57: Chapter 57 [Mastery of Spirit Control]

During his morning run, Chen Zhen began to challenge the " Nine Stars Aligning " .

Seven jade seed material objects for Spirit Control flew out from the Storage Space, arranging themselves into the Big Dipper Formation at his side.

He could already stably maintain this Formation for the entire three kilometers without it falling apart, with the margin of error controlled to the millimeter level.

Today, he would add two more.

He took out two spare ordinary jade stones from the Storage Space.

The texture was not as good as the jade seed materials, but they were barely usable. The nine stones slowly floated up in the morning light.

Nine-line operation.

The difficulty wasn't as simple as seven plus two; it was an exponential increase.

With every stone added, the complexity of the Spirit Control System almost doubled.

During the first kilometer, the Formation fell apart eight times.

It wasn't a problem with the seven jade seed materials, but that the two new stones were too " raw " .

Their response speed to Qi conduction was a beat slow, causing a chain reaction of shifts throughout the entire Formation.

Chen Zhen had to divert more Mental Energy to compensate for these two " weak links " .

By the second kilometer, he started to find his rhythm.

He no longer sought perfect synchronization for all nine stones, but instead used the seven jade seed materials as the " skeleton " and the two ordinary jade stones as " wandering stars " .

He allowed them a small margin of error, as long as the overall Formation didn't fall apart.

This was like conducting an orchestra; the main musicians could play precisely, and while the substitute musicians might occasionally play out of tune, the overall melody could not be broken.

By the third kilometer, the nine stones were finally stably suspended.

The " dipper " and " handle " of the Big Dipper Formation were clearly distinguishable, and the two " wandering stars " slowly cruised around the perimeter of the Formation, like patrolling sentries.

[ Morning Run Quality ' Extraordinary ' ]

[ Health Dimension Experience + 112 ]

[ Cultivation + 1.28 ]

[ Spirit Control Minor Achievement effect increased: Qi control precision + 25% (Current 108%) ]

[ Breakthrough threshold: Spirit Control Minor Achievement → Spirit Control Major Achievement ]

[ Status acquired: ' Spirit Control Major Achievement ' (Qi control precision + 100%, multi-line operation limit significantly increased, mental drive speed doubled) ]

Spirit Control had broken through again.

Chen Zhen felt that his control over the Qi inside and outside his body had suddenly become so " silky smooth " that it almost required no conscious effort.

The nine-line operation that previously required his full mental focus to maintain was now as easy as breathing.

With a thought, the nine stones instantly changed Formation in the air.

From the Big Dipper Formation with two wandering stars, they transformed into the Nine Stars Aligning, arranged in a straight line, with the spacing precise to the millimeter level.

With another thought, the Nine Stars Aligning instantly changed back into the Big Dipper Formation, and the two wandering stars returned to their positions.

The whole process took less than a second, with zero error.

He withdrew his power, and the nine stones fell back into his palm.

[ Spirit Control Major Achievement ] .

He was one big step closer to what the old man said: " Doing a set of Tai Chi while supporting stones without dropping a single one. "

When he ran to the Riverside, the old man was talking to someone.

That person had their back to the river, so their face couldn't be seen.

But their figure was upright, their hair was graying, and they were leaning on a cane.

As Chen Zhen approached, he happened to hear a sentence:

" ... Old Chen, are you really not considering returning to the institute? "

" Not considering it. " The old man's voice was very calm. " Matters over there have nothing to do with me anymore. "

" But your research results... "

" That was forty years ago. " The old man interrupted him. " Old Zhou, let the past be the past. "

The person was silent for a few seconds, then sighed: " You're still the same as ever. "

He turned around, and Chen Zhen saw his face clearly.

It was exactly the old man from yesterday at the Bookstore entrance who wanted to buy Engineer Gu's materials.

The old man also saw Chen Zhen, his eyes flickering slightly: " Is this... "

" The one learning martial arts from me. "

" A high school student. "

The old man nodded, didn't ask any more questions, and walked slowly along the river embankment, leaning on his cane.

Chen Zhen walked to the old man's side: " Grandpa Chen, who is he... "

" An old colleague. " The old man's tone was very indifferent. " It's a matter from forty years ago. "

He didn't explain what happened forty years ago, and Chen Zhen didn't ask.

Some things will naturally be known when the time is right.

" Today, we practice explosive power. " The old man jumped down from a stone. " Yesterday we practiced the hands, today we practice the feet. "

This time, he taught " footwork explosive power " .

The old man had Chen Zhen stand on a patch of soft sandy ground.

" Fighting isn't just standing in a stance. " The old man said, " Power starts from the ground. If your footwork isn't there, no matter how heavy your punch is, you won't be able to hit anyone. "

He demonstrated.

With a light stomp of his right foot, his body instantly shifted three feet to the left, as fast as teleportation.

Where he landed, a half-inch deep footprint appeared in the sand, its edges as neat as if cut by a knife.

" Did you understand? "

" Qi erupts from the soles of the feet, propelling the body to move quickly. "

" Correct. " The old man nodded.

" The principle of footwork explosive power is the same as punch explosive power; both involve instantly compressing Qi to a single point. The difference is that punch explosive power requires penetration, while footwork explosive power requires acceleration. "

He asked Chen Zhen to try.

Chen Zhen took a deep breath, mobilized the Qi in his Dantian, and stomped his right foot, imitating the old man.

With a " bang " under his feet, sand splashed everywhere.

His body did indeed move to the left, but only by one foot, and his landing was unstable; he stumbled twice before standing steady.

" Too fast. " The old man said, " The Qi erupted too urgently; the body couldn't keep up. "

The second time, Chen Zhen slowed down the Qi output speed and coordinated it with his leg muscle force.

The movement distance increased to two feet, and the landing was stable.

The third time, he tried to, at the moment of stomping the ground, simultaneously use Qi to form a " cushion " under his feet, reducing the shock and recoil from the ground.

The movement distance was three feet, the landing was silent, and only a shallow footprint remained on the sand.

[ Learning Footwork Explosive Power ]

[ Health Dimension Experience + 68 ]

[ Cultivation + 0.75 ]

[ Explosive Power Initial Comprehension → Explosive Power Minor Achievement ]

" Not bad. " The old man rarely gave praise. " To be able to enter the threshold in three days counts as having talent. "

He pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket: " Take this, soak your feet when you get back. "

Chen Zhen took it.

The bag contained some dark brown herbal scraps; it smelled of a spicy, warm fragrance, like ginger, and also like mugwort.

" It promotes blood circulation to remove blood stasis and relaxes the muscles and joints. " The old man said, " Explosive power hurts the ankles. If you don't pay attention when you're young, you'll suffer when you're old. "

" Thank you, Grandpa. "

" Go on then. " The old man waved his hand. " Don't come tomorrow, I have things to do. "

Chen Zhen was stunned for a moment: " Okay. "

He didn't ask what matters.

The " matters " the old man spoke of were not things he should be asking about.

On the way home, Chen Zhen kept thinking about that old man.

Old Zhou.

An old colleague from forty years ago.

When the old man was young, did he also work in an " institute " ?

What kind of institute?

Geological Institute?

Scientific Research Institute?

Or... some other organization?

He thought of Engineer Gu. He thought of what Old Wu said: " In his later years, Engineer Gu increasingly believed in a theory. " He thought of that history observation notebook, the 1983 strange light record, and the 2013 prediction.

The hidden " underside " of this world was deeper and broader than he had imagined.

And the old man was clearly standing at a deeper position.

But Chen Zhen was not in a hurry.

The road must be walked one step at a time.

He was only at Qi Refining Stage 1 now, and hadn't even completed a full Microcosmic Orbit yet.

Those forty- or fifty-year-old secrets were not yet things he should touch.

First, walk the road in front of him steadily.

He arrived home at 7:10.

His mother had already left.

It was the second day of the community medical check-up, and she had to go help.

His father had a martial arts competition today; he had stayed at the factory dormitory last night because the training was too late.

Chen Zhen finished breakfast alone and cleaned up.

He checked the time: 7:30.

His father's competition started at 9:00 in the morning.

He thought for a moment, then took a leaf of spiritual Mint from his Storage Space.

He brewed it with warm water; the tea was light gold, and the aroma was clear and cool.

He found a thermos, poured the Mint tea inside, and tightened the lid.

Then he sent a message to his father:

" Dad, I brewed a cup of refreshing tea; should I bring it to the factory gate for you? Drink some before your competition. "

Five minutes later, his father replied: " Okay. "

Chen Zhen changed his clothes, picked up the thermos, and went out.

His father's factory was in the Eastern Development Zone; it took twenty minutes to ride a bicycle there.

Chen Zhen didn't ride fast.

The morning breeze blew against his face, carrying the unique scent of early summer, mixed with grass and dust.

He placed the thermos in the bicycle basket and stabilized it with Qi, not spilling a single drop.

When he arrived at the factory gate, his father was already waiting.

He was wearing his work uniform, his hair was combed very neatly, and he was holding a folder.

Seeing Chen Zhen, he walked over quickly.

" Why did you make a special trip? "

" It was on my way. " Chen Zhen handed over the thermos. " Drink it while it's hot. "

His father took it, unscrewed the lid, and took a sip.

The tea was light gold, and the clear, cool fragrance of the spiritual Mint leaf wafted out.

His father paused for a moment, then took another sip.

" This tea... " He paused. " It's quite refreshing. "

" I'm glad you like it. " Chen Zhen said, " Good luck, Dad. "

His father looked at him, his eyes very complex.

After a few seconds of silence, he said: " Okay. "

Chen Zhen got on his bike and headed back.

In the rearview mirror, his father was still standing in the same place, holding the thermos, watching him go.

He withdrew his gaze and focused on riding.

Some things don't need to be said.

A cup of tea is enough.

Back home, Chen Zhen began the main task of the day.

Learning sprint.

[ Hexagonal Warrior ] status had over fifty hours remaining.

[ Big Dipper Fate Controller ] had over sixty hours remaining.

[ Spirit Control Major Achievement ] brought by the increase in Mental Energy greatly improved his tolerance for high-intensity mental labor.

He opened the book " Advanced Tutorial on Mathematical Modeling " .

Yesterday was just " scanning " the basics; today he needed to deeply digest it.

Eye-Brightening Spell — 2.6 points of Qi consumption, a cool sensation spreading in his eyes.

Knowledge Fusion — standing by 24/7.

Heat Sensing — not only effective for cooking, but also helpful for understanding the " heat " of knowledge Systems.

He knew which concepts were core and must be thoroughly mastered, and which were peripheral extensions that could be temporarily skipped.

Throughout the morning, he was immersed in the world of Mathematical Modeling.

Linear programming, integer programming, dynamic programming.

Differential equation modeling, difference equation modeling, cellular automata.

Monte Carlo method, genetic algorithms, neural networks.

These high-level concepts, under the connection of [ Knowledge Fusion ], quickly anchored and internalized with his existing knowledge network of mathematics, physics, and computer science.

He not only " learned " these models, but also understood the thinking logic behind them:

How to abstract a real-world problem into a mathematical model, how to choose the appropriate method for solving it, and how to verify the reliability of the model.

This improvement in " metacognition " was more important than just grinding through problems.

[ Deep Learning ]

[ Learning Dimension Experience + 450 ]

[ Cultivation + 2.05 ]

[ Mathematical Modeling ability: Beginner → Proficient ]

[ Knowledge Fusion efficiency significantly increased ]

[ Learning Dimension Lv.5 (1380.7 / 1200) can be upgraded ]

Another upgrade.

Chen Zhen clicked upgrade.

[ Learning Dimension upgraded to Lv.6 (180.7 / 1500) ]

[ Unlock ability: [ Model Thinking ] can quickly abstract complex problems into analyzable and solvable model frameworks ]

[ Upgrade reward: Cultivation + 20 ]

Model Thinking.

Chen Zhen immediately tested it.

He focused his thoughts on the difficult problem of the " 2013 Strange Light Prediction " .

A few seconds later, a multi-layered model framework automatically appeared in his mind:

Input layer: Historical observation data (1953, 1983, 1933, 1943...)

Variable layer: Earth vein node activity, geomagnetic field changes, celestial movement cycles...

Constraint layer: Geographical location (Dongshan), active period (July-August), intensity patterns...

Output layer: 2013 activity probability, intensity range, optimal observation window...

Although many variables are still unknowns, the model's framework is already clear.

Next, I just need to fill the framework with data, and this predictive model will become increasingly accurate.

[Model Thinking Practical Application]

[exploration dimension Experience +55]

[Cultivation +0.88]

[2013 Anomalous Light Predictive Model Construction (Completion 18%)]

Chen Zhen nodded in satisfaction.

With Model Thinking, exploring the unknown is no longer like blind men feeling an elephant.

Instead, it is a scientific exploration with methods and steps.

This is the qualitative change brought by Learning Dimension Lv.6.

At noon, Chen Zhen made himself a simple lunch.

After eating, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.

His phone vibrated.

It was a message from his father: "The competition is over."

He immediately replied: "How did it go?"

Five seconds later, his father sent a photo.

In the photo was an honorary certificate with gold-stamped characters on a red background:

"Jiangcheng City 3rd Staff Skills Competition, Electrician Maintenance Group, Second Place, Chen Jianguo"

Second place.

Chen Zhen looked at the photo, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.

He typed three words: "That's amazing!"

His father replied: "Two thousand in prize money, going to the province next month for the finals."

Chen Zhen: "Dad, you're awesome."

This time, his father didn't reply with text, only sending a fist-bump emoji.

Chen Zhen looked at that emoji and smiled.

His father never used to send emojis before.

Before going to the Bookstore in the afternoon, Chen Zhen first detoured to the Secret Base.

He watered and nurtured the Mint.

The spiritual Mint was growing gratifyingly, and today he harvested three more mature leaves.

He injected spiritual energy into the Black Lump—Spiritual Affinity: 10/100.

Then he took out those seven jade seed material objects for Spirit Control and began training.

Today's goal: Use the Big Dipper Formation to support the thermos and keep it stably suspended for one minute.

The thermos was heavier than he imagined. The seven jade pieces needed to coordinate their force, like seven hands lifting a heavy object together.

Furthermore, the thermos had a high center of gravity and was prone to tilting.

He tried five times.

The first time, the thermos tipped over as soon as it was three inches off the ground.

The second time, he barely managed to suspend it for five seconds before the cup body shook violently.

The third time, ten seconds, he stabilized it, but the mouth of the cup was tilted.

The fourth time, twenty seconds, it was nearly stable.

The fifth time, one full minute.

The thermos hovered steadily three inches above his palm, its body motionless, the water surface as calm as a mirror.

[High-Intensity Object Control Training]

[Spirit Control Major Achievement Effect Increased: Spiritual Power Control Precision +15% (Current 123%)]

[Big Dipper Formation Proficiency +25]

Chen Zhen stopped his technique, and the thermos gently landed back on the table.

He looked at that cup of calm water and suddenly thought:

If the object control precision were even higher, could he keep the water temperature constant while the thermos was suspended?

If he could do that, he wouldn't have to worry about the hot water cooling down on the way when delivering it to his mother in winter.

He kept this idea in mind.

When he arrived at the Bookstore, Old Wu was organizing the bookshelves.

Seeing Chen Zhen, he lifted his eyelids: "You're here? No work today, make yourself at home."

"Okay."

Chen Zhen walked to the shelf specifically for "miscellaneous books," pulled out the unfinished "Jiangnan Folk Tales," and continued reading.

Halfway through, he suddenly remembered something.

"Grandpa Wu," he walked to the counter, "you said yesterday that the old gentleman was a colleague of Old Gu?"

Old Wu put down the ledger in his hand: "Yes, surname Zhou, retired from the Geological Bureau."

"Does he also know about those... anomalous phenomena?"

Old Wu was silent for a few seconds.

"He knows."

"Old Gu wasn't researching those things alone back then. They had a small circle, seven or eight people, all involved in geology, astronomy, and physics, getting together in their spare time to discuss."

"And then?"

"Later..." Old Wu lit a cigarette, "In the late eighties, policies tightened, and these things were not allowed to be touched. Some changed careers, some retired, some went to the south. Old Gu was one of the few who persisted until his death."

He exhaled a puff of smoke: "Old Zhou was the theoretical pillar of the circle back then. He proposed the 'Resonance Hypothesis' even earlier than Old Gu."

Resonance Hypothesis.

Chen Zhen remembered the annotation Engineer Gu wrote in "National Geographic": "Same frequency?"

So it wasn't just Engineer Gu's conjecture, but a consensus of their entire circle.

"That circle," Chen Zhen asked, "is anyone still around?"

Old Wu glanced at him.

"Do you want to find them?"

"No." Chen Zhen shook his head, "I just... wanted to know."

Old Wu was silent for a few seconds.

"Old Zhou counts as one." He said, "There's also an old man named Yang, retired from the physics department at Jiangcheng University. The others... some have passed away, some are missing."

He paused: "Why are you asking about this?"

Chen Zhen thought for a moment and said: "Engineer Gu said there might be another one in 2013. I want to... go see it when the time comes."

Old Wu stared at him for a long time.

Then he smiled slowly.

"Old Gu didn't misjudge the person."

He didn't say anything more and continued to lower his head to do the bookkeeping.

Chen Zhen didn't ask again either.

He returned to the bookshelf and continued reading "Jiangnan Folk Tales."

But he noted two names in his heart: Engineer Zhou, Professor Yang.

When leaving the Bookstore in the evening, Old Wu gave him his wages, plus an extra twenty.

"I didn't do much work today, no need..." Chen Zhen declined.

"Take it." Old Wu slapped the bills into his hand, "It's for Old Gu."

Chen Zhen was stunned for a moment, then understood.

He took the money and didn't say thank you again.

When he returned home, his father was already back.

He was sitting on the sofa, with the honorary certificate placed on the coffee table.

His mother was sitting beside him, looking at it over and over, as if it were some rare treasure.

"Xiao Zhen is back!" His mother looked up, "Your dad got second place!"

"I know." Chen Zhen changed his shoes, "Dad sent me a photo."

"What's a photo?"

"You have to see the certificate in person."

She handed the certificate to Chen Zhen.

Chen Zhen took it and read it carefully once.

"Dad, you are amazing."

His father was rarely embarrassed: "Just lucky."

"It's not luck."

"Your dad prepared very thoroughly, staying up late reading books every day."

His father didn't refute, just picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Chen Zhen recognized the thermos.

The one he gave him in the morning.

Dinner was exceptionally sumptuous.

His mother specially went to the vegetable market to buy fish and pork ribs, making four dishes and one soup.

His father opened a bottle of beer and poured a small glass for Chen Zhen as well.

"Come, let's celebrate." His father raised his glass.

The three glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound.

Chen Zhen took a sip of beer; it was a bit bitter, but had a sweet aftertaste.

In the evening, Chen Zhen returned to his room.

He first did standing meditation for five minutes, then ran the Simplified Microcosmic Orbit for ten cycles.

In the [Internal Vision] state, the pulsation of the Dantian was even more obvious.

With every contraction and expansion, the spiritual energy became one point more solid.

Then, he summoned the system panel.

[Day 28 Summary]

[Cultivation Harvest: +27.53 (Morning Run +1.28, Learning +2.05, Learning Upgrade +20, Burst +0.75, Exploration +1.45, Other +1)]

[Current Cultivation: 193.84/500 (Qi Refining Stage 1)]

[Spiritual Energy Value: 6.8/10 (Restores to 11.5/11.5 tomorrow)]

[Health Dimension: Lv.4 (381/500)]

[Learning Dimension: Lv.6 (180.7/1500)]

[Social Dimension: Lv.1 (118/200)]

[Skill Dimension: Cooking Lv.2 (28/300), Planting Beginner (12/100), Organizing 72/100, Hand-drawing Lv.2 (150/300), Structural Drafting Beginner (60/100), Formation Beginner (1/100)]

[exploration dimension: Lv.2 (280/400)]

[Spell Proficiency: Cleaning Spell (17/100), Water Condensation Spell (14/100), Eye-Brightening Spell (28/100)]

[Special Status: Qi Refining Cultivator; Spirit Control Major Achievement (123%); Hexagonal Warrior (Remaining 46 hours); Big Dipper Commander (Remaining 50 hours); Burst Minor Achievement; Gardener's Heart; Runner's Heart; Integrated Power Initial Success; Physical Optimization; Anomaly Perception; Literary Perception; Internal Vision; Knowledge Fusion; Heat Sensing; Model Thinking]

[Storage Space: 1 cubic meter (Black Lump ×1, Spiritual Mint Leaf ×7, Jade ×18, Spirit Control Object ×7)]

[Main Quest: Qi Refining Stage 1 (193.84/500)]

... Day 29.

When Chen Zhen opened his eyes, the pulsation of the Dantian was clear enough to "see."

Not visual sight, but Internal Vision.

With every contraction, spiritual energy condensed inward to a point, like a star collapsing.

With every expansion, spiritual energy diffused outward, nurturing every meridian and every visceral organ.

The pulsation frequency stabilized at sixty-eight times per minute.

Four times slower than yesterday, but the force was stronger.

He lay still, his consciousness sinking into the depths of his Dantian.

That mass of spiritual energy was no longer a "mass," but a "core."

Solid, stable, rotating, like a nascent Golden Core prototype.

He sat up and checked the time.

4:42.

Sleep time continued to shorten, but his spirit was getting better and better.

The pinch of Spiritual Fragrant Grass from last night was used up, so he had to ask the old gentleman for some more today.

He got out of bed, his eyes sweeping across the room.

Cleaning Spell.

1 point of spiritual energy consumed, an invisible wave swept through.

The leaves of the Pothos on the windowsill unfolded, and the pale golden fine lines on the edges became a bit clearer.

In [Internal Vision], he could clearly "see" the weak flow of spiritual energy inside the Pothos.

Like plant meridians, although simple, they truly existed.

[Pothos Weak Spiritual Plant Transformation]

[Status: Weak spiritual energy circulation established, growth speed +60%, air purification effect +150%, weak spirit calming]

[Hint: Long-term exposure to a spiritual energy environment allows ordinary plants to evolve slowly]

Chen Zhen moved his mind, separating a wisp of spiritual energy to inject into the Pothos.

This time it wasn't simple nourishment, but a slow guidance along that set of "plant meridians" inside it.

The leaves of the Pothos trembled slightly, the pale golden halo brightened for a moment, then slowly faded into the depths of the leaf veins.

[Spiritual Energy Guidance Successful]

[Pothos Spiritual Affinity Greatly Increased]

[Status: Weak Spiritual Plant Transformation → Quasi-Spiritual Plant (Growth speed +100%, weak mind purification, weak refreshing)]

Another quasi-spiritual plant.

Chen Zhen nodded in satisfaction.

Once this pot of Pothos fully transforms into a spiritual plant, placing it in the room will not only purify the air but also slightly improve Cultivation effects.

He noted this idea: in the future, he could mass-Cultivate ordinary plants in the Secret Base, using trace amounts of spiritual energy to nurture them long-term, allowing them to slowly transform into spiritual plants.

Although they can't compare to the carefully cultivated Mint, they have the advantage of quantity and low cost.