Chapter 72 Cangming Contemplation: The Forgotten Terror

【You sat cross-legged on the cushion in front of the desk, hands naturally resting on your knees.】

【Your breathing gradually became deep and long.】

【"The second step to breaking through to the Origin Opening Realm — Visualization and Spirit Condensation, the initial birth of Divine Thought."】

【You silently recited the incantation of the Heavenly Sea Vast Waves Body Spirit Seed Origin Art in your heart, and with your superb memory.】

【You meticulously re-sketched the Vast Sea Myriad Streams Visualization Diagram, which was printed on the book page, in your mind, bit by bit.】

【"Boom..."】

【As your consciousness sank in, the originally still painting seemed to come alive in your Sea of Consciousness.】

【In a trance, you felt as if you were no longer in your room, but suspended above a boundless ocean.】

【This was the "Concept of Vast Waves" left behind by a Martial Artist expert.】

【This visualization diagram was not "dead."】

【It was dynamic, flowing, and alive.】

【At times, the sea surface was calm as a mirror, deep and dark blue, as if it could encompass all things in the world.】

【It exuded the gentleness and magnanimity of "the highest good is like water."】

【At other times, strong winds suddenly rose, and Surging Waves rolled up thousands of layers of snow, the black seawater resembling roaring behemoths.】

【They threatened to swallow everything between heaven and earth, revealing the "fierce and violent" side of water.】

【You did not panic, but controlled your mind and tried to merge into this vast sea.】

【You imagined yourself as a drop in this seawater, rising and falling with the waves, migrating with the ocean currents.】

【"Returning to the Source, Guiding the Waves into the Body..."】

【Your consciousness pulsed with the rhythm of the waves.】

【During this process.】

【You felt your Mental Energy being continuously stretched, squeezed, and tempered by this vast Concept.】

【If it were an ordinary Martial Artist, even a Genius one in ten thousand, visualizing this level of diagram for the first time.】

【They would probably suffer from splitting headaches due to Mental Energy exhaustion within ten minutes.】

【Or even have their consciousness scattered by that violent Concept.】

【But you were different.】

【Deep within your Sea of Consciousness, that "Slow-Release Mental Source" transformed from Grandmaster Zhao Zongtian's Divine Power Restriction.】

【It was continuously releasing pure and gentle energy, nourishing your slightly fatigued spirit body.】

【And within your Physical Body, the Profound Water Spirit Body Origin, enhanced by the illusory water lily.】

【It was also resonating wonderfully with the Concept of Vast Waves in your Sea of Consciousness.】

【The Physical Body nourished the Soul, and the Soul in turn nourished the Physical Body.】

【Under these multiple blessings, your Mental Energy was like refined iron repeatedly forged.】

【Not only did it not deplete, but it became even tougher and purer.】

【After an unknown amount of time.】

【In that vast black Sea of Consciousness, a faint blue light suddenly appeared.】

【Followed by a second, a third...】

【They were like lighthouses on the deep sea at night.】

【Though faint, though seemingly precarious, they stubbornly flickered amidst the Surging Waves.】

【That was not ordinary light; it was the spark of Mental Energy, condensed to a certain degree, about to transform into Divine Thought.】

【Although there was still a long way to go before the true "initial birth of Divine Thought."】

【These scattered blue lights meant that you had successfully taken the first step towards the Origin Opening Realm.】

【The path of Origin Opening begins here.】

【Time passed extremely quickly during deep meditation.】

【When you opened your eyes again, although it was still pitch black outside, the wind and snow outside the window had stopped.】

【Five in the morning.】

【You ended a night of high-intensity visualization.】

【Logically, after a sleepless night of mental exertion like this, a normal person would have been dizzy and listless.】

【But when you stood up and stretched your somewhat stiff limbs.】

【You were surprised to find that you not only had no feeling of fatigue.】

【Instead, you felt refreshed, with a faint glint in your eyes, as if you had just had the most perfect, satisfying sleep.】

【"Is this the power of the 'Slow-Release Mental Source' and the 'illusory water lily'?"】

【The combination of both had an excellent effect!】

【You clenched your fist, feeling the abundant energy within your body, and a smile curved your lips.】

【"Not only was my mental exhaustion repaired, but even the fatigue in my Physical Body was eliminated."】

【"This state is truly rare."】

【After a simple wash, you changed into a clean school uniform and headed to the training room for today's morning class.】

【After all, you still had to go to the police station at eight o'clock to give a statement.】

【Although a Great Grandmaster vouched for it, this was likely just a formality.】

【But since it concerned the Heart-Eroding Cult, a sensitive case like this could not leave any procedural loopholes.】

【"In this simulation, I've only completed a phased objective so far."】

【You pondered in your heart as you walked.】

【Arriving at the training room.】

【During today's morning practice, that familiar white figure—Liu Xiyue—did not appear.】

【You guessed that she was likely busy allocating the resources she promised you and dealing with the aftermath of last night.】

【After all, as the Young Miss of the Liu Family, even just signing a document.】

【Requires going through many internal Family procedures, and she also needed time to recover from the shock of last night.】

【But the training room was not deserted; instead, it was livelier than usual.】

【"Assistant Instructor Li! Assistant Instructor Li!"】

【As soon as you entered, you were surrounded by a group of excited students.】

【"Did you hear? Did you hear? Something big happened in the city center last night!"】

【"The Black Gold Chamber of Commerce building has been cordoned off!"】

【"They say it was a terrorist attack, and even army helicopters were dispatched!"】

【"The commotion was so loud, my house five kilometers away heard it!"】

【"And! And! I heard my dad say that a super important figure from Suhang City seemed to have arrived!"】

【"They directly flattened that building!"】

【The students chattered excitedly, their eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.】

【For these students living in an ivory tower, such events were even more thrilling than movies.】

【"Assistant Instructor Li, you're well-informed, do you know the inside story?"】

【Zhang Li leaned over, asking with a gossipy expression.】

【Looking at these curious teenagers, you sighed inwardly.】

【"Nothing major."】

【Your expression was calm as you gave the prepared excuse.】

【"It's said that the Alien Cult Investigation Bureau from Suhang City came here to handle a case."】

【"A Divine Power Realm Grandmaster personally oversaw it, cooperating with our local police."】

【"They annihilated a group of lurking cultists."】

【"Shentong Realm?! Grandmaster?!"】

【As soon as these words were uttered, the entire place erupted.】

【For these students who hadn't even reached Qi and Blood Seventh Stage, the Shentong Realm was like a legendary Immortal!】

【Such beings, who only appeared in textbooks and news, had actually descended among them?】

【"Oh my god! I'm breathing the same air as a Grandmaster!"】

【"So cool! I heard Grandmasters can move mountains and fill seas, is that true?"】

【"No wonder the commotion was so big, turns out Immortals were fighting!"】

【Watching your classmates fall into a frenzy, you shook your head helplessly.】

【After diligently placating these curious kids, you ended the morning practice.】

【Seven-thirty.】

【You arrived in front of the administrative building, waiting for Wu Changhe and Liu Xiyue.】

【The early winter morning was somewhat cold, still carrying the chill from last night's melted wind and snow.】

【You stood on the steps, watching the bustling traffic outside the school gate, your thoughts beginning to drift uncontrollably.】

【The commotion at the Black Gold Chamber of Commerce building yesterday was so huge.】

【Within one night, such a major event had already become known to everyone in Longnan.】

【After all, many people died that night, nearly a thousand lives.】

【The Longnan authorities did not deliberately control public opinion.】

【They merely guided the narrative on the Intelligence Network to be—】

【"The Alien Cult Investigation Bureau from Suhang City, in full cooperation with the local Longnan police and government departments."】

【"Successfully annihilated a group of rogue cult terrorists."】

【This was a victorious propaganda, a public relations effort to soothe the public.】

【However, looking at the comments from netizens on your phone, you felt an inexplicable sadness.】

【"Cults? Are there still cults these days?"】

【"Probably some lunatics from who knows where, they've mostly been wiped out by now."】

【"Chaos Zone?"】

【"I heard that was forty years ago, right? Who still believes in that now?"】

【In the perception of the general public, cults operating within the Federation again.】

【It was an extremely rare, even somewhat inconceivable, occurrence.】

【After all, the Federation had been peaceful for nearly thirty years now.】

【Even in a frontier city like Longnan, a large portion of the Federation's deployed garrison forces had withdrawn more than 20 years ago.】

【Leaving behind only basic public order maintenance troops.】

【Although the reputation of the Alien Cult Investigation Bureau still held, it was mostly circulated among Martial Artist communities.】

【Investigating alien spies, slaughtering infiltrating alien beasts, clearing illegal Martial Artist groups...】

【However, the Investigation Bureau still had not changed its name.】

【They were still called the "Alien Cult Investigation Bureau."】

【Because they knew better than anyone else—the threat still existed!】

【Cults were only temporarily dormant; they were not completely wiped out.】

【Instead, they hid in the shadows, accumulating strength, sharpening their claws, and waiting for the next opportunity to strike back.】

【Just like this Heart-Eroding Cult incident, if Grandmaster Zhao Zongtian had not personally intervened.】

【If not for your variable existence, this matter would not have ended so simply.】

【"Thirty years... nearly forty years."】

【You looked at the ordinary people passing by the school gate, their faces filled with happy smiles.】

【"This amount of time is enough for an infant to grow into the backbone of a Family."】

【"And enough for many people to forget their past fears."】

【"This is the power of time."】

【"It can heal wounds, and it can also numb the heart."】

【"Buzz—"】

【A low rumble of a car engine interrupted your thoughts.】

【A black sedan stopped below the administrative building.】

【Wu Changhe poked his head out from the driver's seat; although his eyes were a bit dark, his spirits were quite good.】

【"Get in! What are you spacing out for!"】

【At the same time, on the other side of the campus road, a slender white figure also hurried over.】

【Liu Xiyue was wearing a suitable casual outfit; although her face was still a bit pale, her expression had returned to calm.】

【She tightly clutched a thick document bag in her hand.】

【Inside it should be the "resource transfer agreement" she promised you.】

【"Morning."】

【"Morning."】

【You exchanged glances, tacitly saying nothing more; this was not a good place for conversation.】

【Then you got into the car, one after another.】