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Chapter 135: Chapter 123: Heart of Steel
Deep into the night.
Moonlight seeped through the gaps of the curtains, slithering in like a slowly crawling snake.
The sound of a car engine starting echoed from below, much like a bomber sweeping by at low altitude.
Fang Cheng sat cross-legged on the bed, suddenly opening his eyes.
In the darkness, his slightly reddish gaze seemed somewhat penetrating.
The improvement of his Spirit Attributes not only significantly enhanced his sensory perception, but also his thoughts seemed to become extremely sensitive.
At the slightest movement, he would inexplicably become vigilant.
As if monstrous shadows with bared teeth and claws lurked all around, waiting to harm him.
"Sigh—"
Fang Cheng let out a soft breath and shook his head.
There were simply too many external disturbances; it was impossible to quiet the mind.
Attempting meditation in such a state was purely a test of how tough and stubborn one’s willpower was.
Even using the Concentration Skill, some negative impressions would still remain.
The effect was clearly not as good as before, let alone achieving the ideal state of absolute calm and rationality.
Although Ma Jianguo had warned him about the great dangers of meditation practice,
with Fang Cheng’s current Spirit Attributes, he had already set foot on this path and there was no turning back.
Besides, the abnormality in his body needed to be resolved; it couldn’t remain like this indefinitely.
Currently, he possessed a raw 40 points in Spirit Attributes, yet lacked the ability to wield this kind of spiritual power.
It was like a strongman who knew no Fighting Skills whatsoever.
No, the situation was probably even more extreme.
With this thought, Fang Cheng rubbed his eyebrows and looked at the Skill Panel that appeared before him.
[Concentration lv1 (247/250)]
Maintaining a state of concentration continuously consumes Spiritual Energy.
The purpose of meditative practice is to increase spiritual power and better control this energy.
The two, in terms of outcomes, seemed diametrically opposed.
If it were not for practice to gain experience, there was no need to stubbornly persist on this path.
Fang Cheng’s eyes flickered slightly as he looked at the almost-upgraded Concentration Skill and murmured to himself:
"Keep going, consider it practice, honing my willpower..."
Although there was no progress in meditation, weren’t there other gains at least?
This time, to increase the challenge,
Fang Cheng straightforwardly removed the noise-canceling sponge earplugs from his ears to confront external disturbances at full capacity.
Then, he adopted the most traditional meditative posture, beginning a new round of spiritual training attempts.
Sitting cross-legged, motionless, eyelids slightly closed, eyes on nose, nose on heart.
But even with closed eyes, it seemed like various illusions continuously swept past before him.
Inside and outside the room, a cacophony of numerous discordant and intricate noises approached, creating a raucous mess.
Fang Cheng’s temples throbbed as he silently chanted to himself:
"Concentration Skill, activate!"
In an instant, the various noises reaching his ears subsided greatly, becoming much quieter.
Although some residual effects remained, it was at least not as unbearable.
With the aid of the Concentration Skill, Fang Cheng’s mind steadied slightly, and he strived to cast away the myriad of stray thoughts, silently counting his breaths.
"1, 2, 3, 4."
"5, 6, 7, 8."
"..."
This was known as the "breathing counting method," a Breathing Control Technique he learned from meditation teaching videos, a fundamental practice in Zen training and hypnosis techniques.
Through counting the inhalation and exhalation of breath through the nostrils, one can adjust breathing quality, eliminating selfish thoughts and distractions, achieving a state of pure and tranquil body and mind.
Such practice serves to eliminate fatigue, reduce anxiety, and improve one’s spiritual demeanor.
Even without the "Concentration" skill, Fang Cheng could still master this technique and quickly enter a relaxed and calm state when needed.
The specific practice method is mainly counting: start counting from 1 with each inhalation until 4, and from 5 with each exhalation until 8.
If one’s attention begins to wander or one forgets the count, simply return gently to the breath and start counting anew.
As practice progresses, gradually increase the duration of the counts, from 1 up to 5, then 6, and onward to 10, making one’s breathing longer, more natural and smooth, fully immersing oneself in the process.
At a certain point in the training, breathing becomes light and slow, almost to a halt—this is the symbol of a perfect unity of body and mind.
Fang Cheng was unclear about what Lin Chuqiao’s mentioned "goal" really was, so he simply focused on every breath he took as his "goal."
Indeed, "Concentration" and "Entering Meditation" share similarities, and can still be referenced when practicing meditation skills.
As the breathing counting method progresses, Fang Cheng, like an aged monk in meditation, slowly relaxes his facial expression and extends his breath.
His whole being begins to relax and grow tranquil, his restlessness subsiding.
With the dual assistance of the Concentration skill and the breathing counting method, he finally harmonizes body and mind and successfully "enters meditation" once more.
Thus, Fang Cheng maintains this state, unaware of how much time has elapsed.
Suddenly, a dazzling light flashes before his eyes.
A prompt from the skill panel snaps him out of the meditative state.
[Congratulations, your relentless efforts have elevated your skill to master level]
[Concentration lv2 (0/500)]
[Received Enhancement Reward, Skill Effect "Heart of Steel"]
In the darkness, Fang Cheng opens his eyes and lets out a long breath.
He has beads of sweat on his forehead, akin to the after-effects of high-intensity physical exercise.
"Finally, I’ve completed the upgrade task before my spirit was overdrawn!"
Fang Cheng shows a sign of relief, rubbing his brow and temples to alleviate the feeling of his head swelling.
Moreover, using the breathing counting method in conjunction with skill practice has given him a first-hand understanding of the correct way of meditation practice.
After a short rest, Fang Cheng carefully examines the content of the upgraded skill effect.
[Heart of Steel, while using the Concentration skill, willpower increases by 200%, and spiritual consumption also increases by 100%]
The effect seems simple, but it’s precisely what he needs.
Fang Cheng’s spirit is revitalized; he immediately tries to verify its effects.
As the Concentration skill activates once more.
It feels like an invisible steel barrier has been erected around his body, isolating all the fragmented, noisy sounds like tidal waves.
The roaring noise of cars driving outside the window passes by like a gentle breeze, fading quickly.
The piercing cries of the child next door also become incredibly soft, no longer affecting him.
The entire world finally becomes completely quiet.
Even the cluttered thoughts in his mind are all swept away.
Only one thought is retained—steadfastness, one emotion—calm.
"Very good indeed..."
Sensing the specific effects of the skill, Fang Cheng mutters to himself.
Now he has not only returned to his ideal past state but has also achieved further amplification.
He believes that as his Spirit Attribute improves, even more extraordinary and significant effects will emerge.
After a successful test, Fang Cheng glances at the clock; it’s past 11 o’clock.
Then he lies down, covers himself with a blanket, and prepares to rest.
But after lying in bed for a while, tossing and turning, he suddenly sits up again.
Unable to sleep, he turns his head to look at the shoulder bag beside him.
He then takes out a business card from the bag, his gaze bright and intense, focusing on the few words:
"Truth and Meditation Joint Practice."
