102: Chapter 102 Kunlun

At 6:00 AM on Wednesday, Chen Zhen opened his eyes.

Five points of light slowly rotated within his Dantian; after a night of Cultivating, his Cultivation had increased by 135 points.

Qi Refining Level 5: 448/2500.

He stood up and walked over to the few pots of spiritual plants.

Nourished by the five fragments, the six pots of spiritual plants were growing at an astonishing rate.

The four soul-calming grass plants had bloomed another fifteen flowers overnight, the Mint leaves were so dense they seemed ready to burst, and the second crop of that wild soul-calming grass had already grown to a foot and a half tall.

He picked the flowers, harvested the leaves, and ground them into powder.

Stock of anshen flower powder: 350 grams.

Mint leaves: 800 pieces.

That would be enough for a long time.

He walked back to the center of the Formation and glanced at Shen Nian, who was sleeping in the corner.

Shen Nian's injuries were healing very quickly.

Last night, he had used his Purification Domain to cleanse him once more, and with the nourishment of the calming flower, he estimated that he would be fully recovered in another two or three days.

He pushed open the door and walked out.

At 7:20, Chen Zhen stepped into the classroom.

Zhang Meng was in the back row catching up on homework; seeing him enter, he called out as usual: "Help! Lend me your English homework to copy!"

Chen Zhen tossed his homework notebook over.

Zhang Meng caught it and buried his head, copying frantically.

Chen Zhen walked to his seat and sat down.

Su Xiaoya, who sat in front of him, turned around with bright eyes.

"Chen Zhen, are you free this weekend?"

Chen Zhen looked at her.

"What is it?"

Su Xiaoya lowered her voice: "My mom wants to invite you to dinner. She says she wants to thank you in person."

Chen Zhen thought for a moment.

"No need."

Su Xiaoya was stunned for a moment.

"But..."

"Really, no need," Chen Zhen interrupted her. "Just let her get some good rest."

Su Xiaoya looked at him and was silent for a few seconds.

Then she nodded.

"Okay. I'll pass that on to her."

She turned back around.

In the back row, Zhou Rui looked up at him once, then lowered his head to read his book.

Shen Mo was here today, sitting next to Zhou Rui, flipping through a chemistry textbook.

Chen Zhen withdrew his gaze and opened his textbook.

The first period was Old Zhao's math class.

Old Zhao was teaching comprehensive derivatives, and the blackboard was covered in formulas.

After listening for a while, an idea suddenly popped into Chen Zhen's head.

He took out some paper and began to draw runes.

Not ordinary runes, but something new that combined mathematical formulas with runic scripts.

The rate of change in derivatives corresponded to the flow speed of spiritual power within the runes.

The accumulation of integrals corresponded to the total amount of spiritual power within the runes.

The approach of limits corresponded to the stable boundaries of the runes.

He drew over thirty versions and finally found the equilibrium point on the forty-seventh version.

[Derivative Rune · Experimental Version]

[Effect: Spiritual power circulation speed +50%, duration 30 minutes]

[Side effect: Spiritual power consumption +20%]

[Quality: Fine]

Chen Zhen looked at this rune, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

The combination of math and the Dao of runes was a success.

He put it away and continued to listen to the lecture.

At noon, after school, Chen Zhen went to the cafeteria.

After getting his food, he found a seat and sat down.

He had only taken a few bites when four people walked over carrying their trays.

Zhou Rui, Shen Mo, Zhang Meng, and Chen Hao.

Chen Hao sat down opposite him and looked at him.

"Chen Zhen, what were you drawing in class?"

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"Drafts."

Chen Hao shook his head.

"Doesn't look like it. I saw you draw over forty versions, constantly adjusting them." He paused. "What kind of research are you doing?"

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

Chen Hao waited for two seconds, then sighed.

"Forget it, pretend I didn't ask."

He lowered his head to eat.

Zhou Rui glanced at Chen Zhen from the side, then at Chen Hao, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

Shen Mo was also smiling.

Zhang Meng looked confused, completely unable to grasp the situation.

The third period in the afternoon was physics class.

Old Li was teaching comprehensive electromagnetic induction, and the blackboard was covered in drawings of coils.

After listening for a while, a new idea popped into Chen Zhen's head.

The principles of electromagnetic induction were the same as those for energy conduction in a Talisman Array.

A changing magnetic field produces an electric field—a changing spiritual power produces a runic field.

He took out paper and began to draw again.

This time he was drawing a Composite Rune Array, incorporating the structure of electromagnetic induction.

The number of turns in the coil corresponded to the number of layers in the runes.

The magnitude of the current corresponded to the intensity of the spiritual power.

The direction of the magnetic field corresponded to the direction of the runes.

He drew over twenty versions and finally found the equilibrium point on the thirty-second version.

[Electromagnetic Rune · Experimental Version]

[Effect: Spiritual force field range +50%, duration +30%]

[Quality: Fine]

Chen Zhen looked at this rune and nodded with satisfaction.

The combination of physics and the Dao of runes was also a success.

He put it away and continued to listen to the lecture.

After school, Chen Zhen packed his bag, ready to leave.

Zhou Rui walked over from behind and stood beside him.

"Master, Shen Nian says he has something to discuss with you tonight."

Chen Zhen nodded.

"Understood."

At 7:00 PM, at the Secret Base.

Chen Zhen pushed the door open; Shen Nian was standing in front of the blackboard, staring blankly at the runes on it.

Hearing the movement, he turned his head.

"You're here."

Chen Zhen walked over and sat down beside him.

Shen Nian was silent for a few seconds.

Then he spoke: "I remembered something."

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"What is it?"

Shen Nian pulled an old photo out of his pocket and handed it to him.

In the photo was a mountain; on the peak was a massive rock, and the rock was covered with carved runes.

"This place," Shen Nian pointed to the photo, "I've been there."

Chen Zhen took the photo and looked at it carefully.

The mountain was very tall and covered in snow.

The rock was huge, at least three stories high. The runes on the rock were dense, ten times more complex than the one at East Mountain.

In his [Talisman Eye], those runes were faintly glowing—although it was just a photo, he could tell it was a real Talisman Array.

"Where is this?"

Shen Nian looked at him.

"Kunlun Mountain."

Chen Zhen's heart jolted.

Kunlun Mountain.

The place that had once been displayed as the source of the blackness.

"When did you go?"

Shen Nian thought for a moment.

"Three months ago. My dad took me there." He paused. "Inside that rock, there is a fragment."

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"Did you take it?"

Shen Nian shook his head.

"I couldn't take it. That rock was protected by a Formation; my dad tried three times and couldn't get in." He smiled bitterly. "He said that the Formation was specifically designed against Corrupted ones. He couldn't get in, and neither could I."

Chen Zhen was silent for a few seconds.

A Formation specifically designed against Corrupted ones.

Then who could get in?

He raised his hand, and a dark blue light lit up in his palm.

Pure Stellar Energy.

He could.

He could get in.

"Do you still remember the location?"

Shen Nian nodded.

"I remember."

Chen Zhen stood up.

"We leave tomorrow."

At 10:00 PM, Chen Zhen sat cross-legged in the center of the Formation, with five fragments laid out in front of him.

Adding the one at Kunlun Mountain, that would be six.

He activated [Fragment Perception].

Seventeen points of light.

Four red ones—two in the Northeast, one in the Northwest, and one in the South.

Seven yellow ones—scattered across various places.

Three green ones—Yun Xi was at the foot of Changbai Mountain, and the other two were still in their original locations.

That small one of Shen Mo's—was five kilometers away.

Shen Nian—had no fragment, but his aura was stable.

He himself—was here.

And there was one final piece, on the other side of the Heavenly Road.

He withdrew his perception and closed his eyes.

Five points of light slowly rotated within his Dantian.

Tomorrow, he would go to Kunlun.