Capítulo 7: Knowledge is the Ladder of Human Progress
"What is this?"
Yaga Seidou, finishing this week's teachings, handed a notebook to Minamoto Sōjun: "Look for yourself."
Without turning back, he walked off.
Minamoto Sōjun opened the notebook, which had a blank cover. On the title page, two lines were written: "New Edition of Jujutsu Study Standards, Beginner Level (Upper/Level 1)", published by Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High School.
It was clearly handwritten!
He carefully flipped through the new jujutsu study guide. It mainly recorded some basic knowledge about the jujutsu world, with other content being simple, fitting for the "Beginner Upper" title.
Minamoto Sōjun had his days packed now.
His compulsory education was finished, and he was continuing straight into high school-level knowledge. With the time allocated to his studies, he estimated it would take about another six months to complete.
His studies in human biology were also on track—cell biology, neurobiology, nutrition, traditional Chinese acupuncture, the brain and hormones, ketones and hormones, etc. The theoretical knowledge was vast.
But all of this was already being studied and practiced systematically.
His martial arts training was mainly through hard work and practice. He seldom sought a coach anymore; the local circles were nearly exhausted.
The indestructible Minamoto Sōjun, countless coaches passing by.
By now, he no longer had to adhere to specific moves; he had perfect control over them. He was free from any restrictions.
Which moves suited him best, how to exert more power, how to better adapt techniques to his height and build…
He was already thinking about his own martial path, with an air of ease and mastery.
But still, most of his time was spent on jujutsu study.
The growth of his cursed energy was slow, but he had mastered refining it. However, this couldn't be practiced too much.
Controlling his soul and body, letting emotions fluctuate, but emotional ups and downs affect the mind and body, creating a balance he was still figuring out.
He practiced at fixed times daily, pacing himself and maintaining a happy mood, otherwise, the mental instability would be hard to recover from.
He sought to fully develop his body, soul, and cursed energy, reaching his limits and striving for perfection.
Then, he would maintain that peak condition continuously.
This was his current goal.
He had already started to intervene actively.
Over the past period, he had made many attempts: ensuring sufficient sleep, reasonably stimulating the secretion of growth hormones, controlling digestion, accelerating nutrient intake and absorption, and actively exercising to promote bone growth...
Every step he took was careful and cautious, aiming not to cause any negative effects.
The physical limits of a ten-year-old and an eighteen-year-old were different.
Full development was important, as many of his plans were based on this foundation.
In the end, he was still constrained by a balancing mechanism. His body's development became the battleground to fight against it. The pace wasn't fast, but it was steady.
The gap between his development speed and actual age was largest at six years, but now it could only be improved by three years.
With more experience in resisting this mechanism, he felt that he could deal with it more effectively in the future.
Body development—development complete—aging.
Speeding up the first part and slowing down the second, he didn't really care, but it was all about defying the mechanism.
"This is your choice, balancing mechanism. I've got this under control. Not even Jesus can stop me."
Regarding the development of techniques,
From bones to blood, to meridians, muscles, and skin.
From the major circulatory systems of the body, nourishing the bone marrow, purifying the blood vessels, strengthening the fascia, enhancing the muscles, and nurturing the skin.
Five senses, six perceptions, speed, strength, physique, and bodily functions were all rapidly improving.
The soul remained pure, strengthening its essence to anchor the physical body. His extraordinary abilities hadn't shown much yet.
But they had already manifested in subtle ways—photographic memory, strong willpower, and mental fortitude.
He only needed four hours of sleep a day to fully replenish his energy.
This gave him more time to study!
…
Yoruaga Seido finished another week of teaching and handed Minamoto Sōjun another notebook.
He then walked away without a word.
"New Edition of Jujutsu Study Standards, Beginner Level (Middle)," published by Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High School.
"..."
Minamoto Sōjun sat cross-legged on his cushion, his back muscles churning and writhing.
He held his breath and focused, his attention fully on the task.
Every so often, a large lump would appear on his back before quickly disappearing.
Something was trying to break through the skin.
"Shh—"
It sounded like pulling a foot out of slippery, sticky mud.
Chunks of blood and flesh protruded from his back, and amid the churn, an arm gradually formed, sticky with blood and flesh. Thin blood vessels dangled, hanging loosely between the fingers.
The scene was gruesome.
Minamoto Sōjun controlled the arm, which trembled lightly, and soon the blood and flesh sank back beneath his skin, leaving the arm smooth and neat.
He made several fists and released them, watching as the muscles swelled and regained their form.
The lines were clear, resembling bundles of steel wire, each brimming with strength and beauty, like nature's finest craftsmanship.
Minamoto Sōjun placed his hands on the desk, sitting like a diligent student in class. His back and arm awkwardly lifted a pen and recorded the key points of his experiment in the notebook.
"Great, I'll call you the third hand."
The arm gave a thumbs up, moving smoothly and without any difference from his other two arms.
Minamoto Sōjun, feeling playful, swung the third arm around, making various gestures. He accidentally punched the center of the desk, creating a large hole.
Smashing and puncturing were very different; the latter had much more force.
He held a paper in his left hand, a pen in his right, and the third hand performed deadlifts, recording on the paper—Strength level 3.
The third hand began showing other changes.
The right palm merged and extended into a spiked cone. He pressed it against the desk, easily piercing it without any resistance.
Next, the front part of the arm transformed into a scythe blade, slashing through the air with a sharp whistle.
Minamoto Sōjun moved, and in the blink of an eye, four corners of the desk were cut off.
He noted: Hardness level 4, Sharpness level 3, Free-forming level 3.
He stopped controlling the third arm and let it fall naturally.
Eyes opened on the arm, each gaze slanted differently, blinking erratically. Some pupils trembled continuously, with a vacant and foolish look in their eyes.
The sanity points dropped rapidly!
A minute later, the eyes closed, and the arm began to fade. Half of it turned into black energy, while the other half shrank back into his body.
He made a final summary:
The structure was composed of cursed energy and flesh. By default, each accounted for half, but the ratio could be controlled to produce different effects.
His current strength was about at the peak of level 4, close to level 3. If measured by cursed spirits, an ordinary level 3 could easily be handled.
…
"Here." Yoruaga Seido handed over another notebook.
Minamoto Sōjun opened the cover, and as expected:
"New Edition of Jujutsu Study Standards, Beginner Level (Lower)," published by Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High School.
The content of the new guide was becoming more comprehensive, delving into common techniques, cursed spirits, cursed tools, and barrier techniques. The knowledge recorded was becoming more in-depth.
A new one came every six months on average. This was the third book, and Minamoto Sōjun's learning speed was starting to hold him back.
"Can't you just give me all of them at once?" he asked.
"No, this pace is the most suitable," Yoruaga Seido declined.
"Is it because the next one... hasn't been finished yet?" Minamoto Sōjun asked tentatively.
Yoruaga Seido glanced at him and skipped the topic: "Your strength is almost at level 3, right?"
Answering a question with a question—how rude!
Minamoto Sōjun nodded.
"Be prepared, I'll let you experience the real life of a jujutsu sorcerer soon."
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