Nightfall fell, and four Mingyue hung high in the sky, their silvery light falling like a thin veil draped over Lancelot's shoulders.
"I almost forgot, today is the 18th. April is here, it's truly magnificent." Lancelot stood with his hands behind his back on the floating platform, looking up at the Mingyue in the sky.
Planet Oklo is not only a binary star system, but it also has four moons.
Normally, due to Star Tracks, the four moons do not appear at the same time. Only on the 18th of each month does the rare phenomenon of four moons appear on the same day occur.
Many students went out tonight, some in pairs, some in groups, and some, like Lancelot, were alone, enjoying the moon in solitude.
Although many of the students at Holy Sword are obsessed with cultivation, people are still people, not machines. They need proper relaxation and a balance between work and rest. A balance between tension and relaxation can actually improve cultivation efficiency.
After traveling slowly for about half an hour, Lancelot arrived at the area where the training grounds were located.
A huge metal pillar was stuck in the ground, with doors at the joints through which students were constantly going in and out.
To prevent enemy attacks from the air, all the key facilities of the Holy Sword Academy are located underground, including the training grounds. This metal pillar is actually an elevator.
Lancelot walked to a door, checked his identity, and the metal door slowly opened.
We took the elevator downhill.
After descending approximately 600 meters underground, the elevator stopped, and Lancelot stepped out, curiously looking around at the scenery.
Bright, soft light streamed down from the dome above, illuminating the Underground Space as if it were daytime.
A wide road, at least a hundred meters wide, stretches across the ground, seemingly endless.
On both sides of the road, rows of buildings with different shapes stand side by side, each with an introductory sign.
The Domain of Spirit Thought, the Holy Sword Stairway, the Magical Energy Vortex, the Realm of the Wondrous Moon, the Totem World...
These represent the entrances to different esoteric spiritual sites.
Lancelot's primary targets this time are the Domain of Spirit Thought and the Totem World, with the Holy Sword Stairway as a secondary objective.
These three secret realms require personal experience; for the others, a brief overview is sufficient.
After observing for a moment, Lancelot took a step and walked towards a pointed-roof building not far away.
It felt as if I had passed through a curtain of water, a cool sensation spreading through my body. In a flash, the surrounding scenery changed drastically.
This is an unfamiliar space, with layers of black mist churning above, and wisps of ethereal, heavenly music echoing from the dark mist above.
A dim, hazy light emanated from the ground, and rows of small wooden houses stood neatly, numbering about three or four hundred. In the very center was an elevator leading to the upper levels, piercing straight into the black mist.
At the same time, as Lancelot entered the Domain of Spirit Thought, the communicator on his wrist vibrated.
"You have entered the first level of the Domain of Spirit Thought. Credits are being deducted automatically, at a rate of 15 credits per hour."
Looking at the information on the screen, Lancelot grinned, feeling a pang of regret; this was much more expensive than entering the Virtual Universe.
"However, the support effects of the Domain of Spirit Thought are indeed top-notch. With the help of this secret place, my path to creating Innovation Skill will be faster and smoother."
Lancelot closed his eyes, and with the faint sounds of music lingering in his ears, his mind became exceptionally active, and numerous inspirations burst forth like sparks of electricity.
This exhilarating feeling is like a rusty machine being lubricated, making it run smoothly without any sluggishness.
"The effect is roughly equivalent to the Heightened Focus state of Flow Method; I wonder if the two can be combined," Lancelot thought to himself as he opened his eyes.
"Give it a try!"
With a single thought, Lancelot activated Flow Method and controlled its effects to maintain a state of Heightened Focus.
The next moment, his already active mind ran wild like a runaway horse, increasing its effectiveness by more than 70%.
"Hmm, not bad. Although it doesn't stack 100%, it does increase the effect a little. Absolute Focus consumes too much energy and stamina and can't be maintained for too long."
But this state of Heightened Focus, combined with the Star Swallowing Technique, allows me to maintain it indefinitely, as long as I have a sufficient supply of high-energy food.
With a multitude of thoughts swirling in his mind, Lancelot took a step and headed towards the central elevator.
The elevator went up and quickly arrived at the second floor of the Domain of Spirit Thought.
The environment was much the same as the first floor, but the music that had sounded somewhat muffled on the first floor had become clearer.
With the aid of this peculiar music, Lancelot's mental processing speed was about 80% faster than in the first level (without the support of the Flow Method), and his bursts of inspiration were faster and more intense.
"It seems that the mystery of the Domain of Spirit Thought lies in this heavenly music. The higher the level, the clearer the music becomes, which in turn drives the thinking process faster, enhances comprehension, and helps inspiration to emerge..." Lancelot's heart rippled, and he secretly guessed the origin of the music.
Perhaps it's a powerful artifact, or perhaps a strange, imprisoned creature?
This is not unfounded speculation; there are far too many similar cases in the Astral Realm.
Often, those who possess extraordinary talents but lack the protection of power end up in dire straits.
Lacking any supporting intelligence and unable to reach a conclusion, Lancelot shook his head slightly and continued taking the elevator to the third floor.
Sure enough, the music became clearer and the auxiliary effect was better after reaching the third level.
The third layer is about twice as effective as the first layer.
After standing there for a moment, reflecting on his thoughts, Lancelot continued walking towards the elevator that stood in the center.
Just then, the door of a wooden house opened, and a young man of about twenty years old walked out. He had a happy look on his face, indicating that he had made quite a haul.
Lancelot and the young man got into the elevator together. The man pressed the button for the first floor and turned to ask, "Are you also going to the first floor? Would you like me to press the button for you?"
"No, I need to go to the fourth floor. Don't bother, I can do it myself, thank you." Lancelot smiled slightly, then reached out and pressed the button for the fourth floor.
Seeing this, the third-year student Boxi kindly reminded him, "Excuse me, are you a freshman? The fourth level requires level 16 access to enter. Those with access below level 16 can only enter levels 1-3."
"It's alright, I have the authority," Lancelot explained casually.
Boxi's face stiffened, and he said with an awkward laugh, "So you're a teacher from the academy. I thought you were a student."
As he spoke, Boxi thought to himself, "This teacher is really strange, wearing a school uniform. I wonder what kind of quirk he has..."
Lancelot didn't explain further.
It's not surprising that Boxi didn't recognize him; there's no rule that says the champion of the Joint Entrance Examination has to be known by everyone.
After the two stood in place, the elevator doors closed, and then the liquid metal surged and split in the middle, turning into two smaller elevators, each carrying the two of them up and down.
The space between each level of the Domain of Spirit Thought is approximately thirty meters.
The elevator moved slowly, taking about five seconds for Lancelot to reach the fourth floor.
Stepping out of the elevator, Lancelot was immediately struck by music far clearer than what he'd heard on the third floor. His eyes widened in surprise. "This effect..."
The music in the fourth layer seemed to undergo some kind of qualitative change.
Lancelot felt that when he heard the music, his soul seemed to float out of his body and merge with the heavens and earth, as if he were in harmony with the world.
Many questions that I couldn't understand before suddenly became clear, giving me a sense of profound enlightenment and that there were no more difficulties in the world.
However, this feeling only lasted for a brief minute. Afterward, although Lancelot's thought process was still incredibly fast, he no longer had that feeling of being in perfect Unity of Heaven and Man.
Lancelot thought for a moment and then understood the reason.
"I had accumulated a lot of doubts and knowledge before, and with the help of the fourth layer of music, that knowledge burned like kindling, thus dispelling my doubts and giving me this illusion that the world was clear."
It's like someone suddenly gaining ten times the strength, feeling like they can crush anything.
In reality, it's not nearly that exaggerated; it's just an illusion.
"Looks like I'll be coming to this fourth floor quite often from now on..."