Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups Chapter 1215 - 590: Tug of War (Part 2)

It's not only Shanks.

Fang Cheng turned his eyes, fixing them on the two distant stars.

The consciousness markers for Lin Chuqiao and the Professor.

They too were caught in a sluggish centrifugal spin, poised to flee the Sun’s light wheel domain at any moment.

Fang Cheng reclined against the throne's backrest, his eyes turning deep and inscrutable.

Evidently, wiping out the source imprint isn't a permanent fix after all.

These mutants' power fundamentally stems from those enigmatic beings lodged in higher-dimensional realms.

Bloodlines serve as the indissoluble link tethering them to the Old Gods.

Whenever Shanks keeps wielding his Flame Ability, or Lin Chuqiao relies on his foresight gift, they have to keep pulling strength from that origin.

Such pulling works both ways.

In acquiring strength, their subconscious minds inevitably yield to the corrosion and sway from the opposing side.

"So, this is a tug-of-war?"

Fang Cheng whispered to himself, his words echoing through the vast palace.

Right now, both Shanks and Lin Chuqiao harbor dual spiritual imprints buried deep in their souls.

One is Fang Cheng's "Leader’s Mark," the other from the mysterious entity, the "Old God’s Mark."

The two forces pull like opponents in a fierce tug-of-war.

Fang Cheng's goal of seizing full dominion over these souls from those unspeakable beings won't happen overnight.

It's bound to unfold as a grand, drawn-out, covert clash of ultimate proportions.

Only when the Sun’s glow fully eclipses those lurking shadows, bathing them in light and weaving them into the Sun Heart Net.

At that point alone will these mutants turn into his utterly loyal followers.

Whether, upon cutting off the Old Gods' connection, they'll forfeit their innate bloodline powers?

Or emerge with fresh abilities under the Sun Heart Net framework, evolving into wholly renewed entities?

Such outcomes remain unpredictable factors.

Fang Cheng rose gradually, positioning himself in front of the throne.

He cast one last look at the ceiling, observing those stars teetering amid gravitational pull and repulsion, a serene smile gracing his lips.

For the moment at least, he's inserted his piece onto the board of "Destiny" and made his opening move.

Everything else will be tested by the flow of time.

Fang Cheng cleared his mind, departing from this Divine Kingdom no longer.

Back in reality, a dull exam awaited him the next day.

With a mere flicker of intent, the opulent golden chamber and the brilliant stellar canopy overhead withdrew swiftly like retreating waves.

Upon reopening his eyes, the bedroom's gloom once more filled his sight.

The partially open window let in the refreshing chill of the early summer evening breeze.

Far off, Yulong Lake lay shrouded in peaceful fog.

Sporadic faraway dog barks resounded through the town lanes, vast and echoing.

His grandfather's deep, steady snores filtered through the walls, pulsing rhythmically to his ears.

This everyday return to the mundane world purged the lingering high-dimensional resonances from his thoughts.

Fang Cheng extended his hand, snatching the phone beside his pillow.

His thumb hit the side key, igniting the screen with harsh white light that pierced the darkness, stinging his vision.

10:25.

Without realizing, two hours had slipped by during the Shanks subjugation trial, nearing midnight.

Right as he prepared to set the phone aside, a soft blue glow flared before him, summoning a see-through system interface silently in mid-air.

[Concentration Experience +60]

[Concentration lv2 (479/500)]

[Visualization Experience +30]

[Visualization Level 3 (258/1000)]

Upon spotting these surprisingly rewarding prompts, a pleased grin spread across Fang Cheng’s face.

Who would have thought this interdimensional mind contest would net him almost a hundred experience points straight away.

Far surpassing the steady gains from his routine meditative practice.

The Concentration Skill in particular teetered just one slim step from ascending to Level 3 Grandmaster status.

Still basking in satisfaction, Fang Cheng flung the phone back onto the nightstand, a trace of wariness lingering in his gaze.

That intense clash earlier proved he barely fended off the foe's psychic assault by leveraging his turf advantage, yet it was razor-close.

Had he not triggered the Concentration Skill at the pivotal instant.

Bolstered by the "Heart of Steel" Skill Effect, doubling his willpower to 200% and erecting the dimensional barrier like an iron fortress.

This "snatching food from the tiger’s mouth" venture might have culminated in Shanks’ soul shattering and his own Spirit suffering harm, marking total defeat.

Fang Cheng unfolded his legs, rolled off the bed, and planted his bare feet on the chilly wooden planks.

Come to think of it, the "Heart of Steel" Skill Effect often appeared pretty underwhelming.

As a passive from the Concentration Skill, it ramps up willpower upon activation but doubles Spirit drain too.

This self-damaging strategy of losing 800 to slay 1,000 kept Fang Cheng from invoking it much in daily drills or studies.

That's why the Concentration Skill's upgrade bar inched along like a tortoise, stuck below Level 3 Grandmaster.

Sensing the weariness pulsing from his mind, Fang Cheng ambled over to the window.

He eyed the grimy yellow streetlights beyond, his expression subtly shifting.

Yet today's showdown unveiled the genuine potency of this Skill Effect.

Should he face off against high-dimensional minds again, deploying it for short bursts of defense or evasion would prove an unmatched godly ability!

It effectively catapults Fang Cheng’s total Spiritual Power to astonishing heights briefly.

From his present 70 Spirit Attribute baseline, surging to a formidable 140 Spirit Attribute equivalent.

Potent enough to upend the heavens in dire straits.

The evening breeze rustled the curtain edges, producing a soft "whala" rustle.

Fang Cheng averted his eyes, gripped the curtain's side, and yanked hard to seal out the external streetlight glare entirely.

The Special Search Team’s written test loomed tomorrow.

Even as mere procedure, sustaining peak condition was essential to tackle it.

Such was Fang Cheng’s steadfast life motto.

He pivoted toward the bed, settled in fluidly, and drew the light blanket up to his chest.

His fingers laced together over his belly, eyes drifting shut as his breathing steadied.

Within, the dense True Qi circulated smoothly on its own accord.

Mind fully cleared, he surrendered to encroaching drowsiness overtaking his drained form.

.........

Drip by drip, tick-tock.

The murky medicinal fluid trickled down the IV line, drop after drop into the bloodstream.

Harsh disinfectant stench blended with the basement's dank mildew, assaulting the nose directly.

Shanks jolted his eyes wide open.

His sight blurred momentarily.

Next came the sputtering of an aged ceiling fluorescent bulb, crackling with sparks.

"Hoo—ha—"

He gasped raggedly, chest rising and falling sharply, every muscle screaming like after severe desiccation.

His eyes drifted ahead, landing on the thick wrappings encasing his body.

Hanging in the air, alongside disinfectant and mildew, lingered a sharp char odor.

Shanks braced on his elbow, laboriously twisting his neck.

The white sheet's border under him bore heavy charring, turned scorched yellow from intense heat exposure.

A light brush and it disintegrated into black flakes, scattering with a hush.

Even the topmost gauze layers over his torso showed evident burn traces.

His skin prickled with fiery soreness underneath.

No dream—this was reality!

Shanks' throat bobbed as he gulped dryly.

The splendorous golden palace, the boundless starry expanse, the godlike figure enthroned in gold.

Every bit authentic!

Recalling Fang Cheng morphing into the mighty Great Sun, expelling the horrifying shadow demon that haunted his depths for fifteen years.

Shanks' breaths grew heavier still.

Fifteen years he'd skulked like a feral mutt in the drains.

Driven solely by rage, gnashing to slay the abyssal Leviathan.

Mired in hopelessness, crushed, blind to victory's light.

Yet now, all had transformed.

He'd discovered a true patron.

A supreme powerhouse capable of banishing the High-dimensional Demon God outright!

"Illuminati..."

Shanks' parched lips quivered faintly, murmuring the trio of syllables.