Making Preparations Separately!

He rose to his feet, signaling that the audience was about to end. "Rest at the Palace tonight. I’ve already arranged guest rooms for you. Tomorrow, you may tour the Palace freely or return to the Virtual Universe Company. The choice is entirely yours."

The four of them bowed to the king again in thanks. After the audience ended, palace attendants led them to the Palace’s VIP quarters. The furnishings were luxurious without being tasteless. Each of them had an independent suite equipped with all manner of high-end facilities.

After settling in, the four gathered in Luo Wen’s suite to discuss the evening’s events.

"I never expected the king to receive us personally, much less give us such valuable gifts." Luo Feng held the golden Law Crystal, still finding it hard to believe. "This thing has to be worth at least several million Cosmic Credits on the black market, right?"

Luo Wen nodded. "At least ten million. Law Crystals are not only rare, but they are also immensely helpful in comprehending laws. With one of these, our cultivation speed can increase by at least threefold."

Thor clapped excitedly. "Haha, I never thought competing on behalf of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire would come with benefits like this! If I’d known earlier, I would’ve entered a few more times!"

Hong remained calm. "The king’s intentions are obvious."

"Exactly." Luo Wen sighed. "These rewards may seem generous, but they are really paving the way to recruit us. The Black Dragon Mountain Empire has always been skilled at winning over talent with benefits."

"Then should we accept the invitation?" Luo Feng asked hesitantly.

Luo Wen shook his head. "Our roots are in the Xia Universe Country. Our families and friends are all there. Besides, we joined the Virtual Universe Company to pursue higher realms of cultivation and broader horizons, not to become attached to some universe country."

Thor nodded. "Well said. The Black Dragon Mountain Empire may be powerful and rich in resources, but I still prefer the feeling of freedom."

"However," Luo Wen continued, "there’s no need to reject them outright. Maintaining good relations with the Black Dragon Mountain Empire won’t do us any harm."

"So we won’t make a decision for now?" Luo Feng asked.

Luo Wen nodded. "We’ll say that we need time to consider it and decide after the Challenge Tournament ends. By then, the situation may have changed."

The four reached an agreement. They would accept the king’s rewards but would not consider joining the Black Dragon Mountain Empire for the time being.

The next morning.

The four gathered early in the lounge assigned to them. It was a spacious circular room with a transparent dome overhead, through which they could see the azure sky and drifting white clouds simulated by the Virtual Universe Company. The interior was simply yet comfortably furnished. Pale blue walls were set with glowing crystals that provided soft illumination. A round conference table stood in the center, surrounded by four ergonomic chairs. One side of the room was a rest area, while the other was a dedicated tactical analysis area equipped with holographic projection devices.

Luo Wen stood before the conference table and swiped his fingers through the air, bringing up the detailed rules for the fourth round. A holographic projection unfolded before them, displaying an announcement the Virtual Universe Company had just updated.

"There’s been a change." Luo Wen’s voice was calm, though it carried a trace of surprise. "The planned team competition has been canceled. The fourth round will still use an individual battle format."

Luo Feng frowned in confusion. He wore a lightweight gray training outfit, and his short black hair was slightly messy, clearly because he had just finished his morning training. "Why did they suddenly change the format? Is it because of the number of participants?"

"Not entirely." Luo Wen’s fingers moved over the holographic projection, enlarging a section of explanatory text. "The official explanation is ‘to assess the individual abilities of contestants more comprehensively, while avoiding unfair matches caused by excessive disparities in team strength.’"

Thor grinned, wearing his trademark carefree expression. He was dressed in a sleeveless black vest that revealed his muscular arms, faint veins visible beneath the skin and emphasizing his powerful physique. "Ha! I thought I’d finally get to stop facing those troublesome opponents alone!"

Hong leaned quietly against the wall, as taciturn as ever. Today, he wore a plain white robe that made him seem particularly refined and detached. Unlike usual, however, a rare flicker of excitement shone in his eyes, as though he was looking forward to the coming challenge.

Luo Wen closed the holographic projection and turned to face the other three. He wore a fitted dark blue robe, with delicate silver patterns embroidered around the collar and cuffs. His whole bearing exuded steadiness and wisdom. "According to the new schedule, the fourth round will begin in three days. We need to use this time to improve ourselves further."

"How much can we improve in three days?" Luo Feng asked doubtfully.

"The key is not how much time we have, but the quality of our training." Luo Wen explained calmly, wisdom glinting in his eyes. "We gained valuable experience from the third round. If we summarize and absorb it in time, transforming it into our own ability, we can make significant progress in a short period."

Thor slapped his thigh hard. "That’s right! And we can make good use of those Law Crystals the king gave us too, right?"

Luo Wen shook his head. "Absorbing Law Crystals is a complicated process that requires a specific environment and sufficient time. If we rush it, not only will we fail to fully absorb their energy, we may also harm ourselves. I suggest we consider using them after the fourth round ends."

Hong rarely spoke, his voice low and firm. "Sparring."

The other three turned to look at him at once. A trace of approval flashed through Luo Wen’s eyes. "That’s right. The most effective form of training is sparring. Each of us has different strengths. By exchanging moves, we can quickly identify our own shortcomings and our opponents’ weaknesses."

"Then how do we split up?" Luo Feng asked excitedly, his eyes shining with the desire to fight.

Luo Wen considered it for a moment. "We can divide ourselves based on our abilities. I specialize in the Law of Fire and psychokinesis weapons, so I should pair with Luo Feng, who also uses psychokinesis weapons. Thor’s lightning abilities and Hong’s light abilities both lean toward long-range attacks, so they can form the other pair."

Thor scratched his head and grinned. "Isn’t that unfair? Hong and I both won the third round, while Luo Feng is still a newcomer."

Luo Wen shook his head, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "That is precisely why I’ll pair with Luo Feng. I can guide him in using psychokinesis more effectively during our sparring. As for you and Hong, you have both already mastered quite advanced abilities. You can exchange moves and seek out breakthroughs together."

Luo Feng’s eyes were full of anticipation. "Great! I finally have a chance to learn psychokinesis techniques from Brother Wen."

Thor put on a troubled expression and turned to Hong. "Hey, Hong, don’t be too ruthless! I don’t want your Judgment of Light to split me in half before the fourth round!"

The corners of Hong’s lips lifted slightly. For him, that already counted as an obvious smile. "I won’t." Though he only said two words, there was a rare hint of humor in his tone.

Luo Wen looked over the four of them. "I’ve booked two advanced training rooms. Training Room One is equipped with psychokinesis amplification devices, making it suitable for Luo Feng and me. Training Room Two has an elemental energy stabilization system, suitable for Thor and Hong to test their elemental laws against each other."

"When do we start?" Luo Feng asked impatiently.

Luo Wen checked the time. "One hour to prepare. Gather in your respective training rooms at exactly nine. Remember, this isn’t a fight to the death. We’re helping each other improve. Stop once you’ve made your point."

The four nodded, then went their separate ways to prepare.

An hour later, Luo Wen and Luo Feng were already standing in the center of Training Room One. It was a spacious octagonal chamber. Its walls had a metallic appearance, yet they felt surprisingly soft to the touch, clearly designed to protect the trainees’ safety. The floor was laid with a special material that provided excellent traction while cushioning impacts when necessary. Several psychokinesis amplification devices were embedded around the room. They resembled transparent Crystal Spheres, with blue energy constantly flowing inside them.

Luo Wen stood at the center of the training room, holding the Starlight Sky-Rending Blade. Starlike points of light flickered faintly across its blade. He looked at Luo Feng. "Ready?"

Luo Feng gripped the Dark-Veined Blade, took a deep breath, and nodded. "I can begin anytime."

"Good." Luo Wen smiled slightly. "We won’t use law abilities at first. We’ll only use psychokinesis and weapons, so we can focus more closely on psychokinesis techniques."

The moment he finished speaking, Luo Wen’s Starlight Sky-Rending Blade suddenly flew from his hand. It drew a graceful arc through the air and shot toward Luo Feng’s left shoulder. The attack was moderately fast and restrained in force, clearly leaving Luo Feng time to react.

Luo Feng immediately released his psychokinesis and controlled the Dark-Veined Blade to meet it. The two weapons collided in midair with a crisp metallic clang. Luo Feng’s Dark-Veined Blade was visibly knocked back, but it still successfully blocked the attack.

"Good reaction," Luo Wen praised. "But your psychokinesis control is not precise enough. Psychokinesis is not merely a force that pushes objects. It is also an extended sense of perception. You should merge your psychokinesis with your weapon, treating the blade as an extension of your arm rather than merely an object under your control."

Luo Feng nodded thoughtfully. "I think I understand a little. Again!"

Rather than attacking immediately, Luo Wen guided Luo Feng through a series of fundamental psychokinesis control exercises. He taught Luo Feng how to control the output of his psychokinesis more precisely, how to maintain accurate command over a weapon at different distances and angles, and how to keep his psychokinesis stable while moving at high speed.

After an hour of basic training, Luo Feng’s psychokinesis control had improved noticeably. He could now guide the Dark-Veined Blade through more complex trajectories in the air while keeping its edge precisely positioned.

"Very good." Luo Wen nodded in satisfaction. "Now we can move on to more advanced training. Try controlling multiple targets at once."

With that, he took five metal spheres out of his spatial storage and tossed them into the air. The metal spheres halted in midair, hovering at different heights and positions to form an irregular three-dimensional pattern.

"Next, I want you to control the Dark-Veined Blade and at least two metal spheres simultaneously," Luo Wen explained. "This will train your multitasking ability and will be of great help in actual combat."

Luo Feng swallowed, his expression turning serious. He took a deep breath and tried to divide his psychokinesis into three portions, controlling the Dark-Veined Blade and two metal spheres respectively. At first, all three objects wobbled somewhat under his control. Yet as he continued trying and adjusting, his control gradually became more stable.

"Very good," Luo Wen encouraged. "Remember this feeling. It should be as natural as controlling three objects with three hands at the same time."

Just as Luo Feng was gradually getting the hang of it, Luo Wen suddenly launched an attack. The Starlight Sky-Rending Blade flashed like a streak of silver lightning toward Luo Feng’s chest. At the same time, the remaining three metal spheres, controlled by Luo Wen’s psychokinesis, attacked Luo Feng from different angles.

The sudden attack from all sides caught Luo Feng off guard. Instinctively, he prioritized controlling the Dark-Veined Blade, using it to block the Starlight Sky-Rending Blade. However, the two metal spheres lost control due to insufficient psychokinesis and fell to the floor. At the same time, the three metal spheres controlled by Luo Wen had already reached Luo Feng, only to stop just before striking him.

"This is the kind of situation you may face in actual combat." Luo Wen explained as he recalled all the attacking objects. "When you need to deal with several threats at once, how you allocate your psychokinesis resources becomes especially important."

Luo Feng panted, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "It’s too difficult. I feel like my psychokinesis has been torn into several pieces, and none of them are enough."

"That’s normal." Luo Wen smiled reassuringly. "Psychokinesis control requires extensive practice before it can reach the point of complete mastery. However, there is a small technique that can help you distribute psychokinesis more effectively—the Psychokinesis Core."

"The Psychokinesis Core?" Luo Feng asked curiously.

Luo Wen nodded. "It means establishing a core point within your consciousness. All psychokinesis output originates from that core before being distributed to different targets. This ensures basic stability while making it easier to adjust the priority of each target."

Under Luo Wen’s guidance, Luo Feng began trying to establish his own Psychokinesis Core. It was a process that required intense concentration. Luo Feng closed his eyes and focused completely on sensing the flow of psychokinesis within his body. Gradually, he felt that his psychokinesis was no longer scattered. Instead, it flowed from a unified source before branching off in different directions.

"I can feel it!" Luo Feng opened his eyes and said excitedly. "It’s like there’s a small sun at the center of my consciousness, and all my psychokinesis comes from there!"

Luo Wen nodded approvingly. "Very good. You grasped it faster than I expected. Now, try controlling multiple targets again."

This time, Luo Feng performed far better. Not only could he steadily control the Dark-Veined Blade and two metal spheres at the same time, but when Luo Wen launched a surprise attack, he could quickly adjust the priorities of the different targets and make more appropriate defensive choices.

After several rounds of practice, Luo Feng’s psychokinesis control had reached a new level. He could now control four targets simultaneously and make appropriate adjustments under different offensive and defensive situations.