Health Bar Oscillation

The next day.

Early morning.

Quan Cangtian opened his eyes.

The ceiling was black.

He stared at it, his mind a complete mess.

"Last night..."

"Was it a dream?"

He sat up.

His head was spinning.

No.

It was not dizziness.

It was pain.

His Consciousness Sea hurt.

He closed his eyes and sensed his Consciousness Sea.

The Radiant Gold Seed and Emerald Green Seed were still there.

But they were no longer merely repelling each other.

They were fighting.

Flames danced across the surface of the Radiant Gold Seed, as if they wanted to burn everything to ashes.

Vines grew wildly over the surface of the Emerald Green Seed, as if they wanted to wrap around and devour everything.

The two powers collided within his Consciousness Sea.

Every collision made Quan Cangtian's head ache.

"Hiss—"

He gritted his teeth and pressed a hand to his temple.

"Everything was fine last night..."

"Why did the conflict worsen overnight?"

He lowered his head and looked at his hand.

Beneath his skin, his veins pulsed.

Rising and falling.

Like an electrocardiogram.

But far more violently than last night.

He could feel the life force within his body fluctuating.

One moment it was drained by Destruction Power, the next it was replenished by Abundance Power.

Drain. Replenish. Drain. Replenish.

The frequency grew faster and faster.

"This is..."

He stood up.

His legs went weak, and he nearly fell.

"My health bar... is jumping?"

"Out of control?"

He sat down cross-legged.

He tried to use his spiritual power to suppress the Dual Seeds.

It was useless.

The Radiant Gold Seed ignored him.

The Emerald Green Seed ignored him too.

They continued fighting on their own.

"Damn it..."

He gritted his teeth.

"If this continues..."

"They'll tear me apart."

The Cultivation Room was in the eastern courtyard of the family estate.

It was a windowless stone room.

A meditation cushion sat in the center, while the family's ancestral precepts hung on the wall.

Quan Cangtian walked inside and shut the door.

He sat cross-legged.

"I'll try."

He closed his eyes and sensed his Consciousness Sea.

The Dual Seeds were still fighting.

Bright Golden Flame flickered.

Emerald Green vines grew madly.

Quan Cangtian tried to guide them with his spiritual power.

"Destruction consumes life, while Abundance restores it..."

"If I can control this rhythm..."

"If I can balance the consumption and recovery..."

He took a deep breath.

He actively released Destruction Power.

Bright Golden Flame emerged from his fist.

His health decreased.

His health bar dropped.

He immediately released Abundance Power.

Emerald Green light enveloped his entire body.

His health recovered.

His health bar bounced upward.

"Again."

Destruction. Abundance. Destruction. Abundance.

He tried again and again.

Suddenly.

Quan Cangtian felt a strange power.

It surged up from the depths of his Consciousness Sea.

"This is..."

He lowered his head and looked at his hand.

Beneath his skin, his veins pulsed.

But this time, they were not rising and falling.

They were oscillating at high frequency.

Like an electrocardiogram, but faster.

"My health bar... is dancing?"

He sensed the changes within his body.

Destruction Power was consuming his life.

Abundance Power was restoring his life.

But between consumption and restoration, a new power emerged.

"This is..."

A thought flashed through his mind.

"Yin and yang?"

"Destruction is yin, Abundance is yang..."

"The two powers conflict, but their conflict produces something new?"

He closed his eyes.

He sensed the changes within his body.

Destruction Power consumed life, producing Destruction Accumulation.

Abundance Power restored life, producing an Abundance Buff.

The two occurred simultaneously.

His health bar was not steadily falling, but oscillating at high frequency.

It jumped up and down several times every second.

"The more I fight, the stronger I get?"

The setting of Honkai: Star Rail flashed through his mind.

"The more Destruction is injured, the fiercer it becomes; the more Abundance heals, the stronger it grows..."

"The two powers conflict, but within that conflict..."

"They produce buffs?"

He opened his eyes.

"Health bar oscillation..."

"Isn't a price."

"It's a mechanic."

But Quan Cangtian could not bring himself to be happy.

Because he had discovered a problem.

Health bar oscillation could indeed produce buffs.

But the conflict between the Dual Seeds remained.

And it was growing more intense.

"If I can't control them..."

"They'll tear me apart."

He pressed his hand against his temple.

His fingers moved unconsciously.

They traced a circle.

Then a curve.

Just like last night.

He did not notice it himself.

"I need balance."

"I need someone to help me balance them."

"But who can help me?"

Suddenly.

His Consciousness Sea erupted in pain.

"Hiss—"

Quan Cangtian gritted his teeth and pressed his temple.

The conflict between the Dual Seeds suddenly intensified.

Bright Golden Flame surged.

Emerald Green vines grew wildly.

The two powers collided within his Consciousness Sea.

Every collision made Quan Cangtian's head ache.

"Damn it..."

He felt the oscillation of his health bar grow increasingly violent.

His health rose and fell erratically.

Like an electrocardiogram, but at an ever-faster frequency.

"I can't control it..."

He gritted his teeth.

"If this continues..."

"They'll tear me apart."

The door was pushed open.

"I knew it."

Zixiao stood in the doorway.

Her dark purple eyes watched him.

"You can't control them."

Quan Cangtian looked up.

"How did you..."

"I sensed it."

She walked in.

"Your Dual Seeds are in conflict."

"If they fall out of balance, you'll die."

Zixiao sat down cross-legged.

She held out her hand.

Purple-black lightning crackled from her fingertips.

"Give me your hand."

Quan Cangtian hesitated for a moment.

Then he held out his hand.

Zixiao took it.

Lightning surged into him.

"This is..."

"Zixiao Divine Thunder."

"The Judgment attribute."

"It can suppress Destruction Power."

Quan Cangtian felt the Radiant Gold Seed in his Consciousness Sea being suppressed by the lightning.

The conflict eased.

"It worked?"

"Mm."

Zixiao closed her eyes.

"But it can only suppress it temporarily."

"You need to find a way to balance them."

Quan Cangtian looked at Zixiao.

"You..."

"How did you know I would lose control?"

Zixiao did not open her eyes.

"I sensed it."

"Since last night."

"Your Dual Seeds have been clashing."

"I guessed you would lose control today."

"So I waited outside the whole time."

Quan Cangtian froze for a moment.

"You..."

"You were outside the whole time?"

"Mm."

"How long?"

"From last night until now."

Quan Cangtian fell silent.

"Why?"

Zixiao opened her eyes.

Her deep violet pupils looked at him.

"I told you before."

"We've met before."

"You don't remember."

"But I do."

"When?"

Quan Cangtian asked.

Zixiao was silent for a while.

"When we were very young."

"Neither of us could walk yet."

"Our families put us together."

"You grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go."

"Then you started crying."

"I cried too."

"..."

Quan Cangtian could not remember.

"I really don't remember."

"It's fine."

Zixiao released his hand.

"It's enough that you remember now."

She stood up.

"You need to resolve the conflict between your Dual Seeds yourself."

"I can only suppress it temporarily."

"Go find Grandfather."

"He might have a solution."

Zixiao walked to the door.

Then she stopped.

"There's one more thing."

"What?"

"Your Dual Seeds..."

"Destruction and Abundance."

"I've seen something similar."

"In myself."

She turned around.

Her deep violet eyes watched him.

"There's also an unusual power within my Martial Soul."

"It isn't lightning."

"It's something else."

"My grandfather said that it was..."

She did not finish.

She turned and left.

"Zixiao!"

Quan Cangtian called after her.

But she had already gone.

Quan Cangtian left the Cultivation Room.

He went to find his grandfather.

His grandfather was in the study.

"Grandfather."

"Come in."

Quan Cangtian walked in.

His grandfather looked at him.

"You lost control?"

"Mm."

"Zixiao helped suppress it?"

"Mm."

His grandfather was silent for a moment.

"I can't help you with the conflict between your Dual Seeds."

"A conflict of this level needs a higher-level power to balance it."

"But I can point you in a direction."

"What direction?"

"The Star Dou Great Forest."

Quan Cangtian froze for a moment.

"The Star Dou Great Forest?"

"Mm."

"There will be an Energy Tide there soon."

"The Energy Tide will tear open the Plane Barrier."

"An outside power might be drawn in."

"If you can find that power..."

"Perhaps it can help you balance your Dual Seeds."

"An Energy Tide?"

"When?"

"One month from now."

"You need to prepare in advance."

"The Star Dou Great Forest is very dangerous."

"And something is watching you."

"What is it?"

His grandfather did not answer.

He only looked at him.

"Go."

"Prepare well."

Quan Cangtian left the study.

Many images flashed through his mind.

The original Douluo novel he had read before transmigrating.

Huo Yuhao.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

Energy Tide.

Electrolux.

"One month from now..."

he murmured.

"The Star Dou Great Forest..."

"The Energy Tide..."

"Tearing open the Plane Barrier..."

"An outside power..."

He suddenly understood.

"Electrolux."

"The Undead Demigod."

"When Huo Yuhao absorbs the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, the Energy Tide will tear open the Plane Barrier and draw Electrolux's divine consciousness over."

"In the original story, Electrolux was drawn into Huo Yuhao's Consciousness Sea."

"But I know when this will happen."

"I can lie in wait beforehand."

"I'll use Abundance Power to draw him in."

"Make him enter my Consciousness Sea."

He clenched his fists.

"One month."

"I have one month to prepare."

"When the time comes..."

"I'm going to the Star Dou Great Forest."

"To receive Electrolux."

But what he did not know was—

Deep within the Star Dou Great Forest.

A faint energy fluctuated.

It was a soul.

A soul from another world.

He was waiting.

Waiting for the arrival of the Energy Tide.

Waiting for someone capable of bearing him.

"Electrolux..."

A name echoed through the void.

But no one heard it.

Quan Cangtian returned to his room.

He lay on the bed.

The ceiling was black.

He stared at the ceiling.

"One month."

"Star Dou Great Forest."

"Electrolux."

"If I can guide him here..."

"He can help me balance the Dual Seeds."

"Undead Demigod."

"A character from Divine Throne."

"He has a profound understanding of souls and space."

"Maybe..."

"He can help me."

He closed his eyes.

Within his Consciousness Sea, the two seeds were still repelling each other.

Bright Golden and Emerald Green.

Destruction and Abundance.

"Sleep first."

"Tomorrow, I'll start preparing."