Chapter 12: Assigning Tasks

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nZhao Luo was very eager to master ‘Binding’ so he could already move onto the last stage of Naoli.

nBut the question was that his apparitions were already in front of him so what now?

n‘What do I have to do to master Binding?’

nZhao Luo had this thought.

nSo he looked at his master with wet puppy eyes.

nYou need to give task to your apparitions. Once they complete a task they will evolve into skilled apparitions. Only then can you master the binding successfully. Just think of it as the completion of a chapter.

nThe old man answered the questions of Zhao Luo as if he could read his mind.

nAs to the task you will give them think of something that you haven’t been able to do. The rest is up to you.

nThe old man gave his instruction to Zhao Luo then closed his eyes. He started meditating.

nWhat should be their task? There is nothing here to do so what should I even tell them to do?

nZhao Luo questioned himself.

nWhile wondering he thought why not tell them to exercise.

nZhao Luo went over to his apparitions and told them to start body-weight exercising.

nAfter an hour or so the mind of Zhao Luo was filled with such scenes that were hard to describe.

nOne of the apparitions was doing squats like crazy.

nThe second one was sitting on the dark floor doing a Russian twist.

nThe third was standing on all fours like some animal. From time to time he would raise his leg and kick backward like a Donkey.

nThe fourth one was breathing heavily while doing a plank. He was ready to give up already but looking at the ferocious gaze of Zhao Luo he didn’t dare to.

nThe fifth one was doing side lunges. He was barely keeping himself from falling to the side.

nThe sixth was doing push-ups. His arms had already swollen to a painful point.

nThe seventh was doing crunches. Abs were already visible on his belly but he couldn’t stop even after doing more few thousand of these crunches.

nThe eighth one was just jumping up and down like a Kangaroo.

nThe ninth was given the weirdest task. He had to keep on running in a circle formed around the apparitions and Zhao Luo.

nThe ruckus caused by these apparitions disturbed the meditating Empera.

nThe old man opened his eyes just to be shocked by the circus led by Zhao Luo undergoing in front of him.

nThe old man looked at them with a grin and thought what kind of unfortunate things they were to be tortured by Zhao Luo like this.

nFor the old man Zhao Luo was making them do dumb actions which had close to no effect that he knew of.

nBut the old man didn’t know that these were like the hardest known bodyweight exercises that Zhao Luo knew of.

nNonetheless the old man was impressed with how Zhao Luo tasked his apparitions with these weird moves.

nThe reason Zhao Luo gave these exercises to his apparitions was related to his longing to exercise before. Because of his condition he couldn’t do these kinds of exercises before. But it was quite refreshing to watch himself do these now as the exercises being done now was affecting the apparition’s physical state but for Zhao Luo only his mental energy was being used.

nWell that’s already enough. Let’s move on to the last stage of Naoli before you exhaust your apparitions to death.

nThe old man said while pitying his apparitions.

nMaster you are awake.

nZhao Luo said to the old man and then looked at his apparitions.

nSTOP.

nZhao Luo commanded.

nI wasn’t sleeping young man. Have you never seen a meditating person before huh? Why is my pupil so dumb.

nThe old man cursed himself.

nMaster I was just messing with you. There is no need to curse yourself but I won’t stop you if that’s what you truly want.

nZhao Luo kept on teasing his master.

nForget about the fourth stage. I am going back to sleep.

nThe old man knew how to get back at Zhao Luo.

nHAHA master I am the dumb pupil. Please without your guidance I will end up like that.

nZhao Luo pointed at one of the apparitions who still hadn’t stopped doing the exercise that it was tasked with.

nThis was the third apparition. The one who was doing the donkey kicks.

nThe old man was quite pleased with the self beating that Zhao Luo had displayed just now. The old man looked quite happy as he was smiling from ear to ear.

nNow the Fourth Stage of Naoli is ‘Assimilation’. To assimilate your apparitions you need to absorb their learnings and thus affecting your body.

nThe old man explained to Zhao Luo.

nOnce your body changes through this absorption it will indicate the mastering of Assimilation. Resulting in the achievement of the First Step to Godhood.

nThe old man ended his explanation and looked at Zhao Luo wondering what step his dumb pupil will take now.

nZhao Luo stood there scratching his head thinking hard on something.

nThe old man noticed this unexpected reaction.

nWhat is wrong?

nThe old man asked Zhao Luo.

nHow do I assimilate them?

nZhao Luo asked the old man.

nThe old man fell into a deep silence.

nYou will eat them. So they can merge with your body once they reach your stomach.

nThe old man answered seriously.

nEat them? You mean I have to eat myself. R-Really?

nZhao Luo had a dark shade creeping over his face. Just thinking about eating his apparitions was making his mind go blank.

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