Chapter 149: Chapter 109: Are We That Close?
’So close...’
A few minutes later, Lu Chao, who was sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes.
His body swayed. He shook his head and raised a hand to his forehead.
Just now, by activating his Flow State, he had attempted to practice the Fixed Star Observation Method.
With his mind so active, the obscure and profound text was no longer as difficult to comprehend. He gradually found a knack for it, gaining some understanding.
’Crimson Fire, Round Sun, Star Ring, Blazing Sun...’
These were the four layers of the Fixed Star Observation Method.
Its main principle was to visualize a sun-like star in one’s mind, observing it day and night while drawing in the light of the heavens and using certain techniques to temper one’s spiritual will, making it progressively stronger.
Even at the very beginning, just the first layer, Crimson Fire, could grant a person a certain resistance to spiritual attacks, making them unafraid of common mental interference techniques.
If one cultivated to a high enough level, their will would become like fire, able to manifest their spirit as a blazing sun and form a powerful Martial Arts aura.
At that point, a single glance could release a spiritual shock, making others feel an unbearable heat as if a star had fallen from the sky to suppress the world and cow the masses.
HUFF!
Slowly exhaling a turbid breath, Lu Chao could feel a wave of exhaustion and drowsiness wash over his mind.
He got up and walked to a mirror on the side. The reflection staring back at him had dull eyes and a pale face, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.
Ten minutes. That was the current time limit for his Flow State.
It was very similar to the Frenzy State from Adrenaline Rush, except the latter burned physical stamina, while Flow State used Spiritual Power as fuel.
It was essentially a frantic burning of one’s spirit to gain heightened cognition and enhanced comprehension in a short period.
’It’s not so bad, though. Compared to the total exhaustion after the Frenzy State, Flow State just leaves me dizzy and groggy. It’s not too severe.’
’But...’
Carefully sensing his own condition, Lu Chao felt that he had been forcibly ejected from the Flow State.
It was like the body’s self-preservation mechanism, forcing an exit once his spirit had been burned to a certain degree.
If he had tried to force it, the price was obvious: he would have burned away all his Spiritual Power and become an idiot.
’I wonder how long it takes for Spiritual Power to recover.’
Lu Chao silently contemplated this, quietly gauging the upper limits of his new talent’s cost.
Clearly, much like the Frenzy State, it could only be used once in a short period.
Still, he wasn’t disappointed.
The cost was certainly not low, but the effects of the Flow State talent were truly remarkable.
In just ten minutes, his Needle Throwing Skill had successfully broken through to the 2nd Floor, and he had grasped many of the difficult points of the 3rd Floor of his Fighting Skill.
Although part of this was due to his accumulated training, it meant that in the future, he could use it to accelerate his practice of Martial Skills, research of potion knowledge, and so on to break through bottlenecks.
’Moreover, if I successfully cultivate the Fixed Star Observation Method, I can increase my Spiritual Power.’
’Then...’
His gaze flickered as Lu Chao looked at the panel. The information about his Flow State talent was particularly conspicuous.
The effectiveness and duration of the Flow State were directly correlated with Spiritual Power.
In other words, the current cost was just a temporary limit; there was still plenty of room for improvement.
For a moment, his eyes shone with anticipation.
Lu Chao glanced at the city block outside the window, feeling that the sky was bright and the world was vast.
....
That afternoon.
Having recovered a portion of his spirit, Lu Chao started walking and stepped out of the station.
The sign for the Jinshi Boxing Hall hung on the iron gate of an abandoned school. He slowly walked inside.
He hadn’t been here in several days, and the atmosphere in the boxing hall had subtly changed.
Looking around, he saw that the number of ordinary disciples on the concrete training ground had been reduced by a third.
Although they were all still training hard—doing frog jumps, running laps, and flipping tires—Lu Chao could faintly sense a gloomy mood hanging over everyone.
Puzzled, he walked into the training building.
Looking around, he saw that the number of official disciples inside had also decreased by more than ten, as if it had suddenly reverted to how it was when he first arrived.
"Senior Brother Lu."
"Hello, Senior Brother Lu."
Seeing him approach, many junior brothers greeted him respectfully.
Lu Chao nodded in acknowledgment and then looked toward a corner.
There, Zheng Wu, dressed in a white and gray training uniform, was instructing others. Hearing the greetings and seeing Lu Chao arrive, his eyes lit up, and he quickly walked over.
"Junior Brother Lu."
He looked Lu Chao up and down, as if confirming something, his gaze holding a trace of concern and worry.
Lu Chao smiled, nodded, and returned the greeting.
"Senior Brother Zheng."
"Looks like you’re all right. Mmm... it’s good that you’re all right."
Zheng Wu nodded emphatically and patted Lu Chao’s shoulder.
Unlike the other disciples who were out of the loop, he had likely heard the rumors about Qiu Shan and his group.
"Speaking of which, I was really startled when I heard about it."
His tone was full of emotion as Zheng Wu couldn’t help but look him over again. "That was Qiu Shan we’re talking about. Even though he was seriously injured and his strength had plummeted, to be able to kill him... the situation must have been incredibly dangerous, right?"
He was curious about what had happened and also felt a lingering fear for Lu Chao’s sake.
Seeing this, Lu Chao smiled faintly, but inwardly, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Perhaps because he had guessed that Lu Chao was hiding some secrets, or perhaps because he had been unconscious and missed the aftermath, Yang Wangtao didn’t go into detail after waking up. In the subsequent report, he insisted that Qiu Shan and his group were already severely wounded, covering for Lu Chao as much as possible.
Similarly, because the potential threat of the Rebels had yet to be fully resolved, the Patrol Department was worried that he and Yang Wangtao would face retaliation. Thus, they also handled the matter discreetly and did not publicize it.
"It was just good luck, Senior Brother Zheng."
