Volume Two: Shadows of the Past Chapter Twelve: The Foremost Among the Gifted

Early the next morning, Chen Jing led Molly and Zhang Jingzhi to the Imperial Hospital’s inner facilities.

“Are all these doctors and patients here because of abilities?” Zhang Jingzhi asked curiously as she watched the bustling medical staff move through the corridors.

Their guide, Sun Ruoqing, nodded and replied, “This is the most advanced center for ability research in Huaxia. All of the nation’s top theorists on abilities work here.”

“Oh!” Zhang Jingzhi nodded in realization. She hadn’t expected that, outside the knowledge of ordinary people, the development of abilities had advanced so rapidly that there were even specialized doctors for it.

Sun Ruoqing first took Molly and Zhang Jingzhi for a renewed ability assessment. The Imperial headquarters had highly precise instruments specifically designed for measuring ability levels. These machines were quite large and unsuitable for portability, explaining why they weren’t widely used.

When they arrived at the testing room, Zhang Jingzhi saw the machine, which resembled an MRI scanner found in hospitals.

“Uh, isn’t this just an MRI machine?” Zhang Jingzhi remarked with a touch of exasperation.

Standing nearby, Chen Jing nodded. “Actually, the principle is similar. The energy of abilities radiates from the seventh domain of the brain in wave patterns. The machine detects the wavelength, amplitude, and density of these waves emitted from a person’s brain. Based on these readings, it calculates the amount of ability energy, thereby determining the person’s ability level. To put it simply, there are internationally standardized ranges for density, wavelength, and amplitude for each level of ability. Once the results are measured, you just match them to those ranges to find out the person’s level.”

Zhang Jingzhi listened, half understanding, and asked, “I still don’t quite get it. Why do people with abilities emerge from among ordinary people? Is there something that makes an ordinary person mutate and gain abilities?”

“It’s not that ability users emerge from ordinary people,” Sun Ruoqing responded calmly, “Rather, all people are ability users. It’s just that most people’s ability energy is too low for their abilities to manifest.”

“That’s right. In theory, everyone possesses abilities,” Chen Jing added, deciding to explain further. “Abilities are related to the degree of brain development. Normally, an average person’s brain develops only about three to ten percent. For such people, their brain domain isn’t developed enough, so the ability waves they emit lack the density and strength to affect reality, meaning their abilities remain hidden.

But when someone’s brain development exceeds ten percent, they gain abilities. In current theory, the brain has six regions, but after passing the ten percent threshold, a new domain emerges—the seventh domain.

The type of ability one has depends on the nature of their seventh domain. Abilities are diverse, and no two people have exactly the same one. Moreover, the ability a person awakens is unpredictable and uncontrollable.”

After listening to Chen Jing’s explanation, Zhang Jingzhi suddenly understood. “So abilities are related to brain development. The more developed the brain, the higher the ability level?”

Chen Jing nodded and continued, “Ability levels are tied to brain development. The first category is Levels 1 to 3, requiring ten to nineteen percent brain development. Each additional three percent increases the level by one. These are called ‘Natural Abilities,’ or Naturals for short.

Next are Levels 4 to 6, which require twenty to forty percent brain development, with each additional seven percent raising the level by one. These are called ‘Calamity Level’ abilities, or Controllers for short.

Above that are Levels 7 to 9, with brain development between forty and seventy percent, and each additional ten percent adding a level. These are termed ‘Destruction Level’ abilities, or Domainers.”

For the first time, Zhang Jingzhi learned the detailed classification of abilities and found it very interesting. After thinking for a moment, she asked, “So is a Level 9 ability user, with seventy percent brain development, the ultimate limit?”

Sun Ruoqing stepped in to answer, “No, Level 9 isn’t the highest. If brain development surpasses seventy percent, there’s still another level—Level 10, the Infinite Level. But no one has ever seen a user of this level. It exists only in theory.”

Chen Jing shrugged in agreement. “There are legends that ancient figures might have reached this level—like Xuanyuan in our own history, or Jesus abroad. If a Level 10 truly existed, they’d practically be a god.”

“Oh!” Zhang Jingzhi nodded, understanding that Level 10 was a theoretical construct—something experts love to define.

Having grasped the classification, Zhang Jingzhi thought of another question. “So among all the ability users on record, who has been the highest level? Has there been an actual person at the very peak?”

“The international classification of abilities has only been standardized in the last hundred years,” Chen Jing replied. “So if you ask about the highest recorded ability user, it’s hard to say for earlier times—records were chaotic, and no one was using the same standards. But in the last century, we know who was at the top.”

He paused, noticing Zhang Jingzhi’s expectant expression, then continued, “Since the classification was unified, the highest documented ability user—the one with the greatest brain development—was the founder of the Imperial Organization, Yin Zhen.”

The mention of Yin Zhen brought a note of reverence to Chen Jing’s voice. “He unified all the ability user organizations in Huaxia and established the Imperial Organization, the only official body recognized by the state. According to records, Yin Zhen was a Level 9 ability user, with his brain developed to sixty-eight percent. That’s the highest confirmed development ever documented.”

Zhang Jingzhi murmured in awe, “That’s incredible. Sixty-nine percent brain development—can such a person even be called human?”

Chen Jing shook his head. “Someone at that level can’t be judged by normal standards. Do you know how long Yin Zhen lived?”

Zhang Jingzhi was startled. “How long?”

“Over a hundred years. He died only a little over a decade ago. In fact, he was my grandmaster,” Chen Jing said with a shrug.

“Huh? Over a hundred? Grandmaster?” Zhang Jingzhi was stunned.

“Yeah, my teacher was Yin Zhen’s disciple. So by seniority, I should call him grandmaster. And in the Imperial Organization, there are plenty of people with that connection—Yin Zhen lived for over a century and loved taking on disciples. Over the decades, almost every senior member received his guidance. So having a link to him is nothing unusual around here.” Chen Jing shrugged.

“Uh…” Zhang Jingzhi hadn’t expected such connections and was at a loss for words.

Sun Ruoqing, who had remained silent, knew that Chen Jing wasn’t telling the whole truth. In fact, he was the legitimate grand-disciple of Yin Zhen, as his teacher was Yin Zhen’s last and only acknowledged successor. And Chen Jing was his teacher’s sole…

With preparations complete, it was time to test Zhang Jingzhi. She lay down on the ability testing apparatus, and after a scan, was told she could get up.

“That’s it?” Zhang Jingzhi asked, surprised.

Chen Jing laughed. “What, did you expect something complicated?”

Getting off the machine, Zhang Jingzhi shrugged. “All right, excuse my ignorance.”

While Zhang Jingzhi’s report was still being processed, it was Molly’s turn. Chen Jing gently lifted Molly onto the device, reassuring her, “It’s all right, Molly, nothing to be nervous about. Just lie down for a moment.”

“Okay,” Molly replied softly, though her tightly clenched fingers betrayed her unease. The sight of the equipment reminded her of her days locked up in Pandora, subjected to experiments. Everything here was so reminiscent of that time.

Luckily, with Chen Jing by her side, Molly felt less afraid.

The examination was soon over, and Chen Jing picked her up, comforting her in his arms.

After a short wait, the reports for both Zhang Jingzhi and Molly were ready. As expected, Zhang Jingzhi had reached Level 4 as a Controller, with precisely twenty percent brain development.

Molly, on the other hand, was still at Level 3, with eighteen percent development.

Chen Jing breathed a sigh of relief that Molly hadn’t yet reached Level 4. She was still too young, and he feared that advancing too quickly might place too much strain on her mind.

It was important to remember: rapid advancement wasn’t always good. One had to consider whether the individual could bear the energy that came with higher levels. If not, it could damage the brain, and in severe cases, cause irreversible trauma, just as it had once happened to Chen Jing himself, leaving him unable to use his abilities ever again.