Chapter 74: Secret Cultivation at the Academy and Underground Schemes
More than a month passed in a flash within the recuperation area.
The flesh wounds on Lin Yan's body had long since scabbed over and healed, leaving behind only a few faint scars. What truly consumed his time was repairing the microscopic psychic damages left on his Sea of Consciousness from the great battle in the resonance cave. Every morning, he would first circulate the inner qi of his ancient martial arts to nourish his internal organs, and then enter the Sea of Consciousness therapy room. There, he used the gentle psychic stillness field provided by the equipment to temper his third-tier Sea of Consciousness.
When he had just broken through, his psychic power was like a surging flood, turbulent and difficult to control. After a month of quiet tempering, the power of his Sea of Consciousness gradually gathered and condensed. He was no longer limited to briefly releasing large-scale psychic interference; he could now precisely control the thickness and length of his psychic threads, targeting and piercing into the psychic links of others. His energy consumption had also drastically decreased compared to the early days after his breakthrough.
The mind-guarding methods of his ancient martial arts and the spirit-solidifying techniques of the Sea of Consciousness cultivation in this world were gradually merging within his body. When others cultivated their Sea of Consciousness, they often focused too much on expanding their psychic power, making them highly susceptible to having their minds eroded by illusions and stray thoughts. But because he already had a foundation of years of meditative cultivation, his mental foundation was far more solid than that of cultivators at the same level. This was an advantage unique to him.
On the day his recuperation period ended, Lu Heng personally came over and took Lin Yan to the War Zone Combat Readiness Academy.
The Combat Readiness Academy was located on the inner side of Panshi City's bastion, surrounded by high walls and heavily guarded. It was the core training ground for the entire war zone to cultivate Sea of Consciousness practitioners and frontline combat personnel. On the streets, students wearing training uniforms could be seen everywhere; some were practicing close-quarters combat in the martial arts arena, while others were undergoing Sea of Consciousness confrontation training in the psychic practical training rooms.
"The academy is divided into basic classes, advanced classes, and senior research classes. With your third-tier Sea of Consciousness, you will directly enter the senior research class," Lu Heng introduced as they walked. "Most of the students in the class are veterans who have retired from the front lines. Everyone has real combat experience; they are not students raised in greenhouses."
As they stepped into the training ground of the senior research class, over a dozen pairs of eyes immediately turned to look at them.
There were twelve students in the class. The lowest Sea of Consciousness was at the second-tier peak, while the highest had already reached the fourth tier. Most of them had heard of Lin Yan's name—the man who had stayed behind alone to cover the retreat, escaped unscathed under the Ancient Progenitor, and brought back ironclad evidence of the underground alien race.
A tall young man stepped forward, his gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny. "You are Lin Yan? You have a third-tier Sea of Consciousness, yet you withstood the Ancient Progenitor's primordial psychic impact. I am Jiang Tao, fourth-tier Sea of Consciousness. If you have the time, we can spar."
"Sure," Lin Yan replied calmly.
The schedule for the senior research class was extremely tight. Mornings were dedicated to Sea of Consciousness theory, studying the principles of the scaled race's psychic network and the methods to counter psychic illusions. Afternoons were divided into two practical training sessions: one for Sea of Consciousness confrontation drills, and another for close-quarters combat, combining ancient martial arts with the fighting techniques of this world. Evenings were for free cultivation; students could go to the psychic stillness rooms for closed-door cultivation or spar with each other to exchange insights.
During the first Sea of Consciousness confrontation practical class, Lin Yan and Jiang Tao faced off.
The training room isolated all external interference, and the two stood ten meters apart. Jiang Tao, with his fourth-tier Sea of Consciousness, struck first, sending a condensed psychic impact straight toward Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness.
Lin Yan did not take the blow head-on. His third-tier Sea of Consciousness spread out, and countless fine psychic threads extended outward. Instead of resisting the impact directly, he followed the trajectory of the opponent's psychic power, gently wrapping and pulling, slowly dissipating the force of the impact. At the same time, he released faint psychic disturbances to disrupt the output rhythm of Jiang Tao's Sea of Consciousness power.
Jiang Tao was slightly taken aback. Normally, when facing a fourth-tier opponent, a third-tier Sea of Consciousness cultivator would either raise a barrier with all their might to endure the blow or quickly dodge. He had never heard of a technique like Lin Yan's, which borrowed the opponent's force to neutralize the attack.
After several exchanges, Jiang Tao's psychic impacts were repeatedly neutralized by Lin Yan, and he was unable to break through Lin Yan's mental defenses.
"Impressive," Jiang Tao stopped sparring, retracted his Sea of Consciousness, and sighed sincerely. "Your psychic power is not as strong as mine, but your mental state is solid and your control is exquisite. No wonder you survived under the Ancient Progenitor."
The other students also cast gazes of respect and attention toward him.
During the day, he studied diligently at the academy. At night, Lin Yan stayed alone in the stillness room, reviewing the battle in the underground resonance cave. He repeatedly recalled the Ancient Progenitor's method of psychic transmission and the logic behind the linked triangular nodes, constantly deducing ways to counter psychic illusions and large-scale psychic torrents. He knew very well that the Ancient Progenitor would not remain silent; the next clash would only be more perilous.
At the same time, deep underground in the resonance cave, the dark fluorescent veins continued to flow slowly along the rock walls, though many links had been severed in the previous battle and had not yet been fully repaired. The Ancient Progenitor's massive body sat quietly in the center of the pool, its dark gold vertical pupils slightly lowered. Five secondary Lizardmen priests stood around it, bowing their bodies respectfully.
"The humans have obtained our intelligence, and the six major war zones now know of our existence," the Ancient Progenitor's heavy, icy thoughts echoed through the rock cave. "The twenty-five-year plan of slow encroachment has been exposed. We can no longer rely on small-scale beast tides to slowly drain them."
A secondary priest raised its head, emitting a low hiss, and responded with psychic thoughts, "My Lord, should we gather all the scaled beasts underground and launch a general offensive to break through the six major bastion cities in one fell swoop?"
"No," the Ancient Progenitor slowly shook its head. "Human bastion defenses are solid, and the number of their Sea of Consciousness cultivators is increasing year by year. A forced general offensive would cost our race a price we cannot bear."
It had lurked underground for a thousand years; its patience was far beyond that of ordinary creatures. The twenty-five years of rift invasion were originally meant to be gradual, slowly consuming human population and resources, and dismantling their defenses. Lin Yan and his squad's intrusion into the core rock cave had shattered this long-term layout.
"Adjust the plan," the Ancient Progenitor's thoughts slowly commanded. "First, accelerate the breeding of high-tier scaled beasts and create more war individuals capable of carrying psychic links. Second, open several more hidden secondary rifts and secretly deploy潜伏 (lurking) scaled beast clusters on the outskirts of the six major bastion cities, waiting for the right moment. Third, continue to release psychic illusions to harass the Sea of Consciousness cultivators within the bastion cities, secretly causing casualties."
The Ancient Progenitor paused, and a cold light flashed in its vertical pupils.
"Also, keep a close watch on that human, Lin Yan. His growth rate is too fast. The combination of his ancient martial arts foundation and Sea of Consciousness cultivation is our greatest hidden danger. Once he leaves the academy to carry out missions outside, arrange elite scaled beasts and priests to set up a deadly trap."
The five secondary priests bowed their heads in unison, accepting the orders.
The underground psychic network resumed operation, and secret commands traveled through the earth's rock strata to various rifts. Countless scaled beasts hidden in underground caves and wasteland trenches quietly began to gather and lie in wait.
Above ground, the cultivation at the Combat Readiness Academy continued.
One evening, Lin Yan finished his psychic practical training and stood alone by the high walls of the academy, gazing at the gray, hazy wasteland in the distance. Old Chen walked over and stopped beside him.
"I just received news from the war zone. There have been frequent sneak attacks by scaled beasts at multiple small rifts recently," Old Chen said in a low voice. "The high command judges that the Lizardmen race is about to make a new move."
Lin Yan nodded gently. His third-tier Sea of Consciousness subconsciously spread out slightly, sensing that faint, ancient, and heavy psychic aura deep beneath the distant earth.
A storm was quietly brewing.
End of Chapter.
The flesh wounds on Lin Yan's body had long since scabbed over and healed, leaving behind only a few faint scars. What truly consumed his time was repairing the microscopic psychic damages left on his Sea of Consciousness from the great battle in the resonance cave. Every morning, he would first circulate the inner qi of his ancient martial arts to nourish his internal organs, and then enter the Sea of Consciousness therapy room. There, he used the gentle psychic stillness field provided by the equipment to temper his third-tier Sea of Consciousness.
When he had just broken through, his psychic power was like a surging flood, turbulent and difficult to control. After a month of quiet tempering, the power of his Sea of Consciousness gradually gathered and condensed. He was no longer limited to briefly releasing large-scale psychic interference; he could now precisely control the thickness and length of his psychic threads, targeting and piercing into the psychic links of others. His energy consumption had also drastically decreased compared to the early days after his breakthrough.
The mind-guarding methods of his ancient martial arts and the spirit-solidifying techniques of the Sea of Consciousness cultivation in this world were gradually merging within his body. When others cultivated their Sea of Consciousness, they often focused too much on expanding their psychic power, making them highly susceptible to having their minds eroded by illusions and stray thoughts. But because he already had a foundation of years of meditative cultivation, his mental foundation was far more solid than that of cultivators at the same level. This was an advantage unique to him.
On the day his recuperation period ended, Lu Heng personally came over and took Lin Yan to the War Zone Combat Readiness Academy.
The Combat Readiness Academy was located on the inner side of Panshi City's bastion, surrounded by high walls and heavily guarded. It was the core training ground for the entire war zone to cultivate Sea of Consciousness practitioners and frontline combat personnel. On the streets, students wearing training uniforms could be seen everywhere; some were practicing close-quarters combat in the martial arts arena, while others were undergoing Sea of Consciousness confrontation training in the psychic practical training rooms.
"The academy is divided into basic classes, advanced classes, and senior research classes. With your third-tier Sea of Consciousness, you will directly enter the senior research class," Lu Heng introduced as they walked. "Most of the students in the class are veterans who have retired from the front lines. Everyone has real combat experience; they are not students raised in greenhouses."
As they stepped into the training ground of the senior research class, over a dozen pairs of eyes immediately turned to look at them.
There were twelve students in the class. The lowest Sea of Consciousness was at the second-tier peak, while the highest had already reached the fourth tier. Most of them had heard of Lin Yan's name—the man who had stayed behind alone to cover the retreat, escaped unscathed under the Ancient Progenitor, and brought back ironclad evidence of the underground alien race.
A tall young man stepped forward, his gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny. "You are Lin Yan? You have a third-tier Sea of Consciousness, yet you withstood the Ancient Progenitor's primordial psychic impact. I am Jiang Tao, fourth-tier Sea of Consciousness. If you have the time, we can spar."
"Sure," Lin Yan replied calmly.
The schedule for the senior research class was extremely tight. Mornings were dedicated to Sea of Consciousness theory, studying the principles of the scaled race's psychic network and the methods to counter psychic illusions. Afternoons were divided into two practical training sessions: one for Sea of Consciousness confrontation drills, and another for close-quarters combat, combining ancient martial arts with the fighting techniques of this world. Evenings were for free cultivation; students could go to the psychic stillness rooms for closed-door cultivation or spar with each other to exchange insights.
During the first Sea of Consciousness confrontation practical class, Lin Yan and Jiang Tao faced off.
The training room isolated all external interference, and the two stood ten meters apart. Jiang Tao, with his fourth-tier Sea of Consciousness, struck first, sending a condensed psychic impact straight toward Lin Yan's Sea of Consciousness.
Lin Yan did not take the blow head-on. His third-tier Sea of Consciousness spread out, and countless fine psychic threads extended outward. Instead of resisting the impact directly, he followed the trajectory of the opponent's psychic power, gently wrapping and pulling, slowly dissipating the force of the impact. At the same time, he released faint psychic disturbances to disrupt the output rhythm of Jiang Tao's Sea of Consciousness power.
Jiang Tao was slightly taken aback. Normally, when facing a fourth-tier opponent, a third-tier Sea of Consciousness cultivator would either raise a barrier with all their might to endure the blow or quickly dodge. He had never heard of a technique like Lin Yan's, which borrowed the opponent's force to neutralize the attack.
After several exchanges, Jiang Tao's psychic impacts were repeatedly neutralized by Lin Yan, and he was unable to break through Lin Yan's mental defenses.
"Impressive," Jiang Tao stopped sparring, retracted his Sea of Consciousness, and sighed sincerely. "Your psychic power is not as strong as mine, but your mental state is solid and your control is exquisite. No wonder you survived under the Ancient Progenitor."
The other students also cast gazes of respect and attention toward him.
During the day, he studied diligently at the academy. At night, Lin Yan stayed alone in the stillness room, reviewing the battle in the underground resonance cave. He repeatedly recalled the Ancient Progenitor's method of psychic transmission and the logic behind the linked triangular nodes, constantly deducing ways to counter psychic illusions and large-scale psychic torrents. He knew very well that the Ancient Progenitor would not remain silent; the next clash would only be more perilous.
At the same time, deep underground in the resonance cave, the dark fluorescent veins continued to flow slowly along the rock walls, though many links had been severed in the previous battle and had not yet been fully repaired. The Ancient Progenitor's massive body sat quietly in the center of the pool, its dark gold vertical pupils slightly lowered. Five secondary Lizardmen priests stood around it, bowing their bodies respectfully.
"The humans have obtained our intelligence, and the six major war zones now know of our existence," the Ancient Progenitor's heavy, icy thoughts echoed through the rock cave. "The twenty-five-year plan of slow encroachment has been exposed. We can no longer rely on small-scale beast tides to slowly drain them."
A secondary priest raised its head, emitting a low hiss, and responded with psychic thoughts, "My Lord, should we gather all the scaled beasts underground and launch a general offensive to break through the six major bastion cities in one fell swoop?"
"No," the Ancient Progenitor slowly shook its head. "Human bastion defenses are solid, and the number of their Sea of Consciousness cultivators is increasing year by year. A forced general offensive would cost our race a price we cannot bear."
It had lurked underground for a thousand years; its patience was far beyond that of ordinary creatures. The twenty-five years of rift invasion were originally meant to be gradual, slowly consuming human population and resources, and dismantling their defenses. Lin Yan and his squad's intrusion into the core rock cave had shattered this long-term layout.
"Adjust the plan," the Ancient Progenitor's thoughts slowly commanded. "First, accelerate the breeding of high-tier scaled beasts and create more war individuals capable of carrying psychic links. Second, open several more hidden secondary rifts and secretly deploy潜伏 (lurking) scaled beast clusters on the outskirts of the six major bastion cities, waiting for the right moment. Third, continue to release psychic illusions to harass the Sea of Consciousness cultivators within the bastion cities, secretly causing casualties."
The Ancient Progenitor paused, and a cold light flashed in its vertical pupils.
"Also, keep a close watch on that human, Lin Yan. His growth rate is too fast. The combination of his ancient martial arts foundation and Sea of Consciousness cultivation is our greatest hidden danger. Once he leaves the academy to carry out missions outside, arrange elite scaled beasts and priests to set up a deadly trap."
The five secondary priests bowed their heads in unison, accepting the orders.
The underground psychic network resumed operation, and secret commands traveled through the earth's rock strata to various rifts. Countless scaled beasts hidden in underground caves and wasteland trenches quietly began to gather and lie in wait.
Above ground, the cultivation at the Combat Readiness Academy continued.
One evening, Lin Yan finished his psychic practical training and stood alone by the high walls of the academy, gazing at the gray, hazy wasteland in the distance. Old Chen walked over and stopped beside him.
"I just received news from the war zone. There have been frequent sneak attacks by scaled beasts at multiple small rifts recently," Old Chen said in a low voice. "The high command judges that the Lizardmen race is about to make a new move."
Lin Yan nodded gently. His third-tier Sea of Consciousness subconsciously spread out slightly, sensing that faint, ancient, and heavy psychic aura deep beneath the distant earth.
A storm was quietly brewing.
End of Chapter.