293: Chapter 293 Another Breakthrough in Spirit, The Use of the Light Sphere

Twilight closed in, and the mottled Tubular Building stood quietly within the last trace of the evening glow.

A taxi crushed through puddles and ruts, slowly pulling to a stop in front of the flower bed.

The car door opened, and Wen Xin pulled Zhou Xiumei's hand as they hopped out of the car. The two girls' silver-bell-like laughter and chatter echoed in the corridor.

Fang Cheng stepped out afterwards, habitually raising his head to look up at the top floor, checking the familiar window of his own home.

The light was dark, without a trace of brightness.

From within the building came the fierce clanging sound of a spatula stir-frying, mixed with the crying and fussing of someone's child, drifting into the air alongside the fragrance of food.

Fang Cheng first walked Wen Xin to the door of her home in the basement, and after waving goodbye, he turned around and walked up to the ninth floor with Zhou Xiumei.

"Brother Cheng."

Arriving in front of Room 906, Zhou Xiumei hesitated for a moment, turned around while hugging her guitar case.

Illuminated by the dim light of the hallway, the girl lifted her face, her bright eyes carrying a hint of concern:

"You look a bit tired. Remember to go to sleep early and rest your mind well."

She gently exhorted, able to sense that Fang Cheng seemed somewhat preoccupied today.

"Mm, you should rest early too. You still have class tomorrow."

Fang Cheng nodded, watching as Zhou Xiumei neatly unlocked the door and went inside.

When the iron grille door closed, it emitted a "clatter" sound that echoed in the empty corridor.

Fang Cheng turned around and walked towards his own home.

The remaining glow of the setting sun penetrated the window at the end of the corridor, casting a slender strip of light on the cement floor and stretching his figure very long.

Click.

The key inserted into the keyhole, turned gently, and the door was pushed open silently.

The inside of the apartment was pitch dark, with only a trace of hallway dim light leaking through the door crack.

Fang Cheng did not turn on the light immediately; instead, he cocked his ear to listen for a moment, confirming there were no abnormal sounds inside the house.

Then he closed the door behind him and pressed the switch for the low-wattage incandescent lamp at the entryway.

The pale yellow light instantly flooded this cramped space.

With his messenger bag on his back, Fang Cheng bent down to take off the sports shoes on his feet, changing into a pair of semi-old grey cotton slippers.

Afterwards, he did not immediately step onto the floor to enter the house, but instead squatted down, his gaze scanning the entryway floor sharply.

His line of sight quickly locked onto the floor near the door crack—

There, a black hair strand almost blended with the wood grain of the floor lay quietly, positioned parallel to the floor tile grouts.

This was the "anti-theft measure" he deliberately set up every time before going out.

"No one has entered..."

Fang Cheng muttered softly to himself, his heart settling slightly.

But his vigilance did not relax because of this.

The moment he stood up, a faint dark red filter quietly emerged in his field of vision, just like some high-tech scanner starting up.

"Scavengers Eye" activated.

As Fang Cheng stepped into the living room, he scanned the surrounding environment.

Wherever his gaze reached, any abnormal accumulation of dust, subtle shifting of placed items, unfamiliar lingering scents in the air...

All traces that might suggest an intruder had broken in had nowhere to hide.

His extraordinary sensory perception acted like the most precise radar, covering every corner of the house, especially those easily overlooked places.

Under the sofa, deep inside the cabinets, the corners of the ceiling, inside the socket panels...

Aside from searching for abnormal traces, Fang Cheng also specifically checked everywhere to see if miniature surveillance cameras or eavesdropping devices had been installed.

A few minutes later, after meticulously "scanning" a round and confirming there were no abnormalities,

he finally relaxed slightly, turned off the "Scavengers Eye", and his vision returned to normal.

Fang Cheng casually tossed his messenger bag onto the sofa, walked over to the refrigerator, took out a bottle of iced orange juice, and gulped down the greater half of it with a few loud swallows.

The ice-cold liquid slid down his throat, washing away a trace of dry heat.

Tonight, Fang Cheng had originally not planned to return to this home.

Although that raw apartment in Guanlan District was crude, it was secretive enough.

But on second thought, he had just had a conflict with the Special Investigation Team, and the Noah Organization was also secretly investigating him.

If he suddenly changed his daily routine and stayed outside for a long time without coming home, it would instead easily arouse suspicion and seem like protesting too much.

Moreover, the clothes on his body really needed to be washed.

His mother had been staying over at Wanghu Town taking care of his grandfather for the past few days.

His uncle had not returned from a business trip, and Fang Cheng himself had used the same excuse, leading to a lack of supervision for the house currently under renovation.

Although his grandfather's health had recovered well and he could handle daily life, his mother was still worried and preferred to temporarily stop going to work at the hospital just to stay by her elderly father's side.

Therefore, in this old house, he was temporarily the only person here.

After finishing the whole bottle of juice, Fang Cheng walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked out at the familiar night scenery of Jiuchang Street.

Across the street, several buildings lit up rows of warm lights, full of the lively atmosphere of ordinary human life.

Yet Fang Cheng's gaze was as sharp as a falcon's, his line of sight piercing directly through the glass to observe any potential surveillance points.

A moment later, he let down the curtain with a judgment formed in his heart.

"It seems they haven't tracked down this place yet..."

Stalking his joints and feeling a hollow emptiness in his abdomen, Fang Cheng decided to first go cook a sumptuous dinner to properly replenish the massive energy consumed over the past two days.

He opened the refrigerator, took out the remaining large piece of beef from the refrigerator compartment, a few eggs, and some fresh vegetables.

Cutting meat, washing vegetables, cracking eggs... his movements were skilled and rapid.

Soon, the gas stove was spitting flames, and an alluring fragrance permeated the kitchen.

There were no complex cooking techniques; it was simply a home-style preparation, but the portion was generous.

The steak sizzled, the vegetable salad was mixed with vibrant colors, and there was also a large bowl of fragrant egg fried rice.

Sitting alone at the dining table, the sky outside the window had completely darkened, with only street lamps and lights from distant residential buildings dotting the night sky.

Fang Cheng ate quietly, moving fast but not crudely.

The food quickly transformed into energy, filling the body's deficits and bringing a grounded sense of satisfaction.

After finishing his meal, he casually cleaned up the kitchen and the house a bit, doing some basic housework.

When he wiped the last piece of the floor and stood up, the familiar panel prompt information appeared before his eyes:

[ Culinary Arts Experience + 2 ]

[ Culinary Arts Lv1 (214/250) ]

[ Cleaning Experience + 3 ]

[ Cleaning Lv1 (109/250) ]

"Pretty good."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, a hint of gratification welling up in his heart.

Experience for daily life skills was also growing steadily; although slow, it was better than nothing.

Raising his head to glance at the wall clock, the time pointed to 8:52 PM.

Fang Cheng did not pull out his dagger like usual to continue practicing his Blade Technique, nor did he practice Tai Chi a few times.

Just as Zhou Xiumei said, his mind truly presented an obvious state of exhaustion.

Ever since he shattered the golden bumpa bottle on Miwu Mountain and absorbed the spirituality within it, the consumption of Mental Energy had become unusually frequent, putting a slightly heavy burden on him.

Coupled with the high-alert tense state of the past two days and the intense battle with that high-ranking officer,

it made him feel a trace of fatigue originating from the depths of his Soul.

Fang Cheng decided to use tonight's rare, peaceful environment to conduct a long Meditation session.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng promptly locked all doors and windows, drew the curtains, blocking out external light and most noise.

Then, he walked into the bedroom and sat cross-legged on the bed.

He began adjusting his breathing, relaxing his body, and slowly sinking his consciousness into the depths of his mind.

Initially, all kinds of external noises rushed in like a tidal wave.

The television playback sounds of the next-door neighbors, car honking from the distant streets, and even the sound of water flowing in the pipes, continuous...

But as the Meditation deepened, these sounds gradually became distant and blurry, as if separated by a thick layer of frosted glass.

Until they completely receded, and consciousness sank into a profound, eternal tranquility.

Fang Cheng opened his mind's eye, once again "seeing" that familiar dark world.

Dense fog surged all around, devouring all light.

In the center of the endless darkness, only a cluster of stubborn flames burned quietly.

It was as if an inextinguishable lighthouse in this Chaos space, emitting endless light and heat, guiding the direction of Souls lost mid-journey.

This was Fang Cheng's "Flame of Spirituality".

Compared to when he observed it last time in the raw apartment, the state of the flame at this moment seemed to have undergone some subtle changes.

The main body of the flame still maintained the deep blue and crimson colors symbolizing his own willpower.

But within the inner flame, those golden light spots originating from the golden bumpa bottle's spirituality seemed to have become more active, and their quantity had vaguely increased by a few shades.

They were no longer sporadic embellishments, but intertwined more closely with the crimson flame,

causing the entire cluster of flames to present a brighter, yet more unstable orange-red tone.

Every burst of golden light spots would cause the flame to suddenly leap higher, expanding the light field outward.

At the same time, it also made one feel a sense of emptiness where energy was rapidly consumed.

Fang Cheng watched the abnormality of the Flame of Spirituality closely.

Right at this moment, those noises and illusions that had been warded off refused to be lonely, attempting to invade his mind again like ghosts.

Chaotic murmurs sounded at the edge of his consciousness, interspersed with one fragmented shadow after another.

What's more, a faint, extremely grand mysterious whisper faintly came through.

Seemingly originating from the depths of the Void Realm, someone was chanting an ancient and obscure scripture, containing indescribable temptation and coercion.

The dark consciousness space rippled layer upon layer as a result, seeming to resonate secretly with some unknown and powerful existence.

The Flame of Spirituality was thus disturbed, beginning to shake violently, bringing tremors to his Soul as well.

However, Fang Cheng's willpower was as steadfast as a rock, his consciousness always anchored to the flame's core.

He silently operated the Meditation technique, mobilizing Mental Energy to construct a solid barrier, completely repelling all external disturbances and temptations.

At the same time, he also carefully controlled the circulation of True Qi within his body.

This time, Fang Cheng did not let the light of the flame penetrate into the real world.

Only a faint red light was revealed at the center of his eyebrows, and his body only emitted a wave of warm breath, avoiding the awkward predicament of almost self-igniting last time in the raw apartment.

This was a difficult confrontation process.

He had to maintain the depth of Meditation, resist external erosion and temptation, and also control the manifestation of his own power.

Not knowing how much time had passed, when those noises and whispers gradually weakened, and the shaking of the Flame of Spirituality slowly subsided and stabilized, Fang Cheng finally felt a trace of relief.

A pale blue light flashed timely before his eyes, and prompt messages swept past like flowing water:

[ You are absorbing external thoughts, condensing your self-awareness, Mental Energy increases by 0.001 ]

[ The degree of your Fusion with a certain spirituality is gradually increasing, Mental Energy increases by 0.001 ]

[ You practice the Meditation skill, experience increases + 1 ]

[ The degree of your Fusion with a certain spirituality is gradually increasing, Mental Energy increases by 0.001 ]

...

Through this Meditation Cultivation session, which felt like wrestling with an invisible enemy, the Flame of Spirituality not only successfully stabilized,

but even underwent tempering during the process of confrontation and absorption, growing slightly by a trace.

Fang Cheng could clearly feel that the mental fatigue had been swept away.

Replaced by a sense of fullness like after a hearty meal, his mind became more condensed and lucid.

He did not stop there, continuing to immerse himself in deep Meditation.

He continued to fight against those occasionally generated noises and disturbances, consolidating his Cultivation achievements and continuously accumulating experience.

Time passed silently in the silence.

Outside the window, from the flickering neon of midnight to the dead of night in the early morning.

Gradually, it transitioned to the grey-blue before dawn, until the horizon took on a fish-belly white.

The city awoke from its deep sleep, and the sounds of vehicles driving and pedestrians talking began to come from the street.

Then, sunlight penetrated the curtain gaps, casting a bright trace of light on the bedroom floor.

As time passed, it slowly moved and finally landed on Fang Cheng's face as he sat cross-legged on the bed.

The warm light brought information from the outside world, and Fang Cheng's eyelids twitched imperceptibly.

But he did not open his eyes, still maintaining his meditative posture.

The external hustle and bustle and the warmth of the sunlight could not disturb the tranquility of his heart at this moment.

After an unknown amount of time passed, when he felt that his Mental Energy had reached its current saturation state and the Meditation effect had become negligible,

Fang Cheng slowly let out a breath and ended this long Meditation practice.

He focused his gaze on the wisp of flame in his mind.

After a night of Cultivation and consolidation, the Flame of Spirituality seemed to have undergone some subtle changes.

Its color leaned more towards a bright orange-red, and the intertwined golden light threads within it were clearer and more agile.

The overall form of the flame had also stabilized a lot, with the swaying amplitude noticeably reduced.

Although the light it emitted was still not very intense, it gave a feeling of being more resilient and solid.

Fang Cheng's mind stirred, and the panel emerged before his eyes, displaying the summary information of this skill practice:

[ Meditation Experience + 21 ]

[ Meditation Lv1 (203/250) ]

[ Your Mental attribute permanently increases by 0.9 points ]

[ Congratulations, through unremitting efforts and special opportunities, your Mental attribute has significantly improved, successfully Breakthrough to 48 points ]

Fang Cheng's gaze fell on the number "48 points", and the corners of his mouth couldn't help curving into an arc.

Opening his eyes to look at the alarm clock on the desk, the hands pointed squarely at 14:03.

This Meditation practice had unknowingly exceeded 15 hours.

He had actually started cultivating from last night, pulling an all-nighter, and it had continued all the way until the afternoon of the next day.

No wonder the harvest of experience and attributes was so bountiful.

Moreover.

With the deepening of Fusion with the golden bumpa bottle's spirituality, his mental attributes were also growing at an extraordinary speed.

Although the magnitude of this increase was lower compared to the initial Fusion last time, it was already quite considerable.

"Gurgle..."

Amidst his thoughts, a sound of protest suddenly came from his belly.

Fang Cheng did not get up immediately.

Instead, enduring the sense of hunger, his consciousness shifted, and he once again entered that "Memory Palace" belonging to himself.

Then he quickly opened the bedroom door and stepped into the dark outer hall.

The sight before him made him pause slightly, yet it was also within expectations.

The boundaries of the originally dark hall had clearly expanded outward quite a bit compared to last time he entered.

It appeared more spacious and profound, almost like a small plaza.

Right in the center of the hall, that golden light ball floated quietly, and the light it emitted was a bit brighter than last time.

The elusive mysterious light patterns on the surface of the light ball were now intertwined in a more complex form, becoming a bit clearer.

They slowly flowed like a living creature, and their operating trajectories appeared richer in regularity and a sense of order.

Fang Cheng observed these light patterns closely, vaguely sensing a special rhythm contained within them.

They seemed to maintain the same vibration frequency as those "radio wave information" surrounding the outer periphery of the palace, producing a weak resonance and connection.

Remembering another main purpose of this Meditation practice, Fang Cheng thus locked his gaze onto the light patterns flowing on the surface of the golden light ball.

Observing for a moment, he then chose one of the light patterns that appeared the clearest and most familiar.

Next, he tentatively extended his right hand and touched it gently.

The moment his fingertips touched the light pattern, a wonderful induction naturally arose.

In the dark, it felt as if an invisible thread had been connected.

Fang Cheng's consciousness followed this thread, instantly piercing through the dark Memory Palace, crossing a distant spatial distance, and linking to another conscious body.

The scene before his eyes suddenly shifted!

(End of Chapter)