Chapter 591
The Difference Between Leaders and Old Gods, The Special Effects of "Heart Steel&qu
Chapter 591 The Difference Between Leaders and Old Gods, The Special Effects of "Heart Steel"
Above the dome, stars are scattered, vast and boundless.
Countless points of light float within, slowly burning their own energy and releasing unique spiritual fluctuations.
Fang Cheng did not rush to leave, but sat alone on the high throne.
His gaze swept calmly across the entire top of the hall, like a monarch surveying his domain.
With the conclusion of that cross-dimensional clash, this starry sky constructed of spiritual energy seems to have undergone some subtle changes.
The originally dark curtain was drawn even deeper and wider, making the entire dome appear even more magnificent and grand, more like a miniature universe.
Although the number of stars scattered across it did not increase, the order in which they were arranged became more rigorous and orderly, clearly demonstrating his growing control.
It's like a star map that operates entirely according to the law of "universal gravitation".
Each star represents the coordinates of consciousness of the believers who have established a spiritual connection with it, and is an indispensable node in the entire solar network.
As for the very center of the dome, the sun, symbolizing its own will, is radiating its magnificent light and heat with an air of absolute dominance.
A golden torrent radiated outwards from the core, rising and falling like the tides, sweeping across the void.
In the area surrounding the sun, a huge halo of light, so dense it was almost liquid, had formed.
This is the "absolute core area" of the Sun's Heart Network.
Within this area, countless tiny yet exceptionally bright points of light are densely distributed.
Most of them are ordinary people in reality who do not have special abilities, so the points of light appear relatively small.
Many people are unaware of the hidden world of supernatural beings lurking in the shadows, and simply worship Fang Cheng as a legendary deity descended to earth.
Because they are not disturbed by other higher-dimensional forces, their souls are pure and without impurities, and their compatibility with the Sun's mental network is even higher.
At the same time, their faith in Fang Cheng was the purest, even bordering on fanaticism.
Like faithful satellites and planets, firmly captured by the sun's terrifying gravity, they operate steadily within this halo, providing the most basic energy support for the entire heart network.
Beyond this halo, the sunlight began to be gradually swallowed and diluted by the darkness.
That place is the vast and cold outer space.
The stars scattered in this area are relatively large, but their light appears rather dim, and their orbits are not very stable.
They represent two types of people.
One type is people with special abilities, like Lin Chuqiao and the professor.
Even though a spiritual link has been established, a barrier still exists deep within their souls, constantly resisting the sun's gravitational pull and remaining outside the core system.
The other category consists of ordinary people who were influenced by Fang Cheng but did not develop a devout faith.
As you reach the outermost edge, the stars become increasingly scarce, their light flickers, and their orbits become chaotic.
Aside from these scattered stars, Fang Cheng was basically able to establish a smooth connection with the consciousness coordinates distributed in outer space.
While not as fanatical as the core area's followers, they are still enough to form a relatively stable spiritual bond.
Fang Cheng's gaze shifted, landing once again on the starlight representing Shanks' consciousness.
Just minutes ago, this star, like other new members, was flickering uncertainly at the very edge of the night sky, as if it could go out at any moment.
At this moment, however, it completed an astonishing leap.
It was like a comet that had been forcibly dragged across the long, dark void, plunging headfirst into the central region and barely touching the edge of the halo.
They are now positioned even further ahead than the stars that represent Lin Chuqiao and the professor.
It ranks only after Xu Hao and Xiao Sa, who were brainwashed by the "Great Sun Burning Body Technique".
Fang Cheng looked at this stable, radiant new star, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
This certainly doesn't mean that Shanks' feelings for her are deeper than Lin Chuqiao's.
The results were purely the result of brute force.
The experiment just now, which was like snatching food from a tiger's mouth, proved that his hypothesis was entirely feasible.
They directly erased the mark of the old gods from the source of their spirit, and then forcibly imprinted their own mark on them.
This method, though crude, is the most efficient way to create loyal assassins with exceptionally high loyalty.
It eliminates the lengthy process of building trust in reality, establishing the master-servant relationship directly at the soul level.
With a mere thought, Fang Cheng could send a golden arrow through the wide and stable passage into the other's sea of consciousness, then pull their consciousness into this inner world.
Even if something unexpected happens in the future and the other party develops a heart of betrayal, you can use the Sun Heart Network to immediately unleash "divine punishment" upon them.
Fang Cheng looked at Shanks's revitalized consciousness and smiled with satisfaction.
This advanced application of the solar network allowed him to gain a more solid grasp on the entire organization.
This approach can be widely adopted and applied to other members of the Illuminati in the future, completely resolving the problems of mutual testing and suspicion.
"Ok?"
As he was lost in thought, Fang Cheng's pupils suddenly contracted slightly as he keenly caught a glimpse of something unusual.
The star that represents Shanks' consciousness is quietly changing its coordinates.
Although the magnitude was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye, Fang Cheng, as the ruler of this world, still clearly sensed the deviation in trajectory.
It seemed to be trembling, struggling.
It was as if an invisible force was pulling it, trying to pull it out of the sun's gravitational pull and plunge it back into the dark, boundless abyss.
Not just Shanks.
Fang Cheng turned his gaze to two other stars in the distance.
Lin Chuqiao and the professor's coordinates of consciousness.
They are also undergoing extremely slow centrifugal motion, as if they are ready to escape from the outer region controlled by the sun's photon wheel at any moment.
Fang Cheng leaned back on the throne, his gaze becoming deep and unfathomable.
It seems that erasing the original imprint is not truly a permanent solution.
The source of these extraordinary beings' power ultimately comes from those mysterious beings that reside in higher-dimensional spacetime.
Blood ties are the unbreakable umbilical cord connecting them to the Old Gods.
As long as Shanks continues to use his fire abilities, and as long as Lin Chuqiao continues to use her precognitive talents, they must constantly draw power from the source.
This absorption is bidirectional.
While gaining power, their subconscious will inevitably be influenced and eroded by the other party.
So, is this a protracted battle?
Fang Cheng murmured to himself, his voice echoing softly in the hall.
Whether it's Shanks or Lin Chuqiao, both of them now have two spiritual imprints coexisting deep within their souls.
One is Fang Cheng's "leader's mark," and the other is an "old god's mark" belonging to an unknown entity.
The two sides were like tug-of-war.
Fang Cheng's desire to completely wrest control of these souls from the mouths of those indescribable beings is by no means something that can be accomplished overnight.
This is destined to be a protracted and gradual ultimate contest.
Until one day, the sun's radiance will completely overwhelm those shadows, illuminating their hearts and merging them into the sun's web.
These extraordinary individuals may be the only ones who can truly become his devout followers.
As for when they sever their connection with the Old Gods, will they lose their original bloodline abilities?
Will it awaken new abilities within the Sun's Mind Network system and transform into a completely new being?
These are all unknown variables.
Fang Cheng slowly stood up and stood before the throne.
He glanced one last time at the dome, at the stars struggling to maintain a balance between gravity and repulsion, and a faint smile curved his lips.
At least for now, he has reached into the chessboard called "Fate" and placed his first piece.
Let time tell what happens next. Fang Cheng composed himself, no longer yearning for this divine realm.
In the real world, a boring exam awaits him tomorrow.
With a slight thought, the magnificent golden palace around them and the dazzling starry sky above them vanished like a tide.
When he opened his eyes again, his vision was once again filled with the darkness of the bedroom.
Outside the half-closed glass window, the early summer night breeze, carrying a hint of coolness, seeped into the room through the crack.
In the distance, Yulong Lake is shrouded in a hazy mist.
Occasionally, a few scattered barks of dogs could be heard across the town's streets and alleys, sounding empty and distant.
In the guest room, separated by a wall, my grandfather's long, deep snores pierced through the brickwork and reached my ears rhythmically.
This familiar feeling of returning to the human world completely washed away the lingering echoes of the higher dimensions in his mind.
Fang Cheng reached out and grabbed the phone that was lying next to the pillow.
He pressed the side button with his thumb, and the screen lit up, the blinding white light momentarily illuminating his eyes in the darkness.
10: 25.
Before they knew it, nearly two hours had passed since the experiment to capture Shanks was being conducted, and it was almost midnight.
Just as he was about to put down his phone, a faint blue light suddenly appeared in front of him, and a semi-transparent system panel quietly emerged in the air.
[Focus on experience +60]
[Focus on level 2 (479/500)]
[Visualization Experience +30]
[Visualization lv3 (258/1000)]
Looking at these slightly unexpected notification messages, Fang Cheng smiled.
Unexpectedly, this cross-dimensional mental battle resulted in him gaining nearly a hundred experience points.
This is far more efficient than his usual methodical and focused practice.
With particular focus on this skill, he is now only a tiny, insignificant step away from breaking through to the Grandmaster level (Lv3).
Fang Cheng was pleased, but threw his phone back on the bedside table, though a trace of apprehension remained in his eyes.
The extraordinary clash just now, which seemed to show that he had successfully resisted the opponent's mental offensive with the advantage of home field, was actually extremely dangerous.
If it weren't for the fact that he decisively activated his Focus skill at the last moment.
With the support of the "Steel Heart" skill effect, willpower was increased by 200%, forcibly materializing that steel barrier that isolates dimensions.
It seems likely that this experiment of snatching food from the tiger's mouth will end in failure, with Shanks' soul collapsing and Shanks suffering mental trauma.
Fang Cheng stretched his legs, which were crossed, and then rolled off the bed, stepping barefoot onto the cool wooden floor.
To be honest, the "Heart of Steel" skill effect is usually quite useless.
Because it is a passive effect of the Focus skill, once activated, it will increase willpower while also doubling mental energy consumption.
This kind of fighting style, which kills a thousand enemies but also loses eight hundred of your own, has led Fang Cheng to rarely trigger it actively during his usual training and studies.
This is why the progress bar for the Focus skill has been climbing at a snail's pace, and he has been unable to break through to the Master level (Lv3) for a long time.
Feeling the fatigue creeping into his brain, Fang Cheng slowly walked to the window.
Looking at the few dim streetlights outside, his eyes flickered slightly.
However, today's battle made him see the true value of this special effect.
If we were to confront those higher-dimensional consciousnesses again in the future, aside from stealing people, this would be an irreplaceable divine skill in a battle that erupts in an instant!
It was equivalent to Fang Cheng achieving an incredible leap in his overall mental strength in a short period of time.
Based on the current 70 points of mental attribute, it directly increases to a terrifying defensive level equivalent to 140 points of mental attribute.
It is enough to turn the tide at crucial moments.
The night breeze rustled the hem of the curtains, making a soft "whoosh" sound.
Fang Cheng withdrew his gaze, raised his hand to grasp the edge of the curtain, and pulled hard, completely blocking the halo of the streetlights outside the window.
Tomorrow is the Special Investigations Unit's written exam.
Even though it's just a formality, it's still necessary to maintain a good state of mind to cope with this exam.
This is Fang Cheng's consistent principle in life and work.
He turned and walked back to the bedside, lay down, and pulled the thin blanket over his chest.
Place your hands naturally on your abdomen, close your eyes slightly, and slow your breathing.
The abundant internal energy within the body circulated smoothly and naturally on its own.
My mind went completely blank, and I let sleep gradually take over this mentally exhausted body.
....................................
Tick, tick.
The turbid medicine dripped into the vein, drop by drop, through the IV tubing.
The pungent smell of disinfectant mixed with the musty smell unique to basements wafted straight into my nostrils.
Shanks suddenly opened his eyes.
My vision blurred for a moment.
Immediately afterwards, I heard the old fluorescent light above my head flicker twice, emitting a buzzing electrical sound.
"Whoosh—hoh—"
He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving, and his muscles ached all over as if he were dehydrated.
His gaze shifted forward, and he saw the heavy bandages wrapped around his body.
In addition to the smell of disinfectant and mold, there was also a distinct burnt smell in the air.
Shanks braced himself on his elbows and turned his head with difficulty.
The white sheet beneath him had severely carbonized edges, giving it a burnt yellow color, as if it had been baked at high temperatures.
With the slightest touch, it turns into black ash and falls off in a flurry.
Even the outermost layers of gauze on his chest bore obvious burn marks.
The skin felt a burning, stinging sensation.
This is not a dream!
Shanks' Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.
That magnificent and sacred golden palace, that vast and boundless starry sky, and the man sitting on the golden throne, like a god descended to earth.
It's all true!
The thought of Fang Cheng transforming into a blazing sun and forcefully repelling the terrifying demonic shadow that had lingered in the depths of his subconscious for fifteen years filled him with awe.
Shanks' breathing became increasingly heavy.
For the past fifteen years, he has been like a stray dog struggling to survive in the sewers.
Driven only by hatred, he tried to bite a Leviathan hidden in the deep sea.
Despair, oppression, and no hope of winning.
But now, everything is different.
He found a true backer.
An unparalleled powerhouse who could force a high-dimensional demon god to retreat!
"Illuminati..."
Shanks' chapped lips twitched slightly as he uttered those three words in a low voice.
(End of this chapter)