy. It was no surprise that the energy stones in this world were not spirit stones; they could be used, just not directly absorbed.

Yet, all paths led to the same origin. At the very least, this world’s application of energy was still quite primitive, with a waste rate of up to 60%. If she hadn't been unable to buy intact energy stones, she would have wanted to acquire some for her own research.

Tsk, she would have to find a way to get her hands on some herself. With her full equipment, she could venture deeper into the unexplored regions; she might actually find some. She didn't need a team this time, as many people traveled alone anyway.

Mu Yin traveled for a long time, staying out for five months. Fortunately, she had purchased a specialized communication device that worked outside, which was very close to a "light brain." This further convinced her that the technology inside the city was deliberately kept hidden by the explorer families and the elite. They kept the populace trapped in outdated concepts to stifle progress. Since all three nations did this, Mu Yin highly doubted that the so-called tripartite balance of power was real. Perhaps they had already united, but to keep the masses docile, they maintained the facade of a three-nation standoff.

Mu Yin didn't know the exact reason, though she had some guesses—likely to prevent too many people from consuming too many resources. It was human nature, but this approach could not drive social progress; the advancement of only a select few was useless.

She did not want them to remain trapped. Her goal was to shatter this illusion. After all, if she could not disrupt the plot and retrieve the Origin Stone, this resurgence of spiritual energy would fail, and the concentration would remain stagnant.

Over these five months, Mu Yin finally discovered an untapped energy stone mine, collected some, and stored them in her space. She also gathered many previously unrecorded plants and discovered several medicinal herbs.

Upon returning to the city, she submitted the plants and received a significant number of points. The exchange rate between these points and cash was 1:100. For the more than 300 unrecorded plant species and over 30 unrecorded animal species she turned in, she received 1,229,371 points. It seemed some of those plants were rare species; even if they were unknown, the ability to detect their components made the assessment process quite fair.

Back home, she sorted through the backlog of messages and noticed many tags on her social media. She clicked on them and saw the feedback from her previous post:

"Ahhh, I only did those somatic techniques because I wanted to audition, but I didn't expect..."

"Yeah, I thought the same, but I never imagined..."

"It’s actually like this? I can hardly believe it..."

"What are you all talking about? Why don't I understand?"

"Yeah, what happened?"

"Maybe your body is having issues. How could those moves invented by someone else not have any side effects? Only you guys would be foolish enough to learn them."

"Don't talk if you don't know anything, upstairs. You definitely haven't practiced the somatic techniques. Since I started, everyone's stamina has increased, and our physical fitness has improved."

"Exactly, don't spread misinformation."

"We’re just surprised. We didn't expect the somatic techniques to be as useful as they were in the book. Does that mean the other cultivation methods are real too?"

"Does this mean we can cultivate like in the book? Can I step on a flying sword like Cang Yun?"

"Shen Mu, Shen Mu, please answer! Are the cultivation techniques you wrote about real?"

"Yes, Shen Mu, Shen Mu, come out! Can we cultivate just like Cang Yun?"