Chapter 80: Borrow a Knife to Kill

“Boom!”

At that moment, a vast flood of inexplicable information surged into Lin Qing’s mind.

According to the Anti-Entropy's calculations—

Theoretically, for him to bring the “Original Sunrise Method” to its absolute peak, he would need not only to push its seventy-two movements and accompanying breathing techniques to their utmost limits, perfectly channeling the mysterious energy that flows through his entire body.

Crucially, he must also extract sufficient quantities of “Second-Level” mysterious energy from the external void!

Only after extracting enough Second-Level energy each time, then performing perfect cultivation, could he reach the peak after exactly 380 repetitions.

That is, the true human limit!

Simultaneously, under the influence of the Sunrise Method, the Second-Level mysterious energy would slowly optimize his own genes. The next instant, countless memories surfaced in Lin Qing’s mind.

In those memories, he had endured countless attempts before barely perceiving and becoming familiar with a single type of Second-Level mysterious energy, expending immense effort to master the Original Sunrise Method.

Later, as the method became familiar and refined, and his body strengthened by Second-Level energy, his physical attributes finally reached the human limit.

Once the body reached its limit, his genes began gradually optimizing through accumulated days and nights.

After yet more countless years, the Second-Level energy provided by the Sunrise Method had maximized its gene-optimizing potential—no further progress was possible.

“Hmph…”

Lin Qing, eyes tightly shut, let out a muffled groan.

At the same time, torrents of mysterious energy far stronger than his own surged wildly into his body, endless and unceasing.

His heart beat at an astonishing frequency, his lungs expanded and contracted, pumping vast quantities of blood and mysterious energy throughout his entire body, like a tidal wave sweeping every corner.

Disturbing bulges surged beneath his skin, writhing like giant serpents.

Every single cell, even the deepest genetic material within him, underwent astonishing transformation!

“This transformation is too fast…”

Amid this terrifying metamorphosis, Lin Qing endured the agony, sweat and blood oozing from every pore, along with discarded cellular debris.

Fortunately, he had specially installed soundproofing panels on the floor and walls, and coated them with a high-reflective paint that blocked infrared and other detection methods—otherwise, those monitoring him nearby might have noticed.

Moments later.

The transformation finally ended; all bodily movements gradually subsided.

“Finally over…”

Lin Qing opened his eyes and exhaled deeply; his powerful lung capacity created a gust of air in the room, causing the wall-mounted decorative paintings to tremble.

He himself radiated an invisible pressure, subtly warping and distorting the surrounding light.

—This was the residual effect of the sudden influx of Second-Level energy, like turbulent underwater currents forming swirling vortices.

“So this is… the human limit?”

Lin Qing, sensing the terrifying transformation within himself, couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.

Not to mention anything else—just the direct sensory changes in vision and hearing were astonishing; his eyes could now discern the tiny pores in the curtain fabric across the room.

If the entire house hadn’t been soundproofed, he could easily hear even the faintest noises from downstairs.

As for enhancements in strength, reaction time, and other areas…

“At least three times greater.”

Lin Qing had long studied the empirical cases related to the Original Sunrise Method and was familiar with the data.

Under normal circumstances, those who had just mastered the Original Sunrise Method saw their physical attributes rise to two or three times their previous levels under the reinforcement of Second-Level energy.

After prolonged refinement and perfect cultivation, further slight gains occurred, pushing their physical attributes beyond three times their pre-cultivation state.

That was the true human limit.

“Tch, this boost is a bit too big.”

Lin Qing rose gracefully and walked into the bathroom to shower, feeling his own changes.

Not only had his physical attributes reached the human limit, but his gene optimization had also reached the maximum potential of the Original Sunrise Method.

Normally, this required a long time—like water dripping through stone—gradually optimizing genes through Second-Level energy.

He had simply prepaid this result.

“Hmm… I’ll check my gene awakening progress later.”

Lin Qing mused inwardly.

From the data he’d gathered, once one mastered the Original Sunrise Method and could perceive external mysterious energy, gene awakening progress could be measured by instruments.

But he was still waiting for Yin Chutian to make his move, to claim this first-class merit.

For now, he couldn’t reveal his strength—he’d wait until this matter was settled before checking his gene awakening progress.

“The boost is substantial, but repaying it’s troublesome.”

Lin Qing luxuriated in the water’s flow, muttering inwardly, “I need to perform 380 perfect cultivations to repay it. Without external help, that’s going to be difficult…”

Of course, he understood this was already incredibly fast.

Others spent considerable time just finding the perfect cultivation state, let alone repeatedly extracting sufficient Second-Level energy from outside to slowly optimize their genes.

Knowing that perceiving suitable Second-Level energy from the surrounding dark void was already difficult—it required repeated absorption and familiarity to gradually attune to it.

But he? He was already in a state of extreme familiarity and attunement; extracting suitable Second-Level energy from the dark void around him was vastly more efficient.

Even without external aid, practicing the Original Sunrise Method once daily would let him repay the debt in just over a year!

“Still, the headquarters must have acceleration methods.” Lin Qing mused.

After reaching the true human limit, the EPS-series high-energy sustained-release fluid was useless—even better sustained-release fluids wouldn’t suffice.

Because this wasn’t just about the body’s “appetite”—it was about the efficiency of extracting Second-Level energy from outside.

“Good thing I’m not in a hurry. The Divine Transformation series techniques aren’t hard to cultivate.”

Lin Qing turned off the faucet; a subtle invisible force trembled, flinging off the water droplets from his body with a patter against the bathroom glass—he was instantly mostly dry, only his hair still damp.

This was power.

Every movement carried astonishing strength far beyond ordinary human comprehension—even without using any technique, his physical attributes surpassed normal humans by more than tenfold.

He was practically superhuman.

Add to that the entire Zizai Body series of techniques now operating at the instinctive level…

Lin Qing felt a surge of reassurance, exhaling slowly: “This time, I finally have enough confidence.”

…

The next morning.

“Huh?”

As Zhao Jiayi came over as usual for breakfast, she stared at Lin Qing in surprise and blurted out: “You…”

Lin Qing raised a finger to his lips, giving her a shushing gesture.

Zhao Jiayi realized—Lin Qing’s house was still under surveillance; this wasn’t the place to discuss secrets.

She quickly pulled him into a room lined with soundproofing panels and high-reflective coating, closed the door, and whispered: “Did you break through?”

“Yes.” Lin Qing gave a slight nod.

His physical attributes were too subtle for instruments to directly measure—only whether he had mastered the Original Sunrise Method could be confirmed.

But psychic awakening users could sense the level of a life field, and he hadn’t learned any methods to conceal or disguise it—he couldn’t hide it from Zhao Jiayi.

Still, he never intended to hide it from her; after all, her existence as a psychic awakening user was even more clandestine than his.

“The Super-Sense serum worked.”

Zhao Jiayi examined Lin Qing with disbelief. “You mastered it this fast?”

“Just lucky,” Lin Qing replied casually.

“How wonderful—if I had your physical attributes, I could easily overpower that fugitive Chu Tianyao.”

“Aren’t you almost done with the 7-7 version?” Lin Qing glanced at her.

“Almost.”

Zhao Jiayi blinked. “The 7-7 Sunrise Method only requires sensing deeper internal mysterious energy—it’s easy for me. Once I complete it, my psychic power will at least double, and its range will expand by double too.”

“Oh?” Lin Qing was genuinely eager.

He didn’t need her combat power—her role in reconnaissance and search was irreplaceable.

She could already detect open areas within a five-hundred-meter radius; doubling that meant a one-kilometer radius, with stronger subconscious influence.

“Too bad the Sunrise Method doesn’t suit me well—it’s slow to cultivate,” Zhao Jiayi sighed helplessly.

“Not bad,” Lin Qing glanced at her.

According to Zhao Jiayi, she’d only been practicing the 4-6 version for two or three months.

Though not as fast as geniuses, this pace was still respectable.

Zhao Jiayi shook her head slightly, saying nothing.

She asked again: “Shall we deal with those monitoring you now? Should I use my psychic power to unlock the door, and you sneak in to assassinate them?”

“That would confirm to the people behind this that a psychic awakening user exists.”

Lin Qing shook his head. “Even the Patrol Headquarters doesn’t seem to know about psychic awakening users—either none exist, or they’re all hidden. You should still be cautious.”

How powerful was the Patrol Headquarters? Their elite patrol unit didn’t even allow ordinary patrol captains to join—there were likely many gene-awakened individuals among them.

The higher-ups at the headquarters were undoubtedly figures of unimaginable stature.

Even such a powerful organization couldn’t let psychic awakening users reveal their abilities openly—the risks were obvious.

“Oh…”

Zhao Jiayi tilted her head in frustration. “So what do we do? I can’t use my psychic power, and you can’t act.”

“No problem—we can borrow a knife to kill.” Lin Qing smiled faintly.

“Borrow a knife to kill?”

Zhao Jiayi asked in confusion, “Whose knife are you borrowing?”

“Whose knife can cut through this tangle, borrow that one,” Lin Qing smiled. “I need your help to cooperate… I heard Captain Xiao is being discharged.”

“Huh?”

……

That night of March 18th.

Inside the ward, Xiao Peidong was reading the latest news.

A few news items contained hidden codes—only he understood their concealed meaning.

“Hah…”

As he read, Xiao Peidong suddenly burst into laughter, his heart swelling with wild joy: “Heaven does not abandon those who strive! The Chief is away? He wants me to assist Chu Tianyao in capturing Lin Qing and his assistant?”

He could tell the Boss had taken an interest in Lin Qing and his assistant.

“Hmph, he’s got some strength, but he won’t last long against Chu Tianyao.”

Xiao Peidong had witnessed the power of someone at Chu Tianyao’s level—he knew exactly how vast the gap was.

If the Boss had given the order, he must have sufficient confidence.

“Strike Saturday night…”

Xiao Peidong’s anticipation soared: “The Boss probably plans to use this guy for experiments, hah… Perfect. Dissection research is ideal.”

He had already been hopeless.

The organization had decided to court Lin Qing and had barely contacted him, making him suspect he’d been sidelined.

Now it seemed that once Lin Qing was dead, he still had a chance to keep his position as team leader! Perhaps the Boss, judging his value high enough, might even prepare another dose of Super-Sensory Serum for him?

“The Chief is leaving Friday night—I’ll be discharged Saturday morning, return to the bureau, and better track Lin Qing’s movements.”

Xiao Peidong made his decision.

The toxins in his body had long been purged; he was merely resting and recovering. Even now, discharge posed no issue.

……

Three days later.

On the morning of March 21st, Xiao Peidong packed his clothes and luggage, stepping out the main gate of Xiaoshan District People’s Hospital.

Outside the hospital gate.

A group of patrol officers stood on the sidewalk, celebrating his discharge and coming to greet him.

“Captain Xiao, congratulations on your recovery.”

“Captain Xiao, congratulations.”

“Congratulations.”

Though Lin Qing had served as acting captain during his hospitalization, he was still deputy captain and had been injured on duty—his discharge still carried due honor.

“Captain Xiao.”

Zhao Jiayi stepped forward holding a bouquet of sunflowers. “Captain Xiao, these flowers are from Team Leader Lin—he asked me to deliver them. His sister is undergoing a prosthetic transplant surgery today, so he can’t leave the operating room and asked me to welcome you on his behalf.”

“Oh… Ah, Team Leader Lin is thoughtful. Please thank him for me.”

Xiao Peidong accepted the bouquet with visible emotion. “Team Leader Chen’s surgery is critical—Lin Qing should definitely stay by her side.”

He sighed again: “I heard Lin Qing spoke up for me at the commendation meeting, praising me repeatedly. I’m deeply grateful and never got to thank him in person. Now that I’ve had a few days, I’ll make sure to thank him properly.”

The surrounding patrol officers whispered among themselves: Lin Qing and Xiao Peidong should be rivals, yet they seemed to have a good relationship.

“Hah… Too bad there won’t be a chance.”

But in Xiao Peidong’s heart, he sneered: “Dare you publicly ruin my reputation? Wait until the Boss cracks open your skull and pulls out your brain—I’ll see how bold you still are.”

He wiped away the tears of false emotion and said, “Let’s go. Back to the branch. I’ve been away so long, I’m already rusty.”

He was eager to return and reacclimate, so he could track Lin Qing’s movements over the past two days and coordinate with Chu Tianyao’s strike.

At that moment—

“Whoo!”

A sharp rush of wind suddenly pierced the air. All patrol officers turned sharply.

Across the wide road, where autonomous vehicles sped past, a blurred figure suddenly appeared on the opposite side.

In an instant, the figure moved like a furious gale—blinking once, he crossed the stream of traffic and stood before the group of patrol officers.

Few among the patrol officers could perceive such terrifying speed.

Xiao Peidong was one of them.

The man wore a hat, his frame lean, his eyes icy, radiating an oppressive, terrifying aura. “Huh?”

Xiao Peidong froze slightly, his pupils contracting sharply.

It was Chu Tianyao!

(End of Chapter)