298: Chapter 298 Master-level Meditation, Manas Consciousness

In the woods.

Roger closed his eyes and concentrated, his nostrils flaring slightly, sensing the residual energy fluctuations in the air with Focus.

Earlier during the morning class at the temple, it was precisely this familiar aura that triggered his unique perception of the golden bumpa bottle's spirituality.

He abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping sharply across the surroundings.

The forest was dead silent; except for the charred, still-warm boulder, there was not a Soul in sight.

Roger's expression instantly turned ashen, and the eyes behind his lenses burned with fury.

He could be almost one hundred percent certain that the person who had just stayed here was that bald bastard who made him gnash his teeth in hatred and burst into flames all over!

Moreover, the other party actually chose to Cultivate so close to Lingquan Temple.

This kind of behavior was clearly a naked provocation!

It was just like someone stealing another person's precious saber, then grandly running to the owner's home to sharpen it on their whetstone, while deliberately making a harsh, grating sound.

"Bastard!!"

Roger let out a low growl through gritted teeth.

His figure flickered, transforming into a blur as he shuttled rapidly through the surrounding woods, attempting to find the footprints and traces of that bald bastard.

However, no matter how he searched, he ultimately came up empty-handed.

That person seemed to have been completely swallowed by flames, evaporating into thin air without leaving any useful clues.

Only this charred bluestone remained, along with the lingering smell of fireworks in the air.

...

Victoria Peak, Xiao Family mansion.

Inside the solemn and respectful ancestral hall, green lamps flickered and incense smoke curled upwards.

Xiao Linye sat cross-legged atop a bright yellow Meditation cushion, his eyes tightly closed, his Qi deep and concentrated like an abyss.

Below him, more than a dozen core disciples of the Xiao Family stood respectfully with their hands at their sides.

They did not dare make the slightest sound, quietly waiting for the head of the Family to finish Meditation and start today's Family morning meeting.

At this moment, Xiao Linye's mind was not entirely immersed in the ethereal Realm of Meditation.

A trace of faint irritability, like an undercurrent beneath the water's surface, quietly surged within the lake of his heart.

The matter of the golden bumpa bottle, although glossed over lightly in front of that "Master".

But in reality, the stifled anger and unwillingness in Xiao Linye's heart far exceeded what he displayed.

That was not just a sacred artifact of the Black Sect.

It was even the most core link in his perfect plan to kill two birds with one stone, severely damage the Lu Family, and thereby strengthen himself!

Xiao Linye fancied himself infallible, using that bald donkey Roger as a gun and leading the Lu Family into the trap, with everything going according to his script.

On the night of the incident, he had even begun to envision.

When the Lu Family's Secret Realm turned into an Asura bloodbath, how he would reap the fisherman's profits and take the Opportunity to recover the golden bumpa bottle infused with majestic spiritual power.

And further down the line, the magnificent scene of how the Xiao Family would reach a higher level.

However——

Yet—that bald kid who popped out from nowhere was like a huge boulder that smashed all his careful arrangements to pieces!

"Hoo..."

Xiao Linye slowly exhaled a breath of foul air, forcing himself to suppress the anger in his heart.

There is a saying: those who achieve great things must not be impatient.

It was certainly a pity that the golden bumpa bottle broke, but as long as the Opportunity mentioned by the "Master" arrived, everything Xiao Linye wanted would be within easy reach.

As for that bastard who ruined his plan...

Hmph, just a minor character, nothing to worry about.

Xiao Linye was resourceful and far-sighted, having long secretly arranged some backup plans.

He believed that kid would soon pay the price for his recklessness.

Perhaps, he had already suffered from Qi Deviation due to absorbing energy indiscriminately.

Thinking of this, the corners of Xiao Linye's mouth involuntarily curled into a cold arc.

Even transformed into fragments, the massive vital blood and resentment suppressed in the golden bumpa bottle for two thousand years were by no means something an unknown kid could easily control.

Not to mention, he had also added many vicious and venomous Restrictions inside it.

This power looked powerful and seductive, but it was like a gut-wrenching poison.

The person who consumed it would be like quenching thirst with poisoned wine, and ultimately it would only backfire on them.

Xiao Linye slowly guided his own Qi, attempting to further stabilize his mind and eliminate distracting thoughts.

Right at this moment, an extremely subtle yet extremely familiar energy fluctuation was transmitted into his mind without warning.

Like a ripple on the surface of the water, it quietly triggered his perception!

Xiao Linye's body stiffened abruptly.

His tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open, a trace of incredulous astonishment flashing in them, which instantly turned into thick gloominess.

This aura...

There was no mistake!

It was definitely the spirituality of the golden bumpa bottle!

Moreover, it was not that miscellaneous, violent, and resentment-filled primitive spirituality.

Instead, it had been purified through some method and deeply Fused, becoming more condensed and pure.

It even faintly exuded... a backfiring power that made his Soul feel palpitations, rushing toward him like a tide.

How was this possible?

That bald kid not only was not backfired by the golden bumpa bottle's spirituality.

Instead... it seemed he had successfully broken all Restrictions, absorbed it, and made it his own?!

"Puff!"

A surge of Qi and blood uncontrollably rushed upward, and Xiao Linye only felt a sweetness in his throat, almost spitting out a mouthful of old blood on the spot.

He forcibly suppressed that churning Qi and blood, but his face instantly turned deathly pale, and fine cold sweat oozed from his temples.

He originally thought the other party was just a disruptive idiot who would soon suffer the consequences of his own actions.

Yet he didn't expect that not only did the other party not die.

On the contrary, he refined the leftovers that Xiao Linye regarded as "poison" into a great tonic!

This feeling was even stronger and more suffocating than when his plan was originally ruined!

It was as if he had racked his brains to plant a poisonous fruit, waiting for the enemy to pick it.

As a result, not only did the enemy pick it, but right in front of him, they brewed the poisonous fruit into nectar and drank it with great relish.

Even letting out a burp.

"This is simply outrageous—"

Xiao Linye roared frantically in his heart.

But on the surface, he still maintained the dignity of the head of the Family, his face as calm as an ancient well without ripples.

Only his slightly trembling fingertips exposed the intensely surging emotions in his heart.

The Xiao Family disciples standing respectfully below keenly perceived the sudden change in the head of the Family's aura.

One by one, they kept silent like cicadas in winter, even lightening their breaths considerably, fearing to anger this moody head of the Family.

They did not know what had happened, only feeling that the atmosphere inside the ancestral hall instantly became as heavy as a mountain.

...

Half an hour later, inside the buffet restaurant of the Yuehu Hotel.

Fang Cheng was sitting together with his mom, uncle, and grandfather, enjoying a sumptuous breakfast.

He wolfed down his food, sweeping away the food on his plate like a storm sweeping away clouds.

His astonishing appetite and eating speed made guests at neighboring seats click their tongues in wonder.

"Achoo!"

Fang Cheng suddenly turned his head, facing away from the dining table as he sneezed a big sneeze.

Then he rubbed his nose, muttering inwardly:

"Strange, why are so many people missing me?"

"Chengcheng, did you catch a cold?"

Li Biyun immediately put down her chopsticks and looked at him with concern:

"The climate has been fluctuating these past few days, with a large temperature difference between morning and evening. You should wear an extra layer of clothes when exercising, don't brush it off just because you're young, catching a cold is no fun."

Fang Cheng shoveled the beef fried rice in his bowl and replied vaguely:

"Got it, Mom, next time during morning exercise I'll wear one more layer..."

Beside him, Li Dingjian looked at his nephew's physique, which was sturdier than a tiger's, curling his lip inwardly and complaining silently:

"With A-Cheng's freakish physical fitness, if he could even catch a cold, then I guess everyone else in this world wouldn't need to live anymore..."

Breakfast ended.

Under the pretext of being a bit tired after morning exercise and wanting to rest for a while, Fang Cheng returned to his hotel room alone.

First, he took a satisfying hot shower, washing away the sweat all over his body and the strange smoky smell of fireworks.

Then he changed into a clean and loose casual outfit, feeling much fresher all over.

Inside the room, sunlight streamed through the wide floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling softly onto the carpet.

Tiny dust motes floated in the air, dancing leisurely in the slanted pillars of light.

At this moment, gone was the tension and danger from Cultivating in the back mountain of Lingquan Temple, replaced by a rare sense of tranquility.

Fang Cheng sat cross-legged on the soft and comfortable large bed, his state of mind peaceful and his mental state fuller than ever before.

Recalling the whim-like palpitation when he finished Meditation earlier, which faintly carried a hint of malice.

It seemed that in the dark, some person or thing was trying to find and locate him through some method.

On the way back to the hotel, he had also paid special attention behind him, but found no suspicious trackers.

Fang Cheng guessed that this sudden abnormal phenomenon might be related to the golden bumpa bottle.

After all, he had just completely refined and Fused its residual spirituality.

During this process, it was very likely that some unknown Restriction had been triggered.

Or, it had produced a special resonance with certain entities equally sensitive to the golden bumpa bottle.

"It seems that in the future, places like temples are better visited less often..."

Fang Cheng thought to himself inwardly.

Since the special Cultivation over these past three days had basically achieved the expected goals.

For him, the utilization value of that forest was no longer significant.

Frequent visits might instead expose his traces and invite unnecessary trouble.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng steadied his mind and decided not to dwell on it anymore.

The most important thing right now was to raise his Meditation skill as well.

Only 3 experience points away from leveling up, now was just a good time to strike while the iron was hot.

Fang Cheng adjusted his breathing, slowly closed his eyes, and his consciousness gradually settled.

Soon, he once again entered that world of consciousness belonging to himself.

This time, when "looking" at that Flame of Spirituality, he found that compared to usual, it had undergone significant changes.

The flame no longer swayed endlessly like before, but became exceptionally stable, quietly suspended in the endless darkness.

It burned brighter and more solidly, and the light it emitted was also hotter and more penetrating.

Thus illuminating more space of consciousness and forming a larger range of light Domain.

Those golden light spots that used to wander and fly inside the flame, frequently detonating.

At this moment had long since completely Fused into the flame body itself, completely indistinguishable from each other.

They, representing the golden bumpa bottle's spirituality, perfectly combined with the deep blue symbolizing Fang Cheng's self-will and the crimson transformed from physical vitality.

As a result, the entire cluster of flames presented a gorgeous and sacred crimson-gold color.

This crimson-gold flame no longer had a shred of impurity or violence, and was filled with vibrant vitality and an extremely yang and rigid Qi.

Like a morning sun slowly rising from the eastern horizon at dawn, its radiance soaring to the skies, dispelling all gloom and darkness.

Fang Cheng's mind was immersed in an incomparably peaceful Meditation Realm.

As the Black Sect sacred artifact's spirituality was completely digested and absorbed, many unusual phenomena that once troubled him also vanished into thin air.

There were no grandiose and bizarre chanting sounds echoing and roaring in his mind.

Nor were there those baring-fangs-and-claws demon-god illusions attempting to erode his mind.

More importantly, the Flame of Spirituality became purer and more efficient, avoiding the large amount of spiritual energy that needed to be consumed additionally during previous abnormal states.

Fang Cheng's Qi was steady, long, and faint.

His body no longer had the difficulty of controlling the irritable crimson True Qi during Meditation as in the past, with flames erupting all over his body.

Everything seemed so natural and effortless.

On the wall clock, the hour and minute hands moved slowly and leisurely across the dial.

The trajectory of sunlight within the room also changed quietly, slowly crawling from a corner of the carpet onto the edge of the bed.

Right at the moment when the hands were about to point to 12 noon.

In Fang Cheng's world of consciousness, that crimson-gold Flame of Spirituality surged abruptly, bursting out with a light even more dazzling than the midday sun.

This light did not expand outward, but condensed inward.

Making the core of the flame brighter, as if a real star was brewing within it.

An indescribable sense of transparency and sudden enlightenment instantly filled Fang Cheng's entire mind.

Immediately after, the panel before his eyes suddenly lit up, blooming with brilliant radiance.

[Congratulations, through unremitting efforts, your skill has reached a higher level and successfully reached the Great Master level]

[Meditation lv2 (0/500)]

[Obtained reinforcement reward, skill special effect "Mind Resonance"]

Fang Cheng opened his eyes, two substantial crimson-gold flashes of light flashing through his pupils before fading away.

His face was brimming with an irrepressible expression of joy.

"Great Master-level Meditation, it's finally reached!"

Fang Cheng was extremely excited inside.

From the cluelessness when first contacting Meditation, to being deep in the sea and igniting the Flame of Spirituality, to now breaking through to the Great Master level.

This journey was filled with hardship and danger, but it also gave him growth and transformation unimaginable to ordinary people.

Afterward, Fang Cheng took a deep breath to calm his mood.

He cast his gaze toward the glowing skill column on the panel, carefully examining the brand-new special effects brought by the Great Master-level Meditation skill.

[Mind Resonance]

[This ability is rooted in the common empathy and emotional connection of mankind, an embodiment of the higher-level seventh sense "Manas-vijnana", and also the cornerstone for establishing the same tribe and consolidating teams]

[When activating the ability, you can try to conduct a high-frequency synchronization with the consciousness of one or more selected targets. When mental resonance is successfully triggered, an invisible connection channel can be established between both sides]

[No matter how far apart the two parties actually are, you can share each other's sensory information, thoughts, emotions, and memory fragments through this method. You can also conduct spiritual communication, apply mental pacification, or guide the other party's self-consciousness at the subconscious level]

[As the initiator of the ability, you are like a lighthouse guiding the direction, possessing higher authority and dominance after the connection is established. You can choose to conduct two-way information sharing, or choose a one-way channel to project your own consciousness into the target's mental Domain, unilaterally obtaining the target's current surface thoughts or sensory information]

[The prerequisite for establishing a connection is that the target holds a certain degree of trust and curiosity toward you, or both sides share a strong emotional resonance point at a certain moment]

[Note that establishing a channel requires consuming a certain amount of spiritual energy. The duration and stability depend on the sum of the spiritual energy of both parties and the depth of the spiritual connection]