Chapter 12: Assigning Tasks

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

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

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

Zhao Luo had this thought.

So he looked at his master with wet puppy eyes.

You 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.

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

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

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

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

Zhao Luo questioned himself.

While wondering he thought why not tell them to exercise.

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

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

One of the apparitions was doing squats like crazy.

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

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

The 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.

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

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

The 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.

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

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

The ruckus caused by these apparitions disturbed the meditating Empera.

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

The 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.

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

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

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

The 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.

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

The old man said while pitying his apparitions.

Master you are awake.

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

STOP.

Zhao Luo commanded.

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

The old man cursed himself.

Master 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.

Zhao Luo kept on teasing his master.

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

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

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

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

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

The 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.

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

The old man explained to Zhao Luo.

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

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

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

The old man noticed this unexpected reaction.

What is wrong?

The old man asked Zhao Luo.

How do I assimilate them?

Zhao Luo asked the old man.

The old man fell into a deep silence.

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

The old man answered seriously.

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

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