Chapter 76: Twenty Points, Hall of Thought (First Update!)

Textbook?

Cheng Ze put down the meat saw in his hand. Dongqiao Suburb of Dangyang had experienced thirty years of great development, booming and thriving.

Especially the Zidi Xuexiao that recruited children of military dependents, senior employees, and frontline personnel.

Various parties invested massive resources, from the Taian Education Bureau to the Hengzhou Martial Association, all contributing greatly.

These past events were often recalled by the older generation on Old Factory Street, always on their lips.

"Qin Village Chief does have his methods. After those textbooks went missing, the Inspection Department searched high and low, dug three feet deep, but recovered less than one-third. At the time, they almost turned Dongqiao Suburb of Dangyang upside down."

Cheng Ze took out a cigarette, stuffed it into Luo Ji's mouth, and lit it for him:

"Even the Inspection Department couldn't find them, but Qin Renying could. As expected of a local snake of Yincheng."

"Rumor has it that in Yincheng, even the District Head has to watch this Qin Family boss's expression, and at social dinners must stand to offer a toast."

"Brother Ji, do you know which textbook it is? I remember among the textbooks not yet recovered, there is one SSS-grade, two A-grade, and seven or eight B-grade."

The SSS-grade is naturally the He Lanchan Transmission from legend with countless versions, the Void Meditation Method.

Those two A-grade ones also have significant origins, the Jinghuang Blade and the Ming Shen Record.

Belonging to the last lingering glow after the First Generation Ten Greats.

After that, it became very difficult for any Old Martial Arts inheritance to be compiled into official textbooks by the Martial Association again.

The smell of tobacco was like a sedative, barely restoring some spirit to the extremely panicked Luo Ji. He licked his lips:

"I don't know the specific grade. Hao Ge once, after getting acupuncture, was sparring with his brothers for warm-up and casually said, 'No matter how aloof Chen Ruofu is, he'll have to accept this gift.'"

So confident?

It seems it really is a very, very heavy gift.

After all, Chen Lin Bantiantianxia rules the Urban Circle—whoever is the boss is clear at a glance.

Able to move Chen Ruofu, who holds the title of "Number One" at Inspection Headquarters.

It certainly won't be shoddy goods.

Cheng Ze narrowed his eyes and asked again:

"Something so important, why was it delivered mixed with medicine?"

Luo Ji tried hard to recall various details:

"The container for sealing contraband is special. The higher the grade of the textbook original, the stronger the residual spiritual fluctuation."

"Hao Ge said there's something called 'Iron Curtain' in the Urban Circle, a defense mechanism that can't be casually obtained."

"It needs to be processed first..."

Cheng Ze looked thoughtful.

He learned the term "Iron Curtain" from the mouth of a "friend" he met through various coincidences.

The description was fairly abstract: an intangible defense system developed by the Dicheng Research Institute.

It is said to be the main framework essential for the Great Reclamation.

"Defense? Defend against whom?"

Cheng Ze found it strange upon first hearing it.

Hengzhou New Star was calm and peaceful. Apart from occasional natural disaster phenomena, nihilist cultists, freedom-following rebels, and Ancient Anqi-ist chaos-makers had almost vanished.

"Very good, Brother Ji. You've successfully bought your life."

After that cigarette was finished, Cheng Ze lightly patted Luo Ji's face, covered in sweat and oil, and resealed the mouths of him and Qin Zhijie.

Then injected several shots of nutrient solution to maintain basic life signs, and anesthetic to keep him asleep.

Every so often, Cheng Ze would come down to inject a muscle relaxant.

"Jiusong Port, Number Five Abandoned Wharf..."

He returned to his room, gazing at the dawn light outside the window just turning fish-belly white.

"Truly an unexpected harvest."

【Progress: 0.020%】

By the time Qin Shi fully absorbed the Level 4 Energy Liquid divided into twelve shots injected into his body, it was pitch black outside the dormitory, occasionally hearing the noisy ruckus of kids or the demonic music of aunties square dancing.

"Truly unprecedentedly refreshing and exhilarating!"

He closed his eyes to feel the "Life Seed" crouching three inches below his navel. In Inner Vision State, it was like a glowing cocoon flickering brightly.

Whenever Qi Circulation operated the Grand Cycle, this seed would release extremely rich Qi Life Force to nourish flesh and blood, moisten the Mortal Body, making this young body increasingly approach perfection.

As if +1, +1 was jumping on his head all the time, inexplicably giving the satisfaction of AFK experience gain.

"No wonder twenty points is called the great threshold. Is it because breaking this critical value allows a change and evolution from inside out?"

Qin Shi pondered. The teaching content of New No. 1 Middle School Hongzhi Class did not include such deep knowledge of Life Force Development.

"As the old saying goes, what is learned from paper is always shallow; to truly know this, one must practice it oneself. But I didn't even have the chance to learn from paper. Thank goodness Zhou Shu introduced Lao Liang!"

His thoughts diverged. If he one day stood on the Star Cup Grand Finals stage and was interviewed by major media, Zhou Shu recommending Lao Liang to him could be said to be the moment the gears of fate began to turn!

"Xiao Shi, you're awake. There's a box of Nutrient Paste on the table. Eat some to fill your stomach first."

Lao Liang, hunched over his desk writing something, turned his head to look at Qin Shi grinning foolishly, and couldn't help but worry.

His disciple wouldn't have gone addled, would he? Many theories and cognitions in the Old Era Martial Arts World were not mature enough, requiring constant trial and error. Especially on the Breaking Limits Road, it was simply a mountain of piled-up white bones.

Among them were not a few unlucky ones who consumed high-energy items without a master's guidance, then ran a fever without stopping and burned their brains.

"Master Liang, how should the Life Seed be nurtured?"

Qin Shi asked sincerely.

"Eat well, drink well, sleep well. Those are the basic conditions."

Lao Liang put down his pen and said in a serious tone:

"The rest is to find a way to eat better, drink better, and sleep better.

Of course, this is the normal method. You know, our Old Martial Arts school often doesn't like to take the ordinary path."

"Can Life Seeds be speedrun?"

Qin Shi, who had always wanted to be a speedrun player, had his eyes light up, and he impatiently rubbed his hands:

"Master Liang, tell me more."

Lao Liang picked up the "lesson plan" he had just written, turned around to face Qin Shi:

"Ancient sages once recorded in their classics: Heaven has Five Thieves; those who see them prosper. The Five Thieves are in the heart, carried out in Heaven. The Universe is in the hand, all things are born from the body."

The First Martial God Yan Haishan once took this as the foundation for a Martial Artist's existence. All things steal from Heaven and Earth, and man steals from all things. Each steals from the other to live, nourishing and sustaining one another."

So the Old Martial Arts school has an inheritance that has never declined, called 'Stealing Heaven's Secrets'."

Stealing Heaven's Secrets?

Qin Shi's eyes showed strong interest.

"The elders said that between life and death lies great terror. Let yourself be mentally tense, always on the edge of life and death, and the heart and mind can be tempered repeatedly, then sublimated."

Lao Liang smiled, wrinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes:

"I asked Master Uncle; he said someone indeed did this, but the vast majority were wild paths, Loose Cultivators without proper lineage, practicing on icy cliffs in deep mountains and old forests, or on rooftops of buildings dozens of stories high, with one out of a hundred surviving considered lucky."

The Old Martial Arts school doesn't easily raise a good seedling; if they really used this method, the family incense would be cut off within three to five generations."

Qin Shi couldn't help but smile; this method similar to asceticism had been seen by him in extracurricular reading materials about traditional martial arts.

"But it doesn't mean the method of Stealing Heaven's Secrets is wrong; it is the path of transformation for geniuses, not a shortcut to success for mediocrities. Only if one's own heart and mind are strong enough and stable can one be worthy of stealing heavenly secrets and comprehending life and death. Otherwise, it's like a child wielding a huge hammer, crushing himself instead."

Lao Liang's tone was light, suddenly looking at Qin Shi, and without reason his tongue burst into spring thunder as he let out a violent shout:

"Look straight at me!"

Qin Shi, who was listening seriously to the class, was caught off guard; his gaze was drawn to meet Lao Liang's eyes, and then he saw two fingers suddenly poke toward him, sharp as an unsheathed sword edge; before they even touched his skin, a stinging pain as if being sliced arose.

I'm going to die!

Lao Liang's gaze was cold, revealing an icy cruelty that treated life like grass, making Qin Shi completely believe that the next moment his skull would be pierced and he would die on the spot.

Super-Sensory Perception!

In such a critical situation, the Stela triggered, causing Qin Shi's five senses to instantly surge; the time flow rate of the surrounding world seemed to slow down, and even Lao Liang's sword-finger, fast as lightning, seemed like a slow-motion replay frame by frame.

"My head is going to explode!"

Qin Shi's temples throbbed; obviously, this experience similar to "time stop" far exceeded what a Mortal Body could bear.

Half a second!

He only managed to move back less than two meters before everything returned to normal.

Lao Liang, who had originally been sitting in a chair, didn't know when he stood in front of him; two fingers almost touched Qin Shi's forehead.

His eyes were full of surprise, then turned to admiration:

"Spirit-Flesh Unity, truly incredible. Despite the disadvantage of suppressed Life Force, he still broke free from confinement with tenacious spiritual will!"

Even with fifty Life Force points, facing this finger containing assassination fist arts, one couldn't dodge it.

But Qin Shi made a dodging reaction and completed the movement.

This was not easy.

Ordinary people encountering danger often have their brains go blank, scared stiff in place, losing the ability to act.

Trained fighters and Martial Artists have stronger mental fortitude; instead, they can focus their minds and adapt on the spot.

The mindset and courage his disciple just showed had already surpassed many experts with fifty Life Force points.

"Hoo hoo hoo..."

Qin Shi didn't speak; he was drenched in sweat instantly, his face turning pale.

His eyes stared blankly, somewhat hollow, and only after a while did he recover.

"It felt like circling the Gates of Ghosts, narrowly turning back."

Qin Shi finally understood the true meaning of lingering fear.

Just now, it felt like he brushed past a large truck, or bullets were jumping around above his head.

The thrill and terror of being able to have his life ended at any moment crazily stimulated his body.

Blood surged, rushing to the brain; the five senses were magnified, abnormally sharp.

The Mortal Body seemed to open some shackle, entering a brand new world, touching the truer essence of things.

"How is it? Is Stealing Heaven's Secrets useful?"

Lao Liang put away his fingers and sat back down, dragging his lame leg.

Qin Shi remained silent, closing his eyes for Inner Vision; that Life Seed the size of a fingernail had actually grown a trace, though slight, it had truly grown.

【Progress: 0.021%】

In less than two seconds, Life Force increased a bit more.

"It is precisely because of the existence of Stealing Heaven's Secrets that the Old Martial Arts school likes to find Strong Enemies as whetstones to temper themselves; success transforms into a Dragon, failure means death."

Lao Liang sighed:

"My Master died just like that. But for him, perhaps falling before a strong hand in this life was better than dying of illness in bed."

Qin Shi took a deep breath, regulated his Breath, and withdrew his mind from tension.

"Master Liang, how about... we do it a few more times? I think this method is quite useful!"

Lao Liang shook his head:

"It only works this once. If you want to try again, you must encounter that kind of life-and-death battle that can beat you half to death and hold your little life in its grasp."

Qin Shi felt it was a pity; a good thing where one brush with death could increase Life Force was indeed rare.

【Disaster Always One Step Behind Me (1/3)】

Text information flashed across the retina; the achievement mission of evading danger three times was also partially completed.

……

……

Returning from Lao Liang's place, Qin Shi couldn't wait to finish washing up and lay down on the bed.

Early to bed, early to rise; tomorrow upon opening his eyes.

He would be able to upgrade 【Deep Sleep】 to Advanced.

Ci Ri, morning.

【Intermediate Achievement - Deep Sleep (30/30)】

【Advancement Successful】

【Advanced Achievement - Deep Sleep】

【Deep Sleep: Young Good, Fall Asleep Immediately. No creature's Growth Stage can do without sufficient rest, let alone you, this Embryo Seed still in development.】

【Trait: You will no longer face the trouble of insomnia, and can recover more Physical Ability and energy through shorter sleep time, and open the Mental Space, construct the Thinking Hall.】

【134】 【Advancement Route: Grand or minute Xiang Zheng in the Universe can all become Pillars supporting the mind; discover it, then accommodate it.】

Advancement Route: grand or minute images in the Universe can become the Pillar that sustains the spirit; discover it, then contain it.

(Chapter End)