Magical Power Backlash

Li Mo stopped, spreading his arms to feel the gentle rain.

"The thunderstorm season is almost here again."

Based on past experience, the more he focused on researching something during the day, especially during summer thunderstorms, the greater his chances of entering the ethereal dreamscape.

And depending on what he was researching, different scenarios would trigger in the dreamscape.

He seemed to be gradually adapting to the ethereal dreamscape.

For instance, when he first started, Li Mo spent his days studying various medical books and herbs. In the dreamscape, he would merely wander around in a daze, instinctively absorbing knowledge about the medicinal herbs along the way.

Later, he began studying the Three-Way Swordplay. Upon entering the dreamscape, he gained rationality, and his body and shadow would swap, allowing him to rapidly accumulate swordplay experience.

So now that he had started cultivating the Eye of True Spirit technique, what would happen when he entered the dreamscape?

For the next few days, Li Mo was unable to enter the ethereal dreamscape as he wished.

But fortunately, he didn't encounter any major setbacks in his cultivation, so he wasn't anxious and continued to wait patiently.

Meanwhile.

After his confession failed that day, Shi Yazhou acted as if nothing had happened.

Like an invincible warrior, he had completely shed his psychological restraints. Whenever he had an opportunity, he would try to approach Zhao Huaxue, constantly professing his admiration, to the point where it made one's scalp tingle.

"Huaxue, I truly love you. From the first day I saw you, I haven't been able to forget you. You're always on my mind, and I dream of you every night when I close my eyes..."

Li Mo and Lu Tianyou, who were watching the spectacle from the side, tried their best to pretend they didn't see it, suppressing their laughter but unable to control the goosebumps rising on their skin.

Zhao Huaxue had clearly never experienced such a situation before.

After many days of futile warnings, facing Shi Yazhou's incessant harassment, Zhao Huaxue's bewilderment had completely turned into anger.

"I will not be with someone who is mediocre. Give up!"

With that, she left the classroom.

Shi Yazhou was publicly rejected by Zhao Huaxue once again, but this did not dampen his enthusiasm. Instead, his eyes lit up.

"Huaxue, I will show you another side of myself!"

The classroom wasn't just filled with onlookers like Lu Tianyou and Li Mo. There were also fierce individuals like Zhou Zheng and Yang Zhiman, who were casting gloomy glances at Shi Yazhou. Old Zhang Guoyin, in his sixties, shook his head and sighed.

Yang Zhiman could no longer contain his anger.

"The ancients said, 'A good match in social status, talented man and beautiful woman.' I say you have no self-awareness!"

He strode up to Shi Yazhou.

"Today, in front of everyone, I, Mr. Yang, am making this declaration: if you dare to harass Zhao Huaxue again, I will be your sworn enemy!"

He then huffily left the classroom.

Lu Tianyou, suppressing the urge to burst out laughing, whispered to Li Mo, "You really are good at nicknames. This 'Scholar Yang' is too fitting! Did you hear him? He just called himself Mr. Yang and declared he'd be sworn enemies. Haha!"

He vividly mimicked Yang Zhiman's words.

Li Mo couldn't help but chuckle and pulled him out of the classroom.

That night.

Li Mo finally entered the ethereal dreamscape.

It was still a vast, boundless land, exuding an ancient and desolate aura. Li Mo, in his shadow form, looked around and found that nothing seemed to have changed, which made him a little puzzled.

Fortunately, Li Mo soon discovered that there was indeed a lot of spiritual energy between heaven and earth.

Especially the dense spiritual clouds in the sky, which were also spiritual energy. It was so concentrated to an incredible degree that it looked like an endless expanse of dark clouds churning, with giant shadows occasionally streaking across them.

Li Mo had adapted to all of this.

He then walked for a while into the distance. After confirming there were no other abnormalities, he sat down on the ground.

He actually intended to attempt to cultivate and circulate his energy in the ethereal dreamscape.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Li Mo held his breath and focused his mind. Following the circulation technique of the Eye of True Spirit, he drew the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into his meridians.

Compared to the real world, where it took about a quarter of an hour to calm his mind and focus, he entered the state of cultivating and circulating his energy almost instantly. The spiritual energy from all directions seemed to have found an outlet, constantly surging towards Li Mo, making him involuntarily emit a sound of intoxication.

Li Mo felt his entire body in a state of extreme excitement.

In the ethereal dreamscape, Li Mo, even with his rationality, was still just rational within the dream. He was still in a dormant state within the dream.

After completing one cycle of the minor circulation, he compared his cultivation results with reality.

Li Mo discovered that his efficiency in converting Magical Power through the minor circulation was at least twice as fast as usual. The pure spiritual energy of heaven and earth was continuously pouring into his body, forming a small cycle, and then transforming into wisps of Magical Power, which condensed in his dantian.

At his current rate of Magical Power increase, he suspected it could rival the efficiency of circulating the major circulation in the real world.

At this moment.

Li Mo suddenly thought of a problem.

If he were to circulate the major circulation here, wouldn't the efficiency of converting Magical Power increase significantly again?

Li Mo's rationality was clearly weakened in the ethereal dreamscape. Although he possessed logical judgment about everything there, he was still merely in a dormant state within the dream.

As soon as this thought arose, he couldn't wait to try it.

Spiritual energy from all directions poured into his body. This time, however, the energy flowed through the Twelve Meridians, the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and the limb channels, comprehensively nourishing every corner of his body before finally transforming into Magical Power.

This was Li Mo's first time circulating energy using the Greater Heavenly Circulation!

Just as his Uncle-Master Ding Wei had said, the conversion speed of Magical Power was significantly faster. He was thoroughly enjoying it, unable to extricate himself, and the Magical Power in his dantian grew more and more abundant.

This Magical Power would gradually dissipate on its own.

Next, Li Mo only needed to accumulate a certain amount of this Magical Power before it dissipated, forming what was called a Magical Power vortex, and thoroughly stabilizing it. Only then would he reach the first level of Qi Cultivation.

"Li Mo, get up!"

After an unknown amount of time, Li Mo, still immersed in the Greater Heavenly Circulation, faintly heard Lu Tianyou's call.

He jolted awake, remembering the severe consequences of Magical Power backlash. He instantly opened his eyes, a hint of panic showing in his gaze.

At the same time.

Hoarse roars and heart-wrenching beast cries echoed again in the ethereal dreamscape. Information about countless place names flooded into Li Mo's mind like a torrent.

Fortunately, Li Mo had gradually grown accustomed to it all.

He endured the pain and opened his eyes, seeing Lu Tianyou already dressed in a crane cloak, his back to him as he adjusted his appearance in the bronze mirror.

After waking up, Li Mo sat on the bed and checked his physical condition. He found that the Magical Power in his dantian was significantly deeper, with no other abnormalities. He breathed a sigh of relief.

After Lu Tianyou finished washing up, he noticed Li Mo's unusual state.

"Why do you look so pale?"

Li Mo covered his reaction with a sigh and quickly got up to wash and dress.

"I had a nightmare last night."

Lu Tianyou seemed to recall something upon hearing this.

"Did you dream of Xiao Man?"

"Mm."

Li Mo didn't want to explain further. Lu Tianyou sighed and patted Li Mo's shoulder.

"I have an idea for you. After the graduation assessment in three years, choose to serve in the Special Service Hall of the Outer Sect. Once you have the identity of a Heaven's Mandate Bureau Inspector, you can take revenge openly."

Li Mo nodded.

After washing up, he and Lu Tianyou headed to the classroom together.

Generally, students would arrive at the classroom a little earlier. During this time, familiar students would gather and chat, making the classroom often boisterous and lively, like a morning market.

Upon entering the classroom, Lu Tianyou separated from Li Mo and went to Hu Tian'er's side.

Wang Feng beckoned Li Mo over, and they sat opposite Zhu Yidan and Zhao Xiaonan.

"Did you hear? Tao Ran took a few people to find Shi Yazhou last night."

"Ah?"

Zhu Yidan and Zhao Xiaonan exclaimed.

Li Mo was also greatly surprised and a little curious.

"And then?"

"Who knows? I only found out yesterday after running into Shi Yongjie. He said Shi Yazhou was cornered by them in his room. It seems that Tao Ran must have some feelings for Zhao Huaxue, otherwise, why would he stand up for her?"

Zhu Yidan stuck out her tongue.

She secretly glanced in Zhao Huaxue's direction.

"Our class's Zhou Zheng and Zhao Huaxue are both prominent figures in the Enlightenment Hall."

Li Mo shrugged. "That's normal. After all, our class all came from Anle City in the provincial capital. By the way, do you know Zhao Huaxue's background?"

The three of them shook their heads.

As the four chatted back and forth, Shi Yongjie suddenly ran in from outside the door, his face filled with terror as he leaned against the classroom door.

"Shi Yazhou... he's dead!"

The lively classroom fell silent for a moment before erupting into chaos.

Everyone crowded around, asking Shi Yongjie for details.

Shi Yongjie looked about eighteen or nineteen, with a small mustache, and appeared more mature than many in the class. He led them towards his and Shi Yazhou's dormitory.

Shi Yazhou was indeed dead.

Li Mo couldn't squeeze into the room and could only stand on tiptoe to catch a glimpse from outside. He vaguely saw Shi Yazhou lying on his bed, his eyes rolled back, his tongue sticking out significantly, and blood flowing from all seven orifices. He seemed to have suffered immense pain before dying.

Several disciples from the Enforcement Hall arrived and drove everyone away.

Li Mo, Wang Feng, Zhu Yidan, and Zhao Xiaonan regrouped, discussing the matter animatedly as they returned to the classroom.

The classroom was filled with discussions about Shi Yazhou.

After a while, Li Mo returned to his cushion. Lu Tianyou, the chatterbox, sidled up and exclaimed with schadenfreude.

"He said yesterday that he would show us his other side. I didn't expect it to be this side. Alas, what a pity. The class has lost this lively character, and we'll have fewer topics to discuss from now on."

Li Mo sighed, his face filled with helplessness.

"He's already dead, so say a few less words."

Lu Tianyou shrugged.

"Do you think someone from our class did it? That person also liked Zhao Huaxue, and maybe they quietly killed him at night?"

Hearing this, Li Mo's expression changed.

He thought to himself, if he wanted to silently strangle Shi Yazhou without disturbing his roommate Shi Yongjie, he'd only have a thirty percent chance at best.

Could it be that someone in the class had already mastered profound magic or possessed magical artifacts?

Fortunately, at this moment, Ding Wei walked into the classroom.

He looked at everyone with a cold expression.

"I've just completed the autopsy with the Enforcement Hall personnel. It's confirmed that Shi Yazhou died last night due to a backlash from his Magical Power while circulating the Great Heavenly Cycle."

He then let out a cold snort.

"I've repeatedly warned you all these days that the Great Heavenly Cycle must be circulated in an absolutely safe environment. Countless heroes, titans, geniuses, and exceptional individuals throughout history have died during the circulation of the Great Heavenly Cycle. Without a hidden, safe cave dwelling for protection, recklessly circulating the Great Heavenly Cycle is courting death. You completely disregarded my words, truly bringing it upon yourselves, and dying is what you deserved!"

A commotion erupted among the students.

Many people turned to look at Zhao Huaxue, speculating that Shi Yazhou had taken the risk to circulate the Great Heavenly Cycle in his dorm room to prove himself to her.

Upon hearing this, Li Mo also felt a chill of fear.

If he hadn't circulated the Great Heavenly Cycle in the Ethereal Dreamscape last night, where the consequences of Magical Power backlash due to real-world interference didn't exist, perhaps this morning there wouldn't have been just one corpse, Shi Yazhou's.

Both he and Shi Yazhou would have been labeled as bringing it upon themselves and deserving of death by Uncle-Master Ding Wei.

"It seems circulating the Great Heavenly Cycle in the Ethereal Dreamscape doesn't lead to Magical Power backlash from mid-way interference. I've also narrowly escaped death."

Li Mo tried his best to appear normal.