Chapter 398 - 71: Danger Intuition

Inside his apartment.

Lu Chao stood at the edge of the living room, near the balcony.

The crimson, fiery sun of his visualization was reflected in his black pupils, making it seem as though he possessed the eyes of a sun god.

"Round Sun Great Success..."

A wave of intuition told him that his Fixed Star Observation Method had advanced to a new realm.

Focusing inward, Lu Chao quickly perceived the changes within him.

His Spiritual Power had grown significantly, and his five senses were much sharper.

His ability to sense emotions was especially enhanced. Now, even an expert at the peak of the Exploration Level would struggle to hide their malice from him, unless they had cultivated a special Secret Technique, possessed a mental-type superpower, or were exceptionally skilled at concealing their thoughts.

Furthermore, his ability to observe and predict the movements of others had improved significantly. He could now see through an opponent’s Qi Flame to perceive the subtle twitches of their muscles, allowing him to react in a timely manner.

As for his mental resistance, he estimated that even a sonic Secret Technique used by an Exploration Level expert might not be able to overwhelm him.

’Come to think of it, my Thunder Sound Skill has fallen a bit behind,’ Lu Chao mused.

He had too many Martial Skills to practice before, so he’d quietly set this sonic Secret Technique aside.

’Now that my spiritual presence has grown stronger, maybe I should pick it up again and cultivate it to the Great Success Realm as soon as possible.’

As the thought passed, he continued to assess the changes within him.

What he had felt so far were mostly the secondary benefits of achieving Round Sun Great Success.

As for the greatest effect...

’A danger sense?’

His eyes narrowed. Lu Chao’s pupils were no longer black, but a deep crimson.

This was a phenomenon that occurred when he actively circulated the Fixed Star Observation Method. The solidified visualization greatly amplified his Spiritual Power, particularly his mental resistance.

Because of this, a new intuition began to form within him.

He could now, to some extent, get a fleeting premonition of some unseen danger.

It wasn’t a predictive ability, nor could it pinpoint a specific person or event.

Rather, it was a biological instinct—a danger response from his consciousness.

It was like a Hunting Dog sensing something was off and turning to flee, or like the chill he’d felt back when he was weaker and being targeted by a sniper.

In a way, this new danger sense was simply an amplified version of that feeling.

As long as a danger concerned him and was imminent, he would get a vague sense that something was wrong, allowing him to raise his guard and prepare to respond.

’I’ve heard that some powerful Martial Artists have this kind of ability.’

’They can use that faint premonition to avoid danger ahead of time...’

Lu Chao mused, letting the visualization fade. The Spiritual Power it consumed dissipated, and his eyes returned to their usual black.

Only now had he truly mastered the 2nd Floor of the Fixed Star Observation Method and fully adapted to the changes in his body.

He was extremely satisfied with the results and was once again reminded of just how valuable the Fixed Star Observation Method was.

After all, he hadn’t seen many comparable mental cultivation methods on the Superpower Bureau’s internal network.

’According to the manual, if I can reach the 3rd Floor, the "Star Ring" stage, I’ll be able to use special techniques to launch mental attacks and overwhelm others...’

A trace of anticipation flashed in his eyes. Lu Chao immediately turned his focus inward to solidify the visualization after his breakthrough.

An hour passed like this.

Once he was certain that everything was stable, he stood up and returned to the Cultivation Chamber.

Over a dozen empty High-Level Nutrient Potion bottles sat on the table—the resources he had consumed in the last half a month.

The collection included his monthly stipend from the Bureau, some he’d purchased from the internal network for over a million Alliance Coins, and even High-Level Potions he had made himself.

He then took a nutrient-rich bottle of High-Level Life Potion from a cabinet.

GULP... GULP...

Lu Chao gulped it down, letting the sweet liquid slide into his stomach.

His "Plunder and Grow" ability activated in an instant, breaking down and reassembling all the nutrients into their purest form to nourish his body.

The whole process took less than a minute.

Every last nutrient from the serving of the High-Level Potion was completely digested, with nothing wasted.

He glanced at his status panel.

His Life Energy hadn’t budged, but his Potential Progress had been replenished several times, rising by another point.

’Just as I thought.’

A glint in his eye, Lu Chao shook his head.

After reaching the peak of the Limit-Breaking Level, the difficulty of increasing his Life Energy had risen yet again.

High-Level Nutrient Potions now had a very weak effect. They were only useful for supplementing his daily cultivation and maintaining his body’s peak condition. It would be hard to make any progress on his Life Energy unless he chugged twenty or thirty bottles at once.

At that thought, he shifted his gaze.

Next to the dozen or so empty potion bottles sat a transparent glass box.

An orange-yellow crystal lay inside, giving off an alluring sheen.

Considering his growing tolerance to potions, he had specifically traded his monthly allotment of energy mineral essence for a dose of Essence of Qi.

And now, Lu Chao reached out and picked it up.

He opened the box and tossed the orange-yellow crystal into his mouth as if it were a piece of candy.

CRUNCH!

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed the shattered crystal.

A ferocious potency exploded in his stomach. It was several times stronger than a High-Level Potion and far more refined, making it easier for his body to absorb.

His "Plunder and Grow" ability kicked in once more.

Even so, Lu Chao still followed the principles of the Ten Thousand Spirits Martial Arts Skill and Ten Thousand Jins Return Flow, guiding the potent energy to temper his organs, bones, and flesh, while simultaneously fusing it into and enhancing his Qi Flame.

As the seconds ticked by, a misty sweat seeped from his pores, as if his skin itself was learning to breathe.

The air flowing from his nostrils became visible, like two streams of white vapor, and the Qi Flame covering his body solidified into armor, growing ever thicker.