Taking the lotus seed

Lu Heng pushed open the door to the planting room, still clutching the freshly picked lotus seed in his hand.

The Lotus Seed seeds felt warm and smooth to the touch, their surface shimmering with a faint silvery sheen, like holding a small piece of the starry sky in the palm of his hand. He didn't look at them for long, walking straight through the corridor back to his bedroom.

The door closed behind him, and the bedroom was so quiet that only his own breathing could be heard.

Lu Heng sat down by the bed, looked down at the Lotus Seed in his palm, and didn't hesitate for long.

He raised his hand and put the Lotus Seed into his mouth.

The moment the Lotus Seed touched his tongue, a chilling sensation spread outwards, as if he were holding a piece of ice in his mouth, the coolness spreading from the tip of his tongue all the way to the depths of his throat. Without chewing, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he swallowed the Lotus Seed whole.

The cool sensation slid down my esophagus into my stomach, lingering there for a moment.

Then, things changed.

The icy sensation suddenly transformed into a gentle energy, slowly spreading from the abdomen and along the meridians to the limbs. It wasn't the tearing pain of swallowing the Blood Beast Pill, nor the burning sensation of forced infusion. This energy was extremely gentle, like warm water seeping into every inch of the body. Wherever it passed, the tense muscles slowly relaxed, the aching joints felt slightly warm, and even the dull ache deep in the bones gradually subsided.

Lu Heng closed his eyes.

He could clearly feel the energy flowing through his body, starting from his abdomen, going up his spine, then dispersing to his arms and legs, and finally returning to his Dantian, forming a complete cycle. With each cycle, the concentration of the energy decreased slightly, but the places it passed through became more transparent and clear.

This feeling is familiar.

Lu Heng frowned and focused his attention on the energy flowing within his body.

The way that energy fluctuated was almost identical to the Mental Energy he evoked during his Starlight Visualization Method Meditation. The same frequency, the same texture, only the form of expression was different—during meditation, the energy was drawn from the outside into the spiritual realm, while the Lotus Seed energy diffused outward from within the body, acting on the physical body.

They share the same origin.

The thought flashed through his mind, and Lu Heng almost instinctively adjusted his posture, sitting cross-legged on the bed with his hands naturally placed on his knees, and actively activated the Starlight Visualization Method.

The moment meditation began, the remaining Lotus Seed energy within the body seemed to be awakened, suddenly resonating with the energy at the spiritual level.

Two forces converged.

Lu Heng's consciousness sank into a deep darkness.

He "saw" his own body—not with his eyes, but with his spirit. Bones, muscles, meridians, blood—everything was clearly presented in his consciousness. The gentle energy transformed from the Lotus Seed flowed slowly along the meridians like a silver river. Wherever it passed, the old texture was washed away and peeled off, and new textures grew anew under the nourishment of the energy.

The bones became denser, like steel that had been repeatedly forged. The muscle fibers were disassembled one by one and then rewoven, becoming more resilient. The energy channels in the meridians were widened, and the originally narrow channels gradually became unobstructed under the flow of energy, like a silted river being dredged, and the water flow becoming faster and more stable.

This process lasted a long time.

Lu Heng didn't know how long he had been sitting there; his consciousness was completely immersed in the transformation, isolated from everything outside. He only knew that the energy had circulated within his body countless times, each time reshaping his body, each time deeper and more thorough than the last.

Like emerging from a cocoon.

The old shell is peeled away little by little, and a new body slowly takes shape beneath it.

When the last trace of Lotus Seed energy seeped into the depths of the bones, the transformation finally came to an end.

Lu Heng slowly opened his eyes.

The bedroom remained quiet, the lighting unchanged, but he could feel that his body was completely different. Light, full, every muscle contained a greater strength than before. He clenched his fist, his knuckles making a crisp sound, and the power emanating from his palm was several levels stronger than before.

Lu Heng brought up his Wristband and checked his physical fitness panel.

Data pops up.

Strength: 29.

Physical condition: 29.

Agility: 29.

Mental Energy: 20.

All four attributes have seen a significant leap forward.

Lu Heng stared at the panel for a moment, a slight smile playing on his lips. This was a complete transformation, a qualitative leap from the inside out, from the physical body to the spirit.

However, he also noticed that his physical condition had reached its current bottleneck. Further improvement would be much more difficult, and the gentle nourishment provided by Lotus Seed alone would no longer be sufficient; a higher level of opportunity would be needed.

After a brief moment of joy, Lu Heng's thoughts drifted back to that Anomalous Supermarket.

The eerie presence in the supermarket is still there, and the threat of the final boss remains. Although he is much stronger now, he still doesn't have complete confidence against an opponent of that caliber.

Headache.

Lu Heng rubbed his temples, temporarily suppressing the thought.

Things should be done one at a time.

He got up and walked to the bedside. With a thought, he took the Bronze-Tier Treasure Chest out of his Wristband Space and placed it on the table in front of him.

The treasure chest had a dark Bronze luster, with fine patterns engraved on its surface, resembling overlapping snake scales. The clasp gleamed coldly, and Lu Heng reached out, grabbed it, and pried it open forcefully.

The lid popped open with a dull thud.

Three things lay quietly inside.

A scroll gleaming faintly, a small jade bottle, and another scroll made of a distinctly different material.

Lu Heng picked up the first volume.

The moment the scroll was unfurled, a faint spiritual fluctuation emanated from the paper. He activated his Wristband, aimed it at the scroll, and began the appraisal.

The screen lights up, and data pops up.

[Mind Spike (Scroll - Bronze Tier)]

Description: After use, you will learn the mental attack skill "Mind Spike". You can condense your own Mental Energy into an invisible spike to directly attack the enemy's mental level. It can cause dizziness and temporary loss of consciousness to targets with weak mental defenses, and in extreme cases, it can cause mental collapse. It consumes Mental Energy, and its power is directly proportional to the user's mental strength.

Lu Heng's eyes lit up slightly.

Mental attacks are exactly the kind of weapon he currently lacks. Physical attacks were ineffective against the strange beings he encountered before, but mental attacks could bypass physical defenses and directly affect the consciousness itself. If the final boss in the supermarket is also a strange being, this skill might come in very handy.

Without hesitation, he unrolled the scroll completely.

The text on the scroll transformed into a pale golden light and entered his brow. In an instant, a complete energy cultivation path exploded in his mind—how to mobilize Mental Energy, how to compress, condense, and shape it, and ultimately how to release it.

Lu Heng closed his eyes and digested the information for a moment.

When he opened his eyes again, a "switch" had appeared deep within his consciousness. Whenever he wanted, he could condense his Mental Energy into an invisible thorn and shoot it at his target.

The Mind Spike, I've learned it.

He rubbed his temples, not attempting to release the pressure yet. The bedroom was too small; he might hurt himself if he didn't control it properly. He'd practice in a more open space later.

Lu Heng put down the scroll fragment and picked up the second item.

It was a jade bottle, its body translucent, and inside, one could vaguely see a dark golden pill.

The Wristband authentication results popped up.

[Origin Recovery Pill (Bronze Tier, One Pill)]

Description: After taking this medicine, it can significantly restore physical strength and energy consumption in a short period of time, while repairing minor physical injuries. The medicine has a mild effect, no side effects, and is suitable for emergency recovery after high-intensity combat.

Lu Heng held the jade bottle in his hand, weighed it in his hand, and carefully put it into the Wristband Space.

Things that can save your life should not be wasted unless absolutely necessary.

He picked up the last scroll.

This roll is clearly made of a different material than the previous two. It has a metallic sheen on the surface and feels cool and hard to the touch, like some kind of thin metal sheet rolled into a scroll shape.

The Wristband authentication results popped up.

[Weapon Modification Scroll (Bronze Tier)]

Description: This feature allows you to modify and fuse an existing weapon using a material of the same level. After modification, the weapon will inherit the original weapon's characteristics and gain additional special attributes from the modification material. The success rate of modification is affected by the material compatibility; failure will result in the material being destroyed and the weapon remaining in its original state.

Lu Heng stared at the last line of text for a long time.

Failure will result in the destruction of the materials.

This means that modifications are not something to be attempted lightly. There's only one set of materials and only one suitable weapon; if the gamble fails, both will be lost.

He was already starting to think – he had several Bronze Tier materials, but he needed to carefully consider which material would best match which weapon and have the highest success rate.

Don't rush.

After taking stock of all three items, Lu Heng stored the remnants of the treasure chest into his Wristband Space, leaned back in his chair, and his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

He recalled the bridge arch where he had fought the Mutant King Cobra.

Based on previous experience, there should be a treasure chest dropped after defeating the boss. However, there was deep water under the bridge, and he didn't have time to search for it after he lost consciousness.

That treasure chest is most likely still submerged underwater.

Lu Heng frowned.

That body of water is complex, with almost no underwater visibility; there's no need to risk it for an uncertain treasure chest.

The Bone Demon can come in handy.

Next time we go, let the Bone Demon dive into the water and search. That thing doesn't need to breathe and isn't afraid of water, so searching underwater is much easier for it than searching by itself.

Lu Heng noted the thought down and stood up.

We've gained a lot, but there's still a lot of stuff to deal with.

He walked to the window, thinking about the direction of that Anomalous Supermarket. Although it was far away, Lu Heng could still feel the strange aura emanating from the store. It was like a thorn stuck in his heart, impossible to remove.

I've just learned the Mind Spike technique and still need to practice. I have the Weapon Modification Scroll, but I haven't decided on the right materials and weapons yet. The Origin Recovery Pill is my trump card and can't be used lightly. As for the treasure chest underwater, I'll have to rely on the Bone Demon to retrieve it.

Lu Heng took a deep breath, turned around and walked towards the door.

One thing at a time.