Chapter 6: 6. Progress bar 5%
The solemn black uniform accentuated her slender, graceful legs. This girl must be at least 1.75 meters tall.
She also sported a cool, ear-length short hairstyle, and with her bright, sharp eyes, at first glance, she resembled a handsome boy.
But her pretty face was fair and charming, and with her puffed chest and slender, tight waist, no one could mistake her gender.
Wanqing held up a book as if presenting a treasure, calling out:
"Xiao Cha, you're here~ I just bought a book, read it to me~"
"You spent money on cultivation books again..."
Xiao Cha, of course, knew her friend's long-cherished wish, she took the book with a slightly helpless look, and her expression froze slightly:
"Why is it in a foreign language... I can't understand it~"
"I don't know, the bookstore sold it to me..."
"That deceptive bookstore, not clarifying. It's okay~ I'll help you return it~"
Xiao Cha took charge, but Wanqing looked somewhat disappointed:
"This book... it's the latest research on cultivation by Western scholars."
At that moment, Lu Li, curious, came closer to see what the book was.
Xiao Cha's sharp, beautiful eyes shot towards him, she coldly said:
"I almost forgot the serious matter! Wanqing! How dare you host a strange man overnight? What if he were a villain!"
Wanqing replied as if it were obvious:
"Lu Li is a good person. Let me introduce you—this is my good friend, Luo Xiaocha, a patrol officer~"
"Oh you..."
Seeing her friend's naive demeanor, Xiao Cha couldn't help but laugh and cry.
But she quickly regained her stern composure, flashed her waist badge and shackles, and demanded of Lu Li, "Identification, take it out!"
Hearing this, Wanqing was unhappy: "Why are you doing this..."
Xiao Cha kept a stern face and said nothing.
Her childhood friend had a dangerously attractive appearance and she was gentle and kind, always attracting villains, and it was only through her own vigilance that nothing had happened.
Even though this Lu Li didn't look like a bad person, it was still necessary to test him, knowing appearances could be deceptive!
But unexpectedly, Lu Li seemed even more suspicious than imagined, claiming:
"I just returned from overseas, I don't have an identification card."
Xiao Cha's apricot eyes narrowed, suspicion heightening: "Then what about your passport?"
Lu Li calmly said, "Lost it."
"No registry!"
Xiao Cha's long legs kicked off, and like a leopard, she swiftly got close, searching Lu Li from head to toe to assess any threat.
"Strong-bodied, but with no martial arts cultivation, hasn't trained in firearms, and also a cripple..."
Lu Li could hardly see her movements, lamenting as he was judged and assessed.
Finally, Xiao Cha, scrutinizing his eyes, concluded:
"He has no Refining God Cultivation either, just an ordinary person. But his movements are suspicious, you've got to come with me~"
Saying so, she unfastened the shackles from her waist, evidently intending to detain him!
"Wait a minute!"
Just then, Wanqing, her face red with agitation, shouted: "Young Master Lu is a good person! There are so many pickpockets on the streets, maybe his documents were really lost!"
Xiao Cha coldly reminded: "How can you be so forgetful, forgetting about the 'human traffickers' trying to deceive you into the brothels by pretending to be good!"
"Young Master Lu is different..."
Wanqing bit her lip, her face filled with eagerness to convince her best friend.
But her words were ultimately unconvincing...
Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she handed her book to Lu Li, saying:
"I believe Young Master Lu is from overseas, he must understand foreign languages!"
Lu Li took the book and saw it was written in Angsa Language, directly stating:
"'Understanding Brain Waves,' author: Hans Berger."
After finishing, he repeated it again in Angsa Language.
Hearing the authentic and fluent accent, Xiao Cha acknowledged that this man indeed came from overseas.
Wanqing's pretty face glowed, joyfully saying:
"Yes! That's the book! Many scientists have confirmed, the essence of Spirit Refining Cultivation is to continuously strengthen brain waves! Understanding this book, I will certainly step onto the path of cultivation!"
Xiao Cha felt helpless inside: "It's not that simple..."
Wanqing softly implored, "Young Master, please read it for me~"
"Alright."
Lu Li naturally wouldn't thwart the girl's wishes and continued to read:
"Brain waves are the bioelectric reactions that occur synchronously among a large number of neurons..."
The book wasn't lengthy, resembling more a journal article, covering early research on brain waves.
Wanqing noted down everything in her notebook, her face alight with the joy of a treasured find.
The atmosphere relaxed, and Xiao Cha settled back into her chair, crossing her legs.
Lu Li said expressionlessly, "Patrol, have my suspicions been cleared?"
"Hmph~ Only temporarily!" Xiao Cha lifted her fair chin and said, "You better go to the lease and reissue your documents, I'll check again in a few days~"
"Young Master..."
Wanqing intervened between them, pulling another book from the drawer and softly said:
"You might want to take a look at this 'Concentrating Spirit Illuminating Silence Technique.' The Spirit Refining Cultivation consists of 9 realms, and this is a magic door of one realm, 'Concentrating.'"
"Thank you."
Lu Li quickly took it, reading eagerly.
This book totaled a thousand words, the first 950 of which described what the Sea of Consciousness is, where it is located, and how to sense it.
This was too simple for Lu Li, who already owned a Magic Treasure in his Sea of Consciousness.
The remaining 50 words described how to concentrate the spirit into the Sea of Consciousness, achieving 'Concentrating' once this was done.
That is to say, with this "Secret Manual,"... Lu Li only needed to complete the last 5% of the progress bar to upgrade!
Without delay, he tried it on the spot!
Gathering the spirit, as the book briefly described in just 50 words, obviously wasn't difficult.
Put simply, it was about focusing one's energy.
When one focuses their energy on the eyes, they can see more clearly; when focused on the ears, the nose, etc., they also receive the corresponding enhancements.
But concentrating it in the "Sea of Consciousness" results in supernatural outcomes!
At that moment, Lu Li's neurons in the brain instantaneously generated a massive amount of bioelectric reactions, creating brain waves.
These represented human thoughts or spirit.
Common to all, yet the most miraculous creation of life!
They converged on the pineal gland, continuously stimulating the organ.
Lu Li suddenly felt a coolness spreading and enveloping his entire skull!
The mind cleared, his brain like a dust-covered pearl meticulously wiped clean, bursting forth with dazzling brilliance!
If there was a brainwave detector, it would reveal that the intensity of Lu Li's brainwaves was steadily increasing, quickly reaching three times that of a normal person... and still rising!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Wanqing said with a face full of anticipation:
"Xiao Cha, let's study these brainwaves together. Maybe we can embark on the path of cultivation!"
Xiao Cha slumped in her chair, wearily said, "You research it yourself; I've decided to focus solely on Martial Arts~"
Wanqing gently reminded, "Are you content with being a 'Power Warrior' for life?"
"Power Warrior... a derogatory term for one who cultivates the body but not the spirit, sounds awful~"
Xiao Cha looked at the ceiling beam, her careless demeanor revealing a touch of wistfulness:
"But Wanqing, you know... people are different, the gap between individuals is larger than between humans and dogs..."
"Just the day before yesterday, I met the Governor's daughter, a year younger than me but three Great Realms higher in her Martial Arts cultivation. She could kill me with just a flick of her fingers..."
Xiao Cha became more disheartened as she spoke, her long eyelashes drooping:
"Effort is useless, one must accept their fate........ Ahhh!!!"
While she was speaking, Xiao Cha suddenly widened her mouth, repeatedly pointing towards Lu Li, too frightened to speak.
Lu Li's eyes were bursting with a brilliance akin to the stars!
The "iris" slowly expanded, crystal clear like a miniature cosmic galaxy, shrouded with a halo not of this Mortal World.
The eyes are the windows to the soul, and most directly reflect one's Refining God Cultivation.
But Wanqing couldn't see it and said helplessly, "What, what happened?"
Yet, precisely because she couldn't see, her touch was extremely sensitive.
Very soon, Wanqing felt as if tangible gazes swept over her, like fine spider threads brushing against her skin.
Her body shook violently, and she tremulously said, "Spirit concentrated, gaze tangible... Young Master Lu has achieved 'Concentrating'!"
"It seems so."
Lu Li blinked a few times, the anomaly in his eyes slowly receded but remained much brighter than that of ordinary people.