Chapter 158: Chapter 155: The Aftermath of Ecstasy! His Next Target: A Black Market Divine Skill
Without a dedicated Spiritual Refinement Technique, relying solely on "Heart Clarity and Nature Seeing" and that money-burning helmet was simply not enough to completely purify this jumble of Spiritual Energy.
His current Spiritual Power was all show and no substance.
It looked immense, but inside it was full of impurities, making it illusory and unstable.
There was a risk of it spiraling out of control at any moment.
’I have to find a way to refine it.’
’To make this power completely my own.’
Wang Meng looked surprised when he saw him take off the helmet.
"What’s wrong? You’re not going back in?"
"No, if I ’eat’ any more, I’m going to puke."
Han Feng rubbed his throbbing temples, his voice laced with weary hoarseness.
He glanced at the card slot on the side of the helmet.
The slot, once stuffed full of Spirit Coins, now held only a pile of dull, grayish-white powder.
In one night, he had burned through more than thirty Spirit Coins.
’This isn’t Cultivation, this is practically burning money just to stay alive.’
If he hadn’t struck it rich in the Secret Realm, he couldn’t have afforded this insane training method even if he sold himself.
"Get some rest. It’s almost dawn," Zhang Hao’s voice called out.
Outside the cave, the churning gray fog had visibly thinned, and the suffocating pressure was slowly receding.
Han Feng nodded.
Clutching the helmet that was more precious than his own life, he found a corner and curled up.
His mind was a mess, and a severe pain throbbed without end.
He desperately needed a deep sleep to recover.
But before he closed his eyes, he couldn’t help but smile.
’All this suffering tonight wasn’t for nothing.’
’Once my Sword Bone completely transforms, and with this surging Spiritual Power...’
’Whether it’s those bastards from the Celestial Wings Society or that bizarre Li Wei... ’
’I’ll have the confidence to face them head-on.’
’A Spiritual Cultivation Method...’
Han Feng etched those words into his mind as his consciousness finally sank into darkness.
This was his next goal.
’Otherwise, sitting on this mountain-full of a Spiritual Power "buffet" without daring to eat my fill would be the world’s greatest crime.’
...
Daylight slanted in through the cave entrance, dispelling the last wisp of gloom.
The tense atmosphere that had gripped the cave all night finally dissolved.
The chill and deathly silence that had lingered for six hours rapidly vanished with the morning light.
"It’s morning!" someone shouted.
As if a massive weight had been lifted from their shoulders, everyone let out a long sigh of relief.
Fan Jian was the first to spring up from the ground.
He rushed to the entrance, taking deep breaths of the fresh air outside.
His face was still pale.
But the fear from last night was gone from his eyes, replaced by the sheer relief of having survived.
Han Feng was woken by the noise at the cave entrance.
The moment he opened his eyes, his head throbbed as if pierced by needles.
It pulsed with waves of unbearable, throbbing pain.
He shook his head.
A strong wave of dizziness washed over him, almost making him fall over.
"HISS..."
Han Feng sucked in a sharp breath, pressing his hands firmly against his wildly throbbing temples.
The more satisfying last night’s "buffet" had been, the more severe the after-effects were now.
He felt like his mind was a complete muddle.
Heavy, chaotic.
He couldn’t even concentrate.
"Fengzi, you’re awake?"
Wang Meng came over.
"Why’s your face so pale?"
He waved his fan-sized hand in front of Han Feng’s eyes, his face full of concern.
"I’m fine. Just some indigestion."
Han Feng forced a smile that was uglier than crying, his voice extremely hoarse.
He pushed himself up against the cold rock wall and stretched his stiff body.
A faint soreness still radiated from deep within his bones.
But the mental exhaustion was far worse than the physical fatigue.
He walked to the cave entrance.
The damp morning breeze on his face cleared his muddled head a little.
He saw Zhang Hao inspecting his gear and walked straight over.
"Captain, can I ask you something?"
Zhang Hao stopped wiping his blade and looked up at him.
"Go ahead."
"Is there a Technique to quickly purify and refine Spiritual Power?"
Han Feng got straight to the point, wasting no words.
"Or something similar would work too."
He wasn’t stupid enough to reveal his secret about absorbing Spirit Bodies.
Instead, he framed it in a more acceptable way.
"My Perception Talent is a bit special."
"When I resist Spiritual Contamination, I can absorb some of the dissipated Energy to strengthen myself."
"But this Energy is too impure. If I absorb too much, my mind can’t handle it."
As soon as he said this, the movements of the surrounding team members slowed, and they all cast shocked and uncertain glances his way.
’Directly absorbing energy from the Gloom Period to strengthen himself?’
’It’s completely unheard of.’
’That Talent is just too heaven-defying.’
No wonder he dared to act like a madman, dancing on the edge of the cave entrance and torturing himself to a pulp.
"A Spiritual Cultivation Technique..."
Zhang Hao’s brow furrowed instantly, his expression growing more solemn than ever before.
"That’s not easy to get your hands on," he explained in a low voice.
"In the Martial Artist System—Body Tempering and Muscle Training, Meridian Passage and Qi Cultivation, Enlightenment and Cultivating Truth—every step has a clear Cultivation Technique to follow."
"But the Cultivation of Spiritual Power has always been a challenge for all Martial Artists."
"Most people can only rely on the passive growth of their Spiritual Power that comes with advancing their realm."
"As for Techniques that allow one to actively cultivate their spirit, we call them ’Visualization Methods.’"
"Every single one of them is incredibly precious."
Zhang Hao’s gaze swept over Han Feng as he continued.
"Within the Gaia Alliance, all complete ’Visualization Methods’ are considered strategic resources under strict control."
"They are held firmly in the grasp of the military, the council, and the top consortiums."
"Our school library has some, but the clearance required to exchange for them is frighteningly high, and they’re classified as restricted Secret Techniques."
"Even if I knew one, I couldn’t teach it to you privately."
"That’s a major felony."
The light in Han Feng’s eyes dimmed.
His last sliver of hope was completely extinguished.
’If I can’t get a Visualization Method...’
It meant he was sitting on the massive treasure trove of experience that was Suspended Mountain, but he could only look, not touch.
That kind of torment was worse than death.
Just as Han Feng’s heart turned cold, Zhang Hao’s tone shifted.
"Just because the Alliance-controlled channels are a dead end doesn’t mean there aren’t other avenues."
Han Feng’s eyes snapped up, staring intently at Zhang Hao.
"What avenues?"
"Secret Realm, trading market," Zhang Hao spoke slowly, enunciating each word.
"We’re not the only ones from the academies in this Secret Realm."
"There are teams from the major consortiums, Mercenary Corps, and lone Grandmasters everywhere."
"These people, more or less, all have some ’good stuff’ that can’t see the light of day."
He raised his wrist and pulled up a map on his personal terminal.
He pointed to a massive Floating Island in the center, marked in red.
"The Core Floating Island of Suspended Mountain. It’s an A Level safe point, and there are magnificent ancient palace ruins on it."
"By convention, starting tonight—which is the Gloom Period of the trial’s second day..."
"...a temporary trading market will spontaneously form there."
"Everyone tacitly accepts the arrangement. Teams that have made some gains in the Secret Realm and want to trade for urgently needed supplies will all go there to try their luck."
"A market?"
Han Feng’s breathing hitched.
"That’s right."
Zhang Hao nodded, a complex look in his eyes.
"Fragments of ’Visualization Methods’ that aren’t controlled by the Alliance, or forbidden Potions that can cleanse the spirit... they’re rare."
"But in a place as motley as that, it’s not impossible for them to show up."
"It’s just that the price..."
"...will be high enough to make you question your existence."
