Chapter 10: Advance Warrior
Luo Sheng and Luo Feng each returned to their own rooms after the family celebration. Both brothers were eager to try cultivating the Five Hearts Towards the Sky Method for the first time.
Although the Five Hearts Towards the Sky Cultivation Method was the most basic cultivation technique, it was not easy to get started. Some geniuses could successfully sense the cosmic energy on their very first day of cultivation. Others—even talented martial artists—might need ten days, half a month, or even several months before they could sense the energy in the universe.
It varied greatly from person to person, depending on talent and aptitude.
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In his room, Luo Sheng sat down with his legs crossed. He positioned his body carefully according to the instructions he'd received:
- Soles of his feet facing upward
- Hands resting on his thighs with palms facing up
- Back perfectly straight
- Baihui acupoint (the crown of his head) facing the sky
This was the proper "Five Hearts Towards the Sky" posture—the five points being the two foot soles, two palms, and the crown of his head.
According to the article I read at the Limit Hall, the first sensing is the hardest part, he thought to himself.The key is to perceive the cosmic energy that exists everywhere in the universe.
He took a deep breath and began to meditate.
The article had explained that this cosmic energy was ubiquitous—present everywhere on Earth and even throughout the cosmic starry sky. However, most humans were simply unable to detect its existence. The energy was there, invisible and intangible, but perception required training and talent.
As long as I can sense it, absorption should be simple, Luo Sheng thought. I wish I had an advanced guiding technique right now, but the basic method will have to do.
According to what Jiang Nian had told him, a typical genius could sense cosmic energy on the very first day of cultivation.
Martial artists with weaker talent might need an entire year or even half a year just to detect the energy's presence. He wondered how long it would take him.
Luo Sheng adjusted his breathing carefully, maintaining the Five Hearts Towards the Sky posture as he had been instructed.
Exhale...
Inhale...
Exhale...
Inhale...
His breathing gradually became calm and rhythmic. He controlled his mind, allowing his thoughts to settle and quiet, like still water in a mirror-like lake.
One hour passed...
Two hours passed...
Three hours passed...
Luo Sheng opened his eyes, frowning in frustration. To be completely honest, he didn't feel anything at all.
In fact, he'd nearly fallen asleep halfway through. The whole process seemed too mystical—just sitting cross-legged and somehow absorbing cosmic energy from the void? Surely anyone could adopt the proper posture, so why wasn't it working?
Forget it. I'll try again later. This method is bound to work eventually.
He stood up and stretched, his muscles stiff from sitting so long.
Just then, there was a knock on his door.
"Big Brother!" It was Luo Hua's voice. "Mom and Dad are calling you down for dinner! Everything's ready!"
"Coming!" Luo Sheng called back.
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The dining table downstairs was laden with a very rich, celebratory dinner. The dishes included fresh fish, tender meat, vegetables, and various delicious side dishes. Mother Gong Xinlan had spared no expense in preparing this meal.
Father Luo Hongguo stood with a wine glass in his hand, his face beaming with pride and happiness. "Come, everyone! To celebrate our Xiao Feng and Luo Sheng successfully passing the Quasi-Warrior assessment, let's have a proper toast!"
He raised his glass high. "May our sons become strong warriors and bring honor to our family!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone responded, raising their glasses.
Even Luo Feng Luo Hua and Luo Sheng, raised a glass of juice to join in the celebration.
The family shared a warm, joyful meal together, with Father Luo Hongguo asking detailed questions about the assessment while Mother Gong Xinlan constantly urged her sons to eat more. The atmosphere was one of genuine happiness and family unity.
After dinner concluded, Luo Sheng excused himself. "I'm going back to cultivate. I want to make another attempt at sensing the cosmic energy tonight."
"Good idea," Father Luo Hongguo said approvingly. "Hard work and dedication are what separate the strong from the weak."
Luo Sheng returned to his room and prepared for another cultivation session.
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Once again, Luo Sheng adopted the Five Hearts Towards the Sky posture. This time, he decided to approach it differently.
The body must be completely relaxed. The Five Hearts Towards the Sky posture must feel natural, not forced. The mind must be still, as quiet as a mirror-like lake reflecting the moonlight, he reminded himself, recalling the detailed instructions from the article.
He adjusted his positioning, making sure nothing felt strained or uncomfortable.
Exhale... inhale... exhale... inhale...
One hour passed...
Two hours passed...
Three hours passed...
Still nothing. Luo Sheng was beginning to wonder if perhaps he lacked the talent necessary for cultivating Gene Energy. It was a humbling thought.
Then, after more than three hours of constant meditation, something changed.
His consciousness began to drift into a hazy state—somewhere between full wakefulness and sleep. It was a strange feeling, like floating in a dreamlike landscape. In this twilight state of consciousness, he had actually forgotten about his original goal of sensing cosmic energy.
Suddenly—
He felt it.
Faint wisps of invisible aura seemed to pass through the soles of his feet, through the palms of his hands, and through the Baihui acupoint at the crown of his head. These threads of energy slowly flowed into his body at an extremely sluggish pace.
What a comfortable feeling! Luo Sheng thought, his senses heightening. What is this? Is it... cosmic energy?!
For a moment, he was so startled that his consciousness snapped back to full alertness—and immediately, the sensation vanished completely.
No, no, no! Luo Sheng realized his mistake. He had reacted too quickly, too excitedly, and disrupted his meditative state.
Luo Sheng quickly closed his eyes again and tried to return to that hazy, twilight state of consciousness. Gradually, his breathing calmed once more. His mind settled. Slowly, faint, minuscule wisps of aura began to drift back through the five points again.
This time, he was more careful not to react too violently. Instead, he gently focused his consciousness on the five points—the two foot soles, the two palms, and the Baihui acupoint.
His consciousness naturally emitted a clear intent: absorb cosmic energy.
Almost instantly, the speed at which energy flowed through the five points increased dramatically—nearly a hundredfold increase in absorption rate!
So exhilarating!
A tingling sensation erupted from deep within his bones, making his entire body tremble involuntarily. These invisible, colorless threads of cosmic energy poured into his body with an almost hungry intensity. Every cell in his body, starving for this energy after years of normal development, immediately began devouring it with desperate eagerness.
The cosmic energies flowed continuously through the five channels, pouring into every part of his body.
As the cosmic energy entered his cells, it was rapidly absorbed by the mitochondria within each cell. This absorption simultaneously triggered the release of a peculiar, transformative energy. This new energy spread throughout the cell, and the entire cellular structure began to undergo radical changes.
The DNA genetic blueprint within each cell underwent subtle but profound alterations. Simultaneously, cells began to divide, splitting from one into two. The process was both exhilarating and agonizing.
Luo Sheng's body was constantly transforming. The changes weren't limited to surface features—from skin, muscles, and bones, to deeper cellular levels, to the genes themselves, everything underwent subtle evolution.
This was true biological transformation: the evolution of life itself, the optimization of human genetics!
Bone density increased dramatically. Individual cell volumes shrank as they multiplied. Muscle tissue reorganized and optimized itself. Naturally, Luo Sheng's overall body weight increased as well.
The pleasant sensations and the pain brought by rapid body enhancement coexisted in a strange equilibrium. Unable to withstand the overwhelming intensity of the experience, Luo Sheng's consciousness finally faded.
He passed out in a state of happy agony.
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Luo Sheng slowly opened his eyes. Dawn light was just beginning to filter through his window. He realized he was lying on the floor of his room—he must have collapsed during the cultivation session.
How long was I cultivating? he wondered, glancing at his watch. Holy Carp! it's already past eight in the morning!
He must have been in that cultivation state for over twelve hours.
Slowly, Luo Sheng pushed himself up from the floor. He shook his head, trying to clear the remaining grogginess, and clenched his fists experimentally.
The incomparable power contained within his body was immediately apparent. His muscles felt denser, stronger, more responsive. He could feel the physical transformation that had occurred during his cultivation session.
It had worked. The cultivation had been successful!
This must be because I already had such a strong foundation from collecting attributes, he thought.
My body attributes were already more than double the normal Quasi-Warrior level before I started cultivating. That gave my cells a massive head start in accepting and integrating the cosmic energy.
With a thought, he activated his system interface.
"Open personal attribute panel," he commanded silently.
The translucent interface materialized before his eyes, displaying his current status:
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[Personal Attribute Panel]
Name: Luo Sheng
Rank: Apprentice Level (Advanced Warrior)
Power: 5,600 kg
Speed: 69 m/s
Defense: 5,600 kg
Spirit: 4,300 kg
Cultivation Method: Five Hearts Towards the Sky Method
Skill: Movement Technique (Perfection)
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Looking at his personal attributes, Luo Sheng's eyes widened in shock. He confirmed the numbers again, unable to believe the dramatic increase.
Both his power and defense had increased from their previous levels—jumping from approximately 1,700 kg to 5,600 kg. That was an increase of nearly 3,900 kilograms!
His spiritual power had similarly advanced to 4,300 kg.
I'm already at Advanced Warrior level?! Luo Sheng thought with amazement. This is absolutely incredible!
Cosmic energy cultivation was truly terrifying in its effectiveness! And this transformation had occurred without even using an advanced guiding technique. Of course, there was also the bonus from first-time cultivation—when cells absorbed cosmic energy for the first time ever, the transformation was particularly dramatic, since Luo Sheng's cells had never experienced this energy before.
He recalled original work information. Luo Feng only increased his strength by around 3,000 kg after cultivating the Five Hearts Towards the Sky Method with the assistance of the golden sphere in his brain—the manifestation of his Spirit Master abilities.
So my improvement rate is actually faster than Luo Feng's was, Luo Sheng realized. This suggests that my talent for Gene Energy cultivation might actually be superior to his. Or perhaps it's because my physical foundation was already so much stronger.
Either way, it was encouraging. He remembered that Luo Feng had taken only one year to progress from Senior Trainee to God of War level. If Luo Sheng could maintain similar or faster progress...
It seems that picking up attributes and cultivating cosmic energy can proceed simultaneously from now on, he thought with growing excitement. If I can combine both methods effectively, wouldn't my strength skyrocket? I could potentially reach Warlord level within months, not years!
After his mood calmed down somewhat, Luo Sheng took a hot shower and changed into clean clothes. He emerged from his room refreshed and ready to face the day.
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Standing at the bedroom door was his younger brother, Luo Feng. Seeing Luo Sheng open the door, Luo Feng breathed a sigh of relief.
"Big Brother!"
"Did you sense the cosmic energy? It's already past eight o'clock in the morning!" Luo Feng said with a mixture of relief and curiosity.
Luo Sheng realized that Luo Feng must have been waiting for him. He came back to his room around nine at night to cultivate as well, Luo Sheng calculated. So if it's now past eight in the morning, he's been cultivating for over eleven hours. That shows real dedication.
"Let's go downstairs together," Luo Sheng said, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Mom's probably already preparing breakfast."
As they walked downstairs, Luo Sheng asked: "Brother, did you manage to sense the cosmic energy?"
Luo Feng smiled wryly and shook his head. "I've been trying all night, but I still haven't sensed it. But you... you sensed it in one night. As expected of my brother."
Luo Sheng scratched his head sheepishly. He couldn't directly help Luo Feng with this matter. Sensing cosmic energy was deeply personal—it concerned one's innate aptitude and talent. It wasn't something that could be taught or transferred through experience sharing. Each person had to discover it for themselves.
"Big Brother, you'll definitely sense it eventually!" Luo Sheng offered what comfort he could.
Luo Feng nodded, though disappointment was evident in his expression. "I hope so. The instructor said that after successfully cultivating Gene Energy for the first time, physical fitness improves greatly. How do you feel now?"
"I feel fantastic," Luo Sheng replied honestly. "There's an incredible amount of power in my body right now. After what I experienced during cultivation, I'd estimate my punch force should be around five thousand to six thousand kilograms now."
Luo Feng was startled. "Five thousand to six thousand kilograms?! Isn't that beyond the normal punch force of an average Advanced Warrior?"
The standard punch force benchmark for an Advanced Warrior was 4,000 kg. Luo Sheng was claiming to have already exceeded that.
"We'll only know the exact amount after we test it," Luo Sheng said with a slight smile.
"Does first-time Gene Energy cultivation bring such enormous improvement to physical fitness?" Luo Feng asked, his voice filled with anticipation and a hint of envy. "When we tested yesterday, your punch force was around 1,500 kg. Now you're saying it's jumped to 5,000 to 6,000 kilograms? That's an increase of over 3,500 kilograms! This improvement is massive!"
Luo Sheng grinned. "Well, brother, I guess I just have a talent for this kind of thing. Don't worry—you'll catch up soon enough. You have your own advantages that I don't."
Luo Feng heard this and smiled a bit more genuinely, though traces of competitive determination remained in his eyes.
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As the two brothers descended to the first floor, they found their father and middle brother already on the sofa watching television. Their mother, Gong Xinlan, was busy bustling around in the kitchen.
Because of Luo Sheng's earlier explanation about cultivation requiring uninterrupted focus, Luo Hongguo and the others had known not to disturb the brothers during the night. They had simply gone to bed and waited for them to come down.
Seeing the two brothers appear, Father Luo Hongguo smiled and turned to ask: "Luo Sheng, Xiao Feng, are you done with your cultivation?"
"Yes, we're finished," Luo Sheng confirmed.
"Are you two hungry?" his father asked. "Your mother prepared all the ingredients yesterday, just waiting for you two to come down. She just heard movement upstairs and is making breakfast in the kitchen now. It should be ready in just a little while!"
As if on cue, Mother Gong Xinlan emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "Perfect timing! Come sit down, you two. I've prepared a special breakfast—fresh rice porridge, preserved vegetables, steamed buns, and some light egg dishes. Eating well after cultivation is important!"
Soon after, the family gathered around the dining table. The morning meal was warm and comforting, and the family's happiness was palpable.
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