novelraw Chapter 1215 - 590: Tug of War (Part 2)
Chapter 1215 - 590: Tug of War (Part 2)
Not just Shanks.
Fang Cheng shifted his gaze, looking towards the distant two stars.
The consciousness coordinates of Lin Chuqiao and Professor.
They were also engaged in an extremely slow centrifugal motion, as if ready to escape the outer region controlled by the Sun’s light wheel at any time.
Fang Cheng leaned his back against the throne, his gaze becoming deep and profound.
It seems that the method of erasing the source mark is not truly a once-and-for-all solution.
The source of power for these mutants ultimately comes from those mysterious entities entrenched in high-dimensional realities.
Bloodlines are the unbreakable umbilical cord connecting them to the Old Gods.
As long as Shanks continues to use his Flame Ability, as long as Lin Chuqiao still employs his foreknowledge talent, they must continuously draw power from the source.
This act of drawing is bidirectional.
While gaining power, their subconscious inevitably succumbs to the influence and erosion from the other side.
"So, this is a tug-of-war?"
Fang Cheng murmured to himself, his voice lingering in the grand hall.
Both Shanks and Lin Chuqiao currently have two spiritual marks coexisting deep within their souls.
One belonging to Fang Cheng, the "Leader’s Mark," and the other belonging to the unknown existence, the "Old God’s Mark."
Both sides are like engaged in a tug-of-war.
Fang Cheng’s aim to completely wrest control of these souls from those indescribable entities is certainly not a task completed in a single day.
It is destined to be an epic, prolonged, and subliminal ultimate showdown.
Until the day when the Sun’s radiance can completely overshadow those shadows and illuminate them, integrating them into the Sun Heart Net.
Only then can these mutants become truly and solely his devoted believers.
As for when that time comes, after severing ties with the Old Gods, will they lose their original bloodline abilities?
Or will they awaken new abilities within the Sun Heart Net system, transforming into entirely new beings?
These are unknown variables.
Fang Cheng slowly stood up, standing before the throne.
He took a final glance at the dome, watching those stars struggle for balance between gravity and repulsion, and his mouth curled into a calm smile.
At least for now, he has put his hand into the chessboard called "Destiny" and placed his first piece.
The rest, leave it to time to verify.
Fang Cheng restrained his thoughts, no longer lingering in this Divine Kingdom.
In the real world, there is still a tedious exam waiting for him tomorrow.
With a slight movement of his thoughts, the magnificent golden hall and the dazzling cosmic stars above rapidly receded like a tide.
When he opened his eyes again, his vision was once again consumed by the dimness of the bedroom.
The half-open glass window allowed some coolness of the early summer night breeze to seep into the room.
In the distance, Yulong Lake was immersed in tranquil mist.
Occasional distant dog barks echoed across the town streets, sounding vast and remote.
The low and prolonged snores of his grandfather penetrated through the bricks, reaching his ears rhythmically.
This familiar sensation of returning to the mortal world washed away the residual high-dimensional echoes in his mind.
Fang Cheng reached out and grabbed the phone lying next to his pillow.
His thumb pressed the side button, the screen lit up, and the blinding white light flickered in the dark, dazzling his eyes.
10:25.
Unconsciously, two hours have passed in this experiment to subdue Shanks, nearly reaching midnight.
Just as he was about to put down his phone, a faint blue light suddenly illuminated in front of him, and a translucent system panel appeared quietly in the air.
[Concentration Experience +60]
[Concentration lv2 (479/500)]
[Visualization Experience +30]
[Visualization Level 3 (258/1000)]
Seeing these unexpectedly gratifying notification messages, Fang Cheng’s mouth curled into a satisfied smile.
Unexpectedly, this cross-dimensional spiritual game allowed him to directly gain nearly a hundred experience points.
This is far more efficient compared to his usual methodical meditation cultivation.
Especially the Concentration Skill, only a negligible line separates it from breaking through to Level 3 Grandmaster Realm.
Still feeling pleased, Fang Cheng tossed the phone back to the bedside, retaining a hint of caution in his eyes.
The extraordinary level of conflict earlier seemed to show that he successfully resisted the opponent’s mental onslaught thanks to his home advantage, but it was incredibly perilous.
If it weren’t for the decisive activation of the Concentration Skill at the crucial moment.
Under the enhancement of the "Heart of Steel" Skill Effect, he forcibly increased his willpower by 200%, manifesting the iron wall that isolated dimensions.
I fear this time’s "snatching food from the tiger’s mouth" experiment will end in Shanks’ soul collapsing, and my own Spirit being damaged, thus declaring a failure.
Fang Cheng stretched out his folded legs, turned over and got out of bed, his bare feet stepping on the cool wooden floor.
Speaking of which, the Skill Effect "Heart of Steel" usually seems rather useless.
Because as a passive effect of the Concentration Skill, once activated, while boosting willpower, Spirit consumption also doubles.
This tactic of harming 800 of one’s own while killing 1,000 enemies has led Fang Cheng to rarely trigger it actively during regular training and study.
Because of this, the progress bar for the Concentration Skill has been crawling as slow as a snail, unable to break through to Level 3, the Grandmaster Realm.
Feeling the fatigue emanating from his brain, Fang Cheng walked slowly to the window.
Looked at the dusty yellow street lamps outside, his gaze flickered slightly.
However, today’s battle made him fully realize the true value of this Skill Effect.
If in the future he confronts those high-dimensional consciousnesses again, using it in momentary explosive defense and stealth would simply be an irreplaceable divine skill!
It’s equivalent to allowing Fang Cheng’s overall Spiritual Power to make an incredible leap in a short period.
On the current base of 70 Spirit Attribute, it directly elevates to an awe-inspiring level equivalent to 140 Spirit Attributes.
Sufficient to Reverse the Universe at critical moments.
The night wind swayed the curtain hem, making a gentle "whala" sound.
Fang Cheng withdrew his gaze, raised his hand to pinch the curtain’s edge, and pulled forcefully to completely block the streetlight glow outside.
Tomorrow is the Special Search Team’s written exam.
Although it’s just a formality, it still requires maintaining a good state to deal with the exam.
This is Fang Cheng’s consistent principle for living.
He turned back to the bed, lay down smoothly, and pulled the thin quilt over his chest.
His hands naturally intertwined on his abdomen, slightly closing his eyes, slowing his breath.
Inside, the thick True Qi flows orderly by itself.
Thoughts thoroughly emptied, allowing sleepiness to gradually take over this mentally exhausted body.
.........
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
Muddy medicine dripped through the IV tube, one drop at a time into the vein.
The pungent smell of disinfectant mixed with the basement’s characteristic mold odor burrowed straight into the nostrils.
Shanks suddenly opened his eyes.
Vision was blurred for a moment.
Then, he heard the flicker of an old overhead fluorescent light, crackling with electric sounds.
"Hoo—ha—"
He breathed heavily, his chest heaving significantly, his whole body muscles aching as if dehydrated.
His gaze moved forward, he saw the heavy bandages wrapped around himself.
In the air, besides disinfectant and mold smell, there was also a distinct burnt smell.
Shanks propped up his elbow, struggling to turn his head.
The edge of the white bed sheet beneath him was seriously charred, showing a scorched yellow as if baked by high heat.
A slight touch and it crumbled into black ash that fell off with rustling sound.
Even the outermost few layers of gauze on his chest had clear scorch marks.
The surface of the skin also felt a fiery stinging pain.
This isn’t a dream!
Shanks’ Adam’s apple moved, swallowing a dry gulp.
The magnificent golden palace, the vast endless starry sky, and the man seated on the Golden Throne, appearing like a god descending to earth.
All were real!
At the thought of Fang Cheng transforming into the Great Sun, forcibly driving away the terrifying demonic shadow that had lurked in his subconscious for fifteen years.
Shanks’ breathing became even heavier.
For fifteen years, he was like a wild dog lingering in the sewer.
Just fueled by hatred, trying to bite dead the Leviathan hidden in the deep sea.
Despairing, oppressed, seeing no hope of winning.
But now, everything was different.
He found a real backing.
An unrivaled strong person who could forcefully repel the High-dimensional Demon God!
"Illuminati..."
Shanks’ cracked lips moved slightly, whispering these three words.