Chapter 95 - 76: Illuminati
「The next morning.」
"CRACKLE! POP!"
"BOOM! WHOOSH—BANG!"
The crackling and popping of firecrackers in the neighborhood woke him up.
Today was New Year’s Eve.
The sky outside was just beginning to brighten, but the residential complex was already bustling with activity.
Many families had woken up early to put up spring couplets and set off firecrackers.
Lin Yi quickly got up and splashed his face with cold water. The icy sensation instantly refreshed his Spirit.
He took out the spring couplets and "Fortune" characters he had bought yesterday.
The bright red paper and golden calligraphy radiated a thick, festive cheer.
He tore off strips of tape, carefully pasting the couplets squarely on either side of the doorframe. Then, he placed a large "Fortune" character in the center of the door.
The once cold and simple rented apartment was instantly brightened by the splash of vibrant red, finally gaining a touch of New Year’s spirit.
After putting up the couplets, Lin Yi didn’t rest for a moment.
He picked up the heavy Owl Dragon Spear and walked out onto his small balcony.
He began his spear practice.
A biting morning wind, tinged with cold, rushed to meet him. In the distance, the sporadic sound of firecrackers continued.
He didn’t practice the complex moves of the >.
Instead, he just stood firm, sank his waist, lowered his stance, and gripped the spear’s shaft with both hands.
He continuously thrusted, retracted, thrusted, and retracted.
He repeatedly practiced the basic "thrust" of his spear arts.
"SWOOSH!"
His arm muscles tensed in an instant. Power surged from the soles of his feet, flowed through his waist and back, and was channeled into his arms. The Owl Dragon Spear, like a black venomous dragon, shot forward into the empty air with a sharp, air-tearing sound!
Retract.
Thrust again!
"SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!"
His movements grew faster and faster. His arms became a blur, and the spear tip pierced the air, producing a continuous, sharp whistle.
He poured all his strength into every thrust, and every retraction was as steady as a rock.
Within the confined space of the balcony, it was as if countless black spear shadows were flickering and piercing through the air all at once!
His mind was clear of all distractions. His eyes saw only the constantly thrusting spear tip, and a single thought dominated his mind—
’Fast! Faster! Break the limits of speed!’
However, time and time again, though the spear thrusts were fast, he always felt that something was missing.
It was as if an invisible film was blocking his way.
It prevented him from truly grasping the True Intent of "fast."
He couldn’t achieve a qualitative leap in his spear’s speed.
「After a long while.」
Lin Yi retracted his spear and stood still.
His chest heaved slightly, and fine beads of sweat trickled from his temples, turning into white vapor in the cold air.
He furrowed his brow, lost in thought.
’I possess the Kidney Water Spiritual Essence, so it won’t be difficult to cultivate the Overlapping Waves Intent. There’s a clear path to follow. As long as I persevere, constant effort will eventually lead to a breakthrough.’
’But this Fast Gun Intent... how am I supposed to comprehend it?’
’Fast...’
’The Realm this word contains is simply too broad.’
’For example, the swift, formless, and unpredictable nature of the wind.’
’Or the ferocious, powerful, and fleeting nature of Thunder.’
’These all fall under the category of "fast."’
Lin Yi subconsciously lifted his head and looked at the winter sun, which wasn’t too dazzling.
’When it comes to speed...’
’...is there anything in this world that can compare to light?’
’It arrives in an instant, reaching any distance, no matter how far!’
’If I could comprehend even a trace of the Realm of "light," making my spear as fast as a flash of lightning, that would be true ultimate speed!’
Unfortunately, comprehending Light Intent was not so easy.
It was likely one of the legendary supreme Realms.
Even the relatively easier Wind Intent and Thunder Intent were currently far beyond his reach.
He had only been able to cultivate Water Intent thanks to the help of his Kidney Water Spiritual Essence.
But he didn’t possess any Wind Attribute, Thunder Attribute, or Light Attribute Spiritual Essence.
To practice the Fast Gun Intent without any external aid, he could only rely on his own understanding and effort.
Lin Yi sensed the three types of Spiritual Essence circulating within his body.
The Kidney Water Spiritual Essence, the Spiritual Nose Spirit Essence, and the Thousand Silk Spiritual Essence.
’It seems that aside from the Kidney Water Spiritual Essence, the other two types have no effect on my Cultivation whatsoever.’
’So a man’s kidneys really are fundamental!’
’Looks like I’ll just have to rely on brute force and grind it out!’
Lin Yi’s gaze sharpened. He gripped the spear shaft again, casting aside all distracting thoughts.
"SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!"
The monotonous yet sharp sounds of his thrusting spear rang out from the balcony once more.
They were accompanied by the increasingly dense barrage of firecrackers in the distance.
This became the unique rhythm of New Year’s Eve morning.
He tirelessly repeated the same motion, trying to capture the fleeting essence of "fast" with every thrust.
Time slipped by quietly as he remained focused on his Cultivation.
Outside the window, the sky turned from cool and clear to bright, then gradually became tinged with the warm gold of dusk before finally being replaced by the deep curtain of night.
「8:00 PM.」
On New Year’s Eve, the city was a sea of lights from countless homes.
In the residential complex, warm light shone from the windows of every household.
The joyful songs and laughter from the Spring Festival Gala on TV, along with the hosts’ impassioned blessings, could be faintly heard.
It all mixed with the laughter of children chasing each other downstairs and the sound of firecrackers, as dense as falling rain, from further away, converging into an ocean of peace and festive joy.
Amidst this cacophony of celebration,
the communicator on Lin Yi’s left wrist began to vibrate urgently.
He glanced at the profile picture on the screen and couldn’t help but smile. It was a call from Zhou Meng.
"Master! Come down! Hurry up and come down!"
The moment the call connected,
Zhou Meng’s clear, cheerful, and excited shouts burst through.
The sound of firecrackers popping and crackling could be heard in the background.
Immediately after,
Luo Qian’s playful voice, filled with mirth, also came through the communicator:
"Lin! Stop holing up at home and getting moldy! It’s New Year’s, what’s the fun in celebrating alone? Hurry up and come downstairs! We’re lighting fireworks to ring in the new year! Zhou Meng bought a bunch of the big ones!"
Hearing this, Lin Yi walked to the edge of the balcony, leaned on the cold railing, and looked down.
Under the interweaving light of the dim yellow streetlamps and the fireworks continuously exploding in the sky, he saw Zhou Meng in the open space below. She was jumping up and down, waving a sizzling, sparking sparkler in her hand, gesturing enthusiastically for him to come down.
Beside her, Luo Qian was grinning from ear to ear. With one hand on his hip, he held a massive firework tube high in the air with the other, also shaking it vigorously to signal for him to hurry down.
’These two...’
A smile touched Lin Yi’s lips.
He gave up on the idea of continuing his spear practice on New Year’s Eve.
He disassembled the Owl Dragon Long Spear into three sections, placed them in his spear bag to carry with him, and then quickly went downstairs to meet the two of them.