Chapter 362: New Picture (Part 1/3)
Translator: Strivon
Within and outside the simple and abstract Life Sketch of Driver Qin were countless grains of stars. They appeared intermittently, radiating rays of subtle warmth.
Luo Nan couldn’t hold back from taking out previous Life Sketches he drew to make comparisons. The most particular were that of Cat Eyes and Zhang Yingying, people who he had observed in great detail. Every single star that appeared for their Life Sketch shone bright and radiant, contrasting intensely with the deep darkness of the void.
Upon paper with the same background of darkness, were silver-white dots akin to the drops of candle wax. Between them lay connecting lines that were hard to distinguish between being present or nonexistent. Such a scene was undoubtedly affected by the visualization diagram. When looked at independently, it appeared like an abstract symbol.
Only when these sketches of terrifying scales were pieced together did they cause one’s senses to no longer be entwined with the details. Only then did the sketches form the grand and magnificent view of the vast and hazy starry sky.
This was why Luo Nan called them sketches. They were outlines of just-finished compositions. They were sketches and drafts lacking the details sculpted within.
As for the star atlas before his eyes, the greatest difference from before was embodied within the details. Hundreds and thousands of stars were scattered within a fixed scope. Their luminosities differed, and their magnitudes varied. Some owned a radiance that dazzled the eyes, while some could barely be seen. The limited yet clear star atlas had become complicated due to this. At the same time, it changed into something much more lively. Even the tiniest of areas were drawn with exquisite and trustworthy details.
It was like being on a high plateau where the atmosphere was crystal clear, far away from the light pollution of the metropolis, allowing one to see the splendid night sky. It was enough to make Luo Nan forget that this was merely the frame of a body and soul for a single ability user, and nothing more.
The current Luo Nan was far different from how he was back when he first drew the Life Sketches. He extended his hand and gestured across the stars like a deity, but he had spent a bit too long staring at Driver Qin in this spellbound state.
Even Driver Qin with his steady nature couldn’t refrain from coughing to alert Luo Nan.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Luo Nan had said such words at least three times this night. Luckily, Driver Qin didn’t mind, resuming his usual quiet state. He just responded with a smile.
Luo Nan couldn’t understand it. Why did his clairvoyance suddenly appear with much more detail when it came to Life Sketches? In any case, he knew that he should be getting off the car and going home.
He gracefully declined Driver Qin’s good intentions to help once more as he got off the car. Luo Nan lifted the two boxes out from the trunk, the notebooks clasped under his left arm. It was a bit awkward, but he could still walk.
He bid Driver Qin farewell, then he headed straight home. He walked to the road of the community, and there was no other person in sight under the streetlights. This sort of scene compelled one’s thoughts to go wild. Luo Nan’s mind subconsciously began to surge.
Why did he become interested in Driver Qin? It was because of his words. It vaguely conformed with Gym Master Xiu’s words dealing with the root receptacle, root nature, and root trigger technique of subdivision.
Those awakened with supernatural powers could comprehend the root receptacle. On the other hand, temperament fell under the root nature. He walked a different path than Mr. Giant Arm. This was the problem with the selection of the root trigger.
This was the principle. According to Gym Master Xiu’s teachings, Luo Nan needed to find a suitable place to begin. Luo Nan’s direction had been very fuzzy during the lecture, but after experiencing his burst of insight, as well as the clairvoyance he used on Driver Qin, the situation subtly changed.
Luo Nan suppressed the impulse to go looking for people and adjusted his breathing. He let his feverish mind cool for a second.
He first walked to the detached garage outside of his aunt’s master bedroom. This was a three-dimensional garage that was quite a common sight among the properties of the middle class of the city. It was divided into two levels, and each of the two cars of the household were placed on each level. It used a converter to adjust the level, taking the required car out. The space was a bit small, and its functions were simple. It couldn’t hold a lot of stuff.
However, there was a wooden door installed atop the lawn in the back of the garage and at the edge of the yard. Opening this door revealed a flight of stairs that led to an underground space.
This was an underground storeroom. Rumor had it that Mo Ya had hidden it from the rest of the family back when she was in her second year of middle school. She spent a year’s worth of time digging out the space by herself. Unfortunately, she was found out, and she had to pay a considerable fine to the community.
The sophomore Mo Ya of middle school was a standard young girl. She treated this secret space like a tree house. She later grew out of it, no longer playing here. She gave this place to Luo Nan, letting him store some sensitive materials inside.
This storeroom was the greatest reason why he was able to conceal his independent drug synthesis from his aunt and uncle for the past five years.
There were favors all around… so he especially had to lower his head toward Mo Ya.
Luo Nan took the boxes and placed them in a secret compartment within the storeroom. He turned around and was about to leave when a thought suddenly stirred within his mind. He placed the two notebooks he had clasped under his arm in the secret compartment as well.
Luo Nan placed both books, not just one, because he was worried. He was worried that if he really did take the notebook with the recorded insights back into his room, he wouldn’t be able to sleep this night. He needed to continue with his good tempo of work and rest; he wanted to avoid destroying it with exhaustion.
Making this resolution was not easy. Luo Nan practically looked back every three steps. This lasted until he reached ground level and closed the trapdoor. Only then did he let out a long breath of relief. He walked back to the house, welcoming his aunt’s reprimanding.
Though there were many variables, he still endured a lecture when he got home. But this night, Luo Nan had experienced many things. It was a fruitful night.
Callously placing the notebook in the underground storeroom was an effective action. It helped Luo Nan strictly follow the needs that Gym Master Xiu had laid down when it came to the meridians. Blood and energy had to be raised and lowered before sleeping, refining the life essence of the body. This was to be done to ensure that the inner organs, the four limbs, and the hundreds of bones proceeded in parallel from inside to out. The energies circulated in layers, conforming with the nine orifices and six roots. Only then did it conclude.
Therefore, tonight required several times more work when compared to purely cultivating the eyes orifice. A large chunk of time was set aside for it. By the time he woke up from his meditative state that teetered on the edge of clear and unclear, it was already a bit past four in the early morning. It was just about time for him to start on his morning exercises.
If future nights were all like this, then he probably wouldn’t need to sleep anymore.
Luo Nan smacked his lips, savoring the fresh feeling of the newly opened orifice. The orifice of his mouth and tongue was producing liquid, which tasted sweet and refreshing. It was completely different from the nasty breath he used to have in his daily life upon waking up.
Luo Nan naturally swallowed the liquid, and the liquid steadily flowed. He moved his tongue, feeling quite nimble. Unfortunately, the clumsy actions he made with his mouth when talking was ultimately caused by his wisdom and temperament. This newly developed skill was wasted on him.
He had experienced this small change with his mouth and tongue yesterday. Currently, the most he could say that this did was save him a bit of mouthwash. It wasn’t really something to get excited about.
Luo Nan was still expecting its true marvels to reveal themselves.
Today was November 3, 2096. It was a Saturday, the day Luo Nan had planned to do his closed door cultivation.
Perhaps it was compensation. His guardians were very busy these days. It was the start of the month routine statistics period for the SCA. Luo Nan’s uncle was a high-level member and a technological expert. He had to be present to supervise. His aunt was a senior member of HR in a large company, and a new department was recruiting. She had to work overtime for this, so she didn’t have time to be at home. This gave Luo Nan a stress-free, distraction-free environment….
Luo Nan came back home from his morning run, his mood turning great once he found out all this information. His appetite rose quite a bit.
But he was far too naive.
Mo Peng, who should still be sleeping in as was his usual custom on weekends, had shuffled down the stairs at seven o’clock. His round, plump body brought with it a different vibe to him. He saw that his dad and mother weren’t paying attention to the home for now, so he smacked Luo Nan with a question,
“Have you arranged things on your end yet?”
