Sealing Necklace

Sealing Necklace

Bang!

With a solid collision, the charging Mechanical Puppet abruptly halted under the impact force. Luo Jun absorbed all the kinetic energy and retreated backward!

Yet he had only retreated in position, maintaining his standing posture the entire time. His feet scraped two shallow traces across the ground, smoke rising from the friction beneath his shoes. He slid back more than ten meters before finally coming to a stop.

"Now that's got some power!" Luo Jun grinned and shook out the right hand he had used to block.

It hadn't broken? Old Yuan was deeply shocked by what he had witnessed. This kid had actually withstood an attack from the Mechanical Puppet at level five!

The Mechanical Puppet had no intelligence. Once it broke through its opponent's defense, it would naturally stop to avoid seriously injuring them. But as long as its opponent could endure it, it would absolutely not hold back!

This kid had really taken it head-on?!

Luo Jun's competitive spirit was roused as well. Blocking that attack head-on had required every ounce of his strength, and he had pushed his Vital Energy techniques to their limit. In real combat, it would be impossible to charge up every move like that. He merely wanted to prove that he could take it. That was enough!

The Mechanical Puppet, of course, was not surprised. When its first strike failed, it immediately pressed the attack. Luo Jun, meanwhile, abandoned the head-on approach and continued circling it with technique.

At level five, the Mechanical Puppet not only brought its full strength into play, but also unlocked all its moves. The universal joints throughout its body, combined with the additional four arms, allowed it to perform techniques beyond the capabilities of many humans and attack from unexpected, tricky angles.

But after sparring with the Mechanical Puppet for over twenty days, Luo Jun had long been mentally prepared. No matter how numerous or strange the new moves were, they never strayed far from the fundamentals. After adapting for a while, he was able to trade blows with the Mechanical Puppet evenly!

As Old Yuan watched This Scene, his expression shifted from initial surprise to delight, and finally to concern.

"That's enough!"

Luo Jun withdrew from the fighting area. With no target left, the Mechanical Puppet returned to its original position and stood obediently still.

"How was that, Master?" Luo Jun approached Old Yuan expectantly, waiting for his Master's praise.

"Very good..." Old Yuan nodded approvingly, then asked, "You broke through?"

For his Combat Power to rise so dramatically overnight, Realm Breakthrough was the only possibility.

"Mm!" Luo Jun nodded. "I broke through last night!"

"Nonsense!"

"Why didn't you tell me beforehand?" Old Yuan's face darkened with anger. "The exam is about to begin, yet you chose this time to break through. If something went wrong, how would you take the exam?"

Luo Jun knew his Master was concerned for him, so he scratched his head. "Don't worry, Master. My luck has always been good!"

"That still doesn't mean you can act so recklessly!" Old Yuan frowned. "Remember, Vital Energy Cultivation is not only about advancement; it also carries risks. Especially you—if the Body Tempering Art fails during a breakthrough, it will backlash against your body. You must choose the safest possible time for a breakthrough, ensuring that even if you fail, you have sufficient conditions and time to recuperate. Otherwise, it is better to keep your level Pressed by!"

Luo Jun nodded. "I understand, Master." But inwardly, he thought, I have Regret. I get one chance to make a mistake every day. If I keep trying, I can guarantee a one hundred percent success rate. There's no need to recuperate at all! (Some details in the earlier chapters have been revised. The skill originally called Penalty Immunity has been renamed Regret. Its effect is basically the same: once per day, it can refuse to carry out an event. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.)

Old Yuan nodded. "It is fortunate that nothing happened this time. Do not let it happen again!"

As he spoke, he opened the Hundred Treasure Box, took out a necklace, and handed it to Luo Jun. "Put this on."

"There's even a gift?" Without even checking its effects, Luo Jun accepted it and put it around his neck.

In an instant, Luo Jun felt More Than Half of the Vital Energy within his body become sealed, leaving less than a tenth available for use.

"What's Going On?" Luo Jun held up the necklace and inspected it with Vital Energy.

Name: Sealing Necklace

Grade: Rare

Description: A necklace forged by a powerful Cultivator to restrict his overly powerful Vital Energy and hone his techniques.

Function: After being worn, it can seal three hundred breaths of Vital Energy.

Note: Come on, use your luck again. Aren't you pretty capable?

Luo Jun was Stunned after reading the description. "Master, why did you give me an item with a Negative Effect? And what does these three hundred breaths mean?"

"A breath is a unit used to measure Vital Energy." Old Yuan took a sip of tea and explained patiently. "Generally speaking, when an Ordinary Person first opens their Meridians and completes a full circulation, their Vital Energy reserve is ten breaths. Through cultivation, that reserve expands to around Fifteen Breaths and reaches a bottleneck. At that point, they can attempt to break through to the first level of the Body Refinement Realm."

Luo Jun nodded upon hearing this. "So Vital Energy reserves are directly proportional to one's constitution. An Ordinary Person with ten breaths of Vital Energy will raise their constitution to one and a half times its original level when they break through at fifteen breaths. Then they continue increasing their Vital Energy, and when they reach around twenty-two or twenty-three breaths, they can attempt to break through to the second level..."

Luo Jun counted on his fingers. "Then when an average person reaches the seventh level, they would have less than two hundred breaths of Vital Energy. Wouldn't all of it be sealed?"

Old Yuan Shook his head. "Once one reaches the Foundation Establishment Realm, although their Vital Energy reserves no longer increase, their Vital Energy becomes increasingly refined and is not so easily sealed. Besides, an Ordinary Person having ten breaths of Vital Energy does not mean a genius has only ten breaths as well."

"There are many kinds of talent. You were born with exceptional bones, but some people, while their natural bones are ordinary, possess Vital Energy reserves Different from Ordinary People. Once you enroll, you will learn about something called the Vital Energy Coefficient. For Ordinary People, it is generally ten, but some can reach fifteen, twenty, or even higher."

Luo Jun estimated his own Vital Energy. One necklace had sealed ninety percent of it, which meant his reserve was just over three hundred breaths. Adding in his attributes and his second-level Body Refinement Realm cultivation...

"Looks like my coefficient is only ten too..." Luo Jun sighed in disappointment.

"You don't need to envy those with high coefficients." Old Yuan patted him on the shoulder. "The Vital Energy Coefficient is commonly known as spirituality. Although excessive spirituality is considered talent, the Vital Energy it produces can exceed the body's capacity. If handled carelessly, it can easily backlash against the user. Breakthroughs are also more likely to become dangerous. While it is not as perilous as the Body Tempering Art, it can still easily damage the Meridians. In my view, someone like you, with exceptional natural bones but ordinary spirituality, possesses the finest kind of talent!"

At this point, Old Yuan coughed twice. "But you must not become arrogant. After all, you came into contact with Vital Energy too late. Though your natural bones are excellent, your comprehension is merely passable. You still need to work twice as hard!"

"That is also why I gave you this necklace. Exceptional natural bones and Vital Energy reserves are certainly your talents, and passing this exam should not be difficult. But looking further ahead, exploring other worlds is fraught with danger. No matter how strong you are, there will be times when your strength falls short. What I truly want to see is your adaptability and determination when facing adversity!"

"Of course, this necklace can also conceal your cultivation method. Your Vital Energy reserve is currently somewhat too high for your realm, and this necklace will make it easier to hide. Remember our agreement: before your Body Tempering Art reaches great mastery, do not reveal what makes you special. That will only bring disaster upon you."

Luo Jun nodded. "This disciple understands!"

"Go back. Rest well and recuperate over These Two Days. I will also be involved in arranging the examination hall during These Two Days, so do not contact me unless it is something important. Come take the exam on time the morning after tomorrow. Do not be late!"

"Yes, Master!"

Watching Luo Jun's Back View as he descended the mountain, Old Yuan's stern expression could no longer suppress a smile.

This kid... I had thought he was merely born with good natural bones. I Did Not Expect him to be so driven as well... In just over twenty days, he had broken through one level of the Body Refinement Realm. That rate of progress was exceptionally fast!

He had not reminded him beforehand because he had never expected him to break through before the exam. This kid had truly brought him too many surprises! I Did Not Expect that in my lifetime, I would encounter such talent!

In Front Of Old Yuan's eyes, the image of that disciple who had once filled him with regret surfaced again, and remorse gradually appeared on his face...

(End of Chapter)