A few days later.
The Thought Stone was worth over ten million, with no sellers even at that price, yet Lu Wu had casually left it on the table.
As he watched the trembling Thought Stone, beads of sweat the size of beans kept dripping from Lu Wu's forehead.
His entire body was soaked in sweat, but most striking of all were his bloodshot eyes.
His eyes were fixed on the Thought Stone. Lu Wu knew how hard it had been to finally make it tremble.
If he pressed on in one burst now, he had a chance of making the Thought Stone float. Otherwise, all his previous efforts would go to waste.
These three-plus hours of cultivation had already exhausted him.
If his resolve slackened even slightly, he might pass out on the spot.
His eyes were already wet, and he could no longer tell whether it was sweat or tears. All Lu Wu could think about now was breaking through!
Shen Shitian pushed open the door. The locked door posed no obstacle to him. Although he knew Lu Wu could not detect him in his current state, he still reined in his aura.
Lu Wu was already doing far more than ordinary cultivation.
"He's a little too eager for quick results, but he pushes himself hard enough. No wonder his cultivation is progressing so quickly." Shen Shitian knew how difficult it was to reach this point.
He had given Lu Wu a month, and even that was on account of his naturally stronger soul.
Yet within such a short span-only about ten days-he had already concentrated his willpower to this degree.
Lu Wu's natural talent already gave him a cultivation speed that most people could hardly catch up with.
Now it seemed that the ferocity with which Lu Wu cultivated would likewise make others shrink back.
He did not intervene to stop him. Although he could ensure Lu Wu's safety now, Lu Wu would probably lose his chance to break through.
Hold on a little longer. Shen Shitian could only pray silently.
If things really did not work out, he would just have to call some old friends over to treat Lu Wu's injuries.
At that moment, Lu Wu truly had no idea Grandpa Shen had entered his room.
Normally, the slightest rustle outside his door would have startled him awake.
Now, however, Lu Wu felt only darkness all around him, with a single glimmer of light trembling before him.
It was the Thought Stone!
The Thought Stone's luminous image grew larger and heavier. Lu Wu could even feel this untouchable Thought Stone giving off an aura that pressed down on him.
Gradually, the Thought Stone's luminous image swelled until he could barely breathe.
Searing pain stabbed through him. Lu Wu even felt as though the Thought Stone was about to crush him, his body already on the verge of falling apart.
Hold on a little longer. Grandpa Shen said that once I succeed, my cultivation will go more smoothly from then on. Lu Wu forced himself to hold up against the swelling Thought Stone.
Giving up would mean wasting all his previous efforts. How could Lu Wu possibly accept that?
Buzzz!!!
Just as the luminous image was about to occupy all the darkness around him, Lu Wu noticed that his body seemed to have grown larger.
The Thought Stone's luminous image kept shrinking and shrinking. Lu Wu knew he had succeeded!
Before he even had time to feel excited, he lost consciousness.
"Ah, looks like he'll be bedridden for a few days." Shen Shitian looked at Lu Wu, who had collapsed on the floor with a little blood seeping from his eyes and ears, and felt a pang of heartache.
He picked Lu Wu up, laid him on the bed, and gave him a brief examination before leaving the room.
Three days later, Lu Wu had long since woken up.
Seeing all those red dots on his phone, Lu Wu's heart lurched. He was done for now.
He called Mu Nujiao, only to find that she hung up on him, so he called again.
"Well, what made you remember to call me?" Mu Nujiao hung up on Lu Wu three times in a row. When she answered the fourth call, even her tone was off.
"Let me explain. Something went wrong with my cultivation these past few days. Grandpa Shen wouldn't let me use my phone and confiscated it." Knowing Mu Nujiao must be upset, Lu Wu hurried to explain.
Mu Nujiao had hung up as soon as his calls connected, which meant she was angry but would not ignore him.
He was the one who had invited her over in the first place. He truly had not expected something to happen afterward.
Naturally, he needed to adopt the right attitude now and explain properly.
"Anyway, my friend and I are both very angry right now. You figure out how you're going to compensate us," Mu Nujiao said huffily. "We'll be waiting for you at Rongcheng Wild Demon Beast Park in an hour."
"I'll be right there," Lu Wu replied.
He had woken up the day before yesterday, but Grandpa Shen had confiscated his phone.
He had kept forbidding Lu Wu from cultivating or doing anything else, making him rest instead. Anything that took mental effort was off-limits.
After telling Grandpa Shen about the Thought Stone's luminous image, Lu Wu had learned that he had been in a state of perception at the time.
His body had grown larger afterward because his soul had transformed under the immense pressure, withstanding the force needed to make the Thought Stone float.
Mu Nujiao and her friend would arrive at Rongcheng Wild Demon Beast Park in an hour, while he needed only twenty minutes to get there.
After adjusting his condition, Lu Wu began cultivating.
Seven robust, brilliantly shining Stars wandered chaotically through the red stardust. Their robustness made Lu Wu look forward to the power of his magic.
The first Star obediently lined up. The second, third, fourth, and fifth were all very easy, while the sixth struggled a little.
Watching the seventh Star draw toward the line of the first six under the pressure of his willpower, Lu Wu grew extremely excited.
The Star Path formed!
Magic manifested!!
Having constructed the Star Path with ease, Lu Wu felt that he could now release Fire Element Beginner Magic whenever he wished. But knowing he was inside the Hunter Union building, he did not cast it carelessly.
Still, this feeling directly showed Lu Wu the difference.
Now, whenever he wanted, he could form a Star Path again and release magic.
"Controlling the Stars has become so easy. Looks like my mental strength really is much stronger than before!" Lu Wu opened his eyes, brimming with joy.
It seemed his suffering had not been in vain.
Fortunately, he had not given up then. Otherwise, he would have had to cultivate painstakingly for a while longer.
"This Thought Stone really is a treasure. Grandpa Shen hasn't taken it back yet, so I can use it to temper my willpower in the meantime."
Having tasted the benefits of the Thought Stone, Lu Wu was all the more determined to treasure it.
Although he had read about it in the magic encyclopedia before, he had never expected the effects to be this good.
Unlike before, he carefully put the Thought Stone away before leaving.
After all, this was the Hunter Union's building in Rongcheng. He did not need to worry about anyone stealing it; leaving it under his pillow would do.
Rongcheng Wildlife Park was one of the few wild Demon Beast Gardens in the country.
It occupied an enormous area, and only particularly large cities had one. What the wild Demon Beast Garden exhibited were demon beasts!
Tickets were extremely expensive, and the Hunter Union ran it exclusively!!
In the outskirts south of Rongcheng lay a huge lake. The wild Demon Beast Garden encompassed the entire lake, covering more than six thousand mu.
Lu Wu took a car to the entrance and found people coming and going. Almost none of them were mages.
"Twelve hundred yuan for one ticket?" Lu Wu exploded. "Even a group purchase for three costs three thousand?"
Although he had known it was expensive, Lu Wu had not expected it to be this outrageous.
He had known the tickets here were pricey, but he had not expected them to cost this much.
"This Demon Beast Garden has nearly three hundred demon beasts in total, with dozens of mages guarding them. We can't afford any carelessness," the ticket attendant patiently explained.
Among those dozens of mages were quite a few Intermediate Mages, and even two Advanced Mages.
"Then I'll buy three group tickets." Helpless, Lu Wu could only use the pay-monthly option to buy them.
He waited for over an hour. Every time he contacted Mu Nujiao, she said they were almost there, so Lu Wu could only keep waiting.