Pattern Power

Mu Chen effortlessly dealt with Xu Lin, who had opened two meridians, and the atmosphere fell silent. Many people stared at Mu Chen in dumbfounded disbelief. There had been no sign whatsoever that he had opened his meridians.

"With that physique, he has at least opened two meridians, and he's probably among the best at that level."

"It's even possible that he's opened three meridians. How come no one had heard of him before?"

After the shock came lively discussion. Everyone whispered among themselves, and some of the female students even cast flirtatious looks at Mu Chen, leaving Su Youwei puffing up in frustration with no way to respond. After all, there was nothing between her and Brother Chen.

"Good kid, interesting. Is this the Mu Chen His Majesty mentioned?" Mansion Lord Chu, Chu Tianyang, applauded in praise.

Naturally, he had taken note of anyone Zhou Qing had mentioned. Mu Chen's stance was not in question—he would not side with King Qi's Mansion, and he also knew Zhou Yuan.

"Mu Chen, you really are extraordinary. Sorry, it seems I dragged you into this," Zhou Yuan said, scratching his head.

If Mu Chen had not spoken with him, those people would not have noticed him or come looking for trouble. Now, Mu Chen had surely entered Qi Yue's sights and might be targeted in the future.

"It's nothing. As long as the big ones don't come, I have nothing to worry about."

Xu Lin's father, as a prefectural governor, should be a Heaven Pass Realm expert. Mu Chen was not yet confident in dealing with someone of that level. If he went all out and used the Devouring Ancestral Symbol, he should be able to contend with one.

"The big ones won't come. My royal father won't allow it," Zhou Yuan said with certainty.

If a Heaven Pass Realm expert dared attack a Meridian Opening Realm student, especially one connected to the royal family, they would definitely pay a terrible price.

Great Zhou Mansion, West Courtyard.

A group of young men and women sat kneeling before their desks. Mu Chen was not used to that posture, so he chose the last row, the king's hometown, leaning against the wall with his legs propped up, a refreshing oddity among the students.

Why were there no chairs? Wouldn't kneeling like this make their knees hurt after a while?

Mu Chen's unconventional behavior naturally drew the middle-aged lecturer's attention, but he said nothing. Mu Chen was a friend of Great Zhou's prince, so he could simply turn a blind eye.

As the lecturer began explaining Pattern Power, Mu Chen listened while rehearsing it in his mind.

"Releasing Soul Power in the form of Pattern Power is truly ingenious. However, inscribing Pattern Power takes varying amounts of time. Not everyone can complete an inscription instantly. In battle, that could instead become a weakness," Little Marten said with interest.

In the Wu Dong World, mental power was often used for direct attacks, condensed into sharp forms or used to manipulate weapons from afar. It could often catch opponents off guard, making it impossible to defend against.

"After the soul reaches the Transformation Realm, it can condense a kind of Soul Flame that specifically harms souls. It is extremely tyrannical. Without special means to protect the soul, it will be burned to nothing in an instant," Mu Chen thought.

His soul was currently at the Late Void Realm. Though he had not mastered Pattern Power, a soul impact alone could make those at the Initial Void Realm and Void Realm Mid Stage suffer soul tremors for a while. In battle, even a few seconds of hesitation could be the key to victory.

Su Youwei listened with distress. It was her first time encountering knowledge of Pattern Power, so the lecturer's words sounded like a heavenly book to her. There was little she could understand.

She suddenly felt so useless. A tiny Pattern Power inscription could consist of so many Pattern Traces that merely looking at them made her vision blur.

"!"

Zhou Yuan listened intently, his fists clenched and his eyes unblinking. Unable to open his meridians, Pattern Power might be his means of defying fate. Unlike Su Youwei's confusion, he could understand it. He did not want to miss a single word from the lecturer.

Naturally, the lecturer noticed this and sighed inwardly. As expected of Great Zhou's prince, he was genuinely attentive. The lecturer himself felt a sense of pride.

What a pity. If His Highness could open his meridians, he would surely astonish the world.

Since Zhou Yuan was so interested, the lecturer did not hold anything back and explained in even greater detail.

Mu Chen opened his mouth slightly. This lecturer was already middle-aged, so why did he give off such a passionate feeling? It felt as though he was about to burst into flames.

Was this what it meant for youth to return?

"Brother Chen, can you understand it?" Su Youwei asked softly, her little face full of distress.

Even though the lecturer's explanation was now more detailed and clearer than before, Su Youwei had only managed to remember a limited amount.

"More or less. If you don't understand, Youwei, just pick up what you can. Not everyone can become an Origin Pattern Master. Just remember some basic Pattern Power inscriptions," Mu Chen said.

It seemed that Su Youwei's aptitude for Pattern Power was inferior to her aptitude for Source Master cultivation. It was better to be refined than broad; learning too many miscellaneous things would often affect one's other areas.

When the lecturer finished speaking and told the students to begin practicing, many wore bitter expressions. Their soul cultivation had basically not reached the Void Realm, so after one attempt, they had nearly exhausted their Soul Power.

The light of Mu Chen's soul bloomed between his brows. Relying on his Late Void Realm soul, after practicing a few times, he effortlessly inscribed several Pattern Power patterns the lecturer had taught onto a jade board. He still had plenty of Soul Power remaining.

He could already inscribe Third Grade patterns; all he lacked was guidance from a renowned teacher. Thus, these beginner Pattern Power inscriptions consumed almost nothing.

The Brute Ox Pattern could increase strength, the Light Body Pattern could improve agility and speed, and the Iron Skin Pattern could enhance the toughness of the skin—namely, defense. Activating the power of all three inscriptions could allow someone who had not opened their meridians to contend with someone who had opened one or two.

This showed that the power of Pattern Power truly could not be underestimated. Origin Pattern Masters might not be as sought-after as Source Masters in the early stages, but the higher an Origin Pattern Master's grade, the more desirable they became. No matter where they went, they would be treated as honored guests.

The path of Pattern Power was vast and profound. The higher the grade, the more astonishing the power it displayed.

"Brother Chen, you're so fast. Can you teach me?" Su Youwei asked in surprise, her eyes full of admiration.

"It's skill, not speed!"

Mu Chen's face darkened. Don't say things that were so easy to misunderstand.

While Su Youwei practiced drawing them, he guided her from the side. In the end, she barely managed to inscribe those beginner Pattern Power patterns. Seeing her finished work, Su Youwei revealed a satisfied smile.

Zhou Yuan's inscriptions were much more practiced than Mu Chen's. Since he could not open his meridians, he had devoted his energy to studying Pattern Power and had already surpassed the vast majority of students.

The lecturer nodded. There were still a few decent seedlings who could inscribe these Pattern Power patterns.

However, he could not sense Mu Chen's soul realm at all, despite being at the Void Realm Mid Stage himself. This left him deeply puzzled.

He could only assume that Mu Chen possessed some special treasure that prevented others from probing him. He could not believe that Mu Chen's soul realm, at such a young age, could be higher than his own.