Eerie Tremors

"An earthquake?"

The customers in the café were somewhat panicked, and Xiao Hui's expression changed as well. "Another earthquake... When we were hiking before, there was an earthquake first, and then..."

As she spoke, she grabbed her hair, a look of terror on her face.

"That time we went mountain climbing?" Luo Jun frowned slightly. The culprit was a wanted criminal called the Mountain Shaking Ghost. According to the forum, this Mountain Shaking Ghost's ability was to trigger small-scale earthquakes... Could it be such a coincidence?

But this doesn't make sense. Even if the wanted criminal was really there, why would they cause such a big commotion in a busy downtown area? This is the old town of Ningdong City, only a few blocks away from the Victory Chocolate Factory. Would they risk their lives by causing trouble here?

Could it be that they're Yuan Cultivation Society here?

Luo Jun's mind raced. He mentally gave Ailongtan the order to protect Xiao Hui, then got up to go out and check the situation. But suddenly, the earthquake stopped...

it's over?

Luo Jun stepped outside and carefully observed his surroundings. The pedestrians on the street all looked bewildered, seemingly confused by the tremor that had just occurred.

Ningdong hadn't experienced an earthquake in many years, so while people were afraid, they also felt a sense of novelty.

However, after walking around, Luo Jun didn't find any fluctuations in spiritual energy nearby, nor any traces of a battle between Cultivators, as if it had just been an ordinary earthquake.

Luo Jun opened his phone and searched for recent news. He found that no one had mentioned the situation in Ningdong yet, but many other places had reported earthquakes of unknown cause. Comparing the posting times, he found that the situation in the south had occurred earlier.

Is this not an isolated case, but a widespread phenomenon?

Luo Jun returned to the coffee shop with doubts, only to find Xiao Hui still huddled in the corner of the bench, trembling with fear, her head in her hands.

In retrospect, that disaster happened only a few months ago for Xiao Hui. Having witnessed so many deaths and being seriously injured herself, it would be strange if she didn't suffer from some psychological trauma.

Luo Jun secretly used a Spirit Pacification on Xiao Hui. The effect of Attributes Exceeding Hundred can influence the mental state of others, both by intimidation and by Soothing, although Luo Jun usually uses intimidation directly in battle.

After much persuasion, Luo Jun managed to Xiao Hui down and took her home, thus ending the "blind date."

Back in the room, we put aside Xiao Hui's matter for the moment, but this tremor was indeed quite strange.

Luo Jun opened the Cultivator Forum and found that the most popular posts on the homepage, besides those about the Tier A Conscription Mission that ended yesterday, were discussions about this large-scale abnormal earthquake.

However, regarding the earthquake, most of the posts were requests for help asking about the situation. After scrolling through more than a dozen posts, no one could give a clear answer, and there was no official statement either.

Did things happen too fast, and we haven't had time to react yet? Let's wait and see; maybe we'll hear something in a while.

Since he had nothing better to do, Luo Jun started browsing the posts about Conscription Mission.

Even though a day has passed, the topic remains very popular, with numerous related posts. Aside from the mission details, the most discussed topics are Night's strength.

Based on multiple posts, it is generally believed that Ye's displayed strength has surpassed the ordinary Peak level, and he should already be in the stage of advancing towards the Ascension Realm. Many people have suggested that Ye's appearance makes it difficult to convince the public of Ling Yao's title as the Number One Under Ascension.

Of course, there were also plenty of compliments from the Beneath the Night Fan Club... While these were enjoyable to watch, they were also getting a bit tiresome. Luo Jun was more concerned about the person who posted the message.

Judging from the number of people who posted, there were definitely far more survivors than just Ling Xin, Zhuge Lan, and a few others.

That makes sense. These Large Recruitment Mission are both risky and rewarding; without some preparation, who would dare to participate casually? Therefore, many players who died in the missions actually had a backup plan and were resurrected in the Main World.

Therefore, it can be inferred that quite a few of the Polluter also survived.

After browsing through many posts, Luo Jun exited them and began searching for earthquake-related information. He discovered that the earthquake's reach had expanded further, with more people asking about the situation, but still no one could provide answers.

Luo Jun took out paper and pen and roughly drew a simple map of Zhendan. Based on various posts and news, he sorted out the order of the tremors and marked them on the map. Finally, he determined that the earliest areas in Zhendan to feel the tremors were the southeastern coastal areas!

Based on this, the tremor may have originated from the sea, and the epicenter may not be located domestically?

Luo Jun had an idea: should he follow the direction of the vibration and go overseas to take a look?

Just then, my phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, it was... my Master!

"Hey, Master, you're out now?" Luo Jun answered the phone excitedly.

"The way you're talking makes it sound like I just got out of prison!" came Old Yuan's voice from the other end of the phone.

"Hehe, you've been stuck in [Utopia] for months, I can't even get in touch with you, it's practically like being in prison."

"Stop with the nonsense." Old Yuan chuckled and scolded, "Let's get down to business. I just returned to the Main World, and it'll be a few more days before I can go back to Ningdong. You must have felt the earthquake there, right?"

"Master felt it too?" Luo Jun hadn't expected this. "The tremor even reached Xiluo?"

"I just finished dealing with the earthquake here," said Old Yuan. "Based on current observations, the epicenter of this earthquake appears to be located in the southern part of the East Ocean, and it spread to the entire world at an extremely rapid pace."

"Master is truly amazing, locating it so quickly." Luo Jun laughed, "Do you know why?"

"I have a rough guess, but it still needs to be confirmed," said Old Yuan. "I'm calling you this time to remind you, kid, not to let your curiosity get the better of you and go to the epicenter to investigate."

"Huh?" Luo Jun was somewhat surprised. "Master, you are truly prescient! You even know what I'm thinking!"

"I heard about your performance in the Conscription Mission." Old Yuan's tone was tinged with satisfaction. "Your growth rate has exceeded my expectations. Young man, suddenly possessing great power can easily lead to an inflated sense of self-confidence, typically manifested in a tendency to meddle in other people's business."

"But this matter is not as simple as you think; there may be unpredictable dangers involved. Official Cultivators organizations worldwide have already turned their attention to it and may have already begun sending investigation teams. This is not something a student like you can get involved in!"

"Understood..." Since his Master had given him such a warning, Luo Jun naturally obeyed, but his curiosity was also piqued. "Master, you just said you had a guess, could you tell your disciple a little about it?"

"It's not good to make any rash statements before this matter is settled..." Old Yuan's tone was somewhat solemn. "Don't overthink things these next few days, just focus on your studies. I'll explain everything to you in detail when I get back."

Luo Jun sensed Old Yuan's seriousness and stopped joking. The mentor and apprentice chatted about recent events, and by the time they hung up, it was already getting dark.

Are you coming back in a few days?

Luo Jun took out the Essence Stabilizing Pearl. Before that, let's give the old man one more surprise!

Monday, inside the rented room.

Luo Jun held the Essence Stabilizing Pearl in his hands, sitting on the bed, consolidating his Inner Breath.

"Master, I'm about to participate in a mission. As you said, I applied in front of Ling Xin..."

After receiving Ailongtan's report through the Dominator's Necklace, Luo Jun nodded: "Be careful. With your current abilities, missions below Tier B shouldn't be a problem. Try not to reveal your Mind Stillness ability." "Rest assured, Master, I understand."

After arranging for Ailongtan, Luo Jun used the Essence Stabilizing Pearl to complete another cycle of Qi circulation, feeling the abundant Qi in his meridians. Once his condition stabilized, he finally summoned the Dice of Heavenly Secrets.

"Breaking through to the Seventh Layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm!"

One pair results in 18 points, and another pair results in 44 points.

Not ideal...

After failing, Luo Jun decisively chose to Regret and used the Dice of Heavenly Secrets again!

This time, one pair got 99 points, and the other pair got 71 points!

"Ding! Event Difficulty 100 points, Final Points 99 + 5 points, Event Success!"

Very good!

Using the dice's result, Luo Jun guided his entire body's vital energy to begin compressing. With the support of the Essence Stabilizing Pearl and the God Technique, the process was extremely smooth, with almost no obstacles, and he completed his breakthrough.

As the final step was completed, Luo Jun felt his vital energy further condense, and the protective aura on his body surface also deepened in color under the Vital Energy Vision.

The error-free version can be read at 69 Book Bar! 6=9+shuba is the first site to publish this novel.

Because the Foundation Establishment Realm determines the strength of one's Qi, and the difference in strength will be somewhat noticeable. The Body Refinement Realm determines the amount of Qi stored, and if there are no restrictions, the amount of stored Qi will also visually affect the thickness of one's Qi. Therefore, experienced Cultivators can sometimes roughly judge an opponent's realm simply by looking at the visual effect of their Qi.

The Seventh Layer the Foundation Establishment Realm is already the top level for most people. But Luo Jun wasn't happy at all about reaching the top, because so far, he hadn't felt any signs of Qi growth.

Normally, the lack of inclination indicates a lack of aptitude for cultivating the Mind Heart Refining Realm. This effectively limits his potential, leaving him with no hope of further advancement...

Does this mean I'm just an average person with no talent for cultivation?

Luo Jun was somewhat frustrated... but feeling the resentment circulating rapidly within his body, he suddenly thought that if he could cultivate his Foundation Establishment Realm to the ninth level, just like his Body Refinement Realm, then he would still have room for improvement!

Having already reached the Foundation Establishment Realm Sixth Layer, he possessed strength far surpassing that of an average Peak. If he could cultivate to the ninth level, his Combat Power would be ten times stronger than before. Even if he hadn't reached the Feather Transformation, he should be close...

Moreover, there are other ways for me to improve myself.

Just as I got this idea, a notification sound rang in my mind.

"Event Success. Basic Experience Points: 100. Severity Coefficient: 8x. Final Experience Value: 800!"

Congratulations on leveling up!

The experience gained from the successful breakthrough allowed him to smoothly advance to level 56. Luo Jun immediately drew attributes, and his luck was average this time. Two dice rolled one three and one seven, resulting in 37 attribute points being automatically allocated. The panel is as follows:

Level: 56 (266/5700)

Strength: 390 points

Sensitivity: 345 points

Perception: 340 points

Spirit: 350 points

Luck: Level 7 + Level 1

Skills: All Things are Dice, Advanced Point Correction, Regret, More Opportunities (Level 3), [Double Insurance], Refresh, Top-Up.

Props: Wealth Ring, Path to Success Bracelet, Fate Peering Glasses

Chips: 2270

Number of uses: 8/8

Looking at the constantly rising Attribute Panel, Luo Jun felt gratified. Even if he really stopped at the Foundation Establishment Realm, as long as the dice could still be upgraded, there was still room for improvement!

But speaking of dice, is there an upper limit to their level? What's the highest level?

Logically speaking, reaching level 100 is quite likely, so it seems I'm already more than halfway through leveling up?

However, as the experience required for each level increases, the leveling speed will only slow down. It took me more than half a year to reach level 50, so it will probably take another year or two to reach level 100...

Forget it, thinking about it so much is useless. It's more practical to focus on cultivating my skills.

Looking at the dates, the day after tomorrow is the 15th, and the Midmonth Black Market will open soon. I'll go in then and exchange for some treasures... Since I'm not destined to Mind Condensation and only have this vast and boundless primordial energy, I'll make up for it with the effects of various treasures. I can still create a variety of tactics!

After calming himself down, Luo Jun sat on the bed, picked up the Essence Stabilizing Pearl, and circulated his vital energy through another cycle, seizing every moment to cultivate!

Meanwhile, in the Chaos Mission, Ailongtan, who bears Luo Jun's face, is standing in a pristine white room, looking at the rules that appear on the wall.

This is still Tier B Mission, and the rules are simple: it's a Cooperative Challenge challenge where all players work together to overcome one obstacle after another. Upon final victory, performance is judged based on contribution, and rewards are distributed accordingly.

Death during a mission is a true death, so while you're playing the mission, you also need to protect yourself.

It didn't seem too difficult... After reading the rules, Ailongtan turned to look at his teammates. There were thirteen people in total, including him. One of them, a young man in his thirties, stepped forward.

"Since this is a team task, let's all introduce ourselves first. It'll be easier to cooperate if we get to know each other. I'll start by introducing myself: my name is Zhao Jie, I'm at the Heart Condensation Realm Initial Stage, and Martial Combat Faction."

With someone taking the lead, everyone responded enthusiastically, revealing their names and abilities one by one. Most of them were at the Foundation Establishment Realm, and apart from Zhao Jie, there were only two or three people at the Heart Refining Realm.

"My name is Luo Jun, a student at the Ningdong Academy. I'm currently at the Foundation Establishment Realm, but I'm already showing some inclination towards the Elemental School." When it was Ailongtan's turn, he introduced himself in this way.

This Elemental School inclination was something he and Luo Jun had agreed upon. After all, as long as Ye's identity remained hidden, Luo Jun's external strength depended on Ailongtan's abilities. Therefore, laying a solid foundation in the Elemental School beforehand would make it a natural progression when "Luo Jun" broke through to the Heart Refining Realm.

After Ailongtan finished his introduction, only the Last One fat man with a small mustache remained. All eyes were on him, and he chuckled a few times before replying, "My Sun Wuyi, and I have a nickname in the underworld: Blood Caltrop!"

Upon hearing this, several people present changed their expressions drastically, and Zhao Jie even activated his inner energy. "You're Blood Caltrop? The one ranked seventh on the Wanted List..."

Before the words were even finished, Blood Caltrop's figure blurred, and he was already behind Zhao Jie. Then, Zhao Jie's protective aura dissipated, and his head rolled off his neck...

(End of this chapter)