Imperial Capital, headquarters of the Martial Arts Association.
The Martial Arts R&D Center was a place shrouded in mystery.
According to urban legends circulating around Imperial Capital, anyone who could freely enter and leave that silver skyscraper was an unparalleled martial arts genius.
If someone asked an old Imperial Capital resident why people said that, they would most likely reply, "Only Chu Feng can come and go from that building as he pleases. And you're telling me Chu Feng isn't an unparalleled genius?"
If they were asked who Chu Feng was, the speaker would surely look at them as if to say, "You don't even know that?":
"You don't know Chu Feng? You must be from out of town! He awakened a special constitution at the age of three, and his qi and blood skyrocketed! At four, he was admitted ahead of schedule to the affiliated elementary school of Imperial Martial University. Now he's just turned eight, and guess what? He's just broken through to amateur rank eight! An eight-year-old at amateur rank eight—have you ever seen that? Now that's the pride of our Imperial Capital!"
If they then pressed the matter by asking, "Is Chu Feng really a local of Imperial Capital?" the other person would probably hem and haw:
"Hey, why are you being so picky, outsider? Just because he isn't from Imperial Capital doesn't mean we can't be proud of him!"
At that moment, the isolation lab was stark and cold.
Aside from Chu Feng, a white-haired boy sitting cross-legged, it was completely empty.
Inside the observation room, the atmosphere was tense. Every researcher kept their eyes fixed on the data streaming across the screens and the live footage of the lab.
Grandmaster Wang Anguo stood silently among them, his expression calm, his eyes as deep as the sea.
The lead researcher said nothing, merely gesturing to the researcher at the control console.
The researcher nodded and got to work at once.
Without a sound, part of the lab floor slid open. A lift slowly rose, carrying an angular gray boulder that looked extremely heavy—estimated to weigh at least five hundred pounds.
The lead researcher spoke through the loudspeaker, his voice calm and level:
"Chu Feng, first-stage test. Target: the boulder. Requirement: without approaching it, lift it off the platform using only your mental power and keep it suspended for three seconds."
Chu Feng's chubby face was serious. He slowly nodded and closed his eyes again.
Everyone in the observation room held their breath, staring at the boulder and the screen monitoring fluctuations in mental power.
Several seconds later, the surface of the heavy boulder began to tremble slightly, as if enveloped by an invisible force.
Then, amid a low hum, it really did wobble free of the lift and hover steadily half a meter above the floor!
Even more astonishingly, Chu Feng's breathing remained even. His chubby face showed barely any sign of strain; he clearly still had energy to spare.
The researchers exchanged glances, astonishment flashing in their eyes.
Without hesitation, the lead researcher pressed another button.
On the opposite side of the lab, a swift, agile humanoid moving target suddenly sprang out, darting across the room along an erratic path.
"Second stage: strike a moving target. Use the boulder you're controlling to intercept it."
The lead researcher's instruction was brief and clear.
Chu Feng furrowed his brow, apparently concentrating on controlling it.
The hovering boulder paused briefly, then shot forward as if hurled by an invisible giant hand. With a rush of wind, it accurately anticipated the humanoid target's path!
Bang!
The boulder slammed into the humanoid target. It crumpled instantly and stopped moving.
Silence fell inside and outside the lab.
A moment later, the lead researcher looked at the final analysis on the screen and drew a deep breath.
He turned to Grandmaster Wang and the others, his voice brimming with barely contained excitement, and announced:
"Based on a comprehensive assessment of mental power, precision, and sustained output..."
"Chu Feng's current mental power has consistently surpassed the combat strength of an amateur rank-one martial artist! What's more, his control is exceptionally precise!"
The observation room erupted in gasps. Even several veteran researchers, who had seen plenty in their time, looked aghast.
Not even half a day!
Less than half a day had passed since Chu Feng began cultivating the Mystic Meditation Method!
And it had enabled an eight-year-old child to make such a terrifying leap in mental power?
Even considering Chu Feng's astonishing talent, that rate of improvement was more than enough to shock anyone!
At the very least, it clearly proved one thing: tempering qi and blood and unblocking the body's meridians weren't the only paths to martial strength for humanity!
Mental power was another viable path—a broad avenue with boundless potential!
"It worked! The human trial of the Mystic Meditation Method... was a complete success!"
Suppressed cheers and enthusiastic applause erupted in the observation room.
The veteran researcher drew a deep breath, trying to calm himself, then spoke warmly into the microphone:
"Student Chu Feng, the experiment is over. You can come out now."
The white-haired boy in the isolation room slowly opened his eyes. He rose smoothly, opened the airtight door, and walked into the observation room.
Everyone's gaze settled on him.
Grandmaster Wang stepped forward and asked kindly, "Chu Feng, how do you feel?"
Chu Feng first bowed slightly to Grandmaster Wang and the researchers present, his manner composed. Only then did he give his report, his voice still childlike but clear and well-organized:
"Reporting to Grandmaster Wang and all the teachers: this Mystic Meditation Method is indeed effective, and its efficiency is extremely high."
"The visualization process was smooth, and my mental power gathered far faster than with any other experimental mental cultivation technique I've tried!"
"My preliminary estimate is that its efficiency increased by at least tenfold."
"The refinement of my mental power also improved significantly."
He paused briefly, as though savoring the memory.
Then he added:
"The unusual part was the object of visualization... that hazy figure of a giant. I couldn't make out its features, but it carried an indescribable sense of meaning!"
"It also seemed to have additional benefits for calming the mind and purifying one's thoughts."
"If this method is widely adopted, it could greatly benefit the foundation of our human race's low-rank martial artists' mental power."
His report was concise, but every word mattered, prompting the researchers around him to nod and take notes.
A look of satisfaction and understanding flashed in Grandmaster Wang's eyes.
"Very good. Thanks for your effort." Grandmaster Wang nodded approvingly. "Go get some rest. For resources, go ask Uncle Zou."
Chu Feng nodded. At the mention of resources, his eyes gleamed.
He bowed once more, then quietly left the observation room amid everyone's admiring gazes.
Inside the observation room, the joy of success gave way to even livelier discussion.
The researchers' faces glowed with excitement as they passionately debated what to investigate next.
"The data is incredible! This proves that the Mystic Meditation Method works exceptionally well for people with innate mental strength!"
"For the next step, I think we should immediately select a group of young members within the Association who have a gift for mental power but only average martial arts aptitude, and test it on them!"
"No, Engineer Li, you're still being too cautious!"
"Chu Feng is an exception—his talent is simply too good! What we need to verify now is whether this meditation method can open a new door for ordinary people with no martial arts aptitude at all!"
"If even ordinary people can use it to cultivate a substantial amount of mental power—even if all they achieve is better health and sharper senses—its significance will be epoch-making!"
"Exactly! This means we may be able to change the fate of ordinary people at its very roots! If it can be widely adopted, the overall potential of the human race will improve beyond imagination!"
"Precisely! That's where its greatest value lies!"
While the researchers in Imperial Capital were getting excited about the bright future of the Meditation Method...
Thousands of kilometers away, Chen Yan suddenly let out a sharp sneeze inside Zhenwei Martial Arts Hall in Jiang City.
"Ah-choo!"
He rubbed his small nose, puzzlement flashing in his bright, dark eyes.
"How strange. Who's thinking about me?"
The moment the thought crossed his mind, the system's notification rang clearly in his head:
[Ding! Detected a deep visualization behavior meeting the 'Beacon' standard. The host was visualized. Mental power +1.]
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