NABC Chapter 375: Low-key
Chapter 375: Low-key
Xu Wuyi’s eyes narrowed. "Teacher, you mean..."
"A tall tree catches the wind," Han Mo said slowly. "With your Great Success in Heart Image, you’ll immediately become the center of attention for the entire Federation’s younger generation the moment it’s made public."
"Honor, resources, and opportunities will flock to you. But at the same time, so will doubt, jealousy, and schemes."
Xu Wuyi nodded silently. He understood this, of course.
Under the firm hand of the Federation, no faction would dare to openly move against a genius Martial Artist, but that didn’t mean such dark intentions had vanished.
Covert and indirect maneuvers had probably never ceased. In fact, the moment he revealed any weakness, someone would likely seize the moral high ground to attack him.
Such things were not uncommon. After all, genius Martial Artists weren’t paragons of virtue; they were bound to make mistakes.
And geniuses from common backgrounds were especially prone to error.
Han Mo paused, his tone growing serious. "More importantly, you haven’t truly broken through to the Innate Realm yet. Great Success in Heart Image is just the ticket in. Having the ticket and actually walking through the door are two different things. There are still variables at play."
Xu Wuyi understood. "Teacher, you want me to keep a low profile?"
"Yes." Han Mo nodded. "Keep your Great Success in Heart Image a secret for as long as possible. It’s best not to fully reveal it, at least not before you break through to the Innate Realm."
"Of course, it’s not realistic to avoid using the Power of Heart Image entirely, but you can control the extent of its exposure. For instance, only use the nascent power of your Heart Image, or only reveal the complete Heart Image at the most critical moments."
Xu Wuyi grew thoughtful.
When he was stationed in the Star Realm, he had made it a habit to hold back, never revealing his full hand easily. This was both for his own safety and a matter of combat strategy.
His teacher’s request now was simply to extend this habit to a broader scale.
"I understand," Xu Wuyi said solemnly. "In future missions and cultivation, I will be mindful of my limits. I won’t reveal my complete Heart Image unless I’m in a true life-or-death crisis."
"Good." Han Mo nodded in satisfaction. "As for missions, you can continue with the research institute’s evaluations, but I suggest you pause your stationing duties for now. The Star Realm Battlefield is a complex environment with too many variables. It would be troublesome if you were targeted by someone with ulterior motives."
Xu Wuyi hesitated for a moment. "But the stationing missions are very helpful for honing my practical combat skills..."
"There’s more than one way to hone your skills," Han Mo cut in.
He looked at Xu Wuyi, his tone earnest. "What you need most right now isn’t more life-and-death combat, but consolidation."
"While Great Success in Heart Image brings a boost in power, it also requires time to adapt, control, and digest. If you rush onto a high-intensity battlefield and fail to control this new power, you could end up hurting yourself."
Xu Wuyi mulled it over for a moment before nodding. "I’ll do as you say, Teacher."
Han Mo let out a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face. "That’s the right attitude. For the time being, your main tasks are to consolidate your Realm, familiarize yourself with the Power of Heart Image, and continue practicing the Visualization Method. The strength of your Spiritual Power directly affects the power and precision of your Heart Image, so you can’t afford to be careless."
"Yes."
"Also," Han Mo added, remembering something, "you can tell Senior Flame Venerable the news about your Great Success in Heart Image. He’s practically half a teacher to you. With his Realm and perspective, he won’t have any untoward ideas about it. In fact, he might even offer you some guidance."
Xu Wuyi took note. "I’ll contact Senior Flame Venerable shortly."
"Good." Han Mo glanced at the time. "I have a class soon, so I’ll be going. Remember: stay low-key, consolidate your gains, and advance steadily. Contact me anytime if you have questions."
"Thank you, Teacher."
After seeing Han Mo off, Xu Wuyi returned to the living room and sat down on the sofa.
His teacher’s words still echoed in his ears.
Low profile, consolidate.
He actually agreed. ’My power has increased too quickly; I really do need time to digest it.’
It was like someone suddenly coming into a massive fortune—if they didn’t know how to spend or manage it, they could end up inviting disaster.
The Power of Heart Image was the "massive fortune" of Martial Arts, especially before one truly reached the Innate Realm.
He needed to learn how to control it with more finesse, how to integrate it more effectively into his combat style, and how to make it synergize with his Qi and Blood, Spirit, and Martial Techniques.
This couldn’t be accomplished overnight.
However, Xu Wuyi didn’t see it as a burden.
On the contrary, he was rather looking forward to it.
Exploring new powers and mastering new Realms—this was the most interesting part of practicing Martial Arts.
He pulled up his personal terminal and found Flame Venerable’s contact information.
After a moment’s thought, he composed a message. It was even more concise than the one he’d sent to Teacher Han Mo, simply stating that he had achieved Great Success in Heart Image, his Realm was stable, and thanking the senior for his past guidance.
After sending the message, Xu Wuyi didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, he rose and returned to the Cultivation Room.
He still had things to do.
After achieving Great Success in Heart Image, he had yet to truly test how much of a boost this new power would provide in actual combat.
In the center of the Cultivation Room, Xu Wuyi stood still, closing his eyes and Concentrating his Spirit.
The next moment, a dark golden Heart Image slowly materialized behind him.
It wasn’t the miniature version that fit in his palm, but a phantom scaled up to over two meters tall. The mountain was majestic, a Golden Crow perched upon it, and it radiated a heavy, scorching aura.
Xu Wuyi could feel the Heart Image was intimately connected to his own Qi and Blood, as if it had become an additional "fountain of power."
Whenever he wished, he could draw upon the Power of Heart Image to augment his attacks, defense, speed, and even his Spiritual Perception.
With a thought, he tried to channel the "mountain" Mental Realm from his Heart Image.
Instantly, a heavy, stable power suffused his body.
The ground beneath his feet seemed to solidify. His legs felt as if they had taken root in the earth, his posture becoming as steady as a boulder.
At the same time, his Fist Momentum and palm strikes faintly took on the weight of a mountain, their power increasing by at least thirty percent.
’This is a defensive enhancement,’ Xu Wuyi realized.
He then switched Mental Realms, drawing upon the power of the "Golden Crow" within his Heart Image.
A scorching, explosive aura, like that of a brilliant sun, spread through the air.
His Qi and Blood felt like it had been set alight. Its circulation quickened, his body temperature rose, and faint, dark-golden sparks began to drift around him.
He threw a casual punch. The air distorted slightly as if scorched, and the force of the blow carried an intense heat, its destructive power doubled.
’This is an offensive augmentation.’
Xu Wuyi reined in his power, and the phantom of his Heart Image slowly dissipated.
It was only a preliminary test, but he could already feel the formidable nature of the Power of Heart Image.
This wasn’t just a simple power boost; it was a manifestation and reinforcement of his own Martial Arts Mental Realm.
"Mountain" and "fire"—two somewhat opposing Mental Realms—had achieved a wondrous balance and fusion within his Heart Image.
This allowed him to switch his focus at will during battle, depending on his needs, or even combine the two to unleash even greater power.
’Next up is familiarization and mastery.’