Half a month earlier, just as Tang Ping was about to enter the Cultivation Room for seclusion, his finger had paused over the screen of his Optical Computer. His mind had been consumed by cultivation and mining operations lately, and he had nearly forgotten the debt Zhang Min and Li Feifei still owed him.
He casually opened the Luo Family's legal department contact channel and sent over the two women's records of default and loan documents with a single tap, adding, "Send them demand letters using the strictest standards." Once that was done, he put the matter out of his mind.
It hadn't even been half a day before messages from his class group had bombarded his Personal Terminal until it grew slightly warm.
When he opened the chat, Zhang Min and Li Feifei were groveling through the screen, their messages full of panic. They had even resorted to saying things like "We were just confused at the time" and "We're willing to pay a high interest rate."
Tang Ping skimmed the messages and quickly lost interest. He swiped across the screen and completely disabled the group's notifications, then turned and pushed open the Cultivation Room's heavy alloy doors. The flowing light of the Spirit Gathering Array inside instantly enveloped him, and he began his seclusion.
At the center of the Cultivation Room, Tang Ping sat cross-legged at the Spirit Gathering Array's core. Pale green Wind Origin Force and purplish-gold Thunder Origin Force gathered at his fingertips, slowly merging along the circulation path of the Planetary Rank secret arts in the Wind-Thunder Secret Canon.
The Wind-Thunder Flash in the canon was originally two separate movement techniques, Wind Flash and Thunder Flash. Likewise, Wind-Thunder Stab comprised two different offensive techniques: Wind Stab and Thunder Stab.
But he had a natural affinity for both Wind and Thunder. As the two forces circulated within him, they could actually merge on their own. When he performed Wind-Thunder Flash, pale purple streaks of lightning trailed behind him as he moved, making him thirty percent faster than when using Wind Flash alone.
When he activated Wind-Thunder Stab, the Origin Force spike gathered at his fingertips was wrapped in tiny arcs of lightning, boosting its penetrating power by nearly fifty percent. However, as powerful as this fusion technique was, each use consumed nearly half again as much Origin Force as the canon stated.
In less than half an hour, fine beads of sweat had formed on Tang Ping's forehead.
His days gradually settled into a routine of intense cultivation. He set himself a strict schedule: every seven days, he would practice Wind-Thunder Flash and Wind-Thunder Stab at full force, from dawn until late at night, repeatedly honing his mastery of the techniques and feeling the Wind Domain slowly expand with each use.
On the evening of the seventh day, he would emerge from seclusion and take the Spirit Condensing Dew sent by the Rare Treasure Shop, rapidly restoring his mental strength as the medicinal liquid nourished him. After resting for one night, he would enter seclusion again.
For the next seven days, he would focus on strengthening his Gene Force, either soaking in Crimson Flame Body Tempering Liquid to flush out his meridians or drinking Nutrient Solution mixed with Wood Bud Crystal powder to reinforce his physical foundation.
After every period of seclusion, the data recorded by his Optical Computer showed steady improvement. Seeing his progress with his own eyes only drew Tang Ping deeper into cultivation.
Three months later, Tang Ping brought up his personal Attribute Panel again. A hint of a smile crossed his eyes as he looked at the numbers:
Realm: Planetary Rank, Level Four (10/1000) Will: Planetary Rank, Level Four (500/1000) Lifespan: 21/5000 Laws: Wind Domain (1200/10000) Secret Arts: Wind-Thunder Secret Canon (1200/10000000)
Breaking through to Planetary Rank, Level Four was expected, but his willpower had actually surpassed what his current realm would suggest by nearly half. Tang Ping thought about it briefly and understood why.
To improve quickly, he had often pushed himself beyond his limits while using secret arts in the Virtual Universe. Several times, he had exhausted his Origin Force and felt stabbing pain in his meridians. When expanding his Wind Domain, he had even endured pain like his soul was being torn apart. Those repeated brushes with death had tempered his will.
His basic attack power had now reached four million kilograms. With the 1.22-fold boost from his Wind Domain, plus the amplification from Spiritual Telekinesis and his weapons, his overall strength had increased by a full sixty percent. His progress had long since left the Luo Family's younger generation far behind.
Even Babata, whom he hadn't seen in ages, had been dropping by the Cultivation Room a lot lately. Her metal tail spike swished rapidly as she said in a delighted electronic voice, "Not bad, not bad! You advanced a level in three months!"
As she spoke, she transferred one million Black Dragon Coins into Tang Ping's account as a reward for "exceeding his target."
But Tang Ping gradually began to feel that something was wrong.
At first, he simply found it hard to concentrate while cultivating. The Wind-Thunder forces always seemed to circulate sluggishly inside him. Then his irritability grew more and more pronounced. Every time he performed a secret art, it felt like he was going through the motions, mechanically counting, "Wind Flash three times, Thunder Stab five times." Even the joy of breaking through had begun to fade.
During his occasional breaks, the entertainment on his Optical Computer only made him feel empty. When Luo Xiaoyu came over with a smile to share news about a newly acquired spirit plant, he couldn't even muster the fondness he used to feel for her.
"Could I have been poisoned?" Tang Ping suddenly sat upright, his mind racing.
Aside from eating West Lake vinegar fish at a restaurant, the only thing he had consumed lately was the Rare Treasure Shop's cultivation supplements. "Could there have been expired medicine in the package they sent me?"
As soon as the thought occurred to him, he entered the Virtual Universe and headed straight for the Rare Treasure Shop's customer service channel.
As a major customer who had spent millions, he received an exceptionally quick response. A moment later, a virtual figure surrounded by a soft glow appeared before him. It was a rare member of the White Bird-Man Race, with a pair of snow-white wings gently fluttering behind her and faint light energy swirling around her. She was clearly a medical specialist from her race, skilled in healing.
"Hello, Mr. Tang. As a VIP customer, we take any discomfort you experience very seriously," the White Bird-Man customer service representative said gently. "The C-grade enhancement package you ordered underwent rigorous quality testing, and none of the Luo Family members who used it experienced any adverse reactions. It's suitable for the vast majority of the Human Race.
"Still, we'll investigate the issue right away and adjust your regimen based on your circumstances. We'll also arrange compensation. Please describe your symptoms in detail and upload your recent physical scans and mental strength fluctuation data. I'll provide a professional diagnosis."
Tang Ping didn't dare delay. He explained how intensely he had cultivated over the past three months and described all his unusual symptoms, from his difficulty concentrating and loss of interest in things to his growing aversion to intimacy. Then he uploaded the complete records of his physical condition and soul fluctuation curves from his Optical Computer.
A moment later, the White Bird-Man customer service representative looked slightly perplexed, though her tone remained patient. "Mr. Tang, according to our data analysis, your physical functions and mental strength indicators are within normal ranges. None of the ingredients in the package have caused you any harm.
"Your symptoms stem from overexertion during cultivation. Every living being's soul needs rest. Although you've been using medicine to rapidly restore your mental strength, the essence of your soul has remained under intense strain. Over time, this can cause spiritual dysregulation, commonly known among the various races as 'mental exhaustion.'
"According to the Galaxy Human Race, this is closer to 'depression.' Fortunately, your symptoms are mild. You only need to reduce your cultivation time and spend more time doing things you enjoy, and you'll gradually recover."
"Huh?" Tang Ping stood there, dumbfounded as he stared at the diagnosis on the virtual screen.
His willpower had clearly improved, so how could he still be having a mental breakdown? Luo Feng had cultivated day and night back then without any problems. Why had he run into trouble? Did he not have what it took to become a universal powerhouse?
After a brief bout of self-doubt, Tang Ping followed the advice and went to the Luo Family's psychological counseling clinic for a thorough consultation.
To his surprise, when the doctor issued his diagnosis, she also gave him a "special health care card." With the certificate, he could get a twenty percent discount at restaurants, entertainment venues, shops, and other businesses affiliated with the Luo Family.
Tang Ping looked over the card, and his gaze suddenly stopped at the "Participating Businesses" list. It included several dance and entertainment clubs.
He couldn't help blinking, the corner of his mouth twitching. "This... A mental health diagnosis can be used like this?"
What a shock!
Before you continue