The idea that began forming in Alex's mind was audacious even by his standards: a technique that would allow pre-awakening humans to enhance themselves using pure mental energy and consciousness manipulation.
"ARIA, show me everything on brain development, neural plasticity, consciousness theory, and the relationship between intelligence and psychic sensitivity."
"Alex, what are you planning?"
"I'm planning to solve the problem of pre-awakening enhancement," Alex replied, his eyes bright with intellectual excitement. "If I can't cultivate Origin energy yet, I'll cultivate something else."
Over the following months, Alex dove into the most complex research project of either of his lives. The technique he was designing needed to accomplish several seemingly impossible things simultaneously:
First, it needed to enhance human psychic abilities using only consciousness and mental energy—no Origin energy absorption required.
Second, it needed to use those enhanced psychic abilities to stimulate physical development and body strengthening.
Third, and most ambitiously, it needed to accelerate the natural talent development process, potentially allowing practitioners to upgrade their natural talent level before awakening.
The key, Alex realized after months of research, is understanding that consciousness and talent development are connected. Higher intelligence and greater mental capacity naturally lead to more versatile and powerful talents.
So if I can temporarily enhance someone's consciousness and intelligence using psychic techniques, and then use that enhanced intelligence to stimulate talent development...
The technique that emerged from his research was unlike anything in the cultivation database. It began with a brain activation serum—a chemical formula that could be synthesized from common materials and that would temporarily boost neural processing capacity.
But the serum was just the beginning. Once the brain was enhanced, practitioners would use specific psychic exercises to further develop their mental abilities: telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, and eventually more advanced applications like psychic flight and reality manipulation.
The enhanced psychic abilities would then be channeled through specialized martial and breathing techniques that used mental energy to stimulate physical development, muscle growth, bone density, and most importantly, talent formation.
The beautiful part, Alex thought as he put the finishing touches on his technique, is that it creates a positive feedback loop. Enhanced intelligence improves psychic ability, improved psychic ability accelerates talent development, and better talent formation leads to even greater enhancement potential.
"ARIA, final analysis. What's the theoretical maximum for someone who masters this technique before awakening?"
"Calculating..." A long pause. "Alex, according to my projections, a master of this technique could theoretically reach combat effectiveness equivalent to Tier 4 Peak cultivation without ever absorbing Origin energy."
Alex's eyes widened. "Tier 4 Peak? That's continent-level destructive capability."
"Using pure psychic energy and enhanced physical capabilities, yes. They would also have intelligence enhancement that could reach several times baseline human levels, and their talent at awakening would likely be in the SS+ range regardless of their natural genetics."
Perfect. Alex grinned. A technique that lets people enhance themselves before awakening, upgrades their talent potential, and gives them serious combat capabilities using nothing but mental energy and determination.
"What should I call this technique?"
"Given its focus on developing human potential through multiple enhancement pathways, something appropriately descriptive would be suitable."
Alex considered for a moment. The technique enhanced the brain, developed psychic abilities, strengthened the body, and upgraded talent potential. It was, essentially, a method for unlocking human potential that had been locked away by biological and genetic limitations.
"The Human Potential Development Technique," he said finally. "HPDT for short."
It's not as poetic as my cultivation techniques, he thought, but it's descriptive. People will know exactly what it does.
"ARIA, prepare for publication. Same anonymity protocols."
"Alex," ARIA said carefully, "this technique is going to cause even more speculation about Cosmic_Sage_42's identity. A technique for pre-awakening enhancement, published so soon after your cultivation breakthroughs?"
"Let them speculate," Alex replied. "I'm solving a problem that affects every human in the universe. If they want to make a big deal about it, that's their choice."
As the technique uploaded to the cosmic database, Alex felt a familiar sense of satisfaction. The Eternal Transformation Method had revolutionized cultivation theory. The Eternal Convergence Sutra had redefined the possibilities of law integration.
And now The Human Potential Development Technique would give every human being the chance to unlock their potential before they ever started cultivating.
Not bad for someone who's still seven years away from his own awakening, Alex thought contentedly.
"ARIA, any predictions on how the universe will react to this one?"
"Well," ARIA said thoughtfully, "your last technique caused seventeen new languages to be created and spawned a religion around sacred ice cubes. Your second technique is currently being studied by every major cultivation academy in human space. I predict this one will be... notable."
Alex chuckled. Notable. That's one way to put it.
As his consciousness prepared to leave Veritas, Alex allowed himself a moment of anticipation. Tomorrow, he would start practicing the HPDT himself. Finally, after years of theoretical study, he would have a way to train, to enhance himself, to prepare for the day when he could finally begin true cultivation.
And if my projections are correct, he thought with growing excitement, by the time I turn eighteen and awaken my talent, I'll be strong enough to hold my own against continent-level threats using nothing but psychic energy.
Let's see what the universe thinks of a technique that lets children achieve Master-level combat effectiveness before they ever absorb their first drop of Origin energy.
The universe, Alex suspected, was about to have some very strong opinions about Cosmic_Sage_42's latest creation.
[AN: As I said in the synopsis, I write very fast fast novels, I cant help it, I don't like wasting time on side characters that wont be useful or filler chapter. So you have been warned, I don't want any comment saying its too fast. Thank you for your time, and if you are enjoying my novel, drop a review or comment, it will be appreciated.]