"Cousin? That Bai Xiao is your cousin? You didn't just use connections to get this Jade Chamber guard job, did you?" Paimon crossed her arms and stared at Zhenhai with suspicion.
"What cousin? Don't talk nonsense! You must have heard wrong!" Zhenhai quickly denied it.
Without giving Paimon a chance to respond, he hurriedly opened the door and rushed in to find Bai Xiao.
"Hmph, acting all flustered. It's just like the saying, 'There are no mora under this rock, none at all!'" Paimon complained sarcastically.
"Uh, that's quite an odd comparison," Nolan remarked. He hadn't expected Liyue to have a saying so similar to 'There's no silver here, not at all.' Perhaps it reflected a parallel development in human societies across different worlds.
"Hehe, everyone uses that to describe people trying to hide something but giving themselves away," Paimon explained, her hands clasped behind her back, grinning.
Not long after, Zhenhai returned with Bai Xiao, one of Ningguang's secretaries. She greeted them with a wave and said, "If you're looking for Miss Shenhe, she left early this morning for training. She mentioned you could find her at the summit of Mt. Tianheng."
Bai Xiao passed on the information she had.
"Mt. Tianheng, huh. Got it." Nolan nodded. He didn't expect Shenhe to head out so early. She truly lived up to the discipline of a disciple of the adepti.
"Let's head to Mt. Tianheng then!" Paimon said cheerfully.
"Mm," Lumine brushed aside her golden hair and nodded slightly.
Mt. Tianheng wasn't far from the Jade Chamber. In fact, they could create a wind field from the Jade Chamber and ascend higher, flying directly to Mt. Tianheng.
That would save them a lot of time climbing.
And that's exactly what they did.
"Wow! Look at Liyue Harbor! So many buildings, all packed so tightly together!" Paimon held onto the white ribbon of Lumine's dress, trying not to get blown away by the high-altitude winds.
At that moment, she excitedly gazed at Liyue Harbor through the towering peaks of Mt. Tianheng.
"Alright, we've seen it plenty of times already. Let's focus on getting to Mt. Tianheng quickly," Nolan said, using his wind elemental power to push the three of them forward.
One couldn't deny the usefulness of the wind element. While it wasn't known for raw power, it was especially handy for exploration and travel when paired with the Wind Glider.
With his current level of control over the wind element, Nolan could create a wind field that could lift him about thirty meters into the air. Together with Lumine's power, they could rise around a hundred meters, which gave him the confidence to fly directly to Mt. Tianheng.
With the wind element supporting them, there was no risk of gradually descending. The only downside was the strain on stamina.
However, thanks to his "Abundant Life" specialty, Nolan could last longer than most. To reduce the strain and fly higher and faster, he would need to level up his "Anemo Manipulation" skill further.
Unfortunately, he had just maxed out his "Form Concealment" skill yesterday, which consumed a large amount of Adventure EXP, so he couldn't allocate any to "Anemo Manipulation" for the time being.
Speaking of which, Lumine could control all seven elements, but despite their time in Liyue, they still hadn't encountered a Statue of The Seven.
Because of this, she hadn't resonated with it to awaken her Geo elemental power.
It seems that the next time I go to the Adventurers' Guild to take on a commission, I should ask Katheryne if there are any Statues of The Seven in the wild. The sooner Lumine awakens her Geo element, the faster she can master it.
As Nolan was deep in thought, they quickly approached Mt. Tianheng.
Dense vegetation covered most of the mountain, with some areas revealing bare, rocky surfaces. Here and there, white iron ore and iron deposits were exposed.
These ores are difficult to mine and aren't worth much, so even adventurers rarely climb up the mountain to extract them. Of course, if it were crystal ore, that would be a different story.
Nolan and the others landed on one of the rocky surfaces. Mt. Tianheng was taller than expected, so they couldn't fly directly to the summit. They had to retract their Wind Gliders and continue walking up the path.
Fortunately, they were already halfway up the mountain, and after walking for about ten minutes, they reached the summit. There were no tall plants here, only a carpet of short grass.
A girl with long white hair, braided in the middle, was sitting cross-legged on a smooth stone, meditating. Upon closer inspection, the stone was surprisingly smooth and flat, likely cut by a weapon.
"It's Shenhe! Let's go say hello," Paimon said eagerly, ready to fly over and greet her. But Nolan quickly pulled her back and said, "Wait a moment. Shenhe is clearly meditating, so let's not disturb her."
"Alright, it does seem that way," Paimon agreed, pressing a finger to her lip as she observed
Seeing Shenhe how still and serene she was, almost blending into the natural environment. It was clear she was deep in her cultivation.
Lumine stood on a patch of bare soil, where no grass grew. The gentle breeze lifted the ends of her golden hair and skirt. The over-the-knee boots accentuated her legs, with the exposed part of her snow-white thighs drawing attention.
She closed her eyes, as if sensing something. After a few seconds, Nolan noticed that the wind, which had been blowing gently, suddenly stopped, and he could feel a faint ripple of wind elemental power emanating from Lumine.
She opened her eyes, revealing a pair of amber pupils filled with excitement.
"What's going on? Did you have some sudden insight?" Nolan asked curiously.
"Yeah, I just tuned into the rhythm of the wind at the summit. I think I've become more adept at controlling wind elemental power now," Lumine nodded slightly.
"You've arrived," Shenhe, dressed in a black one-piece bodysuit with a chest-covering short jacket, sensed a slight disturbance in the environment. She finished her meditation, stood up from the smooth stone, and looked towards Nolan and the others.
"Hehe, good morning, Shenhe! We didn't disturb your training, did we?" Paimon waved and flew forward. Nolan and Lumine followed slowly, stopping a bit in front of Shenhe.
"My meditation time was sufficient, so it's no trouble," Shenhe shook her head gently, indicating it wasn't a problem. She then continued, "You're here to learn how to train your mental/spiritual power, correct?"
"Yes," Nolan responded with a smile, nodding.
Although it was primarily Nolan who wanted to learn this, since Lumine and Paimon were already here, they might as well learn it too. After all, teaching a few people isn't any different from teaching one.
"Let's begin now. Find a spot to sit cross-legged," Shenhe instructed, crossing her arms under her chest. Her flat, smooth abdomen was faintly visible through the black silk fabric of her form-fitting outfit.
"Sit cross-legged? Do we have to meditate like you?" Paimon asked, touching her hair in confusion.
"Yes, the method I'm going to teach you to train your mental strength is called 'Focus Technique.' Even a fish in the river with no talent can practice it, so it shouldn't be too difficult for you," Shenhe said as she sat down again on the smooth stone. Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon all sat down on the ground.
Lumine even folded her skirt a couple of times and placed it under her hips, which were covered by white lantern shorts, before sitting cross-legged. Otherwise, the tips of the grass would tickle her thighs and hips, making it uncomfortable.
Once they were ready, they all looked at Shenhe with anticipation, waiting for her to explain further.
"The main principle of 'Focus Technique' is to gather and solidify your mental strength. Through this process, your mental strength will increase and become more 'resilient,'" Shenhe explained.
Although she wasn't particularly skilled at teaching, she had learned this technique from her master through similar instructions, so she simply repeated what her master had taught her.
Nolan and Lumine both nodded. The name "Focus Technique" was quite self-explanatory.
"Let's start with the first step," Shenhe continued after seeing that everyone understood.
"The first step, as my master taught me, is to clear your mind of distractions and reach a state of inner peace without emotional fluctuations. Only in this state can you easily sense your mental strength."
This step shouldn't be too difficult. When her master taught her, it took her just two minutes to achieve it.
"Alright, let's give it a try," Nolan said, nodding lightly. He, Lumine, and Paimon all closed their eyes simultaneously, attempting to clear their minds of distractions.
Before starting, Nolan thought it would be easy. But in reality, the more he tried to clear his mind of distractions—like thoughts of how soft Fischl's body was or the urge to touch Lumine's thighs—the more such thoughts flooded his mind.
For instance, the sensation of caressing Fischl's calf and ankle through her semi-transparent black stockings was all too vivid. The harder he tried to suppress these thoughts, the more they surged like a rising tide, impossible to hold back.
Half an hour later, Nolan slowly opened his eyes and sighed silently. He realized that clearing his mind of distractions was a daunting challenge for him.
It wasn't a matter of willpower because distractions are just part of human thought, and changing that would take a lot of time and effort—not something that could be achieved in a day or two.
He glanced to his side and saw that Lumine was still sitting with her eyes closed, her expression calm, seemingly making some progress.
Meanwhile, Paimon had already collapsed onto the ground, her eyes blank as if they were spinning in circles, clearly having failed as well.
From experience, Nolan knew without even asking that Paimon's mind must have been filled with thoughts of various delicious foods as soon as she closed her eyes.
Faced with so many tasty options, she probably couldn't decide which one to choose, and ended up getting herself all mixed up.
Another half hour passed, and Lumine finally opened her eyes slowly.
"So, how did it go? Did you succeed?" Nolan asked curiously. After all this time with her eyes closed, he expected her to have made some progress.
"Yes, I think I've sensed my mental strength. It's formless and intangible, like some sort of 'field,'" Lumine said, sticking out her pink tongue slightly to moisten her dry lips.
"And what about you?" she asked Nolan.
"Uh, I was too distracted and didn't succeed," Nolan replied with a helpless shrug.
"Hmph, idiot!" Lumine shot him a disdainful look. Having traveled, eaten, and lived together, she knew all too well what kind of person he was.
He was simply thinking about the soft, pale body hidden beneath a girl's clothes.
"I failed too. All I could see were delicious foods. How could I possibly bring myself to block them out?" Paimon sighed as she floated in the air.
Lumine facepalmed in exasperation.
These two were exactly the same when it came to their obsessions—they were completely defenseless against them. It would be a miracle if they could successfully begin learning the "Focus Technique"!
"My master once said that ordinary people are preoccupied with worldly matters, so it's normal for them to be distracted and fail. If you really can't succeed, you can use a 'Calming Talisman' as an aid," Shenhe said, observing their situation.
Though she hadn't expected all three to succeed easily, she understood that living in a bustling city made it hard for them to quiet their minds. So, she decided to provide additional assistance to those who hadn't succeeded.
"A 'Calming Talisman'? Just the name sounds really helpful. Let us try it!" Paimon, hearing there was still hope, excitedly clenched her tiny fists in the air and quickly urged Shenhe.
"Alright," Shenhe replied, standing up. She retrieved two previously crafted "Calming Talismans" from her Vision. They were rectangular and ice-blue, almost as if made entirely of Cryo energy—thin and delicate.
"Miss Shenhe, how do we use these?" Nolan and Paimon each took a talisman and asked.
"Simply place it on your forehead, and it will take effect," Shenhe explained.
The sunlight, not too harsh, reflected off the delicate, pale skin exposed by the diamond-shaped cutouts on the sides of Shenhe's black bodysuit, around her waist and hips.
Following Shenhe's instructions, Nolan placed the "Calming Talisman" on his forehead... and felt like he was playing the role of a zombie.
In the next moment, as Shenhe had said, the talisman took effect. A cool, refreshing energy flowed into his mind, making him feel as though his consciousness had been placed in a silent refrigerator, quieting all distractions.
This "Calming Talisman" seemed to have a healing effect on mental injuries as well, which made using it just to block out distractions feel like overkill.
No wonder Shenhe hadn't offered it right away; after all, if they could succeed on their own, there was no need to waste such a valuable tool.
Thinking this way left him feeling a bit defeated, as though he had let Shenhe down.
"Now that you've completed the first step, try gathering and focusing your spiritual power," Shenhe continued in her usual emotionless tone.
Once they could sense their mental strength, this step wasn't difficult. After a few attempts, they all managed to achieve it.
[Skill Acquired: Focus Technique Lv.1 (1/1000)]
Seeing the notification on his character panel, Nolan knew he had successfully started learning. From here on, he could invest Adventure EXP to level up the skill.
Finally, he had learned a skill to enhance his Spiritual Power.
"Thank you, Miss Shenhe. Is there anything we can do to help you as a way of showing our gratitude?"
Paimon, overjoyed at having learned a new skill besides her natural ability to use phantom wings for magical flight, eagerly offered their help. This was quite rare for her.
(End of Chapter)
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