Chapter 155 Going Blind
When Fang Xingjian woke up, a month had already passed.
He was lying on the sickbed in Kirst Academy. Although he opened his eyes, it was still dark.
A doctor stood beside him and the gaze he casted at Fang Xingjian was filled with pity.
"I'm sorry, the poison from Eternal Wounds flowed through your blood vessels to your brain. Although the impacts from the poison had been eased, it had still harmed the parts in your brain which affects your vision. You probably will not be able to see anything for a very long time."
Lilia grabbed the doctor's collar, lifting him off the ground, and said angrily, "What do you mean he won’t be able to see? Are you saying that Teacher will go blind? How do you guys treat your patients? After spending so much time and so much money, this is the result that we get?"
"Alright, Lilia." Huang Lin stared at the doctor and asked, "Does he have any chances of recovery?"
The doctor looked at Lilia fearfully and said, "I'm sorry. Things related to the brain are too complicated. It's really hard to tell. He might not be able to see things for decades or may even suddenly recovery one day. It's really hard to tell."
Huang Lin asked, "Would it help if he has regenerating specialties?"
"It would still be quite hard. Ordinary regenerating and recovery specialties all targets external and physical injuries as well as the injuries to certain internal organs. There hasn't been any discovery of specialties which can regenerate parts in the brain."
The doctor was still speaking to the rest at the side. Fang Xingjian's expression remained very calm. A hint of breeze shot out from his fingers like a micro sword Qi and it hit against the walls, creating pitter pattering sounds.
The doctor left and Huang Lin walked over. Looking at Fang Xingjian, his gaze was filled with disappointment, pity, fury and other complicated emotions.
Seeing Fang Xingjian continuously flicking his fingers and hitting against the walls, he let out a sigh.
Fang Xingjian's will was stronger than he had thought. After knowing that he had lost his sight, he did not show any disappointment or expressions of despair, but rather, thought of various ways to make things work.
Just like how he was currently trying to detect distances through echoes.
However, there was a limit for the speed at which sound travelled at. Even if Fang Xingjian could sense his opponent's presence through sound waves, as long as his opponents exceeded the speed of sound, it would be useless.
Lilia pounced on him and her arms wrapped around Fang Xingjian's waist. She looked at Fang Xingjian with red eyes.
She thought of how Fang Xingjian had been in high and vigorous spirits, challenging Prefectural Champions consecutively all by himself, defeating an instructor, and then chasing after and killing Mumukeya, a second transition Destined Warrior.
However, now, because of Kaunitz, the aristocrat, and because of the First Prince's plot, a genius like him had lost his sight.
To a Warrior, how heavy a blow was it to losing their sight? She found it hard to imagine how much pain Fang Xingjian must be feeling.
She rubbed her eyes and tried her best to speak in a calm tone, "Teacher, you'll be fine. You'll definitely get better. I'll definitely take good care of you."
Looking at the expressionless Fang Xingjian and Lilia who was in tears, Huang Lin let out a sigh and said, "Lilia, can you go out for a while? I have something to talk about with Xingjian."
Lilia held onto Fang Xingjian tightly, not moving. Fang Xingjian patted her on the shoulder and said, "It's alright. Go wait outside for now."
Seeing Lilia's departure, Huang Lin sighed and said, "Injuries to the brain are very troublesome. If you want to recover, it'll all depend on your luck. However, since we possess extraordinary strength, we do not necessarily need to rely on our eyes in battle."
The Empire had very complete records regarding second transition Conferred Knights.
There were a total of ten levels in the second transition, from level 20 to level 29. From level 19 to 20, all the way to level 28 and pushing through to level 29, between each of these levels, there would be a barrier which was extremely hard to breakthrough. There were a total of ten of these barriers, other wise known as the ten Heavenly Barriers.
Not only was it hard to breakthrough the ten Heavenly Barriers, but there was also a danger of becoming a vegetable or idiot.
The first stage of the ten Heavenly Barriers was Heaven's Perception. It was a stage that one needed to breakthrough to be able to go through the second transition as well as overcome the limits of level 19 to reach level 20.
Additionally, in order to attain Heaven's Perception, it was required for one to connect their mental consciousness with the ether particles. This would allow them to break away from the shackles of the brain and, in turn, rapidly increase their ability to plan, memory capabilities, and reaction times.
"Ether particles contain messages about everything. As long as one can sense ether particles and initiate the acceptance of messages from the ether particles, one would be able to see everything even more clearly in a Reduced Force Field that’s within a ten-meter radius. This is Heaven's Perception.
"Therefore, Conferred Knights, regardless of what kind of high speed attacks they are faced with, would at least be able to sense them within a ten-meter radius. At the same time, they would be able to obtain the information transmitted from ether particles as well. This is the equivalent of obtaining another sense. It would allow one to have exceptional comprehension towards one's powers and it would be as if one's talent had increased by over two times."
In the Empire's Knight legacy, to succeed in the first transition, one would need to fulfil various prerequisites, including attributes, Waves, mental cultivation method and skills, before they could then complete the transition in the Secret Realm.
The second transition required one to first obtain Heaven's Perception before they could enter Sacred Land, which was of a higher level than Secret Realms, in order to complete the second transition.
Huang Lin said calmly, "However, obtaining Heaven's Perception is no easy task. In the course of history, countless Knights had all failed at this stage. There are many people, including clan Elders like Rebecca and senior instructors in the academy, who would not even dare to aim to attain Heaven's Perception and, thus, would not participate in the Regional Selections. They end up only lingering at the first transition phase all their lives.
"That is because there is a danger to this. once you cannot accept the information transmitted from the ether particles, there's a possibility that you will turn into an idiot or all of your consciousness may flow into the ether particles, causing you to turn into a vegetable.
"The whole process is truly apprehensive and filled with dangers. This is why many Knights do not have the courage to take this step forward and thus, they are known as the ten Heavenly Barriers."
Most Knights would pass the Regional Selections first, then tap into the Regional Royal Academy's resources to breakthrough to the Heaven's Perception and to sense the ether particles.
However, Fang Xingjian was currently trying to sense the ether particles all by himself in Kirst.
Fang Xingjian said, "Teacher, please teach me how to breakthrough the ten Heavenly Barriers and how to attain the Heaven's Perception."
"The Heaven's Perception allows you to continuously have a stronger sense of the ether particles' messages. It changes the human body and one's intrinsic qualities incessantly and progresses continuously. Each stage is filled with extreme danger. If it doesn't go well, you may lose your memory or, in more serious cases, become a madman.
"It can be said to be very difficult, but it can also be said to be very simple as well. You just need to keep this in mind: keep your heart as innocent as an newborn baby and your heart will as tough as steel." Huang Lin muttered, "We communicate with humans and animals through sounds, hand signs and various actions.
"However, those are when we communicate with living things that have minds of their own."
Ether particles did not have minds of their own. They could not be sensed with the five senses and only the heart could be used to sense them.
Therefore, if one wanted to sense the information in the ether particles, they would need to move without any intention and sense the natural changes in the air.
Just like how experienced assassins would be able to sense the presence of killing intent, animals can sense the coming of natural disasters. If you stare at a bird, you might be able to scare it away.
These are all because they are able to unintentionally sense the messages from ether particles.
The first transition required one to sense the existence of ether particles while the second transition required one to accept the messages in ether particles.
However, the crux to these was to be unintentional. One needed to be able to sense the intent unintentionally. This required an extremely high level of mental state. It also required an unbending will, so that one would not lose themselves in this and become an idiot or vegetable.
Based on Fang Xingjian's understanding, this was how the eye could perceive electromagnetic waves such as light to receive information.
The second transition, on the other hand, required one to develop the brain, allowing the brain to perceive ether particles waves to receive information from them.
Huang Lin looked at Fang Xingjian, who had his eyes closed, and sighed, "There are too many temptations in the world we live in. You must first clear yourself of all these distractions. You need a heart like that of a newborn child, clear as a mirror. You need to remain in an extremely peaceful state of mind to be able to sense the presence of ether particles."
Only after one was able to sense the ether particles would they then have a chance to enter the second transition and control himself freely. Only then would one move away from martial technique and enter the martial path, truly overcoming all worldly thoughts and attaining sainthood.