’In other words, I won’t be awakening any more Basic Talents in the future.’

His eyes shining, Lu Chao’s gaze swept across the four pillars of light.

Following the imprints of the four different Basic Talent emblems upward, he saw only the four distinct colors of rock-gold, pale-silver, scarlet-red, and bright-blue, as if nothing else existed.

But...

’The Intermediate Potential Stage?’

His gaze gradually grew fervent. Following the intuitive feedback that came to him, Lu Chao continued to observe the four pillars of light.

They looked like supports holding up the unwavering phantom of a giant, or perhaps the cornerstones of four different dimensions of power.

Faintly, Lu Chao seemed to see the outlines of new emblems—or perhaps new, powerful imprints.

’Intermediate Talent Specializations!’

The so-called Intermediate Potential Stage was a new stage of sublimation built upon the talents he had already awakened.

From now on, as long as he accumulated enough energy for his Potential Progress, he could directly awaken an Intermediate Talent Specialization.

Moreover...

’When I awaken a new one, I can choose to randomly awaken it within a specific dimension.’

’In other words, for my next talent awakening, I can decide whether it will be in the dimension of violence, survival, or another.’

His eyes were exceptionally bright; Lu Chao knew what this meant.

By now, thanks to his four Basic Talents, he already had a rough idea of the effects corresponding to the four dimensions.

In other words, although the Intermediate Specializations were also awakened randomly, he could, to a certain extent, lock in the general range of their effects.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he subconsciously looked up, higher.

He saw the gray mist above the pillars of light, still undispersed.

After completing the Intermediate Potential Stage, he would be able to unlock the Advanced Potential Stage.

In other words, once he awakened four more Intermediate Specializations from the different dimensions, he could begin awakening High-level Talent Specializations.

In an instant, Lu Chao’s eyes shone as brightly as brilliant stars.

He felt as if he could see a special path, one that would allow him to transcend any faction on Earth Star and surpass every expert.

Perhaps accumulating energy would become harder each time, but the corresponding rewards would be enough to change his destiny, allowing him to obtain stronger talents and greater power.

HUMMM!

The next instant, an intense pain suddenly shot through him, yanking his consciousness back to reality.

All his hopes were forcibly cut short. Lu Chao swayed, his expression changing slightly.

"Shit!"

...

「A dozen or so minutes later, in the bedroom.」

"Hah... hah... hah..."

Lu Chao sat at a desk in the corner against the wall, gasping for air.

His face was visibly flushed, his breathing ragged.

The knuckles of his hands, braced against the desk, were pale. Veins bulged on his forehead as beads of sweat trickled down his cheeks, soaking the upper half of his shirt.

’It’s finally... over.’

The talent transformation was as painful as ever, but thankfully, he had endured it.

Then, his breathing gradually steadied.

Lu Chao raised a hand to rub his head and slowly sat up straight.

Most of the pain this time had come from deep within his head, as if his skull had undergone some subtle change.

As his vision cleared, he instinctively looked at his panel.

[Glutton: Lu Chao]

[Life Energy: 55 → 60!]

[Specializations: Basic—Basic Resilience, Plunder Growth, Adrenaline, Flow State]

First was his Life Energy. It had jumped five points, bringing him directly to the peak of the Professional Level.

He moved slightly, and a series of CRACKS and POPS echoed from his bones and tendons.

Lu Chao was a little surprised, but he soon felt it was perfectly reasonable.

The Magic Power Crystal was, after all, a primary-level resource. Even though it was fragmented, only half a palm in size, and an insufficient amount, it was still several times stronger than an intermediate Nutritional Potion.

’My Martial Arts Power has increased by at least a third. My nerve response, burst speed, and five senses have all seen a similar boost.’

Slowly clenching his fist, Lu Chao felt a surge of powerful confidence. ’My Basic Boxing Power must be at least eight hundred kilograms now.’

Peak Professional Level. This was enough to qualify as a security director for a small or medium-sized company. Even in the Patrol Department, some squad captains were only at this level of strength.

Not to mention, with this base level of strength, using Martial Skills like the Stacked Force Fist or activating his Frenzy State would also provide a corresponding boost.

’I should be able to withstand the backlash of the Stacked Force Fist’s second force two more times in a short period.’

’And the Frenzy State... I should be able to extend it for another thirty seconds... If I run into an enemy like Qiu Shan again, I’ll only need one move to kill him!’

’I could even defeat a true Elite Level expert who was completely unscathed and at their peak, just by using all my abilities!’

Confidence swelled within him. Lu Chao felt his foundation growing stronger and was exceptionally satisfied with this breakthrough.

He felt that perhaps even a veteran Elite Level expert was nothing more than this.

Then, his gaze traveled down the panel.

[Potential Progress: 0%]

His Potential Progress was back to zero, as always.

And the information from his intuition told him that accumulating energy from now on would likely be several times more difficult than it was during the basic stage.

’I wonder when I’ll be able to awaken an Intermediate Specialization.’

Clenching his fists, a flash of anticipation crossed Lu Chao’s eyes.

Then, after slowly adapting to the changes from his breakthrough and gradually mastering the power of a peak Professional Level, he slowly closed his eyes and began to experience the effects of his [Flow State] talent.

In an instant, relying on instinct, he flipped some kind of invisible switch in his body, just like with [Adrenaline].

His Spiritual Power surged forth like a flood bursting through a dam.

HUMMM!

In that instant, Lu Chao opened his eyes again.

Everything was silent, except for the gentle breeze blowing in from the window.

The light-colored curtains fluttered softly. Dust motes in the room floated and swirled before settling again.

Everything seemed exactly the same as before.

However, a sharp glint flashed through his eyes. Lu Chao felt as if an invisible fog had silently dissipated, and the entire world before him suddenly changed, becoming clearer and more intuitive.

’Is this what flexible thinking is?’

He perceived subtle details, as if he could see the invisible air slowly flowing.

He could estimate the approximate speed of the breeze from the window, and he easily calculated the length, width, height, and corresponding weight of the tables, chairs, and benches in the room.

His mind processed external information with extraordinary speed, even surpassing the boost from his Frenzy State.

And yet, this was just its most basic application.

’[Flow State]’s greatest effect is enhancing comprehension and accelerating cultivation efficiency.’

’In other words...’

Lu Chao thought of the potion formulas from Alchemist theory that he hadn’t fully mastered and the potion-making steps where he often failed.

And even the bottleneck preventing his Needle Throwing Skill from breaking through to the 2nd Floor, and the killing moves of the Golden Stone Fighting Skill he had yet to comprehend.

He acted on the thought without hesitation.

Instantly, Lu Chao sank his waist and widened his stance, assuming the posture for the 3rd Floor of the Fighting Skill right where he stood.

Giant Boulder Crosses the Sky, Immovable as a Mountain, Dust Devil Sweeps the Land... He executed the moves of the 3rd Floor of the Fighting Skill one after another.

His fists and palms cut through the air, creating a piercing whistle and a powerful gale that could shake the window from several meters away and make the posters on the wall rustle.

Or he would sink his body, stabilizing his center of gravity like a thousand-pound weight, taking on the immovable stance of a Rock.

At other times, he would move his feet, his figure flashing continuously.

Though it didn’t look like anything special, his movements stirred the air, creating afterimages that could confuse an opponent’s vision like a cloud of dust and smoke.

In just a few minutes, Lu Chao felt the difficult points that had previously confused him rapidly become clear.

It was as if he had swapped his brain for one with faster reactions and higher comprehension; his practice was completely unimpeded, with virtually no obstacles remaining.

’And the Needle Throwing Skill... no wonder I couldn’t break through to the 2nd Floor’s Rain Transformation Realm. It wasn’t a problem with my technique, but a flaw in how I condensed my Martial Arts Power. It wasn’t perfect.’

’It’s a shame I can’t practice it indoors, or I would give it a try.’

A flurry of information flashed through Lu Chao’s mind. Then, a thought struck him, and he realized a key point.

’The Fixed Star Observation Method...’

A passage of text subconsciously appeared in his mind.

The cultivation secrets of this special Spiritual Power technique were incredibly profound, making them seem abstruse and difficult to understand.

Before, he couldn’t even get started with it; he didn’t even know how to begin.

But now...

’If I try to cultivate it in the [Flow State], could I master the basics faster?’