hsntnovel Chapter 76 Luo Feng Awakens
Chapter 76 Luo Feng Awakens
The Panlong was flying at high speed through the clouds, heading southeast, towards home.
Lin Yun leaned back in his seat, gazing at the sea of clouds below through the porthole, his mind filled with countless thoughts. Two months ago, when he left Jiangnan Base City, he was just a freshman who had just entered the elite training camp. Now, he had returned as a high-level War God Spiritual Master, a high-level War God Martial Artist, and the Inspector of the Limit Martial Arts Academy in Jiangnan Base City.
The twists and turns of fate can sometimes be truly unbelievable.
"Master, we are expected to arrive over Jiangnan Base City in fifteen minutes." The intelligent system's electronic voice sounded in the cabin.
"Understood." Lin Yun sat up straight and straightened his collar.
He didn't fly directly to Mingyue Residential Area. Learning from Luo Feng's experience in the original story, the appointment of a new inspector needed to be handled discreetly, especially since he didn't want to be disturbed yet. More importantly, he needed to first meet with the previous inspector, Liu Hong, to complete the handover procedures.
"Panlong, proceed to the headquarters of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy in Jiangnan Base City," Lin Yun ordered.
"Yes, Master."
The fighter jet traced a graceful arc in the air as it flew towards the headquarters of the Ultimate Martial Arts Academy.
The headquarters of the Jiangnan Base City Extreme Martial Arts Academy, located in the heart of the city, is a magnificent building dozens of stories high. Its exterior is made of deep blue alloy glass, reflecting a cold light under the sun. There is a dedicated helipad on the roof for use by the Inspectors and the intelligent fighter jets specially dispatched by headquarters.
The Panlong slowly landed on the tarmac, the cabin door opened, and Lin Yun stepped out.
Someone was already waiting on the tarmac. A tall, stern-faced middle-aged man stood there, wearing a dark blue inspector's uniform with a gold badge pinned to his chest. He was Liu Hong, the outgoing inspector of Jiangnan Base City.
"Lin Yun?" Liu Hong's gaze lingered on Lin Yun for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "He's even younger than I imagined."
"Inspector Liu," Lin Yun bowed slightly, "the Master has sent me to take over your position."
"I know." Liu Hong nodded, turned and walked downstairs. "Come with me."
The two took the elevator to the top floor of the building and entered a spacious office. The office was simply yet elegantly decorated, with one wall featuring floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of the entire Jiangnan Base City. Several documents and a smart computer were placed on the desk.
"This is your office," Liu Hong said. "From today onwards, you are the master of this place."
"Inspector Liu, the curator said you've been requesting a transfer for a long time," Lin Yun said. "Where will you be going next?"
"Hongning Base City." A glint of anticipation flashed in Liu Hong's eyes. "Special Operations Team. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."
"Congratulations," Lin Yun said sincerely.
Liu Hong waved his hand, took a document from his desk drawer, and handed it to Lin Yun.
"This is a list of all the mid-to-high-level personnel at the Jiangnan Base City Extreme Martial Arts Academy, along with their respective responsibilities. Take this and review it carefully. Also, the president and three supervisors are waiting downstairs; I'll take you to meet them."
Lin Yun took the document and nodded.
The two left the office and took the elevator to the middle floor of the building. Three people were already waiting in a small conference room.
The first person was someone Lin Yun knew very well—Zhuge Tao, the director of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy in Jiangnan Base City. Lin Yun's preliminary martial arts assessment and recommendation for the elite training camp were both handled by him. He was in his forties, slightly overweight, and always had a kind smile on his face.
The second person was also someone Lin Yun was familiar with—Zhou Zhengyong, the president of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy in Jiangnan Base City, known as "Iron Hand." He was the one who personally approved Lin Yun's elite training camp contract. He was in his fifties, lean, and had eyes as sharp as an eagle's.
The third person was someone Lin Yun didn't recognize. She was a woman in her thirties, with short hair, delicate features, and wearing a smart business suit. She had a manager's badge pinned to her chest.
"Chairman, esteemed supervisors," Liu Hong said as he entered the conference room, getting straight to the point. "This is the newly appointed Inspector, Lin Yun."
There was a moment of silence in the conference room.
Zhou Zhengyong and Zhuge Tao exchanged a glance, a hint of shock flashing in their eyes. They certainly recognized Lin Yun—two months ago, they had personally sent this young man to the elite training camp. Back then, Lin Yun was merely a warrior-level student in their eyes. Now, he had returned as an inspector.
"Lin Yun?" Zhou Zhengyong spoke first, his voice tinged with disbelief. "You...you weren't in the elite training camp?"
"President Zhou, Supervisor Zhuge." Lin Yun nodded slightly. "It's been two months. The Master said my strength has reached the standard of an Inspector, so he asked me to come back and take up my post."
Zhou Zhengyong was silent for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Good! Good! I told you back then that you were destined for greatness, and it turned out to be true so quickly!"
Zhuge Tao smiled, his eyes full of satisfaction: "Lin Yun, now that you're back, you've become our boss."
"Manager Zhuge is too kind," Lin Yun said. "If it weren't for your and Chairman Zhou's support back then, I wouldn't have progressed so quickly. In the future, I will need everyone's continued support for the work in Jiangnan Base City."
The female supervisor also stood up and extended her hand to Lin Yun: "Inspector Lin, I am Fang Qing, the supervisor of Jiangnan Base City, in charge of logistics and personnel. Welcome back."
Lin Yun shook hands with her: "Manager Fang, please take care of me in the future."
Once everyone was acquainted, Liu Hong said, "Inspector Lin, I've taken care of the handover. Chairman Zhou and the others will assist you with the rest. I'll be heading to Hongning Base City tomorrow."
"Inspector Liu, have a safe journey," Lin Yun said.
Liu Hong nodded, turned around and walked out of the conference room.
Only Lin Yun, Zhou Zhengyong, Zhuge Tao, and Fang Qing remained in the conference room.
Zhou Zhengyong walked up to Lin Yun and said with emotion, "Lin Yun, to be honest, I never dreamed you would come back so soon. When you left two months ago, I thought it would be at least several years before we saw each other again."
"I didn't expect this either," Lin Yun said truthfully, "but I can't refuse the master's arrangement."
"The inspector's job is not easy," Zhou Zhengyong said seriously. "But don't worry, the three of us will handle most of the miscellaneous tasks. You just need to focus on your cultivation, and make the decisions on major issues."
Zhuge Tao nodded and said, "Yes, Lin Yun. Your most important task now is to continue to improve your strength. The Inspector is just a title; what truly earns respect is strength."
"I understand," Lin Yun said.
After chatting for a while, Lin Yun told the three supervisors his requirements—to handle the appointment of the new inspector discreetly, and that apart from the upper and middle management of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy, no one else needed to know that the inspector had been replaced.
"Why is that?" Fang Qing asked, puzzled.
"I don't want to be disturbed," Lin Yun said. "I have a lot of things to study and don't want to deal with unnecessary social engagements and visits."
Zhou Zhengyong nodded: "Understood. I will make the arrangements."
After explaining everything, Lin Yun didn't stay at headquarters any longer. He parked the Panlong on the rooftop helipad and then quietly left the building.
He didn't go straight home, but instead took a stroll around the base city. Jiangnan Base City was much the same as when he left—the streets were bustling with traffic, pedestrians hurried along, and everything was running smoothly. But he knew that beneath this calm surface, undercurrents were surging. The HR Alliance, major conglomerates, underground forces… every pair of eyes was watching the Extreme Martial Arts Academy's every move.
"The position of Inspector is not easy to hold," Lin Yun thought to himself.
But he wasn't afraid. He had the strength, the confidence, and Hong's backing. Moreover, his greatest advantage wasn't any of that—he had two worlds.
The villas in Mingyue Residential Area were brightly lit.
Lin Yun pushed open the door, and a familiar aroma of food wafted towards him. His grandfather, Lin Guodong, was busy in the kitchen, with braised pork stewing in a pot and several dishes already prepared on the stove.
"Grandpa, I'm back." Lin Yun stood at the kitchen door, watching the old man's back, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.
Lin Guodong turned around, saw his grandson, and his eyes immediately reddened. He walked over quickly, looked Lin Yun up and down, and then patted him hard on the shoulder.
"You've lost weight," the old man said, his voice trembling slightly, "but you're in better spirits."
"Grandpa, I'm fine." Lin Yun smiled and hugged her grandfather. "What did you cook? It smells so good."
"Braised pork belly, sweet and sour pork ribs, steamed sea bass—these are all your favorites." Lin Guodong pulled Lin Yun's hand and led him to the dining table. "Sit down quickly, it'll be ready soon."
Lin Yun sat down at the dining table, watching his grandfather's busy figure in the kitchen, and felt particularly at ease.
In the outside world, he is a high-ranking war god, an inspector, and an existence that countless people look up to. But in this family, he is just his grandfather's grandson.
After dinner, Lin Yun helped his grandfather clear the table, then sat on the sofa and chatted with him about his experiences over the past two months. He didn't talk about the dangerous battles, but simply recounted some interesting stories from the training camp. Lin Guodong listened attentively, occasionally interjecting with a few words, his face full of pride.
"Grandpa, I brought back some good things." Lin Yun took out the thousand-year-old ginseng from his spatial ring. "This is a thousand-year-old ginseng. Soaking it in wine can strengthen the body."
Lin Guodong stared wide-eyed at the ginseng, its entire body a pale gold color and covered in dense rootlets: "This...this is a real thousand-year-old ginseng?"
"Of course," Lin Yun said with a smile.
He found a large glass jar in the kitchen, cleaned the thousand-year-old ginseng, put it in the jar, and then poured in the finest white wine. The wine slowly seeped into the ginseng, and the color of the ginseng began to seep out, turning the wine a light amber color.
"How long do we need to soak this wine before we can drink it?" Lin Guodong asked.
"It will only take about a day," Lin Yun said. "But you can only drink a small cup each time, no more."
Lin Guodong nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of anticipation.
After processing the thousand-year-old ginseng, Lin Yun returned to his room, closed the door, and took out the Mind-Concentrating Grass from his spatial ring.
The Concentration Grass was entirely emerald green, with a thin layer of white frost on its leaves, emitting a faint fluorescent glow under the lamplight. Lin Yun sat cross-legged on the bed and put the Concentration Grass into his mouth.
The grass leaves melted in my mouth, and a cool sensation spread from the tip of my tongue, rushing straight to my consciousness.
The power was gentle, unlike the fierce force of the Jade Spirit Leaf, but it was more enduring. It was like a gentle stream, slowly nourishing Lin Yun's spiritual power, making it more solid and resilient.
Lin Yun closed his eyes, focusing all his attention on his sea of consciousness. Nourished by this power, his mental energy began to slowly increase. Not a significant increase in quantity, but a qualitative improvement—becoming purer, more concentrated, and easier to control.
After an unknown amount of time, that power finally ran out.
Lin Yun opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them. His mental power had already risen from the peak of the advanced War God to the limit of the peak War God, just one final hurdle away from the Planetary level.
More importantly, his control over his mental power has greatly improved. Previously, he could only control a maximum of twelve throwing knives simultaneously for precise attacks; now he can control fourteen. Although the number has increased only slightly, the accuracy and power of each throwing knife have reached a new level.
"The pinnacle of the God of War realm..." Lin Yun murmured, "The next step is the planetary level."
Planetary level beings surpass even the God of War. On Earth, only a handful of individuals reach this level. Hong and Thor are both at this level; they are Earth's guardians and humanity's strongest fighting force.
Lin Yun is only one step away from that level.
But this step is not so easy to take. He needs to accumulate experience, gain insights, and find a catalyst.
"No rush," Lin Yun thought to himself, "I have plenty of time."
The next day, Luo Feng and his family arrived.
After receiving the call, Lin Yun waited at the door early. Luo Feng walked in front, followed by his father Luo Hongguo, mother Gong Xinlan, and his younger brother Luo Hua, who was in a wheelchair. Wei Wen also ran over from the other side, carrying a bag of fruit.
"Ah Feng!" Lin Yun greeted him with a smile, punching Luo Feng on the shoulder.
Luo Feng laughed and punched him back: "Lin Yun, you're something else! Two months and you've become an inspector?"
"How did you know?" Lin Yun asked, somewhat surprised.
"Your grandpa said so." Luo Feng gestured towards the house with his chin. "Yesterday he came over to our place for a stroll and bragged about it to the neighbors all night."
Lin Yun was both amused and exasperated. He knew his grandfather's personality all too well; he couldn't keep secrets.
Once inside, Lin Guodong had already prepared a large table of dishes. Lin Yun invited everyone to sit down, then brought out a wine jar containing a thousand-year-old ginseng from the kitchen.
"What's this?" Wei Wen leaned closer, looking curiously at the golden ginseng in the wine jar.
"Millennial ginseng wine." Lin Yun opened the jar, and a rich medicinal aroma immediately filled the air. "Good stuff. One cup per person, don't drink too much."
He poured a glass for everyone. Old Master Lin, being elderly, only had a small half-glass. Luo Hongguo and Gong Xinlan each had half a glass, as did Luo Hua. Lin Yun poured a large glass for the two young men, Luo Feng and Wei Wen.
"Come on, cheers!" Lin Yun raised his glass.
Everyone drank it all in one gulp.
"I can't take it anymore, I'm so hot all over!" Wei Wen was the first to react. He swallowed a mouthful, and his whole body turned bright red instantly, like a steamed shrimp. Sweat seeped from his forehead and arms, and his clothes were quickly soaked.
"Wei Wen, I suggest you go to the training room and warm up now," Lin Yun said. "That way, I guarantee you'll reach the advanced student level by tomorrow."
Without a word, Wei Wen put down his wine glass and ran upstairs. He had long heard about the luxury of Lin Yun's cultivation room from Luo Feng and had always wanted to try it out; now he finally had the chance.
Grandpa Lin, Aunt Gong, Uncle Luo, and Luo Hua also started sweating. Their reaction wasn't as intense as Wei Wen's, but they could still feel the heat surging within their bodies.
"Lin Yun, what did you give us to drink?" Aunt Gong asked curiously, her face rosy and her spirits noticeably improved.
"It's nothing, just wine made from a ginseng root," Lin Yun said casually.
He didn't tell them the true value of this thousand-year-old ginseng. A thousand-year-old ginseng is worth 1.5 stars. According to Hong's exchange rate, 1 star is worth at least tens of billions. This cup of wine alone is worth billions.
If I tell them, they should feel sorry for me.
"Brother Lin Yun, come quickly and see my brother!" Luo Hua suddenly shouted, his voice filled with anxiety.
Lin Yun turned his head and saw Luo Feng lying on the sofa, his eyes closed, his face flushed, and the veins on his forehead and arms bulging. His heart was pounding, and he was on the verge of fainting.
"Damn it." Lin Yun quickly walked over, squatted down next to Luo Feng, and probed into his body with his mental energy.
Luo Feng's physical abilities are rapidly improving under the influence of the ginseng wine, but the pace of improvement is too fast for his body to handle. More importantly, his mental power is awakening.
In the original story, Luo Feng's mental power awakened just before the college entrance exam due to a spike in blood pressure. However, in this life, with Lin Yun's help, Luo Feng's cultivation progress far surpasses that of the original story. The ginseng wine propelled his physical abilities to the level of a near-martial artist, and this rapid improvement in physical fitness also stimulated the premature awakening of his mental power.
"Uncle Luo, Aunt Gong, don't worry." Lin Yun stood up and said to Luo Hongguo and Gong Xinlan, "The madman is awakening his mental powers."
"Psychic power? What is that?" Luo Hongguo asked, puzzled.
"You can think of it as a special ability of a martial artist," Lin Yun explained. "A mentalist is much stronger than a martial artist of the same level. Once the madman wakes up, he will be able to become a true martial artist."
"Really?" Gong Xinlan's voice trembled slightly.
"Don't worry, would I lie to you?" Lin Yun smiled. "However, the awakening process takes time. You guys eat first, I'll stay here and watch over him."
Luo Hongguo and Gong Xinlan exchanged a glance. Although they were still a little worried, they felt relieved seeing Lin Yun's confidence.
Lin Yun sat beside Luo Feng, covering him with his mental energy to monitor his physical condition. Luo Feng's physical abilities were steadily improving, and his mental energy was slowly awakening. Everything was developing in a positive direction.
"It'll be soon," Lin Yun thought to himself.
That evening, in a bedroom on the second floor of Lin Yun's villa, Luo Feng's eyes twitched slightly before slowly opening.
He sat up and looked around. Everything in the bedroom became exceptionally clear—the spots on the window bars, the veins of the leaves under the distant lights, even the dust particles floating in the air were clearly visible.
Downstairs, my parents were watching TV so loudly that I could hear every single word. Outside the villa, I could even distinguish the different kinds of insects chirping in the flowerbeds.
"No, it's not that the sound is loud, it's that my hearing has improved a lot." A surge of joy welled up in Luo Feng's heart.
He got out of bed, stood in the bedroom, and looked around. His eyesight, hearing, and sense of smell had all improved dramatically, and the whole world seemed to have been re-polished, with every detail exceptionally vivid.
Then, he noticed the stool next to him.
With a thought, an invisible force extended from his mind, instantly controlling the stool. The stool slowly rose from the ground and hovered in the air. The invisible force was imperceptible to the naked eye, but Luo Feng could clearly feel it—it was like his third hand, moving at his will and omnipotent.
"What kind of power is this?" Luo Feng felt his heart racing and was incredulous.
On a whim, he looked at the bed beside him. The bed floated up. He turned to look at the wardrobe, and the wardrobe also floated up. Chairs, coffee table, wardrobe... almost everything in the bedroom was off the ground, as if there were no gravity in space.
"Were you surprised by your own power?"
A sound came from the other side of the door, startling Luo Feng so much that everything fell to the ground. A series of clattering sounds followed, and the entire bedroom was thrown into chaos.
Lin Yun stood at the door, looking at the mess on the ground, and helplessly patted his head.
"Lin Yun!" Luo Feng, disregarding the mess in the room, hurriedly asked, "Do you know what kind of power this is?"
"How could I not know? I have one too." Lin Yun's eyes flickered, and the chair next to him suddenly slammed into Luo Feng. Luo Feng was startled and quickly crouched down. The chair flew past his head and crashed into the wall.
"What kind of power is this?!" Luo Feng simply did not believe that Lin Yun wanted to harm him, but only wanted to demonstrate this power to him.
"This is called mental power." Lin Yun walked into the room and put the chair back in its original position. "Mental power is a type of martial artist, but it is much more powerful than martial artists of the same level. Congratulations, Feng, you have now officially become a martial artist."
"Really?" Luo Feng was pleasantly surprised.
His original goal was to become a martial artist before the college entrance examination, but now, having only finished his first year of high school, he has already achieved that goal. This sudden surprise left him somewhat bewildered.
"Would I lie to you?" Lin Yun sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at Luo Feng. "Feng, you have two choices now."
Luo Feng suppressed his smile and listened attentively.
"The first option is to continue your studies." Lin Yun held up one finger. "However, with my help, even if you stay in school, your strength won't improve slowly. I'm confident that within two years, before the college entrance examination, you'll reach at least the Warrior level."
"The second option is to leave the school and head to the wilderness." Lin Yun held up his second finger. "This choice will be full of danger and challenges, but it will also offer greater opportunities and growth. You can choose between these two options yourself; I won't interfere."
Luo Feng fell silent.
A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes. His goal had always been clear—to become a martial artist before the college entrance exam, then join the army or a martial arts school to earn money to support his family. Now, having achieved that goal two years ahead of schedule, he was unsure of what to do next.
"I..." Luo Feng opened his mouth, unable to make a decision for a moment.
Looking at him, Lin Yun couldn't help but sigh. His presence had indeed changed Luo Feng a lot. In the original story, Luo Feng possessed a pure heart, clear understanding of his own nature, and an incredibly strong will. However, because of his presence, Luo Feng's strength had developed too early and too quickly, lacking the necessary trials and tribulations, and naturally, he had lost something in the process.
"It's alright, no need to rush." Lin Yun stood up and patted Luo Feng on the shoulder. "You can give me your answer in a few days. Think it over carefully these few days, and you can also discuss it with your parents."
Luo Feng nodded without saying anything.
Lin Yun walked out of the room and gently closed the door.
He stood in the corridor, gazing at the moonlight outside the window, his mind preoccupied with Luo Feng. Whether becoming a martial artist two years early was a good thing or a bad thing for Luo Feng, he didn't know. But he knew that whatever choice Luo Feng made, he would support him.
Downstairs, Luo Hongguo and Gong Xinlan were still waiting in the living room. Seeing Lin Yun come down, Gong Xinlan hurriedly asked, "Lin Yun, how is Xiaofeng?"
"He's awake," Lin Yun said. "He's a martial artist now. But he still needs time to adapt to his new power. Let him stay here tonight, and he can go back tomorrow."
"Okay, okay." Gong Xinlan nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with excitement and pride.
Luo Hongguo smiled too, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.
After seeing Luo Feng's family off, Lin Yun returned to his room and sat cross-legged on the bed.
He took out the dozens of manuals from his spatial ring and began to peruse them one by one. He planned to practice these manuals one by one in the Panlong World. Each manual corresponded to one or more profound laws. Mastering them all would elevate his understanding of the laws to a whole new level.
"I'll go into seclusion once Luo Feng's matter is resolved," Lin Yun thought to himself.
He carefully put away the manual, closed his eyes, and switched his consciousness to the Panlong World.
On the outskirts of the Monster Mountain Range, the moonlight was like water. His other body sat cross-legged on a blue stone, with the seven elements of magic flowing slowly around him.
Lin Yun opened his eyes and took out the manual of "Thunderclap Blade Technique" from his spatial ring. This was one of his newly acquired manuals, an SS-rank manual whose core was the explosion and conduction of lightning power. If he could practice this blade technique in the Panlong World, his understanding of the laws of lightning would reach a new level.
"Let's begin."
Lin Yun stood up, picked up the fine iron short sword, and began to practice the first move of the Thunderclap Sword Technique.
Under the moonlight, his figure moved swiftly through the woods, his blade flashing and thunder rumbling. Lightning magic elements danced merrily around him, as if providing accompaniment.