2 Fragmented Imprint of True Flame

Five minutes later.

Qiu Yuan called out, "Third group."

Cheng Han was a member of this group. The entire group lined up and entered the partitioned room.

Looking around, they could see a gray Stone Wall embedded in the wall. Its surface bore countless marks of blades and axes, faintly forming a blurred silhouette from behind.

This was the so-called Profound Spirit Wall.

The pattern upon it was known as the Spirit Shadow Diagram.

A clock for timing hung beside the Stone Wall.

Qiu Yuan moved the Pointer to zero and said, "Begin."

The ten students all turned to look at the Stone Wall.

This object contained a profound and mysterious power. At first glance, the students found the marks on the Stone Wall completely blurry; they had to focus with all their might to see them clearly.

Cheng Han was no exception.

His vision blurred for a second before the scene became clear, but he was delighted.

When the Eye of Omniscience had still been Level 2, it had taken at least two seconds for him to see the Stone Wall clearly. Now, the time had been cut in half.

There was no doubt that the 2 points of Spirit Value gained from yesterday's upgrade had played a crucial role.

A mere thirty seconds later.

The first student's body trembled a few times, and he lowered his head.

It was not that he did not wish to continue studying it. Rather, his mind could no longer withstand the power of the Stone Wall. He simply could not concentrate any longer and was forced to avert his gaze.

Qiu Yuan recorded the data and shook his head almost imperceptibly.

He was one hundred percent certain that this student would never be able to form an imprint for the rest of his life.

More than ten seconds passed.

Cheng Han's mind reached its limit, and he had no choice but to stop studying it.

He raised his head and glanced at the clock.

Forty-two seconds!

Cheng Han was rather pleased. "Among the whole class, this result should rank in the top ten, right?"

He checked his Spirit Value and found that it had dropped by 1.5 points, making him even happier. "Last time, it consumed 1.6 points. A Level 3 skill really is more powerful."

Cheng Han did not notice that Qiu Yuan stood in a corner, staring at him with eyes full of astonishment.

Before long, all the students had finished studying it.

Qiu Yuan said loudly, "The two hours after observing the Profound Spirit Wall are when meditation is most effective. Hurry up and meditate."

The dozens of students spread their cushions on the floor and sat cross-legged upon them.

Cheng Han found a corner, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.

So-called meditation was, in fact, visualizing the Spirit Shadow Diagram in one's mind on a spiritual level.

For the first two or three years, most people could only reconstruct a blurred image. This was the first stage. Around thirty percent of people, after long-term practice, could visualize a clear pattern. This was the second stage.

In the final third stage, those with outstanding talent could, if they seized a certain opportunity, cause the Spirit Shadow Diagram to undergo a miraculous transformation—the Source Sense Imprint.

More than ninety-five percent of the class was currently at the first stage. The rest had not even achieved the first stage.

Cheng Han spent nearly ten minutes completing his first visualization. About forty percent of the strokes were relatively clear, whereas during Meditation Class three days ago, less than thirty percent had been clear.

That was a full ten percent increase! It was a leap forward!

For most students, such a massive improvement would have been impossible without three months of effort. The formidable effect of a Level 3 skill was plain to see.

Half an hour later, Cheng Han had completed three visualizations.

By then, his Spirit Value had decreased by 2.7 points, leaving only 7.2 points.

According to Qiu Yuan's teachings, after visualizing three times in succession, mental pressure would increase dramatically. Continuing would only yield twice the effort for half the result. The best course was to practice breathing techniques to calm the mental strain.

Cheng Han thought for a moment and decided to use the Eye of Omniscience once, earning a little Proficiency while he was at it.

He silently recited, "Deduce today..."

Halfway through, a sudden idea struck him. "No, analyze the 'sun' of this time and space... or rather, the mystery behind the changes of day and night."

Cheng Han felt a strange coolness spread over the crown of his head, and his mind became utterly empty and ethereal.

Very soon, the strange sensation vanished.

The Eye of Omniscience seemed to have gained nothing.

Cheng Han smacked his lips. "The changes between day and night may involve the deeper mysteries of this world. The Eye of Omniscience is only Level 3 right now. This probably exceeds the skill's capabilities."

He gave up on further deduction and was about to practice breathing techniques for a while when a dazzling Halo suddenly flooded his vision.

No.

This was not something his eyes had "seen." The light descended directly into his mind. From the perspective of his visualization, he observed an incomparably resplendent radiance.

Even more strangely, the Halo seemed to contain a great deal of profound knowledge.

Cheng Han was instantly stunned.

A moment later, the light rapidly contracted, condensing into a hazy orb of light.

A message flashed out of nowhere: "Analyzed the Fragmented Imprint of True Flame."

Cheng Han was both shocked and delighted.

What the hell was a Fragmented Imprint of True Flame?

Another message immediately followed: "Proficiency +12. Current Proficiency: 16/1000. Spirit Value: 1.6/13.2."

In every previous analysis, Spirit Value had only consumed 1 to 2 points. This time, it had consumed a full 5.6 points, and the Proficiency gain had also set a new record.

Before Cheng Han could study the Residual Seal, he suddenly felt his forehead turn scorching hot, as though it had been branded with a red-hot iron. Unable to stop himself, he cried out in pain, "Ah!"

The instant the words left his mouth, he inwardly cursed.

Meditation Class had an ironclad rule: disturbing others during meditation was strictly forbidden. Anyone who broke the rule would be punished by Qiu Yuan—by having their palms struck with a ruler.

The ruler weighed a full pound. One strike would leave a bloody welt that would take at least three days to fade.

An instant later, the burning sensation receded.

Cheng Han opened his eyes and looked at Qiu Yuan with unease written all over his face.

Just as he had expected, the latter was staring at him expressionlessly.

Quite a few students stopped meditating and turned to watch Cheng Han.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Qiu Yuan coldly asked, "Why were you yelling?"

Cheng Han answered honestly, "I don't know what happened just now. I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my head."

Qian Qingqing's eyes were filled with deep sympathy.

The little girl felt that her deskmate's excuse was far too fake. Teacher Qiu would surely drag him outside and viciously whip his palm with the ruler.

The other students wore various expressions as well.

Cheng Han was the class loner and had little friendship with most of his classmates. Many of them wore expressions as though they were watching a good show.

A few students who already disliked him looked even more delighted by his misfortune.

Yet what happened next took everyone by surprise.

Qiu Yuan examined him carefully for a few moments and asked, "Your head really hurts?"

Cheng Han gave a soft "Mm."

Qiu Yuan coughed lightly. "When one's mental energy is excessively depleted, one may occasionally experience stabbing pain in the brain. You should be in that condition."

After a pause, he added, unusually, "Get some proper rest after school."

Cheng Han froze for a moment.

Teacher Qiu was letting him off just like that?

Qian Qingqing revealed a startled expression.

My heavens, did Teacher Qiu, who always wore a face like a corpse, take the wrong medicine today? He actually took the initiative to excuse a student? The other students were equally astonished.

Qiu Yuan swept his gaze around the room and barked unhappily, "What are you looking at? All of you, get back to meditating."

He rebuked them sternly, "After you graduate from middle school, you can only observe the Profound Spirit Wall at martial halls, where each visit costs at least eighty Copper Coins. The school charges you nothing, so cherish every opportunity."

The students hurriedly closed their eyes, assuming the appearance of earnest meditation.

Ordinary people in this world mostly earned between eighteen and twenty Silver Coins per month.

In terms of purchasing power, a pound of potatoes cost two Copper Coins. The wage level was roughly equivalent to one thousand yuan in his previous life, while a single visit to a martial hall was the equivalent of spending forty yuan. The price was definitely not low.