The Young Master And The Maid (1814)

Dugu Yun glanced at the [???] mark on his self created system panel.

Active Talent: Unity, Bullet Time, (???)

He must unearth the mystery behind his hidden talent!

With the ability to read his own state [Insight], he was able to vaguely feel the existence of something strange in his body. At first he passed it off as his imagination but when he gradually became familiar with his ability [insight], he was certain of its presence which brought about a faint numbing sensation.

It was a very faint trace that was hard to capture. Every time he tried, the special "thing" inside became elusive, slipping out of his fingers, lingering just out of reach like that beautiful maiden in a young man's hopeless dream. 

He already had a preliminary idea of what it was but he had to confirm its existence with an experiment.

__________

Sunlight moved across droplets of water in the air bringing multicolored lights.

Not far from the Yun family mansion, located in the woods was a small waterfall cascading through the air. The crystal clear waters brought a roar as it flowed into a shallow stream.

Through the waters, a mighty wave sailed against the current and moved upstream!

In the center of the wave was actually a young boy shooting through the waters. The force generated from the movement of his limbs actually stirred up waves.

The young boy dived through the water, his vigorous movements powerful like a shark and smooth like a seal.

Swoosh

With a backflip, he leapt onto the shore sending splashes of cold water everywhere.

His warmup was complete.

Some drops of water ran along the crevices of the muscles on his back highlighting his well defined physique. 

With a casual flex, the muscles like steel wires on the young boy's back contracted and squirmed bringing a ferocious atmosphere.

The lats, traps, and teres muscles on his back seemed to gather to form a devil's face.

Judging from appearance, the young boy was probably strong enough to kill a cow with one punch.

Dugu Yun ran his hands through his wet hair and combed it back.

At the side, a waiting maid handed him a towel to wipe his face.

With a wipe, a stunning face was revealed.

Sharp eyes lined with heroic brows, a straight nose bridge, angled jawline, and a healthy tan running throughout his body.

His glossy black hair swayed in the wind amidst the chirping of cicadas and the warm breeze brought by the breath of summer.

A very picturesque scene but unfortunately there wasn't a single trace of joy on Dugu's face. 

It was because he was also born with facial paralysis in this life which caused many misunderstandings for the young Dugu then…

It was difficult for anyone to read his facial expressions including his own parents. A sincere smile would turn into a stiff grin.

"At least I'm super handsome." Dugu thought and comforted himself.

Dugu Yun hung the towel on his shoulders and took the initiative to step back into the icy rushing water.

Feeling the comfort of the breeze in the summertime and the flow of water past his waist, he nodded with satisfaction.

The temperature of the water was just perfect for relieving the soreness of his muscles.

From a young age he had already formed the habit of daily practice in the morning. A martial saint of the dawn boxing school* once stated this was the best time to exercise one's muscles and bones.

The first rise of the morning sun corresponded to the start of a new cycle in the body. The warmth brought by the dawn rays was just the right amount to promote the circulation of blood. It was also the time when the body was most energized from a night's rest. 

Hence, most martial artists spent their time practicing under the glory of the morning sun.

Cancer? Nonexistent.

Dugu Yun was not an exception.

Especially ever since he reawakened the memories of Earth, he would take even greater care to practice his abilities hoping to capture a ray of inspiration and further improve his [Insight] deriving more abilities.

Passive Talent: Insight

Active Talent: Unity, Bullet Time, (???)

[Derived Ability: Unity] Activated!

Thump Thump

With the rapid acceleration of his heartbeat, blood started rushing throughout his body. The red blood cells rushed through the arteries like opening the floodgates of heaven!

Homeostasis has changed!

Metabolism has increased!

Endorphins, adrenaline, and hormones secreted by the brain coursed through the veins blocking pain.

Oxygen was being rapidly delivered to the muscular system.

Each individual stand of muscle fiber contracted and swelled. The internal organs hummed in a strange rhythm with each breath.

With a move of his mind, Dugu Yun's perspective seemed to rise out of his body and then sink deeper and deeper until some invisible shackle was broken.

He could "see" his blood rushing from his heart towards his body, the expansion of his muscles, and the pulsating of his organs.

This was similar to the legendary "inner view" only accomplished by the topmost martial saints who had polished their spirits to perfection!

Martial Saints with inner view could peer into their bodies, pinpoint problems, and optimize their fighting state.

Of course, our dear Dugu didn't know that.

This was specifically the derivation of his [Insight]:

[Unity]

Because of [Insight], he had the ability to read his state and understand his attributes. But what would happen to a creature who could perfectly understand themselves? Of each body structure? 

Naturally this understanding gradually evolved into the ability to control his body. From the initial control of every muscle to the gradual manipulation of every body structure through unremitting practice.

Those who understand themselves can control themself. 

Dugu Yun could confidently boast that no one understood his body better than him. Every corner from top to bottom was under his grasp.

In the state blessed by [Unity] he could even control 'little Dugu' to rise and fall with a single thought! 

Gee What a superior ability! 

Dugu Yun's perception was infinitely magnifying and soon a vague connection with the systems that made up his body was formed like an instinct.

He carefully mobilized his heart to beat faster in order to pump more oxygen and blood to his muscles.

Every strand of muscle fiber from the skeletal muscles to even smooth and involuntary muscle fibers* were under his grasp.

Unity!

Switching from a passive biological progress to an active one. Mind and body in perfect harmony! 

According to modern science, the human body has a physiological barrier to prevent injuries in the case of over-extertion. But what happens when this barrier is broken?

Back on Earth there were many cases of this. For example, a weak mother suddenly being able to lift a car to save her trapped child, or a certain rock climber in a moment of crisis magically gaining the strength to push aside rocks, and even running away from a threat in fear are all examples of breaking this barrier!

This is Unity!

In this state Dugu can perfectly mobilize all the resources his current body has to offer and even focus it all on one area. 

Blood and nutrients were rapidly being transported to his upper body.

Dugu Yun's skin glowed with a red blush and his breathing accelerated.

The gnarly muscles on his back expanded like a demon coming to life. Each breath was a deep bellow.

Booom!

With a crisp snap, a punch was thrown above the river's surface creating a small explosion of water. His muscles contracted like steel coils and burst forth with an astonishing momentum.

Woosh

A flurry of fists shadows tore through the air. The punches were so fast that they disturbed the flow of the surrounding air and water. At this moment only the swishing of the waves and the popping in the air as the punches were thrown remained.

The maid standing at the side was astonished. Her eyes couldn't keep up with the movement as Dugu's punches got faster and faster turning into a blur.

With the power of [Unity], all the resources Dugu's body had to offer were mobilized and transferred into the arms to burst out a force far beyond his realm.

This was the true nature of [Unity]. Unity of mind and body! The excess makes up for the lacking!

His [Bullet Time] was also similar except it had an effect on the brain domain. But usage was far too taxing and Dugu couldn't casually experiment.

In the distance, the maid waiting had a sparkle in her big chestnut eyes. A stubborn lock of hair on her head swayed with the breeze as if conveying excitement. Her eyelashes blinked in wonder.

Awesome! ( •̀ᴗ•́ )و 

The second young master was indeed incredible! Although she didn't understand much about martial arts, she did know that a punch sending water splashing up several feet high was definitely not something an 'official martial artist' could do.

Something seemed to awaken slightly in her heart. 

Her colleagues always had some interesting gossip during work to say but when it came to her, she was like a dull koala. She never had an interesting tale to tell. 

For the first time the flame called gossip ignited in the dull girl's heart. She sensed that being assigned to the young master was an…opportunity! If she brought this scene back to her fellow maids wouldn't she instantly become popular?

In the pond Dugu Yun hastily ended [Unity] and let out a breath.

The power was great but he was only a 5 second man. Couldn't last long at all. If he forced himself too much the consequence would be unimaginable.

After all, limiters existed within the body for a reason. Bursting out power beyond what the body could handle…It was like going too hard and then suddenly suffering from premature ejaculation.

A wave of exhaustion slowly washed over giving him an intense urge to sleep. This was the consequence of disturbing the body's homeostasis.

Dugu felt like he had returned back to Earth to listen to his professor's boring lectures. Those sleep inducing lectures seemed to have some fascinating hypnotizing properties so Dugu once recommended his classes to a friend with insomnia. Needless to say from then on the friend successfully got rid of the dark circles under his eyes.

But soon the icy chill of the river water stimulated him, bringing relief to the hot tingling muscles.

This was why he preferred practicing in water. The bitter cold water despite the summer days was like an ice therapy for numbing his injuries. 

Dugu's body was sore but eyes were bright!

(An: please don't try this irl unless you have dugu's super duper mooscles. Ice therapy is actually not effective for healing injuries. I repeat dont try irl! Ice is best for relieving pain, swelling, and inflammation…)