Following Little Rascal's instructions, Ding Meng focused his telekinesis vision on his heart and focused his energy on the "mirror". As he focused his Origin Energy, the mirror immediately became clearer and no longer flickered.
Little Rascal said, "Now it's time to test your body's endurance. Focus your mind and channel your energy into the diagram. At the same time, you need to maintain your focus and endure the pressure it brings to you."
The origin point began to spin rapidly, and the three golden lines began to circulate faster and faster. The mirror began to slowly brighten, from gold to yellow, then white, and finally bright. It was like a pure white prism in the depths of the universe, emitting light in the darkness …
This process was not pleasant. Ding Meng felt as if his chest had become a thousand kilograms heavy, as if it could crush him at any moment. However, he forced himself to endure. This was a critical moment, and the slightest lapse in concentration would cause all of his previous efforts to go to waste. The diagram at the center of the mirror had already taken shape. It no longer looked as simple as a simple diagram, but rather a lifelike and exquisite diamond.
Little Rascal said, "Use your fastest speed to break it down and direct the pure Origin Energy to spread throughout your body."
As soon as he said this, the mirror shattered with a "ding" sound, turning into a cloud of dust that slowly spread throughout his body.
Ding Meng immediately felt the suffocating pressure on his chest disappear without a trace, and a cool feeling returned to his body.
"Is that it?" Ding Meng lowered his head and inspected his body.
"It's still early," Little Rascal immediately interrupted him. "You're too slow."
Ding Meng asked curiously, "How is it fast?"
Little Rascal replied, "When you've truly mastered it, you can condense a diagram in a few minutes or even a few seconds, and the speed at which it spreads throughout your body will instantly spread throughout your body. You have to constantly cultivate, condense, and disperse until you can do as you please. Only then will you not feel as uncomfortable as before."
"This … …" Ding Meng was a little dumbfounded. "How long did I take?"
Little Rascal coldly replied, "32 minutes and 46 seconds."
Ding Meng asked, "Then how long does a normal cultivator take?"
Little Rascal replied, "The first condense takes more than an hour."
Ding Meng breathed a sigh of relief. "Not bad."
Little Rascal was immediately dissatisfied. "Ding Meng, you can't be so arrogant. Compared to normal Origin Ability users, you're indeed pretty good, but what kind of harsh environment are we in right now?
If you want to survive, you can't relax at all. If you're not cruel to yourself, the enemy will be crueler to you. Do you understand? "
"Understood!" Faced with Little Rascal's criticism, Ding Meng did not feel embarrassed at all. He pulled himself together and sat down cross-legged.
With the first experience of strengthening, he would undoubtedly become more proficient in the following steps. However, the discomfort and pressure brought about by the process of condensing the pattern was not something that ordinary people could endure.
Even Little Rascal, who was observing the process, couldn't help but inwardly sigh in admiration. Ding Meng was truly the type of person with a firm will. Praising him was useless. Only by criticizing him and spurring him on would he be able to unleash his astonishing potential.
Ding Meng forcibly endured the suffocating feeling of a mountain pressing down on his chest. He knew that the longer he endured, the purer and stronger the energy condensing the pattern, and the more resistant his body would become in the future.
As his proficiency increased, the speed at which he condensed the pattern increased. Gradually, the pressure began to lessen. It was as if he could activate the origin with just a thought, and a new mirror surface was easily formed … …
After a long time, Ding Meng finally felt a little hungry. He couldn't help but open his eyes. "Little Rascal, how much time has passed?"
Little Rascal replied, "It's already been 13 days, 8 hours, and 56 minutes."
"Time really flies when I'm cultivating."
Ding Meng said as he gulped down the nutrient solution. "Even this slightly more advanced nutrient solution can't withstand the consumption of cultivation."
Little Rascal said, "Cultivation is a very expensive thing to begin with. The stronger you are, the more it will consume."
"Looks like I'll have to go find the bamboo pole again."
Ding Meng stood up and stretched his limbs. He tried to walk forward. He was getting closer and closer to the chaos. He could stop about 30 meters away from it. The energy currents in the chaos were already visible to the naked eye, but Ding Meng still couldn't see what was hidden in the chaos.
"Ding Meng, don't you think it's strange?"
Little Rascal suddenly asked. "It's night now, and the temperature hasn't dropped at all. I've been observing for so many days, and I've discovered that the temperature hasn't changed at all whether it's day or night. This doesn't conform to the laws of nature. Ding Meng, Ding Meng?
Hey, Ding Meng, I'm talking to you … "
Ding Meng couldn't answer her because his attention was completely focused on the rear. After this period of cultivation, his perception had improved by leaps and bounds. How could the people behind them possibly hide from him?
Following his line of sight, Little Rascal also saw the bamboo pole sitting alone in a crude wheelchair at the exit of the warship, waving at them.
Little Rascal's tone turned cold. "No wonder I felt that something was off about him.
So he's also an Origin Energy user. "
Ding Meng nodded. He understood the principle behind this. To be able to reach the exit of the warship without any protective equipment meant that this person was definitely not an ordinary human. At the very least, he was a beginner Origin Energy user.
"Why couldn't I see it before?" Ding Meng asked.
Little Rascal replied, "Ding Meng, it's normal that you couldn't see it. You're still too weak right now, so you can't sense the natural aura of the Origin Energy on his body. Telekinesis can easily see through people far weaker than you, but it's difficult to see through people stronger than you."
Ding Meng said, "That's not right. I heard that bamboo pole has been in the base for four or five years. Could it be that he's been hiding all this time?"
Little Rascal pondered for a moment before saying, "From what I know, once a person's cultivation reaches a certain level, they can hide the aura of their Origin Energy. Obviously, he doesn't belong to this category."
Ding Meng nodded. He agreed with this point. If bamboo pole was a mid-tier or high-tier Origin Energy user, he could do whatever he wanted in the Black Gold Base. There was no need for him to sneak around the mines every day.
Little Rascal said, "There's another possibility, which is that he's using some kind of external force or medicine to help him hide. I've heard of these methods before, but I don't know the specifics. However, if he's able to get his hands on something like that, then his origins are quite suspicious."
"Let's go over and see what he's up to." Ding Meng secretly sucked in a breath, forcing himself to calm down.