Chapter 155: Chapter 152: Absorbing Spirit Body Energy, Triggering Heart Clarity and Nature Seeing
"It’s working!"
Han Feng was overjoyed.
But before he could celebrate,
he saw that the two halves of the Spirit Body hadn’t dissipated.
Instead, they acted like two magnets, pulling toward each other.
Countless fine, gray threads stretched out from the severed edges,
frantically trying to fuse back together.
’Such tenacious Life Force?’
Han Feng raised an eyebrow.
’If slicing it in half won’t kill it, I’ll just have to dice it to bits!’
"Let’s see you fuse back together!"
Han Feng’s wrist became a blur.
His Longsword transformed into a silver-gray blur of light.
He executed the Basic Swordsmanship technique, "Chaotic Cloak."
Each slash was imbued with sharp Sword Qi.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Before the unfortunate Spirit Body could reform, it was enveloped by a dense flurry of sword flashes.
In just two seconds,
Han Feng delivered dozens of strikes,
hacking the head-sized Spirit Body into smithereens.
The largest piece was no bigger than an egg.
Only then did the fragments finally lose their vitality.
They stopped trying to fuse.
Instead, they began to rapidly disintegrate and dissipate.
As the Spirit Body disintegrated, specks of fluorescent light suddenly appeared within the nauseating gray mist.
They were colorful motes of light,
drifting slowly through the air.
They lacked the previous cold, sinister aura, radiating a pure energy fluctuation instead.
Han Feng stopped, panting lightly.
Even though the burst of attacks had only lasted a few seconds, infusing his strikes with Sword Qi was incredibly draining.
A faint, aching numbness spread from deep within his bones.
He reached out with his left hand and cautiously touched one of the motes of light.
[High-activity Spiritual Energy residue detected]
[Contains trace amounts of Spiritual Contamination]
[Absorb?]
[Warning: Direct absorption may cause mental confusion and hallucinations.]
[Projected Benefits: Accelerated Sword Bone Transformation, increased Spiritual Strength.]
The system’s notification boxes flickered urgently across his vision.
Han Feng’s eyes narrowed.
Anyone else would have seen the words "contamination" and "hallucinations" and avoided this like the plague.
But Han Feng’s eyes were fixed on the final benefit—increased Spiritual Strength.
In this world, it was easy to train one’s Qi Blood, but difficult to cultivate one’s spirit.
Aside from Superpower Users born with immense Spiritual Power, or those pill-popping lunatics from the Spiritual Energy Technology Academy,
for an ordinary Martial Artist to increase their Spiritual Power, their only options were painstaking, long-term effort or absurdly expensive Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.
’And now, a free "spiritual feast" was laid out right before him?’
"Brother Meng, hold on tight."
Han Feng glanced back and warned, his voice tinged with excitement.
"What?"
Before Wang Meng could react,
he saw Han Feng’s palm fly open.
A suction force emanated from his palm, pulling the entire cluster of shattered, colorful lights into his grasp.
Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he absorbed it!
BUZZ!
An icy current shot up the meridians in his arm, rushing straight to the crown of his head.
The sensation was like having a block of ice stuffed into your brain on a sweltering day—a thrill so intense it made his scalp tingle.
[Absorption successful.]
[Purging impurities...]
[Root Bone Transformation +0.05]
[Spiritual Strength +0.1]
Han Feng watched the numbers tick up on the panel, his heart starting to race.
"Again!"
Han Feng looked at the dense swarm of Spirit Bodies outside the cave, and his gaze changed in an instant.
’Those weren’t terrifying monsters. They were walking XP packs.’
His Longsword danced, unleashing a cross-hatching web of Sword Qi.
Three more approaching Spirit Bodies were shredded to pieces.
This time, Han Feng didn’t hesitate for a second.
He absorbed all the motes of light in one go.
BOOM!
The impact this time was ten times more violent than the last.
[Root Bone Transformation +1]
[Spiritual Strength +2]
A massive wave of Spiritual Energy flooded his mind.
Before Han Feng could even rejoice, the world before him began to warp.
The dim cave vanished.
In its place was a blinding white light and the pungent stench of engine oil.
...
"C Level Technician Han Feng, ID 09527! Your improper handling has destroyed Engine Three! This month’s performance bonus is forfeit!"
A fleshy face, contorted with rage, roared right in front of him.
Spittle sprayed across his face.
It was his old supervisor from the maintenance department—the fat bastard who was always docking his pay.
Han Feng looked down at himself. He was wearing oil-stained blue overalls.
In his hand, he held a wrench with a broken handle.
There was no system, no Sword Bone, no status as a B Level Student.
"What are you gawking at? Get back to work! You’re destined to be a scrap-heap mechanic for the rest of your life!"
The scene shifted.
The sky had turned blood-red.
A deafening siren blared, piercing the heavens.
"Beast tide! It’s a Third Level Beast Tide!"
"East Sea City’s defensive Shield has been breached! Run!"
Countless people screamed in terror, pushing and shoving.
A colossal foot descended from the sky, blotting out the sun.
It was a colossal Demon Beast, a hundred meters tall.
The earth trembled with its every step.
Han Feng stood amidst the ruins, armed with nothing but a rusty pistol.
He pulled the trigger in desperation.
CLICK.
It jammed.
The colossal beast lowered its head, its crimson eyes like two lakes of blood.
It stared mockingly at the ant before it.
The shadow of death enveloped him.
The feeling of suffocation was maddeningly real.
The scene shattered and reformed once more.
He was in the cockpit of a fighter jet.
But it wasn’t the familiar "Ghost Bat."
It was a dilapidated, old-fashioned propeller plane.
The needles on the instrument panel spun wildly, and the altimeter read zero.
"Warning! Warning! Lift failure!"
Han Feng yanked desperately at the control stick.
But the stick wouldn’t budge, as if it were welded in place.
The plane was in a freefall.
The weightlessness made his stomach churn violently.
Just then, a rhythmic, electric hum abruptly sounded.
ZZZT... BZZZ...
It was the sound of the "Resonant Calming Module" in his helmet activating.
Along with the sound, a cool current washed over his mind, a moment of pure clarity.
His dazed eyes instantly cleared.
’It’s fake.’
The terror on Han Feng’s face suddenly vanished, replaced by calm.
He suddenly realized that everything he had just experienced was merely a hallucination.
’Break!’
Han Feng roared in the depths of his consciousness.
His Sword Bone trembled, and heat flared up his spine.
The true power that had fused with his very flesh and blood erupted.
K-CRACK—
The cockpit before him and the sensation of weightless freefall instantly shattered into countless fragments.
"Hahh— Hahh—"
Han Feng’s eyes shot open, and he gasped for air, panting heavily.
His back was soaked in a cold sweat.
Just then, a powerful force yanked him by the waist.
He was viciously dragged backward.
THUD!
Han Feng was yanked backward by Wang Meng, landing flat on his back.
His helmet hit the ground with a muffled THUMP.
"Fengzi! Wake up! Don’t you fucking scare me!"
Wang Meng’s booming voice exploded next to his ear, making his eardrums ache.
’Such a welcome sound.’
Han Feng lay on the ground, staring up at the familiar rock ceiling of the cave.
And at Wang Meng’s large, worried face.
’I’m back.’
The module in his helmet was still emitting a faint hum.
The cool sensation continued to soothe his startled mind.
[Congratulations, Host. You have broken through the Illusion Realm and achieved Heart Clarity and Nature Seeing.]
[Passive Trait Acquired: Heart Clarity and Nature Seeing (Basic Level)]
[Effect: Grants a clear mind and firm will. Significantly weakens mental interference below Tier One and slightly weakens Tier Two Spiritual Contamination. (Skill Proficiency 1/1000)]
