The intensity of hidden mental force is closely tied to one's brain capacity—essentially, how far one's mind has developed. This is also what people refer to as "comprehension."
Both Luo Feng and Wei Wen's mental force continued growing rapidly, which clearly indicated how powerful their latent mental capacity was. No surprise, then, that their comprehension abilities were equally high.
But being Spirit Readers—also known as Mental Force Cultivators—wasn't the reason the man named Hong had summoned them.
"You must be wondering why I asked to see you," Hong said, smiling faintly.
"Yeah, a little," Wei Wen admitted.
"Yaorao showed me the recording of your fight with that monster. Something about the way you channel force stood out to me," Hong said plainly.
"At the time, you were still too weak, so I couldn't be sure. But now—tell me. Why does your method of channeling power feel different from the Ninefold Thunder Blade technique?"
Wei Wen couldn't help but sigh in admiration. "As expected of Hong. Your insight is incredible."
Just from a simple video clip, Hong had noticed flaws in their energy application. He really was a once-in-a-generation genius—someone who'd managed to grasp Domain-level power purely through self-study.
"When I was training in the Ninefold Thunder Blade technique," Wei Wen said, "I had a sudden insight. I realized something was off in how power was being channeled."
He paused briefly, then continued without hesitation. There was no point hiding it—Hong would eventually uncover the same flaw. Better to share it now and maybe earn some goodwill in the process.
"Most beginner-level warriors use power-channeling purely for explosive strength," Wei Wen explained. "Those a bit more advanced use it in their legs to boost movement speed."
Luo Feng had only discovered this technique for mobility after entering the Elite Training Camp.
"So I wondered—couldn't force channeling also be used defensively?" Wei Wen said. "I followed that line of thought and eventually created my own version."
"There really are different strengths for different people," Hong nodded. "No one has limitless insight. And the way high-level talents perceive force will always differ."
"What we couldn't fix with years of effort, you managed to rethink with a single burst of inspiration."
It wasn't an exaggeration. Hong might have greater comprehension overall compared to Thunder God, but when it came to refining force-channeling techniques, Thunder God was more adept.
"If your improvements are real, it could benefit all of humanity," Hong said after a thoughtful pause. "Would you let me observe your method?"
"Of course, I'll compensate you. In return, I can offer a rare cultivation technique for Spirit Readers. One that's hard to come by on Earth."
Wei Wen's eyes lit up.
Luo Feng had never learned a proper Spirit Reader technique but still managed to achieve triple amplification of his mental force within two months. If Wei Wen received this kind of support, his growth would be even faster—and he needed that right now, especially after seeing how far behind he still was compared to someone like Hong.
Eager for progress, and knowing Hong's resources were invaluable, Wei Wen agreed and demonstrated his revised Ninefold Thunder Blade technique.
Watching it unfold, Hong was visibly inspired.
Wei Wen's innovations triggered a breakthrough for both Hong and Thunder God, who had been blindly groping their way through force-channeling development.
"No wonder," Hong muttered. "Not just me—even Thunder God—felt that advancing further with our current method was becoming harder and harder."
He continued, "Think of cultivating force-channeling like building a skyscraper. Without a solid foundation, the higher you build, the more unstable it becomes."
The issue was clear: both Hong and Thunder God had focused too much on maximizing explosive output. But the human body has limits—especially when channeling energy up to seven times one's base strength, as required by the ninth stage of the Ninefold Thunder Blade.
Their foundations were flawed. And as with any building, fixing the base after you've already built skyward is exponentially more difficult.
But if the energy was channeled in a balanced way—enhancing not just attack, but also defense—the body's durability could be improved. That, in turn, would allow for even greater force bursts later.
"Yes," Hong finally said. "If this method of yours is refined and taught, it could completely reshape how Earth's warriors approach power-channeling."
"I want to ask—would you be willing to teach it? Not for free, of course."
"Teach?" Wei Wen blinked.
"Yes," Hong confirmed. "Even though we've reached a temporary truce with the monsters, the threat hasn't vanished."
"The number of beasts, especially sea beasts, is countless. We don't know when the next great mutation will come, and humanity is far from safe."
"And I won't go into detail about what we've found off-world. Suffice it to say, what lies beyond Earth is even more dangerous than the monsters here."
"So we need warriors. And we need them stronger."
"That's why Thunder God and I made our own force manuals public—for sale, yes, but also as a way to contribute to humanity."
"But your version—this new method—it's revolutionary."
"I'd like you to compile it into a complete training manual. Sell it if you like. Price it how you want. Just make it accessible to those who need it."
Hong wasn't trying to pressure him. He knew full well not all warriors liked to share their edge. Teaching your techniques meant risking others copying—or even surpassing—you. That insecurity was common. It was part of what drove Wei Wen's obsession with becoming stronger.
Wei Wen thought about it.
"…Alright," he finally said. "But I won't spend too much time refining every detail. I'll just contribute the core idea. Let others debate and build on it."
"Fair enough," Hong said. "Once you've settled into the Elite Training Camp, someone from Limit Dojo may contact you to formalize and record the manual."
"When it's done, we'll list it on Limit Dojo's online store. After a small cut for maintenance, all profits will go to you."
"And here," Hong continued, handing him a slim helmet-like device, "this is a neural interface. With it, you can enter the Virtual Training World whenever you want. It'll accelerate your progress."
"Oh—and the Spirit Reader technique I mentioned," he added. "It's called Basic Mental Force Cultivation. I'll send it to your virtual account."
In the original story, Basic Mental Force Cultivation cost three merit points—the equivalent of three vials of Dragon Blood. Definitely not a cheap gift.
Wei Wen hesitated a moment.
"Curator," he said. "Luo Feng has talent too. Would you consider giving him a neural link and the technique as well?"
It wasn't a random request. Wei Wen knew giving that technique to Luo Feng would yield greater long-term returns than keeping it to himself.
Hong nodded. "Done."