Chapter 26 The mind is like a blade, with double layered jin.

At this moment, Zhou Ping'an's mind was extraordinarily clear.

Like a grand azure sky, reflecting everything.

It seemed as if there was nothing in the world he couldn't understand, no problem he couldn't solve.

A sense of inexplicable, mysterious confidence surged up from the bottom of his heart.

He vaguely felt that this state was probably very rare and not long-lasting.

He didn't get greedy and try to accomplish too much.

With a thought, he assumed the posture to operate the "Chopping Wave Knife" technique.

All the essential points of the technique flowed through his mind one by one.

His vision momentarily blurred.

A fading memory in Zhou Ping'an's mind suddenly became vivid again.

He seemed to return to six months ago, to the entrance of Chunlan Bar.

...

The music inside the bar was deafening, and the multicolored lights outside the entrance shone in a dizzying array of colors...

Two meters away to the side, Inspector Tang Tang, her powdered face showing a murderous look and her willow brows inverted, was still waving her hands, ordering in a cold voice.

The major criminal who had received news and fled earlier made the trip fruitless and extremely frustrating.

At that moment, Zhou Ping'an saw the drunk man under the advertisement board on the side of the street, whose gaze seemed off, his right hand reaching into his chest.

One moment he was bleary-eyed with drunkenness.

The next, his eyes had turned fierce and ferocious, staring intently at Tang Tang.

"Get down..."

Zhou Ping'an felt the hairs on his body stand on end, his heart pounded furiously, and his mind became chillingly clear.

A trembling sensation rose within his body as if he had been struck by electricity, and his eyes turned blood-red.

The music in his ears, the lights before his eyes, and the moving crowds around him seemed to vanish.

He even lost the feeling of his own body.

With a burst of speed, he leapt forward...

His right leg shot out, kicking Tang Tang and sending her flying three to four meters.

While still in mid-air, sparks flew under the billboard, and his thigh felt a sharp pain.

Before he even landed, Zhou Ping'an had already drawn his gun.

As the flames from the other's gun barrel rose again, he forgot the pain, forgot the danger, and fired six shots.

Bang bang bang bang bang bang...

...

"That feeling..."

Zhou Ping'an seemed to return to that time again, recalling that sensation.

Adrenaline surged wildly, blood rushing to his head, on the brink of life and death, five senses heightened...

The "Chopping Wave Knife" stance he had just assumed suddenly gained an unparalleled new force.

The qi-blood, skin, and muscle and bone strength of his entire body merged into one in an instant.

His mind was unprecedentedly focused, and he slashed with the knife.

Hum...

The blade's light was like flowing radiance, leaving behind a double afterimage as it slashed.

The air was cut open, emitting a sharp tearing sound.

"I've done it..."

Zhou Ping'an vibrated the knife edge and stopped the cutting action.

The knife blade was only inches away from the wooden post, and the qi-blade that slit through the air had already parted the wood grain, leaving behind a fine scar.

In his mind, a surging, powerful force receded like the tide, and he was once again left with a sense of haziness.

A profound sense of loss welled up in his heart.

"For just over three seconds, the energy from these eleven white threads only supported the burning of the Red Lotus Heart Seal for a little more than three seconds."

After a rough estimate, Zhou Ping'an found that he had only taken two breaths, and he hadn't even completely exhaled the second breath...

The state had already faded.

This kind of supercharged mental operation, understanding everything, was so moving, so intoxicating, indeed difficult to let go.

Although it was just a mere three seconds, it allowed him to remember the sensation of jin operation and to understand the mystery of the Double Layered Jin.

Now, without that "Super Godly" wisdom, when he wielded the knife again, he felt the release of energy and the use of strength were round and smooth.

With a casual swing of the knife, a sharp whistle filled the air around him...

As the air exploded, faint scale-like knife shadows tore through everything.

"Use energy without force, intention before the blade, where the heart goes, the knife follows."

"I used to practice the Six Harmonies Sword and the Five Elements Sword incorrectly."

He casually swung a few sword flourishes, his body tumbling and leaping forward.

Zhou Ping'an was astounded to find that those flashy movement techniques and sword techniques, which were meant for show, suddenly revealed endless ingenious uses.

Strikes in all directions were executed to perfection.

The reason such maneuvers are called trick moves is precisely because they can't generate real power.

Landing on the enemy's body, they are just a light drizzle, not enough to harm even a single hair.

A random block from the enemy could easily cause the sword to be knocked away.

But after understanding the Second Level Sword Jin of the Chopping Wave Knife,

power could be unleashed in the tiniest of movements.

Both the speed of his attacks and the strength behind them had increased countless times over.

Thus, trick moves were no longer just trick moves, but became the Illusory Blade that confuses the opponent's heart and eyes.

The Illusory Blade could turn into a real blade at any moment...

Only then could these routines unleash their shockingly effective power.

Reality and illusion interweaved, embodying the impermanence of life and death.

Even before the blade in his hand struck, the blade in his heart was already at the enemy's throat.

...

Zhou Ping'an's wrist trembled slightly, and the long sword had disappeared from view.

A faint flash of light, and a wooden stake used for testing swords, three meters away to his side, was smoothly split into two.

"Great Achievement of Sinews and Bones, transforming strength into Refined Energy, all the way to Marrow Cleansing and Blood Renewal, strengthening the five internal organs..."

"According to the power system of this world, I've now practically stepped into the ranks of a Marrow Cleansing Realm Strength-Training Martial Master."

He had finally gained a minor ability to protect himself.

No longer was he as incessantly anxious as he had been in recent days,

constantly fearing that something might happen, dragging himself into it, leaving no bone unturned.

After all, reaching the level of a Strength-Training Martial Master was already quite good.

At least, in the region around Qingyang City, he could be considered a minor expert.

No matter which power he joined, he would be respected by others.

"Unfortunately, the Red Lotus Heart Seal that I visualized has an all too brief effect, and those white Mind Threads are too difficult to obtain and can't even be reused."

Zhou Ping'an thought regretfully, then looking at the Silk Handkerchief, he noticed the Lotus Diagram had completely faded away.

It was left as nothing but an empty piece of white silk.

Of the eleven white threads that had appeared in his mind, not a single one remained.

"I've finally understood why the Red Lotus Sect is obsessed with rebellion, stirring up unrest from time to time.

They aren't seeking an outcome nor are they developing the livelihood of the people, the root lies here..."

Zhou Ping'an felt as if he had stumbled upon a significant secret.

If one cultivates the Red Lotus Karmic Fire True Intent, visualizing the Red Lotus Holy Mother in their hearts, would these threads connect to some distant place, to some unfathomable being?

What they need may not really be about successfully rebelling or seeking welfare for the populace.

It could be about rebelling for the sake of rebellion, the more people involved, the better.

The reason he suddenly had this judgement,

was not only because those white threads could make his brain Overclock and his intellect soar to the skies... but also because Zhou Ping'an distinctly felt his mind getting a bit sharper.

Things he couldn't understand before, he now could grasp with just a little thought.

Moreover, whether it was an illusion or not, he felt his spirit seemed more robust, his mind clearer.

"Karmic Fire, Karmic Fire Cleansing Sin, Karmic Fire Soul Forging.

Could it be that the visualized Thoughtful Lotus Flame could also refine one's spirit and enhance the soul?"

Is it really so?

With the current brief cultivation time and the limited Mind Threads, it was not clear.

He would have to wait and see in the future.

"In this way, if I want to gain more Mind Threads and attain a stronger intellect, doesn't it force me to be kind to others and win people over with virtue..."

"Or, should I also start a rebellion, taking lives without concern for the aftermath?"

At that thought, Zhou Ping'an felt a certain resistance in his heart.

From what he had obtained from the white Mind Threads, it was not achievable through crooked ways or deception.

It required genuine praise, appreciation, or trust from others.

It was not about throwing others into danger for the sake of a few slogans.

Therefore, if he wanted to obtain enough white threads to significantly and rapidly boost his capabilities, he had to think carefully.