157: Chapter 157 Critical

The twenty-second day.

Chen Zhen opened his eyes. He didn't linger in bed, instead reaching out to press his hand against his chest.

He channeled his Qi inside. The system panel popped up a notification.

[ east mountain jade tablet · Resonating ] [ Current Progress: 98 / 100 ]

It was still ninety-eight. After the last injection of energy last night, it hadn't increased further.

He withdrew his hand and stared at the ceiling for a while.

There was a water stain on the ceiling shaped like a leaf.

Having laid there long enough, he sat up, put on his shoes, and got out of bed.

On the way to the base, he bought two steamed buns and ate while walking.

By the time he reached the base, Zhou Rui was already there. He was squatting in front of the flowerpot, holding a pen and drawing something on paper.

Hearing the door open, he looked up. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked haggard, but his voice was loud.

"Master, the new sprout has grown again."

Chen Zhen walked over. The first leaf of the new sprout at the base of the calyx had fully unfurled. It was a tender green, very small, but the golden veins on it were thicker than yesterday.

The light in the center of the flower was now extremely faint, like a lamp about to burn out.

Shen Nian stood nearby, holding a notebook.

"The flower might wither today. There are only a few petals left; it won't last much longer."

Chen Zhen squatted down and reached out to gently touch the center of the flower.

The moment his fingertips touched it, a warm sensation surged forth.

It wasn't the scorching heat from before; it was warm, like tea that had cooled down.

It was saying: "I am leaving soon. Are you ready?"

Chen Zhen withdrew his hand. He stood up, walked back to the center of the array, and pressed his hand to his chest.

He injected his Qi.

This time, he didn't control the pace; he poured all his remaining Qi directly into it.

The numbers on the system panel began to jump.

98.2. 98.5. 98.7.

Sweat broke out on his forehead. His hand was trembling.

98.9. 99.1. 99.3.

His Qi was running low. The seed in his Dantian was spinning rapidly, as if helping him.

99.5. 99.7. 99.9.

The numbers stopped.

Chen Zhen gasped for air, staring at the number.

99.9.

It was still 0.1 short.

He squeezed out the last trace of his Qi.

The system panel jumped. One hundred.

[ east mountain jade tablet · Resonating Complete ]

The seed flashed brightly.

That speck of light floated out from inside the seed and hovered beside it.

It was no longer a speck of light. It was a jade plaque.

It was milky white, palm-sized, and smooth on the surface. It was identical to those of the North Mountain, West Mountain, and South Mountain.

Chen Zhen reached out and took the jade plaque from his chest.

He held it in his palm; it was warm, as if it had just been pulled from his embrace.

[ Item Obtained: east mountain jade tablet ]

[ Four jade plaques Collected ]

[ Composite Rune Array · Full Version Can Be Activated ]

The system panel popped up a new notification. Chen Zhen placed the jade plaque in front of him, lining it up with the other three.

North Mountain, West Mountain, South Mountain, East Mountain. The four milky white jade plaques shimmered under the light.

He stared at them for a long time. Then, he reached out and touched all four jade plaques simultaneously. He injected his Qi. The four jade plaques lit up at the same time, resonating with the Composite Rune Array.

The system panel popped up a notification.

[ Composite Rune Array · Full Version · Activated ]

[ Effect: Qi Field Strength + 500%, Range + 300%, Stability + 200% ]

[ Duration: Permanent ]

The entire base shook violently. The light of the Talisman Array spread from the blackboard to the walls, from the walls to the ceiling, and from the ceiling to the floor. The four jade plaques floated up and slowly rotated in the air, forming a circle.

The center of the circle was Chen Zhen.

He sat in the center of the array, feeling the concentration of Qi around him skyrocket. It wasn't the slow rise of a Spirit Gathering Talisman; it was an explosive surge.

Zhou Rui stood up from in front of the flowerpot, his expression changing. "Master, the Qi is so dense."

Yun Xi straightened up from the wall and took a deep breath. "It's even denser than Changbai Mountain."

Shen Nian squatted beside the new sprout, his hands trembling. "The new sprout is glowing. It's very bright."

Chen Zhen didn't move. He closed his eyes and used Internal Vision to look at his Dantian. The seed was spinning, much faster than before. The vein was glowing, very brightly.

The system panel popped up a new notification.

[ Hidden Quest Triggered: Heavenly Pillar ]

[ Collect all four jade plaques and activate the Composite Rune Array. Proceed to the Heavenly Pillar to unlock the next step. ]

Chen Zhen opened his eyes. The Heavenly Pillar. He had been there; there were giant stones, runes, and his Original Body. He stood up, walked to the blackboard, and stared at the Composite Rune Array. There were four layers of runes, three layers clockwise, and one layer counter-clockwise. Four gears were interlocking, with the Heavenly Pillar at the center.

He turned around. "We are going to the North Mountain this weekend."

Zhou Rui was stunned for a moment. "North Mountain? Not the Heavenly Pillar?"

"Go to the North Mountain first. There is still something under the North Mountain stone tablet. Shen Zhiyuan didn't dare to dig it up, but I will."

Zhou Rui nodded. "Then I will prepare a few extra shovels."

Chen Zhen walked to the window. The sun outside was bright; it was an ordinary Tuesday morning. He looked down at his chest.

The seed was spinning.

The jade plaque was in his hand.